《Poison Physician Consort》 Chapter 1: Bai Luochu A stench filled the sky! A strong and pungent stench of blood, along with the rotten smell of demonic beasts¡¯ feces had filled the air of the Bestial Battle Arena. The smell was so bad that it was difficult for one to even open their eyes. There was an ear-splitting roar, and it seemed as though countless people were screaming at the top of their lungs... Bai Luochu was lying on the ground with her eyes shut and brows knitted accentuated her wrinkles. Her pale and scrawny face was drenched with sweat and she looked like she was suffering from immeasurable pain. ¡ª¡ª ¡°Evil dao witch! If you take your own life, we can still spare the lives of your sect members! If you persist in traveling down the wrong path, don¡¯t blame us for being merciless!¡± Mockery and cold shouts constantly echoed in Bai Luochu¡¯s mind and she felt as though her head was going to split open! All of a sudden, the roar of a beast reverberated through the sky and it was accompanied by a loud ¡°bang¡±! A heavy object smashed into Bai Luochu¡¯s shoulder, and her body shot out like a broken rag doll. Brutally slamming into the wall of the Bestial Battle Arena, cracks started to spiderweb across it as she fell to the ground. Fresh blood gushed out from her mouth as she laid there, unmoving. In her semi conscious state, her body twisted and squirmed continuously as her deathly pale countenance turned green. The blood coming out from her mouth didn¡¯t stop as it stained her face, painting an extremely unsightly scene. The sharp pain allowed her to regain her consciousness. ¡°Lu Wenshu¡­¡± Bai Luochu murmured softly, as her fists subconsciously tightened. ¡°Lu Wenshu¡­¡± Bai Luochu was still on the ground and her pair of half-closed eyes seemed to have regained some clarity. ¡°Lu Wenshu, I deserted my apprenticeship for you. Yet, in order to obtain the inheritance, you joined hands with everyone to surround my temple, exterminate my people, and caused my death! Lu Wenshu¡­ in this entire world, even if everyone betrayed me, how could you...¡± Bai Luochu released a deep and grim laughter as she barely supported her body off the ground. With her gaze fixed forward, she wanted to take a good look at the current expression on Lu Wenshu¡¯s face! As soon as she raised her head, she was stunned. The scene in front of her wasn¡¯t the inheritance altar where she lost her consciousness. Instead, she only saw a pile of bones drenched in blood... ¡°Where¡­ where is this?¡± What is going on? Where in the world is she? ¡°Eat her! Eat her! ¡­¡± As Bai Luochu¡¯s consciousness became clearer, cries from all over the arena entered her ears. Bai Luochu tried to search for the source of the noise, and discovered people standing on top of the walls surrounding her. They stretched their necks to look down at her as they gestured and pointed. As they screamed, their faces turned red in excitement and a maniacal look appeared in their eyes. Bai Luochu surveyed her surroundings as an odd expression crept up her face. This place¡­ why did it look like the Bestial Battle Arena? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be at the inheritance altar? While she was thinking about what had actually transpired, a shadow appeared and pressed down above her head. Bai Luochu raised her head and saw a bloody mouth, which brought with it a pungent stench, trying to swallow her whole! Those sharp teeth still had remnant chunks of flesh that were dripping with blood. If the teeth really sank into her head, her skull would be ripped off her shoulders. ¡°Brute!¡± Bai Luochu let out a sharp glare as she formed a sword out of her spiritual energy. It shot straight towards the Fire Lion and she yelled, ¡°Get lost!¡± It dares to eat her? This foolish beast must have eaten a bear¡¯s heart or a leopard¡¯s guts! Just as Bai Luochu assumed that her attack felled the beast, that ferocious beast¡¯s body merely shivered a little before letting out an enraged roar. Its mouth shot towards Bai Luochu¡¯s head once again! This time, it moved even faster. In the past, Bai Luochu¡¯s spiritual attack was something that supreme experts were unable to dodge. Right now, it couldn¡¯t even fend-off a low-level beast! Bai Luochu was shocked. With a thought in mind, she immediately circulated her spirit qi, only to notice that the interior of her body was completely empty. Let alone spirit qi, even her meridians were blocked up... What in the world was going on?! Chapter 2: No.8 Human Slave Looking at the quick, violent, and ferocious beast whose mouth was dripping with blood as it bared its fangs at her, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t even have time to think. Enduring the pain, she rolled over rapidly in order to escape. Spotting a pile of bones by her side, she grabbed a slender and sharp one and used it as her weapon. Pulling herself away, Bai Luochu finally saw the full appearance of the ferocious beast. It had a lion¡¯s body, a leopard¡¯s head, and a snake¡¯s tail. Its entire body was pitch-black and its red paws made it looked as though it was stomping on flames. It was precisely the spirit beast, Fire Lion. A high rank Fire Lion had an entire body seemingly made out of flames. Each breath it took made it seem as though flames were streaming out of its mouth and the air it exhaled formed a gale. Since the Fire Lion¡¯s paws were barely red, she knew that its cultivation had only reached the first stage. ¡°Hmph! Even the Ancient Flaming Lion will have to bow before me. How dare a first stage Fire Lion behave so audaciously in front of me?¡± Bai Luochu spoke indifferently as her crystal-like black eyes on her pale face sparkled with an icy-cold and sharp light. She looked like a cheetah staring at the Fire Lion¡¯s every move. She looked much more savage and vicious compared to the Fire Lion! Out of its wildest expectations, a prey which was supposed to be powerless managed to dodge its attack. With a blank expression on its face, the Fire Lion quickly turned its body to face Bai Luochu. It seemed like Bai Luochu¡¯s cold expression made it even more angry as the Fire Lion snarled before charging head first into her. The two of them weren¡¯t too far away from each other and in the blink of an eye, the Fire Lion arrived in front of Bai Luochu¡¯s face. At this precise moment, Bai Luochu made a move. One could see her body tilting to the left as she used her right hand to hook onto the neck of the Fire Lion. Her left hand pressed hard on its ribs and she did a flip. She rode on the lion¡¯s back and the moment she landed, her left hand chopped down on the Fire Lion¡¯s seventh vertebra. She hammered with all her strength! A muffled ¡®snap¡¯ echoed through the air. A moment later, the Fire Lion¡¯s body trembled as it roared and swayed violently. That abnormally bitter roar caused everyone to instinctively flinch! But she was nowhere near done. In order not to be thrown off by its violent movement, Bai Luochu¡¯s legs clamped tight on the Fire Lion¡¯s abdomen. At the same time, her left hand turned into a claw and dug into its skin before grabbing onto the seventh vertebra. In a swift movement, she pulled with all her might and a clear shattering sound echoed through the air. In an instant, the Fire Lion¡¯s body stiffened and its legs gave out. Collapsing onto the ground, the Fire Lion no longer got up. Seeing as the lion could no longer fight back, Bai Luochu¡¯s brows furrowed and she flipped off the Fire Lion¡¯s back. She looked at her left hand and couldn¡¯t help but frown. In the past, a simple point with her fingertip was enough to pierce a hole through a giant boulder. Right now, she used her full strength and was unable to smash apart a mere bone! Had it not been because of her knowledge of the beast¡¯s weakness, there was no way she would be able to kill the Fire Lion that easily. What was going on here? Why was she here? Why was her cultivation gone? Unknowingly, the maniacal shouting in the Bestial Battle Arena had stopped and it was replaced by yelps and soft gasps... ¡°Tsk, why didn¡¯t she die¡­¡± ¡°The flesh had already entered its mouth. Why couldn¡¯t it just snap its jaws shut? This Fire Lion sure is useless!¡± ¡°Arena Master, why did the Fire Lion suddenly die? Is this some sort of trick to scam our money?¡± Everyone was shouting out simultaneously and most of them were curses. Of course, there were cheers as well as they laughed heartily before tossing gold coins into the arena. A moment later, the Bestial Battle Arena went into an uproar again. ¡°The battle is over. No.8 human slave wins, open the gate!¡± All of a sudden, a deep voice resounded through the Bestial Battle Arena. At the same time, there was a clattering sound as a giant gate at the corner of the Bestial Battle Arena rolled open.. No.8 human slave? Bai Luochu frowned and scanned her surroundings. She walked towards the gate with a suspicious look in her eyes. The moment she walked out, an enormous amount of memory flooded into her mind violently like a giant wave and caused her vision to go black. Her body froze and she fell onto the ground. In a high pavilion above the Bestial Battle Arena, an individual was quietly fanning himself with a folding fan as he stared at the motionless Bai Luochu on the ground. That person spoke slowly, ¡°Who is that?¡± The voice was clear and gentle, yet there wasn¡¯t a lack of unsophisticated manliness. That crystal clear voice was something that no one would ever forget after hearing it once. ¡°Young Master, that is the no.8 human slave. She is a newcomer to the Bestial Battle Arena.¡± ¡°En.¡± The person nodded silently and stood up to walk outside as his black hair fluttered lightly in the wind without restraint. ¡°Reward.¡± Chapter 3: Reincarnation In the dead of the night, the temperature was extremely cold. The prisoners felt as though they were submerged in a cold pool as sparse moonlight passed through the mottled barred window and shined into the prison cell as it illuminated a tiny figure who was lying on a pile of rice straws. Bai Luochu laid quietly as she looked around the filthy prison cell. She had been awake for more than four hours and since she woke up, memories flowed through her head. Obviously, none of it belonged to her. However, they were so profound and detailed that she felt as though she had truly experienced them. Connecting the dots, she realized that there was only one explanation for this. She had reincarnated into another body! She had perished on the sacred monument of the inheritance altar and reincarnated into the body of someone in the Bestial Battle Arena. Right now, she was in the body of a woman named ¡°Luo Chu¡±. She once heard about how supreme experts in the world would fight over the method of reincarnation. Never in her wildest imaginations did she expect herself to be able to come back to life. Bai Luochu looked at her frail and powerless hand. The primary energy and divine sense she possessed previously had all but vanished. She was currently a wastrel whose primary energy meridians were blocked. Nevertheless, it was extremely fortunate for her to be able to live another life. As for primary energy and divine senses¡­ That was something she could easily regain. ¡°Lu Wenshu, it is hard to imagine, right? You schemed and racked your brains to kill me but the heavens didn¡¯t allow me to die. I am really looking forward to the day we meet again¡­¡± Bai Luochu laughed insipidly as a cold light flashed through her eyes. Killing intent leaked out of her body. Whatever the case, the most important task right now was for her to become stronger! ¡°Gong! Gong! Gong!¡± Suddenly, a loud and ear-piercing gong echoed and broke the silence in the dark night. A disturbance broke out in the prison cells. ¡°Get up, get up! All of you get up! Gather in the main hall in the time it takes to burn half an incense stick!¡± The person who beat the gong spoke in a strict tone. As he spoke, he smacked the doors of the prison cells with a loathsome expression plastered on his face. ¡°No.8?¡± When in front of Bai Luochu¡¯s prison cell, that guard¡¯s body paused and raised a brow. He then tossed a bag in and spoke with a rather mild voice, ¡°You¡¯re lucky to be alive. This is a reward from a noble.¡± He walked off as soon as he was done speaking. Prisoners in the other cells were already on their feet as they cursed loudly. Even though curses flooded their speech, they moved quickly. Looking at them, Bai Luochu coldly snorted. With the likes of those men, if she were to walk out of the cell with the bag of rewards, she would definitely die a miserable death in their hands with her current strength. In the best case scenario, her rewards would be plundered in a flash... As such, she was in no hurry to walk out and she immediately sat down. She opened the reward bag in front of everyone¡¯s unblinking eyes. Inside the bag, there was a bottle of medicine and ten gold coins. The moment Bai Luochu opened the medicine bottle and took a whiff, she frowned. A loathing expression appeared in her eyes. ¡°Medicine¡­ there is a fragrance of medicine!¡± All of a sudden, one of the sturdy men¡¯s eyes opened wide. There was a trace of disbelief as he continued, ¡°It¡¯s actually spirit medicine?!¡± The moment the words left his mouth, everyone in the cells were stunned. Rushing to the edge of the metal bars, they stretched out their necks in order to get a whiff. ¡°Spirit medicine! It¡¯s actually spirit medicine!¡± There was an instant clamor in the prison cells. Spirit medicine? Bai Luochu took a look at the medicine bottle and revealed a trace of despise as the corner of her mouth curled upwards. This was considered spirit medicine? This probably didn¡¯t even have a grade. At best, this medicinal fluid only contained a trace of spirit qi... But when she saw the reactions of the people inside the prison cells, she could understand why they were drooling over this bottle of measly medicinal fluid. She also understood why they were acting so crazily. Chapter 4: Rich And Overbearing ¡°Hmph, little lady, you have such a small physique. You will be torn to pieces by those ferocious beasts sooner or later. Why not hand that spirit medicine to me and I can let you live for a few more days.¡± The one who spoke was a tall man with a stalwart figure. He had a centipede-like scar that was crawling from his left brow to the right corner of his mouth. The scar cut directly across his left eye gave him a rather sinister look. These human slaves were people of the lowest hierarchy and had problems living an ordinary life. Right now, this smooth-skinned little lady looked like a complete pushover. These robust and stout men were speaking over each other as they made threats and promises continuously and looked like they were trying to retrieve some of their dignity as humans by speaking to Bai Luochu. ¡°Hey hey, little lady, don¡¯t listen to his lies. I can somewhat speak to the supervisor of this place. If you give me the spirit medicine, I¡¯ll put in some good words for you. You¡¯ll definitely suffer a lot less.¡± The one who was speaking had a rather strong and muscular build but his eyes were slanted upwards. They were bright and he had a particularly long and narrow face, giving him a sinister look. ¡°I¡¯ll be a fool to trust you.¡± Bai Luochu thought in her heart. These people were probably going to fall out and become hostile after obtaining the spirit medicine. The current Bai Luochu was no longer that weak and inexperienced no.8 human slave. Although she was still frail and weak, her soul was now that of an intimidating evil dao witch. Seeing all these people trying to outdo each other with threats and temptations, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but ponder inwardly. These sturdy and strong men were all aiming for the spirit medicine in her hands... Too bad for them, it was pretty much out of their reach. As of now, she wasn¡¯t strong enough and knew that if she left her cell, it would be no different from delivering herself into the mouth of the tiger. When she thought about her future after leaving the cell, Bai Luochu regained her calm. Downing the contents of the bottle, she sat down cross-legged in order to absorb the medicinal properties of the spirit medicine. No one expected Bai Luochu to actually drink all the spirit medicine in one go without the slightest hesitation. They were stunned. Some of them clenched their teeth and some others were lost for words and there were even some who started cursing¡­. Several members spat in Bai Luochu¡¯s direction and leaned on her cell gate with an unhappy expression on their face. It seemed as though all of them were waiting for her to leave her cell. The time it took to burn half an incense stick ran out quickly and Bai Luochu used this short period of time to fully absorb the spirit medicine. ¡°Gong! Gong! Gong!¡± The gongs rang much faster and the sound stabbed into the ears of the prisoners. Bai Luochu felt a wave of headache overwhelming her. Before the ringing could disappear, the voice of the man echoed in her ears, ¡°What is going on?! Is everyone dead before even stepping into the arena? Hurry up! You cheap slaves, even if you are going to die, you¡¯re better off dying in the arena! Entertain those nobles before you die... What are you still waiting for?!¡± When the prisoners heard his voice, their faces changed. They no longer had that arrogant and mighty attitude when they were intimidating Bai Luochu. Every single one of them tucked their tails between their legs as they scurried off like street rats. There was an anxious expression on their faces and it was pretty obvious they were afraid of angering whoever was in charge. ¡°Ouch!¡± The person beating the gong still wasn¡¯t content as he smashed his mallet into an unlucky prisoner at the back. Everyone was panicking and Bai Luochu took advantage of the situation to walk out of her prison cell. She was able to remain out of harm''s way as she made her way to the gathering point in the main hall. The main hall and the prison cells were two completely different worlds. The former had the glorious splendor from gold and jade lining the walls. Guests in the main hall were dressed in silk fabric as gems adorned them. The bright main hall became even more dazzling as the light reflected off those gems. The latter was nasty and filthy. It was filled with poor looking slaves who wore unkempt clothes as they lived their lives full of pain and struggling. ¡°Ahem, everyone is to stand properly. Those whose names I call shall take a step forward!¡± The man who hit the gong clasped his hands behind his back and spoke in an authoritative manner. Taking out a rolled-up beast skin, he read out the names of the people recorded in it. ¡°This is the list of people who will step into the arena. If any of you dares to run, only death awaits you.¡± The moment he spoke, one of the prisoners directly fell to his knees. The man sneered. ¡°Tsk. I¡¯m going to warn all of you. Today, you¡¯ll be fighting against the Thunder Python. You better start praying to the gods.¡± After speaking, he glanced at the person kneeling on the ground and saw that he had already fainted. There was a puddle of yellow fluid under his crotch and the stench assaulted everyone¡¯s nose. ¡°Pah! Who are you trying to disgust? Men, splash some water on him to wake him up before cleaning this place! Don¡¯t contaminate the nobles walking though this place.¡± The man who hit the gong spat on the person on the ground ruthlessly before barking out his instructions. He left with his hands clasped firmly behind him. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t fond of this person. The gong hitter obviously wasn¡¯t someone with noble status and was just simply fortunate enough to not be listed as a slave. Yet he was trampling over these human slaves as though they were insects. Whatever the case, she didn¡¯t have the time to bother about such things. The most important thing was to treat her injuries such that her life wouldn¡¯t be in immediate danger. Bai Luochu weighed her bag of rewards and headed straight for the Bestial Battle Arena¡¯s merchant house. She knew about the merchant house and she had even been to one in her previous life. Of course, the one she patronized in the past was on a much grander scale. The instant Bai Luochu stepped into the merchant house, she became a little startled. This massive merchant house was void of customers and there was only a single staff dozing off at the front desk. After seeing the goods and the prices they were listed at, she immediately understood. Everything was listed for several tens of thousands of silver and there were even some items priced with gold coins. With such prices, the sinful slaves locked up in the Bestial Battle Area would never be able to buy anything even after offering their lives. Furthermore, the quality of the items in this place weren¡¯t top-class. As for those spectating the matches, they were either rich or nobility. There was no way they would look at stuff in the merchant house. When the counter staff heard someone walking over, her eyes lit up and she immediately became invigorated. Just as she was preparing to passionately introduce some products, she saw that the customer was an inexperienced lass. From the tattered clothes she wore, it was obvious she was a human slave. Clicking her tongue, the staff went back to her nap. ¡°I want this dagger.¡± Bai Luochu used her finger and pointed at the dagger in front of the counter staff. ¡°Little sister, you better take a closer look. This dagger is priced at five gold coins, not five copper plates.¡± The counter staff had a disdainful expression on her face as she cursed silently. ¡°This lowly slave is so ignorant. She is probably a fool...¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t try to explain anything and simply tossed the reward bag to the condescending counter staff. Taking a look at Bai Luochu, the staff weighed the reward bag. A trace of disbelief flashed in her eyes as she quickly opened it up and saw that it was full of gold coins. Seemingly unconvinced, she took out one of the gold coins and bit down on it. After seeing her teeth marks on the coin, her expression changed. ¡°Apart from this dagger, give me the silver needles on the shelf at the back, and¡­¡± Bai Luochu pondered for a moment and listed a few types of herbs and poisonous plants before asking the counter staff to pack them up. The counter staff was grinning from ear to ear as this forsaken merchant house finally managed to welcome a god of wealth. Of course, the more she bought the better as the staff would obtain a percentage of the profits. ¡°Little sister, please come back again soon!¡± The counter staff was no longer dozing off and was now much more passionate as she served Bai Luochu. After Bai Luochu bought all these things, she had spent every single gold coin on her. She was sighing at the fact that she actually had to patronize this rip-off of a merchant store. However, she comforted herself at the same time as she was fortunate enough to buy everything she needed. Right now, she had to return to the prison cell, heal her injuries with the medicinal herbs, temper the silver needles with poison, and attempt to cultivate. Chapter 5: Healing and Poison Tempering There was no time for Bai Luochu to feel the pinch of her rapid spending as the gold coins she once had disappeared almost instantly. After exiting the merchant house, Bai Luochu hurried back to her prison cell. When Bai Luochu arrived at the prison cell, a portion of the people who weren¡¯t going to battle in the arena were already resting in the corner of their cells as they met with Duke Zhou in their dreams. One of them was bragging to the person next to his cell about surviving for another day without risking their life. Very few individuals were seated cross-legged in cultivation. They were the ones who were struggling to grasp a trace of hope to survive in the battle with the ferocious beasts when they had to in the near future. Those who were still awake stopped speaking the moment Bai Luochu walked in. Even the braggart shut his mouth and those deep in cultivation opened their eyes. Countless eyes landed on Bai Luochu as she walked into her designated prison cell. Only after she entered her cell did they return to what they were doing. Within the next few moments, the prison cells returned to their original state. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t afraid at all. When recalling her past life as an evil dao witch, there were plenty of people who had their eyes on her. They were both in the dark and in the light. If those countless gazes could materialize into flying blades, she would have been stabbed countless times and her body would be riddled with holes. Compared to those so-called people of the righteous dao, the stares from everyone in the prison cells were much more genuine and virtuous. Bai Luochu was thinking silently in her heart, ¡°These people are probably unsatisfied with the fact that I obtained the spirit medicine and boldly consumed it in front of everyone. Either that or the gold coins..¡± Well, it was really a pity as the rewards she had just obtained were completely spent. The next thing she had to do was heal her injuries before starting to cultivate. Right now, her meridians were closed and her spiritual energy wasn¡¯t even one ten-thousandth of her pinnacle state. Without any self-preservation methods, she was truly going to face a hard time inside the Bestial Battle Arena. In the end, the facilities in the prison cell were too crude. Let alone the tools she needed to handle the herbs, she didn¡¯t even have a bowl or basin. Bai Luochi had no choice but to use the most primitive method to solve her problem. First, Bai Luochu chewed the herbs in her mouth and when the bitterness started to spread, she would spit it out onto her palm. She would then put the herbs on the injured area and wrap her arm firmly with bandages to prevent the wound from reopening. It was time for the next step, tempering the silver needles. As an evil dao witch in the past, she was most proficient in handling poison! Considering the state of her current body, she added in the wealth of knowledge she possessed in her previous life. She was extremely adept in the ways of poison and knew the flaws of the spirit beasts. Bai Luochu chose to use the silver needles tempered with poison to influence the spirit beasts¡¯ movement. She would then take advantage of the time when the poison took effect to find the beast¡¯s weak spot before killing it with a dagger in a single strike. Since it was poison, it was natural for her to process the herbs differently. Bai Luochu examined the prison cell and finally spotted a barely usable large rock in the corner of the cell. Taking off the sheet on her bed, she covered the stone plate on the ground before placing the poisonous plants down. She started to smash it with the rock she had just found. Gradually, Bai Luochu managed to turn the poisonous plants into a paste. Taking out the silver needles hanging around her waist, she dipped a third of the needle into the poisonous plant paste. She patiently waited for the poison to seep into the needles. Since Bai Luochu had focused all her attention on the poison, the time it took to burn two sticks of incense seemed like it passed in the blink of an eye. Keeping the silver needles one by one, she noticed that the tip was black as the entire needle emitted a blueish-green luster. She knew that the poison tempering was a complete success. It might not be comparable to the poison needles she used in the past but it was definitely enough to deal with the low rank spirit beasts whose fatal weak points were known to her. After taking out the silver needles and drying them, she strapped them onto her waist again. Bai Luochu then tore some clean cattail from her bed to wrap up the sheet stained with poison. In order to avoid rousing suspicion, Bai Luochu bundled it all up and chucked it to the corner of the cell. After doing these two things, Bai Luochu sat in a position where her palms, feet, and head faced upwards. She started to meditate as she attempted to absorb heaven and earth spirit qi around her. Bai Luochu gently closed her eyes and took an inner look at her spirit platform. She was pleasantly surprised to see a strand of spirit qi slowly forming as she quickly started to circulate her qi around her body. All she wanted was for the strand of spirit qi to move into her meridians. Initially, her spirit qi was traveling smoothly through her meridians. However, when it approached an obstruction, her spirit qi quickly dissipated. Bai Luochu opened her eyes abruptly and large beads of sweat rolled down from her forehead to her chin before dripping on the ground. This body was still too weak and a simple attempt to circulate qi required too much effort! The more she thought about it, the bigger her frown became. A vexed feeling made its way into her heart. Nevertheless, she was a pinnacle expert in her previous life and her mentality was naturally incomparable to ordinary people. A moment later, she regained her composure. If an ordinary person¡¯s cultivation path was obstructed, they would definitely experience some mental hindrance. They might even walk down the wrong path of cultivation. This cultivation process took up the entire day and the familiar sound of a gong interrupted Bai Luochu¡¯s cultivation state. ¡°Gong! Gong! Gong!¡± The scheduled ear-piercing sound of the gong caused Bai Luochu to snap awake. She finally realized that she had spent most of her time cultivating. ¡°Get up quickly! Same old rules. In the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense, you better be in the main hall! Don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time!¡± The man ringing the gong looked at Bai Luochu, as if he had finally remembered there was a little lady in the cells. The current Bai Luochu maintained her current state and didn¡¯t move. When the person who rang the gong saw her, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a disdainful scoff. Turning around, he muttered to himself, ¡°She is just a wastrel with blocked meridians. Right now, she is just a lowly slave in the Beastial Battle Arena. How dare she think of cultivating? Haha, what a joke.¡± After muttering under his breath, he walked towards the main hall. Perhaps due to the absence of rewards, no one dawdled around and all of them quickly made their way to the main hall. There were more than 40 of them standing in the main hall the day before¡­ however, the number seemed to have reduced by a whole lot. It was pretty obvious that those who entered the arena yesterday were food in the spirit beast¡¯s belly. ¡°Ahem, everyone is here. Those names that I call out shall participate in the battle today!¡± As the person ringing the gong completed his sentence, he took out a beast skin parchment and read out the names. Bai Luochu¡¯s brows suddenly jolted and an ominous premonition appeared in her heart. Before that premonition dissipated, the voice of the person who rang the gong resounded in her ears, ¡°No.8 human slave, Luochu!¡± Chapter 6: One Shot Kill As expected, this ominous premonition didn¡¯t appear without a reason. Her current body would already be a burden when facing those beasts even in her best condition, let alone her current state. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but burst out into silent laughter. It was the same both in her previous and present life. Nothing good came her way and if anything were to happen to her, it was definitely something untoward. ¡°If it is a blessing, it wouldn¡¯t be a calamity. If it is a calamity, it is unavoidable.¡± Bai Luochu stealthily touched her waist when no one was noticing. After confirming that her dagger and poison needles were securely fastened, she relaxed. Since she was destined to battle against a spirit beast in the arena, she was going to go all-out. She was going to treat it as a test for her poisonous needles. After Bai Luochu snapped back into reality, the person who rang the gong was done reciting the names of the slaves who were going into the arena. ¡°Since no one was able to defeat the Thunder Python yesterday, your opponent for today will still be the Thunder Python!¡± The moment the words came out of the gong-ringer¡¯s mouth, someone completely lost it. He cried for the heavens and screamed for the earth, begging for a change in the name list. Just the day before, more than ten individuals entered the arena but none of them came back. There was no lack of fiendish figures among those people but all of them had turned into food of the Thunder Python. It was a snake infamous for its ferocity... If they were going to go up against the Thunder Python, they certainly wouldn¡¯t be leaving the arena. Bai Luochu rubbed her chin. ¡°Thunder Python¡­ it is indeed a little more formidable than the Fire Lion.¡± Bai Luochu turned to look at the source of the howling and noticed that the extremely miserable person was that shrewd-looking man who said he could put in some good words for her to the supervisor. The person who rang the gong was obviously frustrated by the howling and bawling as he gathered some strength to send a kick flying towards the man¡¯s chest. Although this shrewd man was robust, healthy, and muscular, he still suffered from the kick as he rolled from side to side while clutching his chest. Looking at this, everyone else who was going into the arena today had looks of despair plastered on their faces. They slowly sunk lower and lower before finally kneeling on the ground. It was as though they had seen themselves perishing in the arena. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say anything and simply kneaded her arm as it was still paralyzed. Right now, she didn¡¯t have more spirit medicine to use and she knew that she couldn¡¯t afford another injury. ... It was unknown if the amount of spiritual energy in her body increased as Bai Luochu could actually feel the blazing sunlight on the other side of the sluice gate even though she was trapped in darkness. ¡°Open the gate!¡± Immediately after the referee of the arena spoke, the sluice gate was abruptly raised. Bai Luochu had been in the darkness for way too long and for a moment, she couldn¡¯t adapt to the dazzling light in the arena. She subconsciously raised her hand to cover her eyes and due to the temporary blindness she suffered, her hearing became extremely sensitive. ¡°Thunder Python! The Thunder Python is here again! The Thunder Python did well and didn¡¯t throw the faces of the ferocious beasts! Today, I will bet on the Thunder Python! Complete victory!¡± ¡°The Thunder Python did well yesterday! Tear up a few more slaves today and I will reward you with some spirit flesh!¡± ¡°Tsk Tsk, yesterday I bet on the slaves to win¡­ Who knew that all of those fools would be gobbled up by the python. Today, I will double my bets on the Thunder Python to recoup my losses!¡± The Bestial Battle Arena was very lively with everyone yelling and clamoring. There was excitement, there was rage, however, there was a trace of indifference when they spoke. It was as though the Thunder Python ate rubbish the day before instead of people... Well¡­ it was true that after those slaves were sold to this place, they were no longer considered ¡®humans¡¯. Bai Luochu let out a slight laugh. This was the Bestial Battle Arena approved by those boastful and so-called ¡®people of the righteous dao¡¯. Just as Bai Luochu was reminiscing about her previous life, the first challenger had already walked out with a dejected and trembling expression on his face. He walked into the arena without any intent to battle since he had already accepted death. Therefore, when he faced off against the rapidly approaching Thunder Python, he didn¡¯t dodge nor hide. As he didn¡¯t put up any resistance at all, his neck was immediately severed by the jaws of the python, causing fresh blood to spray and splatter all around. The second and third challenger met with the same fate. Despite all the battles being simple and straightforward, the spectators were cheering and some of them were even scattering gold coins into the arena! After all, they had bet on the Thunder Python¡¯s complete victory. ¡°No.8, it is your turn.¡± The expressionless manservant standing at the sluice gate called out to Bai Luochu. When he saw that Bai Luochu was a skinny and frail woman, the corner of his mouth curled upwards into a sneer as he ridiculed. ¡°This Thunder Python is already used to eating men who are big and crude. Seems like it¡¯s going to change its diet today. Even though this lass doesn¡¯t have a lot of flesh on her body, it looks fresh and tender!¡± The moment the words left the mouth of the expressionless manservant, a bout of laughter resounded in the air. Of course, the laughter came from the slaves who weren¡¯t participating in the battle¡­ Bai Luochu stood up and shook off the dirt on her body before turning to look at the manservant. A slight smile appeared on her face as she turned away to walk into the arena. The manservant¡¯s face turned completely pale from the look Bai Luochu gave him. In that instant, he felt a chill spread out from the bottom of his feet through his entire body. The only time he felt a similar feeling was when a beast more terrifying and ferocious than the Thunder Python laid its eyes on him. Looking at Bai Luochu¡¯s petite, delicate, but straight back, the manservant had a preposterous thought that the Thunder Python was the prey this time. ¡°Hey, hurry up and take a look! Is this THE no.8 human slave? From what I see, she isn¡¯t going to be as lucky as before. She will definitely become the Thunder Python¡¯s food today.¡± A beautiful woman¡¯s voice rose above the crowd¡¯s. Immediately after, there was an aged voice that echoed. ¡°Sigh, if I knew that this young lady looked so good, I would have bought her back and made her my 18th concubine. It is such a pity for her to die like this.¡± There was plenty of noise in the arena and Bai Luochu used her spiritual energy to listen to the comments made by everyone. Well, most of the comments were identical anyway. Everyone was talking about how her luck ran out and she was definitely going to become food for the Thunder Python. There were also those who commended her looks and said that they should have bought her back as a concubine. The majority of the people were complaining about how their bets were already placed and there was a chance for them to lose their fortune today. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t disturbed by the voices. Instead, she turned to look at the Thunder Python who pointed its gigantic head in her direction. Everyone was afraid of the Thunder Python. Compared to the other python type beasts, the Thunder Python had four additional wings and a pair of bat wings. It was much more agile than ordinary spirit beasts and even possessed the thunder attribute. It could use thunderbolts to attack and although the speed of the thunderbolts were rather slow, they were ranged attacks. Enemies would be unable to close the distance easily. The enemies of the Thunder Python would generally be exhausted after dodging the continuous thunderbolt. When their movements slowed, they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the fate of being struck by one and that would be the end of them. However, the Thunder Python was like any other snake. Their heads were unable to swing around with a large range of motion and their field of vision was limited. Most importantly, a python was a snake and when fighting a snake¡­ one would aim seven inches below their head! ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± When the order to start the battle was given, the Thunder Python rushed at Bai Luochu with blinding speed. Taking a deep breath, Bai Luochu placed her hand on her waist. Looking into the Thunder Python¡¯s eyes, a vicious and cold look appeared in her own. In the next moment, she sprinted towards the Thunder Python and the poison needles appeared in her hand. As she appeared below the Thunder Python¡¯s head, she abruptly leaped upwards and sent the poison needle into the area seven inches under the python¡¯s head. In the next instant, she turned her body and climbed onto the snake¡¯s head. Pulling the dagger out, she stabbed it into the space between the wings and the heart. In the Bestial Battle Arena, nothing could be heard apart from the Thunder Python¡¯s agonized shriek. A moment later, the Thunder Python fell silent. Bai Luochu dug the heart of the Thunder Python out and after making sure it was no longer moving, she removed the poison needle from the body of the beast. Leaping off the Thunder Python, she stood in the middle of the arena without the slightest injury on her body. It was dead silent in the Bestial Battle Arena and it felt as though the noise died along with the Thunder Python. ¡°The battle is over, no.8 human slave wins! Open the gate!¡± Chapter 7: Silver-Haired Man No.8 human slave¡­ won?! The arena referee¡¯s declaration was like a shocking thunderclap that blasted everyone awake, causing the Bestial Battle Area to restore its original clamor. There were naturally numerous people who were unsatisfied with this result and they couldn¡¯t help but hoot at the Arena Master. ¡°Arena Master, are you actually greedy for all our silver?! This Thunder Python killed so many sturdy men yesterday and they couldn¡¯t even fight back in the slightest as they were turned into rotting flesh in the belly of the python. Today, this female slave who doesn¡¯t even possess that much spirit qi killed the Thunder Python in a single hit¡­ How does that make sense?¡± The person who spoke was the beautiful woman who commented that Bai Luochu had run out of luck the moment she entered the arena. Bai Luochu looked at the beautiful woman and when she noticed that the woman was just a low rank warrior, she couldn¡¯t help but turn speechless. It seemed as though she was really a mere weak chicken as of now. Even a low rank warrior could mock her however they liked. Despite that, this beautiful woman was speaking the truth. In the eyes of an outsider, she was just a wastrel who had blocked meridians. It should be impossible for her to survive in the battle against the Thunder Python. Not to mention, she was only able to defeat the python with the techniques and knowledge she possessed from her past life. To everyone present, it was indeed unbelievable. ¡°Arena Master, return our money! The Bestial Battle Area is truly getting bold. They are actually brazenly cheating us out of our money!¡± ¡°Return our money! Return our money! Return our money!¡± The people were shouting and yelling. No one knew how much money those people had placed on the Thunder Python but it was sure to be an astronomical amount. If they were to simply swallow the loss, they were going to lose big time! Bai Luochu quietly looked at those distorted and hideous faces and the corner of her mouth curled upwards to reveal a trace of a sneer. She found it rather dull and wanted to return to her cell, however, she was surprised by a few of the comments. ¡°You bet, you pay. The Thunder Python is really dead and was indeed killed by this slave. Why are you unwilling to accept the fact? Aren¡¯t you just making yourselves look bad?¡± The one who spoke was a middle-aged man. For him to be so composed in this situation, it was obvious he wasn¡¯t involved in the bets. The middle-aged man was accompanied by a youth who wasn¡¯t even 20 years old. The youth also voiced his support, ¡°Exactly. This slave might not have spirit qi in her body, but her movement skill was brilliant. Even us cultivators might not be better than her in that aspect.¡± A single glance was enough to know that this youth wasn¡¯t someone ordinary. However, Bai Luochu took a single glance and didn¡¯t pay any more attention. Countless people came to the Bestial Battle Arena and it was natural for all sorts of people to be here. In her previous life, she was also a frequent customer of the Bestial Battle Arenas. Everyone in the arena was shouting and yelling, but no one from the arena came forward to give an explanation or clarification. It seemed as though they had turned a deaf ear to the complaints. However, this was nothing to go off about. This Bestial Battle Arena might be small, but it was a branch of the Battle Devil Sect. The Battle Devil Sect had as much fame as the Three Great Immortal Sects and had always acted tyrannically. The verdict decided by the Bestial Battle Arena was an iron-clad rule and there was no room for doubt. As expected, a deep and resounding sound of the bell echoed through the Bestial Battle Arena. Anyone who heard it fell into a state of shock and it didn¡¯t matter if they still had complaints, they had no choice but to shut their mouths. This echo of the bell meant that the verdict was decided and if there were any objections, it would be settled with the arena rules! Seeing as such, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t stay any longer and walked straight towards the sluice gate. Bai Luochu had won this battle too easily. It seemed weird for everyone, not just the spectators. Even the slaves at the side shot her a look of disbelief. When they saw Bai Luochu walking over, they looked at her before turning their gaze away. None of them dared to stare straight at her. This was exactly the result Bai Luochu wanted. It seemed like in the next few days, everyone would be tactful enough to not provoke her. After all, she wasn¡¯t a pushover. Just as Bai Luochu was about to turn and enter the prison cells, a sudden silver radiance made her pause for a moment. She turned to look and saw a man in a rather sorry state seated in the corner not too far from her. There was something special about him as he had long, snow-like, silver hair. Seemingly noticing Bai Luochu¡¯s existence, that person turned around. He had a pair of silver-colored, limpid, and icy-cold eyes. The indifferent look in them caused people to stay away from him. Bai Luochu looked into those eyes before walking back into her prison cell. It was said that this man had been residing in the Bestial Battle Arena for a long time and had been here long before she arrived. Due to this person¡¯s icy-cold attitude, no one knew his name or origin. The strange thing was that no one had ever seen him entering the arena to battle the ferocious beasts. He was truly a mysterious existence. If Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t in a hurry to recuperate and leave this place, she would be rather interested to investigate this person¡¯s identity. After all, such icy-cold eyes were something that she saw quite frequently in her previous life. At this moment, in the corner of the spectator stands... ¡°Tsk, this lass is getting more interesting.¡± The young master who was speaking was dressed splendidly and it was obvious he was a noble. The folded fan in his hand shook gently as he looked in the direction where Bai Luochu left. There was an entranced expression on his face. ¡°According to the Bestial Battle Arena, it is inappropriate for her to stay in this place. If Young Master is interested, why not let this subordinate¡­¡± Before the servant could finish speaking, the young master folded the fan in his hand with a ¡®snap¡¯ and interrupted, ¡°There is no need. Reward her again.¡± Chapter 8: Battle of Thousand Brilliance When facing all the baffled eyes, Bai Luochu looked as though she wasn¡¯t aware at all. She sat quietly inside the prison cell and sat in a meditative state as she prepared to cultivate. Before her the cattail seat under her buttocks was warm, she heard the voice of the person who rang the gong. ¡°No.8 human slave, a noble has bestowed you with a reward. Quickly come and receive it!¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and immediately took the reward. She opened it up and saw that the reward was the same as before. There was a bottle of spirit medicine and ten gold coins. As for the other prisoners, they were no longer bold enough to bother her about it. ¡°Ss, how is this lass so capable? She entered the arena twice and got rewarded every time. Isn¡¯t she too lucky?¡± Indeed, consecutive rewards¡­ Let alone the others in the prison cells, even Bai Luochu felt that her luck was too good. Although these rewards weren¡¯t valuable, they were stuff she desperately needed! It was possible that Bai Luochu had strained her body during the battle with the spirit beast. Right now, waves of pain assaulted her arms and ribs. Taking out the spirit medicine from her reward bag, she opened the lid of the bottle. A concentrated smell of medicinal fragrance wafted out and filled the area. Bai Luochu used her spiritual energy to check it carefully and discovered that the spirit qi contained within this bottle was much more concentrated than before. Bai Luochu could hear the gulping sounds from all directions in the prison cells but she wasn¡¯t going to hold herself back. She had risked her life for this and although she wasn¡¯t injured in the battle, it was due to her thorough understanding of the spirit beast. She raised her head and drank the spirit medicine in a single gulp. She could feel the spirit qi contained in the spirit medicine carrying the medicinal effects as it surged towards her injuries. Bai Luochu quickly sat in a meditation posture with her palms, legs, and head facing the sky and used her spiritual energy to guide the spirit qi. When the medicinal effects of this spirit medicine had been completely absorbed, Bai Luochu¡¯s rib injuries had fully recovered and the injury on her arm was semi recovered. She then applied the herbs that she chewed up yesterday before wrapping her arm up to prevent infection. When Bai Luochu thought about how she was going to leave this place soon, she immediately recalled the feud between herself and Lu Wenshu. However, she didn¡¯t have any information regarding Lu Wenshu after her death, causing her to be rather edgy. After mulling it over, Bai Luochu decided to head over to the merchant house to inquire about Lu Wenshu and her disciples in the temple. Perhaps it was due to her recovery or because she was in a hurry to obtain the information, Bai Luochu was walking at a very fast pace towards the merchant house. ¡°Creak.¡± The merchant house¡¯s door was pushed open by Bai Luochu. When the counter staff heard the sound, her originally resting body slowly lifted off from the table and she spoke lazily, ¡°Welcome¡­¡± Before she finished her sentence, her gaze fixed onto that petite human slave who had spent a bomb the previous day. She instantly became invigorated and joyfully exclaimed, ¡°Aiyo, it is actually my dear guest! What are you here to buy today?¡± A bright light flashed in the eyes of the staff as she looked forward to Bai Luochu spending money. She saw Bai Luochu shaking her head, ¡°I am not here to buy things. Instead, I am here for some information. If you are able to provide me information I¡¯m satisfied with, I won¡¯t be stingy. After all, this money is going straight into your pockets and there is no need to waste your saliva on the tiny commission you will get from selling the items in the shop.¡± As Bai Luochu spoke, she stared at the staff and saw how the staff¡¯s eye dimmed. She knew that she had to fork out some money in order to get her to speak. This counter staff might be someone who only looked at the money, but she was also a straightforward person. She immediately walked out from a small side door at the side of the counter to lead Bai Luochu to the VIP room. She poured some tea for Bai Luochu and sat down before asking, ¡°My dear customer, what information do you wish to know? I will definitely tell you everything that I know and I guarantee that you will be satisfied.¡± ¡°I want to know about Lu¡­¡± Bai Luochu paused just as she was about to say something. She thought about it and changed her question. ¡°Battle of Thousand Brilliance.¡± ¡°The Battle of Thousand Brilliance three years ago?¡± The counter staff was stunned. Wasn¡¯t this information something that everyone knew? This lass was actually willing to spend money on this information?! ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Bai Luochu knitted her brows. Back then, plenty of people surrounded and attacked the Thousand Brilliance Temple. Her death should have been a major incident and there shouldn¡¯t be anyone who didn¡¯t know about it. As the question left her mouth, Bai Luochu placed two gold coins on the table. ¡°No problem, no problem!¡± The counter staff¡¯s eyes lit up as she quickly responded as though she was afraid of Bai Luochu taking it back. She swept the gold coins into her pocket and started to narrate the events. The way she narrated the story was too long-winded as she started by talking about how Bai Luochu met Lu Wenshu and how they were mutually in love. She then spoke about how touching their love story was. As Bai Luochu listened to the story, her brows and the corner of her mouth couldn¡¯t help but twitch from time to time. To be honest, not even Bai Luochu knew that her so-called previous love life was actually such an intense story in the eyes of the world. It was such a waste for this woman to be a counter staff instead of a storyteller. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but sigh in her heart. Perhaps she was getting impatient from the narration or perhaps she felt that the counter staff¡¯s narration was actually a deep mockery of her previous self who was blinded by love, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. ¡°Stop beating about the bush!¡± ¡°Dear customer, to get to the main point¡­ you need to pay extra...¡± Perhaps the counter staff was afraid Bai Luochu might reprimand her because of her greed, she lowered her head and secretly peeked at Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t stingy and took out another piece of gold coin and pushed it in front of the counter staff. When she saw the gold coin, she quickly complied and narrated the rest of the information. ¡°When the evil dao witch, Bai Luochu, died miserably due to the inheritance, those so-called people of the righteous dao acted like traditionalists. However, the fact was that they had their eyes on the inheritance as well. In the end, the inheritance was guarded by Lu Wenshu and even if they had thoughts about it, they could only watch on helplessly.¡± ¡°What about the people from the Thousand Brilliance Temple?¡± When Bai Luochu asked about this, she was rather concerned. The Thousand Brilliance Temple was established by her and even though there weren¡¯t many members, they were all her loyal followers. If they didn¡¯t escape that calamity... ¡°As for the others¡­¡± The counter staff took a sip of tea to moisten her throat before she carried on. ¡°They have scattered.¡± ¡°Scattered?¡± Bai Luochu stared blankly. ¡°What does that mean? Are they still alive?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. According to logic, those people should exterminate the evil dao temple. No one knew why they didn¡¯t do it in the end. They simply destroyed the Thousand Brilliance Temple before leaving. However, Bai Luochu had plenty of enemies and there were those who were secretly waiting to take their revenge. Without Bai Luochu around, her subordinates didn¡¯t dare to mess around. In fact, they might even have to hide their identity no matter where they go.¡± The counter staff spoke with no restraint and when she thought about the gold coins in her pocket. Her lips became looser the more money there was. At this juncture, Bai Luochu stood up and walked out with her fists tightly clenched together. The situation was much better than she imagined. At least they weren¡¯t dead! In the end, the temple was destroyed and her disciples were out there, hunted down... this was something that she didn¡¯t want to see either! To her, this was utter humiliation! The counter staff didn¡¯t detect Bai Luochu¡¯s abnormal behavior. She quickly chased after the leaving Bai Luochu and yelled out, ¡°Eh? Why are you leaving, dear customer? If I am to say it, Lu Wenshu is truly a heartless rat and even though Bai Luochu might be an evil dao witch, but she was just a pitiful young lady who was blinded by love.¡± The counter staff¡¯s statement made Bai Luochu paused as she turned around and said, ¡°So that is what you think.¡± Before the counter staff could respond, she turned back and walked towards the direction of the prison cells. This counter staff was truly confused. ¡°Is this human slave an idiot? She left after paying such a huge sum of money¡­¡± ¡°In any case, the three gold coins are already in my hands. I have to sell plenty of merchandise before I can obtain so much money!¡± Finishing her statement, the counter staff carefully stored the gold coins into her embroidered pouch. Perhaps it was due to her great mood after getting some good money, the lazy counter staff was actually humming a tune. Late in the night, Bai Luochu cultivated as per normal but when she thought about the inheritance landing in the hands of that scum, Lu Wenshu, and that her disciples had to conceal their identity because of her and live a life without purpose, Bai Luochu felt extremely guilty. She was in agony. She had to calm her heart before she could carry out her cultivation session. Chapter 9: Meridians Opened Up To someone engrossed in cultivation, time was an illusionary concept. Bai Luochu had been cultivating for an entire day and by the time she woke up, all the others in the prison cells were sound asleep. There were even a few of them snoring thunderously. Seeing as no one had their attention on her, Bai Luochu once again attempted to absorb the spirit qi from the heaven and earth in order to open up her meridians. In the dead of the night¡­ Perhaps it was because everyone in the Bestial Battle Arena was in dreamland, Bai Luochu felt as though the spirit qi in her surroundings was much denser. Traces of spirit qi permeated into her body through her skin and converged within her spirit platform. This time, there was a much higher concentration of spirit qi in Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit platform. When the spirit platform was overflowing with spirit qi, Bai Luochu started to use her spiritual energy to guide the spirit qi before circulating them through her meridians. As the spirit qi arrived at the obstructed areas, she didn¡¯t recklessly control it to charge at the blocked areas like last time. Instead, she gathered all the spirit qi with her spiritual energy right in front of the obstruction. When she was ready, she used all the spiritual energy in her body to force the spirit qi forward! ¡°Ah...¡± Bai Luochu let out a groan and opened her eyes abruptly! Immediately after, she started to pant. She felt a sharp pain shooting through her body but fortunately, she could feel a small crack in it after her attack on the obstructed meridians. This was truly a pleasant surprise for Bai Luochu today. Although Bai Luochu understood that opening the meridians wasn¡¯t an easy task and there was still a very long path ahead for her, it was nevertheless the first step in her cultivation. Originally, Bai Luochu wanted to take advantage of her cultivation progress and continue her breakthrough. However, she realized that her injuries were not fully recovered yet. Also, she spent a huge deal of energy trying to break through the obstruction in her meridian. In the end, she decided to rest on the bed and quickly fell into a deep slumber. ¡°Gong! Gong! Gong!¡± When Bai Luochu opened her eyes again after a good night¡¯s rest, she was shocked by that loud, ear-piercing sound of the gong ringing. After strapping the poison needles and the dagger on her waist and making sure they were secure, she calmly walked towards the main hall. She was ready for the day. Ever since Bai Luochu won the battle against the Thunder Python without suffering an injury, all of the prisoners somewhat started to fear her. They were restraining themselves in her presence and no one dared to stand next to her in the main hall. Today, Bai Luochu¡¯s name wasn¡¯t on the list. In her mind, there was nothing more important than cultivating. Just as she was about to return to her prison cell, the person who rang the gong spoke. ¡°Hold it, did I ask you to return?¡± As he spoke, he walked in front of Bai Luochu and sized her up. Finally, his eyes landed on Bai Luochu¡¯s face and he asked in a soft voice, ¡°Where is the reward that the noble gave you yesterday? Why don¡¯t I see it?¡± Bai Luochu already understood that he probably wanted to gobble up the reward. When the reward was given to her, the noble was watching from the side and it was naturally inappropriate for him to pocket her rewards. Right now, there was no one else present and he obviously thought that she was a pushover. It was clear he was eyeing her rewards. But who was Bai Luochu? In her previous life, she was the famous ¡®evil dao witch¡¯. In this life, she might be a wastrel but her temperament was still the same as before. Arrogance was carved deep into her bones and nothing could change that. Bai Luochu despised his behaviour. She didn¡¯t even try to flatter him and immediately replied, ¡°I spent everything. There isn¡¯t a single thing left.¡± As soon as she was done, she didn¡¯t even look away as she stared directly into his eyes. ¡°Tsk. Spending so much money¡­ do you think you are some wealthy landlord?! You ungrateful thing!¡± When the person who rang the gong knew that he wasn¡¯t going to get anything, he was extremely infuriated. He immediately spoke without mercy, ¡°Since you spent so much money, you must have improved quite a bit. Since that is the case, you shall also enter the arena today. I hope you can return alive.¡± Looking at the despicable face of the man before her, Bai Luochu sneered and didn¡¯t reveal the slightest bit of fear. Even though she seemed indifferent, she engraved the appearance of this person into her mind. In the next moment, another thought flashed through her mind. She wondered if she would be rewarded again after this match¡­ It was such a coincidence that she was lacking in some spirit medicine... *** ¡°The battle shall begin! Open the gate!¡± As the referee in the arena spoke, Bai Luochu walked out from the opened gate and entered the arena. She stared straight at the spirit beast before her. Looking at no.8 human slave calmly standing in the arena, the crowd quickly flared up. ¡°Look quickly! It is the no.8 human slave again. Will she be able to kill the spirit beast instantly today?¡± The audience in the Bestial Battle Arena was abnormally lively due to the appearance of Bai Luochu. ¡°Whatever! I¡¯m going to bet on the slave today!¡± The one who spoke was that beautiful young lady who was there the day before. Everyone saw Bai Luochu and rushed to place their bets before the battle could start. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but laugh when she heard all the cheers as she recalled how everyone doubted her strength yesterday. Why are they praising me? Isn¡¯t the change in attitude a little too drastic? As everyone was shouting and making their bets, Bai Luochu had already examined the spirit beast she was going to face. When she noticed that it was just a one-tailed Silver Fox, she no longer hesitated. She drew her dagger and cleaved that Silver Fox into two parts. ¡°The battle is over! No.8 human slave wins!¡± As the referee made his judgment, the battle came to an end. This time, many of the people were able to win back the money they lost the previous day. For the next few days, Bai Luochu was targeted by the person ringing the gong and as such, she appeared in every single battle. Each time, she would instantly kill the spirit beasts forcing the Arena Master to change the way the bets worked. They were now able to bet on whether or not she was able to instantly kill the spirit beasts. Bai Luocho was rather tactful. In the recent battles, she would intentionally go easy when facing those rather fearsome spirit beasts in order to extend the battle. Of course, she did so in order for the Arena Master to not lose money every day. The Arena Master naturally saw Bai Luochu¡¯s good intentions and had gotten the men to fill her prison cell with cattails, allowing her to peacefully take on the role of a money tree. After all, every time this lass went easy, the Arena Master would be able to win back all the money he had lost in the past few days. Of course, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t put in so much effort for nothing. She would be rewarded after every battle and this was something unprecedented! She was the target of jealousy for everyone! During these few days, Bai Luochu had been battling spirit beasts during the day and cultivating diligently at night. She didn¡¯t know if her meridians were growing more robust because of the increase in her spiritual energy or because of the frequent battles. Bai Luochu had a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t take long before the obstructions in her meridians shattered. It was deep into the night and Bai Luochu used the same method as before to absorb spirit qi in preparation to rush at the obstruction and clear it up. For an entire night, she had attempted endlessly and every time, the crack in that obstruction grew bigger. Finally, just before daybreak, the obstruction shattered with a clear crack! All of a sudden, Bai Luochu¡¯s divine sense gained clarity and a surge of mild energy from her spirit platform gushed towards all her inner organs, limbs, and bones! Chapter 10: The Person Who Bought Her The moment her meridians opened up, Bai Luochu¡¯s injuries almost healed completely. She started planning her way out of the Bestial Battle Arena. The Bestial Battle Arena was surrounded by high walls and it was definitely impossible to charge her way out. However, when it came to movement skills, concealment, and many other factors, Bai Luochu was confident that she wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone! Even though she didn¡¯t have spirit qi now, no regular person would hold a candle to her skills. The moment she was about to leave, something unexpected popped up! ¡°My lords, this is the no.8 human slave that you asked for, Luochu.¡± The gong hitter spoke with an extremely flattering expression in front of these two men. It was a far cry from the attitude he had when he spoke to Bai Luochu and the other slaves. The gong hitter quickly turned to Bai Luochu and spoke indifferently, ¡°You have been bought by these two lords. In the future, you are no longer a human slave of the Bestial Battle Arena. You are now a slave for these two lords. Serve them well. If you are sent back again¡­ I will peel off your skin!¡± Bai Luochu finally understood after hearing what the man said. She was actually sold off. It seemed as though she had leapt out from a fire pit into an immeasurably deep pool. When the gong hitter saw how Bai Luochu stood there without moving like a wooden doll, he was enraged and snapped at her, ¡°Are you not going to quickly thank these two lords for their kindness!? At the very least, you no longer have to worry about dying every single day!¡± When the two experienced men heard how crude gong hitter was speaking, they couldn¡¯t help but frown and one of them interrupted. ¡°There is no need to thank us. The one who bought this Young Lady is our lord. If Young Lady wants to give her thanks, there is no harm in doing so after meeting our lord.¡± ¡°Your lord is?¡± The person who rang the gong was very curious and didn¡¯t even think it through before he asked. In an instant, the two men¡¯s expressions changed. A layer of frost covered their face. ¡°This isn¡¯t something a small supervisor like you can know. If you want to continue living then don¡¯t ask things that you are not supposed to.¡± It was a blatant threat. The gong hitter understood that he had boot-licked too much and actually kicked a metal plate this time. He quickly responded with an embarrassed smile and opened up the prison cell to let Bai Luochu out. He quickly went to the inner hall behind the main hall and brought out Bai Luochu¡¯s slavery deed for the two veteran men. Acting as a lackey, he escorted the three of them out with a hunched back. After Bai Luochu left the Bestial Battle Arena, she was brought into a luxurious carriage by the duo. The carriage was completely black in color and it was emitting a refreshing fragrance. It was probably because the body of the carriage was made with sandalwood and coated with layers of sandalwood fluid. It was because of the special building materials that it had a pleasant and soothing fragrance.The interior was covered in brocade and it was extremely spacious. There was enough space for three adult men to sleep comfortably in the carriage! The decorations on the ceiling looked expensive and there were even bells made from white jade. Even the horses pulling the carriage weren¡¯t ordinary horses but spirit beasts called ¡®Cloud Piercing Colt¡¯. But right now, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have the time to appreciate the magnificence of this carriage. The moment she saw the slavery deed handed over to the two veterans, a multitude of thoughts assaulted Bai Luochu¡¯s mind. Whatever the case, she was feeling rather fortunate she didn¡¯t have to waste all her efforts in order to leave the Bestial Battle Arena. In fact, she wasn¡¯t the slightest bit worried about where they were about to bring her. When the two veterans saw that Bai Luochu had an expressionless face and that she stayed silent for the entire journey, they became apprehensive. They quickly recalled the special instructions that their lord gave them and one of them spoke up, ¡°Young Lady, there is no need to worry. Our lord isn¡¯t evil nor cruel. The reason he bought you was to make you his maidservant.¡± When Bai Luochu heard what the man said, she nodded her head. There wasn¡¯t any worry in her heart to begin with so there was none to leave it either. However, deep down, she was thinking about what he said¡­ maidservant? It was an extremely bold idea for anyone to make her their maidservant! Before Bai Luochu could clear the doubts in her mind, the carriage rolled to a stop. The two veterans understood that they had arrived at their lord¡¯s residence and nodded to each other. One of them took out a black ribbon while the other explained to Bai Luochu. ¡°We seek forgiveness from the Young Lady. Our lord has a special status and in order to guarantee his safety, we will need Young Lady to cover her eyes with this black cloth. Someone will bring you to your dwelling in the residence.¡± As this person was speaking, the other immediately handed over the black silk ribbon. Bai Luochu understood the disparity in strength between herself and the two men before her. She quickly took the silk ribbon and blindfolded herself. Even though she could no longer see, she could hear the two of them speak, ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡± They looked at each other as though they were flabbergasted by Bai Luochu¡¯s obedience. They were stunned for a moment before they responded, ¡°Young Lady is too polite.¡± After Bai Luochu left the carriage, she heard the pleasant voice of a young lady, ¡°Thank you both for the hard work.¡± Immediately after, she supported Bai Luochu¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Young Lady, please follow this servant. This servant will be bringing you to your dwelling.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t doubt her and simply allowed this servant girl to help her walk around the area. Even though Bai Luochu might not be able to see anything, she didn¡¯t cultivate her spiritual energy all these days for nothing. Right now, Bai Luochu was already able to use her spiritual energy to somewhat sense the surrounding environment. She secretly marked down the route through the courtyard as it would greatly benefit her in the future when she made her escape. ¡°This will be Young Lady¡¯s residence. Young Lady, you may take off the silk ribbon now.¡± The servant girl helped Bai Luochu to untie the silk ribbon on her head and led Bai Luochu into the room. This room was a side room located in the east of the main mansion. One could guess that the main mansion was the residence of the ¡®Lord¡¯. The side room might not be as impressive as the main mansion but it was still considered exquisite. It had its own appeal. The courtyard was filled with rarely seen plants and there were also monoliths and ponds. It seemed like this so-called ¡°lord¡± wasn¡¯t simply a wealthy noble. He had rather good taste. Bai Luochu was rather satisfied with this room. The servant girl continued speaking, ¡°My lord has been busy recently and is currently handling important affairs. He is unable to meet Young Lady and I hope that Young Lady wouldn¡¯t feel bitter because of it. When my lord returns, he will immediately come and meet with Young Lady.¡± The servant girl pondered for a moment and added, ¡°Apart from my lord¡¯s courtyard, Young Lady can explore this residence as you please and there is no need to feel restrained. Of course, before my lord returns, Young Lady is temporarily not allowed to exit the residence.¡± Bai Luochu responded positively but worry was building up in her heart. On the journey to this place, her divine sense noticed plenty of experts hiding in this residence. If she wanted to get out of this place, there was no doubt it would be difficult. Chapter 11: Personal Servan Although the servant girl mentioned that Bai Luochu could move around the residence as she pleased, Bai Luochu still felt that the person who bought her was overly mysterious. Her intuition told her that the lord of this residence definitely had a special identity. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t need to be overly vigilant with a new servant. Most importantly, Bai Luochu wanted to know the reason he bought her. Was there anything special about her? Looking at how things were, it definitely wasn¡¯t as simple as buying a slave... Bai Luochu had been blindfolded with a piece of black cloth from the entrance, but she had already released her spiritual energy. She noticed that the servant girl brought her in circles before arriving at their destination. Luckily for her, the path wasn¡¯t too confusing and it didn¡¯t take Bai Luochu long to plot out a route from the entrance to the room. The only thing the journey taught her was that the residence was massive. Bai Luochu casually looked around and decided to bide her time. Since she was the objective, someone would tell her the purpose of the purchase soon. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry since it was much more comfortable to cultivate in this place as compared to the prison cells of the BestialBattle Arena. After having a simple meal, Bai Luochu wanted to cultivate her spiritual energy like what she had been doing all along. However, she suddenly recalled that her meridians were already cleared up and her body constitution was suitable for cultivation. After all her considerations, Bai Luochu decided to absorb heaven and earth spirit qi for cultivation. She wasn¡¯t going to repeat what she did before where she used her spiritual energy to open up her meridians. As she absorbed the heaven and earth spirit qi produced by all living beings in the world and gathered it around her spirit platform, a completely different feeling filled her body. In the past, she had to use her spiritual energy to guide the spirit qi to move around her meridians. However... Since Bai Luochu¡¯s meridians were opened up, she could directly cycle the spirit qi in her body to complete a cycle of cultivation. The moment she made a complete cycle, Bai Luochu stopped as a grave expression appeared on her face. It seemed weird but Bai Luochu suddenly realized a problem that she had overlooked when she was cultivating in the past. Previously, Bai Luochu placed all her attention on breaking the obstructions in the meridians. She completely forgot to inspect their condition and only realized something was off after her first circulation of spirit qi. On this continent, all living things were produced from spirit qi. When they perish, the spirit qi would be returned to the world. After the spirit qi returned to the heavens and earth, it would be used to create new life once again. Even ordinary people who didn¡¯t cultivate would gradually absorb spirit qi due to the smooth flow in their meridians. As the spirit qi nourished the body, they would be able to enjoy a healthy and long life. As for those who started cultivating at a young age¡­ it was no surprise they possessed even more advantages. It didn¡¯t matter if one¡¯s innate talent was adept for cultivation or if they were a descendant from an influential clan and had Alchemists to provide assistance in firming the fundamentals and nurturing the spirit. After reaching a certain level, their meridians would be stronger and more robust compared to a regular human. It was the same for Bai Luochu in her previous life. As for Bai Luochu¡¯s current body, her meridians were obstructed from a young age and were basically considered innately crippled meridians. When spirit qi entered her body and encountered the obstruction, it would automatically dissipate after some time. Since her meridians lacked nourishment for many years, they became abnormally weak. Even newborn babies had meridians in better condition than hers. In terms of meridians, Bai Luochu was like an elderly person with one foot in the grave. "Sigh¡­" Bai Luochu let out a long sigh. Previously, she assumed that the pain during the spirit qi circulation came from the impact between the obstruction and spirit qi. Right now, it seemed like the pain was probably due to the fact that her meridians were unable to endure a large amount of spirit qi surging through them. "At least there is still hope..." Bai Luochu stood up and walked slowly to the window and gently rubbed the window frame while looking back at the distant temple in her fond memories. The corner of her mouth arched upwards as she muttered, "Even if it is too late, I still have the inheritance to help me." Had it been anyone else who had missed the best window for cultivation, coupled with weak meridians, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to do much in their lifetime. Since it was Bai Luochu, it wasn¡¯t too late. The reason why the disciples of the temple were considered to be evil dao practitioners wasn¡¯t simply because they didn¡¯t conform to the rules and restrictions of the world. It was due to their insane cultivation speeds. They cultivated much faster compared to disciples from other sects and it was also the reason they were deemed as unorthodox practitioners. Furthermore, Bai Luochu was a leading figure among them. Not only did she possess the cultivation technique of the temple, she was also the only person in the world who acquired the secret technique from the ancient inheritance. Originally, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to start using this inheritance to cultivate in the early phase. After all, if someone discovered it, they would instantly connect the dots and realize that she had reincarnated. Without enough power, she would face serious trouble if her enemies came knocking on her door. Since she no longer had any choice, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t hesitate. If she wanted to quickly nourish her meridians and increase her strength to personally kill her enemies, she would have to use that ancient inheritance¡¯s secret technique. Instead of hesitating, why not make the most of every minute and second to cultivate? It was the only way for her to quickly regain the strength she possessed in her previous life. Bai Luochu turned around and got on her bed as she started to meditate. Just as she was about to begin, a knocking sound could be heard from the door. In this unfamiliar environment, Bai Luochu was much more cautious. ¡°Knock, Knock, Knock.¡± Just as the knocking ended, the voice of the servant girl from before came from outside the door, ¡°Young Lady, this servant has brought some daily necessities. If it is convenient, will Young Lady please let me bring the things inside?¡± When she heard the servant girl¡¯s voice, Bai Luochu instantly let her guard down. There was a strange feeling in her heart after hearing how the servant girl addressed her. Thinking about how she was bought by this ¡®Lord¡¯ to be a personal servant, she had no idea what was going through his mind. Also, wasn¡¯t she supposed to have the status of a servant girl? Logically, they should be addressing her by name. Why was the servant girl addressing her so formally? Bai Luochu might have doubts in her heart, but she still replied firmly, ¡°You may come in.¡± ¡°Creak.¡± The door was pushed open from the outside and there were two servants following behind her. There was a box in each of their hands and from the way they were perspiring, it was clear that there were many items inside. After the servants placed the boxes down, the servant girl waved her hand and dismissed them. She then opened the boxes and explained to Bai Luochu about the clothing she was to wear when residing in the manor. Chapter 12: What is the Purpose Soft smoked gauze and cloud brocade? Despite the fact that Bai Luochu was used to such luxury in her previous life, she was still speechless nevertheless. If even a personal servant¡¯s attire was made with soft smoked gauze and cloud brocade, this Lord definitely had too much money and nowhere to spend it. When the servant girl saw that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have a change in expression after hearing ¡®soft smoked gauze¡¯ and ¡®cloud brocade¡¯, she was rather surprised and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bothered. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t reveal any trace of greed or flattery when she heard that her attire was made of soft smoked gauze and cloud brocade, to make matters worse, she didn¡¯t even blink. To the servant girl, it seemed as though their Lord really brought back an extraordinary lady. It was no wonder her Lord had personally appointed her to take care of this newcomer. When she recalled that she hadn¡¯t introduced herself to Bai Luochu, she smiled and said, ¡°This servant is called Zi Su. My Lord took into consideration that Young Lady had just arrived here and would face many problems trying to settle down and sent me to take care of you.¡± After speaking, she even bowed towards Bai Luochu. There was even a servant to serve her? Bai Luochu was startled as she looked at the servant girl¡¯s attire. Wasn¡¯t it also made from cloud brocade? Zi Su was actually here to be her servant girl? This development of this plot was getting more and more interesting. Bai Luochu was getting more and more curious about this ¡°Lord¡±. Mere curiosity wouldn¡¯t let Bai Luochu forget her initial objective. Turning her body, she addressed the servant girl, ¡°Then, Zi Su¡­ You mentioned to me that I can move around the residence as I please. However, I don¡¯t know the way and it won¡¯t be good if I were to wander around as I might bump into some distinguished guest or accidentally venture into some forbidden places.¡± Bai Luochu wanted to have a better understanding of this residence but didn¡¯t make her intentions too obvious. Looking at how shrewd this little servant girl was, she should be able to understand Bai Luochu¡¯s hidden intentions. Zi Su didn¡¯t disappoint Bai Luochu as she nodded and replied, ¡°In order to save time, will Young Lady please follow this servant? Do not move around randomly or you might lose your way.¡± Finishing her statement, she bowed and turned to walk outside the door. The residence might be huge, but everything was in order. After exiting her courtyard, they walked through a reception pavilion and long hallway before arriving at a mansion on the other side. The northwest corner was where the servant girls who were tasked to do odd jobs and chores were housed. It was also the place where they worked. In the southwest was the kitchen and they were responsible for the meals in the residence. The accounts room was located in the eastern residence, and it was where the members of the residence would draw their salary. ¡°If Young Lady isn¡¯t feeling well, you can send someone to call for the physician. If you need herbs for cultivation, you can come over and take them. If your clothes are dirty, you can send a chores servant to wash them. Clothes and meals will be sent to the Young Lady¡¯s residence according to the schedule. As for money, Young Lady¡¯s monthly salary is sufficient and there is no need to worry.¡± Zi Su explained all the important information in one go. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have anything additional to ask and simply followed Zi Su back to her room. On the way back, Zi Su suddenly stopped and pointed at the tall pavilion in the distance. ¡°Young Lady, can you see that tall pavilion?¡± Zi Su turned around and looked at Bai Luochu, seemingly waiting for a response. When she saw Bai Luochu nodding, she then turned around and continued. ¡°That tall pavilion is the Glass Treasure Pavilion. It is where the residence keeps all the mystical and valuable treasures. Before my Lord returns, it is best that Young Lady avoids going to that place.¡± After Bai Luochu and Zi Su walked around, she had a near-complete understanding of the structure of this residence as she had been releasing her spiritual energy all along. The residence was situated in the north and facing the south. There weren¡¯t many discrepancies when compared to the normal aristocratic clans apart from the Glass Treasure Pavilion. Everywhere else looked a little more high-class and the furnishing looked like they were done up by a huge clan. Yet when looking at the west side of the residence, at the detailed and delicate manner of how the labor was divided up, Bai Luochu had a subtle feeling that the Lord who bought her was from the imperial clan. After all, be it the arrangement of personnel or the structure of the residence, she could see the shadow of the imperial palace. Now that she was clear about the structure of the residence, Bai Luochu would be able to prevent herself from making any mistakes unknowingly. Night finally fell but the weather wasn¡¯t too great. The dark clouds were concealing the moon and there was a huge gale blowing through the land. There was a saying, ¡°When the moonless night is accompanied by strong winds, it is the best time for murder and arson.¡± Although there might not be any murders or arsons taking place, it was the best opportunity for people to flout the law. After taking a stroll around the residence, Bai Luochu went back to cultivate in her room. She only paused her cultivation when the kitchen sent servants to deliver her dinner. She then cleaned her hands and prepared to eat. Zi Su had brought the meal in and arranged them all on the table beautifully as Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but sigh with emotions. ¡°It is truly good to be wealthy!¡± Previously at the Bestial Battle Arena, she had been eating leftovers and cold gruel. There were even a few times when the gruel had gone sour. Right now, she only had the status of a personal servant but her dinner actually consisted of four dishes and a soup. Furthermore, the ingredients for these dishes were all exotic delicacies as they shone with a brilliant luster. When Zi Su saw Bai Luochu¡¯s suspicious look, she spoke up and explained, ¡°The food in the residence has always been good. When this servant thought about how Young Lady wasn¡¯t able to eat properly back in the Bestial Battle Arena, I informed the kitchen to add several dishes for you.¡± ¡°Why¡­ are all of you treating me so well? Apart from not being allowed to exit the residence, the treatment that I am given isn¡¯t any different from those Young Ladies from aristocratic clans. Why are you doing this?¡± Bai Luochu laughed as she probed. These people¡­ Why are they doing this? Is it because of the original owner of the body? When Bai Luochu woke up from the Bestial Battle Arena, she didn¡¯t recall anything. She had no clue if the Lord had any actual relationship with the owner of this body. Wait, Bestial Battle Arena... Could it be that¡­ could it be that her movement techniques used in the Bestial Battle Arena were recognized by someone? When she thought about it, Bai Luochu felt a chill down her spine. If it was truly the case, she didn¡¯t know if the Lord was an enemy or an ally. She was in the open, while her enemy was in the dark, she might not even be aware of what had actually happened if she died. But in the small Bestial Battle Arena in the Cloud Water Nation¡­ was there truly someone that could recognize her moves? Chapter 13: Assassin in the Residence When Zi Su was being questioned, she panicked a little. Bai Luochu might have a brilliant smile on her face, but looking at the smile on her face that didn¡¯t seem like a smile, Zi Su felt a chill run down her spine. ¡°Young Lady¡­ Young Lady, please don¡¯t be angry. Be it my Lord or everyone in the residence, none of us have any evil intentions towards you!¡± Zi Su quickly explained. ¡°I know that. I am still able to differentiate between good and bad and if anyone has any evil intentions towards me. I want to know¡­ who is your Lord. You can tell me that, right?¡± Bai Luochu picked up some vegetables and had a taste. The flavor was rather good and the texture was brilliant. ¡°My Lord? This¡­¡± Zi Su hesitated and didn¡¯t know if she was allowed to reveal the information. Looking at Zi Su¡¯s expression, Bai Luochu smiled and casually said, ¡°You only need to tell me his position in the imperial clan.¡± ¡°Young Lady, you¡­¡± Zi Su stared blankly and a look of astonishment appeared in her eyes. Looking at how the confident look on Bai Luochu¡¯s face, she realized that she had still underestimated the lady in front of her. ¡°Since Young Lady already brought up the Imperial Princes, you should already have some suspicions in your heart. My Lord¡­ My Lord is the current Imperial Clan¡¯s First Prince, Pei Rumo. I didn¡¯t mention it because I was afraid Young Lady might be over-anxious and develop an unfavourable impression of my Lord. If this servant made Young Lady unhappy by concealing this information, I seek your forgiveness!¡± Zi Su took a deep breath and explained earnestly. A multitude of thoughts flew through Zi Su¡¯s mind and she became a little terrified. On the other hand, Bai Luochu sighed with relief when she found out the identity of the Lord. First Prince? Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t acquainted with such a figure in her previous life. The relationship between the First Prince and herself was probably developed by the original owner of her body. However, for the original owner to be sold as a slave and thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena¡­ what kind of relationship could she possibly have with the First Prince of the Imperial Clan? How could a random slave be of any use to the First Prince? ¡°I was rude. I was too paranoid and I shouldn¡¯t have frightened you.¡± After Bai Luochu finished her dinner, she allowed Zi Su to leave and rest early after apologizing for scaring her just a moment ago. In the end, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want anyone to observe her when she used the ancient inheritance¡¯s secret technique to cultivate. The moment Zi Su carried the food boxes out of her room, Bai Luochu immediately entered the bedroom to resume her cultivation. However, Bai Luochu¡¯s spiritual energy was considered much more powerful than a regular person. Sound almost indiscernible to some people was crystal clear in Bai Luochu¡¯s ear. Maybe because she was too tired from her cultivation session in the day, or maybe because she had been unable to sleep peacefully during her days in the Bestial Battle Arena¡­ Bai Luochu was sound asleep and she only stirred when she heard the commotion coming from outside. ¡°Are there assassins in the residence?¡± Bai Luochu muttered softly. She might have been a little dazed because she was sleeping, as she didn¡¯t consider too much before wearing her shoes to leave the room. She wanted to take a closer look at the battle happening in the courtyard. The moment she left the room, the chilling wind assaulted her face. Bai Luochu sobered up instantly. She finally reacted after recalling the place she was in. ¡°An assassin actually infiltrated the heavily-guarded First Prince¡¯s residence?!¡± Flashes of blade light and sword shadows filled the sky as they illuminated the originally pitch-black courtyard. The two individuals crossing moves used strange movement techniques that constantly changed. With Bai Luochu¡¯s current strength, it was impossible for her to see the array of movements of the two people with just her naked eye. In order to see everything clearly, Bai Luochu closed her eyes and concentrated a portion of her spiritual energy along with the spirit qi that was currently within her body into her eyes. Her vision was instantly enhanced. When she opened her eyes again, their movements looked much slower and it allowed Bai Luochu to their moves clearly. In the time it took half a stick of incense to burn, the two people in the sky exchanged a hundred moves! Another guard joined the fray before long. He probably entered the battle as he saw his comrade struggling to take the assassin down even after such a long time. Originally, the two fighters in the sky were evenly matched. However, the moment the second guard joined in the battle, the masked man was instantly overwhelmed. It wasn¡¯t long before flaws started appearing as the battle dragged on. An air-piercing hiss suddenly echoed through the sky and an arrow shot from an unknown location flew straight at the assassin. Seemingly as though he detected the arrow, the assassin twisted his body, barely dodging it. The moment he moved to dodge the arrow, he fell into a disadvantageous position against the two guards. Taking the opportunity, the two guards pressed in and executed their fatal killing moves without holding anything back. Looking at the situation, the assassin didn¡¯t continue the fight. According to the 36 Stratagems¡­ when everything else fails, retreat! Making use of the killing moves executed by the guards, the assassin lightly pushed against their sword as he borrowed the momentum to turn around. Beating a hasty retreat, he left the battle and fled into the dark night. When Bai Luochu saw how the assassin retreated in defeat, she wanted to chase him down. Just as she was about to head out, a black shadow appeared in front of her. The black shadow was like a giant pole blocking her way. The black shadow bowed to Bai Luochu and said, ¡°It is dangerous to travel deep in the night. It is best for Young Lady to return.¡± The residence¡¯s secret guard? ¡°What if I insist on going?¡± Bai Luochu let out a captivating smile. This First Prince¡¯s residence surely had a lot of experts. ¡°Then this subordinate would have to offend Young Lady.¡± The secret guard spoke calmly but there was no doubt he was going to follow through with his words. Like the parasol trees in the courtyard, the two of them stood facing each other and no one was willing to take a step back. For a moment, the courtyard¡¯s atmosphere became so heavy it became hard to breathe. There was a sudden gust of wind rustling the leaves on the trees. It seemed as though sand got into Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes as she raised her hands to rub them. She said, ¡°It is deep into the night and I am really tired. I will go back to my room now... you should rest early too.¡± ¡°I appreciate Young Lady¡¯s kind intentions. I shall take my leave. Young Lady, please take your time.¡± After finishing his statement and bowing to Bai Luochu, the secret guard simply vanished into the darkness of the dusky night. Bai Luochu turned to look at the spot where the secret guard was standing earlier and realized something. She was probably in too much of a rush when she wanted to chase after the assassin as her breathing quickened. Her unstable breaths were what allowed people to discover her presence. Well¡­ it was also possible she was discovered a long time ago. After all, that arrow seemed to be shot by the secret guard. Chapter 14: Uninvited Gues When Bai Luochu stepped into the side room, she immediately felt that something was off. She couldn¡¯t help but become alert. After closing the door, she placed her hand on the dagger attached around her waist as she walked deeper into the room. The moment she went in, she noticed a man standing in front of her window with his hands clasped behind his back. If Bai Luochu was simply being wary just a moment ago, it could be said that alarm bells were ringing loudly in her head right now! When she was outside the room, she released the rest of her spiritual energy and enveloped the entire courtyard. She wanted to take the chance to check if there were any secret guards monitoring her. How in the world did this person appear inside her room? ¡°I wonder who this expert is¡­ To actually sneak into a lady¡¯s chamber deep into the night, is your distinguished self not afraid that tongues will wag? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being caught and judged as a rapist?¡± The intruder looked at Bai Luochu who spoke about him being a rapist without the slightest fluctuation in her expression. It was good to note that she was an unmarried young lady, yet she spoke about such a thing without the slightest bit of shame. The intruder couldn¡¯t help but lift a brow and let out a chuckle. When he suddenly recalled that there were numerous eyes around this residence, he quickly withdrew his laughter. Instead, his amusement was expressed by his narrowed eyes. Looking at the person who was laughing at her, Bai Luochu glared at him as thoughts flew through her mind. She wondered about exactly was this person standing in front of her. She also thought about how he was able to enter her room so quietly while staying so calm after being discovered. In her opinion, he was really a shameless individual. When the intruder saw that Bai Luochu was getting angry for real, he quickly apologized. ¡°I disturbed Young Lady¡¯s rest. I was rude and didn¡¯t consider my actions carefully. I hope for Young Lady¡¯s forgiveness.¡± After speaking, he raised his hands in front of his chest and bowed to Bai Luochu. When Bai Luochu saw that this person spoke rather politely, she didn¡¯t argue anymore and directly asked, ¡°I have never met distinguished sire before. Why is sire looking for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here for a particular reason. I¡¯m just here to look at how Young Lady is doing. If anything, it will be better to say that I¡¯m interested in Young Lady¡¯s movement skills...¡± When he spoke up to this point, the intruder revealed a probing smile. Movement skills? Bai Luochu stared blankly at the man in front of her. She was really worried that her enemies would recognize her movement skills¡­ In the end, it really happened! There was really someone who was suspicious of her movement skills... As it was deep in the night, coupled with the fact that there wasn¡¯t a single source of light in the room, Bai Luochu could only observe the man under the dim moonlight seeping through her window frame. Ultimately, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t determine if he was actually pale because of some illness or because of the poor lighting. After carefully scrutinizing the intruder in front of her, Bai Luochu had some ideas in her heart. She nodded and let out a gentle smile and said, ¡°Interested in my movement skills? I think that you are more interested in my medical techniques, right? Your Second Highness...¡± Hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s response, the intruder¡¯s body stiffened for a split second. He instantly regained his composure and asked, ¡°Why do you say so?¡¯ Seeing his reaction, Bai Luochu relaxed and walked over to the table in the middle of the room. Pouring a cup of tea for herself, she took a sip before explaining, ¡°This is the First Prince¡¯s residence, it¡¯s not some random residence belonging to a rich noble. This place is filled with experts and considering how you managed to appear in my room, there is no doubt about it. You are not an ordinary person.¡± When she saw the faint smile of the man who was taking a seat in front of her, Bai Luochu resumed her explanation. ¡°There are only a rare few individuals in this Cloud Water Nation who possess the ability to enter a forbidden area like the First Prince¡¯s residence. Going through the list of everyone who is plagued with an illness, there is no one else other than the Second Prince, Pei Qingfeng!¡± Pei Qingfeng laughed but didn¡¯t deny her accusation. ¡°So, Second Prince, are you interested in my medical techniques?¡± Bai Luochu laughed craftily and excitement started to bubble in her heart. She stared at Pei Qingfeng as though she was looking at a piece of big, juicy meat. Pei Qingfeng revealed a helpless smile. He felt that in comparison to her medical techniques and movement skills, he was actually more interested in Bai Luochu herself. Bai Luochu stretched out her hand and placed it on the table before beckoning Pei Qingfeng with her finger. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± Seeing that there were no better ways, Bai Luochu decided to diagnose this patient by feeling his pulse. The spirit qi in her body wasn¡¯t abundant but she should be able to feel his pulse and conduct an examination on his body. As a physician, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t concerned about touching people of the opposite gender. She simply reached out and placed her hand on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s wrist. Even though Bai Luochu didn¡¯t mind, it didn¡¯t mean that Pei Qingfeng was comfortable with it. After all, he wasn¡¯t used to being touched by the opposite sex. When Bai Luochu grabbed his wrist, he instinctively withdrew his hand. ¡°I now have the status of a physician, Your Highness need not bother about the so-called difference between man and woman. Right now, there is only a physician and a patient. There¡¯s no intimacy between a man and a woman¡­ will Your Highness please relax?¡± In order to allow a smooth diagnosis, Bai Luochu persuaded Pei Qingfeng to calm down. After her persuasion, Bai Luochu pulled Pei Qingfeng¡¯s arm towards herself. As for Pei Qingfeng, when he saw how composed Bai Luochu was, he didn¡¯t continue to resist. He allowed Bai Luochu to feel his pulse without kicking up a fuss. When he felt Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit qi entering his body, Pei Qingfeng stared blankly at her as he never would have imagined that he would allow a servant girl whom he had just met to examine his body as she pleased. Compared to Pei Qingfeng, Bai Luochu was even more surprised. She noticed that Pei Qingfeng¡¯s spirit qi was vast and boundless, like an endless ocean. In terms of cultivation, he was definitely much stronger than her. Her measly spirit qi wasn¡¯t even considered a cup of water when compared to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s ocean-like spirit qi. When the two spirit qi collided against each other, Bai Luochu instantly turned pale. After recalling that she was the one who volunteered to feel his pulse, Bai Luochu closed her eyes and focused. She braced herself to continue the examination. Chapter 15: Strange Poison Array Just as Bai Luochu felt that her spiritual energy couldn¡¯t resist the pressure coming from Pei Qingfeng and was about to collapse, she finally found the source of the sickness deep inside his meridians. Inside his body! How could there be something so sinister hidden deep in his body?! Bai Luochu might be an evil dao witch in her previous life. However, as for those extremely vicious and sinister things in the world, she only read about them in the temple¡¯s library. Those orthodox sects who flaunted themselves as righteous would never use such methods to harm people. Even the disciples of the temple who were known as evil dao practitioners wouldn¡¯t commit such outrageous acts. Seeing the change in Bai Luochu¡¯s expression, Pei Qingfeng was startled and felt extreme astonishment in his heart. Did she see something?! In the entire Cloud Water Nation, the number of individuals who could see the root of the problem could probably be counted on one hand. Right at this moment, Bai Luochu said something and confirmed Pei Qingfeng¡¯s suspicion. ¡°Can you tell me, how did this thing¡­¡± ¡°You saw it?¡± Pei Qingfeng spoke indifferently. It was as though he wasn¡¯t the one who was sick. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could actually see it. You are truly extraordinary. This thing has been inside my body for a very long time¡­ so long that I have already forgotten about it.¡± Pei Qingfeng still had that indifferent look plastered on his face. After staying silent for a moment, he chuckled, ¡°Can you cure me?¡± Even though Pei Qingfeng was inquiring about treatment, it was clear from his tone and expression that he wasn¡¯t optimistic about her reply. Bai Luochu knitted her brows and didn¡¯t reply. If the thing inside Pei Qingfeng¡¯s body was some sort of illness, it would be much easier for her to cure him. Too bad it was far from an illness. It was an extremely vicious and sinister poison array. A moment ago, just as Bai Luochu was about to give up, she noticed some extremely strange runes in his body. In the beginning, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t understand the meaning of the runes. As she continued to observe the runes, purple thunder burst out from them. When the purple thunder emerged, it made a complete cycle around the meridians before returning. An astounding amount of spirit qi was absorbed from Pei Qingfeng¡¯s body. When the purple thunder appeared, Bai Luochu felt that it was a familiar scene. However, she wasn¡¯t able to make the connection and only after the purple thunder returned to the runes did the memory deep in Bai Luochu¡¯s mind resurface. Poison Fire Heaven Thunder Array! The only ones who could access this array were the Patriarch and the inner temple disciples. Furthermore, they weren¡¯t given access to the poison array itself but the neutralization method instead. It was their contingency plan in case any disciple secretly learned the array to bring harm to people. If such a thing really happened and no one in the temple could neutralize it, they would be sinners. The array was vicious as it wasn¡¯t a simply poison array. Normal poison arrays would be created by various poison herbs and plants. The worst of the regular poison arrays would only cause the victim to be inflicted with a poison curable by any good physicians. As for this array, it was a different case altogether. The Heavenly Thunder was imbued into the runes and were sealed and concealed inside the meridians. When the victim¡¯s cultivation was below a certain level, the thunder running through the meridians would be mild and the pain the individual suffered wouldn¡¯t be excruciating. The spirit qi the Heavenly Thunder absorbed wouldn¡¯t be too exaggerated. It would cause the victim to think that it was the side effects of their rapidly increasing cultivation. When the victim of this poison array reached a certain cultivation realm, the thunder would become extremely strong and it would absorb more spirit qi from the victim¡¯s body. By the time the cultivator noticed that something was wrong, it would already be too late. The poison array would already have taken root in their body. There was something even more shocking in the book about the effects of the array. Apart from releasing thunder to absorb the host¡¯s spirit qi, the runes were also a kind of spatial access allowing the thunder to bring the spirit qi to the caster. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. What should she say? Should she say that his body had an extremely vicious poison array and if he wanted to neutralize it, it would take a very long time? Or should she say that the poison array inside his body was probably inflicted by someone close to him, bringing the sickly prince even more frustration and sorrow? The true question was Pei Qingfeng¡¯s understanding of the array. Without thinking too much about it, Bai Luochu blatantly asked, ¡°What do you understand about the poison array in your body?¡± ¡°I know enough. Can you treat it?¡± Pei Qingfeng smiled and didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry at all. Chapter 16: Costly Medical Fee ¡°Tsk Tsk, I am trying my best to diagnose your illness, yet you don¡¯t seem interested at all. It seems like you don¡¯t expect me to be able to cure you huh...¡± Bai Luochu crossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders as she expressed her displeasure. ¡°No, I am just¡­ used to it.¡± Pei Qingfeng spoke indifferently. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to expel the poison array in his body. Instead, it was because he had been let down time and time again. However, this time, when he saw Bai Luochu¡¯s expression, a seed of hope germinated in his heart. He couldn¡¯t explain the feeling in his heart... Firstly, he never liked anyone touching him. Yet he allowed Bai Luochu to feel his pulse in order to diagnose him. Secondly, he took the risk to enter the First Prince¡¯s residence deep into the night and even infiltrated a young lady¡¯s chamber. He had to be out of his mind... He was clear about his body and the poison array hidden within it. Because of this, people around him traveled across mountains and great rivers. They crossed half the continent in order to look for famed divine physicians who dealt with poison and medicine. In the end, all of them shook their head and left. None of them were able to treat his illness. Right now, he felt a trace of hope from an immature and inexperienced servant girl who was barely of age. ¡°Pei Qingfeng, oh Pei Qingfeng, you are truly living a backward life.¡± Just as Pei Qingfeng felt there was no hope for this poison to be cured, Bai Luochu spoke up. ¡°What if I tell you I have a way of treating you?¡± Even though it was a question, Bai Luochu looked at Pei Qingfeng with confidence sparkling in her eyes. There was a fire burning them and they were comparable to the stars twinkling in the night sky. ¡°What did you say?¡± Pei Qingfeng was in a state of disbelief. He doubted his ears for a moment. Was this young lady trying to preserve her reputation or was she truly able to treat him?! ¡°You didn¡¯t hear it wrong. I said... I said that I can treat this poison!¡± Bai Luochu spoke with absolute confidence while Pei Qingfeng stood there quietly and stared at her. His face was expressionless and no one could tell what he was thinking. ¡°Of course, I am not going to treat it for free.¡± Bai Luochu sat on the chair while looking at Pei Qingfeng as a plan slowly formed in her head. ¡°To be honest with you. My meridians were previously obstructed and I was unable to cultivate. Right now, I have opened up my meridians but my current strength is far from being able to completely neutralize the poison in your body. With my strength, I can only use the effects of medicinal herbs to suppress the poison and reduce the pain you have to suffer.¡± ¡°I know that it is hard for you to believe a servant girl like me. The poison in your body isn¡¯t easy to treat. It¡¯s a poison array with Heavenly Thunder acting as the medium. The Heaven Thunder doesn¡¯t only scorch your meridians, but it also absorbs the spirit qi in your body. Am I right?¡± Pei Qingfeng was secretly startled. He saw Bai Luochu picking up a brush and paper from the table. Using the dim moonlight, she dipped the brush in ink and wrote something down. When this young lady was writing under the illumination of the hazy moonlight, she looked rather adorable. The corners of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mouth curled upwards subconsciously. A short while later, Bai Luochu raised the paper and gently blew on it to dry the wet ink. When the ink was dry, she took a detailed look at what she had written and ensured that there were no errors before passing it to Pei Qingfeng. After Pei Qingfeng reached out to receive the paper, he saw two big words on the rightmost side: Medical Fee. On the list were items with strange names and if anyone who was clueless about medicine and poison were to read it, they would think that a retard scribbled on the paper. When all was said and done, Pei Qingfeng suffered for a long time due to the poison array and as the saying went, ¡°One would become a good physician after being ill for a long time.¡± Pei Qingfeng knew the rarity of these strange items and every single item written on the paper was invaluable. He was extremely clear about the worth of the items. Pei Qingfeng subconsciously shook his head and a chuckle escaped his lips. This servant girl was really bold with her request... Chapter 17: Nourishing the Meridians ¡°If you decide to seek treatment with me, come back with two portions of the items I listed. Remember¡­ you have to bring two portions and they will serve as your medical fee. Of course, if you don¡¯t intend to seek treatment with me, I will treat it as though nothing happened tonight. You are a formidable person and I have no need to oppose you. If I decide to cause trouble, it would be the same as committing suicide.¡± Two portions? This servant girl was truly bold with her request! Pei Qingfeng looked at the list and nodded before leaving. His body flickered once and he disappeared. He didn¡¯t mention if he wanted to seek treatment or not, but Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t anxious either. If Pei Qingfeng wanted to seek treatment, he would certainly come and look for her. After Pei Qingfeng left, Bai Luochu returned to her bed. She wanted to rest up but she tossed and turned in her bed, unable to fall asleep. First, it was the assassin, then it was the appearance of Pei Qingfeng. Bai Luochu¡¯s sleepiness had been tossed into the high heavens and wouldn¡¯t be returning anytime soon. In the end, she decided to forgo sleep as she sat down cross-legged on her bed to continue her cultivation. After witnessing Pei Qingfeng¡¯s boundless spirit qi, Bai Luochu suffered quite a huge blow to her ego. In her previous life, she might have been on par with Pei Qingfeng, but the current her was far too weak. After all, she had only opened up her meridians recently. If Pei Qingfeng¡¯s boundless spirit qi could be compared to a spirit sea, then Bai Luochu¡¯s deficient spirit qi could only be compared to a cup of water. To Bai Luochu, the most important task was still to cultivate and it wasn¡¯t just to provide treatment for Pei Qingfeng. It was mainly because of her desire for revenge together with her ambition to revive her temple. She was going to behead that bastard Lu Wenshu with her sword and gather all her disciples again. This time, she was going to protect them all. With Bai Luochu¡¯s current strength, she was far from being able to do so. Her current body had frail meridians and she was already way past the age where her cultivation realm could increase rapidly. If she didn¡¯t cultivate diligently, she was afraid that the inheritance and her disciples wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on to the day she took her revenge! As her thoughts progressed up to this point, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t stare blankly into space anymore. She thought that instead of worrying about insignificant events in the grand scheme of things, why not focus on cultivation? It was almost daybreak and one could even hear the indistinct cries of the rooster housed in the residence. Bai Luochu immediately sat up from her bed and prepared to absorb the purest spirit qi throughout the day. It was the same for spirit qi. The spirit qi at dawn was different from the spirit qi in the night or throughout the day. The spirit qi at night was turbid and cold; while the spirit qi in the day was blazing due to the scorching sun. The spirit qi at dawn was clear and without impurities, as it transformed the chill in the night into something more comforting. It was the best time to incorporate the spirit qi into her cultivation of the inheritance¡¯s secret technique as she nourished her meridians. In this cultivation session, Bai Luochu used all her spiritual energy to gather as much spirit qi into her spirit sea as possible. She used her spiritual energy to bind the spirit qi before sending it into her meridians. Without allowing the spirit qi to slow down, she made it rush towards the area where the obstruction originally was. There was a reason behind her actions. Firstly, it was because of her body. The obstructed area was different from the meridians in the other parts of her body. In the past, when she was demolishing the obstruction in her meridians, Bai Luochu was able to use the massive amount of spirit qi to slightly strengthen the meridians in the other part of her body. As for the obstructed area, it never got a chance to enjoy the strengthening brought about by the nourishment of spirit qi. If she didn¡¯t hasten the reinforcement, she would definitely face a problem in her cultivation in the future. Secondly, it was because of the world she lived in. In the entire day, the most suitable spirit qi to nourish damaged meridians would only be present during daybreak. Even though that was the case. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t give up on cultivating throughout the rest of the day. Hence, by mending the weakest part of her meridians, Bai Luochu¡¯s cultivation process wouldn¡¯t be affected when she cultivated. After Bai Luochu completed circulating her spirit qi, she quickly withdrew her spiritual energy. The sound of someone knocking on the door resounded through the room. ¡°Knock! Knock! Knock!¡± The moment the knocking ended, before Bai Luochu even had the chance to wear her shoes and get up from her bed, Zi Su¡¯s voice echoed from outside the door. Seemingly afraid that Bai Luochu was still sleeping and her sudden appearance might cause some fright, she covered her mouth with her hand and spoke gently, ¡°Young Lady, are you awake? If you are, this servant will enter to help you freshen up.¡± When Bai Luochu heard how Zi Su was intentionally covering her mouth to speak through the door, she couldn¡¯t help but giggle. This servant girl was truly interesting. If she was really speaking so softly and Bai Luochu was asleep, there was no way she could hear her. After recalling how badly she frightened Zi Su the day before, she realized that the servant girl was afraid of angering her. ¡°Come in. I am already dressed.¡± ¡°Creak¡­¡± Zi Su pushed the door open from the outside. When the servant girl saw that Bai Luochu was already dressed, she was rather surprised. She knitted her brows and said, ¡°Young Lady, you don¡¯t have to change before allowing this servant to enter. Helping Young Lady wear her clothes is also one of this servant¡¯s jobs.¡± After Zi Su finished her statement, she placed down the comb and the kettle before walking over to help Bai Luochu tidy up her clothes. She straightened out the parts Bai Luochu forgot. Zi Su requested for Bai Luochu to sit in front of the mirror before helping her to untie her hastily bundled up hair. Zi Su then carefully bound up Bai Luochu¡¯s hair into a topknot without forgetting to shower her with praise. ¡°Young Lady¡¯s hair is very nice. It isn¡¯t too smooth and binding it up is easy. Neither is it too dry or tangled up. It doesn¡¯t even need to be oiled.¡± Chapter 18: Setting Up An Array In The Courtyard ¡°Yes, this servant understands.¡± Zi Su responded without hesitation but in her heart, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh with emotion. The young lady was truly diligent and her drive was exactly the same as their Lord¡¯s. No wonder their Lord treated her differently. After freshening up, Bai Luochu walked outside her courtyard and strolled around. Perhaps there was some lapse in her memory about the route in the residence, or maybe it was because she didn¡¯t get to chase after the assassin last night. She was somewhat distracted... Bai Luochu had unknowingly walked to the location where the assassin exchanged moves with the residence¡¯s guards. She arrived before the Glass Treasure Pavilion. Previously, Bai Luochu only had a rough glance at the pavilion when Zi Su pointed it out to her. Now that she was standing before it, she decided to take a closer look. She realized that the Glass Treasure Pavilion truly lived up to its name. The Glass Treasure Pavilion had a total of nine floors and each floor had eight windows. The window frames split the windows into four portions, seemingly to conform with the eight divinatory trigrams and four conjunctions. On the top of the pavilion was a great eastern pearl and the ledges of each floor were each embedded with gems of the same colour. The gems on each floor would never repeat and it seemed as though treasures of different rarity and attributes were sorted out into their individual floors. The color of the gems on the ledges should be used to differentiate the attributes and grade of the treasures housed on the level. Putting aside the priceless treasures inside this place, it wouldn¡¯t be excessive to say that the Glass Treasure Pavilion was an enlarged version of an exquisite treasure pagoda. If any single one of the gems on the outside was plucked off and sold away, it would be enough for a regular family to spend for the rest of their lives in comfort. It seemed like the First Prince was a rich and imposing individual! As Bai Luochu scanned the Glass Treasure Pavilion from top to bottom, she raised her eyebrows in astonishment. Why wasn¡¯t there anyone guarding the pavilion? As though Bai Luochu suddenly thought of something, she looked around at the arrangements of the flowers, trees, and plants in this courtyard only to realize something. The owner of the Glass Treasure Pavilion used the fauna around the Glass Treasure Pavilion and the pavilion itself as tools to form an array in the Book of Changes. This array wasn¡¯t a vicious one and regular sects would set up such arrays at the entrance of the mountain to serve as their first line of defense. Bai Luochu might not have sufficient spirit qi, but it was still more than enough to neutralize the array. However, she didn¡¯t want to reveal her talents yet. After all, one always had to keep abilities hidden in order to leave a way out in times of peril... Furthermore, the moment she entered the courtyard, her gaze was attracted to a certain spot. Needless to say, she detected the presence of a secret guard. Bai Luochu rubbed her nose and immediately understood. It seemed like the assassin must have neutralized the array, drawing the secret guard to his location. It should also be the reason why the battle occurred. With such intricate knowledge of arrays in the Book of Changes, it seemed as though there were many crouching tigers and hidden dragons in the capital city of the Cloud Water Nation. After leaving the Glass Treasure Pavilion, Bai Luochu strolled around the residence for a long time before she found her way back. She quickly rushed into her room to avoid suspicion. Just as she stepped into the door, the fragrance of cooked rice entered her nose. Due to her excessive worry the previous night, she lost her appetite during dinner. Right now, she had just completed a session of cultivation and after wandering around the residence for some time, her stomach was growling. Now that Zi Su had arranged all the dishes, the fragrance of the food surged towards Bai Luochu¡¯s nose, enticing the gluttonous worm inside her tummy. ¡°Rumble.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s stomach let out a growl and the atmosphere turned awkward. Zi Su couldn¡¯t help but let out a giggle and broke the awkward silence in the room. ¡°Pfff. Young Lady, if you are hungry, quickly sit down and eat. If the food gets cold, they wouldn¡¯t taste as good.¡± When Bai Luochu heard what Zi Su said, she could only let out an embarrassed smile. She followed Zi Su¡¯s suggestion and sat down at the table. After finishing her breakfast, Bai Luochu asked Zi Su to help her grind some ink. Picking up a brush, she wrote down the name of some herbs on a sheet of paper. Handing the paper over to Zi Su, she politely requested for her to retrieve them. They were all herbs that could assist her in her cultivation. In fact, she was just using this excuse to send Zi Su away in order to set up an array in her courtyard. Watching Zi Su¡¯s figure disappear into the distance, Bai Luochu quickly took out the remaining poisonous plants she had obtained in the Bestial Battle Arena. Without delay, she started to set up a simple array using the time she had alone. No matter what, as assassin snuck into the residence the night before. Even though he wasn¡¯t here to claim a life and was instead here to obtain treasures, it still wasn¡¯t safe. What if that assassin¡¯s target wasn¡¯t the Glass Treasure Pavilion or the First Prince¡¯s main mansion? What if his target was her? Nothing would end well if that were the case. In addition to that, even under the surveillance of two people, Bai Luochu and the secret guard, someone managed to slip into her room. It was fortunate that the intruder didn¡¯t have any malicious intent towards her. If he really harbored sinister thoughts in his mind, she would be dead before she had time to scream for help. His strength was overwhelming and her second life would be wasted if he decided to move against her. As for the array in her courtyard, it would release a layer of poison mist the moment an intruder broke in. Even though the poison mist wasn¡¯t fatal, the intruder¡¯s spirit platform would be paralyzed. Their ability to use spirit qi would be sealed up and her life wouldn¡¯t be in immediate danger. The intruder wouldn¡¯t be able to utilize their spirit qi for a whole six hours after breathing in the poison mist. Bai Luochu had a reason as to why she chose the array. The array that she set up couldn¡¯t be detected by those experts, otherwise, it would be useless. This array wasn¡¯t commonly seen and apart from the temple¡¯s disciples, almost no one had seen it before. Also, the reason behind laying down this array wasn¡¯t to harm others. Instead, it was to keep herself safe. The array she chose couldn¡¯t activate when members of the residence entered her courtyard. This was the only array that could fulfill all the conditions at the same time. After carefully searching through her memories, she placed those poisonous plants according to the eight divinatory trigrams listed in the Book of Changes. She set the courtyard as the center of the array and carefully arranged the poisonous plants while placing other plants at the side to provide a cover. When Zi Su brought the herbs back, she was startled when she saw that all the plants in the courtyard had been rearranged. These plants might have been arranged carefully, but no matter how she looked at it, the landscape of the courtyard was destroyed. After all, the plants were arranged by a professional in the past. Bai Luochu merely shifted some plants around to cover her array. ¡°Young Lady, the courtyard¡¯s previous arrangement had been meticulously designed by landscaping masters. Are they not to Young Lady¡¯s liking?¡± Chapter 19: The First Prince’s Consideration In Bai Luochu¡¯s previous life, her behaviour wasn¡¯t restricted at all when she lived in the temple. She would simply grow any kind of flowers or plants wherever she liked. She didn¡¯t understand the so-called elegance of landscaping. She responded casually to Zi Su¡¯s question, ¡°I have nothing to do and casually made some arrangements.¡± ¡°If Young Lady likes flowers and plants, Zi Su will get people to bring more over tomorrow.¡± Zi Su giggled and replied. She didn¡¯t feel that anything was off at all. ¡°No need for that. Have you brought all the herbs?¡± Bai Luochu quickly changed the topic and didn¡¯t continue talking about the plants in the courtyard. Zi Su had nearly forgotten what she was tasked to do after looking at all the rearrangements in the courtyard. When she heard Bai Luochu¡¯s question, she quickly handed the medicinal herbs over. Taking out a bottle of spirit medicine from her sleeve, she placed it properly in Bai Luochu¡¯s hand. ¡°Earlier on, when this servant handed over the list to the staff in the medicine room, they could identify that these herbs were all used to assist in one¡¯s cultivation. Hence, they handed over a bottle of spirit medicine meant for cultivation. They said that my Lord had previously passed down an order. He said that as long as Young Lady requests for it, you may take anything you wish. However¡­ you can¡¯t take too much of it.¡± ¡°He is afraid that my cultivation will forcefully rise with the use of spirit medicine and not my own effort. My foundation will be unstable because of it, right? Even though my strength will increase rapidly in a short amount of time, it will be detrimental to me in the long term. It will also affect my future progress in cultivation. Did I get it right?¡± When Bai Luochu saw the servant girl stammering, she conscientiously completed her sentence. It was true. She had only been cultivating for several days but had been using medicinal ingredients frequently. Anyone who saw her consumption of medicinal ingredients would think that she was overly eager for success as she used the effects of spirit medicine to quickly increase her cultivation state. ¡°That¡¯s right... We aren¡¯t able to provide Young Lady with too much spirit medicine because of Master¡¯s orders. It will be great as long as Young Lady can understand the meaning behind this servant¡¯s actions. This servant shall take her leave first and will come back in the afternoon to bring lunch.¡± After her explanation, Zi Su bowed and slowly left the room, closing the door behind her. The moment the doors closed, all the clamor in the outside world became unrelated to Bai Luochu. She quickly returned to her state of cultivation and when she opened up the bottle of spirit medicine, a wave of subtle medicinal fragrance tickled her nose. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help turn curious when she stared at the spirit medicine and medicinal herbs in front of her. She couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind the First Prince spending so much money to buy her into the residence. They might say that she was bought to be a personal servant, but what was the real reason? Even though they treated her well, it could be said that the way they treated her was too good to be true. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t bother about it. If she didn¡¯t enjoy such carefree days, it would be a waste. After Bai Luochu opened up the bottle of spirit medicine, she didn¡¯t reserve herself and swallowed everything in a single gulp. In an instant, the spirit qi inside the spirit medicine carried the medicinal effects and gushed towards Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit platform. When Bai Luochu noticed the mild medicinal effects and the pure spirit qi, she decided to use the spirit medicine to nourish her meridians. After the bottle was completely used up, Bai Luochu¡¯s meridians were almost fully recovered. After using that bottle of spirit medicine to nourish her nearly dried up meridians, she continued to use the herbs to continue her treatment every daybreak. At long last, her hard work and persistence paid off. The meridians in her entire body became strong enough for her to start cultivating. For several days in a row, Bai Luochu spent all her time cultivating. The only time she did anything else was when she slept and ate. She would absorb spirit qi in the day and improve her spiritual energy during the night. She hoped to be able to restore her spiritual energy level to the level she was at in her previous life as a medicine refining genius. With her meridians properly strengthened, Bai Luochu was finally satisfied. After thinking about it, she felt as though it was a waste to be engrossed in cultivation while staying in the First Prince¡¯s residence. Making a quick decision, she went out into the courtyard for a stroll. Strolling around aimlessly, she eventually arrived at the back garden. In Bai Luochu¡¯s previous life, she loved growing flowers and plants. In her opinion, the flowers transformed as they blossomed and withered with the change in seasons and they were a great representation of the laws of heaven and earth. She also felt as though they possessed the purest spirit qi. The First Prince¡¯s residence¡¯s garden was constructed very elegantly. The entire garden housed various flowers and they all bloomed in different seasons. Making it unnecessary to replant the flowers in the garden every season. This also prevented the ugly scene of withered flowers filling the garden from ever appearing. Water was drawn from the lake constructed in the middle of the garden and a pavilion stood smack in the middle of the lake. Lotus plants covered the surface of the water and the scene of them rising up from the surface painted a beautiful picture. As the lotus reached into the sky, the saying, ¡°Lotus leaves rising into the boundless sky, like brilliant jade.¡± came to mind. Bai Luochu followed the winding little bridge and walked towards the pavilion. The pavilion was located in a position favored by nature as there weren''t any obstructions when viewing the beautiful scenery in the garden. The pavilion was properly furnished and there was even a couch fit for an imperial consort. It seemed as though the pavilion was specifically built as a resting spot to escape the blazing summer sun. Perhaps it was due to Bai Luochu¡¯s constant and diligently cultivation for the past few days, she felt a little tired now that she had relaxed. She simply laid down on that imperial consort¡¯s couch and rested for a little. Perhaps it was because Bai Luochu never experienced such relaxing days in both her past and present life, the moment she laid down to enjoy the scenery, a drowsy feeling overwhelmed her. Just like this, she fell into a deep slumber. As a breeze blew through the pavilion and caressed her body, she felt extremely comfortable. The intoxicating fragrance of flowers lingered in her surroundings, and the aroma wasn¡¯t too strong. Instead, it was soothing and pleasant on the nose. It was truly too relaxing and peaceful and it made one unable to help but be immersed in it. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t surprised by the fact that she had slept for an entire day. After she woke up, she realized that the sun was already setting and the dazzling sight of the sun setting sobered her up. The picturesque sight of the sun setting was extremely beautiful as the clouds were dyed a brilliant orange. A golden ring formed around the dimming ball of flame as it disappeared into the horizon. In her sleepy state, Bai Luochu was rather dazed as she saw a youth around her age stand in front of her. Rubbing her eyes, she tried to recall where she had seen him before. This person¡­ when did he arrive? Bai Luochu immediately rubbed her eyes again and focused, only to see that there was indeed a youth standing there. Chapter 20: Ninth Prince The youth was around Bai Luochu¡¯s age. Perhaps his immature and round face had something to do with his age. However, his features were sharp and it couldn¡¯t be denied that he would grow up to be a handsome young man. This youth was currently leaning on the pillar of the pavilion and he was carrying a plate of desserts foreign to Bai Luochu. He ate in large mouthfuls as he tilted his head with a frown on his face when he looked at her. Looking at the plate of desserts, it should have been made by the kitchen in the residence. From the looks of it, the kid in front of her should be related to the First Prince. Otherwise, it was impossible for the staff in the kitchen to whip up a plate of desserts especially for him. He was probably related to the imperial clan. ¡°May I know the identity of this Little Young Master? How long have you been sitting here for? Did this servant forget my manners?¡± Bai Luochu saw that this youth was rather adorable and had a silly vibe that only a young child would possess. The intention to tease him quickly appeared in her mind as she spoke coquettishly to him. When the youth saw the flirtatious look in the lady''s eyes, he felt embarrassed. Blood rushed towards his face and a blush formed on his cheeks. After all, he was still an underaged brat. His cheeks were a little flushed and his brows were knit tightly together as he replied. ¡°As a woman, how can you use such a coquettish tone to speak to an unfamiliar man? Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?¡± After speaking, he seemed to have recalled that he had not replied Bai Luochu¡¯s question. Thinking that it was rather rude for him to not give an answer, he unwillingly spoke up, ¡°Listen up, I am the current Ninth Prince and not some little Young Master.¡± When Bai Luochu noticed that the kid was getting angry, she quickly withdrew her intention to tease him and greeted him seriously. ¡°This servant had no idea that Your Highness is the Ninth Prince. I was rude and I hope for the Ninth Prince¡¯s forgiveness.¡± Fortunately, the Ninth Prince wasn¡¯t someone who would fuss over small matters and he definitely wasn¡¯t someone who would bully others with his imperial authority. He immediately nodded and said, ¡°You are excused.¡± As he spoke, he continued to size up Bai Luochu. This young lady was wearing a robe made from soft smoked gauze and the accessories on her head were also part of the latest designs of the imperial palace. Even her embroidered shoes were the works of the embroidery ladies that the First Prince specially requested for. However, the Ninth Prince would never have thought that the reason Bai Luochu¡¯s failure to follow etiquette was because of her identity as an evil dao witch in her past life. She never bothered about such practices and customs. In her eyes, the imperial clan was nothing¡­ No matter how strong the imperial clan was, could their authority be harder than her fist? As for clothing, Bai Luochu already knew that her robe made with soft smoked gauze was expensive. However, she didn¡¯t know anything about the accessories or her shoes. In her previous life, Bai Luochu never bothered with such things as she would spend the bulk of her time cultivating or dealing with herbs. In her eyes, the only merit the shoes had was the comfort they provided. The accessories were no different from the tree branches she used in her previous life to tie up her hair. ¡°You... did you recently enter the First Prince¡¯s residence?¡± The Ninth Prince asked while staring into Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind the Ninth Prince¡¯s question. Did he feel that her presence was unfamiliar? Thinking about how she had only entered the residence several days ago, adding on the fact that she was too engrossed in her cultivation to leave her room, she understood the meaning behind his words. She replied calmly, ¡°This servant has entered this residence for a few days but due to my illness, I haven¡¯t been out of the courtyard. It is no wonder Your Ninth Highness finds me unfamiliar.¡± Just as he expected¡­ She is really First Brother¡¯s concubine. It seems like he favors her and she is the one who serves him every night... There was no other reason a concubine would be able to wear such luxurious clothing without leaving her room for a few days. The Ninth Prince couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. ¡°Tsk Tsk Tsk. Teacher is right. Women are truly femme fatale. Why else would First Brother who had always been diligent in taking care of political affairs be indulging in them?¡± If Bai Luochu knew about what was going through the Ninth Prince¡¯s mind, she would definitely feel wronged. She had simply been cultivating in her room for the past few days. However, after all the information went through this kid¡¯s brain, she turned into a femme fatale who used her looks to seduce her Lord. The Ninth Prince was treating Bai Luochu as his First Brother¡¯s concubine and thought that she was either the First Consort or a regular one. No matter what, she could be considered half a sister-in-law to him and a cordial expression appeared on his face as he faced Bai Luochu. After swallowing the dessert in his mouth, he spoke to her. ¡°You¡­ do you want to know my First Brother¡¯s past?¡± After asking, his eyes even swivelled around as if he were trying to recall all the interesting facts about the First Prince. ¡°The First Prince¡¯s past?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s brows arched upwards. She had no idea why the Ninth Prince was suddenly speaking of this matter. If it was in the past, Bai Luochu definitely wouldn¡¯t be interested in someone of the imperial clan. Not to mention someone she had never met before as there was no point in learning about their past. However, circumstances changed and she was now living off the First Prince. After living in the residence for so many days, she had not even caught sight of the First Prince even once, let alone learn anything about him. There was nothing stopping her from listening to the Ninth Prince¡¯s story. It might even help her avoid things he disliked or asking about things she shouldn¡¯t be asking. It would also be convenient for her to formulate a strategy to escape in the future. Thinking up to this point, Bai Luochu revealed an overwhelmingly interested expression and replied to the Ninth Prince, ¡°Of course, if Ninth Prince is willing to tell me about it, I will definitely listen carefully!¡± In the Ninth Prince¡¯s eyes, Bai Luochu seemed like an excited concubine who wanted to learn more about her husband. In his mind, all Bai Luochu wanted was to win the First Prince¡¯s favor. The Ninth Prince had an innocent and lively personality. Previously, he had been putting on airs in front of Bai Luochu as a member of the imperial family. It was actually extremely taxing on him. After listening to Bai Luochu¡¯s response, he quickly placed the plate of desserts on the stone table as he raised his clothes a little before sitting on a stone chair beside him. He dropped all formalities in front of Bai Luochu. When Bai Luochu saw the Ninth Prince sitting on the stone chair as she laid on the couch, she felt that she was being disrespectful. Hence, she quickly tidied up her clothes and found a seat opposite the Ninth Prince. Chapter 21: Self Taught Genius Bai Luochu didn¡¯t like sweets but seeing the sincerity on the face of the Ninth Prince, she couldn¡¯t find it in her to reject him. In the end, she replied softly, ¡°Many thanks for Ninth Prince¡¯s kind offer.¡± Picking up a piece of dessert, she started nibbling on it. By doing so, she wouldn¡¯t seem rude and she wouldn¡¯t have to force herself to eat desserts she disliked. Seeing as someone was willing to share his food, the Ninth Prince was delighted. He started narrating all the stories about the First Prince and pretty much told Bai Luochu everything he knew about his First Brother. ¡°My First Brother is the best older brother in the world! Not only is he great at settling daily political affairs, he is also extremely farsighted. My Master once said, ¡°With proper planning, even in a small tent a thousand miles away, the victory of a battle is already certain.¡± Even though I have no idea what that means, First Brother is definitely the one with the most foresight out of all the princes.¡± When the Ninth Prince spoke of the First Prince, he made it seem as though the First Prince was some sort of celestial being. With how the Ninth Prince described the First Prince, one would think that the First Prince was a perfect god-like character. After stuffing a piece of dessert into his mouth, the Ninth Prince reached for another. Seemingly as though he recalled something, he continued, ¡°My First Brother may be ruthless and decisive when it comes to politics. However, he is usually amiable and less stern to all of us. Even to the commoners¡­¡± After hearing the Ninth Prince¡¯s description, Bai Luochu developed an initial understanding of the First Prince. Thoughts started appearing in her mind. The reason behind the Ninth Prince¡¯s last statement¡­ He probably doesn¡¯t want me to develop a bad impression of the First Prince. He might be afraid that I have the impression of his First Brother killing wantonly. As for being amiable¡­ It should be an act in order to uphold his reputation among the commoners. As for his pleasant behavior to the Ninth Prince¡­ There is some brotherly love behind his actions. As for his actions towards those who are eyeing the throne¡­ it should all be a facade. Bai Luochu had a myriad of thoughts swirling in her mind but she still had to think about the Ninth Prince¡¯s feelings. A smile appeared on her face as she responded, ¡°The First Prince is truly a powerful and intelligent individual. This servant truly admires him. Many thanks to Ninth Prince for spending so much time to speak with me about the First Prince. I must have wasted much of your time.¡± Patting his hands, the Ninth Prince continued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a waste of time. There¡¯s no need to be so polite with me¡­ Actually, I¡¯m really happy that someone will actually converse with me!¡± Completing his statement, he swallowed the piece of dessert in his mouth. Reaching his hand out for another piece of dessert, the Ninth Prince realized that there was none left. He had no choice but to stop eating as he clapped his hands before sweeping the scraps off the table. He suddenly recalled something and turned to ask Bai Luochu, ¡°Grandmother¡­ The Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday will be in three days. Will you be attending the banquet?¡± Bai Luochu never liked those palace banquets. These so-called palace banquets were simply opportunities for the influential officials and imperial clan to interact with each other, allowing them to build up their connections. In order for the influential officials to gain favors from the imperial clan, they had to be aware of the bottom line of each member. They would then search the various lands for rare treasures in order to present them at the opportune time. Doing so will allow them to stand out from the rest of the influential families. Out of all the influential families, females would be schooled in proper etiquette and they would also learn the four arts. During the palace banquets, they would take the chance to display their talent, hoping to marry into the imperial clan or betrothed to other influential clans. Everything was a game of chess that was carefully orchestrated by the seniors in their families. These times of bright and splendid activities painted over the surging undercurrents were stuff that Bai Luochu was not adept at dealing with. With the absence of the First Prince, coupled with the fact that she was merely a personal slave, even if she wanted to attend, she would be kicked out before she could even take half a step into the palace. Just as Bai Luochu was about to refuse, the Ninth Prince threw out a reason that gave Bai Luochu no choice but to attend. ¡°I heard that this time, one of the Three Great Immortal Sects, the Phoenix King Valley, will be sending someone to congratulate Grandmother. If I were to say something...¡± Bai Luochu was no longer listening to whatever the Ninth Prince was saying. All her attention had been drawn to the three words, ¡°Phoenix King Valley¡±. Phoenix King Valley¡­ She had died miserably in her previous life all because of the Three Great Immortal Sects¡¯ joint assault. This Phoenix King Valley was one of those factions that heavily invested their forces into wiping her temple out. However, even after sending so many troops, they were unable to obtain the inheritance. Right now, Bai Luochu was extremely curious about the situation over at the Phoenix King Valley. She didn¡¯t know how well these ¡®old friends¡¯ were doing and she really wanted to go and take a look. But the usually arrogant Phoenix King Valley never involved themselves in the mundane world. What¡¯s going on? Why are they sending people to join the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s palace banquet? Was the Phoenix King Valley experiencing some trouble, or did the Valley Master of this Phoenix King Valley have a plan in mind? It was truly difficult to come up with a proper reason. After Bai Luochu came back to life, apart from finding out about what happened to the inheritance and the state of her disciples, she didn¡¯t bother about anything else. Her life only consisted of cultivation. After listening to what the Ninth Prince said, she finally recalled that an enemy called the Phoenix King Valley existed. The Ninth Prince saw that Bai Luochu had been staring blankly into space for a very long time and seemed to be pondering over some matters. Even her beautiful and refined brows were locked together. The Ninth Prince waved his hand in front of Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes and noticed that she was still in a daze. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore as he patted her on the shoulder with an annoyed expression on his face. Feeling someone pat her shoulder all of a sudden, Bai Luochu was shocked. She immediately raised her hand to send out an attack. The instant she sent out her palm, she remembered that the person in front of her was the friendly Ninth Prince and not an enemy. She quickly withdrew her strength and stopped her palm just before it touched his face. Looking at the stunned expression on the Ninth Prince¡¯s face, Bai Luochu frowned and an apologetic expression appeared on her face. ¡°My apologies¡­ I was distracted earlier and have startled the Ninth Prince.¡± The Ninth Prince didn¡¯t say anything and simply stared at Bai Luochu quietly, causing her to feel chills creeping down her spine. Just as Bai Luochu thought that the Ninth Prince was offended by her actions, his surprised voice broke her train of thoughts. ¡°You¡¯re really strong! Where did you learn your martial arts from?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± This time, it was Bai Luochu¡¯s turn to be startled. How was she going to explain herself? After all, she was just a slave and she seemed extremely suspicious when she displayed such great skill. After thinking for some time, Bai Luochu was forced to respond. ¡°I learnt it myself¡­¡± Chapter 22: Strange Dream ¡°Self taught?¡± The Ninth Prince had an envious expression on his face as he continued, ¡°Then you must be very talented! First Brother tried to teach me but I never seemed to make any progress. How great would it be if I were as talented as you...¡± After hearing this, Bai Luochu was rather astonished. The Ninth Prince didn¡¯t seem to be someone without talents. As the Ninth Prince of the imperial clan, the cultivation resources he possessed should be nearly inexhaustible. How could he possibly be facing any difficulty in cultivation? After thinking for a moment, Bai Luochu reached out her hand towards the Ninth Prince and said, ¡°Will Ninth Prince be willing to let me check your meridians?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t feel any dislike for the Ninth Prince and it had been a long time since she came into contact with someone who approached her without any ulterior intentions or motives. The Ninth Prince didn¡¯t even think of the repercussions as he stretched his arm over. A moment later, Bai Luochu withdrew her hand and smiled at the Ninth Prince. ¡°Ninth Prince, if the First Prince says that your talents aren¡¯t good enough in the future, you can just tell him that the problem lies with the cultivation technique. It simply isn¡¯t good enough.¡± ¡°The cultivation technique I¡¯m using is one of the strongest techniques the Cloud Water Nation possesses! How can it be lacking?¡± The Ninth Prince was flabbergasted. ¡°Even though it¡¯s one of the top class techniques, it might not be the most suitable for you. If the Ninth Prince is skeptical about what I said, you can try cultivating another technique.¡± Bai Luochu smiled. She was indeed in possession of a cultivation technique extremely suitable for the Ninth Prince. It was a pity. Now was not the time for her to take it out. Seeing how confident Bai Luochu was, the Ninth Prince was convinced. He looked at Bai Luochu and nodded. ¡°No wonder you can obtain my First Brother¡¯s favor. You don¡¯t seem much older than me, yet, you seem so much more knowledgeable.¡± Similar age? Bai Luochu smiled. If she really calculated her ago according to how long she lived, she would definitely be much older than the Ninth Prince. ¡°That¡¯s right. Will you be going to the palace banquet in three days?¡± The Ninth Prince asked again. ¡°If I am allowed to go, I will definitely go,¡± Bai Luochu responded. To be honest, she was rather curious about the birthday banquet as the members of the Phoenix King Valley would be attending as well. Before the Ninth Prince could even respond, that attendant pulled him and ran off. As the Ninth Prince was suddenly pulled away, he didn¡¯t even have time to do a formal farewell. He hastily turned his head as he yelled at Bai Luochu, ¡°We have a deal! I will see you at Grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet, three days later! I will give you¡­¡± That attendant was in a hurry and the Ninth Prince¡¯s final words vanished into the wind. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t manage to catch what he said in the end. As a matter of fact, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t catch most of his farewell message. The moment she heard the three words, ¡°Phoenix King Valley¡±, she fell into a daze and most of the information the Ninth Prince said after that were already forgotten. The Phoenix King Valley was here to offer their congratulations mainly because of the wedding between the Third Prince and the Valley Master¡¯s daughter. This Third Prince was the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s final disciple and was rather reputable throughout Cloud Water Nation. He was also a strong contender for the throne. If he were to truly marry the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s daughter, he would be gaining a huge backing. If Bai Luochu had heard about the relationship of the Third Prince and Phoenix King Valley, she would definitely be able to guess their intentions. There was no way she would take the risk to enter the imperial palace to attend the birthday banquet. She might not even know how she died if she went there. Seeing that it was getting late and dinner time was coming up, Bai Luochu felt as though Zi Su would be anxious to discover her absence. She tidied up her clothes and made her way back to her room. After the sun had completely set, when the dim light of the night had pervaded the residence, Bai Luochu took the first step into her courtyard. ¡°Young Lady, where did you go? This servant has been looking for you for the entire day and couldn¡¯t even catch sight of your shadow. In my opinion, Young Lady will only return after your stomach starts to growl¡­¡± Zi Su pouted her lips and pretended to chide Bai Luochu as she complained without stop. ¡°Aiyo, I have been cultivating for the past few days and went for a stroll outside. When I reached the garden, I felt drowsy and fell asleep on the couch in the pavilion by the lake. I came back as soon as I woke up! Little Zi Su, please don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡± When Bai Luochu saw Zi Su pretending to be angry, she couldn¡¯t help herself. The idea of teasing Zi Su to entertain herself came to mind. ¡°Did Young Lady encounter the Ninth Prince? Did the Ninth Prince say anything to you?¡± When Zi Su heard that Bai Luochu had gone to the garden, a wave of anxiety washed over her. She was afraid the Ninth Prince would run his mouth off again. Bai Luochu roughly narrated her conversation with the Ninth Prince to Zi Su and saw that Zi Su heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Fortunately, he didn¡¯t say anything unnecessary and ruin our lord¡¯s reputation. The Ninth Prince is truly a spoiled brat.¡± After finishing dinner, Zi Su kept away the leftovers. She turned around and spoke to Bai Luochu, ¡°Earlier on, the commander found this servant and informed me that Young Lady¡¯s identity is not suspicious. From now on, Young Lady can enter and leave the residence freely. This is Young Lady¡¯s waist token.¡± As Zi Su spoke, she handed over the waist token. This waist token was like a timely rain for Bai Luochu. Right now, if she wanted to attend the palace banquet, there was no other way than to sneak in. After receiving the waist token, Bai Luochu went back to cultivating. The next thing she knew, the echoing of a gong filled the air. With the signal that night had already fallen, Bai Luochu concluded her cultivation session and went to bed. Just as she was about to fall asleep, Bai Luochu suddenly recalled the words the Ninth Prince used. ¡®Receiving the First Prince¡¯s favor¡¯... She was merely a personal servant. Why did he say that she was receiving his favor? Could it be that the Ninth Prince had some misunderstanding about her role? Bai Luochu didn¡¯t think too much into it as she had been cultivating diligently for the past few days. Most of her energy was used up and she felt extremely tired. Cutting out all the thoughts in her mind, she entered dreamland. On this night, Bai Luochu was destined to have a chaotic night as she dreamt about the Ninth Prince teasing her and the First Prince. The Ninth Prince was teasing her about how they were lovers who seemed to be stuck together like glue. He also said that they were an extremely affectionate couple matchmade by the heavens. In the next instant, the scene shifted and she dreamt about herself and a man with an unclear face. They were standing among the flowers under the moonlight as they recited poetry to each other. Bai Luochu originally thought that the man was Lu Wenshu as she had similar dreams in her previous life. Chapter 23: Sneaking Into the Palace Bai Luochu woke up with a start and abruptly sat up from her bed. Bai Luochu felt that her back was drenched in cold sweat. The feeling of doubt in her heart was so great her face distorted. She didn¡¯t know why the image of the person popped up in her head. No matter how much she thought about it, nothing would change. In the end, Bai Luochu simply decided to forget about it. Before long, Bai Luochu calmed down the waves in her heart as she raised her head to look at the sky where the first rays of sunlight broke through the screen of night. Her cultivation session started once again. Her cultivation session lasted all the way till Zi Su entered to help her freshen up. After she ate, Bai Luochu wrote down the names of several poisonous plants and tools she required for tempering poison before passing them all to Zi Su. Taking the list from Bai Luochu, Zi Su realized that the name of each item was stranger than the last. She didn¡¯t understand what she was looking at and a feeling of doubt formed in her heart. She hurriedly asked, ¡°Young Lady, why do you need these things? All of these items look extremely strange. Don¡¯t use them just because you want to speed up your cultivation, alright? What if you fall sick after eating them?¡± Looking at Zi Su who had a frown on her face as she struggled to persuade her, Bai Luochu helplessly laughed and explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t get the names of these items from some random unknown doctor.... These items are all poison herbs and tools for tempering them. Now that I can venture out of the residence, I have to prepare some items to protect myself. With my current strength, there is obviously no way for me to protect myself from the experts located in the capital city. However, even if I can¡¯t defeat them, I can still make use of these items to escape, right? Little lass, don¡¯t worry!¡± In fact, Bai Luochu was speaking the truth¡­ Or it would be more appropriate to say that half of it was true. She might have been an evil dao witch in her past life, but she had always acted with the policy of ¡®if no one offends me, I won¡¯t offend others¡¯. As of now, her strength was insufficient to protect herself and the idea of provoking others didn¡¯t even make itself into her mind. Obtaining these items to make something to protect herself wasn¡¯t really a lie. As for the part where she lied, it was naturally about the part about where she was going. The reason why she needed to protect herself from experts was something she cooked up on the spot as well. Sensitive information shouldn¡¯t be shared with Zi Su. She couldn¡¯t possibly tell Zi Su that she was going to sneak into the palace to attend the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet... If that were to happen, Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t be able to think of anymore reasons she could use. Curiosity wasn¡¯t a compelling enough reason and if she really were to say that she wanted to take a look at an enemy she made in her past life, Zi Su would definitely think that Bai Luochu had cultivated herself into a retard. After all, reincarnation was a foreign concept and no one would believe her. Maybe it was because Bai Luochu had been behaving herself for this period of time. Zi Su simply took her word for it and she even praised Bai Luochu. ¡°Young Lady is truly meticulous. Our First Prince¡¯s residence is a huge target for people with malicious intent. If someone truly had intentions to harm the Young Lady, things would really become troublesome. Young Lady¡¯s plan is rather good in this case...¡± Zi Su kept the list after singing her praises. She then bid farewell to Bai Luochu and quickly went out to prepare the items requested by the Young Lady. When Bai Luochu saw how happily Zi Su left, she couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly guilty. Bai Luochu felt that she had let down the little lady¡¯s trust. At the same time, she had secretly decided that if her infiltration into the palace wasn¡¯t successful, she would bear all the responsibility in order to protect Zi Su. There was truly no other way and Bai Luochu racked her brains for a long time before coming up with this method. Her strength was far inferior compared to her past self. She might be able to rely on her unpredictable movement skills like before but without sufficient strength, she couldn¡¯t even utilize 30% of it. In the situation where she was fully prepared, she would be able to travel in the streets and alleys, avoiding detection by anyone. Of course, the ¡®people¡¯ Bai Luochu was talking about were those who were of similar cultivation level to herself. Either that or they were only slightly stronger but possessed weak spiritual energy. If Bai Luochu were to really meet a true expert, her current movement skills wouldn¡¯t be of use at all. In her heart, the desire to find out more about her enemy in her previous life burned bright. However, she had no other choice as she was merely a servant who had a past as a slave. If the First Prince was truly in the residence, it was possible for her to follow him into the palace as a personal servant... However, until now, she had yet to even see the First Prince¡¯s shadow and it was truly wistful thinking if she wanted the First Prince to bring her into the palace. She didn¡¯t possess any foundation in the capital city and she couldn¡¯t possibly go around begging for people to bring her into the palace. In the end, she had no other choice but to choose such a difficult method. Bai Luochu had gotten Zi Su to quickly prepare those items as they were essential for her to arrange a route of escape for herself. If she was really discovered, she would use the silver needles coated with a strong and modified paralysis poison to stop her pursuer. Zi Su knew that these items were urgently required by Bai Luochu and took less than one hour to gather all of the items on the list. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want Zi Su to see how she was going to temper the poison and forced Zi Su to return to her quarters. With the tools from the First Prince¡¯s residence, the conditions she had were far superior to when she was in the prison cell of the Bestial Battle Arena. Bai Luochu¡¯s poison tempering speed was much faster than before. After she finished tempering the poison, Bai Luochu cultivated without a care in the world as she wanted to increase her strength as fast as she could before the birthday banquet. Three days passed in a flash. On the day of the banquet, when the sun had fully set and it was completely dark, the sky seemed to be lightly enveloped by a soft gauze. Bai Luochu came up with a reason to leave the residence as she said that she wanted to ¡®take a stroll¡¯ through the street bazaar. She wanted to experience the bazaar at its liveliest as it was the ¡®Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday¡¯. After sending Zi Su away, she carefully attached the dagger and silver needles on her waist belt. After making sure that she had brought all the things she required, she took her waist token and walked out of the First Prince¡¯s residence. In order to avoid suspicion from the guards, she intentionally took a detour towards the bazaar. She followed the direction where most of the carriages were heading and departed for the imperial palace. In Bai Luochu¡¯s previous life, there was only cultivation and medicine refining on her mind. The only thing she did that made her popular was her love affair with Lu Wenshu. When she finally died a tragic death, her inheritance was taken away and her disciples disbanded in misery. In her previous life, she was an evil dao witch and since those haughty imperial members would look at these so-called evil dao members with disdain, they would never invite her to be a guest in their imperial palace. Therefore, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t just unfamiliar with the imperial palace of the Cloud Water Nation... She didn¡¯t even know where the imperial palace was located. Fortunately, the city was filled with so many aristocratic families that if a bird pooped in the sky, the dropping was probably going to land on a descendant of a random aristocratic family. Today was the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet and all the influential families in the city were going to attend it. Bai Luochu simply had to follow the direction where these luxurious carriages were heading and she would definitely arrive at the imperial palace. The cheerful atmosphere of the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet had extended all the way to the borders of the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s capital city. Even the bazaar was much livelier than usual. People crowded around all the booths and it was truly a flourishing and bustling scene. Chapter 24: Second Prince Saves the Day In front of the sugar candy stall, there was a little girl with twin braids in her father¡¯s arms. She was holding onto a butterfly-shaped sugar candy and was reluctant to eat it. She felt as though it was too pretty and kept on shouting, ¡°Butterfly! Pretty little butterfly!¡± At a stall selling hairpins, two sisters were trying out different hairpins on each other as they tried to find the prettiest one. There was a stand with lantern riddles, where a handsome and talented youth managed to win a prize after guessing the correct answer. He gave his prize to the woman he admired. There was a pair of lovebirds confiding in each other as they rowed a boat down the lake glowing in the soft moonlight. However, all these bustling scenes seemed completely unrelated to Bai Luochu. Right now, her attention was placed on following the luxurious carriage in front of her. She expanded her spiritual energy to the limits in order for her to detect any hidden dangers in her surroundings. It was the start of her infiltration and it was smooth as she got through the crowded bazaar without a hitch. She was weaving through the crowd with ease and she made it look too easy. Although she wasn¡¯t strong enough, she still had her bizarre movement skills. With her constant practice these past few days, she was already at 40% proficiency. She hoped that with her skills, she would be able to successfully infiltrate the imperial palace. However, the situation didn¡¯t seem to be as simple as Bai Luochu imagined. After she left the bazaar along with the carriage, she felt that something was out of place as she traversed on the main road towards the imperial palace. The path was devoid of human presence and no commoner would step foot on it. The structures on both sides of the road were also very orderly, making it even more challenging for Bai Luochu to find a place to conceal herself. Since Bai Luochu had already made it here, she had absolutely no reason to turn back! When she thought about it, Bai Luochu extended her spiritual energy to her limit as she tried to look for a suitable place to conceal herself. Once Bai Luochu expanded the range of her spiritual energy, she realized that there was a pair of eyes staring at her which shocked her to the core. Since when did the person notice her? How long had he been tracking her? Why was she unable to detect his presence earlier?! The gaze didn¡¯t seem hostile and at this point, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to retreat. She continued her journey even with the additional pressure put on her. Bai Luochu was still releasing all of her spiritual energy as she circulated more spirit qi to execute her movement skill to its peak state. Bai Luochu understood that these people were the experts hiding in the imperial palace. They were hiding along the path and their first priority was to guarantee the safety of these members of the nobility and those from the aristocratic clans. They were also there to prevent any uninvited guests from trying to infiltrate the palace during this busy period. After all, their job was to prevent assassins from entering the imperial palace. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. She was too careless and too rash when she heard that the Phoenix King Valley was going to visit. Back then, she immediately responded to the Ninth Prince and didn¡¯t think that all her preparation would still be insufficient for her mission to infiltrate the palace. She wasn¡¯t strong enough! In that instant, Bai Luochu made a decision. She had to restore herself to her peak state as quickly as she could! Just as Bai Luochu was at a loss of whether she should advance or retreat, a few men who wore armor with a similar design started to surround her. The spears in their hands emitted metallic ringing as they dragged it along the ground, attracting the attention of everyone in the area. ¡°Tsk, it seems like I¡¯m not going to be able to settle this without some violence...¡± Bai Luochu clicked her tongue but she didn¡¯t seem afraid. Just as Bai Luochu was intending to kill her way out, a voice echoed through the sky. It was gentle and pleasant to the ears. Most importantly, Bai Luochu felt as though she had heard the voice before. ¡°A servant should behave like a servant. Why did you leave your Master behind?¡± Bai Luochu was stunned and when she turned around, she saw a person pushing a wheelchair across the crowd towards her. The person in the wheelchair was precisely Pei Qingfeng who barged into her chamber in the middle of the night! Why was he sitting in a wheelchair even though he looked perfectly normal? Were his legs broken? When Bai Luochu saw Pei Qingfeng, her eyes instantly lit up! Wasn¡¯t he a prince? How could she let go of this opportunity?! Furthermore, it was obvious that Pei Qingfeng was here to help her. Since he had taken the first move, she would be a fool if she failed to take the chance. ¡°Yes!¡± Bai Luochu responded simply and stood beside Pei Qingfeng. In fact, Pei Qingfeng was hesitating before he made the decision to save Bai Luochu. After all, this was the entrance of the imperial palace and today was the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet. Everyone present were people who were from the upper echelon of society and their eyes were sharp. The Second Prince who was never close to any female actually helped a mysterious young lady out of a difficult situation. If some meddlesome individuals were to see it, he didn¡¯t know what story to cook up in order to justify himself But this lass was really interesting... After hearing the duo¡¯s conversation, the guards that were closing in quickly stopped. There were some aristocratic descendants who had boldly opened up the curtains of their carriage and were preparing to watch a show. They wanted to catch a glance of the person who was important enough for the Second Prince to speak up. ¡°Why are you still standing there?¡± Pei Qingfeng acted like he was going to reprimand her while the corner of his mouth arched upwards to form a trace of a smile. It was rare for him to see this shrewd little lass suffer. Seeing Pei Qingfeng¡¯s fox-like appearance and the smile on his face he was desperately trying to hide, Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth involuntarily twitched as she walked over to push the wheelchair. Bai Luochu knew that this sly fox was definitely trying to embarrass her! Didn¡¯t she just request for two sets of expensive herbs? The poison array in his body was rarely seen and it was also extremely difficult to neutralize. Had it not been for the lack of money, she would have asked for more. She didn¡¯t believe that the old fox didn¡¯t know the difficulty of neutralizing the poison array in his body. Wasn¡¯t he messing with her because of her diagnosis fee? What a petty and stingy person¡­ Seeing how Bai Luochu was frowning, Pei Qingfeng laughed. Bai Luochu felt rather resentful towards Pei Qingfeng when he laughed. However, with countless guards surrounding her and with so many experts who could easily kill her with the flick of a finger, she couldn¡¯t possibly vent her anger on Pei Qingfeng. After all, he managed to help her avoid a wave of trouble. Without any other choice, Bai Luochu clenched her teeth and forced a smile. Maybe because she was biting down too forcefully, the corners of her mouth started to twitch as her eyes narrowed to a line. It even seemed like she was beaming as she looked at the Second Prince. When Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu was so angry that her face was twitching, he was delighted. The current Bai Luochu looked like an angry rabbit ready to bite someone. In Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes, she looked really adorable. Pei Qingfeng might be in a pleasant mood, but he still knew that there was a limit to how far he could take things. Tsk, even a rabbit would bite if it was cornered, let alone the fact that this lass wasn¡¯t as obedient as a little rabbit. He should quickly stroke the rabbit¡¯s fur before it gets too angry. If she really turned hostile, he would be the one suffering a loss. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Pei Qingfeng asked softly as this was the biggest suspicion in his heart. This was the imperial palace they were talking about, not some random inn or restaurant. It wasn¡¯t somewhere Bai Luochu should be. Seeing how blunt Pei Qingfeng was, Bai Luochu no longer had the intention to lie to him. She blurted out, ¡°I want to enter the palace. Do me a favor, will you?¡± ¡°What do you want to enter the palace for?¡± Pei Qingfeng had a suspicious look in his eyes. After meeting her once, he knew that she was a person who wouldn¡¯t act unless she could benefit herself. ¡°Just looking around... After all, I¡¯m an ignorant fool¡± Bai Luochu spread out her hands and smiled. ¡°Moreover, with my cultivation, I won¡¯t be able to do anything even if I wanted to.¡± Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t believe the first half of Bai Luochu¡¯s reply. How could she be an ignorant fool?! She was someone who could instantly diagnose him with the well hidden poison array inside his body! As for the second half of her explanation, he felt that she wasn¡¯t lying. If it wasn¡¯t for him, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the gates of the imperial palace. After thinking for a moment, Pei Qingfeng laughed and asked, ¡°What benefit will I get for bringing you into the imperial palace?¡± Tsk! Was this karma? Even though the knowledge she possessed wouldn¡¯t be of help to many people, this was Pei Qingfeng they were talking about. Anything she could bring out would definitely benefit this sickly prince considering the fact that she was a medical genius. Chapter 25: A Foxs Nature Pei Qingfeng originally wanted to tease Bai Luochu, but after seeing Bai Luochu offering him something he really needed, he immediately nodded and said, "Deal!" The moment the word left his mouth, everyone at the entrance of the imperial palace was shocked. Everyone knew that the Second Prince, Pei Qingfeng, never approached any women. Even all the servants in his residence were male. Those allowed around him were the guards of his residence. Just a moment ago, when the young lady of the Feng Clan approached him, he escaped in his wheelchair by asking his male servant to push it three meters away. The explanation he gave was that he was allergic to the Feng Clan¡¯s young lady¡¯s cosmetics. He ignored the embarrassed expression on her face as he left the scene. Right now, he was actually interacting so closely with a woman! Looking at the expression of joy in his eyes, how could anyone think that he wasn¡¯t interested in women? In the next instant, all their gaze shifted to Bai Luochu. No matter how they looked, they didn¡¯t notice anything special about her... Let alone her average looks. She didn¡¯t even possess the sweet temperament of a young lady of an aristocratic clan. She couldn¡¯t be considered charming and neither was she a pretty daughter from a humble family. What she did have was a body that exuded a stern aura, making her seem remarkably tomboyish. Could the Second Prince be into these type of women? Everyone was guessing the Second Prince¡¯s thoughts and naturally, they couldn¡¯t voice out their opinions. Everyone was sizing Bai Luochu up without any restraint and their judgmental eyes scanned her body. There were also a few burning gazes filled with jealousy. It couldn¡¯t be from anyone else other than the Second Prince¡¯s admirers. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know that Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t usually interact with women. When she felt all the gazes on her body, she felt that they had nothing better to do with their lives. Perhaps Bai Luochu was becoming vexed by the looks she got. No longer bothering about anything else, she pushed Pei Qingfeng¡¯s wheelchair into the imperial palace. There was a trace of doubt in her heart¡­ Even though Pei Qingfeng was handsome, there wasn¡¯t any need to stand around and look at them, right? Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t care about what others thought about him and allowed Bai Luochu to push him through the palace gates. When everyone saw that the main characters of this show had left, they immediately went back to their positions and duties. The guards by the gate started to inspect the incoming visitors¡¯ waist tokens and invitation cards. The originally motionless queue started to move once again. Everything went back to normal. Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t help it as he chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you won¡¯t be able to do anything with your current strength? You will not be able to cause any commotion in this palace. Furthermore, you are such a miser¡­ In order to enter the palace, you are even willing to tell me the method to alleviate my pain. Seems like you are really desperate to enter the palace. Since I have already decided to save your life, putting in some additional effort to bring you into the palace banquet counts as nothing.¡± Bai Luochu involuntarily cursed in her heart, ¡°I am weak, but I didn¡¯t live my previous life in vain. If I were to really put everything on the line and try something big, no one will be able to stop me! However¡­ it¡¯s not necessary for me to cause such a huge commotion just to enter the imperial palace. Pei Qingfeng is truly thinking of ways to deride me all the time. He even put himself on such a high pedestal¡­ isn¡¯t it all because I said that I will give him the method to alleviate his pain? Tsk, hypocrite.¡± ¡°Achoo!¡± Pei Qingfeng who was seated in the wheelchair suddenly sneezed and turned around to ask Bai Luochu, ¡°Sss, little lass, are you cursing at me? I am your benefactor. Can you not bite the hand that offered you help?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t rescue you, what were you preparing to do?¡± When Pei Qingfeng felt resentment from the person behind him, he grew curious. He started to show some concern as he wanted to avoid a situation where the shrewd little lass started scheming against him. ¡°What else can I do? I will use poison to knock everyone out and try my best to escape. If I cannot escape, I won¡¯t be able to do anything but wait for my death.¡± Bai Luochu replied with half the truth. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you think of getting the First Prince to help you? I can see that he treats you rather well.¡± Pei Qingfeng mentioned the First Prince once again. ¡°Is that so? It does seem like he treats me rather well...¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t understand Pei Qingfeng¡¯s intention and simply responded casually. ¡°That¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t your life now pretty good? From your constantly increasing cultivation level, it seems like you are living a comfortable life. You can go and ask him for help then.¡± Not even Pei Qingfeng detected the strangeness with his words, let alone Bai Luochu who was a person who didn¡¯t care about romance. When Bai Luochu thought about the fact that she had yet to even see the First Prince¡¯s face, she didn¡¯t know what else to say and simply ignored the Second Prince. As the two of them walked along, a split second of awkward silence descended upon them as one of them pushed the wheelchair as the other one sat in it. ¡°Shall we talk about the poison array in your body?¡± Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t take it anymore and decided to speak first. She tried to search for a topic both of them would be interested in. ¡°Alright. Why not tell me about the method to alleviate the pain when the poison acts up?¡± Pei Qingfeng spoke and immediately asked for the ¡°reward¡± for bringing Bai Luochu into the palace. ¡°The birthday banquet hasn¡¯t even started and you are already asking for the reward? Wait until we finish the birthday banquet. After you send me back to the residence, I¡¯ll definitely write down the method for you.¡± When Bai Luochu saw how stingy Pei Qingfeng was, she was struck speechless. ¡°Oh, if that is the case. Wouldn¡¯t I have to protect Young Lady at the birthday banquet? I even have to escort Young Lady back home after the banquet¡­ Completing two extremely difficult tasks for free? If we do some simple calculations, I¡¯ll be making a loss here, you know?¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s folding fan opened up before he snapped them closed again. He seemed to be indifferent but he was actually waiting for a satisfactory answer. When Bai Luochu saw his actions, she knew that this old fox was hatching another scheme. Chapter 26: Bizarre Formation Array ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so wary of me. I¡¯m well aware of the situation.¡± Pei Qingfeng had been secretly investigating the source of this poison by himself. Although he couldn¡¯t be 100% sure, his conjecture should be about right. ¡°This kind of poison array seems to have its own consciousness.¡± Perhaps even Bai Luochu felt that the situation was rather serious so before she continued, she took several deep breaths. ¡°The poison array in your body is something I read from an ancient book. There is information about this particular type of poison array recorded in it. You might be clear about the condition of your own body, but what I am about to say is something you might not know. This poison array appeared once before and it affected a pair of father and son. The father was adept at both medicine and poison but he wasn¡¯t able to make much progress. In the end, he placed all his hopes on his son.¡± When she spoke up to this point, Pei Qingfeng took over and continued. ¡°But he wasn¡¯t like other fathers who would try to nurture his son. The father chose to plant this poison array in his son¡¯s body as well in order to absorb the spirit qi in his son¡¯s body. The higher his son¡¯s cultivation level, the more spirit qi he would be able to absorb.¡± ¡°It was a pity that his son only had mediocre talent for cultivation. Compared to cultivators of the same level, the spirit qi in his son¡¯s body was seriously lacking. Finally, the amount of spirit qi that the father required became too much and the burden he placed on his son¡¯s became too intense. In the end, the son died as all the spirit qi in his body was fully absorbed by his father¡­ Am I right?¡± The air around them which seemed to be starting to come to life suddenly became stiff once again. The air itself seemed to solidify as the situation became extremely tense. Other than the breathing of the two individuals, nothing else could be heard. ¡°Hey, the poison array is in my body and if I don¡¯t feel that it is terrifying, why are you being so serious?¡± Pei Qingfeng opened up his folding fan with a ¡°flap¡± and spoke as though he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Apologies. This is all I can say.¡± Bai Luochu immediately understood that this fox probably had already guessed the identity of the person who planted the poison array in his body, thus, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t continue talking about it. Bai Luochu felt a little embarrassed. After all, she had lived for quite a long time in her previous life. When she was judged by the Second Prince, she felt somewhat embarrassed. If she took his praise, she would be somewhat of a liar wouldn¡¯t she? ¡°So¡­ you don¡¯t believe me?¡± Bai Luochu suddenly recalled something. Even though this person in front of her was speaking nicely, there was a trace of doubt in his words. ¡°Even those so-called ¡°divine physicians¡± couldn¡¯t cure me. Now, a young lady who isn¡¯t even older than me tells me that she can neutralise the poison array in my body¡­ Isn¡¯t it normal for me to doubt you?!¡± Pei Qingfeng suddenly felt his temples jolting as he didn¡¯t imagine that she would be able to notice his suspicion. Right now, his words contradicted himself and it felt as though he was raising his hand to slap himself. ¡°Then do you want to treat it or not?! If you do, hurry up and give me your answer and stop wasting my time!¡± Bai Luochu suddenly recalled that Pei Qingfeng had yet to give her a reply and she directly asked him for an answer. She then thought about something else and pretended to be serious as she added, ¡°I am telling you right now, the reason I¡¯m asking for the diagnosis fee upfront is because I¡¯m currently lacking in funds. Poverty stunts ambitions and as such, I am lowering my price. If you wait till I¡¯m no longer short on funds, I¡¯ll cancel the deal. After all, I am the only person who can treat you. Those so-called ¡°divine physicians¡± aren¡¯t even worth a fart in my eyes.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s threat wasn¡¯t fake. In her previous life, many people had a kind of restraining fear towards her not because she was an evil dao witch. Instead, it was because she was a genuine divine physician who was proficient in both medicine and poison. As for people who were better than her¡­ they would only be better than her in either the medical field or the art of poison. Not both. But those righteous orthodox sects naturally didn¡¯t want to beg Bai Luochu as she was an evil dao witch. Hence, they could only go look for those so-called individuals who were proficient in both medicine and poison and invite them to their sects as a divine physician. In Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes, be it their medical skills or poison arts, they were no better than a three year old child and none of them held a candle to her. When Pei Qingfeng looked at Bai Luochu who was trying to act as though she had experienced much of life even though she was obviously less than 20 years old, he couldn¡¯t make the connection between the lass in front of him and a godly doctor who was proficient in both poison and medicine. She knew that he didn¡¯t believe her, but she was acting so haughtily. Pei Qingfeng felt that it was rather hilarious and laughter escaped his lips.¡°Pfff, hahahahaha¡­¡± Bai Luochu felt that this person was really crazy. Was she really a joke in his eyes? ¡°Hey, am I so¡­¡± Before Bai Luochu could ask him why he was laughing heartily, she was interrupted by Pei Qingfeng once again. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel that there is something different about me today compared to the time when I looked for you? Pei Qingfeng turned a few rounds in the wheelchair and faced Bai Luochu. His hands which were originally on the wheelchair were spread out, as though he was trying to display his condition. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t realize that his current actions made it seem as though he was waiting for Bai Luochu to jump into his embrace so that he could hug her. Bai Luochu truly didn¡¯t have any talent when it came to romance and she didn¡¯t think that his actions were inappropriate. But how could she ignore the fact that Pei Qingfeng was sitting in a wheelchair? It seemed like this fox wasn¡¯t merely adept at scheming. He had great foresight as well. He was also an expert in playing the role of a pig to eat a tiger. With a person of his status, when everyone saw him seated in a wheelchair, how could they not be concerned about him? They would definitely ask him about it. Furthermore, everyone was very accustomed to him being in a wheelchair which meant that he was a cripple in their eyes. Furthermore, when Bai Luochu had read his pulse earlier, she didn¡¯t detect any old illness in his body. She knew that the meridians in his legs were even more developed than those of normal people. Right now, he was avoiding the topic of treating the poison by using his legs, which she knew was fake with a single glance. He even wanted to win her sympathy... Tsk Tsk, he was truly delusional. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asking me why I¡¯m sitting in a wheelchair?¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t respond, he continued to ask. Bai Luochu simply smiled and she even wanted to mock him. However, when she saw that the amount of people around them was increasing, she quickly pushed the wheelchair away. With Pei Qingfeng¡¯s back facing her, she brought him away from the crowd. Lowering her head, she whispered in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s ear, ¡°Those two sets of herbs are the diagnosis fee for the poison array in your body. If you want to see how your legs can be treated¡­¡± Chapter 27: Feng Clan’s Young Lady When Bai Luochu suddenly whispered in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s ear, it made him somewhat uncomfortable. However, he didn¡¯t avoid her like the other young ladies of the aristocratic clans. Pei Qingfeng suddenly realized that Bai Luochu was different from the delicate, aristocratic young ladies. A decision to not interrupt her formed in his mind and he quietly listened to what Bai Luochu had to say. However, his heartbeat was speeding up and it was thumping rather loudly. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t notice that the Pei Qingfeng who loved to tease her had suddenly become very obedient. Even his ears were faintly reddish in color. Pei Qingfeng felt the heat in his ear dissipating as he returned back to normal after Bai Luochu got up. With a smile on his face, he asked her, ¡°How much is Young Lady Luo Chu going to charge me this time?¡± The two of them were speaking merrily and they weren¡¯t acting reserved around each other. It was completely different to how the other people in the palace behaved. There wasn¡¯t anyone around the two of them, but there were plenty of eyes staring at them. After all, a woman beside the Second Prince was something that was even more shocking than red colored rain. Not to mention the fact that the young lady beside him was someone with an unknown background, everyone became interested in their relationship. Among those looking at them was the Feng Clan¡¯s young lady. ¡°Where exactly did that woman come from? Why is His Second Highness treating her so differently?¡± When the Feng Clan¡¯s young lady saw this scene, she twisted her handkerchief tightly as she clenched her jaw. Her teeth nearly cracked from the pressure. ¡°Exactly! In my opinion, she is just a slut. Look at the way they are talking to each other happily... She thinks she is some kind of influential young lady!¡± The one speaking up for the Feng Clan¡¯s young lady was the Li Clan¡¯s first wife¡¯s eldest daughter. Two two madams of the Feng and Li clan were sisters related by blood. As such, the two ladies were cousins and it allowed them to form a stronger bond than that of mere friends. As the Li and Feng Clans were considered the most outstanding aristocratic clans in this Cloud Water Nation, there were plenty of young ladies whose father had obtained a lowly official position due to their relationship. By standing beside the young ladies of these two great clans, they were able to attract some attention. Right now, looking at how the Feng Clan¡¯s young lady was feeling somewhat down, all of them tried to console her one after another. However, since there were people who were trying to comfort her, there were definitely people who were there to hit her while she was down. The Cheng Clan¡¯s young lady came over to offer her opinion. She was someone who had never been on good terms with the Li and Feng Clans¡¯ young ladies¡­ Of course, her words were as sharp as blades. Before the Cheng Clan¡¯s young lady finished her statement, she didn¡¯t forget to bring up Young Lady Feng¡¯s painful past of being rejected by Pei Qingfeng. Young Lady Feng was a spoiled little lady and immediately raised her hand to slap the Cheng Clan¡¯s young lady. It was lucky that the Li Clan¡¯s young lady had quick reactions. She managed to stop her younger cousin from doing anything stupid. She used her eyes and indicated for Young Lady Feng to stay calm before criticizing the Cheng Clan¡¯s young lady. ¡°My young cousin sister is spoiled and I hope that Young Lady Cheng won¡¯t take it to heart. For Young Lady Cheng to humiliate my younger cousin like this¡­ Maybe it¡¯s due to the Third Prince¡¯s marriage. I hope that you won¡¯t vent your anger and pain on my younger cousin. We will take our leave first and I hope that Young Lady Cheng will be able to cheer up soon.¡± The Li Clan¡¯s young lady¡¯s way of doing things was much more brilliant compared to that of Young Lady Cheng and her younger cousin, Young Lady Feng. Since Young Lady Cheng humiliated her younger cousin, Young Lady Li would do the same. She wanted her words to stab into Young Lady Cheng¡¯s heart and make the wound as deep as possible. Young Lady Li might be the most docile among all of them, but when she became angry, she was definitely the most terrifying among the aristocratic clans¡¯ young ladies. After all, there was an old saying, ¡°A dog that bites never barks.¡± Several close friends of Young Lady Feng started to console her. Among them was a young lady from a general¡¯s clan who said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and listen to what they are talking about? Won¡¯t we be able to avoid all misunderstandings then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Her words make sense.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Why don¡¯t we go and listen to what they are saying? Even if we get caught, we can just say we are passing by to admire the scenery.¡± Everyone added their comments one after another, affecting Young Lady Feng¡¯s emotions. She was tempted to follow their suggestions but in order to keep her reputation, Young Lady Feng stammered, ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t good, right¡­¡± ¡°Why not?¡± The general¡¯s daughter was a direct person and the moment she finished her statement, she immediately pulled Young Lady Feng towards Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu. When the other aristocratic clans¡¯ young ladies saw them, they didn¡¯t hesitate and followed behind. When Young Lady Li saw so many people going along, she naturally didn¡¯t hold them back. She might not be interested in the Second Prince, but she had to follow along as she was afraid that her younger cousin would stir up some trouble. When this group of young ladies were walking over in a grand manner, a heavy atmosphere formed in the air. Those who knew would know they were going to eavesdrop, those who didn¡¯t would think that the first wife was trying to catch her husband committing adultery. ¡°Someone is coming. We better not talk about it in case someone finds out that your legs are fine. I¡¯ll be out of business then¡­ It will also be hard for you to explain yourself.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that Young Lady Feng and her group were approaching, she immediately informed Pei Qingfeng. Seeing that this little lass was concerned about him, Pei Qingfeng suddenly became delighted. He immediately responded and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I formed a barrier around us since we started talking. Unless this barrier is undone, they won¡¯t be able to hear anything even if they are standing right beside us.¡± Young Lady Feng and her group stopped around seven or eight meters away from the duo. They were pretending to admire the moon but their ears were perked up as they tried to listen to what the two of them were talking about. ¡°Hey, these ladies can¡¯t all have fallen for you, right?¡± After Bai Luochu knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to hear their conversation, she started to speak casually. These women had been following them for a period of time and it was obvious they were here to cause trouble. ¡°Who knows? I am not familiar with them. However, isn¡¯t it about time you introduced yourself?¡± Pei Qingfeng looked at Bai Luochu and smiled like a fox. Young Lady Feng could only vaguely see their mouths moving, but she couldn¡¯t clearly hear what they were talking about. Hence, she had no choice but to walk closer. As a result, this group of people slowly got closer and closer to Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu. They were so close that their faces were about to touch, but they were still unable to hear what the two of them were talking about. A feeling of anxiety bloomed in their heart. Chapter 28: Bestowing of Marriage at the Birthday Banque As the eunuch¡¯s words left his mouth, everyone who was originally standing straight started to kowtow as they gave their greetings in unison. ¡°Long live the Emperor for ten thousand years, long live the Empress Dowager for a thousand years, long live the Empress for a thousand years!¡± Those bright yellow ceremonial robes representing the imperial clan appeared before everyone as the Emperor announced, ¡°Today is the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet. All of my great officials need not be so polite. All of you may rise!¡± Finishing his statement, the Emperor waved his hand, indicating for everyone to be pardoned. ¡°We are grateful to His Majesty.¡± The Emperor might have pardoned the courtesy, but how could these elites who were seasoned officials serving in the capital not understand that it was just civility? They who were officials, naturally had to conduct themselves thoroughly and with etiquette. It was only now that everyone crawled back up from the ground and allowed a eunuch to guide them to their seats. As such, this birthday banquet officially started. Of course, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to move about freely in the main hall due to the occasion. Since her objective wasn¡¯t here yet, she stood silently beside Pei Qingfeng. If it was possible, Bai Luochu wanted to turn herself into an invisible person. The birthday banquet had just started and the Emperor immediately gave a speech to everyone present. ¡°Many thanks to all my great officials for offering their blessings. This Emperor shall offer a toast to everyone and also wish the Empress Dowager happiness as immense as the East Sea and has longevity as long as the South Mountains.¡± ¡°We wish the Empress Dowager happiness as immense as the East Sea and has longevity as long as the South Mountains.¡± Everyone echoed along before drinking the wine placed before them. ¡°This grandson specially made a trip to a faraway place to search for a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager. As the eldest grandson of the imperial clan, I naturally have to set an example for the younger brothers.¡± The person who spoke had an extraordinary appearance. Even though he had a deep scar above his right eye, it wasn¡¯t able to conceal his distinct and sharp features. The only flaw this person had was that his eyes looked too aggressive and would develop a subconscious feeling of fear after looking at him. Eldest grandson? Wouldn¡¯t that make him the First Prince? Wasn¡¯t he the First Prince that bought her and provided her with preferential treatment? When she thought about this, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but lower her head a little more. She might not have seen the First Prince before, but to prevent the First Prince from recognizing her, she better avoid him... just in case. As the First Prince finished his statement, the manservant lifted the veil covering the gift. One could see some colors scattered about within the crystal. It wasn¡¯t considered completely transparent, but when one looked at it from a distance, the colors seemed like they were naturally formed to paint a picture of a pine and crane longevity painting. In the center of the crystal was the crystal clear painting. It was no wonder that the First Prince was in a hurry to present it, as it would probably overshadow all the other gifts. ¡°Great! This is truly a mystical stone! My good grandson is very considerate. Men! Bestow ten strings of east pearls!¡± Before the First Prince could even explain his gift, the Empress Dowager revealed a delighted expression and praised the First Prince before bestowing a reward upon him. After the First Prince, the princes went up to offer their gifts in succession. But with the First Prince¡¯s gift standing at such a height above the rest, all their gifts seemed mediocre at best. The only other gifts that could stand up to it were the Second Prince¡¯s pine tree made with corals and the Third Prince¡¯s spirit medicine which was meant for prolonging the human lifespan. In the end, most of them were just gifts of goodwill and the Empress Dowager didn¡¯t behave ambiguously as she bestowed rewards to all of the grandsons that offered their gifts. As such, the segment of offering gifts passed. Immediately after, a young lady wearing a green jade-colored cloud brocade dress stood up and bowed to the Empress Dowager, ¡°For today¡¯s birthday banquet, this official¡¯s daughter wishes to dedicate a dance for Empress Dowager.¡± The one who spoke was none other than the young lady from the Empress Dowager¡¯s birth clan¡­ Su Luoqing. ¡°Great, Qing¡¯er is really considerate.¡± This dance dedication was inspired by the Empress Dowager and there was a reason behind it. Her heart was set on the Second Prince and the Empress Dowager wanted to use the chance to bestow marriage on the two of them. After Su Luoqing changed into her dancing attire, the main hall echoed with music and she danced lightly and gracefully. A curvy lithe figure floated about elegantly and her pair of eyes were almost glued onto the Second Prince¡¯s body. It was hard not to see her intentions. It was a pity, the goddess might have intentions, but not the king. From the start to the end of Su Luoqing¡¯s dance, Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t even glance at her, making Su Luoqing inevitably dispirited. However, she still turned to express her good wishes to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager noticed and understood the meaning behind the Second Prince¡¯s actions. This Second Prince didn¡¯t have any interest in the Su Clan¡¯s young lady and it was going to be difficult to put forward her intention today. When the Feng Clan¡¯s young lady saw it, she didn¡¯t want to be outdone and dragged the Li Clan¡¯s young lady to prepare for a performance. As Young Lady Feng played a tune, Young Lady Li¡¯s paintbrush would follow the tune and swipe at the white screen. The moment the melody ended, the painting was completed. The Empress Dowager knew that this was Young Lady Feng¡¯s expression of goodwill and there was a trace of disapproval in her heart. However, no matter what, she couldn¡¯t possibly put Young Lady Feng down in front of so many people and she offered a simple praise. As for the Li Clan¡¯s young lady, her praises were much more sincere as she commended, ¡°Your work is amazing. I can see that in the future, you will be able to contest against painters of the great clans.¡± After speaking, she even bestowed Young Lady Li with plenty of rewards. When the noble young ladies saw that the bar had been set so high, they didn¡¯t want to be outdone. They went up and expressed their intentions to show off their talent in order to celebrate the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday. The Empress Dowager was also glad to see them as all the princes were of age. The more the event dragged on, the worse the performances became. The only highlight was the young lady from the general¡¯s clan who performed a sword dance which garnered a lot of praise. ¡°Today is my birthday banquet and it is a happy occasion. Why not make it even happier? What do you say, Qingfeng?¡± After the Empress Dowager finished watching all the young ladies¡¯ performances, she spoke and was preparing to shift the topic to the bestowing of marriage. The Emperor and the Empress also understood the Empress Dowager¡¯s intention and didn¡¯t say a word, allowing the Empress Dowager to do as she pleased. With Pei Qingfeng¡¯s intuition, he obviously knew the Empress Dowager¡¯s intentions. He didn¡¯t try to excuse himself as he pretended to be oblivious. He responded, ¡±Of course. However, this grandson doesn¡¯t understand Empress Dowager¡¯s intention.¡± When the Empress Dowager saw how the Second Prince responded, she immediately understood that the bestowing of marriage wasn¡¯t going to be successful. Since she was already at this juncture, she had to finish what she was going to say. ¡°Qingfeng, you are already old enough to get married. I see that you are rather compatible with Qing¡¯er. Why not let me bestow a marriage on the two of you? What do you think?¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change and he acted as though the matter was completely unrelated to him. Chapter 29: Trapped In a Conspiracy ¡°Many thanks for Empress Dowager¡¯s love but this grandson is disabled and isn¡¯t a worthy partner for Young Lady Su. I hope you can help Young Lady Su choose a better husband.¡± The Second Prince sounded respectful and modest but his firm rejection was hard to ignore. ¡°Sigh. Qingfeng, you have always been the most thoughtful one¡­ Since my grandson doesn¡¯t have any interest, I shall not force you.¡± When the Empress Dowager saw that her plan wasn¡¯t going to be successful, she had no choice but to laugh it off and lighten the atmosphere. The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t mind, but Su Luoqing couldn¡¯t sit still. She had been practicing the dance since several months ago. At the start, she fell so much that her body was filled with bruises. Right now, she had performed the dance in front of everyone just for the Second Prince and he didn¡¯t even glance at her. Right now, he was even publically rejecting the Empress Dowager¡¯s bestowment of marriage in public. Su Luoqing could feel everyone laughing behind her back. Too bad for her, she was unable to blame anyone but herself. She thought she could marry into the imperial clan but never thought that she would turn into a laughing stock in front of everyone. Su Luoqing lowered her head and was momentarily ashamed and enraged. No! I can¡¯t blame myself¡­ It¡¯s all because of that woman! When Su Luoqing suddenly recalled how Bai Luochu was speaking merrily with Pei Qingfeng before the banquet started, she decided to focus all her anger on that peasant girl. That¡¯s right, it was all because of her. The Second Prince never had a woman beside him. There was no way she could make the Second Prince treat her like this without pulling some tricks. Had it not been for her, the Second Prince would surely have been subdued by her talent and affection. The bestowment of marriage should have succeeded! Thinking about it, Su Luoqing glared at Bai Luochu with hatred in her eyes and there was a trace of bitter resentment. As Su Luoqing glared at Bai Luochu, a plan formed in her heart. She was going to embarrass Bai Luochu in front of everyone today! Su Luoqing thought about it silently and wanted to see how this doxy was going to continue seducing the Second Prince! The moon was high and the shadows were sparse. The highlight of the banquet was over and many of the people started to leave. The ones staying behind were a group of officials who were conversing with the princes, drinking, and enjoying a merry time. There were waves of laughter and the atmosphere seemed very harmonious. However, a sharp cry broke the cordial air surrounding the imperial palace. ¡°Oh my! My golden hairpin is missing!¡± The one who screamed was none other than Su Luoqing. There was no doubt it was her plan to splash a pail of dirty water onto Bai Luochu. ¡°Young Lady, she was the only one close to you...¡± When the personal servant beside Su Luoqing saw that no one was reacting, she conveniently directed the head of the arrow towards Bai Luochu as she spoke through clenched teeth. After hearing this, everyone turned to look at Bai Luochu. Those that were clever enough would know that Young Lady Su was probably ashamed and angered due to the failed marriage bestowal. They knew that she was preparing to vent all her anger on the woman standing beside the Second Prince. Bai Luochu also knew that this woman had the Second Prince in her heart and wanted to stir up some trouble because of her close relationship with him. But even if Su Luoqing wanted to frame someone, she had to do better. Right now, Bai Luochu had nothing on her body. How was Su Luoqing going to frame her? What a joke. ¡°Young Lady, will you please let my servant girl search your body? My golden hairpin is bestowed by the Empress Dowager and nothing must happen to it.¡± Su Luoqing might seem polite but it was clear that she was going to get her way no matter what. In her heart, Bai Luochu thought that Young Lady Su¡¯s speech was brilliant. If she was searched in public, even if she didn¡¯t steal the golden hairpin, her reputation would be ruined. That servant girl was probably going to take out the golden hairpin during the search. Bai Luochu who was merely a servant girl would have no say in the matter¡­ There was no way she would allow them to search her! Just as Bai Luochu was thinking about how not to let this Su Luoqing search her body, Pei Qingfeng suddenly spoke up, ¡°Searching someone¡¯s body in public is truly an indecent act. I happened to see Young Lady Su personally handing the golden hairpin to your personal servant. I think Young Lady Su must be afraid of any accidents happening to the valuable golden hairpin and you gave it to your servant for safekeeping. It is better for Young Lady Su to search your servant girl first.¡± Pei Qingfeng emphasised the word ¡®safekeeping¡¯ as though he was giving out a warning. Su Luoqing¡¯s expression instantly turned pale and a hesitant look appeared on her face. In the end, she insisted, ¡°How can I not remember if I gave it to my servant girl? It is better to search that young lady¡¯s body, just in case.¡± ¡°Why? Does Young Lady Su think that my eyes are disabled and can¡¯t see clearly?¡± Pei Qingfeng narrowed his eyes. It was obvious he was irritated by Su Luoqing¡¯s refusal. When Su Luoqing saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s expression, she knew that her scheme had failed. She had no choice but to put on a pretense and search her personal servant¡¯s body. Only after taking out the golden hairpin did her face turn ashen white. She hastily apologized to Pei Qingfeng, ¡°The Second Prince is right. This official¡¯s daughter had indeed forgotten and was too anxious. I seek the Second Prince¡¯s forgiveness.¡± ¡°This had better not happen again.¡± Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t even look at her but he didn¡¯t dismiss Su Luoqing either. It was the Third Prince who couldn¡¯t continue watching on as he waved his hand to dismiss Su Luoqing. After this farce, Su Luoqing¡¯s resentment grew even deeper. She was going to remember this humiliation and blamed it all on Bai Luochu. She had completely forgotten that she was the one who started it all. When the matter was finally settled, many eyes turned towards Bai Luochu and among them were the gazes of the First and Third Prince. When the First Prince saw Bai Luochu, he immediately recognized her and couldn¡¯t help but squint his eyes at Bai Luochu before looking at Pei Qingfeng with astonishment and suspicion. He then looked at the Third Prince and saw that the Third Prince was somewhat curious as well. In the end, the First Prince hid his shocked expression as he withdrew his gaze. Lowering his head, he made sure that his expression was hidden from view. As for the Third Prince, apart from suspicion, he had his other guesses. The Second Prince who never allowed any woman near him was actually so protective over this particular Young Lady. Could it be that his Second Brother who had always placed himself high above the rest was going to forsake a graceful peony over a mediocre cattail? The Third Prince didn¡¯t know if this woman was going to become the Second Prince¡¯s weakness but if he could make use of it, it might come in helpful someday. After all, if his Second Brother was stabbed in the back by someone he trusted, he who usually played it cool would definitely feel the sting in his heart for a long, long time. The Third Prince¡¯s mind had hundreds and thousands of thoughts running through it and when he looked into Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something strange about her. Perhaps there were some who wanted to alleviate the awkward atmosphere, everyone eventually raised their cups and toasted drinks. Chapter 30: The Phoenix King Valley’s Arrival In the next instant, everyone looked outside and witnessed the arrival of one of the Three Great Immortal Sects. They were finally here. In her heart, Bai Luochu felt as though all her suffering was worth it. She was finally able to see those old acquaintances she had been expecting. Once the report ended, a party strode over under everyone¡¯s nose. The old man leading the party might be old but he was energetic, hale, and hearty; both his eyes were gleaming and the shrewd look in them couldn¡¯t be hidden. The three individuals behind him were all dressed in white and there were two males with the last member being a female. Each of them had straight and confident postures and they looked capable and experienced. Their looks were extraordinary, not letting down the demeanor of a great sect. ¡°This old one is late... I wish that His Majesty and the Empress Dowager would excuse us.¡± The old man leading the group spoke politely but his back was still straight like a pole, showing off the arrogance of someone from an immortal sect. The ones who arrived were truly old friends and the leader was one of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s Three Halls and Six Palaces¡¯ Hall Master. This individual had an imposing aura that was extraordinary and there was a benevolent look on his face. It could even be said that he looked like a kind grandfather next door. However, the truth was that this person was extremely astute. He was an old fox no matter how others might describe him. Back then, Bai Luochu once fell for this person¡¯s schemes. In the past, Bai Luochu was a glutton and she prepared to sneak into the Phoenix King Valley to steal a jar of wine. She was shocked at how easy it was to steal a jar when she realized that it had already been swapped with a jar of chili water. Bai Luochu choked on it pretty badly... This old man was initially watching quietly from the tree but when he saw Bai Luochu¡¯s hilarious expression, he couldn¡¯t control his laughter. ¡°pffff.¡± Bai Luochu had even fought against this old man because of this. No one was able to obtain the upper hand and when the old man saw how Bai Luochu had such an impressive cultivation base despite her age, he immediately started to sing her praises. As the saying went, ¡°no discord, no concord.¡± Bai Luochu who was an evil dao witch had formed a rather good relationship with a member of a prestigious orthodox sect and the both of them became friends despite their huge gap in age. The old man even took out a jar of excellent wine from his collection to compensate Bai Luochu. The two of them drank the wine and didn¡¯t bother about their status and background. They spoke and laughed as they enjoyed a pleasant conversation. In order to recruit Bai Luochu, the old man made use of his glib tongue to the fullest. Who knew that no matter what he did, Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t yield. The old man slowly became bewildered and he asked her, ¡°The Phoenix King Valley is one of the Three Great Immortal Sects, a prestigious and orthodox sect. Why won¡¯t you join us?¡± ¡°Prestigious and orthodox sect? What is righteous? What is evil? It is just the judgment of others who don¡¯t comply with rules we set.¡± Bai Luochu snorted with disdain and turned around to smile at the old man as she said, ¡°You are pretty good yourself. Do you have any interest in joining my sect?¡± When the old man heard this reply, he was stunned as he started reflecting on whatever she said. As a chuckle escaped his lips, he shook his head and sighed with emotion, ¡°Tsk Tsk, this lass is truly a crafty one.¡± But, righteous and evil would always oppose each other. The only thing he could hope for was that they wouldn¡¯t be standing on the opposite side when the time to fight came. When Bai Luochu thought back to her past, she couldn¡¯t help but shake her head silently. Fate really loved to play tricks on humans. She might not have died in the old man¡¯s hands but the Phoenix King Valley did ally with the other sects to surround her temple. There was no doubt the Phoenix King Valley was one of the main contributors to her death. ¡°Hahahaha, Elder doesn¡¯t have to be so polite. The Phoenix King Valley is one of the Three Great Immortal Sects. I am grateful that you are willing to attend the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet and take part in such worldly affairs. How will I dare to blame you?! Men! Quickly bring our esteemed guests to their seats!¡± When the Emperor saw that the Phoenix King Valley really sent men to visit his nation, he was delighted. He didn¡¯t even think that punctuality was a problem. He quickly arranged seats for the members of the Phoenix King Valley. ¡°Your Majesty is too courteous.¡± The old man responded to the Emperor politely and took a seat. As for the disciples, they took their seats as well. When everyone saw the old man, their eyes were glowing fervently and all of them wanted to curry favor with him. In the end, they knew that an immortal sect wasn¡¯t an existence that they could suck up to just because they wanted to. They had no choice but to watch and smile as they waited for the members of the immortal sect to notice them. The Third Prince, Pei Wuchen, was originally the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s last disciple and had been cultivating in the valley since a young age. He was the individual that was the most familiar with the members of the Phoenix King Valley and he hastily went up to greet them the moment they sat down. ¡°Elder, is Master doing fine?¡± The Third Prince bowed to the old man and asked about the current situation in Phoenix King Valley the moment he opened his mouth. ¡°Hahahaha, you are really a considerate disciple. Don¡¯t worry, the Valley Master is doing well. However, there are plenty of affairs to handle in the valley and he has to oversee everything. Otherwise, he would definitely come and take a look at his personal disciple!¡± The old man responded to the Third Prince¡¯s inquiry and his manner of speech was much more intimate compared to his conversation with the Emperor. There was a lady beside the old man who was as attractive as a fairy. Perhaps due to her identity as a member of the Phoenix King Valley, she seemed as though she possessed the aura of a goddess from the nine heavens. She was the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s daughter... Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°Senior brother.¡± Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s voice was gentle and graceful. She looked at Pei Wuchen with eyes filled with affection as she called out to him softly. Everyone present understood that the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s daughter and the Third Prince were probably in love with each other. They were really a match made in heaven. ¡°Junior sister, have you been doing well recently?¡± The Third Prince responded and everyone could hear how gentle he was. There were even traces of affection in his eyes. ¡°Being able to see senior brother¡­ It¡¯s all that matters.¡± Feng Wan¡¯er said as she smiled at Pei Wuchen. Her beautiful eyes were glowing and she revealed a charming and lovely smile. ¡°Hey, lass Wan, don¡¯t you feel ashamed to behave like this in front of so many people?¡± The old man saw the sweet affection between the couple and couldn¡¯t help but make fun of Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°Elder, I finally got a chance to see senior brother! Stop making fun of Wan¡¯er.¡± As she spoke, she stomped her feet and acted like a spoiled child. ¡°Hahahaha, that¡¯s true. Elder, they have not met in a long time and must have many things to talk about. Let us speak among ourselves and leave them alone!¡± The Emperor was actually glad to see this happen, after all, the Valley Master had intentions to treat Pei Wuchen as his son-in-law. Of course, he also had the intention of treating Feng Wan¡¯er as his daughter-in-law. For the Cloud Water Nation to form an alliance with an immortal sect through marriage was a matter of great honor! They would definitely be able to provide a huge amount of assistance to the nation! Today was also an occasion where there weren¡¯t too many rules. In the end, the emperor allowed them to do as they pleased. When everyone saw that the Phoenix King Valley Elder was enjoying a joyous conversation with the Emperor while the Third Prince had an affectionate conversation with the Valley Master¡¯s daughter, envy filled their hearts. Turning to look at the members of the immortal sect, all of them were speaking to the imperial clan members. They thought about how great it would be if their child could enter the Phoenix King Valley as well. They would definitely be able to receive preferential treatment from the emperor if that were to happen. When they thought about how their clan would be able to obtain more opportunities if they had such status, one of them gathered some courage and asked, ¡°I wonder if Elder can inform us if the Phoenix King Valley has any intentions to accept disciples? Are there any conditions for accepting disciples? I have admired the Phoenix King Valley for the longest time, but my own cultivation standard is limited. My only wish is to send my child into the valley to pick up some skills. I hope for the Elder¡¯s forgiveness for being so bold.¡± Everyone looked at the courageous man who spoke up. Even though they might feel that he was someone who didn¡¯t know his place, they were grateful he asked the question in their stead. Chapter 31: Obtaining Information When everyone heard what the Phoenix King Valley Elder said, a majority of them sighed with relief. It seemed as though they were satisfied that there was hope for their children. The person who asked the question wasn¡¯t ashamed at all as he continued, ¡°Many thanks to Elder. Earlier on, I was rude and hope Elder will not blame me for speaking out of turn. I am filled with admiration for Elder¡¯s noble character and unquestionable integrity. Since Elder has already spoken, we will wait for the announcement.¡± After giving a bow, he went back to mingle around with the other influential people. When Bai Luochu saw everyone¡¯s flattering expression and joyous emotions, she was struck speechless. She even felt a sense of despise in her heart. Nothing was set in stone but they seemed to think that they had formed some sort of relationship with the Phoenix King Valley. They assumed that their sons and daughters would definitely become a member of the Phoenix King Valley and their status would rise along with their children. If the Phoenix King Valley accepted disciples so easily, they wouldn¡¯t be known as one of the Three Great Immortal Sects. Bai Luochu stood silently beside the Second Prince as though she was invisible. She calmly waited for the information she was dying to obtain. As she stood there, she felt the stares of someone burning a hole through her body. It was none other than Su Luoqing who was still holding a grudge¡­ She was definitely thinking of a way to mess with Bai Luochu. Out of the blue, Bai Luochu sensed a gaze directed at her. She turned around to look and didn¡¯t notice anyone. She only saw the First Prince whispering something to his subordinate... Could she have sensed it wrongly? Over at the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s side, he was still laughing and chatting with the Emperor. When the elder was speaking, he was forthcoming in their objective for venturing out of the valley this time. ¡°We will be staying in the imperial capital for a total of seven days. If everyone has any questions, there is no need to rush. During our stay here, we will be staying at an inn and will head over to nearby mountains and forests to check for harmful spirit beasts. We¡¯ll take the chance to neutralize some of the dangers and if you have any questions, you can come over to the inn to make an inquiry. We will reserve a timeslot to provide sufficient explanation for any questions you may have.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect for Elder to help our Cloud Water Nation out. You have truly given it a lot of thought and it¡¯s our blessing to obtain Elder¡¯s consideration! Come, let this Emperor make a toast to Elder!¡± As the Emperor spoke, he offered a toast towards the members of the Phoenix King Valley. This old man had successfully turned the topic towards Feng Wan¡¯er. With a single statement, he made everyone view her in a better light. In the end, there were several people who understood that the reason behind Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s concern. She probably did everything for the Third Prince, Pei Wuchen. ¡°Oh? Wan''er is truly considerate.¡± The deep meaning behind the Emperor¡¯s words was truly worth pondering over and his eyes seemed to gaze at the Third Prince from time to time, seemingly hinting for him to do something. ¡°Of course, we still have other important tasks on hand this time. I have spent most of my days inside the valley and I wish to take a look at the flourishing capital city.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! I will get my Third Son to take my place as the host. He will bring all of your around to view the wonderful scenery around the imperial capital. After seven days, Elder and the others will surely return in high spirits! However, Elder mentioned something about completing an important task¡­ May I know what Elder needs to do?¡± When the Emperor heard the Hall Master¡¯s words, he understood that the elder was creating a chance for the Third Prince to spend some time with Feng Wan¡¯er. Since that was the case, the Emperor took advantage of the situation and sold his favor to the old man. It would help to facilitate the marriage between Pei Wuchen and Feng Wan¡¯er. He would also be able to inquire about the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s next move. ¡°If Your Majesty is willing to listen to my troubles, this old one shall not shrink away. I will humbly offer a toast to thank Your Majesty for your generosity.¡± As the elder finished his statement, he offered the Emperor a toast and spoke about their objective. ¡°We made a trip out of the valley because we obtained a piece of information about how a strange beast appeared a thousand miles away from the imperial capital. The beast had never been seen before and as One of the Three Great Immortal Sects, our Phoenix King Valley can¡¯t avoid the call of duty. If we can tame it as our valley¡¯s spirit beast, it would be for the best. If we are unable to tame it, it would serve as an eye-opener for this group of children. Of course, if the strange beast is extremely aggressive, we will work together with the other immortal sects to subdue it and prevent it from causing a tragedy in the world.¡± Ferocious beast in the jungle? Bai Luochu originally thought that it was already a pleasant surprise for the Phoenix King Valley to stay in the imperial capital for seven days. After all, based on her understanding, she was able to form an accurate judgement of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s current situation as long as she took note of their daily movements. The information about the strange beast in the jungle was a pleasant surprise for her. If she could secretly sneak out to scout out the strange beast, it would be beneficial for her to plan her next move. But Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t in a hurry right now and she felt that she had to make proper considerations before doing anything. Right now, the important thing was to listen to more information regarding the Phoenix King Valley. When Bai Luochu had gathered her thoughts, she heard the elder speaking to everyone, ¡°Everyone¡­ about the information all of you are dying to know, this old one will provide an answer.¡± When everyone heard the Elder¡¯s voice, they fell silent. The hall became so silent one could hear a pin drop. ¡°Our Phoenix King Valley will start accepting disciples in a month. When the time comes, we will pick individuals with superior talents from the imperial capital to join the Phoenix King Valley as new disciples! As for whether or not the selection will be impartial, I would like everyone to be at ease. Our Phoenix King Valley is able to obtain the title as one of the Three Great Immortal Sects and exist for generations not because of superior strength. We are able to stand strong because of our neutrality and our focus to maintain righteousness in this world.¡± ¡°For the selection of the elites, I will be placing importance on strength. Those with exceptional abilities will naturally become a disciple of our Phoenix King Valley! Of course, there will be sparring matches and there will be a judge present during the battle. We will not allow anyone¡¯s children to be injured.¡± This old man spoke clearly and addressed all of the concerns, doubts, and worries in everyone¡¯s heart. But since these officials were here to form their connections, how was it possible for them to let go of the members of the Phoenix King Valley so easily? There was only a short moment of silence in the palace hall before it became jostling and clamorous again. There were people who were giving their thanks to the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s members, and there were also people who were asking the previous disciple selection. The entire hall was bustling with activity. When Bai Luochu saw that the Phoenix King Valley Elder wasn¡¯t going to say anything else worthy of her attention, she quickly felt that all the ass-kissing was getting disgusting. She planned to return to her residence. The moment she moved, an ear-piercing cry resounded through the hall. Chapter 32: Caught in Another Dispute The one who spoke was none other than Su Luoqing. Su Luoqing didn¡¯t converse with any of the aristocratic clans¡¯ young ladies that she was close with and didn¡¯t place any attention on the Phoenix King Valley either. Her eyes were filled with bitter resentment and all her attention was concentrated on Bai Luochu. She had been staring at Bai Luochu for the entire night and just as the birthday banquet was finally going to end, she finally found fault with Bai Luochu. She naturally wasn¡¯t going to give up this opportunity. She felt the first part of her statement wasn¡¯t enough to vent her anger and immediately added another one in a sarcastic tone. Su Luoqing¡¯s words were overly abrupt and startled everyone who was in the midst of conversation. Even the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples were looking over. ¡°Why? Are you the master or is His Second Highness the master? Do you think that you can treat yourself as half a master just because the Second Prince shows some partiality for you? Some people should respect themselves and know their place. Don¡¯t even dream of turning into a phoenix just because you can fly a little higher than others. Don¡¯t you know the saying? ¡®The higher you fly, the harder you fall¡¯.¡± After Su Luoqing finished speaking, everyone¡¯s stare converged on the two ladies. Bai Luochu was once again the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t afraid as there wasn¡¯t a relationship between herself and the Second Prince. Furthermore, she was an evil dao witch in her previous life who was cursed and derided by the world. Their saliva would probably be enough to drown her. Right now, Bai Luochu merely the target of a noble young lady from an aristocratic clan who was muddle-headed due to love. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t be bothered to care about someone like her. In the end, Bai Luochu looked at Su Luoqing with a dull and indifferent look in her eyes. When Su Luoqing saw how Bai Luochu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all and was calmly waiting for her next action, she started to panic. She never expected that Bai Luochu would be so calm when facing ridicule. On the contrary, with so many people watching, Su Luoqing felt as though she couldn¡¯t hold it together. She didn¡¯t know what she was supposed to do next. Looking at Pei Qingfeng, she hoped that he would do something to teach his lowly servant who didn¡¯t know her place a lesson. When Bai Luochu saw that Su Luoqing didn¡¯t continue speaking, she knew that the young lady was at a loss. In Bai Luochu¡¯s mind, a plan to make a grand comeback appeared. However, before she could open her mouth, someone beat her to it. As though Pei Qingfeng felt Su Luoqing¡¯s burning gaze on him, he opened his mouth to speak up. However, what came out of his mouth was completely different from the script Su Luoqing had prepared. The moment the words left his mouth, they seemed to form an invisible hand that slapped Su Luoqing across her face. He was openly and subtly telling Su Luoqing to mind her own business. Everyone present understood that Su Luoqing was jealous because Bai Luochu got to stand beside the Second Prince for the entire duration of the banquet. Alas, never in Su Luoqing¡¯s wildest imagination would she have thought that Pei Qingfeng would take Bai Luochu¡¯s side. He was so firm and she was humiliated time after time. Right now, she was a complete joke. Just as Su Luoqing wanted to say something to explain herself, Pei Qingfeng spoke up once more. His words seemed to send her into the abyss. ¡°Today, I expanded a lot of energy in order to handle people who tried to meddle in my affairs. I¡¯m really tired now¡­ Emperor Father, will you please allow this son to take his leave?¡± The Emperor was also afraid that if Pei Qingfeng and his servant girl were to stay behind, Su Luoqing might cause more problems. He looked at Su Luoqing with displeasure in his eyes as he waved his hand. It was a signal to approve of the Second Prince¡¯s request. Pei Qingfeng then asked Bai Luochu to push his wheelchair out of the palace hall. ¡°It¡¯s humiliating that Elder has to witness this scene. Later on, I will prepare some gifts as compensation.¡± After all the trouble, the Emperor couldn¡¯t form the slightest bit of favourable impression for the young lady of the Empress Dowager¡¯s birth clan. In his eyes, she was a spoiled brat who was causing trouble again and again. She simply didn¡¯t place the imperial clan in her eyes. Someone like her wanted to marry a prince? What a joke. The Emperor had to find an opportunity to speak with the Empress Dowager and use an indirect approach to avoid embarrassing her. If he were to anger the Empress Dowager, the Su Clan would step in to cause more trouble. He had to settle the escalating problem as quickly as he could. Everyone present at the banquet naturally knew what was going to happen and simply treated this incident as a farce. They had to take into consideration the Empress Dowager¡¯s reputation and the lively atmosphere quickly recovered as everyone tried to play off the awkwardness. However, there were bound to be people who couldn¡¯t wait to watch the world burn. When Su Luoqing placed her target board on Bai Luochu, Feng Wan¡¯er had been staring at Bai Luochu. She witnessed everything from the start to the end. Her eyes didn¡¯t leave Bai Luochu¡¯s body until she had long disappeared from sight. Feng Wan¡¯er was staring at the door and there was an astonished expression on her face. ¡°Junior sister, junior sister?¡± When Pei Wuchen saw that Feng Wan¡¯er was still staring at the door blankly, he couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious. ¡°Senior brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er heard Pei Wuchen calling out to her as she snapped back to reality. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Has my junior sister¡¯s soul been mesmerized by my Second Brother?¡± After seeing how Feng Wan¡¯er was daydreaming, he couldn¡¯t help but make fun of her. ¡°How can that be? Senior brother should know best.¡± After hearing how Pei Wuchen was making fun of her, Feng Wan¡¯er feigned anger coquettishly. The reason why Feng Wan¡¯er was apprehensive wasn¡¯t because of the Second Prince, Pei Qingfeng. Instead, it was because of Bai Luochu! Feng Wan¡¯er had some doubts in her heart. How could it be Luo Chu?! Shouldn¡¯t that wastrel with innately crippled meridians die a miserable death in the hands of a spirit beast in the Bestial Battle Arena? How did she leave the Bestial Battle Arena in one piece? How in the world did she even gain the Second Prince¡¯s favor?! ¡°Something must have gone wrong. This didn¡¯t seem right. I have to find an opportunity to dig out everything!¡± After stepping out of the palace door, Bai Luochu immediately abandoned the Second Prince as she prepared to leave. ¡°Are you going to burn the bridge after crossing the river?¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw how direct and straightforward Bai Luochu was, he felt a little displeased in his heart. ¡°I better keep a distance from Second Prince. Your Second Highness lured all the violent bees and unrestrained butterflies to himself¡­ Today, I was on the receiving end of their fury and even became Your Highness¡¯ shield. Acting as a shield for an entire night should be enough compensation¡­ right?¡± As soon as she finished her statement, Bai Luochu prepared to head back to the First Prince¡¯s residence. As thought she recalled something, Bai Luochu spoke up once again, ¡°Oh right. About the poison in your body, our deal has always been valid. If you have thought through it, you can come and find me. I will do everything in my power to help Your Highness treat your illness.¡± Seeing how Bai Luochu vanished into the night, Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t help but feel even more curious. This woman had medical skills and displayed strange movement skills at the Bestial Battle Arena. She was obviously not more than 20 years of age but was even more knowledgeable than the current leading scholar. How could she be thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena? ¡°Go and investigate her origins.¡± With a fling of his sleeve, Pei Qingfeng sent out a secret guard that was hiding in the shadows to investigate Bai Luochu. Chapter 33: Becoming Curious After bidding farewell to the Second Prince, Bai Luochu wandered around in the streets of the imperial capital aimlessly. She was watching the distant lights as she listened to the faint music coming from the palace. All while there was a war going on in her heart. Should she return or simply slip away? Be it in her previous life or current life, she wasn¡¯t willing to be tied down. If she really returned to the First Prince''s residence, there was no doubt she would be confined there for a long time. She was having second thoughts as her life was great in the First Prince¡¯s residence. With her current strength, if she were to explore the world, it would be difficult for her to survive. But inside the First Prince''s residence, she was able to obtain spirit medicine that could aid her in her cultivation. She didn¡¯t even have to worry about food and clothing. After considering this point, Bai Luochu still hesitated. However, a thought flashed in her mind which caused her to make up her mind about returning to the First Prince''s residence. That¡¯s right. It was Zi Su, that servant girl who had unconditionally trusted her. She was still waiting for Bai Luochu to return. If Bai Luochu didn¡¯t return, Zi Su would probably be in for a bad time. As she thought about the aftermath of her decision, Bai Luochu made a turn and headed back to the First Prince''s residence. Furthermore, such a carefree and unfettered life was something which Bai Luochu never had in her previous life. Why not return and stay for a few more days? Speaking of the most important reason, Bai Luochu wanted to know why the First Prince had bought her as a personal servant. He even treated her like a distinguished guest. What was he planning... Bai Luochu was utilizing her strange movement skill and she wanted to hide her tracks by going through the bazaar before heading back. When she suddenly recalled that she had garnered so much attention during the birthday banquet tonight, it was highly possible that the First Prince had already seen her. There was no longer any need for her to be careful. When she thought about it, Bai Luochu realized that she didn¡¯t have to waste her time and energy. She simply headed back to the First Prince''s residence. After slipping back in through the back gates, she headed towards her courtyard. Just as Bai Luochu entered the room, she noticed someone standing inside. She only relaxed when she realized that Zi Su was the one standing in the inner room. This little servant girl was dozing off which made Bai Luochu want to laugh out loud. Bai Luochu decided not to only when she felt guilty for all her actions today. She called out softly, ¡°Zi Su, Zi Su. Wake up, I am back.¡± After hearing Zi Su nagging at her without end, Bai Luochu who didn¡¯t have any intention to sleep almost dozed off. When Zi Su saw Bai Luochu dozing off, she stopped talking as though she was afraid she might wake Bai Luochu up. Zi Su then moved efficiently and swiftly to help Bai Luochu take off her clothes before helping her clean up. After Zi Su had done everything, she bowed to Bai Luochu before leaving the room silently. Just as Zi Su stepped out of the door, she yawned as she was urgently in need of rest. She quickly jogged back to her room. As for Bai Luochu, her lethargy vanished the moment Zi Su stopped talking. The moment Zi Su left, she felt extremely energetic. She started to quietly recall the expressions from the members of Phoenix King Valley and the information they brought. Perhaps, it was due to the frightening moment in front of the palace gates which exhausted her, or because she didn¡¯t make any progress after analyzing the information she obtained today. Bai Luochu felt overwhelmed with sleepiness as she fell into a deep slumber. Just as Bai Luochu had fallen asleep, the First Prince, Pei Rumo, returned to the residence. Before he entered the study, someone knelt down in front of him to ask for forgiveness. ¡°It is this subordinate¡¯s failure for not being able to watch that slave properly. Your Highness, please punish this servant.¡± As that person spoke, he kowtowed and knocked his head on the ground towards Pei Rumo. There was a moment of silence in the study room. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t say anything about punishing this guard and neither did he pardon the guard. The current state that the First Prince was in made the guard even more apprehensive as he didn¡¯t know what kind of punishment he was going to face. Pei Rumo was currently pondering about Bai Luochu¡¯s true identity. She was obviously sold to the Bestial Battle Arena and was toeing the line of life and death. Right now, she was able to stand beside Pei Qingfeng who never allowed any woman to approach him. Was this really the Luo Chu he saved? Something was really wrong. ¡°What has Luo Chu been doing in the residence lately?¡± Pei Rumo suddenly spoke to the guard who was kneeling in front of him. When the guard saw that the First Prince was only asking about the servant girl that he bought, the guard was stunned. After bracing himself, he reported. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything special about her. Other than cultivating, eating, and sleeping, she does nothing. She spends most of her day cultivating, regardless of day or night. Her most recent trip out of her room was to view the scenery at the garden and she even encountered His Highness, the Ninth Prince. When this subordinate saw that the two of them were having a rather pleasant conversation on topics which were of no great importance, I didn¡¯t separate the both of them. I never expected that she would be able to enter the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet. Let alone enter as the Second Prince¡¯s personal servant girl.¡± The guard stammered when he got to the end of his report. After all, his lord was the one who bought Bai Luochu as a personal servant. Due to his negligence, she turned into the Second Prince¡¯s personal servant and publically appeared in front of all the nobles in the capital. This was truly embarrassing. Pei Rumo suddenly recalled that Bai Luochu seemed to still have an innately crippled meridian back at the Bestial Battle Arena. How was she able to cultivate? It seemed like this woman had plenty of mysteries that had to be uncovered. ¡°Why not let this subordinate bring this person here for my lord to personally interrogate?¡± When the guard saw how Pei Rumo was staying silent again, he probed. ¡°She has already been bought by me. There is no need to hurry. First thing in the morning tomorrow, bring her to see me in the main hall. I am really tired today... You may be dismissed.¡± After giving out his instruction, he waved his hand to signal for the guard to leave. When the guard saw that he was pardoned of all punishment, he immediately bade the First Prince farewell. He slipped away so quickly people who saw him might think that there was oil under his feet. He was afraid Pei Rumo might change his mind. Early the next day, just as Bai Luochu finished her breakfast, a guard knocked on her door. He summoned Bai Luochu to the main hall for the meeting with Pei Rumo. Bai Luochu understood that the First Prince must have recognized her in the palace banquet the day before. She had long expected for Pei Rumo to summon her for a discussion. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t afraid at all. Instead, she even felt curious about the First Prince. If he was really getting suspicious about her, she planned to push all the blame to the Second Prince. Chapter 34: Additional Probing As soon as Bai Luochu entered the main hall, she saw the First Prince waiting for her. When Bai Luochu saw that the tea in the cup wasn¡¯t steaming, she knew that Pei Rumo must have waited for a long time. Bai Luochu immediately offered her greetings to the First Prince. ¡°Greetings to the First Prince. Your First Highness must have been waiting for a long time.¡± Her greeting wasn¡¯t to kowtow and seemed like a conventional greeting for people in the outside world. Pei Rumo¡¯s brows arched upwards before he placed his teacup down. He waved his hand, ¡°Dispense with formalities.¡± Bai Luochu raised her head. While she was trying to gather information on the Phoenix King Valley at the birthday banquet yesterday night, she was trying her best to stay hidden. Who would have known that Su Luoqing would appear out of nowhere and made Bai Luochu the center of attention? It was difficult for anyone to not notice her. Yesterday, as Bai Luochu was getting tormented by Su Luoqing, she didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to the First Prince. Right now, she realized that the Ninth Prince was right. The First Prince truly had an imposing presence. Just that the scar above his eye ruined his perfect look. It made it seem as though he was a cold and stern individual. ¡°Why did you appear at the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet yesterday night?¡± The First Prince didn¡¯t beat around the bush and went straight to the topic. Bai Luochu was shocked as Pei Rumo didn¡¯t look like he was going to scold her. ¡°Replying to the First Prince, I am an old acquaintance of the Second Prince and we happened to meet each other on the streets yesterday. As he had lost sight of his servant, he asked me to follow by his side to serve as his servant girl. After all, the Second Prince is unable to move freely and needs someone to push him around. Considering my friendship with the Second Prince, I agreed to his request. I have never met you ever since entering the residence and didn¡¯t pay my respects to you yesterday. I would like to ask for your forgiveness.¡± After explaining, Bai Luochu stood there quietly and waited for the First Prince¡¯s next move. Pei Rumo was still drinking his tea and his face was expressionless. However, he was shocked in his heart. He thought about the meaning behind Bai Luochu¡¯s words. She was the Second Prince¡¯s acquaintance? How exactly did Bai Luochu make a connection with Pei Qingfeng? Could Pei Qingfeng also know about her secret? In fact, the First Prince wasn¡¯t going to investigate how Bai Luochu appeared in the birthday banquet. After all, she didn¡¯t do anything wrong and she didn¡¯t cause any trouble during the birthday banquet either. Luo Chu had truly given him a pleasant surprise. If his Second Brother had known of the promise back then, his Third Brother would probably have a much more difficult journey in the competition for the throne. If Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t know the secrets behind Luo Chu and Pei Rumo could make use of this slave, she would turn into one of his trump cards. She would be able to restrain Pei Qingfeng at the appropriate time. When he thought about it, Pei Rumo felt as though his tea tasted much sweeter. While Pei Rumo was in a great mood, Bai Luochu who was waiting for a reaction started to feel apprehensive. After all, she was the one who came up with this on the fly. If the First prince knew the Second Prince like the back of his hand, he might be able to detect some flaws in her words. ¡°Is there a need to ask?¡± Pei Rumo thought silently in his heart. ¡°Luo Chu obviously isn¡¯t as simple as she looked. Yesterday¡¯s birthday banquet¡­ Phoenix King Valley?¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s originally straight brows arched upwards. If she had other reasons for attending the birthday banquet, it should be because of the Phoenix King Valley, right? ¡°What do you think of the people from the Phoenix King Valley?¡± Pei Rumo observed Bai Luochu carefully and hoped to understand something from her reaction. Why did he suddenly ask about the Phoenix King Valley? Could the First Prince have noticed something? Bai Luochu was trying to understand the meaning behind his words but she managed to remain completely indifferent.. ¡°In my opinion, the Phoenix King Valley is indeed worthy of their name of one of the Three Great Immortal Sects. In regards to the envoys that arrived¡­ There is nothing more to say about the elder¡¯s strength. Even the juniors in the valley possess cultivation far beyond the people of the same generation and age. As expected, the deep foundation of the valley is extraordinary. The way they dealt with the people during the birthday banquet was polite and they didn¡¯t seem arrogant at all. Of course, all of them showed off the lofty and unyielding character a disciple of an immortal sect would possess.¡± As the First Prince was keeping mum, Bai Luochu came to a conclusion. The First Prince was a resolute and decisive person in the imperial court of the Cloud Water Nation. He was also raised in the palace and naturally had great observation ability of one¡¯s body language and expression. Right now, she was speaking calmly without stress. It would probably be hard for him to see through her expression or her manner of speech. As long as she kept it up and spoke as calmly as possible, her lie should be able to go undetected. Of course, it was on the premise that she didn¡¯t go too far with her lie. As expected, Bai Luochu¡¯s calm expression and speech managed to deceive the First Prince. Unable to obtain the answer he wanted, the First Prince became even more suspicious. Does she really not know? Does she think that she is too weak to clash with the Phoenix King Valley? Pei Rumo knew that Luo Chu had been thrown to the Bestial Battle Arena because she had offended someone. Putting aside the fact that she didn¡¯t possess enough strength and was born with resolute morality, threats and promises didn¡¯t work on her. The person simply threw this lass with crippled meridians into the Bestial Battle Arena as a human slave. It was the same as leaving her fate up to the heavens. It wasn¡¯t any different from sending her to her death. The person who sent her into the Bestial Battle Arena was killing two birds with one stone. The obstacle would be cleared and they wouldn¡¯t need to get their hands dirty. No one could have imagined that this lass would actually be hiding such ability. She was originally at the brink of death after getting smashed by that Fire Lion, but she suddenly executed some strange movement skill to find the Fire Lion¡¯s weak spot, enabling her to kill it in a single blow. Pei Rumo couldn¡¯t help but think if any of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s members recognized Luo Chu during the birthday banquet. If they did, things were going to get juicy. Chapter 35: A Surprising Windfall When Bai Luochu saw how the First Prince didn¡¯t respond, she knew that she managed to cover up the entire incident. However, she had no idea what she had to do as a personal servant. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but mutter to herself. If she truly had to be by the First Prince¡¯s side every day, wouldn¡¯t she be tied up and wouldn¡¯t be able to move freely? This wouldn¡¯t do. If she wanted to reinstate the temple and take back the inheritance, she would need to purchase superior medicinal ingredients for cultivation. She would even need to recruit new members to establish her network. Either one of those activities would require her to move outside and it was the reason behind her reluctance to stay in the First Prince¡¯s residence. When she thought about it, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t going to allow herself to resign to fate. She took the initiative and bluntly asked the First Prince, ¡°Could this servant be so bold as to ask for the reason behind the First Prince¡¯s choice?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s question was very sudden but she believed that the First Prince would understand the reason behind her question. Would he purchase her for no reason? She didn¡¯t believe it and there must be a reason behind it. ¡°So bold as to ask? Humph...¡± Pei Rumo sneered helplessly in his heart. In Pei Rumo¡¯s eyes, Bai Luochu was simply too bold. She was obviously purchased as a personal servant and her job was to help out around the residence. Never had she once addressed herself as a servant in front of her master. She had been addressing herself as I or myself when she spoke. Let alone kneeling down, she didn¡¯t even bend over and simply cupped her fists when addressing the First Prince. Seeing her disregard the authority of someone from the imperial clan, even the First Prince¡¯s residence wouldn¡¯t be able to hold her back if there came a day where she grew strong enough. He did, however, understand why the Phoenix King Valley didn¡¯t directly kill her and instead, threw her into the Bestial Battle Arena... ¡°Why? What makes you think I¡¯m going to tell you?¡± Pei Rumo answered indifferently. As expected! This person wasn¡¯t going to tell her the reason so easily! However, she wasn¡¯t someone who gave up easily. She thought for a moment and continued to ask, ¡°May I ask the First Prince if I may leave the residence as I please?¡± Asking for freedom again? Pei Rumo¡¯s brows arched upwards as he held a new level of respect for this person in front of him! Even though he respected her even more, his expression remained unchanged. He still spoke nicely to Bai Luochu, ¡°You might be my personal servant, but if I don¡¯t call for you, you need not stay by my side all the time. Since I have already given you the waist token, as long as you don¡¯t create trouble implicating the First Prince''s residence, you are still free to come and go as you please.¡± When she heard what the First Prince said, a wide smile appeared on Bai Luochu¡¯s face. This was it! This was so much more useful than the waist token! Even though that was the case, after seeing this wooden token, Bai Luochu still felt apprehensive of the First Prince¡¯s attitude. Of course, she was truly lacking in funds at the moment and couldn¡¯t say no. Accepting the token, she thanked the First Prince. ¡°Thank you, First Prince. If Your First Highness doesn¡¯t have any more instructions, I will take my leave.¡± Pei Rumo gave his approval. Seeing the First Prince¡¯s response, Bai Luochu directly turned and walked towards the accounts room as she prepared to obtain her first pot of gold. Bai Luochu truly didn¡¯t understand those convoluted formalities that the imperial clan implemented and she didn¡¯t want to understand them either. After all, her battlefield wasn¡¯t the palace and she wasn¡¯t going to waste her efforts to research and study etiquette. After reaching the accounts room, Bai Luochu handed over the token to the accounts room¡¯s supervisor. He was shocked. ¡°Young Lady, the amount of money this token can withdraw is a huge sum. Are you sure you want to withdraw them all at once?¡± Bai Luochu frowned. How much money could the First Prince give to a servant? She then nodded to the supervisor, indicating that she wanted to withdraw everything. The accounts room¡¯s supervisor pondered for a moment before he explained to Bai Luochu, ¡°Since Young Lady insists on withdrawing everything, we will not stop Young Lady. I am afraid that Young Lady will not be able to carry them all by yourself. Can I ask Young Lady to please return to your courtyard? Later on, I will get someone to bring the money over.¡± After giving his explanation, he bowed to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu was a little doubtful and thought that it was just some money. Why was there a need to send someone to carry it over to her? It was truly superfluous. She might doubt him, but she didn¡¯t question the supervisor as she left for her residence. The only thing she could do was to patiently wait for the money to be sent to her. Just as she stepped into the room, Zi Su quickly came over to welcome her. As Zi Su looked up and down several times, she made sure Bai Luochu suffered no injuries before sighing with relief. ¡°Phew. Young Lady, you gave this servant a huge scare! When the guard commander came over to look for you this morning, this servant thought that you caused some trouble yesterday when you ventured outside. I was afraid that you angered the Lord and he was going to punish you!¡± Bai Luochu raised her brows and a myriad of thoughts ran through her mind. Her intention was to infiltrate the imperial palace but she was interrupted by the Second Prince. That shouldn¡¯t be counted as causing trouble, right? Speaking of trouble, the only trouble she had was due to Su Luoqing finding fault with her. Bai Luochu shook her head and patted Zi Su¡¯s shoulder, indicating for Zi Su to relax. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. After arriving here, the First Prince has been out of the residence the entire time and this is my first time meeting him. I went to the main hall because the First Prince had some things to ask me about.¡± As they were speaking, the accounts room sent a man to bring the money over. She saw that manservant carrying a large box who then gave a formal greeting to Bai Luochu before placing the box on the table. When Bai Luochu saw the box, she wasn¡¯t thinking much of it and felt that the accounts room was simply exaggerating. The instant she opened the box, she was shocked. The contents inside weren''t simply gold coins, there were plenty of silver notes as well. When the manservant saw Bai Luochu¡¯s surprised expression, he then explained, ¡°The accounts room had instructed this servant to inform the Young Lady that the sum of money was too huge. The gold coins are for Young Lady¡¯s daily expenses. Once those gold coins are all used up, you may directly use those silver notes to redeem the money from any of the note houses in the capital. If Young Lady doesn¡¯t have any questions, this servant will take his leave first. There are still a lot of chores waiting for this servant.¡± Bai Luochu waved her hand and dismissed the manservant. Looking at the box of notes, Bai Luochu thought about Pei Rumo¡¯s true intentions. ¡°Your Highness, why didn¡¯t you punish Luo Chu? You even gave her so much money!¡± Over at the First Prince¡¯s side, the guard commander beside Pei Rumo was bewildered. The First Prince opened up his folding fan and walked towards the study room as he replied, ¡°The better she does, the more it speaks of her abilities. She will have the ability to become obstacles for some people along the way. What I want to see is her obstructing those people, creating a huge mess in her wake. As for everything along the process? As long as she doesn¡¯t drag the name of the First Prince¡¯s residence through the mud, anything goes.¡± Chapter 36: Secretly Inflicting Poison ¡°Young Lady, why is there so much money?!¡± Zi Su was shocked. Even though she was surprised, she subconsciously knew that the First Prince was the one who gave the money to her. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say anything. Looking at how much money she had now, it was time for her to purchase some spirit medicine to continue strengthening her meridians to compensate for her cultivation progress that had fallen behind due to the obstruction in her meridians for over a dozen years. When Zi Su realized that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t willing to speak, she didn¡¯t continue asking. Just as she was about to leave the room, a question left Bai Luochu¡¯s lips. ¡°Zi Su, what is the name of the shop that sells the highest quality medicinal ingredients?¡± Bai Luochu placed some money into her pockets. Zi Su pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°The highest quality spirit medicines will only appear in auctions. High grade spirit medicines are rare and one might not be able to obtain them even if they had money. If Young Lady is looking for ordinary spirit medicines, the Hundred Herbs Hall in the east of the city should be the best.¡± Bai Luochu nodded. She then informed Zi Su, ¡°I¡¯m going to buy some spirit medicines. Keep my lunch warm and heat it up when I return. Since there is nothing else to do, you can head back and go about your own business.¡± Zi Su heard Bai Luochu¡¯s instruction and left. Other than bringing along some money, Bai Luochu also strapped the dagger and the poison needles on her waist belt. She was prepared for the worst case scenario in case she became someone¡¯s target. After making all the arrangements, Bai Luochu left the residence. She walked towards the eastern part of the city. The journey was rather smooth as the Cloud Water Nation were lax in their rules regarding road-side stalls. There were plenty of peddlers calling out for business along the street during the day and apart from some commoners purchasing their daily necessities, Bai Luochu even encountered several disciples of the Phoenix King Valley. However, she knew that she wasn¡¯t strong enough and if she were to recklessly make a move, she would be cut down in a second. As such, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t make too many stops as she went towards the Hundred Herbs Hall. A short while later, Bai Luochu arrived at her destination. The moment Bai Luochu laid eyes on the Hundred Herbs Hall, she understood that it was probably the most well-known herb store in the capital city. Bai Luochu quickly listed the spirit medicines to an attendant in the shop. When the attendant heard the names of the spirit medicines, he shook his head, ¡°Young Lady, our shop does not have those. They are only available in the auctions. Do you want to see if you can change some of them?¡± Bai Luochu detected a trace of embarrassment in the attendant¡¯s voice and she realized that she had really failed to take some points into consideration. She then elaborated on the medicinal effects before asking the attendant to pick some herbs for her. ¡°I need those spirit medicines that can assist in cultivation. I do not need those that cause a direct increase in strength. I need those that can strengthen the meridians and those that can smoothen the foundation. I also need some that can nurture the spirit.¡± After listening to Bai Luochu, the attendant immediately understood and went into the back of the shop to look for the spirit medicine. While Bai Luochu was waiting, a familiar voice entered her ears. ¡°Oh! Here I am thinking about the person who dares to act haughtily in the Hundred Herbs Hall. Looks like an inexperienced bumpkin here to look for some high grade spirit medicine!¡± Bai Luochu instantly identified the owner of the voice. When she turned around, she stood face to face with Su Luoqiung. She had been targeting Bai Luochu since the birthday banquet! ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking? Are you a mute? Or do you only know how to talk when you are seducing men?¡± Seeing as Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t speaking, Su Luoqing pressed even harder. ¡°You are really taking advantage of your master¡¯s influence. You made use of the Second Prince¡¯s favor to buy spirit medicines at the Hundred Herbs Hall. My goodness, you are nothing but a wastrel! No matter how much spirit medicine you drink, you will still be a useless fool!¡± Speaking up to this point, Su Luoqing seemed emboldened by her words as she stepped up to grab Bai Luochu¡¯s jaw. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t one to look for trouble but seeing as Su Luoqing was making the first move, she became irritated. She immediately raised her hand to slap Su Luoqing¡¯s palm aside. ¡°You dare to dodge? Yesterday at the birthday banquet, I let you off out of respect for the Second Prince. Today, the Second Prince isn¡¯t here to protect you! Look at how I discipline a lowly servant like you.¡± As Su Luoqing finished her scolding, she sent out a palm strike with all her strength at Bai Luochu¡¯s face. Bai Luochu naturally wasn¡¯t going to resign to her fate as she immediately utilized her movement skill to evade. When Su Luoqing saw that her attack had missed its mark, she executed another palm strike. Just like this, the two of them started to fight. With consideration for all the patients in the hall, Bai Luochu used her movement skill to evade Su Luoqing¡¯s attacks. She led Su Luoqing out of the store and into the streets. When the people on the main street saw two good-looking ladies fighting, all of them dropped whatever they were doing and started to watch the show. Su Luoqing saw that the number of people spectating was increasing and realized that it might affect her reputation as a well-bred young lady of a great clan. She wanted to quickly end the battle and her moves became even more ruthless. All of the moves she executed were killing moves. If Bai Luochu was the same Bai Luochu in the Bestial Battle Arena with no spirit qi or movement skills, she would have died in Su Luoqing¡¯s hands a long time ago. However, she wasn¡¯t faring any better right now. Even if she used her movement skills, she would only be able to evade Su Luoqing¡¯s attacks. Bai Luochu thought that it was time to end this battle once and for all. She reached for the poison needle on her waist and decided that it was high time Su Luoqing was taught a lesson. She was going to use her strange movement skill and her poison needles to put Su Luoqing down. Right now, Su Luoqing¡¯s stamina was dropping quickly and she was slowly becoming anxious. After so many moves, she wasn¡¯t able to obtain the upper hand! She hadn¡¯t even touched the edges of Bai Luochu¡¯s clothes! She cursed silently at the lowly servant before her and she even thought that she was dealing with an undying cockroach. At this moment, Su Luoqing was determined to utterly humiliate Bai Luochu! ¡°Ahh!¡± Just as Su Luoqing was going to make another move, she suddenly felt an unbearable pain in her abdomen as all her muscles cramped up. Su Luoqing immediately covered her stomach as her face turned deathly pale. Large beads of sweat were dripping off her forehead. Bai Luochu knew that the poison had already flared up in Su Luoqing¡¯s body. She originally didn¡¯t want to make a move but the other party had been too overbearing. Su Luoqing even made a couple of killing moves! If Bai Luochu didn¡¯t return the favor, she would be letting Su Luoqing off too lightly. In her heart, Bai Luochu sneered as she waited for the show to start. Su Luoqing couldn¡¯t determine the reason for the sudden pain and had no choice but to order her servant girl to escort her back to her residence. Before she left, she didn¡¯t forget to threaten Bai Luochu. ¡°Just you wait! One day, I will stomp you under my feet and crush you like the bug you are!¡± Chapter 37: Quietly Waiting for the Show to Star When Bai Luochu saw how Su Luoqing didn¡¯t forget to threaten her even though she was in so much pain, Bai Luochu clicked her tongue. ¡°Tsk Tsk, seems like Su Luoqing really hates me.¡± At the same time, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t forget to put this score on Pei Qingfeng. It was all his fault! He was the one who attracted all these violent bees and unrestrained butterflies, turning her into a live target. After this brief interlude, Bai Luochu almost forgot her purpose of coming to the Hundred Herbs Hall. It was only after she saw the shocked attendant who was carrying the spirit medicine did she remember her purpose. She quickly walked into the Hundred Herbs Hall and started to converse with the young attendant. When the attendant saw Bai Luochu walking towards him, he stuttered and asked, ¡°Young¡­ Young Lady, do you still¡­ still want this spirit medicine?¡± ¡°Are you sure this is what I need?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to waste time talking rubbish. After all, she had just gone through a hard fight and didn¡¯t want to waste any more additional energy. ¡°Young Lady doesn¡¯t have to worry about this. For the Hundred Herbs Hall to establish ourselves in the capital city, integrity is a must. Attendants like myself have to go through an ability test before we can recommend suitable spirit medicines for our customers.¡± When the attendant heard Bai Luochu¡¯s question, he immediately came back to his senses and assured her. Bai Luochu nodded and indicated that she understood everything the attendant said. She asked for a quote and paid without negotiating for a better price. She took all the spirit medicine and left the Hundred Herbs Hall as she thought about how she was going to return to the First Prince¡¯s residence. Bai Luochu assumed that no one noticed her actions during her fight with Su Luoqing. However, never in her wildest imagination would she have thought that the First Prince would follow her out. ¡°Your Highness, the Su Clan¡¯s Young Lady is¡­¡± The guard commander standing beside him didn¡¯t finish his statement but Pei Rumo already understood the meaning behind his words. Su Luoqing was the daughter of the first wife of the Empress Dowager¡¯s birth clan. If she were truly poisoned when strolling around the city, the connection between Bai Luochu and the poison in Su Luoqing¡¯s body would definitely be found. If they were to investigate Bai Luochu, dragging the First Prince into the conflict... Right now, in the imperial court, the Third Prince¡¯s faction had been keeping a close watch on him. If anyone were to dig out any dirt on him, there would be dire consequences! ¡°There is no need to be anxious.¡± The First Prince opened up his folding fan and casually fanned himself as he strolled back to the residence, ¡°I understand your concerns. But since I didn¡¯t stop her, nothing will happen.¡± ¡°Your Highness is truly thorough in your consideration. This subordinate is too stupid.¡± Pei Rumo allowed Bai Luochu to harm Su Luoqing because there was something in it for him. Firstly, Su Luoqing was too obnoxious. She had been using her status as a junior from the Empress Dowager¡¯s birth clan to be arrogant and despotic. She would be oppressing the other young ladies for every little thing. During the birthday banquet the day before, she humiliated herself in front of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s upper echelon and Pei Rumo didn¡¯t know how they would see the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s noble clans. Secondly, due to the commotion in the banquet, Pei Rumo¡¯s parents no longer had a good impression on her. It would be beneficial for her to suffer from some setbacks. If she wanted to marry into the imperial clan as a concubine, she had to learn how to act with a sense of propriety. As for the third reason¡­ Pei Rumo closed his folding fan and the corners of his mouth arched upwards. He was thinking about something interesting as he wanted to dig out all of Bai Luochu¡¯s secrets! When Bai Luochu returned to the residence, Zi Su was already waiting for her with a table full of hot food. As soon as she saw Bai Luochu entering the room, she greeted, ¡°Young Lady, you are finally back! The dishes are getting cold.¡± As Zi Su spoke, she took out the dishes from the food boxes. When Zi Su saw how Bai Luochu¡¯s clothes and hair were rather disheveled, she asked, ¡°Did Young Lady encounter any trouble outside the residence? I can see that your clothes are rather messy.¡± Bai Luochu lowered her head and saw that it was just as Zi Su said. Casually chatting with Zi Su about everything that happened outside the residence, Bai Luochu omitted all the critical information. Zi Su was extremely astonished after listening to Bai Luochu¡¯s story. She silently took all of it down in her head. The First Prince had personally ordered her to take care of Bai Luochu and nothing could happen to her! It seemed like she had to feedback to the First Prince when she had the time. She wanted to ask him to send more men to protect Bai Luochu! Bai Luochu was eating her lunch with relish and the reason behind it was probably because she managed to teach Su Luoqing a bitter lesson. After lunch was over, Bai Luochu dismissed Zi Su and was preparing to cultivate with the spirit medicine that she had just purchased. The instant Bai Luochu opened up the spirit medicine, she immediately knew that the Hundred Herbs Hall lived up to its name. Not only did the herbs possess medicinal effects that she requested for, there weren¡¯t any other side effects that appeared during the mixing process. The grade of the spirit medicine wasn¡¯t low either. It seemed like before she was able to refine medicine, she was going to be a frequent patron of the Hundred Herbs Hall. After consuming the spirit medicine, Bai Luochu guided the spirit qi and medicinal effects of the spirit medicine towards her limbs and bones to strengthen her meridians. ¡°En¡­¡± The strengthening process of the meridians was rather painful and Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but groan with pain. Luckily, Bai Luochu had abnormally resolute willpower and it was demonstrated when she initially opened her meridians. What she experienced now couldn¡¯t be considered painful at all. It seemed like her pain tolerance was becoming lower. Bai Luochu shook her head before resuming her cultivation. The next morning, after Bai Luochu had just finished her daybreak cultivation session, she saw Zi Su waiting by the side. She was waiting for Bai Luochu to complete her cultivation session before preparing for the day ahead. As Bai Luochu sat in front of the bronze mirror to wait for Zi Su to brush her hair, she realized that Zi Su¡¯s face was slowly approaching her ear. A soft voice suddenly entered her ear, ¡°Young Lady, this servant heard a piece of juicy news in the morning. Do you want to hear it?¡± Seeing how mysterious Zi Su was acting, Bai Luochu nodded. ¡°The Su Clan¡¯s Young Lady, the daughter of the first wife of the Empress Dowager¡¯s birth clan, was inflicted with an odd poison the day before! Right now, her entire body is purple and she is unconscious!¡± No one knew if Zi Su was smiling because Bai Luochu agreed to listen to her gossip or if she was rejoicing in Su Luoqing¡¯s misfortune. It seemed as though even Zi Su didn¡¯t notice the smile on her face. As Zi Su was rejoicing, she didn¡¯t notice Bai Luochu¡¯s expression in the bronze mirror. The corner of Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth was pointing upwards and there was a smirk on her face. Chapter 38: The Start of a Great Show There was a saying, ¡°Good things seldom make it out of the door but bad deeds travel thousands of miles.¡± On the day when Su Luoqing humiliated herself during the birthday banquet, she was already the topic of conversation for all the madams and young ladies in the aristocratic clans. Even before the situation died down, another wave rose. Su Luoqing was actually poisoned? However, this discussion didn¡¯t stop at the influential clans. The entire capital city seemed to have found out about it and Lord Su¡¯s reputation took a hit. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one last time! Where did Qing¡¯er go? Who did she meet?¡± Lord Su was pointing at Su Luoqing¡¯s personal servant as spittle flew out of his mouth. When the servant girl saw how angry her clan lord was, she was flustered. She couldn¡¯t even speak properly. ¡°In response¡­ response to my lord. Yesterday, Young Lady went to the Hundred Herbs Hall as usual to get a diagnosis. She¡­ she went there to obtain nourishing herbs, but¡­¡± When the servant girl recalled how her Young Lady wantonly satirized another young lady and even wanted to kill her, she didn¡¯t know how to explain it to her lord. ¡°But what?! Hurry up and say it!¡± Seeing how this servant girl was stammering, Lord Su became so angry that he raged. ¡°But Young Lady broke out into a conflict with someone. They fought in the main streets and I think her opponent found the opportunity to poison the Young Lady.¡± After the servant girl finished her narration, she knelt on the ground with a terrified look. Due to the love and concern he had for his beloved daughter, Lord Su immediately rushed to the Hundred Herbs Hall to find out what exactly happened. Lord Su immediately arrived at the Hundred Herbs Hall as he barged to the front. He interrogated the attendant and wanted to find out the person who fought with Su Luoqing. His hand gripped tightly on the attendant¡¯s collar, causing the child to choke. The attendant¡¯s face turned completely red and he wasn¡¯t able to breathe properly. ¡°My lord, will you loosen your grip? Speak properly.¡± The physician at the side couldn¡¯t watch anymore and persuaded Lord Su. However, Lord Su acted as though he didn¡¯t hear it. Even the people at the side were no longer able to take it. ¡°Yesterday, it was obviously your clan¡¯s Young Lady who satirized the other young lady. When she saw the other young lady was ignoring her, she started using killing techniques! That young lady was just a weak and frail woman without any spirit qi in her body. How can she be capable of inflicting poison on Young Lady Su? Someone else must have done it! They probably couldn¡¯t ignore how overbearing Young Lady Su was behaving!¡± Lord Su was naturally able to understand the meaning behind their words. His face turned ashen and pale for a moment. He could do nothing but glare at the person before loosening the attendant¡¯s collar as he walked towards the imperial palace. From the looks of it, he was probably going there to request for an imperial physician. When everyone saw what Lord Su was doing, they couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It was truly the case of the daughter imitating the father¡¯s vices. Su Luoqing was usually oppressive and overbearing. Anything that she fancied, she would snatch it for herself. Right now, seeing how her father behaved, everyone knew where she inherited her snobbish attitude. The Su Clan had been using their status as a relative of the imperial clan to behave cockily. It was about time they suffered. In the imperial palace, the Empress Dowager was aware of the situation and her heart was in pieces. She immediately issued the imperial decree to gather all the imperial physicians in the imperial palace. She was merely waiting for someone from the Su Clan to request for them. Even though they were expecting someone to come, none of them expected Lord Su to come in person. The Empress Dowager was also shocked and it seemed as though the poison in Su Luoqing¡¯s body wasn¡¯t going to be easy to neutralize. Otherwise, Lord Su wouldn¡¯t have come personally. The Empress Dowager saw Lord Su plopping down on his knees as he kowtowed with a loud knock on the ground. ¡°I hope for the Empress Dowager to issue an imperial decree to request for the imperial physicians! Please save Qing¡¯er!¡± The Empress Dowager might be old, but her mind was still very sharp. She knew that this matter couldn¡¯t be delayed any longer and she hurriedly issued the imperial decree. She then allowed Lord Su to lead these imperial physicians back to the Su Residence. When everyone saw the imperial physicians walking out of the imperial palace in a single file and into the Su Residence, they quickly gathered over to watch the show. They wanted to see the severity of the poison in Su Luoqing¡¯s body. How was she able to cause all the physicians in the Imperial Physician Court to move out? However, the Su Clan wouldn¡¯t allow them to do as they wished. They immediately closed and locked the gates as they declined all sorts of requests to visit them. The Su Residence was isolated from the outside world. These people immediately scattered after they knew that there was no show to watch. However, there were a few meddlesome people who waited by a teahouse at the side for the result. Within the Su Residence, all the imperial physicians were entering and exiting Su Luoqing¡¯s chamber in an orderly fashion. The originally silent doors let out creaks due to overuse. They started off with ordinary imperial physicians and the Imperial Physician Court¡¯s Chief Physician went last. Finally, all the Chief Physicians gathered to do a joint diagnosis but were still unable to find a way to treat the poison. All of them shook their heads at Lord and Madam Su while they cupped their fists to imply that there was nothing more they could do. Those with a good sense of hearing would be able to hear Madam Su¡¯s wails from a mile away. There were some muffled cries mixed within. ¡°My pitiful daughter! Who is the one who did such a treacherous deed? Who wants you dead so badly?!¡± Even though she wasn¡¯t loud, her voice was distinct. The Su Residence was so busy that it was chaotic. As for the First Prince¡¯s residence, everything was calm and tranquil. When the First Prince heard the report from his subordinate, he immediately understood that Bai Luochu was the one who did it. He wanted to wait and see what exactly Bai Luochu wanted to do. After all, Bai Luochu had her own schemes. No matter how dangerous the situation looked, she wouldn¡¯t allow Su Luoqing to die. After thinking about it, Pei Rumo went back to his work. He pretended to be unaware of everything. As for Bai Luochu, she had been immersed in the state of cultivation for the entire day. Under her instructions, Zi Su went on to investigate and spent the entire day probing out the Su Residence. Zi Su then returned to relay the information to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu sneered in her heart. With the likes of those quack physicians in the Cloud Water Nation, they had to be dreaming if they wanted to neutralize her poison. The Su Residence would probably be requesting the help of famed physicians around the world soon. It went according to Bai Luochu¡¯s plan. On the same evening when the imperial physicians went back to report, Lord Su went with them. After the report, Lord Su even added some details to make the poison sound even worse that it was. The Empress Dowager was so anxious she immediately requested an audience with the Emperor. After getting the approval from the Emperor, imperial notices were posted on various announcement boards throughout the Cloud Water Nation. Chapter 39: Shrouded by Dark Clouds Bai Luochu stroked her face gently and lamented. The original owner of this body had this harmless face and also innately crippled meridians. Without spirit qi in her body, it was really too easy to escape unnoticed. After all, since the start of the incident until now, no one suspected her. As for the reason she was as steady as a mountain after hearing about the notice, it was because she was extremely confident in her art of poison. Bai Luochu was an evil dao witch in her previous life and the poison she concocted was peerless. Comparing every other poison in the world to her own, everything would be considered trash. Bai Luochu carved all the poison recipes into her memory. This was one of them. She couldn¡¯t concoct some sort of poison which defied the laws of heavens and she had to rack her brains in order to think of one which could cause Su Luoqing to suffer but not die. The poison that Bai Luochu developed was extremely tricky. It was impossible for a physician to remove it using regular means. She was confident that even if all the renowned physicians in the world were to gather together, all of them would have to spend a lot of effort in order to neutralize it. Even those so-called divine physicians¡­ they were no exception. As for Su Luoqing? Heh! Su Luoqing came looking for trouble during the birthday banquet. It backfired and she humiliated herself in front of everyone. This was nothing, Bai Luochu and Su Luoqing were enemies on a narrow road and they encountered each other again at the Hundred Herbs Hall. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want any conflict but Su Luoqing wouldn¡¯t let it rest. She even wanted to kill Bai Luochu! Bai Luochu naturally wouldn¡¯t let this debt go unsettled. One would grow wiser after a setback. Right now, Bai Luochu was going to torment Su Luoqing however she liked. She hoped that after experiencing this bout of suffering, Su Luoqing would grow a little wiser and wouldn¡¯t try to look for more trouble. As the saying went, ¡°With a hefty reward, there will definitely be someone brave enough to take on the challenge.¡± The rewards set out by the imperial clan was really extravagant. World renowned physicians were respectable people and if they weren¡¯t able to neutralize the poison, they would be forfeiting the reward. Right now, even the Emperor was getting anxious. He might be displeased with Su Luoqing during the birthday banquet, but she was still a grand niece of the Empress Dowager and half a niece to him. Seeing how the Empress Dowager was gradually getting thinner due to her concern, the Emperor¡¯s mood became bad as well. Today, after the morning imperial court meeting, the Emperor called for Pei Rumo to the imperial study. He asked, ¡°Rumo, were you not able to find the perpetrator?¡± ¡°I wish for Emperor Father¡¯s forgiveness. This son has already sent more men to investigate the matter. However, no matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t find the culprit. I think that it is possible that the culprit has already fled.¡± Pei Rumo lied to the Emperor without the slightest change in expression. He didn¡¯t lie about sending more men to investigate. However, the culprit was comfortably resting in his residence and she even behaved like a little ancestor. She was able to avoid all suspicion due to the lack of spirit qi. ¡°Sigh. Your Empress Grandmother is growing thinner every day because of this incident. You have a wide range of connections. If you are free, see if you can invite any other divine physicians to help treat Young Lady Su.¡± As the Emperor finished speaking, he leaned on the back of the chair and waved his hand, indicating for Pei Rumo to be dismissed. ¡°This son will take his leave. Emperor Father, please be at ease. Take care of your dragon body.¡± As soon as Pei Rumo finished, he bowed and left the imperial study. After walking out of the palace gate, he boarded a carriage that had been waiting by the side. ¡°Your Highness, did His Majesty ask you about Young Lady Su¡¯s poisoning incident?¡± When the guard commander saw that Pei Rumo was still contemplating something, he asked cautiously. ¡°Yeah, he did ask.¡± Pei Rumo replied half-heartedly. ¡°Why not hand Luo Chu over to avoid making things difficult for Your Highness?¡± The guard commander was a little emotional and his voice was rather loud. Pei Rumo vigilantly opened the curtains of the carriage and when he saw that no one was paying attention to him, he breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around and glared at the guard commander and spoke with a soft yet vicious tone, ¡°You better don¡¯t create additional trouble for me. Without my orders, no one is to touch her.¡± When the guard commander saw that Pei Rumo was truly infuriated, cold sweat dripped down from his forehead. He didn¡¯t dare to respond. He looked at how the First Prince emptied his mind as he started to think of a new course of action. After mulling over the matter, Pei Remo said, ¡°Why do you think I will buy a wastrel with crippled meridians as my maidservant? I even gave her such preferential treatment... If this world is a chessboard, Third Brother and I hold a single chess piece each. Luo Chu is the most important link in this game. She might be able to destroy Third Brother¡¯s side of the chessboard.¡± ¡°As for her importance... it¡¯s not something you should know for now. Well, you¡¯ll find out sooner or later.¡± When Pei Rumo saw that the guard commander had something to say, he simply interrupted with a statement of his own. He stopped the guard commander from speaking so he could enjoy some peace and quiet to reflect about the Bai Luochu incident. Right now, Pei Rumo was a spectator who could see a clearer picture and the entire situation was caught in his eyes. He had yet to make any moves as he wanted to see what Bai Luochu was preparing to do next. He wanted to see what exactly was her objective and her reason for plotting out such a meticulous scheme. She even dared to involve the imperial clan and the world¡¯s best physicians! However, Pei Rumo had wronged Bai Luochu this time. Things had gone completely out of her expectations. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t intending to make such a huge play. As the days passed by, Bai Luochu still refused to make any moves as she lived her carefree and immortal-like life. As for Su Luoqing, her condition was deteriorating. Due to the long period of being unconscious, Su Luoqing¡¯s entire body was shriveled up. It seemed as though Bai Luochu was going to leave her to die. Chapter 40: Striking a Deal After pondering over what had happened and the consequences of his actions, Pei Rumo made a decision. If Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t going to take any actions in the next three days, he had no choice but to look for her and lay out his cards. Another day had passed and when the Empress Dowager saw that her grandniece wasn¡¯t getting any better, she became even more haggard. When the Emperor saw the Empress Dowager in this state, he felt extremely anxious. He gave an order during the imperial court assembly. ¡°The Su Clan¡¯s Young Lady has been ill for a very long time and death is imminent. As elder brothers, all of you need to put in more effort! From today onwards, you will all search for famed physicians to provide treatment to Young Lady Su!¡± ¡°This official gives his thanks to His Majesty¡¯s divine grace in advance!¡± When Lord Su saw what happened, he knelt down and gave a loud kowtow as he was moved to tears. Pei Rumo walked out of the palace and headed to his residence. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry and was simply waiting for Bai Luochu to come and look for him. He wanted to know what was going through her mind. As for the guard commander, he was extremely anxious. He had no other choice than to secretly monitor Bai Luochu, checking for any conspiracies. After a few days of peace, Zi Su lost her motivation to scout for information. When she finally heard the huge news that Su Luoqing was going to die, she immediately ran into the room and whispered to Bai Luochu. ¡°Young Lady, Su Luoqing¡¯s poison has yet to be neutralized and it seems like she is on the verge of death. The Empress Dowager lost a lot of weight because of this. Even the Emperor is getting anxious and ordered the imperial princes to search for divine physicians to treat Young Lady Su. Isn¡¯t he putting them in a difficult spot? Look at how many divine physicians failed to cure her... How can the imperial princes do any better...¡± Bai Luochu was in no mood to listen to the later part of the gossip. She knew that her chance had come. This matter had already developed to an extent far beyond Bai Luochu¡¯s expectation. She originally thought that this matter would only be known among the imperial clan and the noble clans. She never expected to hit her target with her eyes closed. All the divine physicians in the world were now drawn into the problem. This would save her a lot of time... ¡°Come on out. Aren¡¯t you getting tired and anxious after staring at me for so many days? Bai Luochu looked through the window frame and spoke to the tree in the courtyard. Of course, the guard was hiding in the tree. He might be suspicious as to why Bai Luochu was able to spot him, but he still emerged and bowed to Bai Luochu with cupped fists. The guard was suspicious at first but he turned and vanished. He must have gone to relay the message. Bai Luochu asked Zi Su to pour a cup of tea for her and she slowly brought it to her lips. She didn¡¯t explain anything to Zi Su either. Before she could even finish tasting the tea, that guard returned and informed that the First Prince had called her to the study room. It was clear that he had something to discuss with her. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t waste time and immediately left her room. When Pei Rumo heard that Bai Luochu wanted to make a deal with him, he was astonished. After all, all those people that had wanted to negotiate terms with him were already lying in graves. The grass growing on their graves should already be more than two meters by now... No matter what, Bai Luochu had a special identity and there were plenty of mysteries surrounding her. It was still not time to make a move on her yet. Pei Rumo immediately asked his subordinate to invite Bai Luochu over and prepared to discuss the deal. ¡°Greetings to Your First Highness.¡± Bai Luochu still maintained her usual greeting and she made it seem as though they were of the same status. This was the least of his problems and Pei Rumo simply ignored it. ¡°Tell me about your so-called deal.¡± Pei Rumo was sipping tea in his cup while he spoke indifferently. When Bai Luochu saw how composed the First Prince was, she was even more certain of her previous conjecture. She was right. The First Prince already knew that she was the culprit behind the poisoning. Even though that was the case, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t flustered at all. She spoke casually, ¡°Very simple. I will make a move to treat Su Luoqing. Your First Highness just has to agree to a few of my minor terms.¡± ¡°Hmph. According to what I know, you are the culprit behind everything. Shouldn¡¯t you be treating her for free? You dare come and talk terms with me? Do you not know the meaning of shame?¡± Pei Rumo spoke bluntly as he wanted to infuriate Bai Luochu and make her expose her true nature. Who would have known that Bai Luochu remained indifferent as she continued, ¡°You can¡¯t say that... Apart from you, no one else is suspecting me. I guess that you must have secretly followed me when I went out of the residence, right? The only way for you to find out was to place all your attention on me during the fight.¡± Bai Luochu drank a mouthful of tea to moisten her lips before she continued, ¡°If I don¡¯t provide treatment or if Your Highness directly declares myself as the culprit, I will have to die. Su Luoqing will follow me to the underworld. However, if that happens, Your First Highness will not obtain any benefit and you might even be accused of the crime of harboring the culprit. Since you are a highly regarded prince, some of your authority will be seized but your life will not be in danger¡­¡± ¡°Your terms¡­ what are they?¡± Before Bai Luochu could finish, Pei Rumo interrupted her. He understood that everything Bai Luochu said was true. Earlier on, he wanted to use his words to infuriate Bai Luochu and to make her panic, allowing him to leave some leeway for negotiations. He didn¡¯t expect that this servant girl wouldn¡¯t falter at all, leaving him with no choice but to ask for the terms. Bai Luochu might not be happy because she was interrupted, but she wasn¡¯t particular about it as she was here to negotiate. ¡°Very simple, I will use the name of a divine physician to treat Su Luoqing. Your Highness can claim that you were the one who invited me. Your Highness will surely be rewarded by His Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and the Su Clan. You will also be able to obtain their recognition. In return, I will like Your Highness to provide me with the resources that I want. I also need sufficient medicinal ingredients and money to assist my cultivation.¡± When Bai Luochu finished stating her terms, the entire study room fell into silence. A long period had elapsed and the tea had already turned cold before Pei Rumo nodded. ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°Of course. As for the visit of this famed physician, I need some time to prepare. Two days later, I will follow the First Prince into the Su Residence to provide treatment for Young Lady Su.¡± After Bai Luochu finished, she simply left. After the guard commander saw Bai Luochu leaving, he asked, ¡°Your Highness, why did you agree to her terms so easily?¡± Pei Rumo closed his eyes as though he was resting after a tiring battle. He slowly spoke up, ¡°I am afraid that she had already considered my involvement when she planned her scheme. Right now, we are the arrow on the bow. The only thing left is for her to let go of the bowstring.¡± Chapter 41: Entering the Residence in a Disguise In the early morning, two days later... After Bai Luochu had finished her cultivation session, she put on a disguise as a man and changed her soft smoked gauze robe into male clothes made of sackcloth. She then carefully tied up her hair and after bundling it up, she secured it with a jade hairpin. No matter what, she still looked too immature. Adding on the fact that she came into conflict too many times with Su Luoqing, she probably wouldn''t be able to enter the Su Residence with her usual appearance. Unlike before, she didn¡¯t possess the items she needed to disguise herself as her makeup was managed by Zi Su. Bai Luochu assumed that Zi Su wouldn¡¯t have the ability to turn a woman into a man. After some thought, Bai Luochu had no choice but to look for an average looking mask to wear on her face. The people in this world held a lot of respect for physicians and there were plenty of experts in the world who didn¡¯t care about material wealth. Right now, she was going to rescue Su Luoqing. Thinking about it, the Su Clan had no choice but to treat her as an eccentric and self-righteous expert. ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, the carriage has been prepared. His Highness has been waiting for quite some time, will you please follow this subordinate?¡± The guard commander¡¯s voice came through the closed door. ¡°Wait a moment. I need to grab some stuff.¡± When Bai Luochu heard a voice asking her to hurry up, she quickly took the silver needles and the antidote for the diagnosis and treatment. They had all been prepared in advance. She placed them inside a simple-looking medicine box before heading out. Before she left, she turned back and didn¡¯t forget to bring a ball of silk yarn with her. After all, she was disguised as a man and Su Luoqing was a woman from a noble clan. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t come into direct contact with Su Luoqing¡¯s body. Bai Luochu followed the guard commander and hurried out of the residence, only to see a luxurious carriage parked outside. This carriage was of a similar style and structure as the carriage she had ridden from the Bestial Battle Arena. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately boarded the carriage. She opened the curtain and sat in the middle of the carriage as though she was the owner. Pei Rumo was already used to Bai Luochu¡¯s rude behavior and when he saw her disguise, he was shocked. His brows arched upwards slightly and he immediately understood the reason behind it. He knew that Bai Luochu was a crafty and shrewd individual. He didn¡¯t bother trying to pry further into her business as he ordered for the coachman to steer the carriage towards the Su Residence. Pei Rumo silently sized up Bai Luochu. This was a young lady who had yet to reach adulthood. After removing her female clothing and changing into a robe made for men, she looked like a refined expert. Of course, the mask played a part. The authoritative nobles in the capital of the Cloud Water nation were all situated in the same area. Hence, the Su Residence was just two streets away from the First Prince''s residence. Since they had gone out early in the morning, the streets were empty and were only filled with sparse mist. In less than ten minutes, the carriage arrived at the entrance of the Su Residence. There was already someone waiting at the entrance and it was a middle-aged man. He was wearing luxurious clothes and was a little fat. He was none other than Lord Su. Pei Rumo must have sent a notice of visit to the Su Residence after Bai Luochu had agreed to provide treatment to Su Luoqing. As for the pretext? Bai Luochu guessed that Pei Rumo must have told Lord Su that he had met an eccentric divine physician by chance. He must have also said that he had spent a lot of effort to invite this divine physician into the capital city for several days. When the divine physician arrived, he would also personally bring the physician to diagnose Su Luoqing¡¯s condition. When Bai Luochu thought about it, she couldn¡¯t help but sneer in her heart. She originally thought that her scheme was planned out thoroughly. It seemed like Pei Rumo was also very proficient at scheming as well as he used her plan to sell the Su Clan a favor. As such, she and Pei Rumo played this round of chess perfectly as they made use of each other to obtain their goals. Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be like this? Bai Luochu already knew that the First Prince wasn¡¯t an ordinary man and she was even more certain of her judgment right now. She reminded herself to be more careful and if she had any schemes in the future, she couldn¡¯t underestimate Pei Rumo¡¯s capability. After forming her conclusion, Bai Luochu¡¯s heart calmed down as she followed Pei Rumo off the carriage. ¡°Lord Su is truly considerate for waiting at the entrance at dawn.¡± Pei Rumo immediately exchanged greetings with Lord Su. Lord Su was also a man with extensive experience as he immediately replied, ¡°I simply did what I was supposed to do. First Prince spent so much effort to treat my daughter... Furthermore, since the divine physician traveled here personally, this official simply fulfilled his duties by coming outside to welcome you.¡± As Lord Su spoke, he didn¡¯t forget to bow towards Pei Rumo and Bai Luochu. In response, Bai Luochu returned the greeting before standing back up. ¡°Lord Su is very courteous.¡± As Bai Luochu was wearing a mask, Lord Su couldn¡¯t see her expression. The only thing he could see were her emotionless eyes. There wasn¡¯t any trace of flattery in them. The physician in front of him truly didn¡¯t seem as though he was here to take advantage of the situation. Lord Su couldn¡¯t help but lament as this physician was an extraordinary expert. Since this was the case, he didn¡¯t mind Bai Luochu¡¯s arrogant and rude behavior. Lord Su quickly led them to the inner courtyard and into Su Luoqing¡¯s chamber. Once inside the door, Bai Luochu caught a whiff of a stench. There was also a dejected aura surrounding the area. Bai Luochu let out a cold snort and saw that the Su Clan was truly trying every medicine and physician in this crisis. They even hired those so-called divine physicians to prescribe their rubbish medication. Bai Luochu originally wanted Su Luoqing to suffer for a few days, right now, they almost killed her with their ¡®treatment¡¯. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want Su Luoqing to die. She immediately took out the ball of silk yarn to help Su Luoqing examine her pulse. Once Bai Luochu measured her pulse, she immediately frowned. At first, Bai Luochu simply had to pretend to provide treatment using the needles and feed Su Luoqing the antidote when no one was looking. Right now, after Su Luoqing had been treated by all those quack physicians, not only did Bai Luochu have to feed Su Luoqing the antidote, she even had to use the silver needles to force all the toxins out of her body. Later on, she even had to give a prescription meant for nursing the body. Since things had already come to this stage, Bai Luochu had no choice but to offer a full treatment. She immediately spoke to Lord Su, ¡°When I am conducting my treatment, I do not wish for anyone else to be around. I hope that Lord Su can send away everyone and leave only me and Young Lady Su inside the room.¡± ¡°This¡­ your honor is a man, while my daughter has yet to marry. Such an arrangement isn¡¯t appropriate, right?¡± Lord Su seemed to be placed in a difficult position. ¡°If that is the case, why not let Madam Su watch from the side. In my eyes, there is no difference between men and women. She is simply one of my patients. I do not wish for my medical skills to be stolen by anyone. That was the reason I proposed such an outrageous request. I hope for Lord Su¡¯s forgiveness.¡± As Bai Luochu explained, she bowed. Chapter 42: Providing Treatmen Lord Su immediately sent everyone away and sent someone to bring the madam in. He then whispered something into Madam Su¡¯s ears before leaving the room. Right now, only Bai Luochu, Madam Su, and the bedridden Su Luoqing were left in the room. ¡°If I do anything to offend Young Lady Su, it¡¯s because I have no choice. This poison has already spread throughout her meridians. If I do not use silver needles to force out the poison, it will be harmful to Young Lady Su¡¯s body in the long run. I wish for Madam Su¡¯s understanding.¡± Bai Luochu quietly waited for Madam Su''s approval. ¡°I understand. Can I ask your honor to quickly provide treatment?¡± Madam Su was much more composed than what Bai Luochu had imagined her to be. It seemed like the madam was truly an outstanding person. After obtaining Madam Su¡¯s approval, Bai Luochu started to conduct the treatment. Firstly, she fed the antidote that she had prepared in advance to Su Luoqing. Afterwards, Bai Luochu carefully disinfected the silver needles before starting her treatment. She inserted the needles according to the location of the meridians before forcing out the poison from Su Luoqing¡¯s body. It was unknown how much medicine Su Luoqing had been fed during her ¡®treatment¡¯. The moment the silver needle entered Su Luoqing¡¯s body, filthy black blood oozed out from the eye of the needle. Immediately after, the room was filled with an awful stench. When Madam Su smelled it, she couldn¡¯t help but retch. She immediately took out her handkerchief to cover her nose and mouth. She raised her head to see that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have any trace of reaction. It was only her who felt disgusted by the smell. She immediately felt ashamed and wanted to put down the handkerchief. Just as she brought it down, that smell rushed towards her nose and she almost puked. When Bai Luochu saw it, she consoled the madam. ¡°Madam doesn''t have to mind. This poison is truly vicious and pungent. The smell is indeed a little overbearing. I am simply used to such things and no longer have any reaction to it. A normal person will definitely feel disgusted, Madam doesn¡¯t have to be concerned.¡± When Madam Su heard what Bai Luochu said, she nodded her head with embarrassment and took the handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose. Bai Luochu consoled Madam Su not because she was kind-hearted but because she was worried that Madam Su might really vomit. If that were to happen, it would make the room smell even worse. If Madam Su fainted due to the smell, Bai Luochu would even have to take the time to wake her up, causing more trouble. Why not take the initiative to say something and prevent such troubles from happening? After spending the time it took to burn two sticks of incense, Su Luoqing¡¯s body was finally cleared of the poisoned blood. Bai Luochu pulled out the silver needles and sealed Su Luoqing¡¯s acupoints. She then asked Madam Su to get someone to clean up both the room and Su Luoqing. As such, the treatment was completed. When Bai Luochu exited from Su Luoqing¡¯s chamber, she immediately saw Lord Su¡¯s anxious expression. She spoke frankly, ¡°Lord Su, I didn¡¯t fail to live up to your expectations.¡± Such a simple statement was enough for Lord Su to understand that his daughter was going to be fine. Lord Su quickly thanked Bai Luochu and went inside to take a look. When he saw that Su Luoqing had yet to regain consciousness, he turned back and asked, ¡°Divine physician, this... why isn¡¯t she awake yet?¡± ¡°No need to be anxious. The poison in her body had already fused into her blood. I forced out all the poison from her body and she is currently suffering from the lack of blood and qi. I will provide a prescription for her. After consuming it for a few days, there will be no problem.¡± Bai Luochu knew that Lord Su was truly guileless in his love for his daughter. No wonder Su Luoqing was so spoiled and had so many shortcomings. ¡°Oh, will your honor please move to the study room and write down the prescription? In order to thank your honor, I ordered the Madam to prepare a small feast. I hope that your honor can do us the honor of being gracious hosts.¡± ¡°There is no need for a feast. Young Lady Su still has to recuperate. The noise and extravagance will be detrimental to her health. Furthermore, I am studying the art of fasting and it isn¡¯t convenient for me to take part in the feast. Why not let my lord remember this favor today? If there comes a day where I need help, I hope Lord Su can remember the favor of saving his beloved daughter.¡± If Bai Luochu had stayed behind for the feast, she would naturally have to participate in social interaction. She had always hated those people who flattered and sweet-talked. Besides, she would have to take off her mask in order to eat. Right now, she didn¡¯t alter her facial appearance and might just expose some flaws. If that happened, nothing would make up for the fact that she was the one who poisoned Su Luoqing in the first place. All her effort to plot and scheme would go down the drain. Furthermore, she was truly in a hurry to return. She wanted to wash off the odor as soon as she could. Seeing how Bai Luochu firmly refused to stay, Lord Su didn¡¯t try to keep the physician. Thinking about how this physician saved his daughter, it was nothing for him to owe the physician a favor. ¡°Since that is the case, this one will spare the civilities. Your honor saved my daughter¡¯s life, this nobody will remember the favor.¡± Bai Luochu then followed Lord Su to the study room where she wrote down the prescription for Su Luoqing. After making sure that there were no errors, she handed it to Lord Su. This prescription to recover the qi and blood was a common prescription and naturally wouldn¡¯t expose anything. She was naturally willing to hand it over. After all, the treatment she provided to Su Luoqing was through her acupuncture technique. Madam Su shouldn¡¯t have been able to pick up on anything. As such, the risk of this dangerous chess move from her was considered to be negated. When Lord Su received the prescription, he personally escorted Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo out of the Su Residence. After he returned, he sent someone to report to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor while asking another person to purchase the medicine for Su Luoqing. When Bai Luochu returned to the residence, she didn¡¯t bother about the First Prince and immediately headed back to her chambers. She then asked Zi Su to draw some water for her to take a bath. After washing and scrubbing her body, it was already time for lunch. Bai Luochu might have a laid-back personality normally, but she was also extremely particular about cleanliness. After experiencing the disgusting stench from Su Luoqing¡¯s body, she was nauseated and she couldn¡¯t even take a bite of her lunch. She lit some incense and asked Zi Su to burn those clothes she wore to the Su Residence before she could sit down and eat in peace. Zi Su saw that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to say anything and as her servant, Zi Su didn¡¯t press the matter. Since Bai Luochu had gone out together with His Highness, she couldn¡¯t have caused any trouble. Chapter 43: Second Prince’s Night Visi It seemed like her goal was met. The corner of Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth arched up slightly. The disgusting feeling of that strange odor had been wiped out and she seemed to be in a brilliant mood, allowing her to eat a few more bites of the lunch. When Zi Su saw that Bai Luochu was in a good mood, she gathered her courage to ask, ¡°Young Lady, I heard that the divine physician was invited by the First Prince. Then¡­ Could this divine physician perhaps be the Young Lady?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t try to hide the fact and nodded. ¡°It is me.¡± ¡°Young Lady actually has such skill! This is really great. Young Lady will definitely be respected in the future.¡± Zi Su was very happy to hear this information and it felt as though she was truly happy for Bai Luochu. ¡°That¡¯s right. After dinner today, you can go and rest. Treat it as a short break.¡± Bai Luochu looked at Zi Su and said. Zi Su thought that Bai Luochu was feeling happy because she would be a respected physician in the future. She agreed in delight as she thought that she would be able to enjoy some benefits when Bai Luochu was happy. In fact, this was all going according to Bai Luochu¡¯s plan. Since she was now considered a renowned figure in the capital city, that person she was waiting for should be paying a visit to her tonight. Even after nightfall, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t cultivate and she simply did some light reading. It was her most leisurely night since her reincarnation. Even though she was reading the book, the page stayed the same. It was obvious that the book was just a cover as Bai Luochu was quietly waiting for something. It was deep into the night. Today was the first day of the month and a crescent moon hung in the sky. The night wasn¡¯t bright and beautiful but the stars sparkled in the darkness, making them particularly resplendent. As Bai Luochu was reading, she became more and more curious. Why wasn¡¯t that person here yet? Just as she was thinking about it, the sound of a door opening entered her ears. ¡°Young Lady must have waited for a long time. I am late.¡± The voice belonged to none other than the Second Prince, Pei Qingfeng. ¡°I have been expecting you for a long time, Your Highness.¡± Bai Luochu placed the book in her hands down and looked towards Pei Qingfeng while speaking indifferently. When Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t move, he knew that he would have to bring out the previously mentioned reward before they could continue the discussion. ¡°I have already prepared and brought the reward that you asked for previously. Will Young Lady please take a look.¡± As he finished speaking, he opened up the box that was filled with medicinal ingredients and placed it in front of Bai Luochu. ¡°Is the Second Prince here to look for me to treat an illness?¡± Bai Luochu asked a question she already had an answer to. Pei Qingfeng understood that Bai Luochu was angry because of his distrust towards her. Also, it was because he allowed Su Luoqing to vent her anger on her. Right now, Bai Luochu was definitely thinking of venting her anger on him. Pei Qingfeng spoke calmly. ¡°The poison in my body is weird. Young Lady once mentioned that you are unable to neutralize it with your current ability. I don¡¯t wish for Young Lady to be overly troubled. Today, I am here for Young Lady to treat my legs.¡± Pei Qingfeng considered curing the poison array in his body, but it was just too difficult. He also had to observe this Young Lady¡¯s ability before he made a decision. He couldn¡¯t make a rash decision and allow her to neutralize the poison in his body. There was another thing. If the poison truly needed one to exhaust a lot of mental and physical strength, he didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for her. Most importantly, the contest for the throne was getting more intense and there were more people monitoring him. He wasn¡¯t able to guarantee that those people wouldn¡¯t notice the flaw, or lack thereof, in his legs. It was better to plan in advance. ¡°Sure. Your Second Highness doesn¡¯t have to worry. I will definitely treat your legs and make it so that outsiders will not be able to notice anything wrong. I can even make it fully recover whenever you want them to.¡± Bai Luochu spoke convincingly without a change in expression. ¡°Then you may begin.¡± Pei Qingfeng said without hesitation. Bai Luochu carefully disinfected the silver needles and when she was about to prick on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s acupoints, she noticed Pei Qingfeng pulling back. ¡°Your Highness doesn¡¯t have to worry. These silver needles are brand new. The ones that I used for Young Lady Su¡¯s treatment were for forcing out the poisoned blood. I already threw them away.¡± Bai Luochu managed to guess Pei Qingfeng¡¯s concern and she quickly provided an explanation. Pei Qingfeng seemed relaxed after listening to the explanation. He finally felt at ease to allow Bai Luochu to treat his legs. Once the silver needles entered the acupoints, Pei Qingfeng felt his legs going slightly numb. He gradually lost his ability to move them. Bai Luochu¡¯s treatment was rather quick and she only took the time it took one stick of incense to burn in order to turn Pei Qingfeng¡¯s legs the way he wanted it. She then took out a bottle of pills and handed it over to Pei Qingfeng before explaining, ¡°In order to prevent these legs from burdening you, you can consume these pills in an emergency. It will allow you to regain the functions of your legs for a short period of time.¡± The secret guard that came along with the Second Prince saw that Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face was rather pale and he instantly assumed that something went wrong during the treatment. He questioned, ¡°Why is His Highness¡¯ complexion so awful?!¡± Perhaps due to his impatience and overprotection of his lord, the guard sounded a little anxious. ¡°Have you ever seen a patient afflicted with a grave disease with a florid complexion?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t mind it and she looked at the guard like she was looking at a retard. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I simply made your complexion a little unsightly. In fact, it doesn¡¯t do any actual harm to you.¡± Bai Luochu casually explained to Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng nodded. He naturally understood the condition of his body better than anyone else. When he looked at his numbed and ¡®useless¡¯ legs, he felt even more confident in Bai Luochu¡¯s abilities. ¡°You must be tired after all the work. It is already deep into the night. I shall take my leave.¡± As soon as the words entered her ears, Pei Qingfeng disappeared into the night. Bai Luochu looked at the dark sky and stretched her body. She washed her face and rinsed her mouth before going to sleep. The next day, early in the morning... Bai Luochu finished her cultivation session and Zi Su had just finished freshening her up. Before she even had the chance to have breakfast, someone sent a message. ¡°Young Lady, the First Prince has requested that you make your preparations. The Empress Dowager has called for Divine Physician Bai to enter the palace.¡± Empress Dowager? Bai Luochu had to respond to the summons from the Empress Dowager. She pondered for a moment and replied, ¡°I understand. Please wait for a moment for me to pack up some things.¡± She then put on her disguise as Divine Physician Bai before taking the things required for diagnosis and treatment. She then headed to the front hall and followed the eunuch who had been waiting for her. The palace was still as huge as ever. Only after making plenty of turns did they arrive at the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. As soon as Bai Luochu entered the palace hall, she saw a graceful, poised, and aged woman seated on the host seat in the hall. Bai Luochu recalled the appearance of the Empress Dowager during the palace banquet and assumed that they were the same person. Chapter 44: The Empress Dowager’s Summon If someone were to ask Bai Luochu why she was so respectful to the Empress Dowager, they were thinking too much. To Bai Luochu, the First Prince¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t anything special, the imperial authority wasn¡¯t considered anything in her eyes. Thus, the Empress Dowager couldn¡¯t be considered anything in her eyes as well. To Bai Luochu, there were only useful and useless people. The current Empress Dowager was useful to her. Fortunately, due to her status as the divine physician, the Empress Dowager wasn¡¯t hard on her and immediately asked Bai Luochu to stand up. ¡°Divine Physician, quickly stand up. There is no need for formalities. Men! Bring Divine Physician Bai to his seat.¡± Bai Luochu bowed again before sitting down. ¡°Actually this Empress asked someone to invite Divine Physician over for no other reason than to thank you. Firstly, it is for me to thank Divine Physician for saving Qing¡¯er. Secondly, there is a favor I need to ask. I am already of a certain age and my body definitely has some minor problems. I wish that Divine Physician can do a thorough check up for me. Even if there isn¡¯t a permanent solution to my problems, it will be good if my body can feel a little more relaxed.¡± The Empress Dowager spoke the truth and with the heavenly prestige of the imperial clan, there was no reason to evade this task. It was fortunate that Bai Luochu had already guessed it. Furthermore, diagnosing and treating illnesses weren¡¯t difficult tasks for her. Therefore, she agreed. ¡°This commoner gives his thanks to Empress Dowager for her trust. I will do my best to diagnose Empress Dowager and provide treatment.¡± ¡°Then, I shall thank Divine Physician Bai for the trouble.¡± As soon as Bai Luochu felt the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse, she knew that she had been living a luxurious life. Now that she was of a certain age and her body was no longer like before, some problems naturally appeared as she continued to enjoy the lavish meals in the imperial palace. ¡°Empress Dowager, do you feel that you have no appetite and you are lacking power in your limbs? Your spirit doesn''t seem to be too good as well...¡± Bai Luochu was certain of the problems, but she still had to ask due to respect. ¡°Divine Physician is correct. There aren¡¯t any real major problems. It¡¯s just that my body doesn¡¯t feel as great as before. Is there any problem?¡± The Empress Dowager asked with concern. ¡°If that is the case, I will have to trouble Divine Physician Bai. In order to facilitate Divine Physician¡¯s entry to the palace, I will send someone to bring an access token to the First Prince''s residence. You will be able to enter the palace freely.¡± ¡°Since that is the case, this commoner shall accept Empress Dowager¡¯s request. I will be entering the palace to provide treatment for Empress Dowager every seven days. No matter what, in this forbidden palace, rules must still be obeyed. I will ask the First Prince to send a notice of visit one day in advance to avoid clashing with the other nobles.¡± After hearing how Bai Luochu spoke, the admiration in the Empress Dowager¡¯s heart became stronger. She was even more firm in her opinion of Divine Physician Bai. Since Bai Luochu was already here, she provided an acupuncture treatment on the spot. She then wrote down the things to take note of in the Empress Dowager¡¯s diet, asking the servant girls in the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace to note it down. After making all the arrangements, she bade farewell to the Empress Dowager and returned to the First Prince''s residence. Since she was summoned by the Empress Dowager, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to rest. Divine Physician Bai¡¯s great reputation spread like wildfire and apart from entering the palace every seven days to provide treatment to the Empress Dowager, Bai Luochu had been invited by all the aristocratic clans in the capital city. She also used this opportunity and got to know plenty of young masters. If anyone were to ask who was the most popular person in the capital city, it would undoubtedly be Divine Physician Bai. In a single month, Bai Luochu made use of the name of Divine Physician Bai as she did well in the capital city. Time flew and before she knew it, one month had passed. After a month, there were more Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples who had arrived in the imperial city. There were also plenty of youths with great innate talents and exceptional cultivation gathering in the capital city. They came from the other regions of the Cloud Water Nation. Bai Luochu was initially doubtful but she suddenly recalled that it had already been a month since the palace banquet. She remembered that it should be the time for the Phoenix King Valley to accept new disciples. That explained the arrival of so many talents in the capital city. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but feel angry at herself for her carelessness. She had been too busy the entire month and had actually forgotten about such an important matter! Seeing so many powerful individuals, Bai Luochu had decided that this was the best timing for her to secretly recruit soldiers! On one side, Bai Luochu had small abacus in her hand as she played with it. The Second Prince also had his plans. ¡°Your Highness, the Young Lady used the name of Divine Physician Bai to create a great reputation for herself in the capital city. Her business is booming too. Many people in the capital city already knew that Divine Physician Bai is staying as a guest in the First Prince''s residence. Some of the nobles can¡¯t sit still and all of them are visiting the First Prince¡¯s residence in succession. The doorstep of the First Prince''s residence is going to be leveled soon!¡± When the Second Prince¡¯s personal servant saw how his lord was still so calm and not anxious about his own body condition, he got rather anxious for the Second Prince. ¡°Since that is the case, let us go seek treatment from this ¡®Divine Physician Bai¡¯.¡± As he finished his statement, Pei Qingfeng made his preparations and headed to the First Prince''s residence to look for Bai Luochu for a ¡®diagnosis¡¯. He could even provide her with some fame. Just like this, Pei Qingfeng went over in the name of seeking treatment. He came into contact with Divine Physician Bai every few days and could be seen entering the First Prince¡¯s residence frequently. Some of the people even heard from the servants of the First Prince''s residence that this Second Prince was addressing this Divine Physician Bai as brothers when they were in private. The nobles in the capital city were paying attention and after hearing these rumors from the streets, they immediately believed it. Immediately after, they started to treat Divine Physician Bai more courteously. Moreover, the Second Prince had always been one to obtain the commoners¡¯ approval. When these commoners saw how the Second Prince treated Divine Physician Bai, they felt even more respect and love for Divine Physician Bai. As such, the reputation of Divine Physician Bai soared high into the sky. ¡°Is everyone in the city saying such things?¡± When Bai Luochu heard the rumors in the capital city, she couldn¡¯t help but grow curious. ¡°It is true. But Young Lady, I don¡¯t think it is a bad thing. After all, the better the Young Lady¡¯s reputation, the easier it will be for you to do things in the future.¡± Bai Luochu nodded with skepticism but she got the answer that she wanted. The rumors in the capital city were probably related to the Second Prince. These rumors were indeed beneficial to her but the question was¡­ why was Pei Qingfeng doing her a favor? Chapter 45: Title of Divine Physician ¡°How is it? Is the reputation of our Divine Physician Bai even more well known now?¡± Pei Qingfeng already knew about the rumors in the capital city and had intentionally phrased the question. He wanted to seek some benefits from Bai Luochu. ¡°So you¡¯re the one doing all this! I was sure the members of the First Prince¡¯s residence were keeping their mouths shut. It was impossible for information to leak out.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that the Second Prince was here to look for her once again, she became annoyed. Recently, he had been very diligent in making use of the excuse of ¡°treating his legs¡± and would stay for a long time. Bai Luochu was at the limit of her patience but she couldn¡¯t just chase him out. She had to force a smile as she replied. When Pei Qingfeng saw Bai Luochu¡¯s forceful smile, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He tried to tease Bai Luochu again. ¡°I say¡­ if you don¡¯t want to smile, don¡¯t do it. You look unsightly. You are originally not that beautiful of a woman to begin with. When you do this, it makes you look even more ugly.¡± ¡°Then I shall not soil Your Highness¡¯ eyes and would like for Your Second Highness to leave. Please return to your residence.¡± When Bai Luochu heard how Pei Qingfeng was teasing her, she was infuriated. Her jaws were clenched tight as she spat out her latest statement. It was as though she wanted to chop Pei Qingfeng up into many pieces. Seeing how Bai Luochu was getting angry, Pei Qingfeng was even more delighted. In the end, he withdrew his intention to tease and spoke casually with Bai Luochu, ¡°Oh Divine Physician Bai, after seeing how I took the trouble to help boost your reputation, shouldn¡¯t you do something in exchange?¡± Pei Qingfeng originally wanted to see Bai Luochu¡¯s bashful face as she said, ¡°In your dreams, I am not going to give you myself in exchange.¡± He would then continue to tease her. Who would have known that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t one to follow common sense. He saw Bai Luochu¡¯s huge frown as she clenched her teeth tightly. She thought for a long time before replying, ¡°10%, at most 10%. In the future, when you come and look for me for treatment. I¡­ I will give you a 10% discount on the fees.¡± This time, it was Pei Qingfeng who became so angry he almost choked on his saliva. He took a few deep breaths before he said to Bai Luochu, ¡°My goodness, then this Pei fella must really thank Divine Physician Bai for his generosity.¡± ¡°You are welcome. You and I address each other as brothers. Now that you have put in so much effort for me, I naturally have to treat you with more courtesy.¡± Bai Luochu had been quarrelling with Pei Qingfeng recently. She knew that when he was angry, he would address himself as ¡®Pei fella¡¯. Seeing that she had successfully turned the tables, Bai Luochu was in a great mood. The fake smile on her face turned into a real one. ¡°I will not be staying for lunch as I still have many things to handle. I shall take my leave now.¡± As Pei Qingfeng finished speaking, he asked his personal servant to push his wheelchair and quickly exited the courtyard. When Zi Su saw that Pei Qingfeng was far away, she let out a mischievous and dubious smile before speaking to Bai Luochu. ¡°Young Lady. The Second Prince obviously has important matters to take care of. However, he enters the residence every few days to chat with you. What do you think about it?¡± ¡°Is there a need to ask? He¡¯s a prince but he¡¯s still such a miser. He¡¯s trying to hang around me to save money for his diagnosis fee.¡± Bai Luochu was wholeheartedly thinking of the dishes inside of Zi Su¡¯s food box and replied half-heartedly. ¡°The Second Prince even took all the trouble to build up your reputation. Why did he do that? In my opinion, this Second Prince must be¡­¡± Before Zi Su could finish talking, she was interrupted by Luochu¡¯s coughs, ¡°Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough¡­¡± Bai Luochu quickly drank a mouthful of water to swallow the rice that she choked on and turned around to speak with Zi Su, ¡°You better discard that preposterous imagination. A single statement from him is already enough to make me die from the pressure. Do you think that there could be something between me and him? Why don¡¯t you say that I can marry an immortal in the heavens? That sounds much more possible.¡± When Zi Su saw how Bai Luochu spoke so resolutely about the possibility, Zi Su quickly swallowed the words in her mouth. ¡°What are people saying about me now?¡± When Bai Luochu thought about what a great opportunity Pei Qingfeng was giving her, her mood was great. She wanted to know what the masses were saying about her. ¡°The commoners are saying that Divine Physician Bai isn¡¯t just proficient in the medical field. He is also very amiable and approachable. He doesn¡¯t have those eccentric habits of those so-called experts. In addition¡­ in addition to the fact that Young Lady is disguising yourself as a rather handsome young man, there are plenty of young ladies who are secretly having affections for you!¡± As Zi Su spoke the latter part of her statement, she couldn¡¯t help but speak with a trace of mischief. Bai Luochu raised her brows and pretended to reprimand Zi Su, ¡°You brat! You truly dare to say anything now huh? When I take on the identity of Divine Physician Bai in public, the mask never left my face. How can those people know if I am handsome or not? What if I am wearing a mask because of my hideous appearance?¡± ¡°Aiya, Young Lady, don¡¯t you still have your heroic aura and figure? Furthermore, the title of ¡®Divine Physician¡¯ won a lot of bonus points!¡± When Zi Su saw that Bai Luochu was unconvinced, she immediately explained and made extreme efforts to prove that the information that she gathered was all the truth. It was true that Bai Luochu¡¯s current body was much more slender as compared to other ladies. In addition to the aura that she already had since her previous life, she truly had the appearance of a semi-mature young man. When Bai Luochu saw how Zi Su was behaving, she couldn¡¯t help but shake her head silently. She finally finished her lunch as she dismissed Zi Su. After seeing Zi Su walking faraway, Bai Luochu took out a name list of aristocratic descendants that she had requested from the First Prince. She carefully circled some names and these people weren¡¯t descendants from first class aristocratic clans, It could even be said that these people were simply children from declining and waning clans. If one had to find something in common about them, it would be their rather competent cultivation levels. These people were the easiest to subdue, weren¡¯t they? They weren¡¯t as arrogant as those descendants of noble aristocratic clans and they made the decision to participate in the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s selections in order to raise the standings of their clans. As long as these people had some grievance in their hearts, she would be able to think of a method to convince them. After all, they were just some kids who were full of mettle. They were all young and inexperienced. They weren¡¯t like those cunning old foxes who knew how to scheme. As soon as they boarded her ¡®pirate ship¡¯, it would certainly be impossible for them to get off in the future. On the other side, she obtained a list of ordinary people from the Second Prince. They were descendants from ordinary families who wanted to participate in the selection. When she had the time, she was prepared to go observe them to see if they could be of use to her. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t so naive to think that she could rely on herself to revive her temple. After all, she was just a slave servant in the First Prince¡¯s residence... Chapter 46: Plotting What a coincidence. Bai Luochu wanted to form a proper scheme with the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciple selection in mind. The Phoenix King Valley was Bai Luochu¡¯s sworn enemy in her previous life. Actually, it would be an understatement to say that they were her sworn enemy. There was a saying, ¡°The ones who understand you the most aren¡¯t your friends but your enemies.¡± This saying was the most appropriately used to describe Bai Luochu and the Phoenix King Valley. Bai Luochu knew about the true nature of the members from the Phoenix King Valley. They were people who made use of the fact that they were from the Three Great Immortal Sects and thought highly of themselves. They would always act with their noses pointed towards the heavens and would only respect the people with influence. They treated people below them with disdain. Right now, they were willing to attend the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet mainly because they had to accept a new batch of disciples. They might even be plotting something sinister. The Phoenix King Valley naturally didn¡¯t treat those descendants from poor clans or from waning aristocratic clans kindly. It was highly possible that these descendants would be beaten up by the Phoenix King Valley without being able to put up the slightest bit of resistance. Furthermore, they were probably going to be ridiculed in public as they were humiliated by the disciples. When that happened, it would be Bai Luochu¡¯s best chance to offer assistance and recruit them. After suffering humiliation, their hearts would be filled with rage and as time elapsed, the rage would ultimately develop into disgust and hatred for the Phoenix King Valley. By then, they would become the sharpest treasure sword that Bai Luochu would use to point at the Phoenix King Valley! Of course, she had to personally go to the competition ground to observe their performance. Apart from inspecting their strength, she had to observe the moves they used and how they behaved after their defeat. This was so she could judge their character and mental state. This was to prevent herself from recruiting some devious individuals. After all, she had been stabbed in the back by someone she trusted in her previous life and it wasn¡¯t a great feeling. Thinking about the betrayal, Bai Luochu felt a slight throbbing pain in her heart. It wasn¡¯t because of Lu Wenshu, but the heartache for her disciples. After all, they were the innocent ones and were in a miserable predicament now because she failed to recognize her betrayer¡¯s evil intentions. After some contemplation, her plan to recruit soldiers was finally at the fledgling stage. Bai Luochu was preparing to cultivate before making a detailed plan. She had to rapidly increase her strength as she couldn¡¯t possibly lead a faction if she was the weakest cultivator present. ¡°Your Highness, this subordinate doesn¡¯t understand the reason behind Master¡¯s preferential treatment towards Divine Physician Bai.¡± The personal guard beside Pei Qingfeng was extremely puzzled. ¡°Why do you think she has been going through so much trouble to provide treatment for everyone during this period of time?¡± Pei Qingfeng had a smile on his face and spoke in a lively tone. It was obvious he was in a good mood. That guard pondered for a long time before he scratched his head and replied, ¡°To know more high-ranking officials and noble clans?¡± His tone was rather doubtful and he didn¡¯t sound very certain. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s folding fan opened up with a ¡°flap¡± while he answered indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s correct. What she wants now are reputation and connections. If I were to help her at this stage, she will be able to know even more people and obtain even more resources. The more resources she obtains, the faster she will be able to cultivate. It also increases her chances of survival. Doesn¡¯t that increase the chance for me to cure the poison array in my body?¡± That guard nodded and seemed as though he had thought of something. ¡°Something isn¡¯t right. Divine Physician Bai has been treating princes very coldly and I heard that when she was providing treatment to Young Lady Su, she was also very indifferent. Why does she want to seek connections with those people? This line of reasoning isn¡¯t right!¡± Pei Qingfeng silently thought that his guard was all brawn and no brain. Other than knowing how to fight, he knew nothing else! With no choice, Pei Qingfeng explained, ¡°She is someone who treats everyone coldly. Look at her being invited to various residences to be a guest physician. Did her expression ever change? She is a highly intelligent person and she probably understands that moving about in the Cloud Water Nation isn¡¯t going to be an easy task. She is currently preparing a route of retreat for herself. After all, she is just a human slave bought by the First Prince. In the Cloud Water Nation, a slave¡¯s life never had any value.¡± That guard suddenly realized it and nodded his head repeatedly. He praised, ¡°So that is the case. This subordinate really didn¡¯t consider things thoroughly, I hope for His Highness to forgive this subordinate¡¯s rude reaction.¡± Pei Qingfeng closed his folding fan and gently knocked at the back of the guard¡¯s hand. He seemed to rebuke, ¡°What are you thinking... How can you be so impatient after following me for so many years? You really need to work on your comprehension skills.¡± Pei Qingfeng obviously didn¡¯t treat this guard as an outsider as he was much more at ease in front of him. The guard immediately responded, ¡°Hehe, isn¡¯t Your Highness here to provide in-depth analysis? I will just take responsibility by putting my life on the line.¡± ¡°Garrulous.¡± Pei Qingfeng laughed and shook his head with a helpless expression. He then immediately asked the guard to steer his carriage back to the Second Prince''s residence. However, the guard didn¡¯t know that Pei Qingfeng had only told him half of the truth he had guessed. It was to prevent the guard from revealing any information in front of the shrewd Bai Luochu. There was a chance this lass was trying to stir up the muddy waters in the Cloud Water Nation.. When Pei Qingfeng thought about this, he turned to look at the Cloud Water Nation imperial palace. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh silently. The Cloud Water Nation was just like a vast ocean, it had a calm surface but roaring undercurrents that nobody could see. Right now, this little servant girl had seen through it all. It seemed as though the nation would be thrown into chaos by this little lass soon. No one would expect that Bai Luochu who was originally a female slave who was struggling to survive in the Bestial Battle Arena would be setting off a huge wave and storm on this continent in the near future. The moment Pei Qingfeng entered the residence, one of the servants leaned over and whispered something into his ear. His originally smiling expression turned grave. As though he guessed something, the guard hurriedly said, ¡°Your Highness, this subordinate will push you into the study room.¡± Chapter 47: The Whole Story ¡°How is it? Did you find anything?¡± Pei Qingfeng had a calm expression on his face as his brows were slightly raised into the air. He saw this black-clothed man nod repeatedly before replying, ¡°This subordinate didn¡¯t fail Your Second Highness and investigated everything thoroughly.¡± When Pei Qingfeng heard these words, he immediately waved his hand, indicating for the guard to stand guard at the entrance to not let anyone approach. If anything happened outside, the guard could also report to him immediately. This time, he asked for the investigation of a person who was a mystery and it was better to be prudent. When the guard saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s indication, he quickly pushed Pei Qingfeng behind the study table to face the black-clothed man. He quickly took his leave and closed the doors tightly as though he wanted to prevent any sound from escaping the study room. After doing everything, he stood still at the entrance and fulfilled his role as a competent guard. ¡°Report everything you investigated in detail. We are in the residence now and there is no need to bother if others might be listening.¡± Pei Qingfeng placed his elbow on the table and used his hand to support his face. Others might think that he wasn¡¯t paying attention but the black-clothed man understood that his master wanted to know everything, down to the slightest detail. He didn¡¯t dare to be careless. ¡°Reporting to Your Highness. The person you ordered this subordinate to investigate goes by the name of Luo Chu. She is the only daughter of the former military great general. In order to rescue the late Emperor, the general and his wife had sacrificed their lives. Due to the late Emperor¡¯s fond memories of the great general¡¯s loyalty and favor, he betrothed the then baby Luo Chu to the current Third Prince, who is also known as Pei Wuchen. This betrothal was something that disappeared in the annals of time and only His Majesty and the Third Prince remembers it.¡± Betrothal to the Third Prince? ¡°Alright, I understand. Apart from that, did you find out anything else?¡± Pei Qingfeng nodded and asked again. He wanted to know everything. The black-clothed man naturally didn¡¯t dare to neglect Pei Qingfeng and carried on his report. ¡°About a month ago, Young Lady Luo Chu who should have been in the residence suddenly appeared in the Bestial Battle Arena. Furthermore¡­ she appeared as a female slave.¡± Speaking up to this point, the black-clothed man inevitably paused a little. After all, the Luo Chu he was speaking about was considered a descendant of a martyr. Even if she wasn¡¯t a part of the elite noble clans in the capital, she shouldn¡¯t fall into slavery. Moreover, the person who sent Luochu into slavery was someone no one would suspect. ¡°She was originally about to be eaten by a spirit beast, but she suddenly woke up. She, who was originally helpless, immediately killed that spirit beast. In the next few battles, she would win the battles one by one. It seems like she changed into a completely different person.¡± ¡°There is also another thing. After she woke up in the arena, it seemed like¡­ her soul had left her body. Not only did she forget everything in the past, her character also changed drastically. Half a month ago, she was bought by the First Prince from the Bestial Battle Arena. As for the things that happened afterwards, Your Highness already knows everything." ¡°Do you know why she was thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena? Who was the one who did it?¡± Pei Qingfeng obviously wanted to understand everything about Bai Luochu. The black-clothed man paused and seemed to be arranging his words before he reported to Pei Qingfeng. ¡°The one who threw Young Lady Luo Chu into the Bestial Battle Arena wasn¡¯t anyone else but the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s daughter¡­ Feng Wan¡¯er! The reason was obvious. Feng Wan¡¯er and the Third Prince, Pei Wuchen, had been together since they were young. They developed feelings for each other after their long years of interaction.¡± This betrothal that no one knew of was found out by Feng Wan¡¯er for some reason. She felt that Luo Chu was practically a stain between herself and the Third Prince and she sent someone to threaten Luochu to break the marriage. Who knew that Luo Chu might have crippled meridians, but had an unyielding character like the former general? She didn¡¯t agree no matter what. Feng Wan¡¯er was so infuriated that she asked someone to throw Young Lady Luo Chu into the Bestial Battle Arena¡­¡± This black-clothed man¡¯s voice got softer and softer. Pei Qingfeng seemed to detect something and asked, ¡°Does Third Brother know of this matter?¡± This secret guard¡¯s heart thumped as he was whining silently. He thought about how it was a bad thing his Lord was so clever and was able to guess everything before he even spoke. The Second Prince had truly touched on the sore spot of his subordinate, making this black-clothed man¡¯s voice even softer before he replied carefully, ¡°This¡­ the Third Prince seemed to know about the threatening of Young Lady Luo Chu, but as for whether the Third Prince knew if Young Lady Luo Chu had been thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena... this subordinate wasn¡¯t able to find out anything.¡± After that black-clothed man¡¯s words left his mouth, Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t ask anymore. The study room turned extremely quiet, even the air seemed to stagnate a little. After quite a while, Pei Qingfeng spoke again, ¡°Alright. You are not the one responsible for this lack of information. Why are you feeling guilty? I simply asked you to investigate but you seem rather concerned over it. Enough, you may be dismissed. Close the doors tightly and don¡¯t let that fellow at the door come in.¡± Pei Qingfeng pursed his lips and sipped the slightly cold tea beside him as he dismissed the black-clothed man. The black-clothed man had incessant grievances in his heart. His lord had finally set his heart on a young lady! She was the only person who could enter his heart and right now, his investigation had clear indications that this young lady had gone through so much suffering due to her official fianc¨¦, who was also his lord¡¯s third younger brother, the current Third Prince! The black-clothed man was afraid that his lord would be so angry that he would cause harm to himself. If his lord fell sick due to rage, he could use the excuse to seek treatment from Divine Physician Bai. But if he was injured, there would be no one to care for or love him. How could he not be concerned?! Even though those were his thoughts, his face remained expressionless. ¡°Understood, my lord. This subordinate will take his leave!¡± Chapter 48: Suspicion ¡°Hey, why did you close the door? I still have to enter to serve His Highness!¡± When the guard at the door saw the black-clothed man closing the door so tightly, he was puzzled and didn¡¯t think too much about it. He raised his hand to open the door. When the black-clothed man saw what was happening, he quickly obstructed the guard¡¯s ¡®sinful hand¡¯ that was about the open the door and softly persuaded, ¡°His Highness had specially instructed me to close the door tightly after I leave and not to let you enter.¡± The guard was immediately displeased and defended himself, ¡°Why can¡¯t I enter? I won¡¯t trouble His Highness anyway. I just want to enter and serve His Highness. Why can¡¯t I do that?¡± This black-clothed man obviously knew that the guard had a simpleton¡¯s brain. He was in a hurry to enter not because he wanted to serve His Highness. He only wanted to ask His Highness about the report he just received. The Second Prince must have predicted this in advance and knew that if the guard were to enter, his head would definitely explode. In the study room, Pei Qingfeng had already detected the commotion outside and in order to stop the guard from arguing and making things difficult for the black-clothed man, he simply spoke up, ¡°Wait outside for now. After I think through this matter, I will naturally let you in.¡± Hearing his own lord speaking up to forbid his entry, the guard calmed down. However there was an indignant look on his face. It was evident that the black-clothed man had a good relationship with this guard. When he saw how wronged the guard felt, he felt spirited. He raised a brow and asked with a smile, ¡°Do you know what His Highness is thinking about?¡± The guard unwillingly nodded and replied, ¡°I know. You just reported the information you obtained after looking into the matter for the past few days. His Highness is naturally trying to digest all this information.¡± ¡°Mhm. Do you know the target of the investigation?¡± That black-clothed man saw that the guard knew several things and he continued to guide him. ¡°Yes... It is regarding Divine Physician Bai.¡± The guard nodded unwillingly again. ¡°Let me ask you a question. Don¡¯t you think that His Highness is very meticulous when it comes to Divine Physician Bai?¡± The black-clothed man saw that the guard was nodding reluctantly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? During recent years, His Highness has never been so caring about a young lady before, let alone allowing one to get near him. Right now, there is finally someone who can approach His Highness. Do you think we should disturb His Highness now?¡± The black-clothed man raised his brows and wanted to see what the guard would do. The guard thought for a moment and it seemed like something clicked. He silently stood outside the door like a proper guard. Far away in the First Prince''s residence, Bai Luochu was currently refining her plan to recruit members and suddenly sneezed. Did my immune system weaken because of my excessive cultivation? Should I wear additional layers of clothing or should I prescribe some cold medication for myself... Pei Qingfeng had already memorized the information that his subordinate had brought back and he believed in his subordinates¡¯ capability. They might look laid-back normally but when he needed information, they were really reliable. Hence, he didn¡¯t think that the information his subordinate had brought back would be false. As for the engagement between Pei Wuchen and the former general¡¯s orphan, Pei Qingfeng had already heard rumors of it. He had even secretly investigated it himself. He knew a little about Bai Luochu and knew that she was born with innately crippled meridians because the general¡¯s wife suffered some injury during her pregnancy phase. Furthermore, Luo Chu¡¯s character was innately pure and kind, similar to the great general. Putting aside her upright character, she was even more obstinate. She valued promises and was a warmhearted person. But because of her character and her weak body, she suffered from a lot of bullying. Finally, she was thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena. When thinking about this, Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t help but pause his thoughts. He muttered to himself, ¡°Soul leaving the body? Wasn¡¯t that amnesia? A drastic change in personality¡­¡± Right at this moment, Pei Qingfeng suddenly felt that there was something wrong. He was unable to match up the previous Luo Chu and the current Luo Chu because of this. She might have lost her memory and didn¡¯t remember her past, but it was impossible for her personality to change so much! It could even be said that they were two completely different people! The current Luo Chu was indifferent and she acted as though nothing concerned her. Every step she took and every action she made had an objective that went through proper considerations. She had plenty of twisted plans inside her tummy and let alone being upright, it would already be a good thing if she could guarantee that she didn¡¯t include you in her schemes. If there was something else to pick at, Pei Qingfeng would choose her unexplainable medical skills. Speaking of personality, they would be able to forcefully explain the change due to her encounter with life, death, and survival. It was possible for her personality to experience a drastic change. However, what about her medical skills? The world renowned physicians were all highly respected and most of them were proud, aloof, and wouldn¡¯t easily impart their knowledge to others. Apart from having an excellent family background, the physicians were very particular about their disciple¡¯s talent towards medical knowledge. Even if she had the talent and the makings of a medical genius, how could a lowly general¡¯s clan have enough wealth to support her studies? Moreover, her medical skills were even superior to the most famous physicians! Putting aside the fact that she could clear up her own meridians, she was even able to ¡®treat¡¯ his crippled legs. She even had a thorough understanding of the poison in his body. Looking at the way she provided treatment to others recently, if there came a day where she possessed sufficient strength, she might truly be able to neutralize the poison in his body! The moment she woke up, she possessed exceptional medical skills... Unbelievable! As Pei Qingfeng was contemplating, he felt as though he had sunk into a quagmire. Suddenly, his mind flashed with a thought but he quickly shook his head and denied the possibility. The art of ¡°reincarnation into another body¡±? This was simply too ridiculous. Such things shouldn¡¯t be taken seriously. Chapter 49: First Prince’s Thoughts As Pei Qingfeng was still thinking about how Bai Luochu experienced such a drastic change in temperament as though she was a totally different person, Pei Rumo was also listening to the information that his secret guard brought back. The report was roughly the same as the black clothed man in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s residence. However, Pei Rumo¡¯s secret guard added another sentence after his report, ¡°Your Highness, when this subordinate was investigating Young Lady Luo Chu, I noticed that there was someone else investigating her identity as well. Also¡­ it seemed like he was someone from the Second Prince¡¯s side. Do you think¡­¡± The secret guard didn¡¯t continue and was waiting for Pei Rumo to give his orders. But Pei Rumo simply placed the chess piece down from his hand and spoke indifferently, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It should just be Second Brother¡¯s curiosity. As long as Third Brother doesn¡¯t make a move to investigate, we don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Young Lady Luo Chu is definitely hiding some secret. Do we need to send someone to monitor her closely?¡± The secret guard was obviously a veteran at his job as he was thorough in his consideration and had made preparations for everything. Pei Rumo stayed silent for a moment and carried on, ¡°Just send one person to monitor her. As long as she isn¡¯t doing anything to ruin the reputation of the First Prince¡¯s residence, there is no need to stop her. Pay more attention to the people she comes into contact with. Also, provide protection for her in the dark.¡± ¡°After all, to Third Brother, she is a shifting cloud in the sky ready to smite him at any moment.¡± When the secret guard heard Pei Rumo¡¯s words, he immediately knew what he had to do. He asked to be excused and just as he was about to close the doors of the study room, he heard Pei Rumo asking, ¡°Hold on. Did she make any abnormal movements these days?¡± ¡°Ever since Young Lady Luo Chu used the name of ¡®Divine Physician Bai¡¯ to bring up her reputation in the capital city, many of the aristocratic clans in the capital city would contest to curry favor with her. She would receive a visit notice or an invitation notice every few days. But it seems like she is worried someone might detect something wrong in the First Prince''s residence, thus, she would generally return the notice with her own before paying them a visit.¡± Apart from those, she would also visit and provide treatment to the Empress Dowager every seven days. If there is anything unusual¡­ Young Lady Luo Chu and the Second Prince seems to be on rather good terms in private and would address each other as brothers. Do you think¡­ we need to stop them?¡± Out of the guard¡¯s expectations, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t get angry. According to his analysis, the more capable Bai Luochu was, the louder it would be when he smashed his Third Brother¡¯s dream. As for himself, he merely spent a little bit more money recently. Furthermore, this deal had exchanged him the favors from the Su Clan and the Empress Dowager herself. He wasn¡¯t really making a loss here. ¡°I understand. You can go now. That¡¯s right, remember to ask the medicine room to bring her spirit medicines and ingredients required for cultivation. If she makes any suspicious moves, there is no need to rush out to stop her. Report to me first and allow me to personally make the decision.¡± After finishing his instructions, he waved his hand, indicating for the secret guard to leave. When the secret guard saw the indication, he immediately bowed and took his leave without delay. ¡°Yes, this subordinate understands. Since that is the case, this subordinate will take his leave first. If Young Lady Luo Chu behaves abnormally, this subordinate will immediately inform Your Highness.¡± Pei Rumo nodded before he started to fiddle with that ingenious chess piece. He seemed to be thinking about a way to solve the stalemate on the chessboard. But it seemed like it was impossible to solve it today as Pei Rumo¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts about Bai Luochu. The more chess moves were made, the more it looked like the myriad of confusing thoughts in Pei Rumo¡¯s mind. Finally, Pei Rumo realized he wasn¡¯t able to solve the chessboard as he made it even worse. ¡°Tsk.¡± Pei Rumo sneered and shook his head. It seemed like he was unable to divide his attention while playing chess. It seemed especially so when he thought about Bai Luochu. After seeing that his board was messed up, Pei Rumo gave up and simply kept the chess set. He then took a stroll towards Bai Luochu¡¯s room. ¡°Knock Knock Knock.¡± Bai Luochu was currently at the next step of her recruitment plan when she suddenly heard the loud knocks. She was shocked in her heart as she asked warily, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, open the door.¡± It seemed like Pei Rumo didn¡¯t hear the wary tone in Bai Luochu¡¯s voice as he replied casually. Bai Luochu stared blankly and was silently cursing at the First Prince for appearing while she was in the middle of something. However, her face didn¡¯t change as she responded, ¡°Will First Prince please wait for a moment. I will tidy up the place and open the door for First Prince shortly.¡± As soon as she spoke, Bai Luochu hid the list of participant names for the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s selection and the tentative plan she had written down under her bedding. She didn¡¯t want the First Prince to see it. After all, he was a prince and it was a basic courtesy not to search through a lady¡¯s bed. It seemed like the bed was the safest place for her to keep her secret plans. Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t suspicious and simply thought that Bai Luochu was slovenly dressed inside her own room. Now that he suddenly visited, she had to tidy up a little. After Bai Luochu made sure she had hidden her things properly, she opened the door. Before Pei Rumo could even speak, Bai Luochu interrupted him, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Your Highness is coming and failed to provide a proper welcome. I wish for Your Highness¡¯ forgiveness. If Your Highness wishes to see me in the future, there is no need for someone of your status to come personally. You simply have to send someone to inform me and I will head over myself. I wonder what request the First Prince has for me today?¡± Bai Luochu stood at the entrance and didn¡¯t have any intention of allowing Pei Rumo to enter her room. Pei Rumo immediately frowned and thought that this woman was getting bolder and bolder. ¡°Nothing much. I am just here to take a look.¡± Pei Rumo decided not to be calculative with her. Bai Luochu smiled in response and cupped her hands. ¡°First Prince must be having a hard time with your heavy workload. Since that is the case, I will not be escorting Your Highness out. I hope you will rest well. Later, I will provide a prescription for Your Highness to strengthen your body.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s hidden meaning in her words was: ¡°If there is nothing then hurry up and get lost! Don¡¯t come and disturb me!¡± Chapter 50: Reward in Hand The moment Pei Rumo walked far away, Bai Luochu heaved a sigh of relief. When Pei Rumo came, Bai Luochu knew that he was here to probe her. Rather than being resigned to her fate, why not take the initiative and deny the First Prince an opportunity to interrogate her? It seemed like this Pei Rumo knew about this body¡¯s original owner... Now that her medical skills had been discovered, he would definitely ask someone to investigate her before coming to do the interrogation. But she was a little curious as to what had Pei Rumo found out. On the way back to the study room, Pei Rumo had been thinking about Bai Luochu¡¯s behavior. She might seem extremely composed, but in fact, her qi presence was very unstable. It was obvious that she was busy hiding something she didn¡¯t want him to notice. When Pei Rumo used his spirit energy to scan the place, he didn¡¯t notice anyone else¡¯s presence as well. It seemed like this servant girl was truly plotting something and it was better to ask someone to monitor her closely. He definitely didn¡¯t want the First Prince¡¯s residence to be drawn into her scheme. This wasn¡¯t the only problem right now. The thing that gave Pei Rumo the worst headache was Bai Luochu¡¯s drastic change in temperament after coming out of the Bestial Battle Arena. If she had amnesia, it would only be enough to explain her lack of knowledge in etiquette and the memory of her own past. Alas, she developed some sort of strange and unpredictable movement skill in the Bestial Battle Arena. Not to mention her extraordinary medical skills and knowledge on the art of poison. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that her skills were unmatched in the world. Furthermore, even if her temperament had changed drastically, the way she conducted herself and dealt with matters felt like those people who lived a carefree life in the martial world. Her temper was also extremely terrible. From the looks of it, the current Luo Chu was truly poles apart compared to the weak, crippled, upright, and warmhearted Luo Chu from the general¡¯s residence. Could it be that she was stimulated after going through a life and death situation? In fact, Pei Rumo had already developed some suspicion when Bai Luochu poisoned Su Luoqing and made a deal with him. He suspected that the current Luo Chu was no longer the same as the previous Luo Chu, but the thought was simply too outrageous... It didn¡¯t matter if it was Bai Luochu who had reincarnated into this body or if it was Luo Chu whose hatred and fate allowed her to sacrifice her body for the sake of exacting revenge. All these sounded a little too ridiculous. The plan, for now, was for him to pay attention to the situation in the imperial court. As for Bai Luochu, her mysteries would surface sooner or later. When Pei Rumo¡¯s thoughts reached this juncture, his originally heavy mood lightened up quite a bit, allowing him to move even faster. He was preparing to return to the study room and rearrange that board of ingenious chess play. Over at the other side, Bai Luochu made sure that Pei Rumo had really left. Just as she was going to take her refined recruitment plan out, there was another knocking sound on the door. ¡°Knock Knock¡­¡± Before this knocking sound ended, Bai Luochu rushed to open the door. She flew into a rage and was about to blow before she realized that the person in front of her wasn¡¯t Pei Rumo. Instead, he was the secret guard. Her mouth was already half-opened and she couldn¡¯t swallow her words back down. She had no choice but to change her tone into an extremely composed one as she asked, ¡°Do you have any request for me?¡± That secret guard was obviously frightened quite badly by Bai Luochu¡¯s initial aggressive presence. He only managed to come back to his senses after a moment and responded. ¡°In response to Young Lady¡¯s question. His Highness ordered this subordinate to obtain the spirit medicine and cultivation medicinal ingredients meant for you. If it is convenient, this subordinate will help you to bring it in.¡± Bai Luochu stared blankly and finally remembered her deal with the First Prince. She then nodded as an indication that she understood. The moment he saw Bai Luochu nod, the guard immediately went into the room to place the things down. Turning around he explained to Bai Luochu, ¡°Young Lady, please don¡¯t be resentful of the small quantity. His Highness said that one must not rush the process of cultivation. When Young Lady has used up all these spirit medicines and medicinal ingredients, this subordinate will naturally deliver more. I seek Young Lady¡¯s forgiveness. His Highness always keeps his promises and will do whatever he says. Young Lady doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡± How could Bai Luochu not understand that this was a kind of restriction method that Pei Rumo was putting on her? No matter what, the treatment she had in the First Prince¡¯s residence was heavenly and she had no complaints. Before she obtained enough strength, she truly didn¡¯t have any intention to escape. It seemed like the relationship between herself and Pei Rumo was destined to be one of mutual exploitation. Trust would never exist between them, let alone friendship. But Bai Luochu didn¡¯t feel any regret as she was originally a cold-hearted person. Her affection died when she offered her heart to someone who stabbed her in the back. ¡°Once bitten twice shy.¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t willing to form any more relationships. If Bai Luochu was given another opportunity to choose, she would choose to keep her entire heart to herself. Even if she had to hand it out, she would choose to give it to the temple. After Bai Luochu heard the explanation, she nodded and thanked the secret guard, ¡°Can I trouble you to thank the First Prince for his consideration. As for the future medicinal ingredients, I will have to trouble you to run a few more trips.¡± When the secret guard saw that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t appear to be abnormal, he didn¡¯t stay in the room any longer and left. After leaving the courtyard, he went a few rounds before concealing himself again. He set himself up in Bai Luochu¡¯s courtyard and monitored her carefully, fulfilling the mission that Pei Rumo assigned to him. The secret guard didn¡¯t expect for Bai Luochu to be able to discover his presence with her weak strength. Due to her ever increasing spiritual energy, she would be able to detect a spy¡¯s presence as long as they weren¡¯t experts at the pinnacle stage. Even if she couldn¡¯t detect the secret guard, there was nothing much for them to pick up. After all, she would be cultivating, eating, or sleeping. Even if she included her frequent activities in front of the table in order to make plans to revive her temple, it would just seem like she was writing and drawing at the study table. Bai Luochu thought that if the guard didn¡¯t want to alert her, he wouldn¡¯t dare to get too close. With what he was doing, he would only be able to get a rough look and it would make it easier for her to implement her plans. Chapter 51: Engrossed in Cultivation As night fell¡­ As Bai Luochu used up a lot of her energy to formulate her plans in the day, she didn¡¯t have any spare energy to further extract the essence in the herbs before using them for cultivation. Left with no other choice, she used the spirit medicines Pei Rumo provided to continue her cultivation After using Pei Qingfeng¡¯s ¡®diagnosis fee¡¯, there were no more problems with her meridians. Right now, she only had one objective and that was to quickly increase her strength. If Bai Luochu wanted to revive the temple, she couldn¡¯t simply depend on her medical skills and connections. The current world was one where the strong ruled supreme, it was also why the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial clan would be so respectful to the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s members. Furthermore, these noble clans would think of endless ways just for a chance for their children to enter the Phoenix King Valley. It wouldn¡¯t be a stretch if they spent a vast fortune as well. Humans were always chasing for fame and profit as they desperately tried to climb to a higher place in society. When Bai Luochu opened up the bottle of spirit medicine and took a careful whiff, she noticed that the quality was somewhat similar to the one she had bought in the Hundred Herbs Hall. She sniggered in her heart as Pei Rumo was truly generous. He was even willing to pour so much money towards nurturing a female slave. However, this also indicated that Pei Rumo had gained a huge amount from their transaction¡­ Why else would he be so generous? However, due to the fact that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t retain any memories after her reincarnation, she didn¡¯t know the relationship she had with the Third Prince, Pei Wuchen. Thus, she didn¡¯t know that Pei Rumo was actually thinking of using her to strike a blow at the Third Prince¡¯s dream of ascending the throne. Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about so much. Bai Luochu consumed the spirit medicine with a single gulp and she started to circulate the temple¡¯s unique secret technique. The secret technique allowed her to absorb the spirit qi at a speed a few times faster than normal people. It also allowed her to constantly absorb the environment¡¯s heaven and earth spirit qi even when she wasn¡¯t cultivating. The next time she cultivated, the spirit qi would automatically turn into spirit qi in her body, ready to be absorbed at any time. It was needless to mention the effects of the secret technique when spirit medicine was used to complement it. The spirit medicine originally used medicinal ingredients meant for assisting in her cultivation as it contained an alchemist¡¯s spirit qi. A normal person would use spirit medicine by guiding the spirit qi in the spirit medicine to allow the medicinal effects to act on the body. As such, using the secret technique would greatly increase the speed of cultivation. This was also why the temple was known as an evil cult. Despite its identity, there were plenty of those so-called righteous and orthodox sects members who were eyeing covetously at the temple¡¯s inheritance. In fact, Bai Luochu could refine medicine herself. However, she wasn¡¯t strong enough to ignite the alchemy cauldron. Let alone the fact that she had to blend her spirit qi into the spirit medicine. If she were to refine the medicine forcefully, it might ruin the medicinal ingredient that she obtained from the medicine room. Furthermore, the amount of spirit medicine in the First Prince¡¯s residence was the same as the amount of meat in a butcher shop. They were aplenty. She naturally didn¡¯t have to force herself to do something she didn¡¯t have the ability to. Her current body was originally weak and if she were to force herself, she might just injure her foundations. After her cultivation session, Bai Luochu¡¯s strength had increased significantly. With her movement skill, if she had to pit herself against those with cultivation levels higher than her, she might not actually be at a disadvantage. When thinking about this, Bai Luochu revealed a joyous expression as her eyebrows arched upwards. The corners of her mouth curled towards the sky and there was a brilliant smile on her face. ¡°Knock Knock Knock.¡± All of a sudden, the sound of knocking could be heard. The moment the knocks ended, Zi Su¡¯s voice entered the room. ¡°Young Lady, it is getting late. Tomorrow, you will have to enter the palace to provide treatment to the Empress Dowager. If it is convenient, this servant will enter to help you wash up.¡± After immersing herself in formulating a plan for the entire day, along with a brief interlude of the First Prince¡¯s sudden visit, it wasn¡¯t surprising that Bai Luochu forgot the time. After opening her eyes to take a look, the moon was already suspended high in the sky and it looked as though it was already deep into the night. Had it not been for Zi Su¡¯s reminder, she would have truly forgotten about the time. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t bother tidying up as she allowed Zi Su to enter her room immediately. ¡°Of course it is convenient. Come in.¡± Zi Su heard the response and immediately opened the door. The two of them had been living together for such a long time and Bai Luochu had never placed status and hierarchy in her eyes. Zi Su was also a flexible person and hence, the two of them never really paid much attention to etiquette. The only time Zi Su would be polite was when she wanted to enter the room. She would knock and ask for permission in order to avoid disrupting Bai Luochu¡¯s cultivation. Seeing Zi Su acting mysteriously with her hands behind her back as though she was hiding something, Bai Luochu felt curious and asked, ¡°Zi Su, why are you acting mysteriously? Are you hiding something good from me?¡± When Zi Su saw that Bai Luochu discovered the surprise she had prepared, her face instantly changed. She pouted her lips at Bai Luochu before saying, ¡°This servant knows that Young Lady has acute senses, but can¡¯t you pretend that you didn¡¯t see it? I prepared the surprise for nothing...¡± ¡°Then do you want me to treat it as though I never saw it and do it all over again?¡± Seeing the cute expression on Zi Su¡¯s face, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but tease her. ¡°You have already pointed it out... Young Lady may be able to pretend that you don¡¯t know, but this servant isn¡¯t able to play along with you. Here you go. This servant went to dig out the coronet His Highness tossed away. The style is rather plain and isn¡¯t too eye-catching. This way, this servant can help you to comb up the same hairstyle as His Highness and you don¡¯t have to do it yourself.¡± In response, Bai Luochu quickly asked, ¡°Did you ask His Highness before taking the coronet?¡± ¡°Of course! His Highness even said to pick a simple and unadorned coronet fitting for your image as Divine Physician Bai. This servant always does things appropriately, Young Lady doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡± Zi Su saw how worried Bai Luochu was and quickly explained without forgetting to praise herself. ¡°Heh. You¡¯re really cheeky... You even remember to praise yourself when giving an explanation. Don¡¯t you know what shame is?¡± Bai Luochu made fun of Zi Su when she saw that she had a smug expression on her face. It seemed as though she was trying to say ¡°I knew you would ask, so I have already prepared in advance.¡± ¡°Aiya, Young Lady, this servant is telling the truth. I am not going to entertain you any longer! I will help you wash up first. Tomorrow, you still have to get up early!¡± As soon as Zi Su ended the conversation, she quickly got busy and undid Bai Luochu¡¯s hair as she combed it carefully. She kept the hairpin properly inside the grooming box and asked someone to bring in some hot water to help Bai Luochu clean up. Chapter 52: Meeting the Empress Dowager Again Before daybreak the next day, Bai Luochu was already awake. She was cultivating, but this time, she wasn¡¯t using spirit medicine. Compared to her cultivation speed the day before, there was certainly a decrease in speed. However, since it was morning when spirit qi was the most abundant, the speed of her cultivation was naturally faster than usual. Just as Bai Luochu made a small advancement, the sound of the rooster crowing echoed through the air, signifying the start of a new day. She stopped her cultivation as she had an even more important task to complete. Providing treatment to the Empress Dowager wasn¡¯t something Bai Luochu could mess around with. As soon as she thought about it, a familiar voice echoed from outside the door again. ¡°Young Lady, is your cultivation session complete? It is daybreak and I think the Empress Dowager is already awake. We shall pack up and make a move.¡± Bai Luochu tidied up the clothes she wore and smoothed out the wrinkles on her face. She walked over and sat in front of the dressing table before giving Zi Su permission to enter to help tie her hair. Zi Su had always been efficient and had served the First Prince before she was sent to serve Bai Luochu. It was the reason why her actions were much smoother with the coronet in her hand. In just a short moment, Bai Luochu¡¯s hair was secured firmly at the top of her head. Had it not been for her delicate and soft facial features, she would truly look like a graceful young man. After Zi Su was done with the hair, she handed over the mask for Bai Luochu. She then secured it to prevent the mask from suddenly dropping and exposing her true identity. Zi Su placed the waist token meant for entering the palace on Bai Luochu¡¯s waist and handed over the medicine box. Bai Luochu had this sudden feeling that Zi Su was like a young lady who would become a good wife and loving mother. Opening her mouth, she teased Zi Su again. ¡°Tsk Tsk, I wonder who will be blessed enough to marry our Zi Su in the future. Not only are you efficient, you are also thorough in all aspects¡­¡± Before Bai Luochu could finish, Zi Su¡¯s face grew as red as an apple. She shyly interrupted Bai Luochu, ¡°Young Lady, you should stop making fun of this servant! Hurry up and enter the palace. It wouldn¡¯t be good to let the Empress Dowager wait.¡± After Zi Su finished her words, she didn¡¯t wait for Bai Luochu to react as she pushed Bai Luochu out of the door. She pushed Bai Luochu all the way up the carriage before returning to tidy up the room. Only after making sure everything was spotless did Zi Su return to her quarters. After thinking about this, Zi Su didn¡¯t forget to bow towards the direction of the imperial palace as though she was seeking Bai Luochu¡¯s forgiveness. In fact, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have any intention to blame Zi Su as she was a little guilty herself. She was too playful for a moment and teased the little servant girl, making her extremely nervous. Finally, when Bai Luochu was escorted to the carriage, it was obvious that Zi Su felt apprehensive because of her lack of etiquette. Bai Luochu was silently thinking in her heart that she shouldn¡¯t really tease her little servant girl. The First Prince was a prince and even a cornerstone of the imperial court. His residence wasn¡¯t located far away from the palace and it took just a short moment for the carriage to arrive at the palace. Of course, the interior of the imperial palace forbade the use of carriages. Thus, Bai Luochu alighted at the entrance of the palace before asking for the coachman to wait for her there. She then handed over her waist token to the palace guard before entering the palace. The moment she entered the palace, she saw someone rushing over and there was an imperial sedan following behind the person. As Bai Luochu walked closer to take a look, she saw that it was none other than the Empress Dowager¡¯s granny. When Bai Luochu saw her, she bowed and said, ¡°Is Granny here to fetch this commoner?¡± The granny was obviously rather aged and was a little short on breath. She had no choice but to speak between her pants, ¡°Yes¡­ Yes. Today, the Empress Dowager woke up late and the moment this servant completed the morning routine, I prepared the sedan to welcome you. I didn¡¯t expect to still be late. I even troubled the Divine Physician to walk so far.¡± ¡°Granny doesn¡¯t have to be so polite. I only took several steps¡­ I can walk there myself.¡± ¡°Since we have already met, can I please invite Divine Physician to board the sedan. There are plenty of concubines in the chamber of concubines. It will be bad if we are to offend any of them.¡± So this was the reason the granny was in such a hurry to fetch Bai Luochu... Bai Luochu sneered in her heart but still appeared to be polite and amiable. ¡°I understand. I shall trouble Granny then.¡± As Bai Luochu finished speaking, she immediately boarded the sedan and didn¡¯t try to decline any longer. When the granny saw this, she understood that the Divine Physician was truly an intelligent individual. It seemed as though she had to be careful with her words in the future. Right now, she hoped that she didn¡¯t offend this person. If the Divine Physician were to refuse to provide his treatment because of this, all the blame would fall on her shoulders. While the granny was trembling with fear, Bai Luochu was comfortably seated on the sedan as she allowed the men to carry her towards the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. Just as she entered the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace and was about to pay her respects, she was immediately interrupted by the Empress Dowager. ¡°Divine Physician Bai doesn¡¯t have to be so polite. Quickly take a seat.¡± ¡°This commoner thanks the Empress Dowager for her kindness.¡± She might have been excused from paying her respects, but she still had to give her thanks. After all, she was deep inside the palace of the Cloud Water Nation. ¡°Divine Physician, I feel that my body has been much more lively recently. However, why does it feel as though I¡¯m sleeping for a longer period of time?¡± The moment Bai Luochu sat down, the Empress Dowager¡¯s question immediately came out of her mouth. Bai Luochu knitted her brows as though she was confused and pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°Is Empress Dowager only sleeping at night? Do you feel less tired during the day after sleeping for a longer time at night?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes; that is exactly the case. In the past, I never got a good night''s sleep. Right now, I might be sleeping more, but I no longer wake up in the middle of the night. I am also much more energetic during the day.¡± ¡°Congratulations, Your Majesty. It seems like this commoner¡¯s treatment is finally taking effect. This commoner is here today to provide acupuncture for Empress Dowager again. I will then prescribe a new prescription for Empress Dowager and after a few more visits, all of Empress Dowager¡¯s symptoms will be cured. After making a full recovery, Empress Dowager still has to pay attention to your diet and must not excessively eat sugary and oily food. Your Majesty must also pay attention and do some simple exercises. Empress Dowager doesn¡¯t have to do much. Just a stroll around the imperial garden for an hour a day will do. It¡¯s more important to keep your mind healthy. Do not overwork yourself.¡± Chapter 53: Summoned by the Emperor Just as Bai Luochu exited from the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace, she saw a eunuch rubbing his hands as he paced around. She had only taken a few steps out and seeing as the eunuch was waiting for something, Bai Luochu ignored him. Bai Luochu looked straight ahead as she made her way out of the imperial palace. Just as she passed the eunuch, he spoke, ¡°Is this guest Divine Physician Bai?¡± Hearing that someone was calling out her fictitious name, Bai Luochu stopped in her tracks and turned around. She responded, ¡°It is precisely this humble one. May I know your identity?¡± When the eunuch saw that it was truly the renowned Divine Physician Bai, he quickly bowed with respect and said, ¡°This old servant is His Majesty¡¯s close attendant. Yesterday, when His Majesty went to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager, Her Majesty mentioned that Divine Physician Bai was coming into the palace today to provide treatment for her.¡± ¡°His Majesty heard about Divine Physician Bai¡¯s fame for a long time but has never met you in person. This morning, he sent this old servant to wait on the main path in the imperial palace in order to invite you over. Can I trouble Divine Physician Bai to follow me in order to avoid making things difficult for this old servant?¡± The way the eunuch spoke made it seem as though he truly meant his words. Those that didn¡¯t know might think that he was a sincere person. However, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t a greenhorn that could be easily deceived. Now that the Emperor wanted to see her, he must have already discussed it with the Empress Dowager. It was no wonder someone came with an imperial sedan to welcome her but she was making her way out on her own. It was because someone was already waiting for her. Looking at the current situation, Bai Luochu knew that there was no way to refuse the invitation. She didn¡¯t think that she had the capability to disobey the imperial decree at this moment. Her heart might be filled with mockery, but her expression and body language didn¡¯t reveal a hint of her thoughts. She simply nodded slightly and spoke to the eunuch, ¡°Then I shall trouble lord eunuch to lead the way.¡± This ¡®lord eunuch¡¯ seemed to make the old servant rather joyful as a beam immediately appeared on his face as he led Bai Luochu to the imperial study. In fact, Bai Luochu called out ¡®lord¡¯ truly because he was worthy of the title. He was after all, the person who understood the Emperor the most in this world. The person that understood the Emperor the most, wasn¡¯t his spouse or his children. Instead, it was this court eunuch who had been serving the Emperor since he was a child. This chamber of concubines was truly a distance from the imperial study. This time, Bai Luochu walked for the time it took two sticks of incense to burn before seeing the building the imperial study was located at. After walking for another ten minutes, she finally arrived at the entrance of the imperial study. ¡°His Majesty is already waiting in the imperial study for the Divine Physician. Will Divine Physician please enter? It¡¯s not good to make His Majesty wait for such a long time. This servant will not be going in and will be standing guard at the door.¡± After finishing his words, the eunuch opened up the door for Bai Luochu and made an inviting gesture to signal for Bai Luochu to enter the room. After Bai Luochu went inside, he closed the doors tightly. As soon as Bai Luochu entered, she saw a figure wearing bright yellow robes as he stood behind the study table. Of course, no one other than the emperor would dare to wear the imperial robes. ¡°This commoner pays respects to Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live for ten thousand years.¡± Bai Luochu immediately gave a respectful greeting. The Emperor didn¡¯t make a sound and simply sized up Bai Luochu. The person in front of him wasn¡¯t even 20 yet and his body wasn¡¯t even fully developed. This Divine Physician looked just like a young lady¡­ He also had such superb medical skills! Heroes were truly born from youths since ancient times. After the Emperor sized up Bai Luochu, he said, ¡°Hahaha, Divine Physician¡¯s good looks dazzled this Emperor¡¯s eyes for a moment. I forget to respond to Divine Physician¡¯s respects¡­ Divine Physician, quickly get up, I hope Divine Physician will not be affected by this Emperor¡¯s blunder.¡± Heh, it might sound nice, but the Emperor was merely using the opportunity to size up Bai Luochu. His eyes were scanning up and down and even someone with poor awareness would be able to feel it. ¡°Your Majesty is exaggerating. To receive Your Majesty¡¯s praise is already considered a blessing. Meeting Your Majesty is an honor.¡± When Bai Luochu saw how hypocritical this Emperor was, she acted the same way and spoke some pretentious words. The Emperor laughed casually and started to converse with Bai Luochu on some trivial matters. After a moment, seeing that the moment was right, that old fox-like Emperor finally tossed out an olive branch towards Bai Luochu. ¡°Divine Physician Bai has such great talents and if you are to wander around in the outside world to practice medicine, wouldn¡¯t your medical skills be wasted? Divine Physician should just come and take up a position in my Imperial Physician Court, how about it? This Emperor promises you that if you are willing to come, I will give you the position of the Deputy Chief Physician! I will also arrange appropriate benefits and a residence for you in the capital city.¡± Bai Luochu understood that all of the Emperor¡¯s actions were to tie her down to the Cloud Water Nation. By doing so, the nation¡¯s reputation would spread far and wide. If Bai Luochu was just an ordinary person with exceptional medical skills, these conditions would truly be tempting. In the end, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t someone who could be bought over that easily. Her sights were set far above the Cloud Water Nation. She didn¡¯t even value imperial authority, let alone a position in the Imperial Physician Court. There was no way she would allow herself to be restrained to the Cloud Water Nation. ¡°This commoner thanks His Majesty. However, this commoner is already used to a carefree life. If this commoner is to take shifts and be on duty all the time, I¡¯m afraid my spirit qi will be depleted quickly. My medicinal skills will drop and I will no longer be able to progress.¡± ¡°This commoner appreciates Your Majesty¡¯s kindness. In order to thank Your Majesty, this commoner is willing to make a promise. If any of the members of the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial clan are to experience any mishap in the future, this humble one will do his best to provide treatment. This will also fulfill the destiny behind our conversation.¡± After Bai Luochu gave it some thought, she felt that a promise like this was the most effective method to avoid further trouble. After all, the Emperor simply wanted a guarantee and this guarantee was something she could provide. As long as she wasn''t trapped within the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial palace, a small promise didn¡¯t mean anything to her. When the Emperor saw how Bai Luochu was firm about not staying in the imperial palace, he knew that his idea of recruiting Divine Physician Bai into the imperial palace had failed. It was good enough for him to obtain this promise from Divine Physician Bai. Otherwise, he would have wasted his morning. The Emperor no longer insisted and simply carried on a casual conversation before bestowing Bai Luochu with more rewards. The reason behind the reward was for her timely rescue of Su Luoqing¡¯s life and the treatment she provided for the Empress Dowager. Chapter 54: Incredible Pace of Improvemen After the two conversations with the Emperor and Empress Dowager in the palace, the rest of Bai Luochu¡¯s morning passed by before she knew it. The sun was suspended high up in the sky and it was clearly time for lunch. Bai Luochu had spent an entire morning exhausting a great deal of stamina and energy. Her stomach expressed its anger with loud rumbling noises. As soon as she walked out of the palace gates, she saw the coachman waiting by the door. Bai Luochu immediately boarded the carriage and spoke, ¡°I have made this big brother wait for a long time. It is already noon and I am hungry. Can I trouble big brother to drive back to the residence quickly?¡± The coachman didn¡¯t say anything and simply nodded before swinging the horsewhip. As the carriage rushed off at a thunderous pace, the coachman steered it towards the First Prince¡¯s residence. That coachman steered the carriage traveling at a high speed, causing inevitable bumps along the way. Bai Luochu was currently starved and when she alighted the carriage, she felt that her steps were lighter than before. When Zi Su saw that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t back even after a long time, she stood at the entrance. Seeing how light-headed Bai Luochu was as she walked into the residence, Zi Su quickly asked,. ¡°Young¡­ Divine Physician Bai, what happened? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Bai Luochu shook her head and raised her hand to point into the residence. Zi Su had been serving Bai Luochu for quite some time and naturally knew that Bai Luochu wanted to return to her room quickly. Zi Su immediately supported Bai Luochu into the First Prince''s residence. After entering her chamber, Bai Luochu had already suppressed that uncomfortable feeling from the carriage ride. There was an awful expression on Bai Luochu¡¯s face and the moment she took off the mask, Zi Su reacted. She poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Bai Luochu. ¡°Young Lady better drink a cup of tea to relieve yourself. This servant will serve your meal right now. Young Lady must be extremely hungry and became sick on the bumpy ride back. This servant will open up the windows to ventilate the place. Young Lady, please close your eyes and rest for a moment. After this servant finishes setting up the meal, Young Lady should be feeling a little better.¡± Zi Su left after speaking and went to the kitchen to fetch Bai Luochu¡¯s lunch. Thinking about how uncomfortable Bai Luochu was feeling, she picked up something light before returning. This trip took her enough time for a stick of incense to burn. Bai Luochu had also gradually recovered and she felt that her stomach was about to cave in. When Zi Su placed out all the dishes, she immediately gorged herself. When Bai Luochu saw that Zi Su was anxious, she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am just famished. I didn¡¯t manage to eat enough in the morning before entering the palace. When I was providing treatment to the Empress Dowager, I used up a lot of my strength. I was even summoned by the Emperor afterwards¡­ Only after everything did I get the chance to return. How can I not be starving after all that?¡± After Bai Luochu spoke, she stuffed a bunch of vegetables in her mouth. When Zi Su heard it, she spoke out of turn, ¡°Young Lady, is the Emperor suspicious about the matter? Do we need to report this matter to His Highness?¡± ¡°There is no need. His Highness will get to know of this matter soon enough. His Majesty simply looked for me and offered me a position in the Imperial Physician Court.¡± ¡°Then did Young Lady agree? Actually, it might not be a bad thing!¡± When Zi Su heard it, she proposed in a soft voice. ¡°Sss, look at you. You were just worried about my identity leaking a moment ago. Now, you¡¯re in a hurry to put me right under the Emperor¡¯s watchful eye. Are you afraid that my sin of deceiving the Emperor isn¡¯t enough? Will you only be happy after I die?¡± For a moment, Bai Luochu felt that Zi Su was rather inconsiderate and didn¡¯t think through her words thoroughly ¡°Young Lady please forgive me. This servant didn¡¯t consider it through and was only thinking of improving Young Lady¡¯s reputation. I forgot about the problem with Young Lady¡¯s identity¡­ This servant definitely doesn¡¯t intend to bring harm to the Young Lady.¡± After hearing what Bai Luochu said, Zi Su understood that she truly didn¡¯t consider this matter thoroughly. She hurriedly knelt down to ask for forgiveness. Bai Luochu was simply thinking of mocking Zi Su a little but didn¡¯t expect her to treat it so seriously. She was even on her knees, asking for forgiveness. Bai Luochu immediately went over to Zi Su to help her up. ¡°You are always thinking about all these trivial matters. Right now, I am residing in the First Prince''s residence and my movements aren¡¯t restricted. This First Prince''s residence doesn¡¯t only provide good meals and clothes, they even provide me with spirit medicine that I need for cultivation. I am not willing to part with such carefree days and of course I don¡¯t want to become a servant in the Imperial Physician Court. There, I will have to work every single day..¡± ¡°Now that I do not have to worry about food or clothing, coupled with the respect I receive from the imperial clan and commoners alike¡­ Let me ask you, since ancient times, has there been anyone with such achievements?¡± Zi Su thought about it for a moment and when she was certain that no one had the same level of accomplishment as Bai Luochu, she shook her head prudently. ¡°Thus, with my current reputation, there is no need for me to obtain a ¡®prestigious¡¯ position in the Imperial Physician Court. Furthermore, my medical skills might be real, but my identity is fake. If I really enter the palace, there is no way for me to hide my identity anymore. The moment I¡¯m exposed, my achievements will never be able to compensate for my sins.¡± After all the chatting, all the food on the table was almost gone. Bai Luochu asked Zi Su to clean up all the leftovers before settling down in front of the table. She felt a little sleepy after ingesting so much food. Bai Luochu decided to take a nap before cultivating again. ¡°Did she really say that?¡± The First Prince was listening to the secret guard who repeated the words Bai Luochu said. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. It is absolutely true. They are Young Lady Luochu¡¯s exact words. This subordinate doesn¡¯t dare to lie.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. Go back and monitor her. If anything similar happens, report back to me.¡± After the First Prince gave his instructions, he went back to practicing his calligraphy. In response, the secret guard withdrew silently. In an instant, the First Prince¡¯s study room regained its silence. When Bai Luochu woke up, it was already late in the afternoon. Bai Luochu shook her head to clear her mind and she drank a cup of water before starting her cultivation. This time, she cultivated using the medicinal ingredients provided by Pei Qingfeng. She purified the medicinal ingredients before consuming one of them. She used her spirit qi to envelop the medicinal effects as she circulated it through her meridians. Before evening came, Bai Luochu ended her cultivation session. She noticed that the speed of her cultivation had increased by a huge amount recently. Because of that, she was afraid she might go berserk if she continued down this path. Hence, she wasn¡¯t in such a hurry anymore. ¡°It seems like the weight on my mind is much lesser compared to before. How else can I increase my cultivation so much in a single day?¡± Chapter 55: Rise of Melancholy The sunset glow was truly amazing. Apart from the descending sun in the west, the soft orange glow painted a brilliant image with the clouds. Where the moon was about to emerge, there was a gentle hue of purple contesting against the golden glow of the sun. When Zi Su arrived with dinner, the sunset glows had already scattered, leaving behind a lonely moon. It was suspended in the pitch-black night sky, portraying a desolate picture. ¡°Young Lady, this servant saw that you were rather uncomfortable in the afternoon, I purposely chose some light dishes for you. Now that you are feeling better, I picked up some extra meat dishes to make up for lunch.¡± Zi Su explained and laid out the dishes. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Bai Luochu had eaten a lot during lunch, she wasn¡¯t really hungry. Even after looking at the amazing dishes, her appetite didn¡¯t grow. Hence, she simply ate a little more of those dishes she liked. As for those she didn¡¯t she picked at them for a tiny taste before putting down her chopsticks. ¡°Are these dishes not to your liking? If they are not, this servant will bring them back and ask the kitchen to prepare other dishes for you.¡± When Zi Su saw that Bai Luochu, who had always loved to eat, was picking at her dishes and eating very little, she felt really anxious. ¡°No need to trouble yourself. I ate a lot during lunch and I¡¯m still feeling full right now. Are you really trying to turn me into a pig?¡± Bai Luochu saw how anxious Zi Su was and quickly explained herself. She didn¡¯t forget to make fun of Zi Su while she was at it. When Zi Su heard the explanation, she understood that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t really hungry. She kept the dishes and took out the plate of desserts. ¡°If Young Lady is hungry in the middle of the night, you can eat these desserts to fill your stomach. The kitchen doesn¡¯t have any more food at night and Young Lady mustn¡¯t starve yourself.¡± "Alright. You have been very considerate. Now that I¡¯m feeling a little bloated, how about taking a stroll? Would you like to come with me?¡± When Bai Luochu saw how considerate Zi Su was, a warm feeling blossomed in her heart. She thought about the past and didn¡¯t understand why the appearance of the secret guards who were willing to risk their lives for her appeared in her mind. A surge of emotions welled up in her heart and she decided to go out for a stroll. Zi Su must have seen the drop in Bai Luochu¡¯s mood as she didn¡¯t say anything before following Bai Luochu out of the room. The weather tonight was really pleasant. It was a night with a bright moon as stars twinkled in the darkness. As a breeze gently blew through the lands, the fragrance of the flowers scattered around, filling the place with a slight aroma. "Zi Su, where are your parents?" Bai Luochu just stared at the bright moon motionlessly as she directed a question to Zi Su. ¡°That is true.¡± Bai Luochu understood Pei Rumo¡¯s personality. If the servant wasn¡¯t an orphan like Zi Su who had a simple background, how could he possibly allow her to stay beside Bai Luochu and take care of her needs? Bai Luochu didn¡¯t understand what influenced her but she suddenly felt a sense of melancholy. She started gossiping with Zi Su by her side. ¡°I apologize for reminding you of your sad past.¡± Bai Luochu smiled apologetically at Zi Su and apologized. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Zi Su never met them before and there isn¡¯t anything sad about it. Instead¡­ it is Young Lady who seems to be feeling rather down today.¡± Zi Su had already detected something wrong with Bai Luochu and the reason she asked was because she was afraid that Bai Luochu would form a mental knot. If that were to really happen, Bai Luochu¡¯s cultivation would be affected. ¡°You are paying quite a bit of attention to me huh? It is actually nothing much. I¡¯m feeling a little lonely because of the bright moon and sparse stars. There is a saying, ¡®The bright moon makes one yearn for home¡¯. I¡¯m thinking about the past and I realized that my life has been really miserable.¡± Bai Luochu seemed to be out of sorts today as she was unprecedentedly honest to Zi Su. There wasn''t anything wrong with Bai Luochu¡¯s words. Even if Bai Luochu was more steadfast than regular young ladies, she was still a woman and there would be times when she became emotional. In her opinion, she alienated the people who were originally close to her because of Lu Wenshu in her past life. It could even be said that she had a falling out with all of them. However, in the end, she could be said to be the one who brought them all their suffering. The more she thought about it, the more remorseful she felt. However, these words weren¡¯t as simple as they seemed when the First Prince, Pei Rumo, heard them. ¡°It seems like her identity isn¡¯t fake. From the looks of it, something must have been planted inside her.¡± The secret guard analyzed by himself. ¡°That might be true, but it is still better for us to keep monitoring her. If nothing goes wrong in the next few days, there is no longer a need to monitor her so closely. Go back and keep observing her. There are no other instructions from me.¡± When Pei Rumo listened to the report that the secret guard narrated, he learned about all the events that happened when Bai Luochu was with Zi Su. There was an indifferent expression on his face as he gave a short response before ordering the guard to return to his post. As Bai Luochu had been admiring the full moon with an aching heart, she didn¡¯t stay in the courtyard for long. She went back to her room and started to cultivate again. After pouring her heart out to Zi Su, Bai Luochu felt as though all the things weighing her down had disappeared. With assistance from the medicinal ingredients, Bai Luochu was truly improving at an incredible pace. It was deep into the night and Zi Su had calculated the timing accurately to enter Bai Luochu¡¯s room in order to help her clean up and get ready for bed. Perhaps Zi Su felt that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t in a good mood today as she had specially laced her words with praise. ¡°Young Lady, you are now famous on the streets. This afternoon, news leaked about how you refused the position in the Imperial Physician Court. No one knew who leaked it but there were even people talking about how you rejected the position in order to ¡®treat patients all over the world¡¯. Right now, your reputation is soaring!¡± It was easy for Bai Luochu to guess that Pei Qingfeng was the one behind all this. If there was one thing she was annoyed about, it was about how Pei Qingfeng¡¯s information network encompassed even the imperial study. He even polished up the story before spreading it to the public. No matter what, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t feel good about it and she asked, ¡°Zi Su, do you know the meaning of this statement ¡®fortune and misfortune are interdependent¡¯?¡± ¡°Zi Su understands. Is Young Lady scared that something might go wrong?¡± ¡°I am not worried. Originally, the capital city is somewhere where medical services don¡¯t come cheap. Now that I am volunteering to provide treatment, some people will definitely be infuriated. It won¡¯t be long before they start looking for trouble.¡± Zi Su was stunned and didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Then¡­ what should we do, Young Lady?¡± ¡°I will react accordingly. Your Young Lady isn¡¯t someone easy to provoke. If they really come and look for trouble, they can¡¯t blame me for being merciless.¡± Chapter 56: The Storm is Coming ¡°Hold on, I can feel a chilly breeze. You should close the doors and windows tightly so that the wind won''t be able to enter. Right now, I¡¯m a physician and it won¡¯t be good for me to fall sick.¡± Bai Luochu instructed Zi Su to close the door and windows tightly. Zi Su didn¡¯t say anything and did as she was told. She merely glanced towards the night sky as she closed the windows before saying, ¡°Young Lady, when this servant was closing the window, I saw a lunar halo around the moon. It seems like a storm is brewing...¡± When Bai Luochu heard this, she muttered softly, ¡°This is the true meaning of the calm before the storm.¡± As Bai Luochu was speaking softly, Zi Su wasn¡¯t able to hear it clearly. She quickly asked Bai Luochu to repeat herself as she was afraid of missing any instructions. ¡°Young Lady, what did you say? This servant didn¡¯t manage to catch it.¡± Bai Luochu suddenly collected her thoughts and replied, ¡°Nothing much. I was just talking to myself.¡± ¡°Then Young Lady should have a good rest.¡± Zi Su felt that Bai Luochu¡¯s state of mind was truly all over the place and there wasn¡¯t too much for her to say. In the end, she simply left behind a short statement to show her concern for Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t explain the bad premonition in her mind after she saw the lonely moon in the night sky. As the wind blew against her frail body, she felt even worse and she quickly consoled herself. ¡°If it is a blessing, it won¡¯t be a misfortune. If it is a misfortune, it will be inevitable.¡± After a short moment, she fell into a deep slumber. By the time she woke up, Bai Luochu missed the time for her usual morning cultivation. It was already time for Zi Su to enter the room to help her freshen up. When Zi Su saw that Bai Luochu was groggily looking at her, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle, ¡°Pfff, it is rare to see Young Lady waking up so late. You didn¡¯t even complete your morning cultivation¡­ Well, this servant thinks that it¡¯s a good thing anyway. Right now, your cultivation speed is much faster and your strength is growing at a steady pace. This servant understands that you might have some important plans. However, it is also important for you to rest up. It¡¯s a perfect time for Young Lady to sleep in on this gloomy rainy day.¡± ¡°It is raining outside?¡± Bai Luochu asked. ¡°There was a downpour last night¡­ It was quite loud as well, did Young Lady not hear it?¡± Zi Su was combing Bai Luochu¡¯s hair as she inquired with a curious expression on her face. ¡°I might have slept too deeply. Today, I have to go out to provide treatment for those who are sick. Please comb my hair and secure it properly in order to avoid it getting messy after a day of labor.¡± In just a short while, Zi Su combed up Bai Luochu¡¯s hair and secured it carefully. She then laid out breakfast on the table and served Bai Luochu. ¡°What is going on? Who has the guts to create a commotion in front of the First Prince¡¯s residence?¡± Bai Luochu roughly knew what was happening but still asked out of curiosity. She wanted to ascertain the thought in her mind. ¡°That person said¡­ said that Young Lady provided treatment recently and killed a patient.¡± The manservant spoke as he trembled in his shoes. He was afraid that he would infuriate Bai Luochu. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I will go with you to see who exactly is the person looking for trouble so early in the morning. Zi Su, wait in the house. After I settle everything outside, heat up the food for me. I will finish my breakfast later.¡± As Bai Luochu spoke she walked towards the entrance of the residence without turning back. It felt as though she was going to peel off the skin of the troublemaker. Even before she could reach the entrance, Bai Luochu heard the wails of the troublemaker ascending to the heavens. ¡°Aiya! My son! How can you have the heart to leave your mother alone by herself?! How can you allow your mother to witness the death of her son?! My life is so bitter¡­¡± This sentence seemed as though it had been written down in a script and repeated over and over. The moment Bai Luochu appeared, the expression on the mother¡¯s face changed as she yelled, ¡°It¡¯s him! My son died because he ate the medicine prescribed by this quack! You charlatan, repay the debt of my son¡¯s life!¡± As she spoke, she rushed at Bai Luochu seemingly wanting to tear Bai Luochu apart. The guard at the door naturally obstructed the woman and stopped her from moving towards Bai Luochu. Right now, the entrance of the First Prince''s residence had a large crowd surrounding it and there were plenty of people commenting and discussing about the situation. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Divine Physician Bai? He actually cured someone by sending them to their death?¡± ¡°Who knows? He¡¯s bragging that he¡¯s a Divine Physician throughout the city. Who really knows if his skills are real?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it is even possible for him to suppress the condition of the illness without actually treating it.¡± Bai Luochu quietly watched as the great show played out in front of her. She observed the expression on the faces of everyone in the crowd before speaking out calmly, ¡°This aunt over here, do you remember when you came to seek treatment from me?¡± ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Oh, I remember¡­ You must have seen me in the lane at the southern part of the city, seven days ago, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right, It was exactly then!¡± ¡°Then I wonder if aunt can show me the prescription I gave?¡± Bai Luochu saw the nervous expression on the woman¡¯s face. Her eyes were darting around fearfully. She took a long time before pulling out the prescription. Bai Luochu naturally saw through the dirty tricks and the expression on the woman¡¯s face she was so dearly trying to hide was seen clearly by Bai Luochu. How could she actually take out the actual prescription? The prescription was actually on the body of the corpse... Bai Luochu didn¡¯t expose her as her hammer had to be big enough to kill someone the moment she swung it. However, when Bai Luochu glanced at the prescription, her eyes turned cold. It was indeed a prescription written by her, however, it was one used to treat the common cold. It seemed like it wasn¡¯t going to work if Bai Luochu wanted to expose the woman using the prescription. She had no choice but to dig out the facts one by one to expose the woman¡¯s lie. ¡°Aunt, did your son experience any weird conditions these few days?¡± ¡°He was fine up till yesterday night where he suddenly collapsed. Aiya, my son!¡± Before she finished her sentence, her ghost-like wailing had already begun! The flames of rage instantly burned bright in Bai Luochu¡¯s heart. She immediately made a move to inspect the ¡®corpse¡¯. ¡°What are you trying to do! Don¡¯t you touch my son! I won¡¯t allow you to touch my son! God knows what you want to do with his body!¡± It was unknown if she was truly guileless because of the love for her son or because she was afraid Bai Luochu would be able to detect something fishy with the body. The woman started to resist with all her might but in the end, she was still restrained by the guard. ¡°Since this madam doesn¡¯t allow Divine Physician Bai to make a move, why not let this old one do it. There shouldn¡¯t be any problem right?¡± An old physician appeared out of nowhere and walked over. He bowed to Bai Luochu and said, ¡°Divine Physician Bai, I am the overseeing physician of the Hundred Herbs Hall. I have been practicing medicine for dozens of years. If you can trust me, why not let me inspect the body?¡± ¡°This senior is too polite. It will be for the best if you are willing to help. This is the prescription I ¡®gave¡¯ the man. Will you please take a look?¡± When the word ¡®prescription¡¯ left her mouth, she placed heavy emphasis on the word. The old man was an intelligent person and he instantly knew that the prescription was either fake or tampered with. Chapter 57: Crisis Abruptly Ending The old man checked the prescription and noticed that there was nothing wrong with it. He then yelled out to everyone, ¡°This prescription is an ordinary prescription to treat the common cold and there is nothing wrong with it. By reducing the dosage, the toxicity of the herbs can be removed and the effects are still just as good. It is truly brilliant.¡± After scanning through the prescription, he walked over to the side of the ¡®corpse¡¯ and inspected it carefully. ¡°Madam, when did you say your son passed away?¡± ¡°Yesterday¡­ night. I don¡¯t remember the exact hour.¡± ¡°Okay. When your son passed on, was he facing the sky or the ground?¡± That madam stuttered as she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± The old man seemed to have understood something and he stopped his questioning. He immediately turned to look at the ¡®corpse¡¯. ¡°This corpse doesn¡¯t seem to be actually dead¡­ If it was truly as madam described, your son¡¯s corpse should have livor mortis if he had passed away last night. But right now, this corpse is clean and spotless. This doesn¡¯t seem like a dead person.¡± The moment the words left the old man¡¯s mouth, Bai Luochu walked over to the corpse before anyone could react. She circulated qi in her palm and slammed it against a few large acupoints on the ¡®corpse¡¯ Several silver needles were forced out of the body and she kicked the man¡¯s lower body. The man sat up as unbearable pain surged through his body. Someone from the crowd yelled out, ¡°Aiya, why did the corpse move?!¡± ¡°Moving corpse? Everyone, please listen to what I have to say about the entire situation.¡± Bai Luochu glared at the woman who instantly felt a chill run down her spine. ¡°Earlier on, this woman said that I provided treatment to her son seven days ago in the streets of the southern part of the city. However, everyone should know that I only conduct a voluntary diagnosis every ten days. As the east, west, and south of the city are densely populated by medicine stalls, I avoided those areas in order to prevent disruption to their livelihood. I only went to the northeastern and northwestern part of the city. This is my first point.¡± ¡°The people living in those areas are impoverished citizens who will grit their teeth and endure small illnesses normally! The prescription in your hand is one to treat the common cold. When I provided treatment to them, I only prescribed medicine for those suffering from long-term illnesses. This is my second point.¡± After Bai Luochu said her piece, everyone felt a little apprehensive. The man sitting on the ground suffered in silence as he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. In the end, the madam insisted, ¡°You are talking nonsense! Things aren¡¯t like this at all! Proof, where is the proof that you provided treatment to those people?!¡± ¡°This prince brought the proof of the treatments!¡± Just as the madam¡¯s voice died down, the crowd consciously opened up a path. Someone slowly made their way over and as the figure was seated on a wheelchair made his way forward, everyone knew it was the Second Prince, Pei Qingfeng. Behind him were plenty of commoners wearing tattered clothes. ¡°This prince brought these commoners from the northeastern and northwestern parts of the city. Why don¡¯t all of you hear what they have to say?¡± Pei Qingfeng opened up his folding fan and waved it gently. He relaxed and got ready to watch a huge show play out. ¡°What Divine Physician Bai said earlier was all true. When he diagnosed our illness, he would only instruct us to pay attention to our diet if we weren¡¯t suffering from a serious illness. He would tell us to grit out teeth and endure it by paying attention to what we eat and drink. Divine Physician Bai understood that even if we had the prescription, we wouldn¡¯t waste money on the medicine.¡± ¡°Divine Physician Bai would only write a prescription for a serious illness. The herbs required were all cheap ones. If anyone here has any doubts, you can take a look.¡± The one who spoke seemed to be the leader of these commoners. As soon as he finished speaking, he took out some medicine and passed it to the veteran overseeing physician from the Hundred Herbs Hall. That old man nodded and said, ¡°It is indeed so. This person is speaking the truth. Those who have knowledge in the field of medicine can come over and take a look.¡± After the old man spoke, there were really people who went over to take a look. When they saw that everything was true, they looked at the crowd and nodded, indicating that everything was true. At this moment, someone in the crowd turned their attention to the man who was pretending to be a corpse. He seemed somewhat familiar... ¡°Hurry up and look at the person pretending to be dead. Isn¡¯t he from the Spring Returning Hall!?¡± Everyone instantly turned to look at that man who was currently yelling out curses in his heart. After all, he wasn¡¯t able to succeed in his scheme. Such a huge sin was even pinned on his back. After messing everything up, there was no doubt he was going to be yelled at the moment he returned. ¡°The sin of an innocent person will clear itself up. I, Nobody Bai, have always done things righteously and I believe that no one will be able to frame me. Never have I thought that I will actually be a thorn in someone¡¯s side, waiting to be removed. I am truly disappointed. I originally wanted to conduct a voluntary diagnosis after my breakfast today¡­ I should just forget about it. It¡¯s possible my life might be lost in a scheme one day.¡± After speaking, Bai Luochu flicked her sleeve angrily as she made her way back to her courtyard. Seeing as Divine Physician Bai left with seething with anger after cancelling the session, a sense of loss and anger appeared in their heart. All of their anger was directed towards the mother and son duo. The fact that they were throwing around cynical remarks in the first place seemed to have vanished from their mind altogether. After beating the two of them up, everyone got tired and left. There was a portion of people who saw that the show was over as they immediately left the area. Peace returned to the streets and only two individuals who were whimpering in pain were left. Before long, it seemed as though nothing happened. In a small alley not too far away, Pei Qingfeng bowed to the elder and said, ¡°It¡¯s a troublesome matter for Elder Li to help Divine Physician Bai.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not trouble at all. I can see that the lass has a good heart. Otherwise, even if you dragged me here, I won¡¯t say a single good thing in her favor.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng was speechless as he was astonished that the elder had seen through Bai Luochu¡¯s disguise. ¡°Heh heh, she can cheat others but she cannot trick this old man. I immediately saw through the fact that the lass¡¯ voice was altered with some sort of medicine. Even though her voice changed, the effects won¡¯t last for long. Qingfeng, you had better cherish this chance!¡± The elder finished speaking and looked at Pei Qingfeng with a deep gaze. He then boarded the carriage Pei Qingfeng had arranged for him and returned to his residence. ¡°The older Physician Li gets, the more childishly he behaves.¡± Pei Qingfeng broke into laughter and shook his head. He then said to his manservant, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Our Divine Physician Bai seems to have eaten a belly full of anger before breakfast. She should be livid by now. Let¡¯s go and treat her to some tea. It should calm her down.¡± Chapter 58: Discussion in the Teahouse ¡°Young Lady, I kept the food warm for you. Did you settle everything?¡± When Zi Su saw Bai Luochu returning, she quickly laid out the food that had been kept warm as she eagerly asked about the situation at the gate. ¡°There is nothing to worry about. It is just some small hoodlums who have shit for brains. They even believe that they can frame me...¡± Even though Bai Luochu spoke casually, the rage burning in her heart was strong. She gulped down a few cups of water and managed to barely suppress her anger as she returned to her breakfast. ¡°Oh? You are still able to eat huh? I thought you would be so angry you wouldn¡¯t be able to swallow your food.¡± Pei Qingfeng appeared at the entrance of her courtyard. Right now, Pei Qingfeng was using his status as a ¡®patient¡¯ to visit the First Prince¡¯s residence to consult ¡®Divine Physician Bai¡¯. This was causing a huge headache for Pei Rumo. However, as he wanted to show off his goodwill for his second brother to the Emperor, he had no choice but to allow Pei Qingfeng to run wild. He couldn¡¯t stop Pei Qingfeng from coming up with all sorts of excuses to bring Bai Luochu out. As time passed, Pei Rumo understood that it was better for her to have Pei Qingfeng beside her. At least it was a much better alternative than allowing Bai Luochu to grow stronger all by herself. With her temperament, she would definitely commit several great crimes. Allowing Pei Qingfeng to hang around her could prevent Bai Luochu from piercing a hole through the sky. Putting aside the fact that she might come up with a scheme that dragged Pei Wuchen into the picture, everyone in the First Prince¡¯s residence might even be implicated. If that were to really happen, the gains were definitely not enough to cover the losses. Hence, he simply allowed Pei Qingfeng to do as he pleased. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say anything and simply rolled her eyes at Pei Qingfeng. She then vented her anger on the steamed dumpling inside her mouth by chewing on it ruthlessly. When Pei Qingfeng saw how Bai Luochu rolled her eyes at him, he closed his folding fan and said, ¡°This servant girl... I can understand that you are not in a great mood after facing those annoying people so early in the morning. However, you can¡¯t treat me like this, right? Earlier this morning when I saw a group of people gathering outside of First Brother¡¯s residence, I knew that someone was looking for trouble. I quickly sent someone to bring the most reputable Elder Li from the Hundred Herbs Hall and all those patients that you have treated before to help you out. You aren¡¯t even thanking me¡­ Why are you rolling your eyes at me?¡± ¡°I would be able to settle the problem even without your help.¡± Bai Luochu replied in her bad mood. ¡°I never bothered about my reputation. If I lose it, then so be it. There is no need for me to be concerned about it.¡± Bai Luochu retorted coldly. Pei Qingfeng was amused by Bai Luochu¡¯s attitude and spoke up helplessly, ¡°I spent so much effort to build up a good reputation for you... This isn¡¯t the way for you to trash it!¡± When Pei Qingfeng was done speaking, Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth stopped moving and she turned her head to stare blankly at him. Zi Su and Pei Qingfeng¡¯s attendant didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly and they stood at the side silently. The courtyard regained its serenity and only the chirping of sparrows could be heard. After blurting out so much, Pei Qingfeng seemed to realize that his words weren¡¯t suitable considering the situation. He then awkwardly continued, ¡°Cough Cough. Looking at how fierce you are... I will treat you to some herbal tea and desserts at the teahouse. How about using those to put out the fire in your heart?¡± After speaking, Pei Qingfeng opened his folding fan as his eyebrows arched upwards. The look on his face was like that of a fox waiting for his prey to take the bait. ¡°That is more like it. Wait for me to finish my breakfast before going out for tea.¡± Bai Luochu readily consented. In her mind, there was no reason to give up the opportunity as she was going to get free food and drinks anyway. Placing the last bit of her breakfast in her mouth, she got up and followed Pei Qingfeng out of the residence. They arrived at the teahouse in the blink of an eye. Pei Qingfeng had already booked a private room on the second floor and there was no trouble finding seats. He immediately ordered some food and drinks for the both of them. The moment Bai Luochu entered the room, she realized that the soundproofing was done well. If the door and windows were closed tightly, she wouldn¡¯t be able to hear a sound coming from outside the room. Of course, it worked the other way round as well. Sound in the room wasn¡¯t able to escape. After a moment, the door echoed with a knocking sound, ¡°Knock knock knock.¡± Pei Qingfeng was currently a cripple and the task of opening the door fell to Bai Luochu. As soon as Bai Luochu opened up the door, the waiter said, ¡°My Lord, these are the things you have ordered. If it is convenient, this waiter will bring it inside for you. If it isn¡¯t convenient, I will have to trouble you to bring it inside yourself.¡± It seemed like this teahouse regularly hosted nobles. Otherwise, the waiter wouldn¡¯t act so prudently. In Bai Luochu¡¯s mind, it wasn¡¯t a problem for her to bring the pot of tea over since she was already on her feet. She simply took the tray in the waiter¡¯s hand. That waiter assumed that these two individuals didn¡¯t wish for others to hear their discussion, hence, he merely bowed silently and helped Bai Luochu to close the door. ¡°Alright, you can speak up. Why are you looking for me?¡± Bai Luochu placed the tea and desserts down on the table and started her interrogation. Pei Qingfeng knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide his true intentions from the little lass and he cut out the conventional greetings. He immediately said, ¡°I heard that Emperor Father wants to recruit you into the Imperial Physician Court. Why didn¡¯t you agree to such a great opportunity?¡± ¡°Do you wish to know?¡± Bai Luochu raised her brows while asking. She replied when she saw Pei Qingfeng nodding. ¡°Firstly, my current identity to the world is completely fake. If I took up that position and exposed myself, I would have committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor. Secondly, I still have many things to do and it is impossible for me to stay in this place forever. Do you understand?¡± When he learned that Bai Luochu was going to leave the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s capital city one day, an unclear and indescribable feeling welled up in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s heart. As Pei Qingfeng recalled Elder Li¡¯s statement to ¡°cherish this chance¡±, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitter smile. Putting it nicely, the person in front of him was like the imaginary clouds on the horizon. If one were to be nasty, she could be described as a loach in the slippery marshes. She was someone he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch hold of. Seeing how indifferent Bai Luochu was after replying, she made it seem as though nothing in the world mattered to her. She simply drank the tea and ate the desserts with a still look in her eyes that look like water in an ancient well. There wasn¡¯t a single emotion on her face. Pei Qingfeng took a sip of tea and suddenly felt that the tea in this teahouse tasted a little bitter. It didn¡¯t taste as good as it did in the past. Seeing that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t in a great mood, Pei Qingfeng racked his brains and searched for a topic. Chapter 59: Seeing an Old Friend Again Bai Luochu still had a piece of cake in her mouth she had yet to swallow. When she spoke, the words sounded a little muffled. ¡°I will settle everything here first. The Empress Dowager still needs more treatment. Also, I don¡¯t know my true identity. With my less than satisfactory strength, I still need to cultivate for some time. After completing everything I need to do, I will head over to a place meant for me.¡± Of course, she was referring to the place where her temple was originally located. She was going to take back the inheritance and she was going to accept all the disciples who were scattered around the world. She was going to kill Lu Wenshu and she was going to make sure the so-called Three Great Immortal Sects were consigned to eternal damnation. She would ensure that those great sects were completely destroyed with no chance for revival. Of course, these were all thoughts in Bai Luochu¡¯s mind and it was impossible for her to speak of them. There was no need to mention that reincarnation was something not of this world. Just the fact that she was an evil dao witch in her previous life would cause plenty of people to carry out massacres in order to get rid of her before she matured. They would rather kill 1000 innocent people than let a single suspicious person get away. There was a chance she would be killed even before she got the chance to take flight. When Pei Qingfeng saw how Bai Luochu stared blankly into space, he thought that she was trying to search for the memories she had lost. He then carefully probed. ¡°Do you not know who you are?¡± When Bai Luochu came back to her senses, she nodded towards Pei Qingfeng and explained. ¡°That¡¯s right. When I was at the Bestial Battle Arena, I nearly died to a spirit beast. By the time I woke up, I had forgotten everything. I only knew that I was under the control of the Bestial Battle Arena and that my name was ¡®no. 8 human slave¡¯. Soon after, I was brought into the residence. I obtained my medical skills after waking up.¡± Bai Luochu already sensed that Pei Qingfeng was trying to pry into her past. She had no other choice but to think of a story to dispel Pei Qingfeng¡¯s suspicion. In the end, her story was riddled with truths and lies alike. When Pei Qingfeng heard Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation, he was struck with a thought. He assumed that Bai Luochu was already skilled in the arts of medicine but they were sealed up deep within her. The seal was only broken due to the life and death situation she was forced into. ¡°Why are the topics getting so serious? Let¡¯s open up the windows. This place is overlooking the capital and the view is great!¡± When Pei Qingfeng noticed how gloomy the atmosphere was, he quickly laughed and made a suggestion. Who would have expected that the opening of the windows would welcome the sound of fighting on the street? He immediately saw a group of Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples forming an encirclement as they attacked two individuals trapped in the middle. They attacked in twos and threes and even though the two individuals were strong, they were no match for the outstanding disciples from the Phoenix King Valley. After suffering multiple attacks, they fell into a disadvantageous position and sustained several serious injuries. Bai Luochu¡¯s attention had already been fully attracted and Pei Qingfeng was truly helpless. How could he have expected that his casual action of opening the windows to alleviate the awkward atmosphere would allow this young lady to see such a bloody scene? In fact, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t feel that it was over the top. In her past life as an evil dao witch, what kind of grand fight had she not seen before? This scene right now was truly nothing in comparison. The reason why she was paying attention was that these two surrounded individuals seemed rather familiar. One of them had overly prominent silver hair and was actually the reserved, silver-haired man she saw in the Bestial Battle Arena. The other person looked rather ordinary but Bai Luochu felt that his martial arts were somewhat familiar. She had been staring at him until he suddenly moved sideways to dodge the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s sword. That very move allowed her to see his face clearly. He wasn¡¯t someone who stole the techniques from her temple, he was a secret guard who was once her subordinate! Bai Luochu slammed her palm on the table and stood up, shocking Pei Qingfeng. Just as Pei Qingfeng assumed that Bai Luochu was going to offer her assistance due to her soft-heartedness, she opened her mouth. In a polite and courteous tone, she asked, ¡°Your Highness, can I request a favor from you?¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyelids started to jump. Every time this little ancestor had a request for him, she would use such a tone to speak to him. She might be asking for a favor, but she was emitting an aura that was simply forcing him to comply. She made it seem as though she was going to use her silver needles to pierce through acupoints on his body and it would lead to lethal consequences if he didn¡¯t agree. Pei Qingfeng had no choice but to agree. ¡°Fine, speak up. What do you need me to do?¡± He might have already guessed that it was related to those two surrounded individuals, but he had to confirm his guess. ¡°I wish for Second Prince to use the excuse of ¡®talent appreciation¡¯ to rescue the two individuals from the hands of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples.¡± Once Bai Luochu¡¯s words left her mouth, Pei Qingfeng knew that this was yet another incredibly difficult task. After all, the Phoenix King Valley was an influential power under the Third Prince. However, since the one asking him was this particular servant girl, he couldn¡¯t just sit by and watch the two of them die. Adding to the fact that he had full knowledge of all the dirty deeds the Phoenix King Valley Valley Master¡¯s daughter commited, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to see the Phoenix King Valley in a positive light. ¡°If Second Prince thinks that this will be a difficult matter, I will think of another way to save the two of them.¡± Bai Luochu saw that Pei Qingfeng seemed to be deep in his thought and assumed that he didn¡¯t want to get himself involved in this troublesome matter. ¡°Didn¡¯t I give my all when you were in trouble? Right now, I think that even the First Prince thinks we are locusts on the same boat. Is there any difference if I do this additional favor for you? Bring me there. I will save the two individuals from the people of the Phoenix King Valley.¡± Pei Qingfeng finished speaking and turned his wheelchair. Bai Luochu nodded and immediately pushed the wheelchair towards the fight. At this moment, Divine Physician Bai was acting as Pei Qingfeng¡¯s attendant. ¡°Everyone, please stop for a moment. This prince has something to say.¡± Just as Pei Qingfeng exited the teahouse, he immediately asked everyone to stop. This was still the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s territory and the people in the encirclement were all juniors from the Phoenix King Valley. Their seniors were not present and the instant Pei Qingfeng spoke up, all of them stopped attacking. They waited for Pei Qingfeng¡¯s next course of action. The two individuals trapped in the center maintained their position as they were afraid the members from the Phoenix King Valley would resume their attack. ¡°I truly admire these two brothers. Especially the silver-haired one. I wonder if you heroes can hand them over to me?¡± Pei Qingfeng might be phrasing his words in a way that was open for discussion, but his tone told them that a request was far from what was coming out of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mouth. They instantly knew that they were not going to succeed in whatever they wanted to do. When the Phoenix King Valley members heard the prince, they felt rather vexed and they didn¡¯t know what to do. Chapter 60: A Struggle Between Two Princes The voice was very gentle and made everyone feel as though they were cleansed by the breeze of spring. However, the owner of this voice had a pretentious smile that was a little too obvious. The owner of this voice was none other than the Third Prince, Pei Wuchen. ¡°I never thought that I would meet Third Brother here.¡± Pei Qingfeng looked at Pei Wuchen and maintained his courtesy. ¡°Second Brother has yet to answer me. Why are you interested in the fugitives?¡± Pei Wuchen pushed Pei Qingfeng for an answer. It seemed as though he wouldn¡¯t give up until he got an answer. Just as Pei Qingfeng wanted to say something, he was interrupted by Bai Luochu. ¡°These fugitives are frank and magnanimous people. They are precisely the kind of people that I admire. I was moved and I pleaded for His Highness to rescue those people.¡± ¡°Oh, does Second Brother think so as well?¡± Pei Wuchen was seemingly interested in Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation as he turned to ask Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Precisely. Who doesn¡¯t know that Divine Physician Bai and I address each other as brothers? It is exactly because our interests are aligned that we see things the same way.¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu had already spoken up, he had no choice but to tactfully comply. Pei Wuchen naturally knew about the rumors of Divine Physician Bai and Pei Qingfeng in the capital. He also understood that the reputation of Divine Physician Bai was like the sun in the midday sky due to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s help. When he saw the mutual understanding between the two of them, his curiosity was roused. ¡°I wonder what mistakes these two individuals made? Why would Third Brother and so many Phoenix King Valley disciples encircle them?¡± Taking the advantage that Pei Wuchen had yet to react, Pei Qingfeng spoke out first and changed from a passive approach to an active approach. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s question drew Pei Wuchen out of his thoughts, placing his attention back on the matter at hand. ¡°This brother has been ordered to play the part of a host. I am supposed to show the Phoenix King Valley disciples around the city and when we were at the Bestial Battle Arena, we saw these two individuals causing trouble. As a result, I led the members of the Phoenix King Valley to chase after them.¡± ¡°Oh? I wonder what kind of trouble they caused?¡± Pei Qingfeng gently fanned himself and it seemed like he wanted to get to the bottom of the matter. Pei Wuchen was at a loss for words for a moment. His mind spun rapidly and a brief moment later, he replied, ¡°These two individuals were involved in a gamble at the Bestial Battle Arena. They lost but weren¡¯t able to pay up. In a moment of desperation, they beat up the supervisor of the Bestial Battle Arena and fled.¡± But doing so made him fall into Pei Qingfeng¡¯s scheme. Pei Qingfeng was silently snickering at Pei Wuchen who had been in the bureaucracy of the Cloud Water Nation for so many years but still unable to change his bad habit. He always paid attention to the beginning of his schemes but never the end. Right now, his explanation gave Pei Qingfeng an easy way to rescue the two individuals. ¡°So that is the case. Why don¡¯t Third Brother tell me how much silver they owe you? I will help to pay for their debt. Oh, that¡¯s right, I will provide a little more as compensation for the medical fees.¡± Pei Wuchen couldn¡¯t help but curse silently. He felt as though he raised a rock to smash his feet. He was the one who came up with the excuse and it was going to be difficult to change his words now. He had no choice but to follow through in order not to embarrass himself as he replied to Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Since Second Brother is adamant about protecting them, your younger brother will no longer be stubborn. Second Brother can just take them away. Your younger brother will cover their bill.¡± ¡°Hey, how can I do that? I am also trying to do Brother Bai a favor here. How about this? I didn¡¯t bring too much money today and I only have one gold ingot. I will give it to Third Brother right now. If it isn¡¯t enough, Third Brother can ask me for more.¡± As Pei Qingfeng spoke, he stuffed the ingot into Pei Wuchen¡¯s hand. Pei Wuchen nearly vomited blood from anger. Who the hell was Pei Qingfeng trying to humiliate here? In the end, he couldn¡¯t show his anger and had no choice but to respond politely, ¡°Many thanks to Second Brother¡¯s kindness.¡± With a fling of his sleeve, he indicated for the Phoenix King Valley disciples to withdraw as he led them towards the direction of a relay station. As for Bai Luochu? She knew that now wasn¡¯t the right time for her to speak with her subordinate. She simply took the chance when Pei Qingfeng and Pei Wuchen were having a showdown to leave a communication mark on the wall. It was one she used frequently in her previous life. She hoped that her subordinate would be able to see it and know to look for her after. After seeing the members of the Phoenix King Valley leave, Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t try to detain those two individuals. He waved his hand to signify that he allowed them to leave. The two individuals didn¡¯t have any intention to stay behind either. It felt as though they were afraid that the Phoenix King Valley members might return again. In just an instant, they vanished without a trace. ¡°How are you going to repay me this time?¡± Pei Qingfeng was obviously addressing Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu pondered for a moment and it seemed as though she made another important decision. ¡°Diagnosis fee. I can give you another 10% discount.¡± This was really important to Bai Luochu! Heavens knew that she was hiding behind a false reputation now. She had no private funds of her own. The First Prince might have stated that he wouldn¡¯t restrict her when it came to money, but it didn¡¯t mean that she could use Pei Rumo¡¯s money as her own, right?! Furthermore, she would have to rebuild the temple in the future. It was natural for her to use up a large sum of money. Right now, she was willing to reduce the fee by another 10% and it was a huge loss! When Pei Qingfeng heard her reply, his originally beaming expression cracked. My goodness, this servant girl is truly incredible. I originally thought I could get her lovely ¡°give you myself in exchange¡± statement. What in the world is going on now? After messing with Third Brother, I only got 10% off my fee? Forget it, forget it. This servant girl is extremely insensitive. I should never expect her to take the initiative. ¡°Since there is nothing else, I will return to the residence.¡± Bai Luochu spoke up and bade farewell to Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mood became even worse. By the time he returned to his residence, there wasn¡¯t a trace of a smile on his face. It was completely different from the usual Pei Qingfeng! After returning to his residence, Pei Qingfeng closed himself inside the study room. None of the servants inside the residence dared to approach him and it was only during lunch when Pei Qingfeng left the room. By then, his gentle and refined appearance returned. Pei Qingfeng had shut himself inside the study room for an entire morning and finally understood something. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know how to express her affection! Putting aside the fact that she was always icy cold, she was especially insensitive. In the end, he decided to never get angry about this matter again. He would be the only person getting angry. She would still treat it as though nothing happened. It wasn¡¯t worth it, it truly wasn¡¯t worth it. As for those two individuals, who were they? Why did the lass care so much about them?! Chapter 61: Ying Lan’s Return ¡°Young Lady, you came back!¡± Zi Su had already prepared the meal so Bai Luochu could dig in the moment she came back. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say much and simply nodded. Zi Su thought that Bai Luochu was still unhappy about the incident in the morning and provided some consolation. ¡°Young Lady, don¡¯t be angry. There is no need to be troubled and concerned over those vile characters.¡± As Zi Su spoke, she seemed to recall something and continued, ¡° Young Lady, you didn¡¯t hear about how quickly the Spring Returning Hall received their retribution. When the commoners realized that your mood turned sour and you were cancelling the session today, all of them left for the Spring Returning Hall. They brought rotten eggs and vegetables with them as they left.¡± ¡°I¡¯m no longer angry¡­ I am simply thinking of something right now. Anyway, thank you for spending the effort to console me.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that Zi Su was sincerely trying to make her feel better, she felt too embarrassed to ignore the little servant girl. She snapped out of it and replied Zi Su. Zi Su was much smarter than before and understood that Bai Luochu¡¯s thought process wasn¡¯t too different from her lord¡¯s. Seeing that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t wish to speak anymore, Zi Su didn¡¯t continue asking. She simply waited for Bai Luochu to finish her meal before keeping the plates. She didn¡¯t want to disrupt Bai Luochu¡¯s cultivation session. Instead of starting to cultivate the moment she finished lunch, Bai Luochu picked up a random book as she was afraid Pei Rumo would pay her a sudden visit. After all, she had already aroused his suspicion. With his character, he might just show up for a surprise spot check. But after waiting for almost an entire afternoon, he didn¡¯t appear. Bai Luochu finally placed down the worry in her heart as she no longer expected him to check on her. She finally became relaxed enough to resume her cultivation. It was inevitable that she was a little apprehensive as she had gone out so early in the morning. She truly didn¡¯t know what Pei Rumo was thinking. However, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t think that her previous confession that expressed her yearning and sorrow would turn into her proof of identity in Pei Rumo¡¯s ears. For the rest of the afternoon, Bai Luochu spent it like she usually would. She cultivated the entire time and the only difference was that she stopped the moment dusk fell. On that very night, Bai Luochu dismissed Zi Su very early as she made meticulous adjustments in her plan. It wasn¡¯t until the bright moon was hanging high up in the sky that Bai Luochu held the properly crafted plan in her hand. She picked up the book she was reading in the afternoon before flipping it occasionally. It seemed as though she was waiting for someone. When the secret guard was wobbling about in the alley, he discovered an extremely familiar marking from the corner of his eye. When he turned his gaze to stare at it carefully, he realized that it was the exact communication marking his mistress frequently used in the past. In an instant, he dropped all the thoughts in his mind and everything he wanted to do. There was only a single thought left. He had to go and scout it out even if it was a trap laid out by the members of the Phoenix King Valley. What if¡­ what if his mistress really came back? When this thought appeared in the secret guard¡¯s head, all the hesitation in his heart disappeared. He made his decision to scout out the location indicated by the marking at night. In the dead of night, the lights on the streets were already waning. As there weren''t a lot of people along the way, no one discovered the secret guard¡¯s movements. The members of the Phoenix King Valley would never imagine that this person would dare to return. In the end, they didn¡¯t bother to send anyone to conduct a search and it made his journey rather peaceful. The marking vanished in the nearby vicinity of the First Prince''s residence and when the secret guard noticed his destination, he placed down the final doubts in his heart. After all, the Phoenix King Valley seemed to be on good terms with the Third Prince, not the First Prince. He then executed his movement skill to enter the residence. When he entered the residence, the secret guard was instantly able to feel the presence of many hidden guards. All of the guards were hidden and were responsible for the security at night. He became even more cautious as he used all his skills in order to avoid detection. Waiting was truly a grueling task. Just as Bai Luochu was going to give up, there was a sudden sound of movement coming from the back window of the side room. That secret guard was looking around carefully and saw the candle flame swaying from side to side. He tightened his grip on his hidden weapon in order to prevent any sneak attacks as he slowly made his way towards the flickering light. When the secret guard finally approached, Bai Luochu spoke up, ¡°Those who enter my temple shall disregard all rules, live a carefree life, and will never suffer hardship.¡± The moment the secret guard heard the statement, his mind jolted. He walked even faster and quickly appeared in front of Bai Luochu. In a trembling voice, he asked, ¡°Who in the world are you?¡± In fact, the secret guard already had his answer. The aura the lady was emitting was similar to that of his mistress. Even the look in her eyes was exactly the same. However, he was staring at an unfamiliar face and was unable to ascertain his thoughts. Bai Luochu carefully observed the guard and even though he no longer possessed the temperament he once had, his appearance was the same. It was easy for Bai Luochu to recognize him. ¡°Ying Lan, you¡¯re finally here.¡± After the words left Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth, the secret guard fell to his knees with a ¡®plop¡¯. He sobbed, ¡°Mistress, where have you been all these years?¡± When Bai Luochu called out his name, Ying Lan knew that the person in front of him was definitely his mistress. Even though she looked different, she was definitely the same person. After all, there was no one else who could match his face with his name apart from Bai Luochu herself. ¡°It is a long story. I¡¯ll slowly explain it to you when I get the chance. It is deep into the night and the weather is cold, get up quickly. You are injured right now and it¡¯s better to take care of your body.¡± Bai Luochu explained and immediately helped Ying Lan up. ¡°Mistress, when I arrived earlier, I noticed that this residence has plenty of secret guards. The one guarding your courtyard is especially formidable. Are you being trapped here? If you are, this subordinate will¡­¡± ¡°It is not necessary. This is the First Prince''s residence. Right now, we don¡¯t have the ability to clash head-on with them. That secret guard is only keeping an eye on me to make sure that I don¡¯t go around causing trouble for the First Prince¡¯s residence. He isn¡¯t a threat.¡± Ying Lan nodded but there were a hundred and one questions in his mind. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here. Is everything¡­ good?¡± Bai Luochu let out a light smile and asked. When the words left her lips, a blank expression filled her face. The temple was already gone¡­ how good would their lives be? ¡°Great! The brothers¡­ they are still around!¡± Ying Lan stammered. It was obvious that the actual situation wasn¡¯t as optimistic as he said. Bai Luochu furrowed her brows and sipped her tea. There were too many things she wished to ask and wished to know, but when the words came to her mouth, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask Ying Lan. Furthermore, the First Prince''s residence was definitely not the best place to have this discussion. Since she had already met Ying Lan, there would surely be chances to clarify things in the future. After thinking about it, Bai Luochu¡¯s sorrow seemed to dissipate and she no longer sighed as much as before. She said, ¡°I led you here today as I need you to do something for me. As you can see, I am no longer as strong as I was in the past. There are too many people monitoring the First Prince¡¯s residence and the Cloud Water Nation. Hence, in the future, you will have to complete many tasks in the dark. I need a solid foundation in order to carry out the rest of my plans.¡± ¡°This subordinate will not disappoint Mistress.¡± Chapter 62: Meeting The Silver-Haired Man Again ¡°This is what I need you to do.¡± Bai Luochu handed over the plan that she had drawn up to Ying Lan. ¡°The temple was destroyed and I swore to revive our fallen temple. I will restore our glory and we will stomp the Three Great Immortal Sects beneath our feet!¡± Bai Luochu spat ruthlessly. Hearing her words, Ying Lan¡¯s body jolted as he immediately knelt down and replied, ¡°As long as Mistress gives the order, Ying Lan will risk his life to fulfill it!¡± Ying Lan might have been overly emotional as his voice was trembling slightly. It seemed as though Ying Lan was going to disregard his life for this single goal! He had been waiting for this statement¡­ for a long time! They were finally going to avenge their temple! ¡°Right now, there are two problems. Firstly, we do not have an endless supply of money. Secondly, we do not have a proper intelligence network. Right now, I need you to build up an intelligence network answerable only to me. You have a month to complete the task.¡± ¡°Of course, we have to take into account many different places when building our network. The merchant streets, brothels, restaurants, and teahouses are especially important. Previously, when the temple formed the information network, they had items called the ¡®Manifestation Mirror¡¯ and the ¡®Transmission Tube¡¯. All those blueprints have already been recreated by me. Find someone reliable to build them and place these two items in private rooms that are frequently used. We will use these to record people¡¯s appearance. We can also use them to identify everyone who steps into our territory.¡± Ying Lan knew Bai Luochu¡¯s plan the moment he saw the blueprints. However, he didn¡¯t know the proper method to set up the ¡®Manifestation Mirror¡¯ and ¡®Transmission Tube¡¯. He had no choice but to ask Bai Luochu how to do it. ¡°I earned all these silver and jewels when I went around to provide treatment. It should be enough for now. If you don¡¯t have enough, you can come and ask for more.¡± Bai Luochu handed a small box to Ying Lan before dismissing him. After Ying Lan left the room, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but silently celebrate. She was fortunate that she had Ying Lan by her side. In her previous life, among all her secret guards, Ying Lan was among the few that was great at carrying out her plans. With him around, her troubles would be cut in half. It was already deep into the night. Bai Luochu extinguished the candle flame and laid down on the bed in order to preserve her spirit and strength. After all, she was going to do something even tougher soon. ¡°Young Lady, Young Lady, wake up¡­¡± When Bai Luochu woke up, the sun was already high up in the sky. If Zi Su didn¡¯t wake her up, she would probably be snoring away. ¡°That isn¡¯t necessary. I am simply being lazy today.¡± In her mind, Bai Luochu could only think of a single reason to explain her fatigue. It was probably because she felt particularly at ease after instructing Ying Lan to do all those things. Now that she was able to put down all the worry in her heart, it was natural for her to sleep more soundly. Of course, she couldn¡¯t tell Zi Su everything as the little servant girl would only become more suspicious of her. By the time Zi Su finished assisting Bai Luochu with her grooming and clothes, the sun was already high in the midday sky. Bai Luochu finished up her breakfast before saying, ¡°I will be going out today. Remember to keep my lunch warm.¡± After she informed Zi Su, she immediately went towards the entrance. Leaving the First Prince¡¯s residence, she headed straight for the eastern part of the city. The objective of her trip was to look for a storefront. Ying Lan should have already found someone to build the items. As the mistress, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t allow Ying Lan to do all the work. ¡°White hair freak! Hee hee hee, beat him to death!¡± The child by the side yelled innocently and attracted Bai Luochu¡¯s attention. White hair freak? Could it be¡­ Bai Luochu turned around and saw the silver-haired man walking towards her. Behind him were plenty of children throwing rocks at him. That silver-haired man didn¡¯t get angry at all and it was as though he couldn¡¯t feel anything. He continued to walk and ignored the kids. ¡°Little friends, this big sister just bought some malt sugar sweets. Do any of you want some?¡± Bai Luochu spoke and threw over a few packets of sweets. When those children heard that there were free sweets to eat, they immediately stopped chasing the silver-haired man and went to pick up the sweets. ¡°Hey, who exactly are you? You never entered the arena to fight the beasts... Right now, you even emerged from the Bestial Battle Arena in one piece. Were you bought by someone?¡± Bai Luochu kept questioning him and when she got to her last statement, the silver-haired man turned around to glare at her. He seemed unhappy with what she just said. When Bai Luochu saw how this man wouldn¡¯t react or speak no matter what Bai Luochu said, she muttered softly, ¡°He can¡¯t be a mute, right? How does he even know Ying Lan?¡± Her voice was really soft. However, it seemed as though the silver-haired man had extraordinary spiritual energy, or maybe it was because of his powerful hearing ability, he turned around to glare at Bau Luochu again. Bai Luochu stopped speaking and treated it as though he was a mute who couldn¡¯t speak. She followed behind the silver-haired man and prepared to take a look at his residence. As long as she knew where he stayed, she would be able to visit whenever she was free and would also be able to ask anything she wanted. Bai Luochu was only concerned about following the silver-haired man and didn¡¯t realize that danger was lurking behind her. After making left and right turns, the silver-haired man stopped outside a rather elegant courtyard. Opening the door, he headed inside. After finding out where he stayed, Bai Luochu returned to search for a storefront. The moment she turned around, she slammed into a ¡®wall¡¯. ¡°Hehe, little lady. You followed a freak for so long just to look at his annoyed expression. Why don¡¯t you follow me instead? I promise that you will be well taken care of.¡± Bai Luochu knew that things weren¡¯t good the moment she saw the man. He should have been following her since a long time ago but she didn¡¯t manage to detect it. There was only one reason and it was that this man¡¯s strength was far beyond her own. It was probably going to be difficult if she wanted to escape. Just when the man whose brain was filled with shit was about to pull Bai Luochu away, a voice entered his ears. ¡°Take your filthy hands off her. Otherwise, I¡¯ll chop off all your limbs, you pig.¡± The man thought that it was Bai Luochu who was messing with him and he completely ignored the voice. All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain shooting through his wrist and when he looked down, he saw a line of blood. Condensing qi into a blade? The man instantly understood that the person in the dark was a formidable master and he hastily yelled, ¡°Great master, this lowly one knows his mistake. I will get lost right now!¡± He ran away as he was scared witless. He didn¡¯t even pay attention to where he was running and bumped into the wall several times. Bai Luochu felt suspicious as she didn¡¯t even do a thing. Could it be? Bai Luochu turned back to look at the place where the silver-haired man once was. Was he the one who made a move? Wasn¡¯t he treating her cold as ice earlier? With a head full of doubts, Bai Luochu turned and walked away. ¡°Mother, she gave me this sweet.¡± Just as Bai Luochu exited the alley, she saw a young child pointing at her. Before Bai Luochu could react, the child¡¯s mother had already made her move and shoved Bai Luochu ruthlessly. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t put her guard up and immediately lost her center of balance as she fell backward. Right at this moment, a pair of hands supported her from behind. When Bai Luochu turned around, she saw the silver-haired man staring at her. Chapter 63: Protection in Silence Before Bai Luochu could ask the silver-haired man, the madam spoke in an unyielding tone, ¡°Are you the person who gave my child this sweet?¡± When Bai Luochu saw the harsh and irate expression on the woman''s face, she knew that her earlier actions had caused some trouble. Her face was expressionless as she said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Can I help you?¡± After Bai Luochu spoke, her brows arched towards the sky and a flame burst to life in her eyes. It was a warning for the woman to stop causing trouble. When the madam saw Bai Luochu¡¯s response, a hesitant expression fleeted across her face. The woman silently gulped down mouthfuls of saliva and continued to put on her strong front as she continued, ¡°So it¡¯s you! My child ate your sweet and is now having constant stomach cramps! How are you going to compensate me?¡± Bai Luochu sneered in her heart. It seemed as though this woman was here to mess with her. Just as Bai Luochu was about to say something, the silver-haired man spoke first. ¡°Since that is the case. I will give you money for you to bring your child to a physician to seek treatment.¡± Bai Luochu looked at the silver-haired man with an astonished expression. It seemed unbelievable that he was standing on her side. ¡°How, how much money?¡± When the woman heard the word, ¡®money¡¯, her eyes instantly lit up. Bai Luochu¡¯s brows were locked together and she realized that this woman was only doing this for money. She shouldn¡¯t be trying to smear her reputation as Divine Physician Bai. After thinking about it, she felt that it was logical as she wasn¡¯t in disguise right now. Currently, she was merely a servant girl from the First Prince¡¯s residence. It seemed like this wasn¡¯t her day. First, she ran into a pervert. Next, she found a scammer standing right in front of her. No matter what, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to give her the money. She suddenly revealed a smile and spoke to the mother and son pair in an amiable tone. ¡°This madam... To be honest, I am a servant girl responsible for serving Diving Physician Bai in the First Prince¡¯s residence. Since this child is suffering because of me, why not let me bring the two of you to the residence and ask Divine Physician Bai to provide his diagnosis? This will prevent trouble in the future.¡± When Bai Luochu mentioned about preventing trouble in the future, her tone was exceptionally serious. Of course, there were intentions of threats behind her words. ¡°No, there is no need. We will take the money and look for a regular physician. Divine Physician Bai is very busy and people like us shouldn¡¯t bother him.¡± When the woman heard this suggestion, she couldn¡¯t find a proper reason to reject it and spoke with a stutter. ¡°Just give us the money!¡± This time, it was the child that shoved Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu stared blankly at the two of them. When she saw that no one was calling them out, she realized that such scams were common occurrences. ¡°I¡¯m nice enough to bring you to a physician¡­ Why are you only thinking of money? Do you want to seek treatment or do you want to extort me?¡± The look in Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes was like blades that stabbed directly into their body. It seemed like she wasn¡¯t going to let these scammers off. The duo stammered and couldn¡¯t say a word. When the silver-haired man saw the situation, he immediately tossed a few silver fragments to them and said, ¡°Take the silver and go. Don¡¯t let me see you again.¡± ¡°Why did you give them the silver?!¡± Bai Luochu was rather agitated. ¡°Insignificant people.¡± That silver-haired man left behind an ambiguous statement and went back into the alley. When the mother and son obtained the silver, they swiftly returned from where they came from. This was simply a farce and Bai Luochu was the only one left who was filled with a bellyful of fire. After the disturbance, Bai Luochu no longer had the mood to look for a shop and directly returned to the residence. She noted down all the suitable shops that she saw today and prepared to make a decision in the future. For the rest of the day, Bai Luochu spent her time cultivating. She might have been unhappy due to the farce but she was ultimately an open-minded person. By lunch, she placed all the events in the morning behind her. Ying Lan jumped in through the window and looked for Bai Luochu at the same time he did the previous night. He reported everything to her. ¡°This subordinate returned yesterday and carefully studied the two blueprints. I realized that the two items were both assembled after the individual parts were made separately. To be sure that these extraordinary items didn¡¯t fall into the hands of others, this subordinate made the decision without your approval to split the blueprint into several pieces before giving them to several craftsmen. Those craftsmen are all famous ones and they secretly despise one another. In my opinion, this is the most appropriate way to handle the task.¡± ¡°You have done well. You thought about all the things I forgot to consider.¡± Bai Luochu nodded as an indication that she was satisfied with how Ying Lan did things. ¡°This is a list of shops on the streets in a hurry to change hands. I have already filtered out the unfavorable locations and the location of the rest of them are pretty good. When you are free, go and take a look. These shop owners are in a hurry to sell their shops and it should be easy to lower the price a little. No matter how low you go, don¡¯t overdo it. It won¡¯t be good if they urgently need money.¡± Bai Luochu finished her explanation and handed over a stack of paper. ¡°Yes, Mistress. If there is nothing else, this subordinate will take his leave. I won¡¯t allow anyone to discover my presence. I hope that Mistress will rest well. Don¡¯t be overly worried, this subordinate will help you settle everything.¡± ¡°I know. You may leave. If you have anything urgent to report, just use the old method of communication to notify me.¡± After Ying Lan left, Bai Luochu got on the bed and prepared to rest. But when she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with everything that happened in the day. She couldn¡¯t think of anything else other than the silver-haired man¡¯s actions. Until now, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t understand why that silver-haired man helped her out. If he was a friend of the previous body¡¯s owner, his reaction was off. Could it be that he had guessed her true identity as well? Next time, I should ask Ying Lan about the silver-haired man¡¯s identity... Thoughts ran through Bai Luochu¡¯s mind and she thought about it for a long time. She wasn¡¯t able to come up with anything no matter how she thought about it. After feeling a little sleepy, she finally understood the meaning behind his words. ¡°Insignificant people.¡± That was what he said. That was true. They were indeed insignificant and she shouldn¡¯t waste her efforts and time on them. If she had time, why didn¡¯t she use it on things that urgently needed her attention? Early morning the next day, Bai Luochu completed her cultivation session. When Zi Su entered to help with her grooming, Bai Luochu heard a piece of information that she had been wanting to hear for a long time. Chapter 64: Start Of The Selection ¡°Ten days later? Why is it so soon?¡± When Bai Luochu heard that the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples selection was in ten days, she suddenly felt a little confused. ¡°Young Lady, it is not fast at all! You have already been living here for almost a month! In my opinion, you must have been overly obsessed with your cultivation and lost track of time!¡± When Zi Su heard Bai Luochu¡¯s response, she felt a little amused. There was a slight discomfort in her heart. In her mind, Bai Luochu was merely a young lady not too much older than herself. However she got through her tough life by immersing herself in cultivation and provided medical treatment to other people. It could be said that Bai Luochu led a really mundane life. When Zi Su thought about the prestige and reputation that Bai Luochu obtained recently, she felt a little relieved. It was fortunate that this young lady¡¯s hard work had all been rewarded, or else, with Zi Su¡¯s temperament, she would probably feel extremely bitter. ¡°I actually lost track of time...¡± Bai Luochu involuntarily shook her head and immediately calculated if the remaining time was enough for Ying Lan to arrange everything according to her instructions. In the remaining ten days, Bai Luochu was really busy. During the day, she would leave the residence and survey all the shops that didn¡¯t require additional renovation. She wanted to quickly construct her base of operation as soon as possible. She then met with Ying Lan in the dead of night and exchanged information about their actions during the day. Just like this, seven days flashed by. On this particular night, Ying Lan infiltrated the First Prince¡¯s residence again and provided a piece of good news. ¡°Mistress, this subordinate completed the arrangements. Tomorrow morning, we can open up for business.¡± ¡°That is very good. The Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples selection is imminent and I cannot recruit them without a proper base. It will be truly inexcusable if that is the case.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that everything was set in place, she felt as though her exhaustion the past few days was worth it. Three days later, the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples selection officially began. Bai Luochu was already waiting at a specific teahouse. This teahouse was purposely chosen by Bai Luochu as it would make it much more convenient to observe the selection in the dark. It would allow her to grasp the best timing to recruit some of the candidates that failed the selection. She was currently in a private room that had a good view of the tournament outside. It was also a great place for her to avoid exposing herself to the members of the Phoenix King Valley. When the selection started, it was Bai Luochu¡¯s old acquaintance who had been appointed as the host for the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s selection. As soon as he read the rules, the selection started. This tournament was just a spar. The rules determined the side the candidates was placed on. The attacking side was naturally for the young and outstanding candidates who wanted to pass the selection. The defending side consisted of the disciples from the Phoenix King Valley. If the attacking side was able to sound the drum behind the defending side within the stipulated time, they would pass the selection. As successful candidates, they would be allowed into the Phoenix King Valley to continue their next phase of cultivation. ¡°The rules of the tournament seems to be fair.¡± Ying Lan was also watching by the side and he couldn¡¯t help but give a few comments. Bai Luochu sneered with disapproval. ¡°Heh, bullshit. Take a look. take a careful look.¡± The candidates who went up the stage first were all aristocratic descendants from the capital city. The disciples from Phoenix King Valley were simply ordinary ones. These aristocratic descendants all had outstanding cultivation as they had relied on spirit medicines to boost their foundations. Even though it wasn¡¯t very easy to reach the drum, they all managed to pass without any accidents. ¡°Take a closer look at the next group of people, these are our target.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that all the nobles had finished their test, she called out and reminded Ying Lan to pay more attention to the leftover participants. Right now, there was a noble-looking man on stage and his clothes seemed to be washed and starched so much that they changed in shape. Just his noble and virtuous aura was enough to make sure that no one could neglect his presence. When Bai Luochu looked at the Phoenix King Valley disciple defending the drum, she snorted coldly. Even though he didn¡¯t seem to be different from the previous disciples, the movement skill he used was something only inner valley disciples could learn. It was obvious that he was different from the ordinary disciples. It seemed as though the Phoenix King Valley was putting a lot of effort for the selection this time round. Just as expected, the attacking side was a young man from a declining aristocratic clan. He never had the luxury of cultivating with spirit medicine and didn¡¯t obtain the guidance of a famed master when training. It was clear that he was weaker than his peers. ¡°Time is up. You have failed the test! Please leave the stage.¡± The young man had an extremely awful expression but the authority of the Phoenix King Valley wasn¡¯t something anyone could challenge. Hence, he had no choice but to leave the stage. ¡°Tsk, just this amount of strength? You are delusional if you want to enter my Phoenix King Valley! You are totally overestimating your own capability. Why don¡¯t you take a good look at yourself?¡± After hearing the Phoenix King Valley disciple¡¯s taunt, the expression on the young man¡¯s face didn¡¯t even change. However, his fists were clenched tight and it was enough of an indication of his thoughts. ¡°That person is Guan Yue. He is the grandson of the previous minister of the Ministry of Appointments. Because of a judicial case, the minister was imprisoned and the entire Guan Clan disappeared from the light in the capital city. Right now, the Guan Clan¡¯s situation is getting worse by the day. Had it not been for the Guan Clan, with Guan Yue¡¯s character, it is impossible for him to be here.¡± ¡°Mistress, then¡­¡± ¡°Invite that person up. Just say that Divine Physician Bai extends an invitation. Bring this book along as well, there is a list of names circled out with red ink. As long as these people fail the selection, invite them over.¡± Bai Luochu gave her instruction and handed the book to Ying Lan. Ying Lan received the book and left the teahouse before heading towards Guan Yue. After he arrived in front of Guan Yue, he bowed politely and said, ¡°This Young Master, my lord is requesting a meeting with you. Will you please make your way to the teahouse across the street? Please go to Heaven Sign room number 1 to meet my lord.¡± ¡°Your lord? May I ask the identity of your lord? Why is he looking for me?¡± Instead of saying that Guan Yue wasn¡¯t clear about the situation, it should be said that Guan Yue thought highly of himself. He didn¡¯t want to be involved or affiliated with anyone. Ying Lan had seemingly predicted Guan Yue¡¯s reaction and explained calmly. ¡°My lord is the reputable Divine Physician Bai. He wishes to see you because he thinks that you are outstanding, that is all. Of course, it is up to you whether or not you wish to go. I am just here to bring a message.¡± When Guan Yue saw that Divine Physician Bai¡¯s subordinate was neither obsequious or supercilious, he immediately formed a good impression of Divine Physician Bai. he made his way to the teahouse across the street. When Bai Luochu looked through the window and noticed Guan Yue walking over, she got the waiter to prepare a pot of hot tea. She sat upright while waiting for Guan Yue to appear. In just ten minutes, there was a knocking sound. ¡°Please enter.¡± Chapter 65: Successful Recruitmen ¡°This Bai gives his greetings to Young Master Guan. I have disturbed you without considering the situation. I hope that Young Master Guan can forgive me.¡± Bai Luochu slowly stood up from the seat and bowed to Guan Yue. ¡°Divine Physician Bai is too serious. Nobody Guan is just a descendant in dire straits. It is truly an honor for me to be able to meet with the highly reputable Divine Physician Bai.¡± There was a trace of disdain in Guan Yue¡¯s words. On the surface, he was flattering Bai Luochu, but in fact, he was silently criticizing Bai Luochu for being a lackey for the nobles in the capital. Bai Luochu naturally heard the hidden meaning behind Guan Yue¡¯s words but she didn¡¯t think much of it. She had endured the infamy and curses from plenty of people in her previous life and this additional one wouldn¡¯t make a difference. However, this told her that Guan Yue was noble and virtuous. She should probably wear down his character a little. ¡°Young Master Guan is a person of virtue and as a commoner, I¡¯m definitely unable to compare myself to you.¡± Bai Luochu looked at Guan Yue¡¯s arrogant expression as she continued, ¡°But with the situation of the current Guan Clan, I am afraid that Young Master¡¯s virtue wouldn¡¯t be enough to support it.¡± Bai Luochu took a sip of tea as though she didn¡¯t care and observed silently. When she saw that Guan Yue was seriously angered, she quickly added, ¡°Why don¡¯t Young Master Guan take a seat and taste some tea?¡± Guan Yue sat down angrily and drank a mouthful of tea. ¡°This is aged Pu''er tea. When Pu''er tea is being brewed, it is just a cluster of black substance and it is hard for anyone to believe that the tea tastes good. After the brewing process, the tea is clear and limpid. It even has a rich and mellow taste. It is the same for humans and all things alike. Nothing can be judged by its cover..¡± ¡°What exactly do you want to say?!¡± Guan Yue was extremely frustrated and he snapped. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but lament. Just like what she expected. A proud and arrogant young man wouldn¡¯t know how to hide his feelings. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t answer Guan Yue and asked a question in response, ¡°Does Young Master Guan believe that the aristocratic descendants that went before you had sufficient strength to cultivate in the Phoenix King Valley?¡± ¡°Of course they do. Even though those people relied on spirit medicine to achieve their cultivation, it isn¡¯t easy to defeat the disciples!¡± ¡°Then what does Young Master Guan think of yourself?¡± ¡°I¡­ I originally thought that my strength shouldn¡¯t be that far off when compared to those aristocratic descendants. But after this, it seems like the disparity is pretty big.¡± When Guan Yue said this, he felt rather distressed. A moment later, he opened his mouth and said, ¡°The disciple on the stage¡­ His movement skill seems to be...¡± Guan Yue wanted to say something but hesitated as though he couldn¡¯t make up his mind. ¡°Young Master Guan¡¯s thoughts aren¡¯t wrong. The Phoenix King Valley separates their disciples and places them in the inner and outer valley. The ones facing the aristocratic descendants are all outer valley disciples. Be it their technique or movement skill, they are incomparable to those inner valley disciples. Those inner valley disciples are the ones all of you encountered.¡± ¡°Unacceptable!¡± Guan Yue swung his sleeve and wanted to go and argue with the members of the Phoenix King Valley. ¡°My advice for Young Master Guan is to not be so rash. What use is there to speak without proof? If you are to expose this fact, the Phoenix King Valley and the capital¡¯s aristocratic clans would be thoroughly discredited. Do you think you and your Guan Clan would receive any benefits?¡± Guan Yue paused and shifted his gaze to Bai Luochu. At the start, he thought this person was just someone angling for fame. Right now, Bai Luochu seemed to have turned into someone worthy of his respect. ¡°Earlier on, Nobody Guan was overly prideful and arrogant. This ignorant one wishes to receive Divine Physician Bai¡¯s forgiveness.¡± Bai Luochu placed down her teacup and smiled. ¡°Young Master doesn¡¯t need to concern himself. I am not a person who fusses over minor matters and I am just a commoner. I am looking for Young Master because I wish to recruit you. If Young Master becomes my subordinate, I will be able to provide you all the resources you need. It will be in no way lesser than what the Phoenix King Valley provides. If Young Master requires my reputation to rescue the Guan Clan from a calamity, from what it seems, my Divine Physician Bai¡¯s title can be of some use.¡± ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Guan Yue was slightly moved but he was still unable to completely trust a person he had met for the first time. ¡°I have bad blood with the Phoenix King Valley and won¡¯t rest till they are wiped out. Since they have misjudged a pearl to be the eye of a fish, there is no way I can allow such a talent to be buried under a boundless sea of people. As long as I can cause some trouble for the Phoenix King Valley, anything is worth a shot. Of course, Young Master Guan has the right to refuse. If Young Master Guan agrees, you can go to the Heaven Sign number one private room in the ¡®Remote Paddy Inn¡¯. I will set up a feast tomorrow. Right now, there is another person who I wish to recruit. It¡¯s best that Young Master Guan leaves now.¡± After Bai Luochu was done talking, she gestured and indicated for Guan Yue to leave. For the rest of the day, Bai Lucohu would remain in this private room and meet with plenty of youths. Among them, there wasn¡¯t another individual who had Guan Yue¡¯s nasty temperament. There were a few of them who even expressed their willingness to follow Bai Luochu. ¡°Today¡¯s harvest is actually rather significant. However, my stomach is starting to ache after drinking so much tea...¡± Bai Luochu rubbed her stomach and lamented. ¡°Mistress, is there a need to change the dish for the feast?¡± Ying Lan handed over a book after he spoke. ¡°That isn¡¯t necessary, just do it as you see fit. I won¡¯t worry about it when you¡¯re in charge. It is already quite late and I should return to the residence soon. Otherwise, the First Prince might get suspicious.¡± Bai Luochu headed back to the First Prince¡¯s residence after leaving behind her last sentence. The next day, early in the morning, Bai Luochu donned ¡®Divine Physician Bai¡¯s¡¯ attire and prepared to exit the residence. When it was daybreak, Bai Luochu was already waiting at the Remote Paddy Inn. ¡°Mistress, do you think they will come?¡± Ying Lan looked rather concerned. ¡°It is up to them. I am just giving them an opportunity. If this recruitment isn¡¯t successful, we will think of other methods. During these ten days, we have already taken the first step and established our information network in the capital city of the Cloud Water Nation. That is already good enough. We shouldn¡¯t be too greedy.¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t as anxious as before. It was almost at the agreed time and those who expressed their willingness to follow her the day before had already arrived. One by one, people started to arrive with the exception of Guan Yue. Bai Luochu felt that she wouldn¡¯t be able to recruit Guan Yue anymore and instructed Ying Lan to start the feast. They were in the midst of a discussion on the allocation of tasks and when they mentioned about the allocation of jobs in the brothels, everyone went silent and no one spoke. ¡°Since everyone doesn¡¯t wish to do it, why not let Nobody Guan take this task.¡± ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to come.¡± ¡°I have thought about it for a long time and I decided to trust you. I hope that you will be able to keep your promise.¡± Guan Yue bowed and spoke politely. ¡°Of course. It is truly an honor for Young Master Guan to join the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Furthermore, you are volunteering to take on this task. It is truly a pleasant surprise for me.¡± Chapter 66: Steady Developmen A few days passed in an instant and the day for Bai Luochu to enter the palace to treat the Empress Dowager arrived once again. ¡°Young Lady, this servant has already helped you to prepare your equipment.¡± As Zi Su combed Bai Luochu¡¯s hair, she gave a simple brief. Bai Luochu nodded before replying, ¡°If I am not back by lunchtime, keep my food warm.¡± Bai Luochu was afraid the Emperor wasn¡¯t going to give up and would ask her over for a ¡®discussion¡¯ again. If that were to happen, her journey back would be delayed and she didn¡¯t want to miss her lunch again. ¡°This servant will keep it warm for you.¡± Zi Su bowed to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu then rode the carriage to the imperial palace. After entering the gates of the palace, she walked towards the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. As usual, she felt the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse, conducted an acupuncture session, wrote a new prescription, and gave a few pieces of advice. ¡°This Empress is already a set of old bones and has to trouble Divine Physician Bai to rush in and out of the palace. I am truly fortunate...¡± ¡°Why does Empress Dowager say such things? Empress Dowager is going to live for a thousand years. Even your birthday is called ¡®Thousand Years Day¡¯. You will naturally live for a long time. How can you say that you are a bag of old bones?¡± When the Empress Dowager heard Divine Physician Bai¡¯s response, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily. ¡°Hahahaha, Divine Physician Bai, you are truly a wonderful person. Not only are you a miracle physician, you also have the gift of the gab!¡± ¡°It is already this commoner¡¯s honor to receive Empress Dowager¡¯s compliments. If Her Majesty has nothing else, this commoner shall take his leave.¡± ¡°Go on then. You have been busy for a long time. Quickly return to the residence and take a break.¡± ¡°Many thanks for Empress Dowager¡¯s kindness. This commoner shall take his leave.¡± Bai Luochu finished giving her thanks and bowed to the Empress Dowager before heading back to the residence. After exiting the gates of the palace, Bai Luochu saw that the coachman was already waiting for her. She boarded the carriage and informed the coachman, ¡°Can I trouble Big Brother to make a trip to the Remote Paddy Inn? I have a craving for their desserts.¡± When the coachman heard what she said, he turned the carriage around without a word as he steered it towards the Remote Paddy Inn. When she arrived, Bai Luochu immediately made her way inside. When the innkeeper saw Bai Luochu walking into the establishment, he pretended to mingle around for a moment before handing over the desserts that had been prepared long ago. Bai Luochu nodded before leaving for the First Prince¡¯s residence. When Bai Luochu returned to the residence, it wasn¡¯t time for lunch yet. Zi Su was nowhere to be seen. When Bai Luochu noticed that no one was around, she carefully unwrapped the dessert and took out the message slip before reading through it carefully. Ying Lan reported that they were operating under the name of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. In the chaotic capital city, the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence was still a small scale establishment and had yet to attract any attention. It allowed them to constantly develop and expand in the dark. Their influence had already reached the towns in the vicinity of the capital and after Ying Lan conducted some investigation of several orphans, he taught them the basics of operating a business. It would make things much more convenient when the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence expanded in the future as they wouldn¡¯t be lacking in manpower. When Bai Luochu read the information in the slip, she felt extremely gratified. With Ying Lan assisting her, there was a huge burden off her back. ¡°Young Lady, are you back?¡± Zi Su asked outside the door. Bai Luochu heard the voice and destroyed the message slip. She picked up a piece of dessert and acted as though she was preparing to eat it before replying, ¡°I am back. Come on inside.¡± After obtaining Bai Luochu¡¯s approval, Zi Su immediately pushed the door open and entered the room. When she saw the dessert on Bai Luochu¡¯s table, she couldn¡¯t help but complain. ¡°Young Lady, you are eating behind this servant¡¯s back again!¡± ¡°Pfff. Oh, Zi Su, you really like these sweet things huh?¡± When Bai Luochu saw Zi Su¡¯s fuming expression, she was immediately amused. She said, ¡°Take it. I don¡¯t eat too many sweets.¡± Bai Luochu pushed the desserts towards Zi Su after speaking. When Zi Su saw that Bai Luochu gave her permission to eat the desserts, she didn¡¯t hold herself back. Picking up a piece, she munched down on it. The angry expression on her face completely disappeared. Halfway through the food, Zi Su suddenly recalled something and said to Bai Luochu, ¡°That¡¯s right, Young Lady, a few days later, the princes will be having a gathering at the Landscape Pavilion in the outskirts of the city. Now that your name as Divine Physician Bai is growing closer to the princes, there is a chance you have to attend the gathering!¡± Bai Luochu shook her head. It seemed as though she didn¡¯t agree with Zi Su¡¯s thoughts. ¡°It is a gathering of the princes. How can a commoner like me attend? Furthermore, the First Prince will never allow me to go either. The closer I am to those princes, the higher the probability that my identity will be exposed. Seeing how prudent your lord is, he definitely won¡¯t allow me to go.¡± ¡°But... but isn¡¯t there still the Second Prince? From the rumors in the capital, the Second Prince and Divine Physician Bai are as close as brothers. Furthermore, there are rumors that the Second Prince doesn¡¯t allow any woman to get close to him because he is homosexual! The person of his preference is actually Divine Physician Bai!¡± Zi Su said it as though everything was true. ¡°Cough cough¡­ Cough cough.¡± When Bai Luochu heard Zi Su¡¯s statement, she nearly choked to death. ¡°All of you actually dare to make up such rumors about a prince? What is this? Besides¡­¡± Bai Luochu suddenly withdrew her words. She originally wanted to spill the beans about how Pei Qingfeng already knew that she was a woman. However, on second thought, she knew that this excuse wasn¡¯t going to work. There was no way she could say that Pei Qingfeng entered her chamber in the middle of the night, right? ¡°Besides what? Young Lady?¡± Zi Su tilted her head and was curious about what Bai Luochu wanted to say. ¡°Besides, I am originally a woman.¡± Bai Luochu had no choice but to complete her sentence. ¡°Ah!¡± Zi Su suddenly let out a yelp in surprise. ¡°Young Lady, it is already lunchtime! This servant is too engrossed in the conversation and forgot about everything! I will go and prepare lunch for Young Lady right now!¡± ¡°You! How were you engrossed in a conversation with me? You were obviously engrossed in the desserts!¡± Bai Luochu looked at the bits of dessert that were still stuck on Zi Su¡¯s mouth and felt truly helpless. ¡°Young Lady mustn¡¯t expose this servant like this!¡± Zi Su responded and instantly slipped off to the kitchen to prepare Bai Luochu¡¯s lunch. After eating lunch, Bai Luochu immersed herself in cultivation again as though the matters in the outside world were unrelated to her. Apart from dinner, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t do anything other than cultivating. Chapter 67: Agreeing to the Invitation Early the next morning, Bai Luochu woke up early again to cultivate. Because of Bai Luochu¡¯s diligent cultivation, not only did her strength increase significantly, she managed to nourish her crippled meridians to the point where they were even more tenacious than regular cultivators. She cultivated until daybreak and when Zi Su entered the room, Bai Luochu was already seated in front of the dressing table. She was waiting for Zi Su to comb her hair for her. ¡°Young Lady, you shouldn¡¯t be wearing this today as you still have to put on Divine Physician Bai¡¯s disguise.¡± When Bai Luochu heard Zi Su, her brows arched upwards and she felt confused. She asked, ¡°Why is that so?¡± ¡°Young Lady, have you forgotten? During dinner yesterday, this servant told you that the Second Prince sent a notice of visitation. He said that he was going to visit you today!¡± Zi Su explained. Right now, Bai Luochu could only feel her glabella jolting. Does he have nothing else to do? How can a prince be so free? How can he make a trip to the First Prince¡¯s residence every few days?! Why wasn¡¯t Pei Rumo like the carefree Pei Qingfeng? Isn¡¯t Pei Qingfeng¡¯s behavior unbecoming of a prince? ¡°Did he mention the time of his arrival?¡± Bai Luochu was rather frustrated and she spoke with a rather impatient tone. ¡°The card¡­ the card mentions that the Second Prince will come over after breakfast.¡± Zi Su might have noticed that Bai Luochu was rather impatient and she stuttered. Bai Luochu felt as though a headache was going to split her brain into two. She sighed silently, thinking about how Pei Qingfeng was making her life a living hell. ¡°Help me change my clothes!¡± Bai Luochu started to take off her clothes as soon as she finished her statement. She was only left with close-fitting clothes on her body while Zi Su helped Bai Luochu wear Divine Physician Bai¡¯s robes. Bai Luochu had just finished her breakfast and before she could even rest, she heard Pei Qingfeng¡¯s voice. ¡°Brother Bai! It has been a long time since we last met. Do you miss your big brother?¡± Goosebumps appeared all over Bai Luochu¡¯s body when she heard what Pei Qingfeng said. Zi Su had rather discerning judgment and immediately cleaned up the things on the table. She quickly asked for Bai Luochu¡¯s permission to leave. Pei Qingfeng was currently being pushed into the room by his attendant and when he saw Bai Luochu seated properly and waiting for him, he waved his hand. His attendant immediately retreated to the side. ¡°Why do you look so angry?¡± Pei Qingfeng waved his folding fan and smiled like a fox. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Bai Luochu. Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t help but think it was hilarious. Teasing this servant girl was really amusing. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I am here today because I have something to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Second Prince, are you extremely free? You have been coming to my place every day. Can¡¯t you be like the First Prince and diligently handle political matters and be a responsible prince?!¡± Bai Luochu was really unhappy about the frequency Pei Qingfeng was visiting her. He would act as though he had something he had to discuss with her every time he came. When Pei Qingfeng heard Bai Luochu speaking like this, he didn¡¯t get angry at all. He ignored her and carried on, ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you this time. A few days later, the princes will have a banquet. I think it is a great opportunity for you to open up a path to reach the high-ranked officials and noble clans. Hence, I am here to discuss with you and ask for your opinion.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s brows were slightly raised upwards as she thought to herself that Zi Su actually made a correct guess. Pei Qingfeng actually had the intention to bring her along to the banquet. No matter what, she still had to consider the First Prince¡¯s attitude on this matter. ¡°If you are worried that First Brother might object, you don¡¯t have to worry anymore. I have already revealed my intention to First Brother and he had agreed tacitly.¡± It was as though Pei Qingfeng already knew Bai Luochu¡¯s thoughts and before she could even ask, he provided a proper explanation. Bai Luochu was actually tempted. To be able to sit on the same level as princes as a commoner was something that never happened in this era. Even in the past few generations, no one had the honor of such a privilege. Just the day before, she had spoken to Zi Su in that manner because she didn¡¯t think she would ever attend the banquet. Right now, since Pei Qingfeng was offering the olive branch, she would be a fool if she didn¡¯t accept it. ¡°Why are you so considerate towards me? What are you planning?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t believe that Pei Qingfeng had been giving her preferential treatment because he fancied her. ¡°The better your reputation, the more resources you will get. It will be very beneficial for your cultivation. The faster you grow stronger, the higher the chances of neutralizing the poison in my body. Instead of saying that I¡¯m helping you, think of it as helping myself.¡± Pei Qingfeng had a serious expression on his face that was rarely seen. Bai Luochu was rather astonished when she saw how Pei Qingfeng was so frank when talking to her. After all, these princes had grown up in the palace and should be accustomed to underhand trickery. Their thoughts should be impossible to read. As such, she was rather surprised that Pei Qingfeng was so honest when speaking to her. ¡°Alright. On that day, will I follow the First Prince or will I follow you?¡± Bai Luochu asked casually. ¡°Since I am the one who sent the invitation, you will naturally go with me. On that day, I will ask the coachman to pick you up at the First Prince''s residence before heading to the Landscape Pavilion. Remember, you are Divine Physician Bai on that day. Don¡¯t reveal your true identity.¡± ¡°Alright. On that day, I will welcome Second Prince¡¯s arrival respectfully.¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw that the discussion was about to end, he started to change the topic. After all, he didn¡¯t come all this way simply to invite her to the banquet. ¡°Why do you have to disguise yourself as Divine Physician Bai when you are just going to see me? It is not as if I do not know your true identity.¡± ¡°Of course you know my identity. However, are you forgetting about how you found out?¡± Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at Pei Qingfeng. She thought that he had the brain of a pig. Pei Qingfeng thought about it carefully and suddenly realized. ¡°Oh, I completely forgot!¡± Pei Qingfeng thought about it and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from making fun of her. ¡°Say... if this matter is made known to others, won¡¯t you have no choice but to marry me?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes nearly flipped around as she rolled it with all her might. She struck back. ¡°That¡¯s the reason I¡¯m acting as Divine Physician Bai! I¡¯m even so obedient when acting like a proper physician! If the matter of ¡®The Second Prince barging into a lady¡¯s chamber in the middle of the night¡¯ leaks out, I won¡¯t suffer any disadvantages. After all, I¡¯m merely a slave. I am afraid that the Second Prince will have to bring a female slave back as a concubine. If that happens, the members of the imperial courts are going to have a lot to write about. I believe that the history books will surely list down the Second Prince¡¯s romantic feats.¡± Pei Qingfeng shook his head. In his mind, he thought about his foolishness. Why am I arguing with this little lass?! He recalled that he had never won a single time when sparring with words and it seemed as though he had yet to learn his lesson. Chapter 68: Cheerfully Attending the Banque When Pei Qingfeng saw Bai Luochu¡¯s response, he shut his mouth in embarrassment and prepared to leave. Before he left, he didn¡¯t forget to remind Bai Luochu, ¡°Don¡¯t forget! Three days later, I will come and fetch you early in the morning.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t even wish to speak to him as she simply nodded. It was an indication that she understood. Three days passed in a flash. Just as Bai Luochu finished her breakfast, someone came to report. ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, the Second Prince¡¯s carriage is already waiting at the entrance. I hope you can hurry up¡­ Don¡¯t let the Second Prince wait for a long time.¡± ¡°I understand, I will go out right now.¡± Bai Luochu replied and she followed the manservant out of the door. After arriving at the front door, she saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal servant standing in front of the carriag. He even bowed to her when he saw her. ¡°Divine Physician Bai, please board the carriage. My lord is already waiting inside.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say anything and immediately boarded the carriage. As soon as she entered the carriage, she saw Pei Qingfeng seated inside. Today, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s attire was in conformance with the style fit for an imperial prince. He didn¡¯t dress as casually as before and it was obvious that he paid attention to his dressing. ¡°The Landscape Pavilion is constructed by the mountain. There might be nice scenery but there are definitely snakes, bugs, and little critters. A few days ago, I got the embroidery ladies to stitch up a spice bag. It is filled with spices that can chase those little things away. It doesn¡¯t bring harm to your body either.¡± Pei Qingfeng finished speaking and took out a spice bag. He handed it over to Bai Luochu. This was the first time Bai Luochu received a spice bag from a man and she couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward. She had no choice but to shrink away and say, ¡°I am not that noble of a person. Your Highness had better keep this spice bag for yourself.¡± ¡°How could I ask the embroidery ladies to make only one? I am already carrying one and you don¡¯t have to be shy.¡± Pei Qingfeng spoke and didn¡¯t forget to point to his waist. There was already a spice bag securely fastened to his waist. When Bai Luochu saw that she could no longer find any excuse to reject it, she accepted the spice bag. ¡°When we arrive, you don¡¯t have to answer any difficult questions. First Brother and I will naturally help you out. You are now assuming the identity of Divine Physician Bai and there is nothing wrong with acting a little arrogant.¡± Pei Qingfeng carefully informed Bai Luochu about the things she should pay attention to and many other things. He was afraid Bai Luochu might expose some flaws during the banquet or might say something wrong. In Bai Luochu¡¯s ears, the words held a different meaning. She felt suspicious about how capable Pei Wuchen was. Putting aside the fact that he could become the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Valley Master, he was even able to make this old fox so apprehensive. Today was also the day she was going to officially meet the Third Prince. Bai Luochu naturally didn¡¯t express the thoughts in her mind. Along the way, Pei Qingfeng would inform her about the things to pay attention to from time to time whenever he thought about them. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t even open her mouth and simply listened. The Landscape Pavilion was located at the outskirts of the capital and by the time Bai Luochu and the Second Prince arrived, there was already a group of princes there. When Bai Luochu saw them, she quickly alighted the carriage and paid her respects as these people were members of the imperial clan. ¡°This commoner pays his respects to all the princes. Today, this commoner caused some delays and hope that Your Highnesses will forgive me.¡± Bai Luochu sounded like she was beneath all of them but she had a lofty and unyielding character no one could ignore. Immediately after, one of the princes responded amiably, ¡°Divine Physician Bai is too serious. You are now a benefactor in the capital city and we are just ordinary folks. How can we pick on you just because of this? Come, quickly take a seat. Today is a rare holiday, let¡¯s not waste such a great time.¡± As they exchanged pleasantries, all of them slowly took their seat. During this period of time, someone actually asked Bai Luochu to take the first seat but had been tactfully declined by her. In the end, someone proposed that there shouldn¡¯t be a main seat. Everyone was able to take any seat they wanted. In the end, Bai Luochu sat in-between Pei Rumo and Pei Qingfeng. After all, Divine Physician Bai was actually brought over by the First Prince. He also had a great relationship with the Second Prince. Thinking about it, the Fifth Prince jested. ¡°First Brother, I have to say¡­ You were the person to look for Divine Physician Bai, but right now, he seems to have a better relationship with Second Brother!¡± This Fifth Prince was simply an idle prince who only knew how to jest. He wasn¡¯t a bad person at heart. If anyone else said this, there would probably be some hostility behind their words. Since Pei Rumo already knew of Bai Luochu¡¯s true identity, he had no choice but to explain calmly. ¡°All these extraordinary experts have their own temperament. Perhaps Divine Physician Bai managed to hit it off with Second Brother. Sigh, I am the pitiful person here as I still have to feed an additional person in my residence.¡± Maybe because the banquet wasn¡¯t a formal event, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t behave as sternly as before. His originally stiff expression was much more gentle today. As soon as Pei Rumo finished his explanation, the banquet roared with waves of laughter. Even though Pei Rumo made himself look bad, everyone laughed and made fun of Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Second Brother, this isn¡¯t the way to do things! Aren¡¯t you going to say something?¡± The one who spoke was still the Fifth Prince. It seems like this person is really someone who wants to watch the world burn... Bai Luochu thought silently in her heart. ¡°Since that is the case, why not let this younger brother split Divine Physician Bai¡¯s daily expenses?¡± Pei Qingfeng spoke with a pleasant tone and was obviously not objecting to this topic. ¡°How can I let Second Brother fork out money? I am the one who invited Divine Physician Bai. It¡¯s nothing for me to cough up some money. The First Prince¡¯s residence can still afford to feed one extra person. Fifth Brother is just stirring things up... Second Brother doesn¡¯t have to take it seriously.¡± Pei Rumo saw that Pei Qingfeng was also messing around and he played along. In the end, he ended the topic on Divine Physician Bai. ¡°Hey? Is Third Brother not here yet?¡± The one who spoke was the Seventh Prince who was cultured and refined. He didn¡¯t bother about worldly matters during normal times and only knew how to paint and study. ¡°This morning when I was going out, Third Brother relayed a message to me. He said that there was something he had to handle for the Phoenix King Valley and will be a little late. From what I see, that woman is definitely pestering him!¡± Just as they were about to make more guesses, Pei Wuchen arrived. ¡°Aiyo, the person arrives just as we start talking about him. Since Third Brother is so late, shouldn¡¯t you punish yourself with a few cups of wine?¡± When Pei Wuchen saw everyone heckling, he silently shook his head and smiled bitterly. He didn¡¯t try to shrink away and punished himself with three cups of wine before finding a seat. ¡°Why is Third Brother so late?¡± The one who spoke was Pei Rumo but his tone didn¡¯t sound as friendly as before. Chapter 69: Dispute During the Banque Pei Wuchen normally portrayed himself as a gentle person. Right now, he was pretending that he didn¡¯t detect the hostility in Pei Rumo¡¯s question. He simply smiled and replied, ¡°This young brother has some tasks to take care of these few days. My apologies to First Brother.¡± When Pei Rumo saw how polite Pei Wuchen was, he felt even more disdain in his heart. This person was obviously just like him, but he acted as though he was a gentleman. Putting aside the fact that he had silently grasped the hearts of many young ladies in the imperial city, he had even stolen the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s daughter with his act. Everyone addressed young ladies as femme fatale but it wouldn¡¯t be exaggerating if he was addressed as homme fatale. Pei Rumo was silently scheming in his heart. It seemed like he was rather lacking in firepower if he were to use Bai Luochu¡¯s current strength and his connections to suppress his Third Brother. However, he was still able to bring out the matter of the engagement to stress his Third Brother out. ¡°Hmph, from what I see, it must be the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s daughter who is pestering you, right? Look at how intimate and passionate the two of you are. We are so envious of your relationship!¡± Pei Rumo spoke out as he wanted to mock Pei Wuchen. ¡°Hey, First Brother, why do you sound so sour? There are plenty of people who fancy Third Brother and it isn¡¯t his fault. In my opinion, you are the one who has a long face on all the time. You look too stern. When young ladies see you, they will all make a detour in order to avoid speaking to you, right?¡± Pei Rumo thought to himself that a young lady sitting before him would even behave impudently before him¡­ Isn¡¯t she sitting in front of you disguised as a man right now? How can you say that no ladies are willing to speak to me? Pei Rumo felt that it was rather strange for Bai Luochu¡¯s image to pop up in his mind. He quickly carried on the conversation and tossed those thoughts to the back of his mind. ¡°That is true. But Third Brother, are you really going to marry the Valley Master¡¯s daughter?¡± Pei Rumo raised his brows and asked in doubt. In fact, he was waiting for the Third Prince to jump into the pit that he had dug. ¡°Wan¡¯er and I are considered childhood sweethearts and have been cultivating together since a young age. If I can marry her and achieve some political gains at the same time, it will truly be a wonderful thing.¡± Pei Wuchen was not embarrassed at all and was magnanimous enough to admit his thoughts. ¡°If I may say so, the Phoenix King Valley is an orthodox and prestigious sect. The Valley Master¡¯s daughter is a beauty as well. If the two of you are mutually in love, I don¡¯t think Emperor Father will try to hinder the marriage. After all, you two are made for each other.¡± Pei Qingfeng shook his head silently. He thought that it was better not to speak of the details. Looking at Pei Wuchen¡¯s attitude, it didn¡¯t seem like he knew about the marriage arrangement. ¡°If this is really the case, I will definitely ask all my brothers to start wrapping up the big red packets.¡± Pei Wuchen immediately accepted the blessings. It was obvious that Pei Wuchen really liked Feng Wan¡¯er. He really wanted to be married to her. When Pei Rumo saw how Pei Wuchen was so happy and looking forward to his future, he knew that it was time for him to dampen Pei Wuchen¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°But, I previously heard from Emperor Father that Third Brother you¡­ already have an engagement?¡± Pei Rumo acted as though he was giving a ¡®kindhearted¡¯ reminder. Bai Luochu felt that things were getting amusing. Pei Rumo was sincerely trying to make things difficult for Pei Wuchen today. When Pei Wuchen first spoke up, Pei Rumo should have already thought of a plot. Pei Rumo was simply waiting for Pei Wuchen to jump into the pit. Bai Luochu immediately felt that she didn¡¯t make this trip in vain. Putting aside the fact that there was free food and drinks, she could even improve her reputation. It was even better when she could hear about the affairs of the imperial princes. Bai Luochu remained emotionless as she enjoyed the tea and food laid out, Her ears were eagerly waiting for the conversation to continue. Pei Qingfeng who was sitting at the side became extremely nervous. He didn¡¯t expect Pei Rumo to bring out this matter today and he had no choice but to pay attention to Bai Luochu¡¯s reaction. He was afraid that Bai Luochu might recall something and start a fight with the Third Prince in front of all the princes. On the other side, Pei Wuchen had an expression of disbelief as his face was riddled with confusion as he said, ¡°I¡­ actually have an engagement?¡± Pei Wuchen felt rather uncertain in his heart. If he truly had an engagement, it would probably be difficult for him to marry Feng Wan¡¯er. After all, he had to be mindful of the impact his marriage had on the citizens. He couldn¡¯t just break the engagement and abandon his fianc¨¦e. However, if he married his fianc¨¦e, he would lose a huge amount of assistance from the Phoenix King Valley. His odds of obtaining the throne would be much lower. The reason why Pei Wuchen was willing to give his all to Feng Wan¡¯er was because they were childhood sweethearts. It was also because he coveted her backer, the Phoenix King Valley. He could become a son-in-law of one of the Three Great Immortal Sects and it was a rather incredible title. ¡°Third Brother actually doesn¡¯t know? I heard of Emperor Father mentioning this a long time ago.¡± Pei Rumo acted innocent, seemingly trying to express that he didn¡¯t say this intentionally. ¡°Is there such a thing? Can First Brother tell me about it?¡± ¡°I once heard from Emperor Father that the former great general had sacrificed his life to rescue the late emperor. Hence, when the general and his wife left the world, they left behind an orphaned daughter. The late emperor wanted to remember the loyalty of the general and his wife, hence, he betrothed the infant daughter to the Third Prince. When she reached adulthood, they would be married to each other. But five years ago, the late emperor passed away and after Emperor Father ascended the throne, he never brought up this matter again. It just happened to be the year when Third Brother was chosen by the Phoenix King Valley and became the last disciple of the Valley Master. At that time, there was no way to let things develop the way it should and the general¡¯s residence was declining even further. Soon enough, no one mentioned this engagement again.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I know about such an important matter?¡± Pei Wuchen was very surprised when he heard what Pei Rumo said. There was an expression of disbelief on his face. ¡°This matter is rather interesting. wasn¡¯t the general residence¡¯s orphan daughter a wastrel? Putting aside the fact that she had innately crippled meridians, she even had that obstinate attitude that her father and mother had. Normally she would suffer from the punishment her maternal uncle and aunt gave her due to her stubborn character. Didn¡¯t she go missing? The engagement shouldn¡¯t be valid anymore.¡± When Bai Luochu heard this, she felt that this young lady was in the same situation as herself and was rather pitiful. If she ever met her in the future, she decided to help this poor girl clear up her meridians. ¡°She went missing?! What is her name? I wonder if I will be able to find her¡­ She is, after all, someone who is engaged to me. I cannot just allow her to roam the world alone.¡± Pei Wuchen still maintained his friendly attitude and it felt as though he was truly concerned about the whereabouts of his fianc¨¦e whom he had never met. Chapter 70: True Identity Pei Rumo pondered deeply and felt that it was more important to suppress his Third Brother. Bai Luochu¡¯s feeling could come later. ¡°That person is the former general¡¯s only daughter¡­ Luo Chu.¡± As soon as Pei Rumo¡¯s voice left his mouth there were two people present who couldn¡¯t sit still. The first person was Pei Qingfeng. He didn¡¯t expect for Pei Rumo to be so ruthless and reveal this fact to everyone. Of course, the other person was Bai Luochu. In the beginning, Bai Luochu only felt that the name was familiar. After thinking about it, wasn¡¯t the previous owner of this body called Luo Chu?! Bai Luochu turned to look at the First Prince and didn¡¯t receive any response. Is he feeling guilty about it? It had been such a long time... Pei Rumo could really keep his composure after hiding it from her for such a long time. If he started off with the truth and added on all the advantages she would be able to obtain if she played along, she would probably allow herself to be used by him. After all, they were simply making use of each other to obtain their goals. But without letting her know in advance, Pei Rumo intentionally used her to strike a blow at Pei Wuchen. She felt that it was truly unacceptable. For a moment, Bai Luochu had an extremely awful expression on her face. Luckily, it was blocked by her mask. Furthermore, Bai Luochu would never expose her emotions through her eyes, thus, no one present could detect anything wrong with Divine Physician Bai. All of their attention was placed on the Third Prince. There was another individual who didn¡¯t have a pleasant expression and that was Pei Qingfeng. Right now, Pei Qingfeng was feeling extremely uneasy as he could feel the emotional changes in the person beside him. A feeling of guilt appeared in his heart. After all, he already knew everything and if he told her beforehand, she wouldn¡¯t feel so awful right now. While he was blaming Pei Rumo, he felt that this person was unscrupulous and would use any means to achieve his goal. Pei Qingfeng was currently suspicious and he wondered if Pei Rumo accepted his proposal to bring Bai Luochu here in order to use her to strike a blow at Pei Wuchen. It was no wonder he was so delighted when he asked to bring Bai Luochu along. Bai Luochu instantly lost her appetite. Thoughts flooded her mind... ¡°I am the former general residence¡¯s First Young Lady and the current fianc¨¦e of the Third Prince.¡± When she thought about it, Bai Luochu felt that there was something wrong. With her status, how could she have fallen to the status of a slave in the Bestial Battle Arena? It seemed like she had to investigate this properly. ¡°In my opinion, it is better to just forget about it. This engagement is already a petty and stale topic. No one even remembers it. Third Brother can be at ease. Just bring your beauty home and marry her.¡± In fact, Pei Wuchen was also thinking about giving up this engagement. After all, in Pei Wuchen¡¯s eyes, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t a match for him. He was the current imperial court¡¯s Third Prince and the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Master. He was part of one of the Three Great Immortal Sects... As for Bai Luochu, she was an orphaned daughter of a declining clan and was a wastrel who had innately crippled meridians. She couldn¡¯t even cultivate! Right now, she was missing and no one knew if she was dead or alive. It was best if she didn¡¯t appear as she might ruin his bright future. ¡°Brother Bai, have you been starving for the past few days? Everything in front of you is nearly wiped out.¡± Pei Qingfeng suddenly raised an unrelated topic as he spoke to Bai Luochu. There were traces of suspicion in his voice. ¡°First Brother, did you forget to give Divine Physician Bai something to eat? Look at how he is eating as though he is a reincarnated ghost who starved to death! His stomach is a bottomless pit!¡± When everyone saw how Pei Qingfeng complained about Divine Physician Bai who was like a brother to him, all of them turned to stare blankly at him. It was true that Bai Luochu had been eating, but it was because of the occasion. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know what else to do. Furthermore, after the shock Pei Rumo¡¯s words brought her, she had no choice but to keep eating in order to suppress the shock. She had to clear her mind in order to think about what was actually going on. The topic of the Third Prince¡¯s engagement suddenly shifted to Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t let anyone down and started picking on Bai Luochu for the rest of the day. After the small feast, there were female singers and musicians who went on stage to perform. No one knew whether or not Pei Qingfeng was possessed as he kept insisting for Bai Luochu to sing. ¡°Brother Bai, this is the first time you are attending our gathering. Why not sing a song or two and entertain everyone?¡± Bai Luochu had been shrinking away and using all sorts of excuses but Pei Qingfeng insisted on making Bai Luochu sing. As soon as Bai Luochu opened her mouth and sang two lines, she was shot down. ¡°Brother Bai, what kind of song are you singing? Even the crows in the forest can sing better than you! You better stop humiliating yourself.¡± Another example was the routine segment of pitch-pot and reciting poetry. Pei Qingfeng picked on her as well. When Bai Luochu pitched the stick into the pot, Pei Qingfeng would say, ¡°Aiyo, aren¡¯t you awfully lucky today? I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be able to do it again.¡± When Bai Luochu didn¡¯t pitch the stick in, Pei Qingfeng would then say, ¡°Why can¡¯t you get it in? You¡¯re standing so close and yet you miss... Divine Physician Bai, can you aim?¡± When it was time to recite poetry, there were even more problems to pick on. When Bai Luochu recited a poem that was easy to understand, Pei Qingfeng would say that it was too vulgar and it didn¡¯t suit Divine Physician Bai¡¯s temperament as it wasn¡¯t refined enough. When Bai Luochu recited a poem that was difficult to understand, Pei Qingfeng would comment that it was overly refined and it couldn¡¯t appeal to the masses. Bai Luochu was at a loss of what to do and it was lucky that no one noticed anything wrong. If there was someone who was acting strange, it would be Pei Qingfeng. After Pei Wuchen¡¯s engagement was revealed, he had been picking on Bai Luochu for the entire day. Pei Qingfeng was doing so in order to distract her. It was rare for Bai Luochu to submit to such treatment and she didn¡¯t even try to start anything with Pei Qingfeng. Apart from Pei Rumo, the rest of the princes were like 12-feet tall monks who couldn¡¯t reach their head. They were wondering if Divine Physician Bai Pei Qingfeng were as close as the rumors described. After looking at how Pei Qingfeng treated Divine Physician Bai, all of them had their doubts. Pei Rumo understood Pei Qingfeng¡¯s ¡®heroic attempt¡¯ and understood that Pei Qingfeng already knew Divine Physician Bai¡¯s true identity. He should also have learned of the engagement a long time ago. Pei Qingfeng was really showing a lot of concern for this servant girl for him to behave abnormally. He truly didn¡¯t expect Pei Qingfeng, who had always placed himself above the commoners, to actually take a step down for a servant girl like Bai Luochu. Chapter 71: Straightening Out Her Thoughts The entire gathering had been enveloped in the gossipy atmosphere of the Third Prince¡¯s engagement. The constant conflict between Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu merely added on to the fun. Just like that, Pei Qingfeng left the Landscape Pavilion. Right before returning to the capital city, he picked on Bai Luochu for the last time. ¡°Brother Bai, my Second Prince¡¯s residence and the First Prince¡¯s residence are located on different sides of the city. Seeing as First Brother is here, do you still have the cheek to ride in my carriage for free?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s mind was filled with chaotic thoughts and she couldn¡¯t even think properly. Let alone countering Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mockery, she couldn¡¯t even think straight. The moment Pei Qingfeng said those words, he fell into Pei Rumo¡¯s trap. Immediately after, Pei Rumo spoke up, ¡°Since I have been neglecting Divine Physician Bai, I shall personally bring him back. Second Brother can rest assured. Everyone is getting tired¡­ Let¡¯s call it a day.¡± After speaking, he reached out and pulled Bai Luochu onto his carriage. Bai Luochu was still immersed in her thoughts and was trying to sort them all out. When she saw a hand pulling her, she thought that it was Pei Qingfeng and she didn¡¯t resist when she was pulled into the carriage. When everyone saw what happened, they couldn¡¯t help but make fun of Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Second Brother, look at you. You have been picking on Divine Physician Bai for the entire day. You really managed to make him angry.¡± Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t think that Pei Rumo would be so shameless that he would wait for Pei Qingfeng to fall into another trap. A wave of dissatisfaction washed over him and he casually exchanged a few words with his other brothers before boarding his carriage. There was a fire burning in his belly as he made his way back to his residence. Right now, the one with the highest seniority among them was the Third Prince, Pei Wuchen. When the Fifth Prince saw that the serious Pei Rumo had left, he started to tease Pei Wuchen. ¡°Say, Third Brother, you better not give up on that Luo Chu lass. She isn¡¯t that bad. Even though Feng Wan¡¯er has celestial looks, Luo Chu isn¡¯t bad either. Even though her beauty can¡¯t match up to the young ladies of other aristocratic clans, her pride is hard to come by. It¡¯s the pride that can only be nurtured from being in a military clan.¡± Pei Wuchen¡¯s brows arched upwards and there was an expression of contempt on his face. ¡°Is that so? I have never met her before though.¡± ¡°It is definitely true. Your younger brother might be mediocre in all aspects but when judging beauties, I am second to none.¡± The Fifth Prince started to praise himself. However, the way he did it was a way people found hard to accept. ¡°You are always fooling around!¡± Pei Wuchen might be berating the Fifth Prince for not improving himself, but he was actually interested in the Fifth Prince¡¯s suggestion. If he didn¡¯t know of this matter, he wouldn¡¯t actually bother about it. However, now that the matter was placed in front of him, he couldn¡¯t simply ignore it. ¡°What is that woman called? Oh, that¡¯s right, Luo Chu... It is a rather nice name.¡± Pei Wuchen thought to himself that he should spare some time to check his fianc¨¦e out. In the First Prince¡¯s carriage, there was dead silence. Since Bai Luochu boarded the carriage, her brows had been locked together. She stared blankly in a single direction and she didn¡¯t say a word. Pei Rumo had been calling out to her, but it didn¡¯t seem like she could hear it. Pei Rumo originally wanted to make use of the time to explain the whole story to Bai Luochu. If Bai Luochu wanted to return to the residence, she would have to listen obediently, or she would be immediately thrown off the carriage. In the end, this great opportunity was wasted. Pei Rumo treated it as though Bai Luochu had just learned of the truth and was in a state of denial. He allowed her to think about it on her own but she didn¡¯t know if she could understand the stakes behind this. If she didn¡¯t turn hostile and side with Pei Wuchen, he would guide her properly from this day forth. It wouldn¡¯t be a waste for him to reveal a trump card so early. However, the thing that infuriated Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t the journey. It was when they arrived in front of the First Prince¡¯s residence. ¡°We are here. Get off the carriage.¡± When Pei Rumo saw that the carriage had stopped, he informed Bai Luochu. Who would have known that Bai Luochu was still in a daze and thought that she was in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s carriage. Before alighting the carriage, she said, ¡°Many thanks to Your Second Highness.¡± Just like this, she alighted the carriage by herself. She completely ignored the person in the carriage with her and it made Pei Rumo so angry he nearly vomited a mouthful of blood. He couldn¡¯t help but lament in his heart. Who was it that she had been eating and living off of? Pei Rumo had been providing her with great food and drinks and he still wasn¡¯t as important as Pei Qingfeng who had appeared out of nowhere! Before Pei Rumo could calm down, he alighted the carriage with an ashen face. He entered the study room and was preparing to settle the affairs which had built up during the time he was gone. In the end, he still found it hard to swallow the rage building up inside him. He stood up and was about to head to Bai Luochu¡¯s courtyard. ¡°My lord, even if you go now, I can imagine that the Young Lady wouldn¡¯t bother talking to you. You shouldn¡¯t go there and make her even angrier at you.¡± The guard who had been beside Pei Rumo seemed to have detected Pei Rumo¡¯s thoughts and he immediately stopped the First Prince. ¡°What do you think I should do to digest the anger in my stomach?¡± Pei Rumo looked at the guard with a smile that wasn¡¯t a smile. His posture made it seem as though if the guard didn¡¯t give him a satisfactory answer, he would be in a world of pain. This guard was obviously someone who had been by Pei Rumo¡¯s side for a long time. He knew about Pei Rumo¡¯s temperament and when he saw how furious the First Prince was, he wasn¡¯t flustered. He spoke in a calm and concise manner. ¡°My lord is so angry because Young Lady Luo Chu mistook you for the Second Prince. But my lord should consider how despondent Young Lady Luo Chu is today. It is highly possible that even if the Second Prince was the person in the carriage, she wouldn¡¯t even look him in the eye. Furthermore, Young Lady Luo Chu is a person with a sense of propriety. After sorting out her thoughts, she will definitely pester you for an explanation. Why is Your Highness bothered with Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s mistake?¡± Chapter 72: Seeking the Truth In fact, the guard was right. When Bai Luochu returned to the residence, she didn¡¯t even bother about dinner and immediately shut herself inside her chamber. Even when Zi Su delivered dinner, Bai Luochu stopped her outside and said that she had something important to think about. Zi Su was asked to leave in order to avoid disturbing her thoughts. When Zi Su saw how Bai Luochu was behaving, she thought that something big had happened. She quickly sought a meeting with the First Prince in the study room. After she reported everything, Pei Rumo responded as though there was nothing wrong. ¡°There is no need to worry. Just let her be. I don¡¯t think she is in the mood to have dinner today. You just have to prepare a little more breakfast tomorrow.¡± Zi Su saw that her lord obviously knew what happened and he wasn¡¯t anxious at all. Hence, she felt relieved and returned to her quarters. She would wait for Bai Luochu to look for her before she went over. At this very moment, Bai Luochu took out a piece of paper and a brush. She wrote down everything she knew about herself and she thought about the reason why she appeared in the Bestial Battle Arena the moment she reincarnated. Since she was the First Young Lady of the former general''s residence, there had to be someone who knew about her identity. Why did the Bestial Battle Arena accept her as a human slave? Why did they allow a wastrel like her to battle against beasts in the arena? She wasn¡¯t battling against beasts! They were simply human targets waiting to be slaughtered. The backer of the Bestial Battle Arena was the Battle Devil Sect whose reputation was comparable to the Phoenix King Valley. If she thought about it in this way, she was probably thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena by Feng Wan¡¯er. It should be because of the hatred Feng Wan¡¯er had for her due to her love of the Third Prince. In the end, everything was related to Pei Wuchen. However, the amount of people who knew about the engagement shouldn¡¯t be more than a handful. Why would Feng Wan¡¯er get to know about it? It seemed as though there were deeper complications. If this matter started with Pei Rumo, it wouldn¡¯t make sense either as it wasn¡¯t really related to him. She had been staying in the residence during this period of time and she might have been a slave, but she was leading a rather good life. Pei Rumo had intentions to allow her to constantly grow stronger and enter the eyes of the Third Prince and the Emperor, making them unable to call off the engagement. All of Pei Wuchen¡¯s scheme would turn to dust the moment this happened. It was impossible for Pei Rumo to be the cause of her troubles. Right now, she couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of the matter. After all, she didn¡¯t know anything regarding the original owner of her body. If she wanted to know more, there was no way she could avoid going back to the general¡¯s residence. Since she was aware of her true identity, she couldn¡¯t live off the First Prince any longer. It seemed like she would have to look for Pei Rumo the very next day as he was probably the one who was the clearest about this matter. It was already deep into the night when Bai Luochu sorted out her thoughts. It was already time to sleep and she called Zi Su over. ¡°Young Lady, did you run into any trouble today? You have been frowning ever since you returned. You locked yourself in your room without eating dinner as well...¡± When Zi Su saw Bai Luochu burdened with worries, she couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Nothing much. I discovered my true identity and realized that I am currently a rather important chess piece in the Cloud Water Nation.¡± Bai Luochu looked outside the window and muttered. ¡°Young Lady, what are you talking about? This servant doesn¡¯t understand anything.¡± When Zi Su heard Bai Luochu¡¯s extremely profound words, she couldn¡¯t wrap her head around what was happening. ¡°You don¡¯t have to know. I am merely talking to myself. After living such a carefree life, it is time for me to face some of the things I have been avoiding.¡± Zi Su still didn¡¯t understand what Bai Luochu was saying, but she felt that the current Bai Luochu was a completely different person. After getting ready for bed, Bai Luochu climbed onto the bed and pulled her quilt over herself. She fell asleep almost instantly. Perhaps it was due to her exhaustion or the information overload, Bai Luochu started dreaming the moment she fell asleep. In the dream, she saw herself in a residence she had never been to before. She could see a young girl growing up as she was beaten and scolded by her seniors. When the scenery changed, she was in the Third Prince¡¯s residence. Pei Wuchen was spending a romantic night under the moon with a young lady with an unclear appearance. Bai Luochu suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart. The next thing she knew, she was at the Bestial Battle Arena and there seemed to be a young lady battling a beast. Just as the spirit beast was about to stomp on the young lady, Bai Luochu woke up. The feeling was truly surreal and it was as though she had experienced everything personally. What if¡­ what if it was true? This thought surged into Bai Luochu¡¯s mind. The first two scenes might be something she had never experienced, but the final scene at the Bestial Battle Arena was obviously one that happened when she reincarnated. Did her memories return after listening to Pei Rumo¡¯s story? Bai Luochu was in shock as she didn¡¯t know if the original owner¡¯s consciousness was still lingering around and if it would awaken one day. If that really happened, would Bai Luochu still be able to continue her life in this body? If she were to die, Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t care about it as she had already died once. She was afraid that Ying Lan and the others would be unable to accept the reality and all her efforts would go down the drain. In the end, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have the time to consider all her options. The most important matter was to find out the reason she was thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena. As for those people who had trampled on her, there was no way she was going to allow them to live a comfortable life! When Bai Luochu considered the fact that her emotions weren¡¯t stable at the moment, she didn¡¯t cultivate like she usually did. After waking up, she simply meditated and regulated her breath. When Zi Su arrived, she allowed Zi Su to quickly help her freshen up before devouring the breakfast before her. After all, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t eat dinner the day before and during the banquet, she lost her appetite after learning about her true identity. Bai Luochu was extremely hungry as the food on the table disappeared at an alarming rate. After finishing her breakfast, Bai Luochu walked towards the First Prince¡¯s study room after doing some mental calculations. Morning court assembly should have ended and Pei Rumo should be returning soon. When Pei Rumo arrived at the entrance of the courtyard where the study room was, he saw a person waiting by the room. In his mind, he thought that the guard¡¯s prediction was pretty accurate. Just the day before, the person had bottled up her emotions like a stuffed can. However, she came looking for him today. Chapter 73: The Truth is Revealed Pei Rumo immediately went into the study room after speaking and sat on his chair. He pointed at one of the chairs, indicating for Bai Luochu to enter and take a seat. When Bai Luochu looked at how the First Prince was behaving, she knew that Pei Rumo must have already predicted that she would come today and had been waiting for her. His plan was truly meticulous. He was obviously the one who ignored all the consequences and exposed the fact to Pei Wuchen. Right now, he was even trying to be a kind person who was going to reveal everything to her. His plan to kill two birds with one stone was truly brilliant. After Bai Luochu entered the study room, she closed the door and sat on the chair. She didn¡¯t look like she was here to ask questions. Instead, she looked like she was going to explode at any moment. ¡°Am I the First Young Lady of the general¡¯s residence? Am I also the Third Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡­ Luo Chu?¡± Bai Luochu went straight to the topic and wasn¡¯t ambiguous at all. Pei Rumo was already prepared and he provided a straightforward answer. ¡°Yes, that is right. The two of you are the same person.¡± ¡°Alright. About the reason why I appeared in the Bestial Battle Arena¡­ Is it because of the engagement with the Third Prince?¡± ¡°Based on what you just said, that is indeed the case. The story behind this is truly a poetic love affair. Do you want to hear it?¡± Pei Rumo gently waved his folding fan and didn¡¯t seem to mind it. In fact, he truly wished for Bai Luochu to nod in agreement so that he could sell her this favor. As expected, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t disappoint Pei Rumo and immediately responded, ¡°Since the First Prince is willing to spare some time from your busy schedule to tell this slave girl a story, it would be impolite for me to refuse. I will listen with all my heart.¡± Bai Luochu spoke humbly but her tone was gradually turning impolite. She was getting really frustrated. Pei Rumo told Bai Luochu everything without hesitation. When Bai Luochu heard the whole story from Pei Rumo, she managed to guess the in and outs of the entire matter. When she saw that Pei Rumo had nothing much to say, she immediately asked to leave. After returning to her room, she started to make a plan and she was meticulous when she chose her every move. She wanted to plan out her course of action after learning about the truth. As soon as Bai Luochu returned to her room, she recalled everything Pei Rumo told her in great detail. ¡­ ¡°Feng Wan¡¯er had always been a spoilt child and there was nothing she couldn¡¯t obtain in the Phoenix King Valley. When she encountered a stuck out nail like you, she became really unhappy. Even though she has the face of an angel, she has a venomous heart. She immediately thought of an idea to throw you into the Bestial Battle Arena with the identity of a slave. After all, you were merely a wastrel with innately crippled meridians. All of them could push the blame of your death to a spirit beast after you died. She wouldn¡¯t have to dirty her hands and would be able to conveniently get rid of a thorn in her side. Feng Wan¡¯er immediately carried out her plan.¡± ¡°In the end, you were just an orphaned daughter of the declining general''s residence. It was no big deal to give them an explanation of your death. When the time came, all they had to do was to explain that you had the body of a wastrel and were wearing unkempt clothes. They would push all the blame onto the person who picked out the slaves for the Bestial Battle Arena and absolve themselves of all blame. Apart from the fact that you died, no one would question further.¡± When Bai Luochu thought about it, she couldn¡¯t help but sneer in her heart. The capital city of the Cloud Water Nation was really a ruthless and vicious place. Life was actually treated like a blade of useless grass in the eyes of these high-ranking people. Thinking up to this point, Bau Luochu felt nothing but pity for the previous owner of her body. She was originally a nice young lady. Just because she was from a declining noble clan and was in the way of someone important, she died a miserable death under the feet of a spirit beast. ¡°Phoenix King Valley? Heh, one of the Three Great Immortal Sects? Seems like they are doing more of these filthy and dishonorable deeds. Since this is the case, why not settle both old debts and new scores at the same time? This will serve as payment for reincarnating into her body...¡± Bai Luochu looked outside the window and muttered softly. This matter was truly something that couldn¡¯t be explained fully. Although a phoenix without feathers might not be worth more than a fowl, in this capital city, no matter how far her clan had fallen, she was still the First Young Lady of the general¡¯s residence. She was still from a noble clan... How could she turn into a slave in the Bestial Battle Arena? The Bestial Battle Arena might look extremely brutal, but everything was done according to the regulations. If she wasn¡¯t a slave, she would never be able to go through the registration process. There should still be things hidden from her. What exactly was it? Bai Luochu started to rearrange everything from the start to the end. She started thinking from the point where Pei Rumo started speaking about the engagement in the Landscape Pavilion. When she started thinking about it, her mind flashed with a divine light as an idea popped into her head. She made a bold guess. Pei Rumo had mentioned this matter publicly to make Pei Wuchen uncomfortable. Was she trapped in the Bestial Battle Arena because of some shady dealings? There were similar cases like this in the past. Many relatives would take the opportunity to kill off the orphan when they were young. They would then be able to capitalize and seize the wealth of the clan. As they were orphans who were despised by everyone, they would be labeled as jinxes. After they died, no one would take pity on them and would even celebrate their death. Since this was the case, was there a possibility of Feng Wan¡¯er colluding with her relatives to kill her? Bai Luochu immediately decided that she would go take a good look at the former general''s residence. She wanted to look at those ravenous jackals and wolves and see what they look like. Who gave them the guts to scheme against her?! Bai Luochu immediately prepared to venture out as she went towards the former general¡¯s residence. When she reached the entrance, she recalled that she didn¡¯t know the address of the general''s residence. Just as she was preparing to return and ask Pei Rumo, she saw the guard coming over. Chapter 74: Returning to the General’s Residence Pei Rumo might have sent someone promptly with the information Bai Luochu wanted, but she still felt like she was being used as a tool. Hence, wasn¡¯t overly grateful and simply nodded her head as an indication that she understood. She then headed straight for the general''s residence and didn¡¯t take a single detour. The general¡¯s residence was a distance away from the First Prince¡¯s residence. But because Bai Luochu was anxious, she pushed her speed to the limits with her movement skill and spirit qi. She arrived at the entrance of the general¡¯s residence in the time it took two sticks of incense to burn. When Bai Luochu arrived at the entrance, she finally understood her fate. The general''s residence was truly in a dire state. The gold paint on the board was almost completely faded, revealing the original metallic color. Taking a closer look, the fangs on the stone lions at the entrance had already fallen off and the ball that was in the mouth of the lion had plenty of pits. It was needless to speak about the beams and pillars supporting the gate as the red paint was peeling off. Had it not been for the frequent clean up, it would truly look like an abandoned ghost residence. Just as Bai Luochu stepped through the door, someone stopped her. ¡°Who are you? How dare you barge into the general''s residence?! Do you have a visiting pass? If you don¡¯t, we cannot let you enter.¡± Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but laugh as she could see from the actions of this servant, that the person who took over the residence demanded a lot of respect. There was actually a guard at the door of this run down shack. Had it not been for the fact that she wanted to investigate the truth, she wouldn¡¯t even take a look at the guards. ¡°Heh, do you not recognize me?¡± Bai Luochu sneered and a trace of doubt appeared in her heart. She was the First Young Lady of the general¡¯s residence. How could no one recognize her? The servants guarding the door scoffed as they assumed that Bai Luochu was some bumpkin who wanted to act as though she had some connections with the general¡¯s residence. One of them mocked, ¡°Che, who do you think you are? Why don¡¯t you take a look at your clothes? You dare try to suck up to the general''s residence?¡± Bai Luochu understood what was happening. It seemed like after she left, her cheap relatives changed out all the staff in the general¡¯s residence. If no one knew who she was, how was she going to enter the residence? Just as Bai Luochu considered knocking out the guards and barging inside, someone called out to her. ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu?¡± The voice sounded a little old and it seemed to come from a middle-aged man. When Bai Luochu turned her head and that man saw her face, he immediately knelt on the ground and sobbed, ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, you are finally back! This old servant has been waiting for you for a long time!¡± When the two servants saw the housekeeper kneeling down and calling this woman the young lady, they understood that she had to be the young lady everybody mentioned. They were immediately dazzled and when they recalled how disrespectful they were to Bai Luochu earlier, they immediately knelt down and spoke with a trembling voice, ¡°First Young Lady, please forgive us. These servants only arrived in the residence after you left and had never seen First Young Lady¡¯s face before. We failed to recognize someone important. We hope for the First Young Lady to be lenient when issuing our punishment.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t necessary. Those who do not know shall not be blamed. Just pay attention in the future.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that they were really new servants, she didn¡¯t blame them. After all, she wasn¡¯t the real First Young Lady. ¡°Old man, are you the housekeeper of this residence?¡± Bai Luochu knew nothing about the general''s residence. She glanced at the housekeeper who seemed to be the most knowledgeable and tried to sound out the situation in the general¡¯s residence. ¡°Young Lady, you¡­ don¡¯t remember this old servant?¡± When the housekeeper heard Bai Luochu¡¯s words, he felt really hurt. ¡°To be honest, I suffered a serious injury and lost my memory. Right now, I have no recollection of anything in the past. I can only remember my identity.¡± Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t bear to see the old man being so dispirited and had to explain herself. The old man nodded and understood that the young lady must have suffered a lot. It was all because of her ingrate uncle that she was in such a bad state. The housekeeper immediately blamed her uncle. ¡°This old servant has the family name of ¡®Liang¡¯ and I am the housekeeper of this residence. In the past, you used to call me Uncle Liang. You can continue to address this old servant the way you did in the past.¡± Uncle Liang explained patiently. Bai Luochu felt as though she suddenly had an additional relative. ¡°Young Lady had been stranded outside for such a long time and should be exhausted. This old servant will bring Young Lady back to her room for a rest.¡± Uncle Liang finished speaking and pulled Bai Luochu¡¯s hand as she brought her into the inner courtyard. In fact, Bai Luochu wanted to tell Uncle Liang that apart from her days in the Bestial Battle Arena, she had been residing in the First Prince''s residence and didn¡¯t suffer much. However, after thinking about it, she couldn¡¯t think of an explanation for an unmarried young lady like her to be living in the First Prince¡¯s residence. In addition to the old man¡¯s hospitality, Bai Luochu allowed Uncle Liang to pull her into the room at the inner courtyard. Along the way, there were plenty of servant girls and servants who saw Uncle Liang. He was already more than half a century old but was dragging a young girl whom they had never seen before. They immediately felt suspicious and there were some meddlesome people who cast over dubious eyes. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t bother but Uncle Liang wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to slander his young lady. He yelled, ¡°Are all of you asking for a beating? Don¡¯t you have work to do? Why are you standing around like useless pillars?! All of you look carefully now, this is our general¡¯s residence honorable Young Lady. She is the only daughter of the former great general! In the future, don¡¯t forget to pay your respects when you see the Young Lady! All of you just can¡¯t seem to read the situation!¡± Not long after he yelled, they arrived at Bai Luochu¡¯s previous chamber. ¡°Young Lady, after you left, your uncle¡¯s family took possession of most of the inner courtyard, with the exception of this room. This old servant would rather die than to allow them to snatch this room away. When Young Lady returns, you would at least be able to live comfortably in a familiar environment. This old servant will personally clean up the room every single day and as you can see, this old man is the only one left. All the servants who used to serve Young Lady in the past had been sold. This old servant was afraid that the new servants would be light fingered and decided to clean the place myself. Today, my prayers were answered and Young Lady finally came back. This old servant now has great hopes for the days in this residence.¡± Speaking up to this point, Uncle Liang started to sob but it was tears of joy that were streaming down his face. Chapter 75: The Ins and Outs of the Matter When Uncle Liang heard the question, an unnatural expression formed on his face. He wanted to change the topic and he said to Bai Luochu, ¡°Young Lady, it is quite late now and it is almost time for lunch. Think about what you want to eat and I will instruct the kitchen to prepare the food for you.¡± ¡°Uncle Liang, you have yet to answer my question. Just tell me, I can accept it.¡± It was obvious that Bai Luochu understood Uncle Liang¡¯s intention. However, she was really curious. After all, she wasn¡¯t the person targeted by them and wouldn¡¯t react explosively after learning about the truth. When Uncle Liang saw that he was unable to hide it anymore, there was a ¡®plop¡¯ sound as he knelt down on the ground. He exclaimed, ¡°Young Lady, this old servant is guilty!¡± It didn¡¯t matter if it was her previous life or her current life, Uncle Liang could still be considered Bai Luochu¡¯s senior. Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t allow him to kneel when speaking to her. Hence, Bai Luochu helped Uncle Liang up and said, ¡°Uncle Liang, quickly stand up. There is nothing to be guilty for. You just have to tell me everything that happened after I left.¡± Uncle Liang was obviously old and after dropping to his knees all of a sudden, he needed some help in order to stand up. He was trembling a little and didn¡¯t know if it was because of the pain in his knees or because he was afraid of telling the truth. ¡°Young Lady, you might find it hard to accept the things I am about to say next. I hope you won¡¯t be agitated and hurt yourself...¡± Uncle Liang lowered his head and his voice got softer as he spoke. It seemed like the truth was something hard to stomach and Uncle Liang had to pause several times throughout his recount. Bai Luochu nodded and raised her chin again as an indication for Uncle Liang to continue. ¡°Previously, this old servant was sent out to carry out some tasks allocated by your uncle. When I returned, Young Lady was already missing. Your uncle said that you went to a temple by the outskirts of the city in order to burn incense. He also said that you wouldn¡¯t be back so soon. As you had visited the temple frequently in the past, this old servant didn¡¯t feel as though there was anything suspicious about it. But after seeing that Young Lady didn¡¯t return after a few days, this old servant went to ask your uncle again.¡± ¡°This time, your uncle¡¯s attitude turned 180 degrees and he yelled, ¡®That lowly lass has a cheap life and won¡¯t die! Even if she died, she should die outside the residence in order to bring the bad luck away¡¯¡± ¡°As I continued to wait, I realized that your uncle started to act strangely. You were missing for such a long time but he wasn¡¯t even anxious. Instead, he started to change the servants in the residence and the supervisors. As no one wanted to be the housekeeper, this old servant chose to stay and currently, I am the only one left who served the late general.¡± ¡°Is that the truth?¡± Bai Luochu finished listening to Uncle Liang¡¯s narration and felt that the original owner of this body was really pitiful. In the eyes of others, the original owner of this body might be a wastrel, but she was warm hearted like her father and had an unyielding character. It was truly a pity for her to end up like this. Bai Luochu¡¯s thoughts flew through her mind. Since she was reincarnated into this body and living on behalf of the original owner, she should be the one to take revenge for the original Luo Chu. In Bai Luochu¡¯s opinion, the two of them had similar names and happened to share the same fate after Bai Luochu reincarnated into this body. The heavens took pity on Luo Chu and allowed Bai Luochu, the evil dao witch, to reincarnate into her body. It was a sign for Bai Luochu to help the original owner take revenge. ¡°Everything this old servant said is the truth and there isn¡¯t half a sentence of a lie! This old servant definitely won¡¯t deceive the Young Lady!¡± When Uncle Liang saw Bai Luochu¡¯s expression of doubt, he assumed that Bai Luochu was suspicious. He immediately responded firmly. In fact, Bai Luochu¡¯s doubt wasn¡¯t because of Uncle Liang, it was because she didn¡¯t think that there were actually so many devils and beasts who could drape human skin over themselves in this world. They might look like humans, but the things they did were unfitting of one. ¡°Uncle Liang, I believe what you say. I just didn¡¯t think that uncle and his family would actually¡­ actually be such ingrates!¡± The moment Bai Luochu spoke, she squeezed out several drops of tears. If Ying Lan was standing beside Bai Luochu right now, he would probably burn a stick of incense for the uncle and his family. After all, Bai Luochu¡¯s tears were genuine ¡®crocodile tears¡¯. She might look pitiful right now but she was merely waiting for them to come forward to bully her. She was like a hunter who had set up a trap as she waited for her prey to make its way over. As long as anyone believed that her tears were real, they would be taking a step closer to the grim reaper. Her uncle¡¯s good days were probably about to come to an end. The same could be said for his family. ¡°That¡¯s not all. Once your uncle¡¯s family was certain that you had gone missing, they started to seize the rooms in the residence. This old servant wasn¡¯t able to keep the master room and guilt overwhelms me. Hence, this old servant did everything I could in order to protect Young Lady¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Your Uncle only knows how to spend money. The general¡¯s residence isn¡¯t bringing in money but he lives a lavish life. Not only did he change the furnishings into ones made from pearls and jades, he even invited troupes to perform the moment he confirmed your disappearance. Those who didn¡¯t know would assume that he was the true owner of this residence!¡± When Uncle Liang spoke about her uncle¡¯s behavior and actions, there was an expression of disgust on his face. He really looked down on people who behaved like this. ¡°Uncle Liang, why don¡¯t I see uncle and his family?¡± Logically, since she had suddenly returned, it was impossible for her uncle and his family who had a guilty conscience to avoid her. It really felt a little strange. ¡°Hah... that nest of ingrates said that they went to some villa to have fun. I reckon that they will only be back after a few days. They are truly shameless to be squandering money that doesn''t belong to them.¡± Uncle Liang was getting even more furious when he thought about it. He didn¡¯t even bother calling her uncle properly anymore and even started to use disrespectful words such as ¡®ingrate¡¯ to describe them. ¡°Since that is the case¡­¡± Bai Luochu paused and pondered before she continued speaking, ¡°Uncle Liang, I will return first. I will pack up everything and return first thing tomorrow morning. What do you think?¡± ¡°This old servant naturally has no authority to interfere with Young Lady¡¯s plan. However, the residence no longer has servants loyal to you. Why don¡¯t you use the time today to establish your prowess? Otherwise, it will be hard for you to keep your footing in this residence.¡± Chapter 76: Imminent Departure Uncle Liang felt that the young lady was different from before. Sigh, it was probably because of the accident. Her personality probably changed after learning about the truth today. What Uncle Liang didn¡¯t know was that the current Luo Chu was no longer the same Luo Chu from before. Under the skin of the harmless Luo Chu, the soul of an evil dao witch filled the body. She was cold, decisive, and ruthless. When Uncle Liang escorted Bai Luochu to the door, he suddenly recalled something and took out an embroidered pouch before handing it over. ¡°You were definitely rescued by someone. It¡¯s the only reason you are able to return alive. After troubling that household for such a long time, you must offer them something in return. Otherwise, they might laugh at our general''s residence for not knowing proper manners.¡± Bai Luochu paused for a moment as she had never considered this point. After all, she had been residing in the First Prince''s residence for such a long time¡­ Rather than saying that the general¡¯s residence was her home, it would be more appropriate to say that the First Prince¡¯s residence was her home. Bai Luochu weighed the silver in her hand and realized that there wasn¡¯t much. She passed the pouch back to Uncle Liang and said, ¡°Uncle Liang, the person who took me in is from one of the noble clans in the capital city. They will not care about such a small amount. Furthermore, I haven¡¯t been living and eating off them either. I¡¯m working for them and there is for you to worry about. I am returning to bid them an official farewell as it will be disrespectful to leave without saying anything.¡± When Uncle Liang heard that Bai Luochu had been helping out in that residence, he assumed that his young lady had been serving as a servant girl. His eyes immediately turned red as he sobbed, ¡°Young Lady, quickly go back and bid them farewell. I promise that I will be waiting at the entrance for you early in the morning.¡± ¡°Then I shall trouble Uncle Liang.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and headed towards the First Prince''s residence. Along the way, Bai Luochu¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t idling as she was thinking about how she was going to convince Pei Rumo to allow her to return. On the other hand, she was thinking if her uncle had something to do with her predicament. Before she could reach a conclusion, Bai Luochu arrived at the First Prince''s residence. She hesitated at the entrance but ultimately took a step in. After all, if something was going to happen, there was no avoiding it. This matter was something she had to face sooner or later. As soon as she stepped into the gate, she saw Pei Rumo¡¯s personal guard waiting for her. Just as Bai Luochu wanted to head back to her courtyard, the guard spoke up. ¡°It just so happens that I have something to say to your lord.¡± Bai Luochu responded and immediately followed the guard towards the study room. Since I can¡¯t avoid it, let¡¯s see what the First Prince has up his sleeves. ¡°My lord, I have brought the Young Lady over.¡± The guard remained at the entrance as he made his report. ¡°Let her in. Don¡¯t let anyone near the study.¡± Pei Rumo responded from inside the room. ¡°Understood.¡± The guard reached out to open the door and politely gestured for Bai Luochu to enter. The moment Bai Luochu stepped into the study room, the guard closed the door tightly. ¡°It seems like¡­ you have made a decision?¡± Pei Rumo was writing with his brush and acted as though he wasn¡¯t concerned about the matter. If there wasn¡¯t anything in it for him, he wouldn¡¯t summon Bai Luochu. She didn¡¯t try to evade the question and gave him a concise reply, ¡°That¡¯s right. It is something that originally belongs to me. It¡¯s only natural for me to take it back.¡± ¡°Do you know how difficult it is to snatch the general''s residence back from your uncle? Even if you manage to do it, after your uncle¡¯s squandering, you will be taking back an empty shell. An empty shell riddled with debts. It¡¯s a huge problem!¡± Pei Rumo got louder as he spoke and was obviously trying to use his words to frighten Bai Luochu. How could Bai Luochu allow herself to be intimidated by him? ¡°I understand. Isn¡¯t that why I am coming to you for help?¡± The corner of Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth curled upwards and it seemed like a plot had formed in her head. When Pei Rumo heard the words ¡®coming to you for help¡¯, his hand suddenly became heavy. His almost complete piece of work was ruined with a huge spot of ink. He stopped whatever he was doing and prepared to carry out a proper conversation with Bai Luochu. He wanted to see what this lass was up to now. ¡°I¡¯m not a sentimental person. If you think that you can make use of this imaginary ¡®friendship¡¯ for me to help you, I advise you to get lost right now.¡± Pei Rumo fiddled with his jade thumb ring and spun it around. Bai Lucohu couldn¡¯t help but laugh and thought it was fortunate that she came prepared. Otherwise, her trip would be wasted. ¡°After so long, I will really be an ignorant fool if I fail to understand your temperament. Since I dare to come to you for help, it¡¯s obvious that I am prepared. The only problem is whether or not you are willing to make a deal with me, Your Highness.¡± Right at this moment, Pei Rumo vaguely saw a fox¡¯s tail growing out of Bai Luochu¡¯s back. He couldn¡¯t help but curse in his heart and thought that Pei Qingfeng had corrupted this lass. When Bai Luochu initially arrived at the residence, the only thing she had was a bad temper. She was still a frank and straightforward person. However, after spending so much time with Pei Qingfeng, she learned how to plot against people. ¡°Tell me about the deal you wish to make.¡± Pei Rumo continued to play with his jade thumb ring and acted indifferently. The two of them were stuck in discussion for almost two hours. When Bai Luochu saw how hesitant Pei Rumo was, she said, ¡°Your Highness has an afternoon to consider. If you make up your mind to work with me, just host a banquet in the reception pavilion. It will be a farewell dinner for me and it will also mean that we are in agreement. If you do not wish to work with me, you don¡¯t have to do anything. I will simply eat in my chamber and I will leave tomorrow morning. I will not stand in your way in the future. You should consider it carefully as my conditions are excellent. If you need me to do anything in the future, I¡¯m afraid you will have to pay a high price.¡± Chapter 77: Official Farewell Zi Su kept Bai Luochu¡¯s lunch and was waiting in the chamber. She had been waiting for several hours now and there was a strange feeling in her heart. Bai Luochu had always been proactive when it came to food. Is there something wrong? The Young Lady never misses a meal... The more she thought about it, the more Zi Su felt uneasy. She panicked and was about to head out and report to the First Prince about Bai Luochu¡¯s disappearance. As she wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind, she made a mistake when leaving the room. She didn¡¯t raise her leg to step over the doorstep and she tripped. As she fell over, she landed into someone¡¯s embrace. When she looked up, Bai Luochu was holding onto her with a dazed expression on her face. She had been standing outside for a period of time now as she thought of her farewell speech. ¡°Are you okay?¡± When Bai Luochu saw Zi Su nearly falling over, she asked with concern. When Zi Su saw Bai Luochu, she reproached, ¡°Young Lady, why are you so late? The dishes are all going to go bad! This servant thought that something happened to you!¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just went out to do some things and forgot about the time. I came back a little bit too late. When I returned to the residence, your lord summoned me for a discussion.¡± Bai Luochu still didn¡¯t know what she should do to make Zi Su less disappointed. In the end, she avoided the topic. ¡°Let me eat first. I am so hungry that I can feel my chest sticking to my back.¡± Bai Luochu entered the room and indicated that she wanted to eat in order to avoid Zi Su¡¯s questioning. Bai Luochu wanted to delay the heavy topic to a later time. ¡°Yes, this servant will bring the dishes over.¡± As soon as Zi Su spoke, she went to the small kitchen to take out the dishes from the bamboo steamer. She placed all the dishes on the table in front of Bai Luochu. The dishes in front of her were still steaming and it didn¡¯t seem cold at all. It seemed like someone had been controlling the heat meticulously. When Bai Luochu saw the charcoal stains on Zi Su¡¯s cuffs, the words became stuck in her throat once again. To others, this might be something a servant girl was supposed to do, but to Bai Luochu, she felt extremely touched. No one had ever cared so much about her. The meal ended in a flash and it was finally time for Bai Luochu to bring up the topic. When Zi Su was about to keep the dishes and serve Bai Luochu some desserts, Bai Luochu called her over. ¡°Zi Su¡­ I have something to tell you.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s voice was soft and she didn¡¯t sound like her usual confident self. Zi Su had a confused expression on her face but still responded normally. ¡°This servant is listening.¡± ¡°I might¡­ be leaving the First Prince¡¯s residence.¡± Bai Luochu stammered a little as she spoke. ¡°No, Zi Su, it¡¯s my decision. I found my home and I got to know about my past. Right now, my home has been taken over by a bunch of ingrate relatives. I am going to claim what is rightfully mine.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that the little lass wanted to pull her to look for Pei Rumo, she quickly explained herself. ¡°So that is the case... It¡¯s great that Young Lady has a residence of her own. This servant is happy for you. This servant will take her leave first. If you need anything, please let me know.¡± After Zi Su responded, she left the room in a daze, leaving Bai Luochu alone, not knowing what to do. Zi Su still felt a little hurt. Although she was here to monitor Bai Luochu for her lord, as time passed, Zi Su discovered that Bai Luochu was an amazing woman. She had also realized that this young lady who had been angry at the start was simply thinking about too many things. Now that the news of parting came so suddenly, Zi Su was unable to accept it. She had no choice but to escape from the room as she wanted to run away from the depressing atmosphere. As for Bai Luochu, she didn¡¯t know what to do as she had never experienced anything like this. She couldn¡¯t do anything and she wrote a letter to Ying Lan. She was preparing to head over to the Remote Paddy Inn personally. After all, she made the hasty decision of returning to the general¡¯s residence not only to take revenge for the previous owner of the body. She also wanted to turn the general¡¯s residence into an important stronghold of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. She emptied her mind and focused on her plan of turning the general¡¯s residence into the headquarters of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. She was going to pass this fledgling plan to Ying Lan at the Remote Paddy Inn the next day. After all, the most important thing right now was the development of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. As for Zi Su, there was no such thing as a never-ending banquet. Bai Luochu simply hoped that Zi Su would be able to accept the facts soon. The afternoon passed in a flash and just as Bai Luochu thought that Pei Rumo had given up on the collaboration, the guard arrived in her courtyard to pass on a message, ¡°Young Lady, my lord asked for you to make a trip to the reception pavilion.¡± Bai Luochu understood that Pei Rumo was agreeing to work with her. It seemed like the conditions that she offered were rather useful for Pei Rumo. That being the case, it seemed like she didn¡¯t waste almost two hours of her time during the negotiation. She accepted the invitation immediately. There was a contented expression on her face. ¡°Please wait for a moment, I will tidy up before heading over.¡± The guard simply acknowledged before vanished again. Bai Luochu tidied up her wrinkled clothes and combed up her scattered hair. ¡°This is an official farewell. It is better to leave a good impression.¡± Bai Luochu muttered to herself as she left her room. Once she entered the reception pavilion, she heard Pei Rumo calling out, ¡°You are here.¡± Perhaps due to the fact that it was a parting, Pei Rumo was treating Bai Luochu with a much milder attitude. Since the lord of the residence had put his arrogance down, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t try to be pretentious and immediately sat down. She said to Pei Rumo, ¡°Did Your Highness consider it though?¡± She took a sip of wine and allowed the refreshing and sweet aroma to linger in her mouth. Bai Luochu was currently in a great mood. ¡°I have prepared a table of delicacies to bid farewell to you and you actually start talking about the deal the moment you sit down... You are really pouring a bucket of cold water over my head! You¡¯re a great match for my Second Brother who doesn¡¯t know how to enjoy a beauty¡¯s grace.¡± Pei Rumo shook his head and thought that this lass was really an uptight person. However, this was also a good thing. They were going to interact with each other in the future and their transactions should be as clean as possible. ¡°Of course, I am going to officially step outside the very next day. I¡¯m actually going to leave the First Prince¡¯s residence! Everyone says that ¡®it is very cooling to have the shade from a huge tree behind your back¡¯. Now that I am leaving the shade of the tree, I definitely have to prepare routes of retreat.¡± Bai Luochu had burning eyes that flickered like the resplendent stars in the night sky. Chapter 78: Banquet in the Reception Pavilion She was indeed special and was different from the young ladies of other aristocratic clans. She understood clearly what she had to do and would work hard to strive for it. Even if there were challenges throughout her journey, she would resolve them one by one. She wasn¡¯t like the young ladies in the capital who had a pretentious friendliness. She simply revealed her true self and if anyone treated her well, she would repay them appropriately. There were people who wanted to plot against her but they would end up falling into the pit she dug for them. Pei Rumo silently drank a cup of wine. Bai Luochu had been residing in the First Prince''s residence for many days but he had never looked at her properly. To him, she was just a bargaining chip that he would use to strike at his Third Brother. When did he start to silently pay attention to her? Perhaps it was from the beginning. She wouldn¡¯t flatter him because he was the First Prince and would always remain clear-headed as she completed her deals with him. Furthermore, she didn¡¯t use her looks to try and strike up connections with the nobles. She treated the other imperial clansmen the same. Emperor Father had tried to entice her by promoting her to a high official position, but she remained unmoved. She was able to swiftly find out his Emperor Father¡¯s objective and provided a way for the emperor to step down from the embarrassing situation. She even managed to emerge unscathed from all that. ¡°I am very tempted by your proposal. I asked you here to discuss the details of the matter.¡± Pei Rumo withdrew his thoughts and spoke to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu understood and she laughed. She expected Pei Rumo¡¯s decision. She was very calm when she responded. ¡°I have been waiting for a long time and I presume that the First Prince wasn¡¯t satisfied with the deal. Since you made your decision, let us discuss and finalize the conditions.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste this table of delicacies. Let¡¯s eat as we discuss.¡± Pei Rumo picked up his chopsticks and went for the dishes on the table. When Bai Luochu saw the lord of the residence moving his chopsticks, she no longer held herself back. She started to eat as well. ¡°Since you were able to propose such things, you should be able to guess the reason behind my actions from saving you from the Bestial Battle Arena. Since that is the case, I won¡¯t hide it anymore. Your guesses are correct and since I am willing to rescue you, it means that you are of some value to me.¡± ¡°Third Brother has been learning martial arts in the Phoenix King Valley since a young age and is also the Valley Master¡¯s last disciple. Just this status of his is enough for him to be way ahead of the other princes. If I wasn¡¯t the first son of the Empress, I wouldn¡¯t be qualified to be in the imperial court.¡± ¡°The two of them grew up together and can be considered childhood sweethearts. Seeing how they have feelings for one another, the Phoenix King Valley Master and Emperor Father also wish for the two clans to be tied together by marriage. However, I do not wish for such a thing to happen.¡± ¡°Once that happens, Third Brother¡¯s influence will go through the roof and it¡¯s not a good thing for me. I think you should understand my point.¡± ¡°Furthermore, do you wish for such a thing to happen? He is your fianc¨¦e and you should have been the Third Prince¡¯s concubine. With this status, you don¡¯t have to reside in that rotten general''s residence and be a part of a declining noble clan that everyone looks down on. But someone destroyed all of this. Are you willing to resign yourself to your fate?¡± Pei Rumo stood on Bai Luochu¡¯s side as he analyzed the matter. He didn¡¯t have other intentions, and it wasn¡¯t because he was showing his pity for her. He was simply trying to stir up the anger and unwillingness in Bai Luochu¡¯s heart, allowing him to successfully recruit Luo Chu into his camp. However, this person in front of him had Luo Chu¡¯s appearance but Bai Luochu¡¯s soul. How was it possible for the evil dao witch to be tricked by him? Bai Luochu let out a chuckle. She originally thought that the First Prince was clever. However, from what he just said, it seemed like he wasn¡¯t that smart. ¡°Your Highness, there is no need to waste your efforts to stir up my emotions. I didn¡¯t choose to stand on your side because of the anger in my heart. I¡¯m helping you because someone tried to kill me. I swear never to let them off easily.¡± ¡°The Third Prince means nothing to me. Since he doesn¡¯t belong to me, I¡¯ll throw him far away. I don¡¯t need an irksome presence by my side.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t mince her words at all and blocked up Pei Rumo¡¯s path of advance. Pei Rumo let out a soft sigh and felt that this lass wasn¡¯t a simple character. When he thought about it, had she been a simple character, she wouldn¡¯t be brave enough to come up with this deal. ¡°Sigh, you are truly a cold-hearted and ruthless lady. Is your heart made of stone? How can a girl behave like this?¡± ¡°This is the only way for other people to not see through my weaknesses. This is the only way no one will dare to take the opportunity to kill me.¡± Bai Luochu finished her statement and drank a cup of wine as though she recalled something. Bai Luochu was thinking about her previous life. She swore never to make the same mistake again. Pei Rumo was rather surprised as the young lady in front of him wasn¡¯t even fully developed yet. She wasn¡¯t even of age to marry! Why did she give off a bleak feeling as though she was an old woman who had experienced plenty of storms in her life? Pei Rumo took it as Bai Luochu¡¯s anger due to the arranged marriage with the Third Prince and didn¡¯t continue to probe. ¡°After returning to the general''s residence, what are you preparing to do?¡± Pei Rumo asked. ¡°Since the general''s residence is my home, I will naturally take it back. I will also investigate if my uncle and his family are related to the matter of me falling into the Bestial Battle Arena.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s attention was already back on the table full of delicacies. ¡°Alright. How are we going to calculate the profit?¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s chopsticks were already on the table and he seemed to be prepared to have a serious discussion. Bai Luochu reacted by putting her chopsticks down as well and started to list out the conditions she offered previously. She explained all of them in detail. ¡°According to the previous conditions, you will provide me with sufficient money. After all, it isn¡¯t an easy task for me to take back the general''s residence. After I take back the residence, there will probably be plenty of debts to settle because of my uncle. Thus, it is impossible to do anything without enough money. The things that are bestowed by the palace can¡¯t be sold as well. If I do not have a steady source of income, things will be bad. Of course, in exchange, I will appear whenever you need me. Furthermore, this condition remains effective forever. Even if I am no longer in the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial city, I will rush back to complete our deal as long as you need me.¡± Pei Rumo thought carefully and it seemed like apart from losing some money, there was nothing else for him to lose. For some unknown reason, he felt like Bai Luochu was a trustworthy person. Chapter 79: If Fate has it, We Will Meet Again Early next morning, Bai Luochu woke up before the birds started chirping. This time, she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to cultivate as she was packing up the things that she was going to bring along with her. When she took all her stuff, she realized that apart from some silver notes and some medical equipment, there wasn¡¯t anything left. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It seemed like the First Prince¡¯s residence was going to be a mere fragment in her memory. After Bai Luochu packed up, she waited in the room for Zi Su. This servant girl was used to the routine and should be entering to help her with grooming soon. After waiting for some time, Bau Luochu realized that Zi Su wasn¡¯t there yet. She couldn¡¯t sit any longer and prepared to personally look for Zi Su. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Zi Su carrying her things as she waited at the entrance. Her eyes were a little red and swollen and it was obvious that she was crying before she slept yesterday. ¡°Did the First Prince reprimand you?¡± When Bai Luochu saw that Zi Su¡¯s eyes were swollen, Bai Luochu thought she had done something wrong to make Pei Rumo scold Zi Su. When Zi Su saw how Bai Luochu was worried about her, she was astonished. A smile slowly appeared on her face. She shook her head and explained, ¡°His Highness never reprimands this servant. After this servant heard that the Young Lady was leaving, I felt a little reluctant and... I have made Young Lady worried.¡± All of a sudden, Bai Luochu was at a loss of what to do and she didn¡¯t know how to console Zi Su. She could only ask Zi Su to enter the room. ¡°Young Lady is going to leave today?¡± When Zi Su saw that the things in the chamber were already packed, she was surprised. ¡°En, the general''s residence¡­ has plenty of things waiting for me to do.¡± Bai Luochu stuttered. She was initially in a hurry to kill her way back to the general''s residence to take over as the head of the clan. She forgot about this little servant girl, Zi Su. ¡°Young Lady¡­ aren¡¯t you reluctant to part with this place?¡± Zi Su turned around and asked with tears forming in the corner of her eye. Bai Luochu let out a long sigh. She was a decisive person and was a genius in both cultivation and medicine. She was only lacking when it came to handling emotional matters. She didn¡¯t know how to console Zi Su and had no choice but to be frank with her. ¡°The general''s residence is now being occupied by nasty people. That is my home and I am going to take it back. This is my responsibility and it is something I must do. Zi Su, do you understand where I am coming from?¡± When Bai Luochu was speaking, her voice trembled a little bit when she got the end as she thought about the temple. Just like the general¡¯s residence, the temple was also once her home. When she thought about it, the situation of the general¡¯s residence was similar to that of the temple. After Bai Luochu spoke, the room fell into silence and no one spoke for a moment. The only sounds were the splashing of water as she rinsed her mouth and cleaned her face. There was also the sound of fabric rubbing against her skin as she wore her clothes. After getting ready for the day, Bai Luochu decided to depart for the general¡¯s residence. Just as she stepped out of the room, she heard Zi Su calling out to her. ¡°Young Lady!¡± When Zi Su saw Bai Luochu turning back, she immediately bowed deeply towards Bai Luochu and said, ¡°Since Young Lady told this servant the truth about your return to the general''s residence, this servant will take it as Young Lady accepts the fact that I am one of your people. It is truly a fortunate thing to be able to get to know Young Lady and even live with you for more than a month.¡± ¡°This servant has followed the First Prince for a long time and has encountered many of the officials and nobles. This servant knows that with Young Lady¡¯s temperament and talent, the First Prince¡¯s residence isn¡¯t a place to hold you down. Since the general¡¯s residence is in such a bad state now, you will probably face a hard battle the moment you return. I hope that Young Lady can take good care of your body!¡± ¡°Zi Su doesn¡¯t like partings and will not escort Young Lady out of the residence. This servant shall bid farewell to Young Lady here. If Young Lady visits the First Prince¡¯s residence in the future, I hope Young Lady will remember this servant!¡± Zi Su finished speaking and bowed deeply, making it her official farewell. Bai Luochu never expected this servant girl to be a person who valued relationships. She managed to grasp Bai Luochu¡¯s temperament in just a single month. That¡¯s right. Since Bai Luochu was honest to Zi Su, it meant that she was treating Zi Su as one of her own. Zi Su was also right to say that the First Prince''s residence was not the place for her. However, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t expect for such a day to arrive so quickly. ¡°I know. You must take care of yourself. We will meet again if fate allows for it.¡± Bai Luochu replied and walked towards the gate without turning back. When Bai Luochu reached the gates, the First Prince¡¯s personal guard was already waiting by the entrance. He bowed respectfully when he saw Bai Luochu and said, ¡°My lord knows that you are probably going to leave early in the morning and specially instructed this subordinate to wait out here for you.¡± That guard took out something from his sleeves and said, ¡°This seal can allow Young Lady to redeem money from any of the banks in the capital under the First Prince¡¯s name. My lord mentioned that you may redeem as much as you require and he also mentioned that you should not forget about the deal.¡± Bai Luochu kept the seal and nodded. ¡°Help me thank your lord. I am indebted to the First Prince¡¯s residence for the care I have received during this period of time. This is a prescription for an antidote that can cure hundreds of poisons. Look for someone to refine it into an elixir and it can be used immediately. Treat this as a parting gift.¡± Bai Luochu took out a stack of prescriptions and handed it to the guard. ¡°This subordinate will thank Young Lady Luo Chu on behalf of my lord.¡± The guard was very astonished as he didn¡¯t expect for Bai Luochu to be this generous. ¡°If all of you are suspicious of this prescription, you can simply find someone to verify the validity. I shall bid farewell now.¡± Bai Luochu knew that Pei Rumo was a cautious person and she added a statement before she left. After Bai Luochu exited from the First Prince''s residence, she didn¡¯t head straight for the general''s residence. Instead, she went to the Remote Paddy Inn. It was best for her to discuss her next course of action with Ying Lan. The First Prince had finished the imperial assembly and had just returned to the study room. The guard immediately reported everything that happened in the morning. ¡°Heh, that¡¯s nice of her...¡± Pei Rumo was obviously amazed by Bai Luochu¡¯s actions. He then instructed the guard to find a few reliable physicians to check the prescription. The Second Prince¡¯s residence had also received information that Bai Luochu was going to leave the First Prince''s residence. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard asked, ¡°My lord, what plans do you have?¡± Chapter 80: Discussing the Plan When Bai Luochu arrived at Remote Paddy inn, it was breakfast time and the place was very lively. When she saw that it was impossible to discuss her plans with all these eyes around, she called for the innkeeper and said, ¡°Innkeeper, is Ying Lan around?¡± That innkeeper immediately recognized Bai Luochu and quickly replied, ¡°Of course he is. I shall inform him of your arrival. Young Lady just has to wait in Heaven¡¯s Sign private room number 1.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and immediately went up to wait in the private room. Before the pot of tea in front of her cooled, Ying Lan entered the room. ¡°Mistress, is there something urgent you need to discuss with this subordinate?¡± When Ying Lan saw that Bai Luochu was looking for him, he immediately became anxious. He was afraid that something happened to her. ¡°There is something urgent indeed. However, you don¡¯t have to be nervous. I won¡¯t be in danger anytime soon.¡± Bai Luochu took a sip of tea and spoke in a leisurely manner. When Ying Lan heard her response, he immediately let out a long sigh of relief. ¡°That will be for the best. What is Mistress here for? Is there something this subordinate can do?¡± ¡°This is a long story and you better listen patiently. You should know that I wasn¡¯t fortunate enough to survive the Battle of Thousand Brilliance. Instead, I died and was left as a lonely soul. It was through a coincidental opportunity that I was able to reincarnate into this body. When I reincarnated, I appeared inside the Bestial Battle Arena and lost all my memories. I survived by battling beasts in a muddled state, until the day I was brought into the residence by the First Prince.¡± Since then, my suspicions started to grow. I wanted to know the true identity of the body¡¯s original owner. The First Prince¡¯s attitude towards me wasn¡¯t the kind a slave from the Bestial Battle Arena would get. This suspicion had been lingering in my mind until a few days ago when I participated in the prince¡¯s gathering as Divine Physician Bai. During the banquet, the First Prince personally revealed my true identity. Back at the residence, I went to look for the First Prince and did a proper inquiry. I found out about my past from him and in order to prevent the First Prince from adding random details in the story to confuse me, I took a trip down to the former general¡¯s residence. I met with an old housekeeper of the residence during my visit. After all the investigation, I finally confirmed my identity.¡± ¡°What is Mistress¡¯ current identity?¡± After Ying Lan heard the ins and outs of the whole story, he was dying to know the truth. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t try to hide anything and said, ¡°I am the former military general¡¯s orphan child, the current Third Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡­ Luo Chu.¡± ¡°This is my purpose for coming today. There are still many doubts about how I ended up inside the Bestial Battle Arena. But no matter what, this body¡¯s identity is the former general¡¯s orphaned child. A skinny camel is still bigger than a horse and no matter how dire the state of the general''s residence, it is absolutely impossible for her to become a slave in the Bestial Battle Arena.¡± ¡°After the original owner of this body left, Luo Chu¡¯s uncle and his family sized the entire residence. I feel that there is a traitor in the general¡¯s residence. That person colluded with the Phoenix King Valley to conspire against Luo Chu.¡± ¡°The Phoenix King Valley might be one of the Three Great Immortal Sects who represents purity and honor. However, we know that they are merely keeping up a facade as they are rotten to the core. They use the name of a righteous and prestigious sect to carry out such despicable acts in the dark. Even people like us can no longer watch on...¡± ¡°Since I have occupied this body, I am definitely going to take revenge for the original owner and allow her to rest in peace.¡± ¡°I am here for two things.¡± Ying Lan knew that it was time for the highlight of today¡¯s discussion. He immediately perked up his ears to listen carefully. ¡°Firstly, I want you to find a servant girl for me. It will be for the best if she is clever and quick-witted. She has to know martial arts as well. She will be my personal attendant as all the staff in the general¡¯s residence have been changed by my uncle and his family.¡± ¡°Secondly, when I visited the general''s residence yesterday, I realized that they were located at the edge of the inner city. Now that the general and the madam passed on, no one would visit the residence. Thus, I am thinking of using the place as a secret base of operations for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. What do you think?¡± Ying Lan sank into contemplation after hearing what Bai Luochu said. He was thinking about whether her idea was feasible. In a flash, he made all the connections and he replied, "There is definitely someone suitable for the role of a maid. This subordinate will bring you to pick one out later. However, to make the general¡¯s residence a secret base will require some detailed discussion." "There is indeed a need to discuss the matter of turning the general¡¯s residence into our headquarters." Bai Luochu nodded her head. "Mistress won¡¯t be the loudest voice in the general¡¯s residence and we can¡¯t make it too obvious that we are constructing a secret base in the general¡¯s residence. Mistress can bring your personal attendant to scout out a rather concealed courtyard. You can then provide this subordinate with a map of the general¡¯s residence. I will send someone to dig a tunnel secretly and this will be our first course of action. After Mistress has established your base of support, this subordinate will start the construction of the secret base. It will be much more convenient for us to gather and discuss matters. What do you think about my plan?" "Will the digging of tunnels be too troublesome? Can it be hidden?" This was Bai Luochu''s only concern. "Of course it will be hidden. There are already tunnels below the capital city. This subordinate came up with the idea of digging tunnels after investigating the soil below the capital city. The soil is loose and it won¡¯t be difficult to send people down to dig the tunnels." Ying Lan obviously guessed that Bai Luochu would ask this question and had already investigated it beforehand. It was easy for him to explain everything to Bai Luochu. "It¡¯s great that you already have a plan in mind. I will have to trouble you to carry it out this time. In the near future, I will have to place priority on the matters within the general¡¯s residence. I hope that you will be more careful regarding the plans for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence." Bai Luochu reminded Ying Lan. "Of course. Mistress can rest at ease. There is no time to lose... this subordinate will bring Mistress to pick your personal attendant." Ying Lan finished his statement and led Bai Luochu to the inner courtyard of the Remote Paddy Inn. The Remote Paddy Inn also functioned as an inn for guests and in the inner courtyard, there was a row of rooms to house the servants responsible for cleaning the place. When they reached the inner courtyard, Ying Lan called out all the servant girls asked them to form a line. Ying Lan went close to Bai Luochu''s ear and whispered, "Mistress, these are all the orphans that I brought back. I did a detailed investigation on all of them. Mistress doesn''t need to worry about their background." Chapter 81: Show of Strength Those servant girls raised their heads but their eyes were dodgy as they didn¡¯t dare to look directly at Bai Luochu. When Bai Luochuo looked at the girls in front of her, she suddenly understood the wonderful feeling when the emperor selected his concubines. The thoughts in her mind were moving in the wrong direction until she saw a pair of eyes looking straight at her. She then raised her hand to point at the owner of the pair of eyes. ¡°What is your name?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s tone had the imposing manner of the evil dao witch. She treated this as a test and wanted to see if the servant girl was truly as bold as she thought. The servant girl bowed respectfully and said, ¡°In response to Young Lady¡¯s question, this servant¡¯s name is Cai Ling. I am new here.¡± Her expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest and Bai Luochu¡¯s evaluation of her went up a notch. This servant girl truly has some guts. When Ying Lan saw that his mistress was rather satisfied with the servant girl, he hastily introduced them. ¡°She is indeed the wittiest one among this group and her movement skill is pretty decent. If Mistress thinks that she will be useful, please pick her.¡± ¡°Are you willing to follow me and be my personal attendant? However, I need to warn you that your life won¡¯t be as comfortable by my side compared to being here at the Remote Paddy Inn. Your life might be at risk.¡± Bai Luochu asked. Even if she was the one choosing the attendant, she still wanted to consider her attendant¡¯s opinion. She couldn¡¯t possibly coerce the other side as Ying Lan wasn¡¯t a human trafficker and neither was she a slave owner. That servant girl pondered seriously for a moment and firmly replied to Bai Luochu, ¡°This servant is originally an orphan and only wants a place to stay. It is Cai Ling¡¯s blessings to be able to receive Mistress¡¯ recognition. Cai Ling is willing to serve Mistress as a loyal attendant.¡± When Bai Luochu heard Cai Ling¡¯s response, she looked at Ying Lan and the latter immediately understood her intentions. He then instructed, ¡°Since you are willing to follow Mistress, I will not force you to stay. Follow the Young Lady back to her residence.¡± That servant girl knelt on the ground and kowtowed as thanks to Ying Lan before following behind Bai Luochu. The two of them made their way back to the general¡¯s residence. Cai Ling listened to Bai Luochu¡¯s orders and she wasn¡¯t doubtful at all. ¡°This servant understands. Mistress wants to establish your position and will naturally need to carry out some moves in the dark. As this servant is already doing the same thing in the Remote Paddy Inn, it won¡¯t be too difficult to adapt to life in the general¡¯s residence. If this servant be of some assistance, it would be my honor.¡± Bai Luochu was rather surprised at the servant girl¡¯s patient and humble personality. She immediately held Cai Ling in a higher regard. The Remote Paddy Inn was a certain distance away from the general''s residence, but perhaps because Bai Luochu was anxious to find out the truth of the matter, wind started to gather beneath her feet due to her speed. Cai Ling who was following behind had worked up a thin layer of sweat. The moment the gate of the general¡¯s residence appeared in their sights, they caught sight of a figure standing beside it. Bai Luochu guessed that it should be Uncle Liang who was waiting for her safe return. ¡°Young Lady, you are finally here! This old servant thought that you weren¡¯t coming back.¡± Uncle Liang was very happy to see Bai Luochu rushing over. ¡°Uncle Liang, this is my home. How can I possibly not return?¡± That¡¯s right, how could she not come back? The general''s residence housed the secret of why Luo Chu perished in the Bestial Battle Arena. If she didn¡¯t come, how was she going to bring the matter to light? Furthermore, the general''s residence belonged to Luo Chu and had been occupied by nasty scumbags. Now that Bai Luochu was occupying Luo Chu¡¯s body, she had to take the residence back. Uncle Liang reached out to take the bundled up cloth from Bai Luochu¡¯s hand. He finally noticed someone following behind Bai Luochu as he asked, ¡°Young Lady, who is this?¡± Bai Luochu smiled and said, ¡°This is a servant girl that I brought back. Arrange for her to be a servant in my courtyard first. I will carry out the proper arrangements in the future. Uncle Liang, you only need to tell others that she was bought from a human trafficker.¡± Uncle Liang understood that Bai Luochu had her own plans and didn¡¯t ask anymore. He nodded as an indication that he knew what to do and brought Bai Luochu back to her room. There was almost no difference to the room compared to the day before. The only difference was the new quilt and when she leaned closer to smell it, the fresh scent of the scorching sun filled her nose. It seemed like Uncle Liang got someone to sun her quilt. ¡°Everyone come out! Come and pay your respects to your Young Lady.¡± Uncle Liang yelled at the side room of the courtyard. Even after a long time, no one came out and it became rather awkward. Uncle Liang smiled at Bai Luochu and apologized, ¡°Young Lady, please don¡¯t get angry. These people were hired recently. This old servant will teach them a lesson right now.¡± ¡°It is not necessary.¡± Were they being insensible? It was obvious that they treated her uncle and his family as the true masters. They didn¡¯t even put the First Young Lady in their eyes. They wanted to show her that she wasn¡¯t able to control them with her status. Since this was the case, they shouldn¡¯t blame her for being ruthless. ¡°Uncle Liang, how do all these servant girls look like?¡± Bai Luochu pretended not to mind and asked. ¡°This¡­¡± Uncle Liang couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind Bai Luochu¡¯s abrupt question but he forced himself to reply, ¡°This old servant was afraid that you might not be happy if they were ugly. Even though the servants I transferred over might not be beauties, they look rather delicate and their appearance is passable.¡± ¡°Oh? Such a pity that all of them are deaf. Since that is the case, Uncle Liang, go and look for the human trafficker and sell them away. Tell them to take the delicate looking ones and sell them to the brothels.¡± Bai Luochu sounded indifferent and she didn¡¯t seem like she was trading slaves. It seemed like she was dealing with cabbages by the side of the street. The moment Bai Luochu¡¯s words left her mouth, a commotion broke out in the side room. Sounds of basins dropping and teacups shattering could be heard. It was clear that those people were flustered. These rather good looking servant girls originally wanted to climb into the bed of her uncle in order to marry into nobility. They didn¡¯t realize that their plans were shattered the moment Bai Luochu returned. They had a thought that since the First Young Lady had been gone for a long time, she was merely a pushover. They wanted to put on an initial show of strength in order to assert their dominance. It was too bad that Bai Luochu¡¯s soul was the one occupying their First Young Lady¡¯s body. Had it not been for the consideration for the reputation of the general¡¯s residence, Bai Luochu would have executed all of them. Chapter 82: Heartfelt Conversation ¡°Could it be that these people aren¡¯t deaf? How are they going to serve their masters by moving so slowly?¡± Bai Luochu sneered in her heart. She was able to guess their thoughts as they entered the residence when her uncle¡¯s family was in charge. It wasn¡¯t strange for them to think that he was the true owner of the residence. However, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t in a hurry to bring these servants under her control. Her return to the general''s residence wasn¡¯t to get involved with a battle of wits or guts with these insignificant people. The person she was waiting for had yet to return and as such, she was going to allow these servants to hop around for a few days. No matter what, they were merely grasshoppers. They wouldn¡¯t be able to hop around for long after she was done with them. The servants who were kneeling in the courtyard didn¡¯t utter a sound but they were mocking Bai Luochu in their hearts. Just an orphaned daughter who couldn¡¯t die. A jinx who caused her parents¡¯ death. After spending such a long time outside, how dare you return and scream at us? Heh, wait till your lord uncle and his family comes back. The Young Lady will definitely tear up your face! ¡°I shall settle with Uncle Liang¡¯s arrangements. Go and do whatever you¡¯re supposed to be doing. Now that I¡¯m back, I won¡¯t feed the slackers.¡± Bai Luochu originally wanted to reach out to pick up her teacup. However, she realized that after she returned to the residence, no one bothered to serve her a cup of tea. Uncle Liang naturally noticed Bai Luochu¡¯s action and a fire ignited in his heart. He yelled at those servants, ¡°What are you doing? All of you knew that the Young Lady was coming back but none of you prepared hot tea for her?! You¡¯re a waste of space here in the general¡¯s residence!¡± The only response he received was the twitching of their mouths. It was obvious that they didn¡¯t put Bai Luochu in their eyes. Just as Uncle Liang was going to yell at them again, Bai Luochu gestured for him to stop. ¡°All of you can leave. There is nothing else for you to do here. Don¡¯t be lazy in the future.¡± Bai Luochu waved her hand and dismissed all these servants. The moment they received Bai Luochu¡¯s order, all of them scattered like birds and beasts into a forest. They returned to the side room to continue whatever they were doing. Uncle Liang saw what Bai Luochu did and he couldn¡¯t understand her actions. ¡°Young Lady, that was obviously the best opportunity to beat them up. Why did you let them off so easily?¡± The corner of Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth curled upwards and she replied with a question of her own, ¡°Uncle Liang, did you forget what I said yesterday?¡± When Uncle Liang heard the question, his eyes drooped as he started to recall the words Bai Luochu spoke to him the day before. ¡°Uncle Liang, these slaves were all brought in by my uncle and even if I spent a few days to bring them under my control, some ingrates might return to his side the moment he returns. There is a saying, ¡®To capture the bandits, one has to first capture the chief¡¯. If I don¡¯t completely overturn my uncle¡¯s position, how can I take back the general''s residence? Isn¡¯t that right, Uncle Liang?¡± There was a smile on Bai Luochu¡¯s face but her eyes were cold and dark. A ruthless light flashed through them. When Uncle Liang looked into her eyes, he was shocked and it was like a bucket of water was poured over him. He immediately came back to his senses. When Bai Luochu saw that Uncle Liang understood the meaning behind her words, she asked Uncle Liang to wait outside as she gave Cai Ling some instructions. The moment the order for Uncle Liang to leave came out of Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth, he didn¡¯t hesitate and left the courtyard. However, he felt a sense of discomfort in his heart as the Young Lady was completely different from the innocent and kind-hearted one in the past. Right now, the young lady was vicious and ruthless. Uncle Liang no longer bothered with the changes in her personality and he blamed it on her experiences. Young Lady changed so much due to her encounter with misfortune. It¡¯s natural for her personality to change drastically... ¡°Mistress, do you have any instructions for me?¡± When Cai Ling saw Bai Luochu dismissing everyone, she understood that Bai Luochu had important matters to inform her. ¡°Do you understand where you are right now?¡± In the end, Bai Luochu was still unable to completely trust Cai Ling. If this servant girl had carelessly joined the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, it was better for her to be sent back now. It would allow Bai Luochu and Cai Ling to both escape from trouble and misfortune in the future. ¡°I know. Commander Ying mentioned that the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence isn¡¯t an ordinary place. The moment it is established, there will be plenty of challenges and dangers during the developmental stage.¡± ¡°Are you still willing to join us?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s brows arched upwards as she was doubtful. Even if Cai Ling was an orphan, she shouldn¡¯t behave like this. ¡°This servant grew up in the wild without parents and had always lived a carefree life. I possess no weakness and will never be threatened by anyone. This is naturally the reason Commander Ying accepted this servant into the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Also, this servant does not wish to live a poor life where I have to fight over food with the dogs. When Commander Ying rescued this servant, I was about to be sent to the mountain bandits as a sacrificial wife in order to trade for peaceful days for my village.¡± Why! Who gave them the authority to do that?! None of them showed any kindness to a servant like me but the moment trouble came knocking at the door, all of them chose to sacrifice me. ¡°It was at that moment that this servant understood that lowering one¡¯s presence wouldn¡¯t be enough. People will try to step over my head anyway. Thus, I felt the need to grow strong. Strong enough so that no one will be able to beat me¡­ No one will ever be able to take advantage of me again!¡± ¡°This servant understands that my words may sound like a joke to Mistress, but they convey my true feelings. This servant hopes that Mistress will allow me to continue to be of service. This servant will prove my worth.¡± As soon as Cai Ling finished speaking, she knelt on the ground and kowtowed with a loud ¡®thud¡¯. Bai Luochu was shocked to discover the little servant girl¡¯s aspirations. Bai Luochu liked her more and more as she quickly helped Cai Ling up. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Mistress think that I¡¯m a joke? When this servant said the same thing to the other sisters who had joined the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, all of them laughed at me for overestimating myself.¡± She almost choked as she spoke. ¡°How can sparrows and swallows know the ambitions of the great swan? They simply want to find a safe place to live out the rest of their days. Do you know why I chose you to come with me?¡± Bai Luochu asked. ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t know.¡± Cai Ling looked at Bai Luochu and shook her head. Chapter 83: Start of the Operation Cai Ling nodded before asking, ¡°What does Mistress need this servant to do? This servant isn¡¯t afraid of anything.¡± Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but laugh as she was amused when she looked at the servant girl who had a fearless expression on her face. In the end, she was the boss and she had to act appropriately. After clearing her throat, she gave her instructions. ¡°There is nothing much to do now. I just need you to take on the status of a labor servant and build up a good relationship with the servant girls in this courtyard. There is no need to build a deep relationship with them as the only thing you have to do is to make them spill out the information I want. When my uncle is back, there will definitely be tons of eyes watching this courtyard. I cannot be on guard everyday...¡± ¡°You saw their attitude for yourself. When my uncle and his family return, most of them would definitely be very willing to be their lackey. What I need you to do is to immediately report any information you hear. It is obvious that these people aren¡¯t willing to serve me and I will ¡®tactfully¡¯ not instruct them to do anything. I will give you all the instructions and we will be able to exchange information. What do you think?¡± Cai Ling carefully listened to Bai Luochu¡¯s instruction and nodded, indicating that she understood. ¡°However, you will be in for a hard time these few days. Remember to complain about me when you mix with the other servants. If necessary, you can also slander and bad mouth me.¡± Bai Luochu added on. ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t good, right?¡± When Cai Ling heard that she had to slander her mistress, she became a little fearful. When Bai Luochu saw Cai Ling¡¯s hesitation, she couldn¡¯t help but make fun of her, ¡°Oh? I was still praising you for your courage earlier on. Why are you so hesitant now?¡± When Cai Ling heard Bai Luochu¡¯s response, she immediately recalled about her vow just a moment ago. She confidently declared, ¡°This servant will not let down Mistress¡¯ expectation!¡± ¡°Alright then, you may leave and look for Uncle Liang. He will make the proper arrangements for you. I still have to come up with the rest of the plan.¡± Bai Luochu waved her hand and dismissed Cai Ling. In the side room of Bai Luochu¡¯s courtyard, another scene was playing out. Those flustered servant girls were now lying on their brick beds inappropriately and didn¡¯t bother about their mistress. It was as though the First Young Lady was invisible. ¡°What did I tell you¡­ How hard could it be to deal with a Young Lady who just came back?¡± The servant who spoke was pretty good-looking and a look of disdain flashed through her eyes. There was another servant who tidied up her hair and replied, ¡°Exactly. We rushed out in such a hurry only to realize that she was all bark and no bite. It seems like she knows her place around here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. She is just a paper tiger, not worth mentioning.¡± ¡°Say, a maiden like her who has been missing for so many days must have lost her virginity. If it was me, I would have found a sturdy tree and hung myself. Isn¡¯t she afraid of humiliating the general''s residence?!¡± ¡°Hahaha, isn¡¯t that right? She is really shameless...¡± The wave of laughter within the side room was undulating. Their contempt and complacent attitude was about to land them into a lot of trouble¡­ After watching Cai Ling walk away, Bai Luochu closed the room¡¯s door and settled down to think about her next course of action. Arriving at the general''s residence was just the first step. The situation she was in right now wasn¡¯t as relaxed as it was when she just arrived at the First Prince''s residence. Back then, she didn¡¯t know of her true identity and even though the First Prince was able to find out about her background, he couldn¡¯t read her thoughts. No matter what she did, it wouldn¡¯t make him overly suspicious. She was able to act as she pleased. However, now that she was back in the general¡¯s residence, everything was different. This was the place where Luo Chu grew up and Bai Luochu definitely couldn¡¯t afford to make any mistakes. Amnesia wasn¡¯t a sufficient reason to explain her change in behavior. At least, she couldn¡¯t be overly flamboyant at the start. She had to lay low until she completed her investigation. Thinking up to this point, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but knit her brows tightly. If she didn¡¯t have to investigate the truth of why she ended up in the Bestial Battle Arena, she definitely wouldn¡¯t get involved in this. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know that her current status and the muddy waters of the Cloud Water Nation gave her no choice. She had to be involved. After all, her reincarnation and her actions caused the wheels of fate to stray from their original path. I better go stroll around and draw out the map of the general''s residence before finding an opportunity to pass it to Ying Lan. It will allow him to quickly dig a tunnel and turn this general''s residence into the secret base for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. When she thought about it, Bai Luochu stepped out of the room and strolled casually along the courtyard. Along the way, she encountered some of the servants and none of them paid respects to her. They were either gossiping or casting sidelong glances at her. Bai Luochu might not feel comfortable about these people¡¯s actions, but now wasn¡¯t the time for her to be mindful of such behavior. She had much more important things to do. There was going to be time in the future to teach these snobbish servants a lesson. The general''s residence might be in dire straits but the rules set by the former general were still enforced. The strict regulations had not been removed because of the death of the general, causing Bai Luochu to be rather tired after her stroll. Taking advantage of the fact that she still remembered the layout of the residence in her mind, Bai Luochu hurried back to her chamber and constructed a map for Ying Lan. Halfway through her drawing, she heard knocks coming from the door. The sudden commotion shocked Bai Luochu, but her movements weren¡¯t flustered at all as she carefully kept the drawing. She then asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± When the person outside heard Bai Luochu¡¯s question, she replied, ¡°Young Lady, this servant is here to deliver your meal.¡± Bai Luochu let out a long sigh of relief when she heard Cai Ling¡¯s voice, ¡°Come in. You can just leave the dishes.¡± Hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s response, Cai Ling wanted to carefully push the doors open. However, she recalled Bai Luochu¡¯s task and she kicked the doors open instead. She snapped, ¡°This is all there is. See if you want to eat it.¡± After she spoke, Cai Ling took out the dishes and arranged them on the table. While she was setting up the table, she took the time to whisper to Bai Luochu, ¡°Mistress, this servant has offended you.¡± Bai Luochu understood that this servant girl was just putting on an act and simply smiled and shook her head. She showed that she didn¡¯t mind Cai Ling¡¯s actions. Chapter 84: Ying Lan’s Visi When Bai Luochu looked at the dishes in front of her, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sad. She looked back and realized that she had gotten used to life in the First Prince¡¯s residence. Now that she suddenly came back to the general¡¯s residence, she couldn¡¯t really adapt. These dishes might not be delicacies but they were still passable, at the very least, they were similar to the cold leftovers she had in the Bestial Battle Arena. Bai Luochu might be consoling herself, but she still ate everything without focusing on the taste. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly. She thought that it was easy to get used to an extravagant life, but not the other way round. She was the perfect example. Bai Luochu placed the leftovers inside the meal box and carried on drawing the incomplete map. She worked all the way into the night... Just as Bai Luochu was about to sleep, she heard a sound coming from outside. Bai Luochu immediately grew suspicious and she gripped the poison needles in her hand tightly. She was ready to turn the person into a hedgehog with the needles if she had to. A black shadow climbed into the room through the window at the back and walked towards the small hall of the chamber. Just as Bai Luochu was going to make a move, that black clothed man spoke. ¡°Mistress, it¡¯s me. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± The person who entered the room was none other than Ying Lan. Bai Luochu immediately let out a breath of relief and asked, ¡°Why are you here? It¡¯s so late at night¡­ If you need something, can¡¯t you wait for me to visit you in the Remote Paddy Inn?¡± Bai Luochu became speechless. Ying Lan was a skilled secret guard who should be carrying out assassinations and earning money for her. But after he had to secretly climb the walls to look for her in the First Prince''s residence, this secret guard of hers never dyed his hands in blood again. As for his wall climbing skills¡­ he was getting so good at it he should change his profession to a thief instead. Ying Lan didn¡¯t reply to Bai Luochu¡¯s question and asked in return, ¡°Mistress, how can such a huge general''s residence not house a single proper guard? I put in so much effort in order to sneak into the First Prince¡¯s residence but entering this general¡¯s residence is like entering my courtyard. This is simply too dangerous. Mistress, do you need this subordinate to send some guards here to protect you?¡± Seeing how Ying Lan was disliking the fact that the general''s residence didn¡¯t have a proper guard and was even asking if he should send more people to protect her, a warm feeling blossomed in her heart. However, regardless of the concerned expression on Ying Lan¡¯s face, Bai Luochu¡¯s words were as unforgiving as ever. Ying Lan thought about it and felt that it was true. There was no longer a need to quarrel with Bai Luochu about the matter. When he heard her mention about her uncle, he suddenly remembered his true objective. ¡°Mistress, after you left today, I racked my brains and thought about your situation. People who lived here should be aware of your behaviour and personality. As such, this subordinate did some research on the previous owner of your body. I tidied up the information just before coming. Please take a look.¡± Bai Luochu was amazed by Ying Lan¡¯s attentiveness and his work efficiency. She was worried she would expose herself several hours ago. She never expected that someone would solve all her problems with a single report. ¡°You are really considerate.¡± Bai Luochu smiled and was gratified. When all was said and done, she still had a skilled and able subordinate by her side, allowing her to slowly take root and establish herself in the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s capital city. She was no longer fighting the battle alone. ¡°That¡¯s right, I have something to pass you as well.¡± Bai Luochu suddenly recalled something and took out a piece of paper from the soft couch in the small hall. She handed it over to Ying Lan. ¡°I originally wanted to find an opportunity to hand this map over to you at the Remote Paddy Inn. Since you are already here, bring it back and study it well. This is the general''s residence map that you wanted and I even added in several markings for suitable courtyards where the construction of the secret base can take place. However, my uncle and his family aren¡¯t back yet and I am unable to confirm if they live near those areas. I have no idea if they are using those courtyards for any other purposes as well. There are plenty of uncertainties and if you want to make a move, you can start by digging the tunnel.¡± After Ying Lan listened to Bai Luochu¡¯s advice, he formulated a plan in his head. ¡°Mistress doesn¡¯t have to worry. Just leave the matter to this subordinate. You must take care of yourself, after all, looking at the behaviour of your uncle and his family, they will definitely not be friendly towards you. They might even have a huge backer and will pose a significant threat to you.¡± ¡°I know. No matter if the general''s residence is a dragon¡¯s pool or a tiger¡¯s den, I still have to venture inside. I cannot let these people live a carefree life after bullying Luo Chu. I will take back everything that belongs to me.¡± Bai Luochu had a ruthless expression on her face as the words left her mouth. When Ying Lan saw Bai Luochu¡¯s expression, he suddenly felt that he was standing in front of the evil dao witch of the past. His mind started to sway as the image of Bai Luochu appeared in front of his eyes. After coming back to his senses, he asked, ¡°Mistress, are you getting used to that servant girl, Cai Ling?¡± Bai Luochu nodded with satisfaction and replied, ¡°She has aspirations for the future. I like a smart lass like her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. In fact, if Mistress wasn¡¯t so quick, this subordinate would be able to teach her more things. When I took her in, I wanted to teach her some martial arts before teaching her how to read. Finally, I was going to guide her onto the path of cultivation. After teaching her, I would bring her to Mistress and allow her to serve you. After all, I am a man and will never be as meticulous as a woman. Mistress is also lacking someone of her calibre. However, everything happened too quickly and I couldn¡¯t carry out my plans.¡± When Bai Luochu saw how considerate Ying Lan was, she became even more curious. ¡°What if I didn¡¯t pick Cai Ling when I went over to pick my attendant today?¡± This question seemed to have stumped Ying Lan as he stared blankly for a moment and couldn¡¯t provide an answer. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t pursue the matter any further and said, ¡°Alright, you can leave. It is getting late and I wish to take a rest.¡± Ying Lan prepared to take his leave when he saw the exhausted expression on Bai Luochu¡¯s face. Right at this moment, Ying Lan suddenly recalled something and called out to Bai Luochu, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mistress, I was noticed by someone after getting flustered during my investigation.¡± Chapter 85: Change of Plans When Bai Luochu heard the news, she was astonished but she immediately calmed down. Ying Lan had always been dependable and since he could calmly report on this matter, everything should have already been solved. When Bai Luochu thought about this, a wave of relief washed over her and she asked, ¡°Has this matter been resolved?¡± Ying Lan pondered for a moment and nodded prudently before replying, ¡°After that person noticed me, we didn¡¯t break out into a conflict. He didn¡¯t ask about my identity either. It seemed like he was ensuring your safe return to the general¡¯s residence.¡± Bai Luochu contemplated for a moment after hearing the information. Confirming my return to the general¡¯s residence? Who could it be? If it is the member of the Phoenix King Valley responsible for my disappearance, my time in the general¡¯s residence is going to be more difficult from now on. ¡°Do you know who that is?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s brows arched upwards as she asked. Ying Lan shook his head before asking, ¡°Not yet. Do you need this subordinate to carry out a detailed investigation?¡± ¡°Not necessary. The major powers in the Cloud Water Nation are locked in a complicated situation. Adding on the fact that the Phoenix King Valley is currently messing around here, it won¡¯t be easy to dig anything out. If you are discovered at this critical juncture, all our plans will go down the drain. It is still better to be cautious.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ying Lan was interrupted by Bai Luochu just as he wanted to say something, ¡°I know you are worried about my safety, but I cannot put you at risk either. If you are surrounded by the members of the Phoenix King Valley again like last time, there might no longer be anyone to rescue you. The First Prince knows about my true identity and I have an unfinished deal with him. The person who discovered you should be related to him¡­ There is no need to be overly concerned.¡± Bai Luochu patted Ying Lan¡¯s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. When Ying Lan saw how insistent Bai Luochu was, he couldn¡¯t say anything else and quickly departed. After Ying Lan left, Bai Luochu laid down on the bed and carefully analyzed the situation in her mind. Who was the person investigating her? After being unable to come up with an answer, Bai Luochu fell asleep. The next morning, before the sun rose, Bai Luochu woke up and started to cultivate. The current Bai Luochu had well-developed meridians and experienced a significant increase in strength. She was now able to cultivate like other individuals who had exceptional talent. After cultivating for two hours, she felt that she was about to break through a small barrier in her cultivation. Just as Bai Luochu was preparing to break through this barrier before breakfast, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°Young Lady, this old servant is here to serve you. Are you up yet?¡± The voice that came from the other side of the door was Uncle Liang¡¯s. Bai Luochu had yet to fully trust Uncle Liang as he was the only servant to come out unscathed after her uncle and his family cleared out all the servants in the household. Just this point alone could make anyone suspicious. However, now wasn¡¯t the time to fall out with everyone as she had to silently observe the situation. Her plan was to make all of them fall from grace. Only by keeping a low profile now could she dig all those detestable beings out. Bai Luochu still replied amicably, ¡°I am already up. Does Uncle Liang need anything from me?¡± Uncle Liang hesitated at the door for a moment and spoke after making a firm resolution. ¡°That¡­ Young Lady, lord uncle sent someone early in the morning to inform us that he will be back in the afternoon. How do you want to handle this?¡± As the words left his mouth, Uncle Liang¡¯s voice seemed to tremble. It was as though he was apprehensive of her uncle¡¯s return. Bai Luochu was thinking about her plans instead. She had just recently returned to the residence... why were they returning so suddenly? According to Uncle Liang¡¯s information, they should only be back after a few days. There could only be two possibilities¡­ Firstly, there was a spy who informed her uncle the moment she returned. Secondly, her uncle was colluding with a strong faction and was rushing back today in order to suppress her. They most probably changed their strategy at the last minute when they found out she survived. It didn¡¯t matter which reason it was as today was going to be the ¡®great day¡¯ she would meet with her uncle¡¯s family. Of course, she had to prepare a welcoming gift for all of them! There was a profound meaning behind Bai Luochu¡¯s smile and it was obvious that her schemes were going to drag her uncle¡¯s family down under. ¡°Uncle Liang, serve me breakfast. I will be making a trip outside later and will be back before lunch. I will definitely make it back to welcome uncle and his family back to the residence.¡± Bai Luochu seemed to have forced the last few words out from the gaps between her teeth. ¡°Yes, this old servant understands.¡± Uncle Liang responded and immediately turned and left. It seemed like he was going to prepare Bai Luochu¡¯s breakfast. Uncle Liang suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and felt as though there was a hidden meaning behind the young lady¡¯s words. The young lady had a completely different personality and he didn¡¯t know how chaotic the situation would turn out the moment the lord uncle returned. He hoped that the late master and madam would be able to protect the young lady and the general''s residence from any harm. After getting used to the meals at the First Prince¡¯s residence, the meals in the general''s residence were somewhat lacking. However, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t care as long as her stomach was filled. After finishing breakfast in a hurry, Bai Luochu left the residence and rushed to the Hundred Herbs Hall. She was going to buy some poison herbs for her plan... There was a saying, ¡®refrain from hurting others, yet guard against those trying to hurt you¡¯. If her uncle and his family was going to make a move on her, she didn¡¯t need to be polite towards them. Bai Luochu headed to the Remote Paddy Inn first and informed Ying Lan that her uncle¡¯s family was returning. ¡°Mistress, what are you preparing to do?¡± Ying Lan was rather nervous. After all, his mistress had just settled into a new environment and was about to clash with her enemies. Furthermore, they were going to face each other with everything they got and the situation wasn¡¯t looking too good. Bai Luochu muttered for a moment and replied, ¡°My objective for returning to the general''s residence is to investigate the truth of how I ended up in the Bestial Battle Arena. Unless they are the ones behind it, I don¡¯t wish to alert them. If I find out that they were involved in harming Luo Chu, they can¡¯t blame me for being ruthless and merciless.¡± ¡°Since that is the case, wouldn¡¯t Mistress be unable to do anything for now?¡± Ying Lan understood Bai Luochu¡¯s plan and knew about her sinister ways. Chapter 86: Hundred Herbs Hall’s Letter ¡°Is there anything that you need this subordinate to do?¡± Ying Lan understood that once Bai Luochu made up her mind, not even ten bulls could pull her back. What he could do was to help his mistress with anything within his capability. He would ensure that Bai Luochu could execute her plans in the general¡¯s residence without any restraints. ¡°What you need to do is to manage the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence properly, maintain our information network inside the capital city, and report important information to me at regular intervals. If there are any urgent matters, you can look for me since the guards within the general''s residence are useless. If I need anything, I will look for you or get Cai Ling to pass a message.¡± Bai Luochu understood Ying Lan¡¯s intention but she didn¡¯t need him to do anything right now. In the end, she didn¡¯t give him too many orders. After a discussion with Ying Lan, Bai Luochu noticed that the sun was already high up in the sky and she knew that she didn¡¯t have a lot of time left. She then executed her movement skill to the limits and took a shortcut to the Hundred Herbs Hall. The Hundred Herbs Hall was packed with customers as per usual. Bai Luochu randomly looked for a shop attendant and started to list out the medicinal herbs she wanted. Of course she didn¡¯t follow the formula of her poison as she mixed up the sequence when buying the herbs. She asked the shop attendant to place the herbs in separate bags for safe measure. Although the poison that she wanted to produce was an enhanced and adjusted formula she obtained from the temple, the Hundred Herbs Hall was filled with famed physicians. If anyone exposed the fact that she was going to use the herbs to produce poison, it wouldn¡¯t be good. Even after Bai Luochu did everything she could, a physician beside her who was carrying out a diagnosis still heard her. This physician was Elder Li and Pei Qingfeng once asked him for assistance when ¡®Divine Physician Bai¡¯ was being slandered. Elder Li initially noticed Bai Luochu because he realized that this young lady had a similar physique to that of Divine Physician Bai. When Bai Luochu listed out the names of the herbs skillfully, Elder Li was even more certain as her voice seemed pretty similar. The herbs she bought were probably enough to brew the world¡¯s number 1 poison. Of course Elder Li knew of the herbs but he had never been able to concoct the poison successfully... It seemed like this person was definitely ¡®Divine Physician Bai¡¯. Elder Li smiled at the person seeking treatment in front of him and spoke apologetically, ¡°Please wait here for a moment. This old man has something urgent to attend to. I seek your forgiveness.¡± ¡°Remember, when you reach the Second Prince''s residence, just say that Old Physician Li of the Hundred Herbs Hall sent you to deliver the message. They will definitely let you into the residence and you must personally deliver this message to the Second Prince. You don¡¯t need to wait for a reply.¡± That attendant nodded and headed out of the Hundred Herbs Hall while rushing towards the Second Prince''s residence as he was afraid he might delay Elder Li¡¯s work. After Bai Luochu settled the bill, she carried the medicinal packages that the shop attendant handed over and rushed back to the residence. She wanted to quickly refine some simple poisons before her uncle and his family came back. She wanted to finish tempering the poison so that she would be able to use it when the situation called for it. Just as Bai Luochu stepped into the general''s residence, Pei Qingfeng also obtained the message sent by Elder Li. There was only a simple sentence written in it. ¡°The lass is up to no good again. You better watch her closely.¡± Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Sigh, this Elder Li truly is an old urchin. He is behaving less and less like an old man...¡± When Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard saw how he was laughing helplessly, a trace of curiosity appeared in his heart. He asked., ¡°My lord, what did Elder Li send for you to lose yourself in laughter?¡± He stretched his neck over and wanted to peek at the message. Pei Qingfeng kept the message slip and glanced at the guard while seemingly reprimanding, ¡°It seems like I have been too indulgent to all of you. None of you can differentiate between your superiors. You even dare to peek at the information your master receives? In the future, are you going to be the master instead?¡± That guard¡¯s expression immediately changed and he knelt on the ground to apologize, ¡°My lord please forgive me. This subordinate has overstepped his authority. I seek punishment from my lord.¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw that the guard was treating this seriously, he broke out into laughter once again ¡°Hahaha, you are really treating this seriously! There are no outsiders here today but do not behave like this in the future. If anyone were to see this, they will complain that I am not strict enough when disciplining my subordinates. Alright, you can stand up now, don¡¯t just kneel there.¡± That guard let out a sigh of relief and wobbled as he stood up. It seemed like he had knelt down too vigorously earlier. ¡°It is actually nothing much. It¡¯s just that that lass, Luo Chu, is up to no good again.¡± Pei Qingfeng picked up the teacup on the table and casually sipped on his tea as he read the message out. ¡°Are you talking about Young Lady Luo Chu? Isn¡¯t she living well at the First Prince¡¯s residence? Did someone offend her?¡± When that guard heard Pei Qingfeng¡¯s words, he felt that it was a little strange. He knew that Bai Luochu had a vengeful personality and rather than saying that she was up to no good, why not say that some ignorant fool offended this little death god? However¡­ wasn¡¯t she living in the First Prince¡¯s residence? Her reputation as Divine Physician Bai was flourishing as well. Who would be stupid enough to offend her? ¡°She isn¡¯t at the First Prince¡¯s residence anymore.¡± The corner of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mouth curled upwards as though it was a joyous thing for him that Bai Luochu was no longer residing in the First Prince¡¯s residence. If the secret guard¡¯s information wasn¡¯t wrong, she should already be back at the general''s residence. It seemed like the First Prince had told her the truth. The matter wasn¡¯t as simple as what Pei Rumo and Pei Qingfeng had investigated. It seemed like this lass was preparing to take down the mastermind. ¡°Ah? Not at the First Prince¡¯s residence? Then¡­ where did Young Lady Luo Chu go?¡± The guard was rather anxious. He wasn¡¯t worried about Bai Luochu. Instead, he was worrying for his Lord. After all these years, his master finally started to get close to a young lady. This old sago palm started to grow a flower bud. He was worried that this sudden change in situation might just cause this flower bud to fall off. ¡°Ss, why do you seem so concerned about her?¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw how considerate his guard was towards Bai Luochu, a bitter taste was left in his mouth. He sounded jealous when he questioned the guard. Chapter 87: Preparation to Make a Move After consecutively sneezing a few times, Pei Qingfeng rubbed his nose and turned around to ask, ¡°Are you secretly cursing at me?¡± When the guard heard it, cold sweat dripped from his forehead almost instantly as he responded, ¡°How can that be possible? This subordinate does not dare to curse my lord...¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± After Pei Qingfeng responded, he returned to his thoughts. The guard was silently rejoicing about how his expression didn¡¯t change. If he really became shocked when Pei Qingfeng questioned him just a moment ago, he was definitely going to be scolded again. Then again, wasn¡¯t his lord¡¯s reaction a little too quick? Before he could even finish cursing, Pei Qingfeng had already sneezed a few times. Pei Qingfeng naturally didn¡¯t know of his guard¡¯s opinion of him. He was thinking of what he had to do next in order to help Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu had just returned to the residence and there was no way she could say that she was staying in the First Prince¡¯s residence for the past few days. For an unmarried young lady to reside in an adult male¡¯s residence, even if nothing happened between them, it still wouldn¡¯t be nice when rumors started to spread. Furthermore, as the stories became more and more exaggerated, no one knew what the consequences would be. This was the capital city where saliva could drown a person. Since this was the case, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t possibly reveal the fact that she had the First Prince as a backer. Right now, she was working alone. Now that she had returned to the general''s residence, she was probably going to be in for a hard time. What could he do? The best way would be for him to play the role of her backer. This way, he would be able to sell her a favor and obtain an opportunity to get close to her. It was a plan that could kill two birds with one stone and it was truly brilliant. What reason can I use to enter the general¡¯s residence without getting chased out? After a long time, Pei Qingfeng seemed to have thought of something and said, ¡°Has Divine Physician Bai¡¯s treatment for the Empress Dowager ended?¡± When the guard saw that Pei Qingfeng was in contemplation, he became distracted as well. Now that Pei Qingfeng addressed him suddenly, he was completely shocked. After listening to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s question, he thought about it for a moment before replying, ¡°According to what this subordinate knows, the treatment that Divine Physician Bai is offering to the Empress Dowager has yet to end. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother about this. I, your Lord, have my own plans.¡± Pei Qingfeng finished speaking and gave the guard an enigmatic smile. The guard didn¡¯t continue asking since his master wasn¡¯t going to tell him anything, why should he embarrass himself? This guard originally thought there was nothing else to do but he heard Pei Qingfeng speaking again. Liven things up a little? Did the general''s residence do anything to offend Master? Pei Qingfeng seemed to have guessed the guard¡¯s thoughts and simply explained, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not talking about the current general¡¯s residence. There¡¯s nothing to do there anyway. We¡¯re going to the former general¡¯s residence!¡± ¡°That general''s residence has already fallen into a state of decline. Why does my lord want to go there? It is better not to bring back any bad luck.¡± That guard frowned and couldn¡¯t understand Pei Qingfeng¡¯s actions. ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there.¡± Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t say too much and indicated for the guard to push him back to the room and help tidy up his attire. ... On the other side, the moment Bai Luochu returned to the general''s residence, she immediately got busy with her preparations. Firstly, she opened up the medicinal ingredients and sorted them out carefully. She then used the poison formula that she wrote down to concoct a set of poison. She then retrieved the simple poison tempering tools she used in the First Prince''s residence and prepared to temper the poison. Right now, Bai Luochu could already use her spirit qi to extract the most useful essence from the herbs. Bai Luochu closed her eyes and circulated the spirit qi in her body. A short moment later, spirit qi oozed out from her palm. Opening her eyes, Bai Luochu covered the ingredients she wanted to refine with her palm. When the spirit qi started to wrap the medicinal ingredients up tightly, Bai Luochu raised her hand and obtained complete control over the ingredients. Without a single mistake, the medicinal ingredients gradually shrunk when being refined by the spirit qi. Those portions that were deemed useless had already turned into ash and scattered in the air. Finally, the only thing left in Bai Luochu¡¯s palm was a drop of pure and limpid liquid that didn¡¯t contain much impurities. When Bai Luochu saw that the medicinal ingredients had been refined, she used her spirit qi to store the drop of medicinal fluid into the vessel she would use to temper her poison. She repeated this extraction process on all the poison herbs required for the first kind of poison. She injected her spirit qi into the poison tempering vessel and carefully mixed the liquid together. Just as Cai Ling was about to serve her lunch, Bai Luochu completed the refinement of her first bottle of poison. ¡°Young Lady, this servant is here to serve your meal.¡± Cai Ling¡¯s voice came from outside the door. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t hide the things in her hands and simply allowed her to enter. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t stop what she was doing. After refining the poison, she quickly coated the poison on the silver needles around her waist. Just as Cai Ling opened up the meal box, she exclaimed, ¡°Ah? What is all this?!¡± Bai Luochu might not have seen it, but the stench of rotten food assaulted her nose. A frown appeared on her face. In her mind, she thought about how she had only returned for a day but someone was already trying to climb over her head. It seemed like they knew that their backer was coming back and were starting to show off their might. Since that was the case, Bai Luochu would do whatever it took to screw them all over. ¡°Take away the food. I am not eating this afternoon.¡± Bai Luochu was infuriated right now. ¡°Young Lady, won¡¯t you go hungry?¡± Cai Ling obviously didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way. She didn¡¯t expect that her mistress, who was the true young lady of the general''s residence, would be ostracized the moment she returned. Bai Luochu raised her brows slightly and replied to Cai Ling. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The hungrier I am, the larger the hammer falling onto some unlucky soul¡¯s head. The only problem is whether or not they will still be alive when the time comes for me to collect the debt!¡± The corner of Bai Luochu curled upwards as she revealed a cold sneer. There was a dark and ruthless look in her eyes. Since they were going to make things difficult for her, none of them would get off easy. Cai Ling was startled as she didn¡¯t expect to see her mistress¡¯ infuriated expression. She had heard from Commander Ying that their mistress was someone who didn¡¯t reveal her emotions easily. She also heard from Commander Ying that when Bai Luochu revealed this expression on her face, someone was going to be in a world of pain. Chapter 88: Setting an Example ¡°Action? Of course I¡¯ll take action. Otherwise, how will I be worthy of their effort?¡± Bai Luochu grasped the silver needle in her hand tightly and dark thoughts flew through her mind. ¡°Mistress, then you are preparing¡­¡± Before Cai Ling could finish her question, Bai Luochu interrupted her. ¡°Is my uncle and his family back yet?¡± Bai Luochu asked. When Cai Ling heard Bai Luochu¡¯s abrupt question, doubts formed in her mind. In the end, she replied obediently, ¡°They aren¡¯t back yet. But I heard from the others in the residence that they should be back soon.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and instructed, ¡°Send all of the food back. I will go for a stroll at the entrance.¡± ¡°Mistress, the sun is so glaring right now, what are you going to do?¡± When Cai Ling saw that Bai Luochu had a strange expression, she asked with concern. ¡°What am I going to do? My great uncle and his family have already given me such a huge present before returning to the residence, it is natural for me to be outside to welcome them back. I can pay my respects to them while I¡¯m at it.¡± Bai Luochu revealed a pretentious smile enough to make one tremble with fear. ¡°Young Lady, why not wait in the main hall? When the servants heard that the lord uncle was returning, they became extremely diligent in their duties and had even set up a small feast in the main hall. All of them said that it was the welcoming home feast for the lord uncle.¡± Cai Ling felt that if her mistress were to stand in the hot sun without eating anything for lunch, her body might not be able to take it. Bai Luochu silently muttered to herself for a moment and felt that this was indeed a rather good idea. After all, this was an internal affair of the general''s residence and as the saying goes, ¡®family scandals shouldn¡¯t be made public¡¯. If someone were to see the commotion in public, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be good for the general''s residence¡¯s reputation. She nodded and expressed that she agreed with Cai Ling¡¯s suggestion. As such, the mistress and servant duo walked out of the room together. One of them returned the rotten dishes back to the kitchen untouched, while the other headed towards the main hall to confront her uncle and his family. At this moment, an interesting scene played out in a carriage not far from the capital city. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the cheap lass is dead? Why is she able to return in one piece?¡± The person speaking was an old married woman. She had a pair of inverted triangle-shaped eyes, thin and sparse brows that were too close to each other, making her glabella rather narrow. She had high cheekbones and her cheeks caved inwards. Her nose and mouth were small yet protruding. A single look at her would cause anyone to feel uncomfortable. She had the typical look of a mean woman. When he was being questioned by his own wife, he became frustrated and angrily snapped. ¡°How would I know? I have to admit that this lowly lass really has a resilient life. She can even come back after experiencing those things. No matter what, since we did it once, we will be able to do it again. This time, if she is willing to listen obediently, then nothing will happen. If she is still as stubborn as she was before, she can¡¯t blame her uncle for being merciless.¡± ¡°Father, she is still the true mistress of the general''s residence. Why not think of a better method to control her? That should be the best way. Just in case someone investigates us, we will be able to provide a proper explanation. Losing the residence is a small matter, but it will be bad if we cannot even keep our lives.¡± The one who commented was a young lady around Bai Luochu¡¯s age. She resembled the middle-aged man in the carriage and was obviously the daughter of this couple. ¡°Oh, our daughter is really smart! You are unlike your mother who is always making a ruckus for no reason. It seems like I am only adding to our troubles.¡± The middle-aged man glared at his wife with a look of disdain. The married woman might be furious but her daughter was still sitting in front of her. There were some things she couldn¡¯t do. In the end, she whispered a threat to the man¡¯s ear, ¡°When we return, I will show you the consequences.¡± The man suddenly shuddered and revealed a terrified expression. As the couple were in a dispute, they failed to notice that their daughter¡¯s eyes were filled with despise towards them. As the carriage was getting closer to the capital city, the trio in the carriage were still plotting about how they would deal with Bai Luochu. Little did they know that Bai Luochu had already disrupted their plans. Just as Bai Luochu was about to step into the main hall, someone appeared and obstructed her. ¡°You cannot go in. The main hall has dishes that are prepared for lord uncle. What if you make things dirty in there?¡± The one speaking was a servant girl. The servant girl was acting haughty and arrogant as though she was the mistress and Bai Luochu was the servant. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to waste her energy on such useless people and directly walked towards the main hall. She completely ignored the servant girl. The servant girl immediately grew furious and yanked Bai Luochu backwards. She yelled, ¡°I already said you cannot enter! Do you really think you are the Mistress?¡± When Bai Luochu heard the servant girl, she forcefully swung her sleeve and threw the servant girl to the ground. She snapped, ¡°What did you just say?¡± It was unknown if the servant girl was intimidated because she got thrown to the ground or because of Bai Luochu¡¯s imposing manner. She stared blankly at Bai Luochu and forgot to respond. Bai Luochu crouched down and leveled her line of sight with the servant girl before pinching the servant girl¡¯s chin. Putting aside the fact that her hands were releasing spirit qi, she was using her spiritual energy to oppress that servant girl¡¯s spirits, not allowing her to struggle in the slightest. ¡°You better remember what I am about to say next, otherwise, you might die without knowing the reason why.¡± The servant girl seemed to be fearful and wanted to struggle free. However, how would Bai Luochu allow her to do so? Bai Luochu put in more strength in her hands and said, ¡°Since you call my uncle ¡®lord uncle¡¯, then you should understand that he isn¡¯t the true owner of the general''s residence. This general''s residence only has one true owner and it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°I am the owner of the general¡¯s residence, the former military great general¡¯s orphan child¡­ Luo Chu!¡± The servant girl was already frightened witless and lost her soul as she was trembling like a leaf. She was about to fall over at any moment. Chapter 89: First Meeting with Her Uncle Bai Luochu¡¯s final few words sounded a little light and didn¡¯t seem to possess any weight behind them. However, they were like sledgehammers that slammed into the servant girl¡¯s heart. That servant girl didn¡¯t let Bai Luochu down and immediately fainted. ¡°Does anyone else want to stop me?¡± Bai Luochu squinted her eyes and looked around, only to see a few servant girls and manservants who originally wanted to stand out. They lowered their heads and treated it as though nothing happened. ¡°Take her away. Uncle is about to return. Don¡¯t let such filthy things dirty uncle¡¯s eyes.¡± Bai Luochu kept mentioning her uncle because she knew that this was the only word to control these people. As expected, when they heard her, they immediately carried this servant girl away quickly. Originally, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t wish to intimidate these servant girls and manservants at such an early stage. However, they were too insolent and left her with no choice. That servant girl had never cultivated and after Bai Luochu used her spirit qi to pinch her chin and immobilize her, it was already more than enough punishment. Furthermore, Bai Luochu had even secretly used her spiritual energy to suppress and erode the servant girl¡¯s spiritual energy, causing it to be unstable. It was extremely normal to faint after her spiritual energy collapsed, but even if this servant girl woke up later, her mind would no longer be the same as before. In the end, she brought it upon herself. If she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to take credit and wanted to be in the limelight in front of the uncle¡¯s family, she wouldn¡¯t face such a sad fate. Pei Qingfeng prepared himself and was ready to move out at any time. His personal guard asked, ¡°My lord, When do you want to set off to the general''s residence?¡± ¡°No need to hurry. Wait for the report before doing anything.¡± Pei Qingfeng gently shook the folding fan in his hand with an unfathomable expression on his face. The guard became even more curious. Earlier on, it was Pei Qingfeng who hurried him to tidy up his attire and now Pei Qingfeng was also the one singing another tune. The guard was really curious about what was about to go down. Right at this moment, a black shadow suddenly appeared in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s courtyard. ¡°My lord, that person is arriving at the general''s residence soon.¡± The secret guard that Pei Qingfeng sent out earlier had returned with news. ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± Pei Qingfeng beckoned his hand as in indication for the secret guard to be dismissed. He then turned to speak with his personal guard, ¡°Prepare the carriage. We will move out now.¡± When the guard thought about how he was about to watch a great show, he became really excited and rushed off to prepare the carriage. Over at the other side, the smoke of battle had started to fill the air in the general''s residence. Maybe he still couldn¡¯t vent his anger after scolding as he continued to stomp on Uncle Liang a few times before walking into the residence. Uncle Liang was already used to getting scolded and beaten up by the uncle and it was as though his body was already numb. He didn¡¯t even resist and guided them towards the main hall. Uncle Liang had been waiting at the entrance and still didn¡¯t know that Bai Luochu¡¯s lunch had been tampered with. He naturally didn¡¯t know of Bai Luochu¡¯s series of actions in front of the main hall. He assumed that Bai Luochu was still staying inside her room and he felt that nothing could go wrong. ¡°The servants learned of Lord Uncle¡¯s return and were busy since morning. They prepared a welcoming back feast in the main hall for you.¡± Uncle Liang spoke in a seemingly respectful tone. The uncle felt the satisfaction of being the master as he imitated one as he marched in slowly. He nodded his head slightly at Uncle Liang while walking in. ¡°Lord uncle has arrived¡­¡± Before Uncle Liang could finish his words, he saw Bai Luochu seated at the host seat of the round table with a fake smile on her face. She stared at the lord uncle and his family. Uncle Liang knew this wasn¡¯t good and a storm of blood was probably going to arrive. However, it was too late as they were already here. There was no way to mediate this situation and he simply braced himself and carried on. ¡°Young Lady, you are here too.¡± Uncle Liang¡¯s tone was rather calm but his volume was rather soft, revealing his current frame of mind. ¡°Of course. Uncle, aunt, and younger cousin sister have returned from their trip. How can I not do my part as the host and personally welcome them?¡± Bai Luochu still had that insincere smile and emotionless eyes which didn¡¯t allow anyone to read her current thoughts. ¡°You little wench. The current owner of this general''s residence isn¡¯t you and this welcome feast is prepared for us. What makes you think you can sit there?! Quickly get down and return back to your room and stop humiliating yourself here.¡± When Bai Luochu¡¯s aunt saw that Bai Luochu had returned and was perfectly fine, she was extremely enraged. She couldn¡¯t vent her anger on her husband in public, hence, she vented it on Bai Luochu. However, the current Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t that orphan girl who was a pushover any longer. Bai Luochu¡¯s title as the evil dao witch wasn¡¯t obtained for no reason and she wasn¡¯t going to obediently listen to them. Instead, she immediately retorted sarcastically. ¡°Aunt seems to have it all wrong. This general''s residence is left behind by my father. Even if we discuss this matter, my paternal uncles should have more authority to inherit this place. As the only daughter of my father, I am naturally the legitimate successor and the true owner of this general''s residence.¡± ¡°Previously, I was young and insensible. Now that I have grown up, I should be the one handling the general¡¯s residence, right? I shall not harp on all the money that uncle and aunt had spent. Pay attention in the future and don¡¯t let me find out about it. Otherwise, you will not be let off so easily.¡± Her uncle instantly became suspicious. How was she such a different person? If she were to face them like this in the past, she would run away with her tails between her legs. However, right now, she not only dared to sit on the master seat, she even dared to threaten them. Although he had his doubts, he didn¡¯t treat it as a problem. He simply thought that Bai Luochu was only putting up a front as he walked over, intending to drag her off the seat. Chapter 90: Addressing Intimately That manservant was panting as he ran in as he stammered, ¡°Lord uncle, the entrance¡­ There is a noble guest visiting the residence...¡± The uncle was obviously unhappy as he was interrupted. ¡°Hurry up and speak! What kind of noble guest will visit our run-down general¡¯s residence?¡± ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s His Highness, the Second Prince.¡± That manservant finally gathered his breath and stammered slightly. When the uncle heard that the Second Prince was visiting, his expression immediately changed. ¡°Hurry up and invite him in! What are you idling around for?!¡± When Bai Luochu¡¯s cousin heard about Pei Qingfeng¡¯s arrival, she immediately asked her mother to check if her makeup and hairdo was good enough. After all, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s amazing appearance was obvious to everyone in the capital. He might be crippled, but he was still a dream partner for many young ladies. While all of her other family members were thinking of how to curry favor with the Second Prince or how to enter the Second Prince¡¯s eyes, Bai Luochu was filled with suspicion. Why in the world was Pei Qingfeng visiting the general¡¯s residence? In Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes, Pei Qingfeng might be easy going, but he was a proud and aloof individual. He seemed as though he didn¡¯t want to be involved in anything. However, she didn¡¯t know what he was doing. If he was here for her, his information network was pretty good. At this moment, the manservant ran all the way back to the entrance and said, ¡°I have made Your Highness wait. Our master has just returned today and is currently engaged in a welcoming feast in the main hall. Your Highness came at the right time. If Your Highness doesn¡¯t mind, Your Highness may also join in the feast.¡± ¡°I have troubled this brother. Here is some reward.¡± As soon as Pei Qingfeng responded, the personal guard behind him took out a few pieces of silver fragments and handed it to the manservant. When this manservant saw that a simple errand had earned him more money than his monthly salary, a wide grin appeared on his face. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t care what kind of response this manservant gave him. After all, he never bothered about ants. When Pei Qingfeng was about to arrive at the main hall, a figure flashed in front of him. This person was none other than Bai Luochu¡¯s uncle. ¡°Oh my, the Second Prince has arrived at our humble abode. Your presence brings light to my general''s residence. I have heard of the Second Prince¡¯s heavenly look and now that I am looking at you up close, it is truly as what the others say. This commoner pays his respects.¡± The uncle rushed over and instantly showered Pei Qingfeng with praises. There was a flattering expression plastered on his face. When Bai Luochu heard the voice, she nearly vomited. She didn¡¯t wish to admit that these people were related to her. They were really embarrassing... Just as Bai Luochu was feeling disgusted, the uncle spoke again. ¡°Lowly lass, don¡¯t you know that you should pay your respects when seeing the Second Prince?! Did the dogs eat up everything I taught you?¡± Her uncle snapped at her. Pei Qingfeng was already feeling extremely uncomfortable when they showered him with praises. When he saw how the old b*stard spoke to Bai Luochu, he almost choked them all to death. However, he thought about how Bai Luochu wanted to do it herself and he restrained himself from stealing her job. When the uncle turned around to face Pei Qingfeng, his expression changed once again. ¡°Your Highness, please forgive her. This child lost her parents at a young age and is lacking in discipline. She doesn¡¯t know anything about etiquette. Please do not take offence.¡± Pei Qingfeng suppressed his temptation to kill this family with great difficulty. However, when he thought about his plan, a brilliant smile appeared on his face. It was as though something amazing happened. When Bai Luochu¡¯s cousin saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s expression, she thought that Pei Qingfeng was enchanted by her. Her eyes were stuck onto Pei Qingfeng and she didn¡¯t move her gaze at all. If no one was around right now, she might have already thrown herself at him. It was too bad for her as Pei Qingfeng¡¯s words were like a bucket of cold water thrown directly at her. ¡°Luoluo, are you still mad at me?¡± Pei Qingfeng spoke and indicated for his personal guard to push him to Bai Luochu¡¯s side. When Bai Luochu heard what Pei Qingfeng said, she nearly choked to death. Luoluo? How could he even say something like this? She felt disgusted just thinking about how he addressed her. Pei Qingfeng was truly a ruthless person. ¡°Cough cough¡­ Cough cough¡­¡± Bai Luochu choked on her tea and couldn¡¯t stop coughing. When Pei Qingfeng looked at her, he immediately went over and asked with concern, ¡°Luoluo, are you okay?¡± As he asked, he used a hand to pat on Bai Luochu¡¯s back. When Bai Luochu stopped coughing, he playfully rebuked her, ¡°I already told you not to panic! Look, you¡¯re choking on your tea now¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng even pointed at Bai Luochu¡¯s forehead as he finished his statement. To bystanders, the interaction between Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu was just like how a flirtatious couple would behave. Only Bai Luochu knew that Pei Qingfeng had a hidden agenda for appearing in the general¡¯s residence. Bai Luochu felt goosebumps appear all over her body. The uncle and his family stood there and stared at the both of them blankly. The situation turned south before they could even react. Shouldn¡¯t the Second Prince be infuriated and punishing this lowly lass? Right now, they were acting all intimate. It seemed as though they were not needed here at all. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, hurry up and take a seat. Isn¡¯t this welcome feast meant for you?¡± Pei Qingfeng called out to them and acted as though he was the owner of the general¡¯s residence. When Bai Luochu¡¯s uncle and his family heard the orders from the Second Prince, they nodded with bitter smiles and sat down. They were no longer rude to Bai Luochu as the Second Prince was obviously on her side. If they tried to punish her now, it would be offending the Second Prince. Unless they were insane, there was no way they would do something like that. In the end, the meal wasn¡¯t a good one. When Pei Qingfeng saw Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes on any of the dishes, he would immediately ask the guard to bring that dish to Bai Luochu. Only after placing the best part of the dish in her bowl would he order the guard to place it back. As a result, her uncle and his family had been eating all the leftovers from the dishes and the only meat they had were the fish belly and chicken ribs that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t like. All of them were bitter in their heart but they couldn¡¯t express their dissatisfaction due to the identity of the prince. All of them held the grudge against Bai Luochu in their heart. Chapter 91: Prevailing Scheme After arriving at the reception pavilion, Bai Luochu understood that it was going to be a serious discussion when Pei Qingfeng dismissed everyone. ¡°Alright, speak. What are you here for?¡± Bai Luochu was the first to speak. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t I look for you when I¡¯m bored? If I say that I am looking for you because I miss you, will you believe me?¡± Pei Qingfeng opened up his folding fan and acted all romantic. Bai Luochu was a little creeped out and replied, ¡°Your Highness, your joke isn¡¯t funny. Please conduct yourself properly¡­ People might misunderstand.¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu was still as indifferent as before, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little defeated. After all, he was one of the most eligible bachelors in the capital city. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t a womanizer like his Third Brother... How could Bai Luochu not develop any feelings for him? But now wasn¡¯t the time for this matter as there were more important things to speak about. ¡°Did you find out all that you had to know?¡± Pei Qingfeng asked abruptly. Others might not understand, but Bai Luochu understood the meaning behind Pei Qingfeng¡¯s words. It seemed like Pei Qingfeng had also carried out a secret investigation on her. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t ask her that question. ¡°En, Pei Rumo told me everything. I came back in order to find the truth. I am going to investigate the reason behind my appearance in the Bestial Battle Arena.¡± ¡°Will you investigate even if the answer is a cruel one?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, no matter how cruel it is, I am still going to get to the bottom of it. Furthermore, I already roughly understand the situation. I am only trying to prove my conjecture.¡± Pei Qingfeng shook his head. This lass was really obstinate and stubborn. She only roughly knew what was going on, yet, she willingly entered the tiger¡¯s den. ¡°From what I saw today, you don¡¯t seem to be doing too well...¡± ¡°This is something you don¡¯t have to bother yourself with.¡± Bai Luochu heard this statement and knew that Pei Qingfeng probably wanted to offer his assistance. She might not know the reason he was always trying to help her, but she didn¡¯t wish to owe him anything. It was simply part of her nature. ¡°Nonsense! I can¡¯t just leave you to your own devices. In the future, I will still have to depend on Divine Physician Bai to treat the poison in my body? What if you fall into the schemes of these vile people? Won¡¯t everything go down the drain? I¡¯ll be the good guy who helps you out and if something happens to me, I hope that Divine Physician Bai will remember our friendship and offer your help.¡± ¡°First, you have yet to finish your treatment for the Empress Dowager. If you head out from the general''s residence, everyone will start to suspect something. Therefore, whenever you have to provide treatment for the Empress Dowager, I will come early in the morning to pick you up and drop you off near the First Prince¡¯s residence. You can enter the palace yourself and this will make things much easier.¡± Bai Luochu completely forgot about this point and it was true that the Empress Dowager¡¯s treatment wasn¡¯t complete. If she were to disguise as Divine Physician Bai and leave the general¡¯s residence, she might face some trouble. Bai Luochu nodded to indicate her agreement. She then raised her hand and as a sign for Pei Qingfeng to continue. ¡°Secondly, you know about your situation in the general''s residence better than me. It is highly possible that your family is the reason you appeared in the Bestial Battle Arena. If there is a first time, there will definitely be a second. It is hard to guarantee that they won¡¯t make a move on you again. It is impossible for you to use Divine Physician Bai¡¯s status. Neither can you rely on Pei Rumo. This means that you cannot use these two backers. Right now, you need someone to suppress your family and I am the best candidate for that.¡± ¡°Your status is enough to intimidate my uncle and aunt. However, as for my cousin¡­ it might make my days in this residence even harder.¡± As Bai Luochu spoke, she looked at a rockery that was not far from the reception pavilion. If she wasn¡¯t wrong, her cousin was hiding there to spy on them. Pei Qingfeng naturally understood Bai Luochu¡¯s meaning. He then explained, ¡°As long as it is effective against your uncle and aunt, it will be enough to keep you safe.. A mere cousin isn¡¯t a match for you.¡± Bai Luochu had to admit that she had never once placed her uncle and his family in her eyes. She agreed to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s proposal because she didn¡¯t want to alert them. If someone harder to deal with were to replace them, the losses would outweigh the gains. ¡°Thirdly, now that you have left the First Prince¡¯s residence, you are definitely lacking medicinal ingredients. With my help, you will be able to obtain as much medicinal ingredients as you want. Are these reasons enough to recruit you to my side?¡± Pei Qingfeng raised his brows and quietly waited for Bai Luochu¡¯s answer. ¡°Why do you want to recruit me? I am just an orphan girl who can¡¯t provide you with substantial support. Don¡¯t you think you are making a loss?¡± When Bai Luochu heard the word ¡®recruit¡¯, she felt that it was rather hilarious. I''m not trying to make use of you¡­ I only want to keep you by my side. I already know that you are a phoenix in the sky and eventually soar up to the nine heavens in the future. No matter what, I still want to keep you with me, even for the shortest period of time. Of course, these words could only be said in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s heart. If he were to say it out, with Bai Luochu¡¯s personality, she would immediately distance herself from him. He would probably never be able to see her again. ¡°I am naturally leaving a path of retreat for myself. If you make use of your identity as Divine Physician Bai properly, your status will be equivalent to that of the imperial clan. By then, the resources you can obtain will be hundreds or thousands of times better than what you have now. Your path of cultivation will become even smoother and there is a higher chance for me to be cured. After all, everyone is doing things to benefit themselves.¡± Whenever Bai Luochu tried to dig out the reason behind his goodwill he would always pull out the same reason. Would she still believe him this time? Bai Luochu muttered for a moment and finally replied, ¡°I will believe you for the time being.¡± Chapter 92: Hypocritical Cousin Pei Qingfeng let out a relieved sigh. It was fortunate that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t turn suspicious, if she had sensed something wrong, then his trip today would have been in vain. In fact, Bai Luochu did have her suspicions but she was indeed in need of assistance. In the end, she agreed in a straightforward manner. It didn¡¯t matter what Pei Qingfeng¡¯s true intentions were as long as it wasn¡¯t harmful to her. She would simply treat this as a simple deal between the two of them. He would offer her his help and she would repay him by treating him. ¡°Since this is the case, do we have a deal then?¡± Pei Qingfeng probed carefully. Bai Luochu nodded. ¡°Naturally. I have troubled the Second Prince for personally making a trip.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a problem at all. This is an important matter and it is better for me to come personally.¡± Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t make his intentions clear. If Bai Luochu had wanted to collaborate with him, he simply had to send a messenger and Bai Luochu would still have agreed to his terms. He came personally because he wanted to see her. Since the previous time they parted at the Landscape Pavilion, this lass left in a dispirited state and he didn¡¯t get the chance to take a good look at her. He was originally worried that she would be heartbroken because of the engagement with the Third Prince, but it seemed like he was worried for nothing. This lass wasn¡¯t merely stronger than what he expected of her, she was also extremely rational. She never thought of things like relationships. Instead, she was thinking of making use of whatever connections she had to lead her to the truth. She was truly an extraordinary woman and one that was worth having him fall in love with. ¡°If that is the case, I will return to my residence. When it is time for you to provide treatment to the Empress Dowager, I will come and pick you up.¡± Pei Qingfeng saw that the discussion was over and didn¡¯t plan to stick around. There was still a lot of time in the future and if he insisted on staying, it might just irritate her. ¡°I will send you out, consider it the responsibility of the owner of this residence.¡± Bai Luochu turned around and was about to push Pei Qingfeng¡¯s wheelchair. Pei Qingfeng noticed something stuck onto Bai Luochu¡¯s hair and said to her, ¡°Lower your head. Something is stuck on your hair. Let me help you take it off.¡± It was rare for Bai Luochu to be so obedient as she immediately lowered her head and allowed Pei Qingfeng to take off the flower petal stuck on it. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t feel anything but in the eyes of others, it was an indescribably romantic scene. It was especially so for her cousin. Pei Qingfeng was looking at Bai Luochu with tender eyes and at the end, he almost kissed her. The cousin gnashed her teeth until it almost broke. After Bai Luochu pushed Pei Qingfeng far away, her cousin finally emerged from her hiding spot. She looked in the direction where the two of them left and muttered to herself, ¡°Luo Chu, you¡¯re a shameless woman! How dare you seduce the Second Prince! Just wait for me to tear your face up!¡± After raging, she returned to her room and ordered her chief servant girl to follow her as she prepared to plot against Bai Luochu. When Bai Luochu returned to her room, she immersed herself back into cultivation. She almost broke through the barrier this morning but no one expected Uncle Liang to appear with such surprising news. She had no choice but to make some preparations. Now that she had this load off her mind, her pace of cultivation was definitely going to increase. Bai Luochu sat in a meditative position and gradually circulated the spirit qi in her body. She had released her spiritual energy and strived to extend her spirit qi absorption range. In less than five spirit qi cycles, she broke through the barrier. Just as Bai Luochu was preparing to continue on to the next advancement, she heard a knocking sound at the door. ¡°Knock knock knock¡± As the knocks ended, the sickly sweet voice of her cousin entered the room. Bai Luochu felt extremely repulsed but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. ¡°Luo Chu, can I enter the room?¡± Bai Luochu truly admired her younger cousin who could keep up her dramatic performance. There was obviously no one around, but she still had to use her pretentious voice. ¡°Come on in.¡± Bai Luochu wanted to see what her cousin was up to. Upon hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s approval, she opened the door and entered without reservation. Once she entered, she saw Bai Luochu reclining on her couch as though she had just woken up. Her cousin carefully sized up Bai Luochu and felt that she had nothing outstanding enough for the Second Prince to take notice of. She immediately felt even more disdain for Bai Luochu and thought about using her to get closer to the Second Prince. Her plan was to use Bai Luochu as a stepping stone to approach the Second Prince. In the end, she was thinking too highly of herself. The disparity between her and Bai Luochu was like the clouds in the sky and the mud in the ground. Putting that aside, the fact that Pei Qingfeng never allowed any other women near him was enough to send her packing.¡± ¡°Elder sister has been living outside for such a long time. It has been hard on you. You don¡¯t know how hard your younger sister tried to look for you.¡± The cousin forcefully squeezed out two drops of tears as she finished her speech. The level of disgust in Bai Luochu¡¯s heart rose once again. ¡°How did you search for me? Did you look for me in the streets? It is best not to do such things and expose yourself in public, otherwise, outsiders might think that the women of our general¡¯s residence aren''t well-behaved and educated.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s response made it seem as though she was really concerned about her younger cousin. However, any intelligent being would be able to understand that she was criticizing her younger cousin for being shameless. Her younger cousin naturally understood the meaning behind her words but her expression didn¡¯t change. Instead, she smiled and even took out some desserts for Bai Luochu. ¡°Elder sister I personally made these desserts and it is a little something to show my respects. Elder sister please try some...¡± Personally made these desserts? I¡¯m sure you personally added some stuff to it¡­ The cakes had a strange smell to it and the color was off. Bai Luochu knew that she couldn¡¯t eat them and she was thinking of a way to force her cousin to eat it. Bai Luochu smiled and dodged the plot. ¡°I ate too much during lunch and I cannot eat anymore. Why don¡¯t younger sister eat it yourself?¡± ¡°Oh no, this is something I made for elder sister. How can I eat it myself?¡± Her cousin was startled. In the past, no matter how she messed with this lass, Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t say anything. Right now, she was actually putting up some resistance. It seemed like this lowly lass was getting harder to deal with after she returned. After pushing and evading, it was already time for dinner. Neither one of them had touched this plate of dessert and when Bai Luochu¡¯s cousin saw that her scheme wasn¡¯t going to work, she found an excuse to leave. Soon after her cousin left, Cai Ling entered to deliver the food. Chapter 93: Schemed Agains Bai Luochu nodded absently as she thought of a plan to return the plate of desserts to her cousin. When Cai Ling saw that Bai Luochu was deep in thought, she interrupted her, ¡°Mistress, you better eat something. Now that our situation is much better than before, you don¡¯t have to be so troubled. It will not be good for your stomach if the food gets cold.¡± ¡°Cai Ling, are you familiar with the people in the kitchen?¡± Bai Luochu ignored Cai Ling¡¯s suggestion and inquired. ¡°I am familiar with one of them. Is there a problem with the food?¡± Cai Ling understood that her mistress was probably scheming against someone again. She knew that she shouldn¡¯t be curious but she couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Then do you know when my cousin usually eats her desserts?¡± Bai Luochu continued to ask. ¡°The young lady generally has some tea and desserts after her dinner. This servant just learned of this today.¡± Cai Ling spoke with confidence and it was obvious that this information was very reliable. Bai Luochu nodded and continued to instruct Cai Ling. ¡°When you return to the kitchen, replace her dessert with these cakes. Be careful. Make sure no one sees you.¡± Cai Ling nodded and acknowledged the order. Since her cousin was in such a hurry to scheme against Bai Luochu, she couldn¡¯t blame anyone for falling into the trap she dug. On the next morning, when Cai Ling delivered breakfast, she brought along the news related to Bai Luochu¡¯s cousin. ¡°Mistress, the Young Lady has been running to the toilet for the entire night! Lord uncle and madam invited plenty of physicians and all of them said that she ate an excess of croton seeds. There isn¡¯t any cure for it and she can only endure the pain during this period of time. Mistress, is this part of your scheme?¡± Cai Ling became softer and softer as she was afraid someone might overhear their conversation. ¡°Nope. She made the dessert and brought them over to me. Since she gave them to me, I had to get rid of them some way or another. I returned them all to her last night¡­ I had nothing to do with the croton seeds.¡± Bai Luochu ate her breakfast as she calmly explained herself. It was as though she was completely unrelated to the matter. Cai Ling suddenly realized that her mistress was revealing a part of her fox tail. The cousin clearly knew about the cause behind her suffering. However, she didn¡¯t seem repentant at all. Instead, she noted down everything in her heart and prepared to take revenge on Bai Luochu. Due to the fact that no one came to provoke her, her cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds, allowing her to advance further. In the end, none of them seemed to have learned their lesson as someone came to deliver themselves up for humiliation. ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, my Young Lady says that the weather is great today. After recuperating for the past few days, she feels rather bored. She invites you to take a trip to the lake to admire the koi fishes. What do you think about joining her?¡± Since someone was trying to entertain her, there was no reason for her not to go. Bai Luochu immediately replied to that servant girl, ¡°Tell your Young Lady that I will go over after I make some preparations.¡± When the servant girl obtained Bai Luochu¡¯s consent, she quickly returned to the courtyard to inform her young lady. It was time for Bai Luochu¡¯s younger cousin to make the necessary arrangements so that her plot wouldn¡¯t fail. After the servant girl left, Bai Luochu started to temper the silver needles again. She suddenly realized that it was more interesting to leave this fool alive as she would be able to liven up the atmosphere by being a clown. In the end, Bai Luochu picked out a poison that wouldn¡¯t kill her younger cousin. It would inflict her with just enough pain to leave her at death¡¯s door without giving her the chance to enter the netherworld. After preparing everything, Bai Luochu headed out of the room and towards the lake. It might be called a lake, but it was simply a man-made pond in the backyard of the general''s residence. When Bai Luochu arrived, her cousin had already been waiting and it was unknown if she had set up some kind of trap earlier. ¡°Is cousin feeling better now? Your elder sister has been worried for you....¡± When Bai Luochu¡¯s cousin heard this, she nearly fainted from anger. It was obvious that Bai Luochu was the one who swapped the plate of desserts. How dare she shed crocodile tears after setting me up! The cousin might be fuming in her heart, but she still had to act the part. She was after all, much more clever than her brainless parents. She replied with a calm expression, ¡°I have troubled elder sister. Didn¡¯t this younger sister invite elder sister here to admire the koi fishes in order to sponge some good luck off you?¡± Bai Luochu nodded in agreement while her cousin handed over a piece of copper coin. ¡°I heard that it is rather efficacious to make a wish in a koi pond. Shall we try it too?¡± Bai Luochu knew that the cousin was digging a pit for her and waiting for her to jump in. Hence, Bai Luochu decided to beat her at her own game. ¡°Sure! Can younger sister please teach me how to make a wish?¡± ¡°How can there be so many methods to make a wish? We simply need to cup our hands together, close our eyes, and pray sincerely.¡± As her cousin spoke, she cupped her hands together seemingly to make a wish. Bai Luochu closed her eyes and pretended to make a wish. When Bai Luochu closed her eyes, the personal servant beside her cousin poked her. Bai Luochu¡¯s cousin suddenly opened her eyes and reached out to push Bai Luochu into the pond. Bai Luochu¡¯s spiritual energy was already stronger than most people, furthermore, she was on guard against her cousin. Just as her cousin was about to make contact with Bai Luochu, the latter suddenly dodged. As her palm missed her target, Bai Luochu¡¯s cousin fell into the pond. ¡°Splash!¡± When the cousin fell into the water, she created quite a big commotion. ¡°The Young Lady fell into the water! Hurry up and rescue her!¡± Bai Luochu had already expected this outcome and as soon as her cousin fell into the water, Bai Luochu immediately yelled out. She sounded very anxious and those who didn¡¯t know what was going on would really think that she was concerned for her younger cousin. After she was rescued, Bai Luochu went over and asked with a tinge of concern in her voice, ¡°Did younger sister choke on the water? Let elder sister help you settle down a little.¡± Bai Luochu then gently patted her cousin¡¯s body and took this opportunity to inject her meticulously prepared poison. Her younger cousin shoved Bai Luochu¡¯s hand away and snapped, ¡°No need for your hypocrisy! Luo Chu, just you wait! After everything you have done to me, I will make you pay!¡± Chapter 94: Constructing the Secret Base Back in her room, Bai Luochu thought that Qianqian was really childish. She was the one who schemed against Bai Luochu but not only did she fail, she was the one on the receiving end. Since she wasn¡¯t as brilliant as Bai Luochu, she pushed all the blame away from herself. What a load of bullsh*t. Whatever. The poison should be acting up any time now... When night fell, the originally cold and cheerless general''s residence became extremely lively. Everyone was rushing towards Qianqian¡¯s room. If one were to take a closer look at those people, they were all carrying medicine boxes and were obviously physicians. Right now, Qianqian was lying on the bed in great pain. Even after being diagnosed by several physicians, no one could find out what the illness was. Both her parents were anxious as they stood outside her room through the night. In fact, the poison would automatically disappear after seven days. However, during the process, the victim would suffer greatly as their body would alternate between hot and cold. They would also develop an extremely itchy rash. Pus would be discharged and more rashes would be produced. If the victim was able to endure the itch, there would be no problems. However, if they were to scratch their body, things would go south really quickly. Not only would more rash be produced, the wounds would also leave a scar. At dawn the next day, the information made its way around the general¡¯s residence. When Cai Ling came over and reported this matter to her mistress, she had already guessed that this should be the work of Bai Luochu. ¡°Cai Ling, do you think I am cruel?¡± Bai Luochu looked outside the window and asked. ¡°Mistress, this servant doesn¡¯t think so. The young lady repeatedly tried to harm you and Mistress simply outsmarted her and didn¡¯t fall into the schemes. You are simply counterattacking and there is no need to brood over it. Furthermore, if those people were to succeed, they would be busy celebrating.¡± When Cai Ling heard Bai Luochu¡¯s question, she actually felt that Bai Luochu was actually too kind. ¡°I heard that my cousin had already fainted a few times after looking at her own appearance?¡± Bai Luochu raised her brows and asked Cai Ling. ¡°That is indeed the case, lord uncle and madam are extremely heartbroken and are still accompanying her.¡± Cai Ling replied with the information she had obtained. ¡°I understand. You may leave.¡± Bai Luochu waved her hand and dismissed Cai Ling. ¡°Understood, this servant will take her leave.¡± It wasn¡¯t too far away from her own courtyard and it was convenient for her to head over. Furthermore, the place she chose was rather secluded. Since no one visited this place normally, it was perfect to build a secret base here. After Bai Luochu confirmed that no one was around, her figure flashed and she entered the courtyard. It was obvious that this place had been abandoned for many years as dust scattered all around when she gently closed the door. After cleaning up the room, it was almost time for lunch. Bai Luochu decided to return for a meal before looking for Ying Lan to inform him about the situation in the general¡¯s residence. After lunch, Bai Luochu rested for a short moment and headed straight for the Remote Paddy Inn. Once the Remote Paddy Inn¡¯s innkeeper noticed Bai Luochu¡¯s arrival, he immediately invited her to the private room upstairs before running to inform Ying Lan. ¡°Mistress, you are here.¡± Ying Lan entered and offered his normal greeting. ¡°Hurry up and sit. There is something I need to discuss with you.¡± When Ying Lan saw Bai Luochu¡¯s serious expression, he knew that she was here to discuss a serious matter. He didn¡¯t dally and quickly sat down. ¡°Did you bring along the general''s residence map?¡± Bai Luochu asked. Ying Lan nodded and took out the map silently. ¡°After my uncle came back, I conducted a detailed reconnaissance and discovered that this is the most suitable place for the base. I cleaned up the place this morning and you should go over and take a look when you have the time.¡± Bai Luochu placed down the teacup in her hand and pointed to a red circle on the map. ¡°Mistress, did your uncle and his family move against you?¡± When Ying Lan asked this question, he did it prudently and was afraid that Bai Luochu had suffered some grievance. ¡°Not yet. Only one person moved against me and it was my younger cousin. She tried to scheme against me but she wasn¡¯t smart enough to succeed. On the contrary, she fell pretty hard into my schemes.¡± When Bai Luochu recalled her younger cousin¡¯s miserable situation, she felt that it was rather hilarious. She thought that her cousin was really pitiful. However, she was despicable enough for Bai Luochu to not feel bad. As for why her uncle and aunt left her alone, Bai Luochu left the reason out. After all, it was better if lesser people knew about the relationship between herself and Pei Qingfeng. If the poison array in his body was exposed, it was possible that a lot of people would move against him. Moreover, Ying Lan was just like an oversensitive old woman. If she were to say it, he might instantly vanish and charge towards the Second Prince¡¯s residence with his sword in hand. He would place the sword against Pei Qingfeng¡¯s neck before carrying out a detailed interrogation session. In order to avoid such things from happening, it was better to be tight-lipped. When Bai Luochu completed her explanation and instructions, the sun had already set. She quickly departed for the residence. After eating dinner, she started her cultivation and had finally left her state of cultivation when it was time to sleep. Just as she was preparing to sleep, she caught sight of some movement outside her window. When she got closer, she realized that it was actually a Pearl Pigeon and it seemed like someone was delivering a message to her. She opened up the letter on the pigeon¡¯s feet and as soon as she read the message, she knew the sender. There was only one sentence written on it. ¡°Tomorrow is the day you provide treatment to the Empress Dowager. Do not forget about it. I will come and pick you up early tomorrow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing he reminded me. I almost forgot about it.¡± Bai Luochu muttered softly. Bai Luochu woke up early the next morning and she rummaged through her closet to look for Divine Physician Bai¡¯s clothes. After dressing neatly, she looked for the closest wall in her courtyard and climbed out. She saw Pei Qingfeng waiting for her at the entrance. Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu was already dressed and he was somewhat shocked. However, when he thought about her cautious personality, he immediately understood why. He didn¡¯t say anything and immediately invited her up the carriage before heading over to the palace. Chapter 95: Growing Conspiracy After Bai Luochu bade farewell to Pei Qingfeng, she headed to the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. After Bai Luochu finished the treatment session for the Empress Dowager, she returned to the residence and immersed herself in the world of cultivation. Under this seemingly peaceful life, there was a bigger storm waiting for Bai Luochu. ... ¡°Bang!¡± Someone in the residence was obviously furious as they smashed a teacup. ¡°How many days has it been? I already asked all of you to find her whereabouts since the day I saw her at the banquet. She is simply a stupid, lowly savage lass! Why did you take more than a month to find her? Now that you finally found her, you tell me that she returned to the general''s residence? What do you mean she returned to the general''s residence? Do you mean that she had gone missing in the capital city in the past?! A bunch of useless people who can¡¯t even find a wastrel with innately crippled meridians. What do I need all of you for?!¡± As soon as the words left her mouth, another teacup fell to the ground. The person who was speaking was none other than the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s daughter¡­ Feng Wan¡¯er. After Feng Wan¡¯er saw Bai Luochu at the banquet, she tried looking for her with all the manpower available. It was a pity that the First Prince''s residence was too strong and completely concealed Bai Luochu¡¯s presence. No one was able to find out that she had been residing in the First Prince''s residence all along. In addition to the fact that Bai Luochu had been spending most of her time as Divine Physician Bai, no one was able to connect the most popular person in the capital city with the wastrel in the general''s residence. Feng Wan¡¯er had sent men to search for an entire month and after all the searching, these people told her that the lowly lass was at home. Do they think I¡¯m a stupid fool? How can they take more than a month to look for someone staying at home?! ¡°Who made junior sister so angry?¡± A man walked in and he looked like a pretty boy. He had a pair of phoenix eyes and there seemed to be a flirtatious look concealed in them. Had it not been for his rough voice, he would be able to easily pass off as a woman. When Feng Wan¡¯er saw this person, she pouted and didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Oh my, junior sister, it is possible to hang an oil lamp on your lips.¡± When that man saw Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s expression, he made fun of her. ¡°Senior brother, how can you make fun of me when I¡¯m so angry?!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er sounded even more unhappy and she almost threw a tantrum on the spot. ¡°All of you are dismissed for now.¡± That man spoke and dismissed everyone kneeling in front of Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°Pfff, hahaha¡­¡± ¡°Let me guess. Did that ignorant lass from before come back?¡± The atmosphere turned awkward after the question left his lips. ¡°Senior brother, she is back. She will become a taint in my relationship with Wuchen. I cannot allow her to live! I must not allow her to live! Do you understand my meaning, senior brother?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er acted as though she was possessed and there was a terrifying expression on her face. ¡°Shush, softer. Don¡¯t let that old man hear it, or you will be berated again. Don¡¯t worry, senior brother will help you prepare a good scheme. This time, senior brother guarantees that the lowly lass will not survive and obstruct Wan¡¯er¡¯s path. Don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡± When Feng Wan¡¯er heard the man¡¯s promise, it was as though she had consumed a sedative and became instantly composed. That man then asked the servants to enter to clean up the smashed up teacups. He started to prepare a scheme with Feng Wan¡¯er, a scheme that would ensure Bai Luochu¡¯s death. Bai Luochu who was in the midst of cultivation suddenly sneezed a few times and thought she caught a cold. She closed the windows tightly and continued to cultivate. This wasn¡¯t the only case, other than Feng Wan¡¯er, someone else also had their eyes on Bai Luochu. However, this person only had his eyes on her for a short while. This person was none other than the Third Prince, Pei Wuchen. After Pei Wuchen heard about the engagement between him and Luo Chu at the Landscape Pavilion, he felt a little mindful about it even though he didn¡¯t care too much. After he returned from the Landscape Pavilion, he had secretly found out information about Luo Chu. He managed to learn that she had been missing more than a month ago, and he felt a little regretful. Right now, his scouts had reported that Luo Chu was back at the general''s residence, safe and sound. He felt a slight joy in his heart when he heard that she was fine. However, he ignored his emotions as he didn¡¯t want to feel attached to her. After all, in Pei Wuchen¡¯s opinion, Luo Chu was just an orphaned daughter of the general''s residence and she didn¡¯t possess any influential support from her family. Furthermore, she had innately crippled meridians and wasn¡¯t able to cultivate. In terms of cultivation, she was an utter wastrel and even though she had rather good looks, a prince never chose a wife based on looks. In short, Pei Wuchen had pasted an ¡®unworthy¡¯ label on Luo Chu inside his heart. In Pei Wuchen¡¯s eyes, he should be only be matched with a heavenly female prodigy like Feng Wan¡¯er, in order not to bring down his status as a prince. Of course, he couldn¡¯t ruin his status as the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Master. However, he didn¡¯t understand why he started to pay attention to Luo Chu. Pei Wuchen told himself that he was only concerned because of the prior engagement. The more he observed her, the more he felt that she was different from the other young ladies. She was different from the well-bred young ladies from the major clans in the capital city. Luo Chu treated people and matters casually and wasn¡¯t restrained by those so-called rules. Other than that, she was merely an orphan. If there was a piece of news that intrigued him, it was that she was really close with his second brother, Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng never approached any woman and he rejected the arranged marriages the Emperor and the Empress Dowager proposed for him. He did it both openly and in the dark. There were plenty of courageous young ladies who had confessed their love for him in public but he had treated them like dirt and fled without any hesitation. He never bothered about their feelings in the past... Right now, he had actually abandoned all the magnificent peonies and was taking care of a stalk of weed. Pei Wuchen felt that Pei Qingfeng¡¯s head was kicked by a donkey. When he thought about Pei Qingfeng¡¯s attitude towards Divine Physician Bai, Pei Wuchen suddenly had a bold idea. What if Luo Chu is Divine Physician Bai?! In the end, Pei Wuchen quickly dismissed this idea as the information stated that Luo Chu was just a wastrel with innately crippled meridians. Looking at how much the general''s residence had declined, there was no way they had spare money to allow her to develop her medical skills. Chapter 96: Getting Someone Else to do the Dirty Work After Bai Luochu appeared with the identity as Luo Chu, Pei Wuchen sent his secret guard to keep watch in the dark. ¡°If Luo Chu makes any huge waves, remember to report back to me immediately.¡± Pei Wuchen had always been a distinguished and refined person. When he spoke about Bai Luochu, he was still paying attention to his image. He was currently writing a poem onto a folding fan. ¡°Yes, my lord. This subordinate understands.¡± That secret guard responded and was about to head out in a flash. ¡°Hey, wait up.¡± Pei Wuchen suddenly recalled something and called out to the secret guard. ¡°My lord, please give your orders.¡± The secret guard lowered his head with a very respectful expression. Pei Wuchen stayed silent for a moment and seemed to have made a decision. ¡°If she is out alone and runs into some trouble, remember to offer assistance at the crucial moment. But beware not to expose your identity and cause trouble for me.¡± ¡°This subordinate understands. However¡­ If Young Lady Feng finds out... I am afraid there will be trouble.¡± When Pei Wuchen heard this, his hand moved abruptly, causing the ink to smudge on the surface of the fan. Just like this, a high quality folding fan was wasted. He then placed down the fan and explained, ¡°Previously when I didn¡¯t know about it, it was natural for me to ignore her well-being. Now that I know of it, I cannot simply neglect her. After all, she is still my fianc¨¦e and it is normal for me to offer some protection.¡± Pei Wuchen¡¯s explanation was naturally flawless in the eyes of the secret guard. He was the only one who knew of the truth behind his words.These were just words to beat about the bush, if he was truly thinking along this line, he wouldn¡¯t ruin his folding fan. Pei Wuchen was silently lamenting. He had yet to see her in person and he didn¡¯t know why he was so considerate towards her. He even seemed somewhat obsessed. If he had seen her in person, he would suspect that she had cast a curse on him. Just as Pei Wuchen gave his orders, Feng Wan¡¯er and her senior brother were discussing how to make Luo Chu vanish without a trace. They were going to make her disappear in order to remove all the threats in Feng Wan¡¯er path. ¡°According to junior sister¡¯s intention, how do you wish to deal with Wuchen¡¯s so-called ¡®fianc¨¦e¡¯?¡± That feminine man had a calm expression that didn¡¯t allow anyone to see through the thoughts in his mind. ¡°How do I wish to deal with her?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s brows bunched up and she made an awful expression. Her words were so vicious that no one would believe that it came from the mouth of an innocent looking young lady. At the final part of her statement, Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s jaws were clenched together tightly and she sounded very vicious. It was as though Luo Chu was her lifelong enemy. But when all was said and done, Luo Chu was just an infant who didn¡¯t know what was happening when the late emperor engaged her to the Third Prince. How could she go against the late emperor¡¯s orders? Feng Wan¡¯er hatred towards Luo Chu was completely unjustified. When the feminine man saw Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s appearance, he sighed inwardly. The world knew that the daughter of the Phoenix King Valley Master had inherited her parents¡¯ talent for cultivation and their celestial looks. She was even extremely talented when it came to cultivation, but the world didn¡¯t know that Feng Wan¡¯er could be described with a phrase, ¡®face of a fairy, heart of a snake¡¯. She was arrogant and despotic as she had been spoiled since she was a child. She even caused several disciples to lose their lives because they offended her.\ No matter what, such people had a shortcoming. The feminine man¡¯s mouth curled upwards while he sneered in his heart. They had an overly smooth sailing life and it robbed them of their shrewdness and intelligence to scheme against others. Whenever they wanted to deal with people, they would simply resort to violence to kill their target. The feminine man¡¯s thoughts were revolving hundreds and thousands of times in his mind, while Feng Wan¡¯er continued to prattle endlessly, ¡°Had it not been for someone who kept saying that ¡®doing so would dirty your hands¡¯, I would have already killed her a few months ago. All this trouble could be avoided.¡± ¡°Look at the situation now. If she told the truth to Wuchen, there will definitely be animosity between us. Our relationship will turn sour!¡± ¡°Junior sister, don¡¯t be anxious. Senior brother has good news to share with you.¡± That feminine man frowned slightly as though he was fed up with Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s long-winded and brainless banter. When Feng Wan¡¯er heard her senior brother, she immediately became silent and waited for him to deliver the good news. When that feminine man saw Feng Wan¡¯er shutting her mouth, he replied, ¡°Previously, when junior sister gave the orders to look for a young lady named ¡®Luo Chu¡¯, I secretly investigated her to relieve junior sister¡¯s worries. I discovered some really beneficial information from my investigation. When Luo Chu was in the Bestial Battle Arena, she lost her memory because she suffered severe injuries from the spirit beasts. No one would know about the things that junior sister had done.¡± ¡°But what if¡­ she suddenly remembers?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er heard the news and she calmed down. However, she was still worried in her heart. ¡°So¡­ all we need to do is to make sure that she doesn¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Does senior brother mean that before she regains her memory, we should act first and¡­¡± Feng Wan¡¯er probed but didn¡¯t finish her sentence. She made a throat slitting action. ¡°Junior sister guessed it right. This is my intention but we cannot act hastily. The Hall Masters and the Elders in the valley are already not too happy with your character. Furthermore, we have important matters to carry out soon. If you create trouble right now, I am afraid that not even the Valley Master will be able to protect you. You will definitely be scolded by the elder. You won¡¯t be able to immediately kill Luo Chu if that happens.¡± ¡°That is true. Our true objective for this trip is because of ¡®that¡¯. If I ruin the plan, not even my father will spare me. However, how are we going to eliminate her without making a huge commotion?¡± ¡°After Luo Chu lost her memory, she became tangled with the Second Prince. Right now, there are plenty of young ladies in this imperial city who admire the Second Prince. She is just a wastrel with crippled meridians and doesn¡¯t have any reliable backer. When the time is right, junior sister should invite those young ladies for tea. You can then ¡®conveniently¡¯ divulge the matters between the Second Prince and Luo Chu. You will be selling them a favor and can also eliminate Luo Chu without lifting your hands.¡± Chapter 97: Appropriate Arrangemen ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t think about Pei Wuchen all the time! Look at him! He has you dancing on the palm of his hand¡­ You don¡¯t even act like a young lady anymore.¡± That feminine man might look very shrewd, but he did seem to truly dote on Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°Senior brother is making fun of me again.¡± Feng Wan¡¯er pretended to be angry and rebuked. The feminine man shook his head and showed a helpless expression. Just as he was going to leave, he recalled something and informed Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°In a few days, the time will come. This is the most important mission and you better focus on the task at hand. Cultivate diligently and even if you cannot break through at this critical moment, you will still be able to stabilize the spirit qi in your body. Don¡¯t make a mistake at a crucial time.¡± When Feng Wan¡¯er heard her senior brother¡¯s words, she withdrew her improper attitude and replied in a serious tone, ¡°I know. I know what I need to do. Many thanks for senior brother¡¯s advice.¡± When she was replying, one could see a trace of pride that an immortal sect¡¯s disciple should have. ¡°Achoo!¡± Bai Luochu let out another loud sneeze and thought that something was really wrong. How are there so many people badmouthing me behind my back? Did I really catch a cold?! Bai Luochu looked at the splendid sun that was high up in the sky and checked her own pulse, immediately denying her suspicion. ¡°Mistress, what is happening to you today? You have been sneezing repeatedly. Did you catch a cold last night?¡± Cai Ling heard Bai Luochu sneezing for the whole day and couldn¡¯t help but show her concern. Bai Luochu was obviously unable to explain the reason behind her behaviour. She simply gave an ambiguous answer, ¡°I must have kicked off my blanket when I was dreaming at night. You came just in time, I need to tell you something.¡± Just like this, Bai Luochu shifted the topic. When Cai Ling heard that her mistress had something to talk to her about, she poured a cup of tea for Bai Luochu and stood properly by the side. She waited patiently for Bai Luochu to speak. ¡°It seems like my uncle and his family are afraid of stirring up trouble. None of them dares to cause trouble in the residence. Tomorrow, I will promote you to be my chief servant and I will inform Uncle Liang to record it down in the book. After you are promoted to the chief servant, you don¡¯t need to do physical labor any longer. You will have a lot of spare time but you cannot idle around as I need you to learn a lot of things. I will speak of your tasks now and you need to remember it well.¡± When Cai Ling heard Bai Luochu¡¯s words, she quickly nodded and acknowledged. ¡°This servant will do as Mistress says.¡± ¡°As for the second task¡­ I found a secluded courtyard in the residence and I am preparing to turn it into a secret base for our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. I already did some simple clean up and there is still a need for discussion about the interior arrangements. When you are learning from Ying Lan, you will also need to relay this piece of information to him. Ask him to quickly construct the secret base in the residence so that we will be able to meet up easily.¡± ¡°As for the third task¡­ I will need to ask you about it. You were born and raised in the outskirts of the capital city. Did you come across any ownerless mountain in the vicinity of the capital?¡± ¡°Mistress, why are you asking about this? Is our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence going to occupy a mountain? Are we going to be mountain bandits?¡± Cai Ling couldn¡¯t understand and asked bluntly. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know if she should cry or laugh, but she couldn¡¯t blame Cai Ling for this as she really sounded like a bandit when asking about the mountain. Without a choice, Bai Luochu patiently explained, ¡°It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking. Think about it, be it the Three Great Immortal Sects or the rest of the small sects and factions, all of them possess a territory of their own. Our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence has been established for quite some time and only has a few shops as our foothold. Since we are recruiting people, we have to provide them with a decent place to cultivate. We can¡¯t allow others to think that our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is incompetent.¡± When Cai Ling heard her explanation, she immediately understood Bai Luochu¡¯s thoughts. She pondered for a long time about the mountains in her memories. After some time, she muttered, ¡°A mountain without an owner outside the city or in the capital¡¯s outskirts¡­¡± Just as Bai Luochu was going to give up and search for one herself, Cai Ling seemed to recall something and suddenly spoke up, ¡°Mistress, this servant remembers. Outside the imperial city, towards the east, there is a majestic mountain. I do not know if it has an owner or not, but I think that the mountain is the only place to establish our base. Other than the mountain, there are only small hills in the vicinity of the capital city.¡± Bai Luochu let out a sigh of relief. At the very least, she could save some time as she didn¡¯t need to look around for a mountain personally. She then immediately instructed Cai Ling, ¡°Good, then the third task is for you to search for this mountain in your memory. Bring Ying Lan along if you have to. If there are other sects or factions on the mountain, report back to me and we shall look for another place. If there are bandits on the mountain, kill them all and take the mountain for ourselves. Treat it as though we are getting rid of evil for the sake of the general populace. It will be best if the mountain is deserted and you can immediately occupy it, do you understand?¡± ¡°Understood. This servant remembers all of Mistress¡¯ instructions. After this servant is promoted to the chief servant, I will head out of the residence and immediately look for Commander Ying to discuss the tasks. If Mistress is worried, you can write a message slip for this servant to bring over to him. Seeing how dependable Commander Ying is, he will definitely be able to remember all the tasks.¡± Bai Luochu originally wanted to write a letter as per Cai Ling¡¯s suggestion. However, she thought about it and decided otherwise. Since she had decided to put this servant girl into an important position, she had to trust her. Bai Luochu could take this as a test for the little servant girl. Bai Luochu shook her head and said, ¡°Not necessary, I trust you.¡± Chapter 98: A Great Chess Move Hearing the response, Cai Ling was extremely touched and immediately decided that no matter what, she was going to follow her mistress for life. She was emotional for a moment and immediately regained her composure. If she was out running errands for the whole day, how was her mistress going to live everyday? She was a little worried and asked, ¡°Mistress, in this residence, this servant is the only person you can fully trust. In the future when this servant runs errands outside, what is going to happen to you?¡± When Bai Luochu saw how concerned Cai Ling was for her, she was touched and reassured Cai Ling, ¡°Since my cousin wasn¡¯t able to succeed in her schemes and had been tricked by me instead, the servants in the residence toned down a lot. They might not have submitted, but none of them would treat me with disrespect. Tomorrow after you are promoted to the chief servant, I will beat up the servant girls in my courtyard. Even if I cannot make them accept me, I will still make them work for me.¡± ¡°But¡­ what if the young lady looks for trouble again? What will you do?¡± Cai Ling had quite a lot of misgivings. ¡°Look at my ¡®clever and quick-witted¡¯ cousin. She is only at this standard even after the help provided by her chief servant. They can¡¯t even beat my hastily thought up counter attack. She isn¡¯t a threat to me. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± It seemed like Cai Ling still wanted to say something. Bai Luochu immediately interrupted. If she allowed this servant girl to carry on, there was going to be no end. ¡°I know, in your eyes, the people in the residence are all eyeing me with their vicious gaze. In my eyes, they are not a match for me. They look more like clowns who are providing me with some entertainment. If they still have the energy to bounce around, I¡¯ll just let them be. In the future when I find out the truth, they will no longer be able to live comfortably. You can go out and be at ease. Learn well and help me look for a suitable location, okay?¡± When Cai Ling saw that she had no way to persuade Bai Luochu, she nodded in response. ¡°Alright. You are still a servant today. I might have asked Uncle Liang to take care of you, but you must still complete your chores.. Hurry up and get to work. The earlier you finish, the earlier you can get some rest.¡± When Cai Ling heard her words, she knew that Bai Luochu had stuff to do. She didn¡¯t stay any longer and immediately took her leave. These mechanisms required countless trial and error to be completed. Originally, it would require on-site experiments but there was no place for Bai Luochu to conduct them now. Without a choice, Bai Luochu had to do everything in her mind, making the entire experimental process much more difficult. But it was fortunate that Bai Luochu was proficient in this and had exceptional talent. She only took a little more time than if she were to test it out physically. In the end, these mechanisms were extremely complicated as they were closely linked with each other. In this world, there were only several rare individuals who could design this and Bai Luochu was also a mechanism maniac. She did it for an entire day before Cai Ling delivered her dinner. she discovered that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t even touch her lunch at all and there were flies surrounding the food. ¡°Mistress, I know you are impatient, but you still have to eat, right?!¡± When Cai Ling accepted her tasks this morning, she originally thought that Bai Luochu was preparing to wash her hands off the matter. After taking a glance at the paper with sketches of mechanisms, she was dazzled. She understood that her mistress had handed the ¡®heavy labor¡¯ on the surface to her subordinates, but left all these crucial ¡®delicate details¡¯ for herself. Now that the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence had capable people and talents, why didn¡¯t she leave such tasks to those people? Cai Ling thought about it and understood that none of the others would come close to her mistress¡¯ knowledge. This thing that the mistress designed was obviously meant for intruders to step through the gates of hell, giving the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence the most dependable safeguard. ¡°I was too busy and forgot. I will eat now, I will eat more for dinner and there will be no difference.¡± Bai Luochu noticed Cai Ling¡¯s intention to pick on her and quickly replied. Bai Luochu lamented in her heart. These subordinates surrounding her were always overly concerned and meddled with her affairs. Wasn¡¯t it miserable for her to be their superior? Perhaps it was due to the fact that Bai Luochu¡¯s brain was operating at full capacity for the entire day. Not long after she finished her dinner, Bai Luochu felt a wave of fatigue assaulting her. She simply stopped struggling and went on the bed to meet with the god of dreams. She woke up early the next morning and Uncle Liang had already called for her. Uncle Liang stood at the entrance and spoke respectfully, ¡°Is Young Lady awake? Don¡¯t you have something to announce to everyone? I have already assembled everyone and they are waiting in the courtyard right now.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, I am coming out.¡± Bai Luochu heard Uncle Liang and when she took a look outside, the sun was indeed high up in the sky. She quickly made herself look presentable and thought to herself that ever since her reincarnation, she was no longer restricted to the rules of the temple. She was really much more ill disciplined now. A short moment later, Bai Luochu opened her door and walked out. ¡°Is everyone here?¡± Bai Luochu turned slightly towards Uncle Liang as she asked softly. ¡°They are all here. All the servants in your courtyard are present.¡± When Uncle Liang saw that Bai Luochu was whispering, his voice had softened significantly to match hers. It was different from his usually loud voice. ¡°Is Cai Ling here?¡± Bai Luochu raised her voice and made sure that everyone in the courtyard could hear her. It caused Uncle Liang to suffer as he nearly went deaf. ¡°This servant is present!¡± Cai Ling naturally knew of Bai Luochu¡¯s arrangement, but she still pretended that she knew nothing. Her voice trembled a little and pretended that she was afraid of getting punished. ¡°Uncle Liang, you will announce my decision.¡± Many of the people present were rejoicing in Cai Ling¡¯s misfortune. They assumed that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t dare to do anything to them and was venting her anger on the new servant. The entire courtyard was like a boiling cauldron of voices and laughter occasionally sounded out. It was really ridiculous. Uncle Liang nodded and yelled out, ¡°From today onwards, labor servant Cai Ling will be promoted to first-class servant and will be serving Young Lady as her personal attendant. She will sign the life deed, have an increase in salary, and will be granted a waist token!¡± ¡°This servant thanks Young Lady for the recognition!¡± Cai Ling responded and immediately kowtowed on the ground with a loud thud. Chapter 99: Beating Everyone Up After a moment of silence, everyone erupted and it became noisy once again. So much so that the voices were getting louder and the courtyard seemed to be on the verge of collapse. Bai Luochu felt that these people were like the frogs in the fields and just didn¡¯t know when to keep quiet. Just as Bai Luochu was preparing to say something to shut them up, someone in the courtyard actually spoke first. ¡°How can a labor servant like her be promoted to the chief servant? Young Lady has never looked highly upon us. How are we going to continue living here in the future?!¡± The servant girl who spoke up had a rather good looking face and she was also standing at the front row of the servant girls. It seemed like she was the chief of these servant girls. When she asked the question, her forehead was raised and she looked extremely arrogant. ¡°I presume you aren¡¯t convinced...¡± Bai Luochu raised her brows and asked in return. She was fed up from talking to all these brainless fools and her impatience was evident on her face. In fact, Bai Luochu had already expected that this would happen. It was also one of the reasons why she sent Cai Ling to be a labor servant from the start. Without this scene playing out today, how was she going to beat some sense into these people and establish her footing in the residence? What Bai Luochu made use of was the desire and unwillingness in the servants¡¯ hearts. Only the personal servants of the mistress could receive a waist token and leave the residence as they please. Just this point was enough for them to be jealous and envious. Furthermore, the chief servant signed the life deed and it meant that she didn¡¯t need to serve in this residence for her entire life. She could even look for a good clan to marry into. She wasn¡¯t going to be like the other slave servants who signed the death deed. If they wanted to get married, they only had one method and that was to climb into the bed of the young masters or the lords. Moreover, the increase in salary was rather significant and it was reasonable for them to be dissatisfied. The unconvinced servant girl maintained her haughty expression as she stood tall. When Bai Luochu saw her response, a smile appeared on her face. ¡°Alright, since all of you are unconvinced, I will tell you the reason and let you accept it wholeheartedly.¡± When everyone heard Bai Luochu, all of them quietened down to wait for her response. ¡°Since I came back to the residence, none of you treated me like your mistress. Putting aside the fact that you were crafty and evaded work, you would head over to my uncle and his family¡¯s residence when you had nothing to do. After so much treacherous work, why should I trust you and think highly of you?¡± ¡°I, Luo Chu, am a person who is very fair when giving out rewards and punishments. Since Cai Ling has her merits, she will naturally be rewarded! As for all of you, you should be clear about your behaviour. Especially after my return to the residence. As your mistress, I don¡¯t need to list out all the things one by one. I am already showing you the greatest mercy by not selling all of you to the human traffickers. Who gave you the guts to show off your attitude to me?¡± When Bai Luochu spoke up to this point, her brows were raised high and she was staring at all of them angrily. Her tone was vicious and severe and she scared all of them so much that none of them dared to let out a peep. The servant girl who spoke out first was already on her knees as she was the one who was secretly communicating with her lover. That wasn¡¯t all. She was also secretly fooling around with the lord uncle and was waiting for the day to climb into the lord¡¯s bed. She was waiting for the opportunity to say goodbye to her lowly status. When Bai Luochu saw everyone in this state, she felt that she had already achieved the result that she wanted. She no longer stayed around anymore. After leaving her instruction, she left. ¡°Everyone is dismissed for today. Go back and reflect about your actions. Cai Ling, come over here. From today onwards, without my instructions, you will be by my side. I have already asked someone to prepare clothes for you. You are my chief servant and must not dress shabbily.¡± ¡°Yes, this servant shall do as you command.¡± Cai Ling emerged from the rest and followed behind Bai Luochu, leaving behind an entire courtyard full of dumbstruck servants who were reflecting on their actions. The show at Bai Luochu¡¯s side had just ended, but the show at her cousin¡¯s side never stopped. Since the day her cousin had been inflicted with poison, she had never left her room. The poison that Bai Luochu made wasn¡¯t fatal but it was really ruthless. The poison would cause the entire body to produce a rash for the first two days. The rash had an unbearable itch and would be accompanied by alternating hot and cold sensations. On the third day, the blisters on the surface of the rash would burst and pus with a horrendous smell would be discharged. If they didn¡¯t immediately clean the pus up, new rashes would be produced. After two days, the scabs would fall off but during the last three days, the areas with the scabs would itch once again and must not be scratched. Once the victim scratched, a scar would be left on their skin. Bai Luochu might not have left any traces, but all of them placed the blame on her anyway. After all, apart from Luo Chu, no one else was present on the day of the incident. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t afraid of the repercussions. Since she dared to make the move, she would have already made her preparations. Furthermore, their intelligence wasn¡¯t enough for her to place them in her eyes. ¡°Mother, quickly fan me! It is so itchy!¡± Her cousin had no choice but to quietly recuperate on the bed. She was especially worried about having scars, thus, she couldn¡¯t scratch herself. The only way to ease the itch was to let her mother fan and cool her body. ¡°I know I know. You have been wailing nonstop every day. Look at your current appearance!¡± Her mother was truly frustrated and she snapped. There was a saying that goes, ¡®There is no such thing as filial children after a period of long illness¡¯ But right now, the mother and daughter had swapped roles. ¡®There is no such thing as a caring mother after a period of long illness¡¯ would be much more appropriate to describe the situation. Bai Luochu¡¯s aunt was a person who was lazy and loved to enjoy life. Now that her daughter had been plagued with this strange illness, she wasn¡¯t able to enjoy her life anymore. It caused the already indifferent mother and daughter relationship to dissipate. The daughter was extremely angry. Wasn¡¯t she the one taking care of her mother in the past? Now that the roles had been exchanged, her mother had a sudden change in attitude was truly disappointing. Chapter 100: Thoughts of Making a Comeback Although she was the first to provoke Bai Luochu, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t suffering at all. Instead, she was the one who fell to this pitiful state. If she didn¡¯t let that hussy suffer some consequences, how was she going to live it down?! Qianqian¡¯s mind was filled with schemes against Bai Luochu and when the attention was no longer on herself, she naturally didn¡¯t feel as itchy anymore. She fell asleep as soon as she felt that it was a little bit less unbearable. This had been the best sleep she had since she was inflicted with the poison. By the time she woke up, the sun was starting to rise from the east. After waking up, the first thing Qianqian did was to get her servant girl to help her with her grooming. When she raised the mirror in front of her face, she noticed something strange. It looked like there were more rashes on her face! That wasn¡¯t the only thing, new rashes were popping up everywhere and they looked even more horrifying. She was shocked, enraged, and became even more hateful of Bai Luochu. She was shocked that there was no end to her rashes. If the rashes didn¡¯t subside after ten days or half a month and got even worse, things would truly be troublesome. Ladies cared about their appearance the most. She was enraged that her mother and father were simply minding their own business even though she was in this state. They didn¡¯t pay any attention to her and neither did they hire any useful physicians to cure her. She was resentful that her appearance was hideous and she couldn¡¯t even leave her room. Yet Luo Chu, that lowly lass, was having a great time in the residence, living a carefree life. When Qianqian thought about this, she felt a suffocating feeling in her heart. She had nowhere to vent all the rage and had no choice but to unleash it on the mirror. She smashed it on the ground. With a ¡®bang¡¯, the mirror shattered and turned into shards. They reflected Qianqian¡¯s current face from various angles, forming a strange appearance that was indescribably horrific. ¡°Luo Chu! When I am better, I will surely make you pay!¡± It was as though smashing the mirror wasn¡¯t enough. She faced the direction of Bai Luochu¡¯s courtyard and cursed viciously at her. ¡°She really said such things?¡¯ Bai Luochu was currently sipping her tea calmly. Cai Ling nodded and said, ¡°It is indeed the case. When this servant walked across the young lady¡¯s courtyard, I heard her yelling for Mistress to pay.¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t angry at all and giggled instead. ¡°She is truly interesting. I originally thought that she would have learned her lesson after her torture this time and wouldn¡¯t come to provoke me. I didn¡¯t expect to evoke her fighting spirit.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t necessary. Just let her be. She won¡¯t be able to raise any huge waves anyway. I will react accordingly to anything she throws at me. A clown balancing on a beam isn¡¯t worth mentioning.¡± Bai Luochu smiled and shook her head, lamenting the fact that her cousin didn¡¯t know her own place. ¡°That¡¯s right, what about the things I asked you to do?¡± Bai Luochu currently had nothing to do and casually asked. When Cai Ling saw that her mistress was asking about serious matters, she responded earnestly, ¡°These two days, this servant had gone to search for the ownerless mountain in the outskirts with Commander Ying. We discovered that no one is occupying the place and we immediately established our footing there. The palace is currently being constructed right now with materials obtained from various merchants. No one knew where Commander Ying found the designer of the courtyard. Since Commander Ying personally chose the designer, he should be a reliable person and this servant didn¡¯t question his decision.¡± ¡°As for the courtyard that Mistress found in the residence, this servant made the necessary preparations. All the items were moved in without a problem. When Uncle Liang saw it, he questioned this servant but I simply said that Mistress wished to look for a secluded courtyard to enjoy some free time. However, lord uncle seemed a little worried about the matter even though he wouldn¡¯t approach the courtyard at all. In regards to lord uncle¡­ this servant thinks that it will be great if Mistress can step in to take charge. It won¡¯t be good for me to criticize lord uncle.¡± When Bai Luochu heard this, she nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Whatever it is, you did a great job in laying down the foundations of our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Did you improve yourself like I asked you to?¡± This servant girl had better not have neglected her cultivation during this time. Cai Ling lightly knocked on her head and explained, ¡°Ah, there was so much to do these few days that I completely forgot about reporting it to Mistress. Commander Ying taught me a mantra for an inner technique and I memorized it instantly. As for martial arts, Commander Ying was rushing all over the place and he simply handed me a manual. He asked me to comprehend it myself and said that he would be checking in on me from time to time. If I reached the standard, he would teach this servant even more profound martial arts. Commander Ying even said that when everything is up and running, he will hand over some basic operations to this servant.¡± ¡°Not too bad. It seems like Ying Lan is preparing to nurture a second Ying Lan by my side...¡± Bai Luochu was somewhat resentful in her heart. ¡°Mistress, if there is nothing else, this servant will take her leave.¡± Bai Luochu waved her hand and indicated for Cai Ling to be dismissed. In a flash, another five days passed. Bai Luochu had already designed the mechanisms and was just waiting for Ying Lan to finish digging the tunnel. She would then start to set up the mechanisms in the secret base. During these few days, apart from eating and sleeping, Bai Luochu would be cultivating diligently. She was trying to increase her strength as much as possible, as fast as possible. After all, the capital city was a place with many crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Since those people that she recruited weren¡¯t ordinary citizens, things could be bad if her strength wasn¡¯t sufficient to suppress all of them. It wasn¡¯t a big deal if it was made known and people mocked her. After all, Bai Luochu was never a person who would bother with other people¡¯s opinion. However, she was afraid that she would drag them all down at a crucial moment and that would truly be a sin. Bai Luochu never expected that her cousin would start to stir up some trouble after lying low for some time. When Qianqian woke up this morning and saw that her skin was back to normal, she was ecstatic. Realizing that she could leave her room, she immediately summoned her servant girls to help with her grooming, ¡°Someone! Hurry up and assist me!¡± During the past few days, Qianqian¡¯s temper was extremely bad. She would beat and scold her servant girls the moment she found a reason. Right now, whenever these servant girls heard Qianqian¡¯s voice, all of them would start to tremble with fear. They would dawdle for a moment before entering. Chapter 101: Bucket to the Head ¡°The serpent top knot. My neck is long and the serpent top knot complements my look. Today I am going to meet with my elder cousin and must make myself look presentable. I must make her feel inferior so that she doesn¡¯t play any more tricks.¡± Qianqian was in a great mood as she was no longer ill. She didn¡¯t try to find faults with her servant girl¡¯s behavior. When the servant girl heard the instruction, she simply groomed Qianqian according to what she wanted. In the servant girl¡¯s heart, she thought about how the young lady had never succeeded in making Bai Luochu¡¯s life hell. She even caused herself to be poisoned. Young Lady Luo Chu is a completely different person after coming back to the residence. In my opinion, she looks rather wicked. Why is Young Lady Qianqian still trying to mess with her? However, this wasn¡¯t something a servant girl like her should bother herself with. She simply kept quiet in order to avoid angering her young lady. If her young lady was unhappy, she wouldn¡¯t be in for a good time. ¡°Young Lady, it is done. Since Young Lady is no longer ill, why not wear a pink dress to celebrate your recovery?¡± When the servant girl was done with Qianqian¡¯s hair, she conveniently picked a pink dress out of the closet. Actually, Qianqian wasn¡¯t extremely pretty, but she was passable when compared to the young ladies of other aristocratic clans. Now that she had a pink dress to complement her looks, she looked like a real beauty. When Qianqian saw that the style and the color of the dress was pretty good and she didn¡¯t make things difficult for her servant girl. She immediately wore it out to look for Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu had just finished her breakfast and sounds of knocking came from the door. She assumed that it was Cai Ling and immediately allowed that person to enter. ¡°Has elder cousin eaten breakfast yet?¡± Bai Luochu found the voice rather strange and when she raised her head to take a look, she saw Qianqian standing in front of her in a beautiful pink dress. Bai Luochu suddenly felt a slight discomfort in her eyes. Bai Luochu remained calm on the surface and exchanged conventional greetings with her. ¡°That¡¯s right. I have just eaten. What about you?¡± Every time Qianqian saw Bai Luochu¡¯s undisturbed expression, she would feel anger building up inside her heart. However, she would suppress the anger growing inside her when she thought about her plan. She sat down opposite Bai Luochu and carried on, ¡°I have yet to eat my breakfast. Since I fell into the lake, I caught a strange illness and only recovered today. I thought that I should visit you to see how you have been doing. I rushed over as quickly as I could after getting up in the morning!¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s didn¡¯t show any mercy and started her counter attack. ¡°So cousin sister has yet to eat her breakfast huh? As luck would have it, I was incredibly famished today and ate everything before you came in. If you are going to come and visit me in the future, please let me know. I can still leave some leftovers for my younger sister...¡± When Qianqian heard the words coming out of Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth, she nearly raged. What did Bai Luochu mean? Was she someone who was only fit to eat leftovers? Qianqian was truly infuriated and the smile on her face nearly disappeared. Bai Luochu looked at Qianqian¡¯s face and decided to stop for now. After all, she was Bai Luochu¡¯s source of entertainment in the general''s residence. If this source of entertainment was gone, Bai Luochu¡¯s life would become rather boring. ¡°Are you feeling better now? I heard from the servant girls in the residence that you might have contracted some illness after falling into the water. Your entire body was filled with rashes... I originally wanted to visit you but when I recalled how much you valued your looks, I refrained from heading over. I assumed that you wouldn¡¯t want to be seen in that state... I hope cousin sister can forgive me.¡± Qianqian was yelling in her heart. It¡¯s really lucky you didn¡¯t come. I originally wanted to push you into the water but I was the one who fell into the lake instead. I ended up catching that strange illness and I might puke blood if I saw you walking around perfectly fine... Even though those were the thoughts in her heart, the smile on her face didn¡¯t fade. ¡°How can I blame elder sister for not coming over? It is obvious that elder sister has been very considerate and mindful of my reputation. I will be really ignorant if I try to blame my elder sister¡­¡± When Qianqian finished her response, the room fell into silence. Bai Luochu minded her own business and sipped her tea. As for Qianqian, her mind was spinning rapidly as she thought about how she was going to scheme against Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu¡¯s mind was also spinning rapidly. She wondered what kind of plan Qianqian was cooking up in her mind. Seeing that Qianqian wasn¡¯t moving, Bai Luochu got a little impatient. She finally decided to chase Qianqian away. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything else to do here, why not return to your quarters to rest?¡± When Qianqian heard Bai Luochu voice, she snapped back to her senses. She sprang up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and replied, ¡°Since that is the case, younger sister shall return to her room.¡± As she spoke, she stood up and was about to leave. After taking two steps, she turned back and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t elder sister going to see me out?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t speak and simply stared at her. From Bai Luochu¡¯s expression one could easily make out her annoyance. Don¡¯t you have legs? When Qianqian saw how Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t moving, she knew that her trick wasn¡¯t going to work today. She turned around and headed towards the door. Right at this moment, Bai Luochu noticed a figure at the entrance and didn¡¯t know what was happening. Taking out a piece of silver, she tossed it at Qianqian¡¯s ankle. Qianqian didn¡¯t expect that Bai Luochu would suddenly make a move as she lost her balance and fell face first towards the door. After a loud crash, an unbearable stench came from outside the room. When Bai Luochu caught a whiff of the nauseating smell, she couldn¡¯t help but pinch her nose and said to Qianqian, ¡°Younger sister, you her better leave quickly. I need to close the door in order to block the disgusting stench.¡± Qianqian was lying on the ground with an inelegant posture and an entire head of leftover vegetables and rice. The bucket was filled with swill and right now, her entire body was covered in it. A horrifying stench came from her body and Qianqian nearly fainted because of it. She wanted to cry but no tears came out. Why did I fall?! She thought about how she felt a slight pain in her ankles when she was at the door. Wait a minute... Chapter 102: Tunnel Completed ¡°Spill it! Did you do this?!¡± After Qianqian stood up, she turned around and screamed at Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu¡¯s brows arched upwards and her guess was right. Her cousin had indeed arranged this for her. I guess my counterplay was brilliant after all... Of course, Bai Luochu definitely wouldn¡¯t admit that she used the silver to attack Qianqian. She quickly denied, ¡°What is the meaning of this? Don¡¯t try to find fault with me just because you are unhappy after falling into a bucket full of swill.¡± ¡°You used the piece of silver to hit my ankle! I fell because of you! How dare you try to deny it?!¡± ¡°Do you have any evidence that the silver on the ground belongs to me? It won¡¯t respond to me even if I call out to it. Furthermore, even if I accidentally threw out a piece of silver to make you trip, why will the bucket of swill be there? Should I ask the manservant about the identity of the person who instructed him to carry a bucket of swill over to my courtyard?¡± Bai Luochu felt that it was hilarious when she looked at her cousin whose scheme had completely failed. She even fell into the pit she dug for Bai Luochu. Right now she was even trying to push the blame away. Qianqian lost her imposing manner as she was the one who instructed the manservant to prepare this bucket of swill. She originally wanted to speak with Bai Luochu before getting her to walk to the door. According to her plan, she would then trip Bai Luochu who would fall face first into the bucket of swill. She even instructed the servant to pour more trash in order to catch Bai Luochu off guard. No matter the case, she never expected herself to fall when leaving the room. This cheap lass, why did she become so shrewd after coming back? How is she able to see through my plans and make me walk into them myself? Qianqian stood at the entrance for a long time without saying a word. After a long moment, she flung her sleeve with anguish and didn¡¯t forget to leave behind a vicious threat before she left. ¡°Luo Chu, you better remember this! I will make you pay for this one day!¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t feel that Qianqian was worth her time. She simply asked someone to clean up the entrance before closing the door. She went back to cultivating as though nothing had happened. ¡°Mistress, it is time to eat lunch.¡± When Bai Luochu opened her eyes again, Cai Ling was calling for her to eat lunch. The sun was already high up in the sky and Bai Luochu personally opened the door for Cai Ling. ¡°Mistress, why is there a strange smell at the entrance?¡± Cai Ling entered and asked. ¡°Nothing much. Someone wanted to scheme against me and ended up covering herself with swill. Light up some incense later and fumigate the entrance. If some idiots were to smell the stench, they might think that your mistress likes to eat swill¡­¡± After laughing, Cai Ling thought about the matters that Commander Ying instructed her to do when she visited the Remote Paddy Inn earlier in the day. She then said, ¡°Mistress, Commander Ying said that after you finish your lunch and have a rest, you should go to that courtyard at around 5 pm and wait.¡± Bai Luochu frowned slightly at the news and asked, ¡°Is the tunnel completed?¡± ¡°This servant isn¡¯t very clear either as Commander Ying hasn¡¯t said anything about it. I am afraid that we can only wait at the courtyard for him to appear.¡± Bai Luochu smiled and shook her head. ¡° Ying Lan even dares to keep me in suspense right now.¡± Bai Luochu might be saying this, but she wasn¡¯t planning to reprimand him. In the blink of the eye, it was 5 pm and Bai Luochu brought Cai Ling to the secluded courtyard. After entering the courtyard, they immediately went to the master room. There was no one in the room and there were no signs of activity. Bai Luochu was rather patient and simply waited quietly. After the time it took for one stick of incense to burn, Bai Luochu detected subtle traces of movements under her feet. When she listened closely, it seemed to be sounds of footsteps and voices. Bai Luochu released her spiritual energy, but due to the layers of the soil underneath her feet, she wasn¡¯t able to hear them clearly. After a short while, Bai Luochu felt that the floor tile under her feet was loosening up. Since she didn¡¯t know what was happening, she didn¡¯t move. ¡°Mistress, can I trouble you to please lift your feet?¡± Ying Lan¡¯s helpless voice echoed from underneath the floor tile. Bai Luochu managed to hear him and quickly walked over to Cai Ling¡¯s side. The moment she left her spot, the floor tile popped up. A face poked out from the ground and who else would appear other than Ying Lan? As soon as Ying Lan extended his head out, he complained, ¡°Mistress, you sure know how to look for a spot. You stood at the exit of this subordinate¡¯s tunnel! I even thought that I dug to the wrong courtyard!¡± Bai Luochu heard the complaints and laughed, ¡°Hahaha, what a coincidence¡­ Anyway, I should be the one asking you the questions. Is the tunnel complete?¡± ¡°It is already done. In order to conceal the exit, I left enough space for one adult male to pass through. Right now, we just lack the mechanisms. After Mistress sets up the mechanisms, the tunnel will be fully completed.¡± Bai Luochu recalled that Ying Lan was the one who kept her in the dark and she started to make fun of him. ¡°Hey, you completed this tunnel so quickly... Will it collapse after we use it a few times?¡± When Ying Lan heard Bai Luochu¡¯s comment, he became anxious. ¡°Mistress, what are you talking about?! I personally supervised the digging of the tunnel, how can it possibly collapse?!¡± ¡°Fine, fine fine, it won¡¯t collapse. I was just teasing you and you took it so seriously. Here, these are the mechanisms that I designed during the past few days. Take a look and see if anything needs to be modified.¡± Bai Luochu spoke and passed him the blueprints. Ying Lan took the blueprints and took a closer look. He then pointed out some of the overly complicated areas and said, ¡°Mistress, these parts are too complicated. The tunnel is so cramped and it is normally used for secret communications or to escape when encountering danger. If it is too complicated, it might even harm the people on our side. Why not make these areas a little simpler and fix up switches at both ends. When no one is in the tunnel, the mechanisms will be activated. What do you think about it?¡± When Bai Luochu listened to Ying Lan¡¯s comments, she looked at the blueprints. She felt that his feedback was reasonable and she gave him another piece of instruction. ¡°Let¡¯s do it your way. After you return today, prepare everything and look for me when you are free. We will set up the mechanisms in the tunnel.¡± ¡°Yes, this subordinate understands. Mistress¡¯ efforts will not be wasted. If these complicated mechanisms are used in the secret room, it will be extremely brilliant. However, where are we going to construct the secret room?¡± Chapter 103: Mysterious Secret Room Ying Lan and Cai Ling exchanged looks. They were suspicious but they still chose to believe her as they followed behind Bai Luochu. After entering the inner room, Bai Luochu felt around the wall and found a piece of brick close to the bottom. A smile appeared on her face. Bai Luochu exerted some strength and pulled out the brick. There was actually a concealed mechanism behind it. She then called out to Ying Lan, ¡°Ying Lan, come and take a look, see if you can deal with this mechanism. Cai Ling, come along too, see if you can learn anything.¡± They heard Bai Luochu and headed over to study the mechanism. Ying Lan observed for some time and said to Bai Luochu, ¡°Mistress, aren¡¯t you just taking the chance to make this subordinate look bad? If it is purely a mechanism, this subordinate will definitely know how to deal with it. This is a mechanism combined to some kind of mystical formation array. Currently, only Mistress will be able to deal with this kind of mechanism. Please don¡¯t tease this subordinate.¡± ¡°But this mechanism isn¡¯t designed by me. It¡¯s the only reason we need to conduct an in-depth investigation.¡± Bai Luochu had a rather dignified expression on her face as she declared. Ying Lan didn¡¯t know how he should respond as he was afraid he might make Bai Luochu even more worried. He had no choice but to stand at the side quietly, let alone Cai Ling who didn¡¯t know a thing. She was extremely quiet as she stood beside Ying Lan and Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t overly insistent on this matter as she dealt with the mechanism with brute force. After hearing a ¡®snapping¡¯ sound, the originally intact wall started to change. Two cracks became visible and there was a piece of wall in the middle that looked just like a door. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t waste any time and immediately entered by pushing it in. In response, Ying Lan and Cai Ling quickly followed their mistress as they were afraid some accident might occur. The interior of the door caused all three of them to drop their jaws in amazement. The entrance was huge and only a single person could pass through it at any point in time. After entering the door, one would have to walk down a narrow and dark passageway. They would have to descend several flights of stairs before laying eyes on the true appearance of the secret room. ¡°Mistress, is anyone using this secret room? Doesn¡¯t the existence of this secret room indicate that someone has their eyes on the general¡¯s residence? It¡¯s too dangerous for Mistress to continue living here.¡± Ying Lan observed this perfectly planned out secret room and couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious. Bai Luochu simply waved her hand as she indicated for Ying Lan to put down his worries. She strolled towards a nearby desk and swiped the surface. Raising her hand, she showed it to Ying Lan. ¡°Take a look. What is this?¡± Before Ying Lan could speak, Cai Ling loosened her lips and responded first, ¡°Eh? Why is there such a thick layer of dust? So filthy!¡± Cai Ling spoke with resentment and quickly took out a handkerchief to clean Bai Luochu¡¯s hand. Ying Lan had instantly understood Bai Luochu¡¯s meaning and replied with embarrassment, ¡°This subordinate didn¡¯t think it though. If there is such a thick layer of dust on the desk, this place hasn¡¯t been used in a long time. This subordinate is too hasty. I hope Mistress can forgive me.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t bother about Ying Lan and she continued, ¡°This is exactly the reason why I chose this courtyard. Initially, I thought that the massive general''s residence was definitely an important military landmark. There had to be some sort of secret room. Hence, I conducted a search. When I entered the main room at the surface, I knocked on the walls and heard that it was hollow. I immediately knew that there was something strange with the wall. Back then, I just came back and there were many people watching me. I wasn¡¯t able to check carefully and only left a mark before returning. I never expected that my uncle and his family would be defeated so easily and that the tunnel would be built so quickly. It seems like my conjecture was pretty close to the truth. This place won¡¯t be worthy of the name ¡®general¡¯s residence¡¯ if there are no secret exits. The building should have been much larger in the past and the totem isn¡¯t something that belongs to the Cloud Water Nation.¡± ¡°What is Mistress¡¯ plan?¡± After Ying Lan listened to what Bai Luochu said, he followed up with a question. ¡°Since this secret room is already available, we might as well make use of it. It will save us a lot of time. We only need to change the mechanism used to open the entrance. Ying Lan, think of a way to clear up the ventilation to the surface. After completing these 2 tasks, our secret base can be considered complete. If possible, extend a fork from the tunnel and connect it to the courtyard where I am residing at. It will allow me access the Remote Paddy Inn as well. After all, it will be rather eye-catching for me to be running all over the place.¡± Bai Luochu broke down her instructions into several parts and relayed them to Ying Lan. Ying Lan immediately responded, ¡°Yes, this subordinate understands. Is it possible to shift future meetings and discussions here?¡± ¡°Of course. If we continue to carry out our discussion in public, we will definitely draw some suspicion. If we are in our own territory, there will be no need to be fearful and nervous. Everything will be more convenient.¡± After Bai Luochu spoke, she started to study the mechanism in the secret room. She thought about how to design a new one and Cai Ling gave her opinions from time to time. She might not be very helpful when designing the mechanism, but in terms of the function, Cai Ling¡¯s ideas were rather useful. The sky couldn¡¯t be seen from the secret room and when the trio exited, the sun had already set. Sparkling stars covered the sky and when they thought about the time they spent inside the secret room, it was no wonder night had already fallen. Bai Luochu was afraid that she might attract suspicion if she stayed any longer in this courtyard. She dismissed Ying Lan and returned to her room. Chapter 104: Aunt Makes A Move ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t this my dear elder sister? It is already so late, why were you in this courtyard?¡± The moment Bai Luochu heard the words leave her mouth, she knew that Qianqian had nothing better to do and was up to no good again. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but silently lament that Qianqian was truly like a cockroach that couldn¡¯t be killed. After suffering in the daytime, she actually dared to provoke Bai Luochu again at night. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know if she should praise her for being perseverant or to say that she was as annoying as a housefly. ¡°I cleaned up this courtyard hoping for some peace and quiet. Didn¡¯t someone spill a bucket of swill in my courtyard this morning? Oh, that¡¯s right, you should know about it. After all, you were the one who suffered the worst of it. The smell is really pungent! I asked the servants to clean up the place before coming out for a breath of fresh air.¡± Bai Luochu was intentionally poking at her cousin¡¯s sore spot and hoped that Qianqian would leave in a fit of rage. ¡°You!¡± Qianqian was obviously speechless as she was infuriated by Bai Luocuhu. She pointed at Bai Luochu and there was a look of resentment in her eyes. ¡°It seems like younger sister is still emitting a strange smell. I so happen to have some incense. Why don¡¯t younger sister come over and get some?¡± Bai Luochu asked with ¡®good intentions¡¯. When Qianqian heard Bai Luochu¡¯s comments, she couldn¡¯t be bothered with Bai Luochu any longer. Instead, she repeatedly smelled her body for any strange odor. In fact, there was already no more smell as Qianqian cleaned herself thoroughly after the incident in the morning. She almost scrubbed a layer of skin off her body and she only left her room after ensuring that she no longer smelled. However, after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s comments, Qianqian felt as though there was a weird smell coming from her body. She no longer bickered with Bai Luochu and she hurried back to her room to shower a few more times. Cai Ling spoke after Qianqian walked away. ¡°Young Lady, why can¡¯t I smell anything? Is there a problem with my nose?¡± Bai Luochu let out a scoff at her question, ¡°Pfff. Hahaha, you are really gullible. I was just messing with her. When I asked her to come take some incense from me, it was to enrage her even more. Otherwise, she will stick to me like a cockroach. Look at how she is always trying to find fault with me. She will probably not rest until she gets to the bottom of things. Our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence has just settled down recently. It is best to be cautious.¡± When Cai Ling heard the reply, she revealed an expression of sudden realization. She then praised Bai Luochu, ¡°Mistress is thinking far ahead indeed. Compared to Qianqian, Mistress is truly superior. Just a few simple statements were enough to chase her away.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have worked hard for the entire day. Let us return early and have some rest.¡± Bai Luochu instructed Cai Ling before walking towards her courtyard. When Cai Ling saw her mistress walking ahead, she broke out into a small run and quickly caught up to Bai Luochu. After the mistress and servant returned to their rooms, Cai Ling properly digested all the martial art that she had been learning by herself. As for Bai Luochu, she continued with her cultivation. Everything seemed so peaceful. Bai Luochu¡¯s room was really peaceful. However, it was the complete opposite on Qianqian¡¯s side. ¡°Hurry up, where is the hot water? Has it been boiled yet? If the Young Lady gets angry, you will be the first to be punished!¡± The one speaking was Qianqian¡¯s personal servant and she was instructing the other servants to hurry up. Qianqian was also yelling in her room, ¡°Where is everyone! Why hasn¡¯t anyone boiled the water yet? Are all of you asking for a beating?¡± When the personal servant heard her young lady, she knew that her young lady was going to vent her anger on her servants again. The personal servant quickly entered the room and soothed her young lady. ¡°Oh, Young Lady, please don¡¯t be angry. This servant has already instructed for someone to boil the water and it will be done soon. This servant also instructed for someone to pick out some flower petals to ensure that you smell good after your bath.¡± ¡°What is going on? Why is it so noisy at night? All of the flowers in the courtyard are messed up!¡± A middle-aged woman¡¯s voice echoed through the room. When the personal servant took a glance and saw that it was the aunt, she immediately bowed respectfully. ¡°Mother!¡± When Qianqian saw her mother coming in, she immediately acted like a spoilt child. ¡°Oh my, my good daughter. What happened to you?¡± When the aunt saw her daughter¡¯s haggard appearance, she quickly went over and asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t all because of Luo Chu?!¡± When Qianqian saw her mother, another wave of resentment welled up in her heart. She sobbed as she narrated her story. ¡°Previously when I caught that strange illness, she was definitely the one who caused it. This morning, your daughter went to look for her and asked for an explanation. I conveniently prepared to teach her a lesson. I wanted to teach her that her uncle was the owner of the general¡¯s residence while conveniently teaching her a lesson. I didn¡¯t expect to fall into my own scheme.¡± ¡°Why are you causing such a huge commotion? I can even hear you from my own courtyard. What in the world happened?¡± The aunt was concerned but it was obvious Qianqian didn¡¯t wish to elaborate. She was stammering and the words couldn¡¯t leave her mouth. Her mother was extremely anxious and turned to Qianqian¡¯s personal servant. ¡°If the Young Lady doesn¡¯t want to say, you shall say it.¡± That servant girl was complaining inwardly. If she said it, she would offend the young lady, if she didn¡¯t say it, she would offend the madam. After pondering over the consequences, she ultimately poured out the truth. ¡°This morning, Young Lady had arranged for someone to carry a bucket of swill to Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s room. When Young Lady Luo Chu was seeing Young Lady out, Young Lady would trip Young Lady Luo Chu and make her fall over. The servant would splash the bucket of swill all over Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s head but no one expected for Young Lady herself to fall over when leaving the room. The person with the bucket of swill didn¡¯t manage to see clearly and covered Young Lady in...¡± As the personal servant spoke, her voice got softer as she was afraid that this mother and daughter duo might place the sin on her for being incompetent. The aunt ruthlessly poked at Qianqian¡¯s head and reprimanded her for not being good enough. ¡°Look at yourself! You sure are brilliant aren¡¯t you? Ever since that cheap lass returned, how many times have you been tricked by her? If you can¡¯t even outsmart that cheap lass, all your years of education would have gone to waste.¡± Qianqian didn¡¯t say anything and simply lowered her head and sobbed softly. Chapter 105: Advice For Setup ¡°How can we fix her? We thought of so many ideas and used up all the methods. What happened in the end? I became the one to suffer.¡± Qianqian spoke with disdain. She was always conceited and assumed that her mother was just a married woman in the residence who didn¡¯t know how to think for herself. After getting scolded by her mother, she seemed rather unhappy. ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about this. I will think of a way.¡± Even though Qianqian¡¯s mother said these words, she was rather worried. After all, that cheap lass was originally a stubborn person. However, her personality changed after her return. If she wanted to teach Bai Luochu a lesson, she would probably have to spend some effort. ¡°Madam, Young Lady, will the two of you listen to my advice?¡± The personal servant mustered her courage and spoke. She thought that if her advice was good, she might be spared a beating today. It was also difficult to say if the mother and daughter pair would continue to use her if she failed to satisfy the both of them today. ¡°What plan can someone like you possibly come up with?¡± The aunt heard the servant girl and didn¡¯t think it was worth her time. However, she thought about it another way. What if the servant girl really had a plan? She quickly went back on her words and asked, ¡°Forget it. Why don¡¯t you say it, let¡¯s see if you are still of use.¡± When the personal servant heard the aunt, she spoke of the plan that she had just thought of. ¡°Madam, you might not know about this. Young Lady cleaned herself up a long time ago and the odor had already disappeared. Now that she encountered Luo Chu while on a stroll around the residence, she was misled and came back to take another bath.¡± When the servant girl saw the impatient expression in the madam¡¯s eyes, she quickly went straight to the point and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t the main point. The main point is the time and place Luo Chu appeared. There is something wrong here. Even though she said that it was to enjoy some peace and quiet, why would Young Lady Luo Chu make a sarcastic comment about our Young Lady? It seemed like she was trying to chase the Young Lady away. There is definitely something fishy about this!¡± ¡°Do you mean¡­¡± The aunt heard the information and frowned slightly. It seemed like she understood the meaning behind the servant¡¯s words. ¡°This servant thinks that Luo Chu found a savage man while she was away. Think about it. How can she return in one piece without support from anyone?¡± ¡°This cheap lass... If she didn¡¯t want her chastity, forget it. Why is she trying to embarrass all of us? If an outsider gets to know about this, the general¡¯s residence will surely be turned inside out. They will say that all the women in the general¡¯s residence are loose. If that were to happen, how will my daughter marry anyone?!¡± ¡°Continue speaking. What is your plan?¡± The aunt raised her chin slightly and asked the servant girl. ¡°This servant thinks that this won¡¯t be the last time. This servant has a good sister in Luo Chu¡¯s courtyard. If we use her as an informant, whenever Luo Chu makes a move, she will immediately report it to us. We will catch her red handed during her tryst with her adulterer. With this information in our hand, we no longer need to be afraid that she won¡¯t follow our instructions.¡± The aunt pondered for a moment and said, ¡°This is good. If you are so thoughtful, Qianqian will definitely be able to suffer less. However, don¡¯t place your thoughts in places they shouldn''t be. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make you pay.¡± When the personal servant heard the threat, she trembled a little and felt that this mother and daughter pair were truly vicious. She was simply offering advice to make her life better, but the madam used the opportunity to threaten her. The servant girl¡¯s mind might be spinning, but she didn¡¯t show any of it and responded by bowing with respect. Ying Lan who had returned to the Remote Paddy Inn didn¡¯t expect that he had turned into an ¡®adulterer¡¯ just like this. ¡°Quickly procure these things and get the ones with the best quality. There is no need to worry about the price.¡± Once Ying Lan returned to the Remote Paddy Inn, he swiftly listed the materials required for the mechanisms on a piece of paper and instructed someone reliable to gather them. On the other hand, he also sent someone to send messages to all the supervisors in charge of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s businesses. He asked them to quickly prepare the account books that were used for operations and to sort out the expenditure and revenue. He instructed them to record down all the information in a book. A few days later, during the discussion, Bai Luochu would definitely be interested in looking through them. Things got busy and when Ying Lan obtained all the items he needed, he went through the tunnel to the secret base in the general¡¯s residence. He then asked Cai Ling to pass a message to Bai Luochu and requested for Bai Luochu to wait in the courtyard. Before the appointed time, Bai Luochu had already arrived and was waiting for Ying Lan. ¡°There is nothing much you can help with when setting up the mechanisms. Wait at the entrance and if you encounter any emergency, simply crush this talisman. I will sense it and leave the secret room immediately.¡± Bai Luochu took out a piece of talisman and handed it over to Cai Ling. This talisman was something drawn from Bai Luochu¡¯s memory of her previous life. She had already tested it and it was indeed effective. Hence, she was reassured to hand it over to Cai Ling for her to use it to notify her. ¡°Young Lady, how can there be any evildoers in the general¡¯s residence? You are thinking too much.¡± Cai Ling might have kept the talisman properly, but she was still unconvinced. ¡°I am not worried about evildoers. Previously when I came out from this place, I happened to encounter Qianqian. I am afraid that she might be suspicious about my actions. When I came here, I felt that someone was staring at me. She might have placed a spy in my courtyard. If I guessed it correctly, they are aware of my current whereabouts.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that Cai Ling wasn¡¯t really concerned, she explained patiently. In her heart, she was worried that something might go wrong on Cai Ling¡¯s end. When Cai Ling heard Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation, she immediately became serious and gave her word. ¡°This servant didn¡¯t consider it through. Mistress doesn¡¯t have to worry. This servant will definitely be on alert and will guard this place properly. Mistress can focus on the set up.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and entered the room. On the other side, the informant arranged by the servant girl in Bai Luochu¡¯s courtyard was making a report. ¡°Big sister, Young Lady Luo Chu made her way to that courtyard.¡± That servant girl whispered to Qianqian¡¯s personal servant. ¡°Is this true?¡± That personal servant was doubtful. She didn¡¯t expect for Bai Luochu to be this bold. It had only been a few days and she was at it again? ¡°I personally saw her heading in that direction. Of course it¡¯s true.¡± That servant girl spoke firmly. Chapter 106: ‘Catching Her in the Act’ ¡°Young Lady, that lass can¡¯t endure loneliness. She is at the courtyard once again to meet with her adulterer.¡± The personal servant entered and closed the door tightly before lowering her voice. ¡°Why are you speaking so softly? We¡¯re not the ones at fault here, what is there to be afraid of? We are upholding the reputation of the general''s residence!¡± Qianqian was currently admiring her newly polished nails. When she saw how her servant girl was acting apprehensively, she felt disdain in her heart. However, she was still a servant and no matter how smart she was, she could only behave like a meek mouse. That servant girl agreed but she felt disgusted by Qianqian¡¯s behavior. Didn¡¯t you cry when falling for Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s tricks? Weren¡¯t you the one who failed to scheme against Young Lady Luo Chu because of your sub par skills? How dare you flaunt your authority in front of me?! ¡°Does mother know about this?¡± ¡°Before this servant entered, I have already sent someone to inform the madam. She should be on her way.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and look for my mother. Today, I must make that slut pay!¡± Qianqian stood up and headed towards her mother¡¯s courtyard. On Bai Luochu¡¯s side, Ying Lan had already emerged from the tunnel. He placed the box he had been carrying down on the ground before opening it up. ¡°Mistress, these are the things you need for the mechanism. Everything has been prepared and you can begin the set up immediately.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and quickly instructed, ¡°Let¡¯s quicken our pace. When I left the other day, Qianqian noticed my presence in the courtyard. With their level of intelligence, they should be on their way.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you allow this subordinate to...¡± Ying Lan made a throat-slitting action as he spoke. He was clearly suggesting an assassination. ¡°No, I still have a use for them. Let them live for now. The important thing is to set up the mechanism in the tunnel.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to waste anymore time and she quickly activated the original mechanism to open the secret passage. Ying Lan quickly followed behind her. As a secret guard, he had to obey his mistress¡¯ orders. Since Bai Luochu allowed them to keep their lives, he wouldn¡¯t make a move on them. Right now, the only important thing was to assist his mistress in finishing the setup of the mechanism so as to keep their hideout safe. Bai Luochu had always been good at mechanisms and strange formations. Now that Ying Lan was assisting her from the side, they completed the setup in the time it took two sticks of incense to burn. Ying Lan nodded in agreement. ¡°Mistress doesn¡¯t have to worry. I instructed them to prepare their report several days ago. They should be able to tidy everything up in five days. If they can¡¯t¡­ our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence doesn¡¯t need people like them. Five days later at 5pm, please come back here again. This subordinate will lead the men over.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Luochu nodded. She seemed to be commending Ying Lan¡¯s work. Just as they were preparing to exit the secret room, Bai Luochu suddenly received the signal from Cai Ling. She immediately stopped Ying Lan. ¡°Wait here first. Someone is probably at the surface. I will go and take a look. I will call for you when it is safe.¡± Ying Lan complied with the orders and stood there without moving. He understood the situation in the general''s residence and there was nothing he could do right now. If he were to charge out of the tunnel recklessly, he would be adding to his mistress¡¯ troubles. After giving orders to Ying Lan, Bai Luochu used her movement skills to exit the secret passage before closing the mechanism. At this crucial moment, things would get troublesome if she failed to make her appearance as soon as possible. Although it wasn¡¯t a difficult task for her and Ying Lan to slaughter her uncle and his family, all of the answers she seeked would disappear with their death. If that were to happen, all her efforts would go down the drain. Just as Bai Luochu returned to the main room and closed the mechanism, she heard Cai Ling¡¯s voice from the other side of the door. ¡°Mistress is resting inside. You cannot enter and disturb her!¡± When Cai Ling saw how imposing the madam and Qianqian was, along with the guard servants holding onto wooden sticks, she knew that they weren¡¯t here on friendly terms. She didn¡¯t know if her mistress had exited from the secret room yet and immediately stretched out her arms to block the entrance. She thought that it would be good if she could help her mistress stall for some time. When Qianqian and the madam saw how nervous Bai Luochu¡¯s personal servant was, they looked at each other and smiled. They felt that their guess was right. That slut is definitely doing something shameful in the room. When she thought about it, Qianqian became indescribably confident. She snapped, ¡°A servant like you shouldn¡¯t be so meddlesome, hurry up and get lost! If you dare to interfere with my matters, I will let you taste the consequences.¡± How could Cai Ling cower so easily? She continued to block the entrance without moving and retorted, ¡°Young Lady must have misunderstood. This servant was brought back to the residence by Mistress and I will only take orders from her. Furthermore, Young Lady isn¡¯t the true owner of this general''s residence. Please forgive this servant for not being able to comply with your orders.¡± Cai Ling had disregarded everything regarding status. She wanted to drag out as much time as she could. No matter what happened, she wouldn¡¯t allow these vile people to ruin her mistress¡¯ plan. ¡°Lowly slave! You are truly as ignorant as your unlucky Mistress. Men, take her away and deal with her as you please!¡± After Qianqian gave her orders, the guards immediately walked over and prepared to take action against Cai Ling. Cai Ling executed all the moves that she learned from the martial arts manual given to her by Ying Lan. She wasn¡¯t at a disadvantage even after being surrounded by so many people. ¡°Halt! You dare touch my people? Are all of you tired of living?!¡± Everyone stopped when they heard the voice. All of them turned to look at the entrance where they saw Bai Luochu. Her clothes were neatly arranged and she looked a little frail as she stood there. However, the pressure she emitted was suffocating. When Cai Ling saw Bai Luochu, she suddenly grew a spine and immediately struggled free. She stood beside Bai Luochu and spoke clearly, ¡°Mistress, this servant told them that you were resting in the room. The Young Lady and Madam wouldn¡¯t listen and insisted on barging in. This servant blocked them at the entrance and they immediately made a move on me.¡± Chapter 107: Suppressing Her Aun ¡°Are you injured?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s first statement wasn¡¯t to question why Qianqian and her aunt were here. She showed her concern for Cai Ling and asked if she suffered injuries instead. Cai Ling shook her head in response and felt that she was really too lucky. She immediately denied, ¡°This servant isn¡¯t injured. Many thanks for Mistress¡¯ concern.¡± Bai Luochu heard everything from inside and she wanted to wait for Qianqian to barge into the room. She didn¡¯t expect that Qianqian would actually make a move on Cai Ling. In the end, Bai Luochu disregarded everything and appeared to prevent Cai Ling from getting hurt. When she thought about this, Bai Luochu felt rather guilty and looked at Cai Ling with apologetic eyes. She comforted Cai Ling, ¡°I came late and made you suffer. Don¡¯t worry, I will not let any one of them off.¡± After she spoke, Bai Luochu turned around and glared at the mother and daughter pair. The look in her eyes was completely different as a ruthless light flashed through them. Bai Luochu had a principle. ¡®If you treat me well, I will do the same. If you come looking for trouble and touch the people that I, Bai Luochu, want to protect, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless.¡¯ When Qianqian saw Bai Luochu¡¯s terrifying eyes, she immediately trembled with fear. The words became stuck in her throat and she shuffled her feet backwards. She hid behind her mother as she was afraid Bai Luochu would move against her. The madam¡¯s scalp was also feeling numb. She heard that the lass was a completely different person after coming back. This was actually the first time she was directly confronting Bai Luochu. When she saw the look in Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes, she knew that her daughter wasn¡¯t lying to her. Whatever the case, she felt that she had to go through with her action now that they were here. When she thought about it, she turned to look at her incompetent daughter who was initially able to suppress Bai Luochu. How did the roles get reversed?! ¡°Hahaha. Luo Chu, this is all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. Recently, the capital has a lot of crooks mixing in with the common folks. When I was taking a stroll in the residence with Qianqian earlier, we saw a black shadow heading towards this place. We thought it was an intruder and quickly brought the guards over to take a look. It was to prevent you from running into trouble.¡± The aunt responded by laughing and beating around the bush. However, her neck was stretched out as she peeked into the room. Bai Luochu sneered in her heart but her expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Since that is the case, why are you dealing with my servant? All of you should know that Cai Ling is my personal servant. Are you trying to disrespect me by brushing her off?!¡± She was trying to agitate Bai Luochu so that she could barge into the courtyard with a valid reason. Bai Luochu chuckled and said, ¡°Heh. Since that is the case, this niece will give my thanks to aunt¡¯s kindness. If aunt wants to search, you can go on ahead and search. You better search carefully. If you fail to find anything, I¡¯ll make sure all your servants pay the price for wasting my time. Of course, I won¡¯t do anything to you¡­¡± When everyone heard Bai Luochu¡¯s words, they felt a chill down their spines and their scalp grew numb. They were used to acting arrogantly in the residence but all of them were cowering right now. They didn¡¯t dare to take a step into the courtyard. However, the madam felt that Bai Luochu was merely bluffing and if she were to retreat now, she would be embarrassing herself. ¡°What are you standing there for? Hurry up and search! Search carefully!¡± After the guard servants heard the orders, they reluctantly entered to search. Bai Luochu, Cai Ling, the aunt, Qianqian, and her personal servant, a total of five individuals faced each other. None of them wanted to back down. Bai Luochu could hear the commotion inside the room. It sounded like a war was being fought and she knew that the guards were doing their best to find something. It was a pity that Ying Lan was hiding underground right now. With the likes of these brainless guards, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything. Bai Luochu was as steady as a mountain, but her aunt¡¯s side wasn¡¯t doing so well. The more calm Bai Luochu acted, the more anxious the both of them became. A bad premonition filled their mind. After a long moment, the guard servants came out of the house and had awful expressions stuck on their face. One of them took the initiative and spoke first, ¡°There is nothing in the room.¡± His voice got softer and he was obviously afraid. He was worried about the punishment he was about to face. ¡°Impossible!¡± Qianqian immediately revealed an expression of disbelief and before anyone could react, she rushed towards the room and personally conducted a search. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t stop her, and the aunt knew that things were going south. Qianqian had nearly smashed up everything in the house and was still unable to find anyone. She left the room with an awful expression on her face. ¡°Since that is the case, is it my turn to give out the punishment?¡± Bai Luochu took the opportunity and successfully took over the initiative. She was preparing to suppress the arrogance of her aunt and her cousin. ¡°Young Lady, please spare our lives! Young Lady, please spare our lives!¡± When the guard servants heard Bai Luochu, they knew they were going to suffer. One could easily hear all of them falling onto their knees in the courtyard. ¡°Oh, Luo Chu, why not just let it pass? Do your aunt a favor and give them a chance.¡± The aunt was currently pleading for the guards as she had a reputation to upkeep. She had specially bought these guard servants so that she could use them to beat people up who didn¡¯t listen to her. If Bai Luochu dealt with them as she saw fit, she would really lose big time. Was it possible for Bai Luochu to let them off so easily? ¡°Spare them? Earlier on when my servant girl didn¡¯t allow you to disturb me, why did you not think of sparing her?!¡± Bai Luochu was clearly infuriated. Just as the aunt had decided to abandon these people, Bai Luochu spoke up, ¡°However, aunt doesn¡¯t have to worry. Since these people are my aunt''s subordinates, as a junior, I naturally have to save some face for my aunt.¡± Chapter 108: Bloody Scene ¡°Cai Ling, do you remember which hand those people touched you with?¡± Bai Luochu stunned everyone with a single question. When Cai Ling was questioned, she didn¡¯t know what was going on. She didn¡¯t know how to reply as it was really chaotic earlier and she couldn¡¯t remember who touched her. She had no choice but to reply honestly, ¡°Mistress, this servant doesn¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Bai Luochu turned around and let out a pretentious smile. ¡°If that is so, cripple both their arms.¡± The madam¡¯s face turned ghastly. These guard servants had a sturdier figure than regular manservants and if their hands were crippled, they couldn¡¯t continue working as hired guards any longer. Wasn¡¯t she making things difficult for them?! When did Luo Chu become so merciless? The aunt was shocked. Even though Luo Chu was stubborn, she had always been a kindhearted person. Whenever she encountered those beggars on the street, she would be more charitable than those young masters and ladies from the renowned aristocratic clans. The current Luo Chu seemed completely different. This lass has really changed. This will not do, I have to hurry back and inform my husband. We need to come up with a new plan to deal with her. If only we knew that this would happen... When the madam thought up to this point, she didn¡¯t dare to continue her line of thought. Bai Luochu took out the dagger at her waist and handed it to Cai Ling. ¡°Do it. Cut off the tendons in their hands and legs. It¡¯s fine to leave them with enough strength to do some hard labor.¡± Cai Ling faltered when she received the dagger and didn¡¯t move for a moment. Commander Ying might have warned her that she would have to face a storm of blood in the near future, but Cai Ling was merely a little girl who hadn¡¯t seen much of the world. It was difficult for her to carry out Bai Luochu¡¯s instructions. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared?¡± Bai Luochu looked at Cai Ling and she immediately understood what the little servant girl was thinking about. ¡°When these people were hurting you, they didn¡¯t think of the consequence. Since they dared to make the first move, they should be prepared to be punished.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s anger had already subsided and she spoke casually. ¡°Mistress, this servant will do it now.¡± Cai Ling walked beside these people silently. Those sturdy-looking guard servants didn¡¯t even dare to move. They had no choice but to obediently wait for the final execution. Cai Ling did what she was told. In the beginning, she hesitated, but afterwards, her hand moved and her dagger swooped down swiftly. Those movements were quick and merciless. The entire courtyard was left with the sounds of dagger cutting up flesh, the anguished wails of the guard servants, and the sound of blood dripping on the ground. Right at this moment, Bai Luochu spoke up. ¡°Aunt, do you know what I have been doing for the month I left home?¡± The aunt naturally didn¡¯t dare to make a sound and could only look at Bai Luochu with a horrified expression. Bai Luochu revealed a smile and carried, ¡°So I... raised a dog. This dog couldn¡¯t be tamed no matter how I tried. In the end, it turned around and bit me. I became so angry I had it slaughtered. It¡¯s just a pet dog anyway.¡± How can she be talking about a dog? She is obviously referring to us! It seems like Luo Chu does know something. This won¡¯t do, if this carries on, I might end up worse than those guard servants. We have to come up with a plan right away! The aunt sprang up and wanted to take her leave. However, Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t allow them to come and go as they please. ¡°Aunt has always been a kindhearted person. Since you brought these guard servants over, your niece shall not keep them here. Aunt should bring them back. After all, they were punished because they carried out your orders.¡± When Bai Luochu gave the order, the people who were originally howling in pain turned their resentful eyes to Qianqian and her mother. If looks could kill, the two of them would be dead beyond a doubt. ¡°Of course. Hurry up and follow me.¡± When the aunt was speaking, she tilted her head towards the sky. She didn¡¯t dare to look them in the eye. The madam led the guard servants out of the courtyard, leaving behind a trail of blood. When Bai Luochu saw the two of them leave, she brought Cai Ling back into the room. She activated the mechanism once again to release Ying Lan. ¡°Mistress, is everything resolved?¡± Ying Lan emerged and immediately asked with concern. ¡°They will not be disturbing me for a period of time. There is nothing else right now and you may return. Five days later at 5pm, we shall conduct our first meeting here.¡± Ying Lan caught the subtle smell of blood in the air and felt a little suspicious. ¡°Is Mistress injured? I can smell blood in the air.¡± ¡°We are fine. I asked Cai Ling to cripple the hands of those guard servants as they made a move on her when I wasn¡¯t around. How dare they¡­ I asked Cai Ling to personally cripple them. After all, one cannot rely on others to take revenge.¡± ¡°Did you really do it yourself?¡± Ying Lan turned to ask Cai Ling. It was obvious that Cai Ling had yet to calm down as she nodded absentmindedly. She then spoke a moment later, ¡°I was a little scared in the beginning. However, I recalled how those people didn¡¯t hold themselves back when they attacked me. Had it not been for Commander Ying who taught me the mantra and martial art moves, I would have died before Mistress got the chance to save me. The more I thought about it, the less afraid I became. Ying Lan heard the response and laughed rather delightfully. ¡°Hahahaha! Mistress, didn¡¯t I get it right? With this servant girl by your side, it¡¯s like adding wings to a tiger.¡± ¡°Who asked you to speak out of turn? I could see the good in Cai Ling before you said anything. Hurry up and return, don¡¯t waste time.¡± Bai Luochu might behave as though it was nothing, but in her heart, her impression of Cai Ling improved once again. In times to come, Cai Ling would definitely become one of her dependable subordinates. When Ying Lan saw that his mistress was chasing him away, he bade farewell and returned to the Remote Paddy Inn through the tunnel. After Ying Lan left, the mistress and servant duo had nothing to talk about for a moment. After a long while, Cai Ling broke the silence. ¡°Mistress, this servant will ask someone to clean up the blood at the entrance.¡± After she spoke, she turned around and went outside. Chapter 109: Wishful Thinking ¡°Were you afraid?¡± After Ying Lan left, Bai Luochu started to discuss with Cai Ling. ¡°I was, initially. However, I wasn¡¯t afraid after a while.¡± Cai Ling answered seriously. Earlier on, when Cai Ling answered Ying Lan¡¯s question, Bai Luochu had also heard her reply clearly. Bai Luochu understood that the servant girl was even more intelligent than she had imagined. She didn¡¯t reply bluntly and instead, she gave her some advice. ¡°Cai Ling, since the day you chose to follow me. I mentioned that things might get difficult. You will no longer be able to enjoy peaceful days like you did in the Remote Paddy Inn. You might also encounter dangerous situations. Today, I am very touched that you mustered up your courage to hold them off for me. I understand that making a young lady like you do such a thing is rather cruel. However, you need to understand that I am situated in the center of conspiracies and schemes. I am surrounded by dangers on all sides. I cannot afford to make even the slightest mistake. If I falter, the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence might be destroyed overnight. To outsiders, you are my personal attendant and the person that understands me the most. You will be the first on their list. No matter what, I hope that you have the strength and the ruthlessness to kill all the people that want to harm you. I never want them to lay a hand on you ever again. Do you understand?¡± After listening to Bai Luochu¡¯s advice, Cai Ling was startled for a moment. She didn¡¯t think that Bai Luochu would have thought so far ahead. When Cai Ling finally reacted, she was deeply touched. Even though dangers lurked in all directions around Bai Luochu, it was truly a blessing for her to encounter such a mistress in this lifetime who valued sentiments and loyalty. After pondering over it, Cai Ling immediately knelt on the ground and said, ¡°I am indebted to Mistress¡¯ deep sentiments. This servant understands Mistress¡¯ worries. I will work diligently and will never become a burden for Mistress. This servant is willing to pledge her life to follow Mistress and will never regret her decision.¡± Bai Luochu knew that Cai Ling had already understood the intention behind her words and didn¡¯t say anything else. For the entire day, she had completed the setup of the mechanism and had a battle of wits and guts with her aunt. She was really tired and gave Cai Ling her final instruction. ¡°Just look for someone to clean up the entrance. You should also be tired, quickly return and rest. This incident must have spread already and there is no need to conceal or hide it. Let us enjoy the freedom we will obtain for some time.¡± ¡°Yes, this servant understands.¡± Cai Ling responded and followed Bai Luochu back to her courtyard. In fact, Bai Luochu had her reasons for motivating Cai Ling. In her previous life, the temple disciples and her secret guards fell into miserable straits in order to protect her. Everything was fresh in her mind. There was no way she could allow herself to watch such a tragedy happen again. She had been thinking of ways to protect the people around her all this while. Compared to Bai Luochu¡¯s relaxed life, there was a storm brewing in her uncle¡¯s family courtyard. ¡°That lass truly acted like that today?¡± The uncle had an expression of disbelief while looking at his wife. When the aunt saw that her husband didn¡¯t believe her, she became rather anxious as she spoke, ¡°Do you think that I am lying to you? Since that lass returned, I felt that she became a really wicked person. In the past when Qianqian bullied her, she never dared to scheme against Qianqian. She resigned herself to humiliation time and time again. But right now, Qianqian was tricked by her repeatedly. Today, in front of me, she made her servant move against my subordinates. Had it been in the past, a single glare from me would be enough to frighten her into submission. How would she dare to behave like this?!¡± The uncle listened to his wife and didn¡¯t speak for a long time. In fact, he was also feeling rather apprehensive. Luo Chu might have lost her memories, but it was hard to say if she would remember them in the future. He had been ill-treating her in the past and if she knew that the matter was related to him. He was afraid... ¡°Husband, I am afraid¡­ what if she learns about that matter? We will probably...¡± She was obviously too scared to finish her sentence. When the uncle heard his wife, he glared at her and yelled as he put up a brave front. ¡°What do you know?! We never did anything to wrong her! Even the general''s residence¡­ We are simply helping her take care of it during her absence!¡± The aunt had never seen her husband behaving like this and was too frightened to even make a sound. After a long moment later, it seemed like the uncle thought of something had he returned to his cowardly self. However, he was still unwilling to speak about the topic and muttered to himself instead. ¡°So what if she knows? She will still have to behave obediently. She is just a wastrel who cannot cultivate. A wastrel should have an awareness of a wastrel. She still has to rely on the general''s residence to survive and the residence is in our hands. What kind of wave can she stir up?¡± But his voice was extremely soft and it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t confident. However, the uncle had yet to understand that the general''s residence originally belonged to Luo Chu and they were just occupying this place by force. If there was a day when Luo Chu didn¡¯t wish to be controlled by anyone and wanted to chase them out of the general''s residence, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her. If they didn¡¯t want to leave, Luo Chu could send a piece of report to the imperial court to notify the Emperor. In order to keep his reputation, the Emperor would simply mete out punishment for her uncle¡¯s family who couldn¡¯t be considered nobility. No matter how bad Luo Chu¡¯s situation was, she was still a noble. Furthermore, the current Luo Chu was no longer the Luo Chu from before. The originally weak, powerless, and overly kind Luo Chu was already dead. Right now, a malicious spirit was residing in her body. The spirit climbed out of hell and was seeking blood! The moment she reincarnated, there was only revenge! As for putting her uncle and his family in their place, it was something Bai Luochu was doing out of convenience. Since the uncle didn¡¯t put this matter in his mind, Bai Luochu naturally did the same. In Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes, her uncle and his family still had value to her and before she obtained the information she wanted, she wouldn¡¯t make a move against them. However, it was hard to say what would happen the day she obtained the information she wanted. Everything was moving along on track and the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence had also steadily developed during this period of time. Five days flashed by and because of the previous incident, the entire general''s residence became much more peaceful and calm. Bai Luochu had the easiest five days of her life. However, she didn¡¯t become complacent and she used all her time to improve her cultivation. As the heavens wouldn¡¯t let down a person with aspirations, Bai Luochu finally welcomed her breakthrough on the dawn of the fifth day. Chapter 110: Foundation Stabilizing When it was 5pm, Bai Luochu could hear subtle sounds coming from under the floor tile. She quickly sat properly and waited for everyone. Since she was the leader, she needed to act like one. Right now, Bai Luochu had already put on Divine Physician Bai¡¯s disguise. After all, it was still too soon to expose the fact that Divine Physician Bai was the general residence¡¯s orphan daughter. In just a flash, she could see the floor tile loosening and the first to emerge was Ying Lan, followed by Guan Yue. One by one, they emerged from the underground tunnel like how bamboo shoots grew rapidly in spring. When everyone saw Bai Luochu, they bowed respectfully and greeted, ¡°Divine Physician Bai.¡± Their movements caused quite a huge commotion but no one dared to monitor this courtyard anymore due to Bai Luochu¡¯s actions. She allowed them to continue and didn¡¯t ask them to exercise restraint. This room wasn¡¯t too huge and with so many people standing in the common area, it felt cramped. In response, Bai Luochu quickly said, ¡°I made everyone suffer by using the tunnel. This house is small and the soundproofing isn¡¯t good. Will everyone please follow me?¡± After Bau Luochu finished speaking, she activated the mechanism that opened up the passage to the secret room before heading inside. When everyone arrived in the underground secret room, they were inwardly amazed and quickly praised Divine Physician Bai¡¯s remarkable abilities. Ying Lan couldn¡¯t take it any longer and he quickly said something to bring their attention back to the task at hand. ¡°Everyone, let us discuss important matters first. We shall not waste any more time. This secret room will be the secret base of our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence from now. It is constructed by Divine Physician Bai after loads of hard work. Everyone doesn¡¯t have to be in a hurry to explore this place right now.¡± Just with a few simple statements, Ying Lan gave Bai Luochu all the credit. Bai Luochu¡¯s face behind the mask was twitching a little as Ying Lan was rather bold to phrase it this way. With a single sentence, Ying Lan made Bai Luochu the genius who designed the secret room. If the actual owner of the room were to find out, he would definitely roll over in his grave. Amitabha, I have sinned, I have sinned. Bai Luochu quickly prayed in her heart in order to avoid the vengeful spirit of the original owner of the room. Just like that, everyone started their discussion. It started with Ying Lan at the Remote Paddy Inn before everyone reported about their operations during this period of time. Firstly, the restaurants, merchant houses, and brothels were profiting quite a bit. Bai Luochu was pleasantly surprised by Guan Yue¡¯s report. When Bai Luochu heard the news, she nodded with approval and praised, ¡°You took a lot of trouble to achieve such results. It is a sin to only let you take charge of the Silk Flower Pavilion¡± When Guan Yue heard the praise, he maintained his neither servile nor overbearing attitude. ¡°I thank Divine Physician Bai for the praise. As they say, a man can submit or stand tall as required. If I didn¡¯t take the initiative to make full use of the Silk Flower Pavilion, I am afraid that I will never get the chance to achieve anything important. In the end, Divine Physician Bai deserves all the credit for giving me the opportunity.¡± After the duo exchanged pleasantries, the report continued. However, they were all ordinary and nothing stood out. Bai Luochu gave out a few instructions and asked them to continue with the operations before ending the meeting. Just as the gathering was about to end, Cai Ling barged into the secret room. When everyone saw an unfamiliar person running into the secret room, they immediately became alert. ¡°Cai Ling? Did something happen outside? Why did you enter in such a hurry?¡± When Bai Luochu saw that Cai Ling had run so much that she was gasping for breath, she assumed that Cai Ling had encountered danger. ¡°That isn¡¯t the case. A moment ago, a member of the Remote Paddy Inn carried a bag of desserts for Mistress. He asked this servant to deliver it personally. I assumed that the dessert had to contain some important intelligence and I came over as quickly as I could. If something important were to crop up, everyone would be able to help by giving Mistress some advice.¡± When everyone heard what was said, they knew that Cai Ling was a part of their faction and immediately let their guard down. When Bai Luochu heard what Cai Ling said, she looked at Ying Lan and noticed that he also had a blank expression on his face. It was obvious that it was the first time he heard of this. ¡°Since this report came from the Remote Paddy Inn, Ying Lan should be the person to read it out.¡± Bai Luochu pointed at the bag of desserts and called out to Ying Lan, indicating for him to read the report. When Ying Lan obtained the orders from his mistress, he took the bag of desserts from Cai Ling and immediately opened it up. He pulled apart the desserts one by one and noticed a special note that the Remote Paddy Inn used to transmit messages. When Ying Lan opened up the note, he realized that this note was much bigger than normal and read it carefully. As he read the report, Ying Lan¡¯s expression became grave. In the end, his brows were actually knitted tightly together. No one knew what he was thinking. ¡°Ying Lan, Ying Lan? What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Bai Luochu saw Ying Lan¡¯s pensive expression and felt a little suspicious. She immediately used her hand to shake Ying Lan a few times, and the latter finally regained his senses. He then replied with a serious tone, ¡°Mistress had better read it yourself. This subordinate cannot make such an important decision.¡± Ying Lan finished his reply and handed the note to Bai Luochu respectfully. Bai Luochu was rather curious about the information on this note. It was rare for Ying Lan to fall into a state of contemplation. She immediately took the note and read it carefully. After reading through the note, Bai Luochu closed her eyes before leaning back on the chair. She tried to regain her composure. Bai Luochu realized that Ying Lan was a natural leader as he taught his men well. If the informants in the Remote Paddy Inn were to wait for Ying Lan before making the report, they would miss the chance to ruin the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s plan. When everyone saw the master and servant duo acting so mysteriously, all of them became curious. One of the members boldly asked, ¡°I wonder if Divine Physician Bai and Brother Ying Lan can share the news with everyone. It seems extremely important.¡± Chapter 111: Important Information Bai Luochu probably had to address this matter before starting the meeting. In the backyard of the relay station where the members of the Phoenix King Valley were residing at, there were a few outer valley disciples who were jesting around. ¡°Hey, the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s capital recently opened a new restaurant. I heard that the food there smells, looks, and tastes great. Even the wine is much richer and mellower than the other restaurants. It is rare for us to get a chance to leave the valley. Why don¡¯t we enjoy ourselves a little?¡± The one who spoke was a youth with a babyface. He had a childish look and his high-pitched voice revealed his age. ¡°What is there to enjoy? If your immortal root isn¡¯t stable, your cultivation speed might slow down.¡± One of the disciples who looked older quickly refuted. In the next instant, an individual with an honest and upright appearance spoke up, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. We aren¡¯t going to hang out at the red-light district, we are just visiting a restaurant to taste the delicacies in the Cloud Water Nation and the fine liquor in the secular world. In the valley, we fast every now and then. We don¡¯t even get to eat meat back in the valley. Since it is rare for us to venture out, it isn¡¯t a big deal to break this exception.¡± The rest of the youths were cheering rowdily and the older disciple was unable to dissuade anyone. He had no choice but to follow the other disciples out to have fun. All of them made their way to the Remote Paddy Inn. As soon as these people entered the Remote Paddy Inn, they attracted the innkeeper¡¯s attention. Right now, if any groups were wearing clothing with a similar design they were definitely members of the Phoenix King Valley. His boss had already instructed everyone to pay attention to those people. The innkeeper made an eye signal to the waiter and he immediately understood the innkeeper¡¯s intention. The waiter went over and asked politely, ¡°These guests have extraordinary bearings and sitting in the main hall is beneath your status. Why not follow me up to the private room? Our Remote Paddy Inn¡¯s private rooms have brilliant soundproofing and will definitely not let our guests down.¡± When the senior disciple heard the waiter, he quickly nodded. The main hall had a mix of crooks and common folks alike. If these rascals drank too much and said something they shouldn¡¯t, things would get troublesome. When the waiter saw the response, he knew the bait worked. Their inn¡¯s private rooms did have brilliant soundproofing, but it was no match for the ¡®Manifestation Mirror¡¯ and ¡®Transmission Tube¡¯. No matter what the people inside the private room did, members of the inn would be able to see everything clearly. These immortal sects¡¯ disciples won¡¯t usually drink. After drinking our osmanthus brew, there is no need to be afraid that they won¡¯t divulge information in a state of stupor. As the waiter expected, after three rounds of toasts, the disciples in the private room all had flushed faces. They started to mess around and just as the waiter thought that he wouldn¡¯t be able to obtain any information from them, he heard something interesting. Furthermore, the disciple who spilled the information was the senior disciple who looked mature and earnest. ¡°All of you, do you know of our true objective for this trip?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it to select new junior brothers and sisters to enter the valley? Everyone seems to be in a hurry. They¡¯ll end up like us anyway. An outer valley disciple will only serve as a prop for the inner valley disciples to shine.¡± ¡°Hicc, if only that was the case...¡± ¡°What else can we be?¡± ¡°None of you know the true objective of this trip. We are here to help those inner valley disciples fix the contract with the spirit beast. Do you know what kind of spirit beast the valley is going for this time? It is the Green Flame Eagle! Those inner valley disciples can ride them as impressive mounts and we are nothing more than cannon fodder!¡± One of the disciples heard the three words ¡®Green Flame Eagle¡¯ and color returned to their face. ¡°Green Flame Eagle? That beast is formidable! What if something unexpected happens?¡± That senior disciple heard their concerns and spoke with disdain. ¡°Heh, they don¡¯t even put us outer valley disciples in their eyes. Normally, the address us nicely as junior brothers and senior brothers. However, they are treating us like their slaves. Whatever, there is no need to worry about it now. The Valley Master managed to obtain reliable information in advance. The Green Flame Eagle is currently pregnant. The babies are due in two weeks and after giving birth, it will enter a state of weakness. We will take the opportunity to form the contract before bringing the eggs back to the valley. When the baby eagles grow up, we will be able to form another contract with them.¡± The senior disciple finished speaking and immediately got struck by the alcohol rush as he plopped down on the table. The waiter was rather quick-witted and when he saw that the people with the most reliable information had fallen, he quickly asked someone to deliver the information to Bai Luochu through the usual method. What happened next was the scene that was playing out in the secret room. Bai Luochu read out the note to all the members present. ¡°Green Flame Eagle? Is that the Green Flame Eagle that has ¡®wings that can block the sun and talons strong enough to crush spirit stones¡¯?¡± Someone who had some knowledge on spirit beasts spoke up. ¡°Is this information reliable? What if that Phoenix King Valley disciple is just talking nonsense?¡± Guan Yue commented. Guan Yue¡¯s level of caution was comparable to Ying Lan. Ying Lan was also hesitating right now. This was a serious matter and they couldn¡¯t afford to make a mistake. ¡°This information should be true.¡± Bai Luochu was the first to speak. Seeing as everyone was doubting her, she explained herself. ¡°Previously, during the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet, I attended it along with the Second Prince. The Phoenix King Valley dispatched envoys to give their congratulations and I saw everything that went down. They mentioned their goal of the trip to the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s Emperor. One of the objectives was to settle the problem of spirit beasts appearing a thousand miles away from the capital city. They mentioned that the Phoenix King Valley is one of the Three Great Immortal Sects and has the responsibility to maintain order in the secular world. From what it seems, their goal should be the Green Flame Eagle. I never expected that the Phoenix King Valley would be so despicable. They won¡¯t even spare a spirit beast! They actually wish to take advantage of the fact that the spirit beast is giving birth to forcefully set up a contract. They even want to kidnap the young spirit beast back to the Phoenix King Valley¡­ They are really shameless!¡± ¡°Since that is the case. Does Divine Physician Bai have a plan?¡± This isn¡¯t anything new¡­ The Phoenix King Valley has been using despicable methods since the start. If they were bothered about protecting their reputation, Mistress wouldn¡¯t have died so miserably in her previous life. Ying Lan thought in his heart. Chapter 112: Plan for the Spirit Beas ¡°If Divine Physician Bai needs to use us, you simply have to give the word. Since we are members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, we will naturally be happy to do our part.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t expect Guan Yue to be the first to speak up. When everyone saw that the normally proud and aloof Guan Yue had taken the initiative, they immediately expressed their agreements. ¡°If that is the case, Nobody Bai will not act reserved. Please listen carefully to what I am about to say next.¡± Bai Luochu hastily arranged her thoughts and prepared to brief the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Firstly, she had to analyze the current situation. ¡°Right now, there are only two weeks before the Phoenix King Valley moves out. We don¡¯t have much time left. Returning to the main topic, the Green Flame Eagle is a spirit beast that has wings wide enough to block out the sun and talons strong enough to crush spirit stones. Furthermore, it has been residing in the depths of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range where no one dares to enter. If she is about to give birth, it is impossible for it to be so quiet. If I¡¯m not mistaken, all the major and minor factions in the Cloud Water Nation will learn of this incident. The Phoenix King Valley won¡¯t be the only party there to make things difficult for us. As of now, our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence can only use this underground secret room as our base of operations. I am truly ashamed.¡± When Bai Luochu spoke about territory, a few of the rash individuals became anxious and they behaved as though they were about to go out and snatch someone else¡¯s territory for themselves. In response, Bai Luochu quickly calmed them down. ¡°Everyone do not be rash. Previously, we searched the vicinity of the capital city and discovered a mountain in the outskirts that had yet to be occupied. I thought of using that mountain as our future base and wanted to speak to everyone about this after our faction stabilized. But right now, it seems like we cannot wait anymore. More important matters are at hand and I¡¯m afraid I will have to trouble everyone to work harder to establish our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence within these two weeks.¡± Right now, everyone¡¯s fighting spirit was high and they immediately expressed their agreement. ¡°As for the division of work, I won¡¯t do the allocations. Speaking of management skills, I am far inferior to Ying Lan and I shall leave it to him to divide the work. Everyone has stayed in this secret room for a long time and it is starting to get stuffy. Let¡¯s discuss this another day.¡± When the words left her mouth, everyone looked at each other in dismay. However, they quickly understood that Bai Luochu was exhausted and didn¡¯t wish to continue speaking. Everyone was tactful enough and took their leave. In the end, Ying Lan was the only one left in the secret room. In her previous life, she was someone who had formed countless contracts with spirit beasts. Bai Luochu was exceptionally talented in her past life. Apart from her extraordinary spirit qi cultivation, everyone was more amazed by her speed in her comprehension ability and spiritual energy cultivation. A regular person wouldn¡¯t be able to cultivate both their spirit qi and spiritual energy at the same time. This was also why the world didn¡¯t possess plenty of experts with contracted spirit beasts or the talent for alchemy and tools refinement. They would either become a Beast Tamer who tamed beasts for a living, or someone who could refine tools and medicine. Moreover, they would be individuals with mediocre strength. In this world where the strong reigned supreme, they could only rely on their rare profession to obtain status and reputation. In terms of spirit qi cultivation, one could make up for lack of talent by cultivating diligently. As for spiritual energy, one could only rely on their talent. As such, no matter if one wanted to buy a tamed spirit beast, a bottle of spirit medicine, or an artifact, they would have to break the bank as there were extremely few people who could produce such things. Bai Luochu was given the title of the evil dao witch as she was able to cultivate both spirit qi and spiritual energy. She became an all-round expert with countless contracted spirit beasts. Although other sects feared Bai Luochu in the past, it was because they were envious of her talent. After all, during a time of crisis, a high-grade spirit beast would allow one to possess an additional means of survival. What about Bai Luochu who had countless spirit beasts? After Bai Luochu¡¯s death, those contracts that Bai Luochu had with her spirit beasts vanished due to the laws of heaven and earth. She lost all connections with her spirit beasts and didn¡¯t know how they were doing right now. Come to think of it, she too, had a Green Flame Eagle as her mount. In fact, this Green Flame Eagle wasn¡¯t considered an especially high-grade spirit beast. Back then, Bai Luochu had chosen it as her mount because it moved extremely quickly. It was very convenient for Bai Luochu as she was able to depart at dawn and return by dusk when handling matters for the temple. However, after she had reincarnated, she lost all her spirit beasts. When she thought about them, an empty feeling filled her heart. She felt really awkward and thought that it was inconvenient to not have her spirit beasts by her side. Furthermore, she had the body of a wastrel and it made her feel even more self conscious. When she thought it through, a bold idea emerged in Bai Luochu¡¯s mind. The people from the Phoenix King Valley were intending to seize the young spirit beast and raise it in confinement. Even if the Green Flame Eagle was very weak after giving birth, it wasn¡¯t going to be subdued by those juniors from the Phoenix King Valley. It was a great chance for her to tame the Green Flame Eagle! Putting aside the fact that she would possess an additional life-saving trump card, it would be a good mascot for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Bai Luochu immediately came to a decision. She was going to cultivate diligently with whatever time she had so that she could set up a contract with the Green Flame Eagle. Just as Bai Luochu came back to her senses and was preparing to walk out of the room, she realized that Ying Lan was still standing beside her. She asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask all of you to return? How are you going to allocate the work by standing around here? We don¡¯t have much time, hurry up and return.¡± ¡°Mistress, are you okay?¡± Since Ying Lan saw the information regarding the Green Flame Eagle, he was worried that Bai Luochu would think about those spirit beasts she had in the past. It was also the reason he hesitated before passing her the note. Chapter 113: Uninvited Bai Luochu left with Cai Ling after she spoke. When Ying Lan saw that there was nothing wrong with his mistress, he left while feeling reassured as he prepared himself for the task ahead. As soon as Bai Luochu returned to her room, she instructed Cai Ling. ¡°Cai Ling, make more trips to Ying Lan¡¯s side these two weeks. Firstly, we need to quickly construct our faction on the mountain. Ying Lan still has to manage the business at the Remote Paddy Inn and there will be times where he will be too busy to deal with anything else. You are already familiar with the mountain and will be able to assist him during the construction process. Secondly, I will probably be immersed in cultivation and it won¡¯t be safe in the residence as I won¡¯t be there to protect you. It will be safer for you to head out.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t forget to snort as she was expressing her dissatisfaction for her uncle¡¯s family. Cai Ling understood her mistress¡¯ arrangement and didn¡¯t say anything else. A simple nod of the head showed Bai Luochu that Cai Ling knew what she had to do. On the other side, Ying Lan was awfully busy. First, he had to arrange the division of work for the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, then he had to arrange the schedule for the next two weeks. He then lined up all the capable craftsmen in the capital and prepared to visit them early in the morning in order to avoid others from snatching them away. If they didn¡¯t have enough manpower for the tasks, their schedule would be delayed. After making all the arrangements, it was already late at night. Just as Ying Lan was preparing to rest for the day, the waiter at the front of the inn came up to make a report. ¡°Commander Ying, there is someone looking for you.¡± Ying Lan frowned and thought about the people who would visit him at this hour. ¡°It is already very late. I shall not be meeting that person. Tell him that I am already resting and if he wants to meet me, he can come earlier tomorrow.¡± Ying Lan replied and he prepared to head back to his room. The waiter quickly stopped Ying Lan. ¡°Commander Ying Lan, that person has silver hair and he said that if I bring this up, you will definitely meet him.¡± When Ying Lan heard the waiter, he paused for a second. He turned around and asked, ¡°Silver hair? Are you certain?¡± Among all the people he knew, there was only one person with silver hair. Why would he look for Ying Lan at such an hour? What were his intentions? When the waiter saw that Ying Lan was still having doubts, he quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s true. Even his eyes are silver in color. His personality is cold too, like an ice cube.¡± A moment later, the door of the study room creaked as they swung open. The silver-haired man strolled in casually. The waiter quickly left after placing down the pot of tea. ¡°Why are you looking for me so late at night?¡± Ying Lan spoke and poured some tea for the silver-haired man. The silver-haired man wasn¡¯t reserved at all and drank it with a single gulp. He then replied to Ying Lan. ¡°Are you fully recovered?¡± When Ying Lan heard the silver-haired man¡¯s words, he spoke calmly, ¡°I am thankful for your concern. You were beside me when we resisted the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s pursuit and I¡¯m really touched at how you are showing so much concern for me. Surely there is no way you will visit me so late at night just to speak of this, right?¡± The silver-haired man laughed and his originally cold expression became somewhat charming. ¡°I have something important I need to tell you.¡± The silver-haired man thought that Ying Lan was really incredible. Just a few statements were enough to force him to talk about his true objective. ¡°In fact, it isn¡¯t anything important. I just feel that you must be having a hard time recently because you have to manage this inn and supervise the construction of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. I want to offer my humble service in order to share your worries.¡± The silver-haired man spoke rather gracefully, but Ying Lan¡¯s expression changed instantly. Ying Lan raised his hand and gathered spirit qi in his palm before drawing his sword. His sword shot out from the sheath that hung on the wall and the moment the sword fell into his hand, Ying Lan adjusted the trajectory and placed the edge of the sword on the silver-haired man¡¯s neck. The blade of the sword was extremely thin and it reflected layers of cold light from the illumination of the moon. The sword hilt was rather plain and only had a special totem of a dark pattern carved on it. His sword moved like the wind and it didn¡¯t break the skin on the silver-haired man¡¯s neck. The silver-haired man was rather shocked by Ying Lan¡¯s abrupt change in attitude. Long before Ying Land placed the sword on his neck, he had already detected the cold sword intent and the concentrated aura of death. Had it not been for Ying Lan¡¯s cautious nature, the silver-haired man wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from the hands of death with his level of cultivation. It was fortunate that the silver-haired man was considered someone who had experienced much of life. When Ying Lan drew his sword, the silver-haired man¡¯s mind rumbled and he felt a chill run down his spine. His fingers started to move in order to counter Ying Lan¡¯s move but he was still a step too slow. It seemed like apart from having an extremely high level of cultivation, Ying Lan also had vicious moves that allowed him to hold his own against people stronger than himself. It was no wonder he could still hold on for such a long time even after being surrounded by the Phoenix King Valley in his severely injured state. ¡°Why are you so flustered?¡± The silver-haired man attempted to alleviate the tension in the room. ¡°Since I am here, I have brought along ample sincerity and extreme goodwill. Towards you, towards the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, even towards your Master, I am a friend and not a foe.¡± When Ying Lan heard what the silver-haired man said, he shifted his sword a little. The distance between the edge of the blade and the silver-haired man¡¯s neck increased by a hair¡¯s breadth. If the silver-haired man tried anything funny, Ying Lan wouldn¡¯t hesitate to slaughter him mercilessly. Chapter 114: I Want to Protect Her The silver-haired man knew that since Ying Lan asked this question, he was giving him a chance to explain himself. He followed up quickly, ¡°I am just an idler in society and have nothing better to do with my life. Since we went through a trial of life and death together, I want to offer my help, seeing as you need some right now.¡± ¡°Heh, I am unrelated to you but you arrive late in the night and go through so much trouble to offer your valuable assistance. If you say that you are too bored and have nothing to do, your explanation will be too preposterous. Why don¡¯t you list out your conditions.¡± When Ying Lan saw that the silver-haired man was determined to get himself involved in this matter, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. In the end, Ying Lan took a step back and started to negotiate the terms. ¡°Very simple, I would like to seek help from your Master.¡± The silver-haired man spoke casually. When Ying Lan heard those words, he assumed that this person had unfavorable intentions towards his mistress. He immediately pressed his sword down onto the silver-haired man¡¯s neck and the line on the blood reopened again. Crimson droplets started to fall to the ground. When the silver-haired man saw that Ying Lan was going to make a move, he quickly explained himself, ¡°Please do not overthink things. My body is inflicted with a strange illness and after seeking treatment for many years, there have been no improvements. Seeing that Divine Physician Bai is renowned for his brilliance, I hope to be treated by Divine Physician Bai.¡± ¡°Is this true?¡± Ying Lan was still doubtful of the silver-haired man¡¯s intentions. The silver-haired man wanted to just nod without speaking, but Ying Lan¡¯s sword was still on his neck. If he moved his head, a layer of flesh would probably be shaved off. In the end, he had no choice but to open his mouth to reply, ¡°I swear that I¡¯m not lying.¡± When Ying Lan heard what was said, he immediately shifted his sword away and tossed it backward. The sword went back into the sheathe and the harsh aura of death in the air vanished. Ying Lan sat back down politely and poured another cup of tea for the silver-haired man. He then spoke modestly, ¡°I was too rash earlier. I have no choice but to act prudently if the matter concerns my Master and the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. I hope for your forgiveness.¡± After giving his apologies, Ying Lan substituted tea with liquor and expressed his apologies by punishing himself with a toast. The silver-haired man saw that Ying Lan had already introduced himself as part of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and he knew that he gained Ying Lan¡¯s trust. According to etiquette, the silver-haired man should also introduce himself properly, but right now¡­ it was fine to keep his identity hidden, he would introduce himself again in the future. When the silver-haired man heard that Ying Lan was impatient to send him out, he quickly spoke of his term in a straightforward manner. ¡°When you are establishing your faction, I will help with the construction of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. If you do not have enough manpower, I can be of use. In return, apart from asking Divine Physician Bai to treat me, I have another condition. You have to bring me to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range.¡± ¡°Why do you want to go to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range?¡± When Ying Lan heard of this additional condition, he felt somewhat suspicious. ¡°I am just a commoner who lives a secluded life. I wish to expand my horizons.¡± The excuse that the silver-haired man gave was watertight. In the end, Ying Lan was unable to completely trust the silver-haired man. He replied in a serious tone, ¡°This is a serious matter. I¡¯m afraid I will have to wait until tomorrow to ask my Master before giving you an answer.¡± Ying Lan thought that the silver-haired man would possess an arrogant personality and would storm off in a fit of anger. If that were to happen, Ying Lan wouldn¡¯t need to trouble himself any further. However, he never expected for the silver-haired man to stick to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence like glue. He wouldn¡¯t leave no matter what. The silver-haired man understood and smiled before replying politely, ¡°This matter isn¡¯t urgent. You can simply ask your master and give me an answer at the courtyard situated at the end of the Su Alley. It is already late and I have bothered you for a long time. I am truly sorry, I shall take my leave and head back to my residence. You don¡¯t have to see me out.¡± The silver-haired man finished his words and left the room without turning back even once. He left through the back door of the Remote Paddy Inn as he went towards his courtyard. The moment he arrived at his courtyard, the silver-haired man felt as though he was about to collapse from exhaustion. He wasn¡¯t injured but he was a person who disliked talking. Previously when he happened to encounter Bai Luochu in the streets, the number of words that left his mouth could be counted on both hands. When he spoke to Ying Lan, he felt that his quota of words for an entire year was met. Ying Lan was too cautious and he had to be careful with his words if he wanted to live. If he said something wrong, he would be in trouble. In fact, he was lying. He didn¡¯t wish to request treatment from Divine Physician Bai, he simply wanted to provide assistance when she was lacking in manpower. Even the trip to Falling Cloud Mountain Range was because he was worried that she wasn¡¯t competent enough and would run into trouble without anyone to protect her. In the end, he simply wanted to protect her. Of course, he was referring to Bai Luochu. As for why he wanted to protect her¡­ the reason will be revealed in the future. Ying Lan didn¡¯t know if he was really too tired or because the meeting with the silver-haired man drained his energy. The moment his head touched the pillow, he fell into a deep slumber. Early the next morning, Ying Lan gradually woke up.When he recalled that he had important matters to attend to, he quickly got up to freshen up. He quickly left the inn. Just as he was about to head out, he saw the waiter who came to inform him about the silver-haired man¡¯s arrival the night before. Ying Lan¡¯s mind flashed with divine light as he suddenly recalled someone and called out to the waiter. ¡°Commander Ying, do you have any orders for this subordinate?¡± The waiter ran over and asked respectfully. ¡°Let me ask you. Yesterday night, did a silver-haired man come to look for me?¡± Ying Lan had a serious expression as though something bad had happened. The waiter looked at Ying Lan with a confused look on his face. ¡°Is Commander Ying still half-asleep? A silver-haired man came last night. The two of you had a long conversation in the study room.¡± When Ying Lan got the response, he waved his hand to indicate for the waiter to return to his work. Right now, Ying Lan¡¯s brows were knitted tightly together and it was so tight that wrinkles were forming on his forehead. Chapter 115: Bai Luochu’s Decision Thinking up to this point, Ying Lan suddenly thought of something and quickly called out to the waiter again and instructed him, ¡°Go and prepare an invitation card and write the words, ¡®Remote Paddy Inn came up with new dishes and desserts. As we are indebted to Young Lady Luo Chu, we would like to invite Young Lady Luo Chu to test our new dishes this afternoon.¡¯ After writing the letter, you will quickly deliver it to the former general¡¯s residence personally. Do not deliver it to the current great general''s residence, otherwise, your life will be at stake. Do you remember my instructions?¡± ¡°I will keep it in mind. Commander Ying doesn¡¯t have to worry, I might only be a waiter, but I carry out all my tasks properly. I will go right now.¡± That waiter immediately headed off to carry out the tasks instructed by Ying Lan. Ying Lan had entrusted this task to this waiter because he was the most quick-witted among all the other servants in the Remote Paddy Inn, not counting Cai Ling who had left with Bai Luochu. Ying Lan saw that there was nothing else for him to do and he quickly left the inn. He prepared to contact all the capable craftsmen in the city. To avoid encountering any problems, he went to the accounts room to redeem some silver notes in case of an emergency. While Ying Lan completed his work in the morning, Bai Luochu shoved the last of her breakfast in her mouth. She immediately continued her spiritual energy cultivation. Since she wanted to set up a contract with a spirit beast, she had to greatly improve her spiritual energy before anything else. Otherwise, if she attempted to make a contract without sufficient strength, she would suffer a backlash. If she was fortunate, she would suffer some damage mentally and turn into a retard. If she was unfortunate, she would have to take a trip to the netherworld. These were all bloody precedents left by predecessors and she wasn¡¯t going to follow in their footsteps. Bai Luochu had just entered her room for a short moment before she heard knocking at her door. She then heard Cai Ling¡¯s voice, ¡°Mistress, there is an invitation card from the Remote Paddy Inn.¡± When Bai Luochu heard the three words, ¡®Remote Paddy Inn¡¯, she knew that Ying Lan probably had something urgent that required her attention. She immediately allowed Cai Ling to enter. After Cai Ling entered, she closed the doors tightly in order to avoid anyone from eavesdropping. She walked in front of Bai Luochu and handed over the invitation card. Cai Ling waited for Bai Luochu to read the entire card before asking carefully, ¡°Mistress, is something wrong?¡± Bai Luochu placed the card by the side and continued her cultivation. Cai Ling left quietly to avoid making any commotions and disrupting Bai Luochu¡¯s cultivation. Time flashed by. For Bai Luochu who was immersed in cultivation, the long morning passed in the blink of an eye. When Cai Ling saw that it was almost time, she knocked on the door and pulled Bai Luochu back from her state of cultivation. When Bai Luochu arrived at the Remote Paddy Inn, Ying Lan had already waited for a long time in the private room. When Bai Luochu entered the room, she immediately heard a ¡®plop¡¯ sound and saw that Ying Lan was already kneeling on the floor. ¡°This subordinate is incapable! Will Mistress please punish me!¡± Bai Luochuo was confused by Ying Lan¡¯s actions. She helped him up and didn¡¯t know how to react for a moment. She assumed that something happened during the construction of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and consoled him, ¡°It is difficult to finish constructing the palace in half a month. You don¡¯t have to blame yourself too much, just do your best.¡± Seeing how his mistress was so understanding, Ying Lan felt even more guilty and stuttered as he spoke, ¡°It¡­ it isn¡¯t that. Mistress, do you remember that silver-haired man who was with me when we were pursued by the disciples of the Phoenix King Valley?¡± Silver-haired man? Bai Luochu frowned. Of course she remembered him. However, she was awfully busy these few days and she hadn¡¯t been able to venture out during this period of time. It seemed like it had been some time since she encountered him back on the streets. She felt that it was weird for Ying Lan to mention him and she immediately asked, ¡°I remember. Why did you bring him up?¡± Ying Lan shot a glance at Bai Luochu and confirmed that Bai Luochu was in a rather good mood. He then mustered his courage and explained. ¡°To be honest, yesterday night when I was done with the allocation of tasks, someone came to inform me that a silver-haired man came to visit. I was suspicious, but I still met him. He had the intention to assist us in the construction of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence in exchange for treatment of his illness. He also wanted the opportunity to head over to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range with us. My sword was already placed on his neck but he was still very determined. I had no choice but to send him away by saying that I needed your opinion.¡± When Bai Luochu heard Ying Lan¡¯s story, she didn¡¯t speak for a very long time and continued to taste the food on the table. After finishing the last dish, she said, ¡°Do we have sufficient manpower to finish constructing the palace in half a month? You can speak freely.¡± ¡°We should barely have enough manpower.¡± ¡°Since that is the case, it isn¡¯t impossible for him to join us. You have to monitor him closely. As for the treatment, it¡¯s nothing for me. Previously when the two of you were struggling against the disciples of the Phoenix King Valley, I observed him closely and his cultivation is indeed profound. If he were to follow us on our trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, he might be of some help.¡± Bai Luochu spoke of her decision to Ying Lan. Ying Lan was rather surprised at Bai Luochu¡¯s decision. However, he respected his mistress and didn¡¯t express his objection. He simply asked, ¡°Mistress, do you really trust him?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t important whether or not I trust him. Important tasks take priority. Since we are really in need of manpower and someone is delivering themselves to us, why not take him in? Another thing¡­¡± Bai Luochu carefully thought about her second encounter with the silver-haired man and explained herself. ¡°After that incident, I encountered him again in the streets. He¡­ didn¡¯t seem to be hostile towards me. Instead, he offered me his protection both secretly and out in the open several times. Since he is helping with the construction of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, I will not be seeing him that often. Let us temporarily put aside the fact that he has other motives. Just make use of him for now.¡± Chapter 116: Confrontation Again Bai Luochu spent the entire morning immersed in her spiritual energy cultivation. It was much more exhausting to cultivate spiritual energy than spirit qi. Right now, Bai Luochu was famished. She didn¡¯t say anything else and started to devour her lunch. Ying Lan saw that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t object and made his way out of the room. He then prepared to ask someone to deliver the letter. However, after he thought about it, he realized that it was better for him to personally make the trip. He then pulled a waiter over and asked him to deliver a message to Bai Luochu. ¡°Young Lady, Commander Ying asked me to deliver a message for him. He said that the matter of cooperation is a serious matter and he has to make the trip personally. If Young Lady has other important matters after lunch, you don¡¯t have to wait for Commander Ying to get back..¡± That waiter knocked on the door before entering to pass Bai Luochu Ying Lan¡¯s message. Bai Luochu was startled at first and she almost forgot to chew her food. But she suddenly realized something and it seemed as though she understood something. She then informed the waiter, ¡°I understand, you can go back to work now.¡± When the waiter saw that Bai Luochu had a deadpan expression on her face, he took his leave. He closed the door tightly and returned to the main hall to carry on working. After all, it was lunchtime and there were plenty of customers who were there for lunch. When the waiter had walked far away, Bai Luochu let out a long sigh and thought that Ying Lan was becoming more and more like an old woman. Bai Luochu understood that Ying Lan didn¡¯t personally head over due to his anxiousness over the so-called ¡®serious matter¡¯. She knew that with his cautious personality, he would head over and threaten the other party in order to force him to back off on his own accord. If he wasn¡¯t able to do so, he wanted to beat up the silver-haired man to avoid malicious thoughts from appearing in his head. Ying Lan was ultimately a servant who served Bai Luochu in her previous life and she was spot on when predicting Ying Lan¡¯s actions. Ying Lan was currently heading towards the silver-haired man¡¯s courtyard. A simple task of delivering a letter wasn¡¯t something he was inclined to do personally. However, he had his plans. He was strolling slowly because he wanted to stall for time in order to think of a strategy. As he thought about how he was going to deal with the silver-haired man, a ball of anger started to well up in Ying Lan¡¯s heart. He started to regret his actions. If he knew that this was going to happen, he wouldn¡¯t have been so rash. He would have stopped himself from rushing off before his mistress finished her lunch before coming up with a perfect strategy to deal with the silver-haired man. His thoughts ran wild and before he knew it, he arrived at the entrance of the silver-haired man¡¯s courtyard before he was able to think of a perfect strategy. He drew back his hand that was about to knock on the door several times. Just as Ying Lan was preparing to walk several rounds around the city before returning to the Remote Paddy Inn, the door suddenly opened from the inside. ¡°Eh? Why are you standing in front of my entrance? Have you reported to your Master? Did he agree?¡± That silver-haired man looked at Ying Lan and asked intentionally. In fact, he already knew the answer to his question. When Ying Lan saw that his hand was still stretched out with the intention to knock the door, he knew that he wasn¡¯t going to escape this round of questioning. He was like a fully drawn bow, with no way out. He couldn¡¯t do anything but to release the bowstring. He braced himself and said, ¡°My Master has great judgement and will never turn away masters of their trade. However¡­¡± Ying Lan intentionally paused for a moment and wanted to observe the silver-haired man¡¯s reaction. However, the silver-haired man had a deadpan expression on his face. In the end, Ying Lan felt discouraged and prepared to provoke the silver-haired man with his words. ¡°My master says that he will only treat people if there is fate between them. If he doesn¡¯t like your appearance, even if you are willing to take out a mountain of gold, he won¡¯t treat you. Do you understand?¡± Ying Lan meant that even if the silver-haired man were to assist in the construction of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, there was a chance for his illness to go untreated. He felt that the silver-haired man would be unwilling to provide his assistance after his threat. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The silver-haired man couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste more words with Ying Lan. Since Bai Luochu had already decided, Ying Lan who was a secret guard wouldn¡¯t try to oppose her. Since the silver-haired man had already achieved his objective, he didn¡¯t need to waste his efforts bickering with Ying Lan. Hence, he gave a polite and simple answer. Ying Lan was rather surprised when he heard the words, ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter¡¯. He didn¡¯t expect for the silver-haired man to ignore the fact that he might be left for dead. Ying Lan didn¡¯t give up. He added, ¡°There is something else. During the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, we cannot guarantee your safety. Do you still want to help us?¡± This time, the silver-haired man didn¡¯t even speak and merely nodded to express his agreement. When Ying Lan saw that the silver-haired man wasn¡¯t going to give up no matter what, he gave up his plan. He finally started to threaten the silver-haired man, ¡°You better not come up with any weird ideas. If I discover that you are plotting against my Master, you should know what I am capable of. I hope that you will behave yourself.¡± The silver-haired man didn¡¯t open his mouth and nodded silently. Right at this moment, Ying Lan looked at the silver-haired man and thought that he looked more like an immortal than a man. A thought suddenly appeared in his mind.¡®This person is trustworthy¡¯. Ying Lan naturally felt that his thoughts were ridiculous as he shook his head to get rid of them. ¡°You can head over to the Remote Paddy Inn tomorrow and we will head over to the mountain range together. If you don¡¯t wish to look for me, you can head to the mountain range and wait for me there. Our destination is the mountain on the eastern outskirts of the capital city, the majestic mountain range that seems to extend without end. Our craftsmen will be working at the foot of the mountain and you just have to inform them that you are there on my orders. I still have important matters to take care of and I shall take my leave.¡± Ying Lan cupped his fists before leaving. The silver-haired man cupped his fists in response and walked towards the shops on the nearby street. Chapter 117: Going for a Meal Ying Lan had just delivered the message when Bai Luochu finished her lunch. Bai Luochu was also deep in her thoughts. She didn¡¯t know if she should leave behind some questionable advice. After thinking of the consequences, Bai Luochu decided to return to her residence. Ying Lan¡¯s original intention was to ensure Bai Luochu¡¯s safety. After all, she had too many enemies in her past life. If someone was able to expose her identity, even ten Bai Luochus would be unable to escape from her enemy¡¯s grasp. On the path of cultivation, the stronger a person became, the harder it became to break the barrier to the next stage. The strength difference between stages would also become larger. It was also the reason why when a pinnacle expert cultivated to later stages, a slight difference in spirit qi would result in defeat. It was because that small difference in spirit qi would mean a difference in cultivation for dozens of years. Furthermore, during these dozens of years of cultivation, the experiences one would obtain through battles would allow them to understand their moves better, improving the foundation and quality of their spirit qi. The small difference in spirit qi was an uncrossable chasm. When she thought about everything, Bai Luochu suddenly felt calm. Since she had already entrusted this matter to Ying Lan, she would place all her trust in him. This was how a leader should act. In other words, if that person couldn¡¯t resist Ying Lan¡¯s method of making things difficult for him, he wouldn¡¯t be a useful person. Even if they were to forcefully employ this person into their ranks, he would be unable to show off his talents with Ying Lan and Bai Luochu¡¯s attitude towards him. It would only bring about more frustrations. The current plan and the most important matter was to quickly cultivate her spiritual energy. It would ensure that she would be able to successfully form the contract with the Green Flame Eagle. After all, the Green Flame Eagle was also a superior figure among the spirit beasts, or else, the Phoenix King Valley wouldn¡¯t send out such a huge group in order to secure it. Thinking up to this point, Bai Luochu quickened her footsteps as she hoped to return to the general¡¯s residence as quickly as possible. She didn¡¯t want to waste another second. The only thing she wanted to do now was to cultivate her spiritual energy. The moment she entered the residence, Cai Ling came out to welcome her. Before Cai Ling could even speak, Bai Luochu spoke first and interrupted Cai Ling, ¡°Speak after returning to the courtyard.¡± Bai Luochu quickly made her way back to her courtyard. In response, Cai Ling broke into a light run as she ran after Bai Luochu. ¡°Mistress, did something happen?¡± When Cai Ling saw how cautious Bai Luochu was, she thought that something went wrong during the construction of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. She became extremely worried. Bai Luochu shook her head and replied, ¡°Nothing happened. Someone is requesting for Divine Physician Bai¡¯s help and he knows that we are in the midst of building the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. He is offering his services and wants to join the construction. The lesser people who know about the construction the better. Ying Lan was unable to make the decision and asked me to head over to the Remote Paddy Inn in order to discuss this matter.¡± Cai Ling nodded and frowned slightly. She seemed to be thinking of something but she felt that there was something wrong. However, she wasn¡¯t able to lay her finger on it. When Bai Luochu saw that Cai Ling didn¡¯t catch the hidden meaning behind her words, she immediately chased Cai Ling away. ¡°Cai Ling, I already had my lunch at the Remote Paddy Inn. If you have nothing else to do here, you may go and rest or practice those martial arts that you have learned. Ying Lan¡¯s evaluation might be brought forward because of the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Do not incur Ying Lan¡¯s wrath by failing the evaluation. In the past, when Ying Lan was training new secret guards, he was never merciful even towards young ladies. You should prepare yourself.¡± When Cai Ling heard Bai Luochu¡¯s advice, she felt that it was rather reasonable. She replied, ¡°Many thanks for Mistress¡¯ reminder. This servant will go right now. Mistress should take a short rest before continuing your cultivation. Please take care of your body. This servant will take her leave now.¡± Cai Ling immediately left and she shut the doors tightly behind her. Her action was to prevent anyone in the courtyard from prying and spying at Bai Luochu. She didn¡¯t want anyone to disturb her mistress when she was cultivating. Bai Luochu heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that Cai Ling had left. After all, the story of the silver-haired man was a long one and Cai Ling was a young lady who wasn¡¯t experienced in relationships and the ways of the world. If she had to explain the whole story, Bai Luochu¡¯s saliva would dry up before completing it. That would really cause her to delay her cultivation. Now that Cai Ling had left, Bai Luochu immersed herself back into cultivation. She didn¡¯t waste a single second. She strived to increase her strength in the shortest amount of time possible. Cai Ling returned to her room and carefully refined her martial arts. During the process, she thought that there was something wrong with Bai Luochu¡¯s words. The construction of the Palace of the Brilliance Resurgence should only be known by the members of their faction. How could an outsider find out their plans so easily? Furthermore, this person offered his services to seek treatment from Divine Physician Bai. How was it possible for the decision to fall onto her mistress¡¯ head? Commander Ying would have immediately severed that person¡¯s head. Now that she thought about it, there were lots of gaps in her mistress¡¯ story. How could she have missed them all earlier? Sigh. Forget it, forget it. Since Mistress came up with this excuse, there must be something she wants to hide from me. Since that is the case, I shall not ask about it. If not, I might just make Mistress angry. Cai Ling felt at ease and went back to practicing her martial arts. Early the next morning, when Ying Lan arrived at the foot of that majestic mountain in the eastern outskirts of the capital city, he noticed that the silver-haired man was already waiting for him. Ying Lan was rather surprised at how much effort the silver-haired man was putting in. Even though Ying Lan disliked him, he still greeted that man politely. Every time the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s members asked about this man, Ying Lan would say that he was an old acquaintance of Divine Physician Bai, and that he had been wandering around the world. When he heard that Divine Physician Bai needed assistance, he immediately rushed over to offer his help. Divine Physician Bai¡¯s name was really effective and coupled with the silver-haired man¡¯s cold personality and extraordinary appearance, everyone was convinced. Chapter 118: Construction Complete When the construction of the Palace of Brilliance of Resurgence was complete, there were still three days left till the two weeks deadline Bai Luochu set. These additional three days should be enough for Bai Luochu to make arrangements before departing for the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. ¡°Cai Ling, now that the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is complete, quickly inform Mistress to make use of the additional time to make arrangements in advance. I will go and inform the other members to assemble here at 9 am tomorrow. Remember to inform Mistress about it. The attention we gathered in the past two weeks is indeed too much. Putting aside the fact that we monopolized all the craftsmen in the capital city, just blasting the mountain and leveling the ground is enough to attract countless eyes. I am afraid that the small factions surrounding us will be ready to charge at us the moment we complete our construction. The first to make the move will possess the advantage and the last to move will face a calamity. Although we do not need to care about those smaller factions, it is better for us to avoid conflict completely.¡± During these few days, Cai Ling had been rushing around as she provided assistance to both the frontline and backline. Now that the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence was constructed, there was nothing else for Cai Ling to do here. Hence, Ying Lan gave these orders to Cai Ling. When Cai Ling heard Ying Lan¡¯s careful considerations, she knew the severity of the task. She replied, ¡°What Commander Ying said is extremely correct. This place no longer has any need for this servant. This servant shall return and inform Mistress of the news.¡± Cai Ling replied before running off. She seemed much faster than before. It could be imagined that the burden which was weighing her down the past few days was lifted off her shoulders the moment the palace was successfully constructed. She was naturally delighted. After Ying Lan saw Cai Ling leave, a headache started to set in. When he started a conversation with Cai Ling earlier, he was extremely depressed. Without a doubt, it was because of the silver-haired man. Apart from the night where the silver-haired man was negotiating with him, he had been quiet the whole time. Adding on the fact that his hair and eyes were both silver in color, he was basically a lump of ice. Over time, whenever the silver-haired man proposed a solution, everyone wouldn¡¯t bother scrutinizing it and would simply implement his ideas. That was how the massive project was completed with three days to spare. The contribution of the silver-haired man was truly undeniable. However¡­ apart from the time when the silver-haired man was speaking to propose his solution, he would never speak for the rest of the time. His expression would be ice-cold and he seemed unapproachable. Even when those craftsmen were giving praises or trying to strike up a conversation, the silver-haired man wouldn¡¯t say anything. These craftsmen who were rather prideful were unsatisfied with the silver-haired man¡¯s manners and ultimately, Ying Lan had to mediate and deal with the situation. It was precisely the reason behind Ying Lan¡¯s headache. Now that the silver-haired man wasn¡¯t talking, wouldn¡¯t his status be lowered if he had to explain the silver-haired man¡¯s actions? If he knew this would happen, he would ask Cai Ling to stay and explain everything before heading back to inform Bai Luochu. Ying Lan¡¯s back was facing the silver-haired man but he could feel a burning gaze on his back. It seemed like he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid this matter and had to give the silver-haired man an explanation. ¡°We have troubled you by asking you to make a trip down here to give everyone your guidance. You really saved a lot of time and we are only able to complete the construction thanks to you. Now that there is nothing left to do, why not return home and take a break? When the time comes, I will send someone to notify you.¡± Ying Lan might sound polite, but he was hoping that the silver-haired man would leave as soon as possible. When the time for them to leave for the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, he was definitely going to leave the silver-haired man out. Ying Lan was able to think so far ahead, but with the silver-haired man¡¯s intelligence, how could he not understand Ying Lan¡¯s plan? The silver-haired man was thinking silently in his heart. Heh, this person is probably trying to get rid of me after using me. He wants to kick me out as soon as the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is complete. Does he think I¡¯ll be a burden on the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range? With my strength, I¡¯ll be able to help her if anything happens. If someone is going to tell me that I¡¯m a burden, his mistress has to be the one to say it. No matter what, even if the lass¡¯ cultivation isn¡¯t strong enough, her movement skills are incredible. ¡°I¡¯ll come back tomorrow. I might be of some help.¡± After the silver-haired man knew what Ying Lan was thinking, he interrupted the conversation. Ying Lan never expected for the silver-haired man to speak. Even though he wasn¡¯t able to avoid the topic, Ying Lan was rejoicing in his heart that he didn¡¯t set the location of the conference to be in the secret room. If the silver-haired man learned of the secret base, it would definitely spell disaster. Ying Lan forced the corner of his mouth to curl upwards as he revealed a reluctant smile. ¡°I am really embarrassed for the trouble we caused. Since you insist on doing so, I shall not persuade you otherwise. I still have a lot of work waiting for me to handle at the Remote Paddy Inn and I shall take my leave. Tomorrow at 9am, we will meet here again.¡± Ying Lan finished speaking and pushed his movement skills to the limits. He didn¡¯t even turn back as he headed straight towards the direction of the Remote Paddy Inn. From the looks of it, he seemed to be afraid of the silver-haired man asking him more questions. When he saw Ying Lan¡¯s reaction, the silver-haired man stayed silent as the corner of his lips curled upwards. Even his icy cold eyes seemed like they were going to melt. He didn¡¯t care what Ying Lan thought about him as he had already achieved his ultimate objective. Right now, he was going to see how much he could achieve at 9am tomorrow. The silver-haired man no longer thought about it as he returned to his courtyard. At this current moment, Cai Ling had already returned to the general¡¯s residence and had conveyed Ying Lan¡¯s message to Bai Luo Chu. Chapter 119: A Different Pei Rumo In fact, The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence wasn¡¯t the only place bustling with activity. The First Prince''s residence was also extraordinarily lively. Pei Rumo was seated in the study room as he tossed around a stack of visiting cards. He used his hand to support his chin as he said, ¡°How many invitation cards are there?!¡± he stretched out his fingers to rub his temples and it seemed like he was suffering from a headache. The guard who had never left Pei Rumo¡¯s side for even a moment thought that his master was really asking for an answer. He quietly dragged out a box from the side and poured out its contents. He prepared himself to give Pei Rumo an exact number of invitation cards he received. Pei Rumo got angry when he saw the mountain of cards lying on the ground. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t at the First Prince¡¯s residence at the moment. Of course, he could make a trip down to look for her¡­ However, he was the First Prince and doing such a thing would cause him to throw his reputation down the drain. He could only vent his anger on his guard. Pei Rumo kicked the guard, causing the latter to roll on the ground. He then said, ¡°I asked you how many invitations I received and you actually took them out to count them? Hurry up and put them back! Burn the entire box! How annoying¡­¡± ¡°Oh, this subordinate will obey.¡± The guard simply wanted to answer his master¡¯s question properly, thus, he was preparing to count them carefully. He didn¡¯t expect his master to actually unleash all his rage on him and a wronged feeling welled up in his heart. He rubbed his stinging buttocks as he carried the box out of the room. Just as he was about to reach the entrance, Pei Rumo called out to him again. ¡°Wait a moment. Where are the people that I sent to monitor Luo Chu? Are they in the residence?¡± The guard pondered for a moment and replied, ¡°My lord, you have sent a total of two men to monitor her. They are going to change shifts right now. One of them should be returning shortly.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s anger seemed to have dissipated as he nodded and instructed. ¡°As soon as one of them comes back, ask them to enter the study room. I have something to ask him.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± The guard then carried the box filled with invitations towards a secluded area in the residence. The burning of the invitations must not be done in the vicinity of his master. If it were to cause Pei Rumo to choke on the smoke or infuriate him again, he would suffer from another round of scolding.. Pei Rumo started to take care of all the reports on his table. He had been holding onto his folding fan for a long while and didn¡¯t make any other movements. He seemed to be distracted and was deep in his thoughts. After a long time, he heard a ¡®creak¡¯ sound coming from the door. He raised his head suddenly and noticed that it was the secret guard he had sent out to monitor Bai Luochu. Pei Rumo withdrew his eyes from the imperial note and raised his head to look at the secret guard before asking, ¡°What has Luo Chu been doing these days? Don¡¯t hide anything from me.¡± ¡°In response to my lord¡¯s question. Young Lady Luo Chu didn¡¯t do anything special these days, apart from messing around with her cousin. However, there is something strange going on. Young Lady Luo Chu would visit a secluded courtyard in the general''s residence from time to time and would stay there for hours. This subordinate did an investigation and couldn¡¯t find anything. It was as though Young Lady Luo Chu went over there to enjoy some peace and quiet. Young Lady Luo Chu also seems to be close to the Remote Paddy Inn. She seems to really like the food there and she either visits the place to eat, or the Remote Paddy Inn would send over desserts to the general¡¯s residence.¡± The secret guard finished his report and waited by the side respectfully for Pei Rumo¡¯s orders. When Pei Rumo heard the secret guard¡¯s report, he immediately understood that this ambitious lass was probably up to something again. Seeing how his secret guard assumed that Bai Luochu was a silly little girl who would be lazing around in the residence, Pei Rumo couldn¡¯t help but lament to himself. She was truly an expert at disguising herself as a pig to devour a tiger. Seeing as how she was able to trick this secret guard of his, he knew that she was a talented individual who shouldn¡¯t be belittled. On the other hand, Pei Rumo was secretly rejoicing that he was working with such an intelligent person. She might not be a person under his control, but she wasn¡¯t someone he had to spend time and effort to cultivate. ¡°I understand. You may be dismissed and I have troubled you.¡± After Pei Rumo obtained the information he wanted, he dismissed the secret guard in order not to delay other pressing matters. When the secret guard saw how his master was ¡®concerned¡¯ about Young Lady Luo Chu, he couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious. He thought about how his master acted differently every time she was involved. Even though those were the thoughts in his heart, his expression remained unchanged. He simply took his leave respectfully and closed the door tightly after him, separating the noise of the outside world from the quiet environment of the study room. Pei Rumo had reverted back to his serious and unsmiling appearance as he started to handle his work. The atmosphere in the room became solemn and Pei Rumo became an emotionless monster who only cared about political affairs. By the time Pei Rumo completed his work, the sun was about to set. The clouds in the sky looked as though they were forming a tongue of fire glowing with a hue of red and it was extremely bewitching. The color in the sky seemed to be much more intense. After withdrawing himself from important matters, Pei Rumo thought about his conversation with the secret guard. He originally wanted to find a reason to mess with Bai Luochu, but in the end, he praised her in his heart. Pei Rumo couldn¡¯t understand why either. He simply lamented silently that she had an extraordinary charm completely different from other ladies. Pei Rumo looked at the location where the box of invitations was originally placed. Now that it was empty, he recalled his rage when he ordered his guard to burn it all. Pei Rumo started to complain in a soft voice, ¡°You are doing rather well in the general''s residence¡­ you even became the queen of the mountain there. You have no idea how many lies I spun up the past few days in order to stop those people from visiting you. That¡¯s not all¡­ I still need to come up with excuses to placate my grandmother the Empress Dowager¡­ It¡¯s tiring enough to take care of all the matters of the state. You¡¯re even increasing my workload right now. Did I owe you something in my previous life?!¡± Chapter 120: Pei Qingfeng’s Intention ¡°What is that lass busy with recently?¡± Pei Qingfeng placed the teacup in his hand onto the table and asked unhurriedly. The Second Prince''s residence might not be as lively as the First Prince''s residence, but they were also silently paying attention to the general¡¯s residence. ¡°Apart from the constant fights against her cousin, she has been hiding in her room and cultivating nonstop. She is living rather comfortably and I think that her life will be better off without her cousin stirring trouble.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard replied according to what they found out. With Pei Qingfeng¡¯s understanding of Bai Luochu, he knew in his heart that this lass wouldn¡¯t behave herself like how everyone would like her to. Hence, he asked another question. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± He might be asking a question, but his tone was rather firm. When the guard saw the confident expression on his master¡¯s face, he understood that Pei Qingfeng already knew of Bai Luochu¡¯s true intention. Right now, he was merely asking them a question he already had an answer to. ¡°Does my lord know about the recent rumors from the capital, regarding the Falling Cloud Mountain Range?¡± Pei Qingfeng looked up as though he had no intention to look at his personal guard. He nodded as an indication that he knew about the rumor. ¡°It is said that this rumor originated from the Remote Paddy Inn and apparently, the news came from the mouths of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples after drinking too much. But Young Lady Luo Chu seems to be rather familiar with the people of the Remote Paddy Inn. This subordinate is bold enough to guess that Young Lady Luo Chu already knows of this. She should be preparing to make a trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. I reckon that she is having some ideas about the Green Flame Eagle. This should also be the reason why she is locking herself up to cultivate.¡± Pei Qingfeng smiled and asked, ¡°Are you trying to say that the lass wants to be involved in this mess? How can she do something that doesn¡¯t benefit her? She has no one around her to provide assistance and if she is truly planning to do so, she¡¯s going to throw her life away.¡± After finishing his statement, Pei Qingfeng shook his head helplessly and seemed to sigh at Bai Luochu¡¯s fearlessness. His personal guard obviously didn¡¯t dare to say the bolder conjecture in his heart. His guess was that Bai Luochu was starting a faction of her own. Pei Qingfeng muttered for a moment before asking again, ¡°Shall we go and join in the fun?¡± Of course he was referring to heading over to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s brows arched upwards as he turned to look at the guard. He merely took a glance and turned his sight back onto the cup of cold tea. After sipping on his cup of tea, he said, ¡°Do you think that Emperor Father doesn¡¯t know about this? After Emperor Father learns of this, do you think he will send us princes there? The Phoenix King Valley might be very respectful towards the Cloud Water Nation, but they still covered up the truth. Emperor Father is a ruler who will pursue profit and avoid disaster. Previously the Phoenix King Valley said that there were spirit beasts anomalies in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range and that they were sent to suppress them. Emperor Father had responded to them politely and didn¡¯t speak of it any further. Now that there is a change in the situation such that we are no longer at a disadvantage, what do you think Emperor Father will do?¡± The guard was speechless for a moment. His master was correct and even if his master wasn¡¯t going because of Bai Luochu, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the orders of the Emperor. A worried expression appeared on the guard¡¯s face and he knew that his master was probably the person with the biggest disadvantage if they were to head over to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. When Pei Qingfeng saw the guard¡¯s miserable expression, he explained, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if Emperor Father doesn¡¯t say anything, I will definitely not head over. I will continue to behave as a useless cripple in the capital city. However, If His Majesty puts out the imperial decree and orders me to head over, I will have no choice but to go. At that time, I will also provide assistance and protection for that lass.¡± He was naturally referring to Bai Luochu. When the guard heard the words said by his master, he understood that his master was determined to provide assistance no matter what. He no longer tried to dissuade his master as he silently cursed in his heart. Luo Chu is truly the most incredible woman among all the femme fatale, even his master who is comparable to a monk treats her with such high regard. ¡°Oh right, has there been any recent news from the First Prince¡¯s residence?¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw that they were done talking about Bai Luochu, he immediately asked about his first brother. He wanted to find out the situation over at the First Prince¡¯s residence. When he thought about it, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard couldn¡¯t help but feel a little amused. He suppressed his intention to laugh and answered Pei Qingfeng, ¡°The First Prince''s residence is still the same as before. There have been too many people visiting recently and the doorstep is close to collapsing.¡± ¡°Hahaha, he¡¯s definitely working himself to death right now. Did he give those people any explanation?¡± Pei Qingfeng put down the teacup and seemed to be in a rather good mood. ¡°It¡¯s easy for him to send the ordinary people away. He simply said that Divine Physician Bai was at the critical moment of breaking through and required some time to remain in secluded cultivation. But for the Empress Dowager, she asked the First Prince a simple question. ¡°Why is Divine Physician Bai only sending someone to deliver the prescription without coming over to provide acupuncture? Has he turned his back on this old woman?¡± It was said that the First Prince¡¯s body was covered in cold sweat by the time the words left the Empress Dowager¡¯s mouth. He had no choice but to use all his medical knowledge to explain that after clearing out her obstructed meridians, Divine Physician Bai said that acupuncture might bring out adverse effects if used too often. His excuse was extremely reasonable and even the Chief Imperial Physician from the Imperial Physician Court was fooled.¡± As the guard narrated the story, traces of mockery could be heard in his voice. He felt that the usually stern Pei Rumo cooked up a rather amusing story. ¡°Tsk Tsk, it is incredible for him to come up with something like that.¡± Instead of lamenting, it was better to say that Pei Qingfeng was taking joy in Pei Rumo¡¯s misfortune. Bai Luochu was in seclusion as she cultivated silently for the past two weeks. She had merely lost some patients who frequently sought treatment from her and lost some popularity. But to those people who were truly ¡®concerned¡¯ about her, they kept tabs on all her actions during this period of time. Chapter 121: Pei Wuchen’s Scheme ¡°What did you say? Her cousin has been trying to frame her all this while?¡± When Pei Wuchen heard this, his brows locked together. He placed the imperial note to the side and sank into deep contemplation. The secret guard knew that his master was a person who had tender and protective attitude when dealing with members of the opposite sex. Seeing that his ¡®official¡¯ fianc¨¦e was suffering, it didn¡¯t surprise the secret guard that his master¡¯s mood was affected. The secret guard immediately consoled his master, ¡°My lord can be at ease, Young Lady Luo Chu isn¡¯t some pushover. Her cousin¡¯s schemes never succeeded and Young Lady Luo Chu came up with her own plans to make her cousin suffer.¡± ¡°She is a young lady who cannot cultivate. How is it possible for her to defend against her uncle¡¯s family who are like jackals and tigers? I know that she is an orphaned daughter and she should be facing a hard time in the imperial city. Here, aristocratic families are conspiring against each other and even family members can¡¯t be trusted. Her uncle¡¯s family must think that she is a weak pushover.¡± Pei Wuchen shook his head and sighed. He was seemingly lamenting over Luo Chu¡¯s difficult life Pei Wuchen muttered for a moment and instructed the secret guard. ¡°Forget it. This is all part of her fate. Now that this engagement is no longer valid, why do I need to think about her well being? Return and keep tabs on her. Report to me if anything major happens. Make sure no hard befalls her.¡± Pei Wuchen wasn¡¯t really bothered with Bai Luochu and he was only offering her some assistance as she was supposed to be his concubine. In Pei Wuchen¡¯s opinion, he had already carried out his duty and was simply doing so to allow his conscience to be at ease. She isn¡¯t worthy of my attention... ¡°Senior Chen, whose safety are you concerned about?¡± Just as Pei Wuchen¡¯s sentence ended Feng Wan¡¯er walked into the room. The secret guard was about to leave but he became trapped in the room once again. Pei Wuchen was shocked. He was in love with Feng Wan¡¯er and she had feelings for him. His Emperor Father and Master were glad to see them together. However, he knew that Feng Wan¡¯er had always been arrogant and willful. If she knew that Pei Wuchen was looking out for another woman, she would probably throw a fit. His concern would cause Bai Luochu more harm than good. In the end, Pei Wuchen decided to lie. ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m asking him to look out for an elder who once took care of me. His living condition isn¡¯t too good right now and I¡¯m just showing my goodwill.¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Pei Wuchen saw that Feng Wan¡¯er wasn¡¯t suspicious and quickly shifted the topic. When Feng Wan¡¯er heard the question, her face immediately changed and asked in return, ¡°Senior, do you know about the rumors of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range circulating around the city?¡± Pei Wuchen¡¯s brows rose upwards slightly and his actions stiffened. ¡°Is the information true? Are they speaking the truth?¡± When Feng Wan¡¯er saw Pei Wuchen¡¯s face of disbelief, she thought about the actions of the outer valley disciples and she was immediately enraged. She stomped her feet and crushed her handkerchief before snapping, ¡°That¡¯s right! The Green Flame Eagle is our main objective for leaving the valley. We were originally thinking of capturing and raising the young spirit beast after receiving a secret report from our agents outside the valley. Our intelligence network was watertight and all we had to do was to scout out the area before completing the mission. Who knew that when those outer valley disciples went out to drink, they would spill everything out in a state of stupor? Look at the situation now! The capital is now filled with people and after a short investigation, I found out that all of them had profound cultivation. They are probably here to take a share of the pie.¡± Pei Wuchen naturally knew the severity of this matter and immediately consoled Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be too worried. These people might want to dip their hand in, but they need to look at whether they have the ability to do so. Since our Phoenix King Valley is one of the Three Great Immortal Sects, we are definitely stronger than all of them¡­ You can relax..¡± ¡°Senior brother, I am clear of everything you just said. We took advantage of our title as one of the Three Great Immortal Sects to plunder nearly all the cultivation resources from them. All of them had been dissatisfied for a long time and might use this opportunity to form an alliance to hinder us. Other than a single elder, the rest of our forces are made up of juniors like us. Furthermore, the capital is now filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons, not including those that had already set off for the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. If anything were to happen, we would probably be at a disadvantage.¡± Feng Wan¡¯er had already analyzed the situation in detail and her heart was filled with indignation, hence, she started to complain, ¡°It is the fault of those outer valley disciples! If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they are my senior and junior brothers, I would already punish them according to the rules of the valley!¡± Pei Wuchen fell into silence and he understood that Feng Wan¡¯er was speaking the truth. He fell into a daze as he didn¡¯t know what to do. Feng Wan¡¯er saw that Pei Wuchen wasn¡¯t saying anything so she turned and left. ¡°Junior sister is truly considerate about the camaraderie between disciples..¡± Feng Wan¡¯er had just returned to the relay station when the feminine man started to make fun of her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that senior brother had the hobby of eavesdropping.¡± Feng Wan¡¯er wasn¡¯t in a good mood and she wasn¡¯t polite when speaking to the feminine man. He wasn¡¯t angry at all as he replied to Feng Wan¡¯er, ¡°It is better for junior sister to pay attention to the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Elder has already been summoned by the Emperor of the Cloud Water Nation. I am afraid that those princes will be getting involved in this too.¡± ¡°They are really useless! Why are they creating so many problems for us?! They are merely outer valley disciples¡­ If not for the fact that they are the ones who are throwing their lives away to form the contract, I would have killed every single one of them by now!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er was infuriated by his words and a sinister expression appeared on her face. Chapter 122: Progress in Cultivation Be it the First Prince''s residence that was busy with visitors, the Second Prince''s residence that was waiting for an opportunity to make a move, or the Third Prince''s residence that had a surging undercurrent¡­ None of them seemed related to Bai Luochu. Throughout the entire day, other than stopping for lunch and dinner, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t stop cultivating. The spiritual energy in her body was circulating rapidly as they constantly grew more robust. The circulation speed of the spiritual energy was getting faster and faster. As time went by, it seemed to have turned corporeal. As she cultivated, Bai Luochu became able to cover her entire body with her spiritual energy to form an indestructible protective shell. The current Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know of the changes with her body as she was focused on her cultivation. The fastest way to cultivate spiritual energy was to draw the spirit sense from her body and allow it to roam the heaven and earth. Her spirit sense would strengthen due to the constant usage and her spiritual energy would increase proportionally. Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit sense was currently shuttling back and forth between the vast sea of stars as she constantly strengthened her spiritual energy. As time slowly passed by, Bai Luochu became more energetic. Right now, her spirit sense was traveling at the limit and Bai Luochu was waiting for a chance to break through. Finally, when Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit sense returned after roaming heaven and earth, she welcomed the progression of her spiritual energy. Bai Luochu was delighted and immediately withdrew her spirit sense. During this process, she felt a slight burning pain and she was suspicious in her heart. The instant she opened her eyes, she understood the reason. When Bai Luochu opened her eyes and looked outside the window, she realized that it was already dawn. The burning pain earlier must have been due to the rising sun. She was silently rejoicing in her decision to withdraw her spirit sense. If she didn¡¯t she might even suffer an injury. Bai Luochu closed her eyes and checked the spiritual energy within her body. She noticed that it would be extremely easy for her to set up a contract with the Green Flame Eagle with her current spiritual energy. In the next instant, she stopped cultivating crazily. She had been busy with cultivation for half a month and it was time to take a good rest. Today, she had to make some arrangements for the new location of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and she would waste a lot of mental energy talking to those brutes under Ying Lan. Her current plan was to eat a good breakfast before coming up with a rough plan. She would then start to discuss the matter with the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. ¡°Mistress, are you awake?¡± Before Bai Luochu could tidy up her clothes, she heard Cai Ling¡¯s voice at the door. As soon as Cai Ling entered, she placed Bai Luochu¡¯s breakfast down on the table and walked over to help Bai Luochu to freshen up. She was shocked when she looked at Bai Luochu¡¯s current appearance. She quickly asked with concern, ¡°Mistress, what¡¯s wrong! Why do you look so pale? Are you ill?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit qi level wasn¡¯t high enough and even though she was energetic after cultivating for an entire night, her physical body was extremely tired. Her complexion wasn¡¯t great. Bai Luochu turned to look at the bronze mirror and saw that her face was indeed ghastly pale and terrifying. She explained, ¡°Nothing is wrong with me. I immersed myself too deeply in cultivation and forgot about the time. My body is currently exhausted but my mind is sober. I won¡¯t be affected during the conference.¡± ¡°Mistress, you should know that this servant isn¡¯t questioning Mistress¡¯ well being because of the conference. Even if Mistress is doing this to strengthen yourself, you still have to take care of your body.¡± When Cai Ling saw how Bai Luochu was ignoring her well being, Cai Ling started to nag. Bai Luochu felt that Cai Ling was turning into a second Ying Lan and she quickly made fun of the little servant girl. ¡°I know. I¡¯m afraid that all of you will be too worried for me. I know my limits... there is no need to worry about me.¡± After finishing breakfast, Bai Luochu laid down on the couch and took a short rest. Seeing that it was already 8am, Cai Ling quickly entered the room to wake Bai Luochu up. Bai Luochu then wore her mask and led the members out of the city. She even encountered the silver-haired man who was walking slowly on the street. When Bai Luochu saw the man, she quickly went over and asked, ¡°Are you going with us as well? Ying Lan actually agreed to your request... That is truly amazing.¡± Bai Luochu understood a thing or two about Ying Lan¡¯s character. With his cautious personality, he wouldn¡¯t allow strangers to approach them easily. What kind of drug did this silver-haired man feed Ying Lan to gain Ying Lan¡¯s trust? When the silver-haired man heard Bai Luochu calling out to him, he didn¡¯t appear overly passionate, he merely stopped and bowed to Bai Luochu. Before Bai Luochu could return the greeting, he turned away and walked towards the direction of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. When Bai Luochu saw how the silver-haired man was acting, she felt sorry for Ying Lan as he had to interact with such a person. His temper was just like a smelly rock in the latrine. It was extremely smelly and hard. Of course, this was just Bai Luochu¡¯s dissent and she wouldn¡¯t voice it out. Bai Luochu rushed over to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. As soon as she reached the foot of the mountain, she saw Ying Lan waiting for them. ¡°Mistress, you have arrived. Everyone is waiting in the main hall.¡± Ying Lan bowed and spoke respectfully to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu looked around and said to Ying Lan, ¡°Why are there no guards at the foot of the mountain?¡± ¡°Ying Lan is inconsiderate. This mountain is excessively huge and our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence doesn¡¯t have enough members. We are incapable of guarding this mountain for now.¡± Bai Luochu muttered for a moment and said to Ying Lan, ¡°Since that is the case, we will head over to the conference before dealing with the matter. After making our plans, I will set up a poison array to protect our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence.¡± ¡°Yes. Mistress, this way please.¡± Ying Lan nodded and made a gesture for Bai Luochu to move first. After Bai Luochu walked several steps, Ying Lan followed behind her. He maintained a distance of five steps from her in order to show his respect for Bai Luochu. However, it was enough for him to protect his mistress in case anything happened. After reaching the main hall of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, Bai Luochu noticed that everyone was already waiting for her. The silver-haired man was present as well. Chapter 123: Palace of Brilliance Resurgence ¡°I have been cultivating the entire day before and lost track of time. After cultivating for an entire night, I only withdrew from my cultivation state at dawn today. After eating breakfast, I suddenly felt exhausted and rested for a short while. I didn¡¯t expect to fall into a deep slumber, causing me to be late. I wish for everyone¡¯s forgiveness.¡± Bai Luochu spoke with sincerity and she wasn¡¯t arrogant because of her status as Divine Physician Bai. In response, everyone returned the formalities and didn¡¯t put it to heart. At this moment, the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence seemed united. When Bai Luochu noticed that the atmosphere was right, she didn¡¯t delay and spoke immediately, ¡°Everyone should know the reason behind the accelerated construction of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. During these two weeks, everyone had risen early and slept late, taking turns to work your hardest. By doing so, it allowed us to complete building our foundation before the deadline. This nobody Bai shall give my thanks to everyone here!¡± Bai Luochu finished her statement and bowed, showing the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence a lot of respect. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a month since I started recruiting all of you and we have already developed the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to such a large scale... It is truly a joyous event. I am very happy about it.¡± Bai Luochu looked at everyone¡¯s expressions before continuing her speech, ¡°But, our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is a newly created faction. There are many things that are uncertain and we have yet to establish a firm footing. Thus, we have two problems to solve today.¡± ¡°Firstly, it is regarding the various tasks after the establishment of our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. We will need to quickly draw up a plan to make sure that we will not easily be harassed by other factions.¡± ¡°Secondly, it is the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. We have to prepare a thorough plan before appointing suitable people to head over. Does anyone have any good suggestions?¡± ¡°It might be majestic and imposing to choose this mountain to establish ourselves, however, defending it will be a challenging task. The manpower we have right now is just enough to defend the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence while handling the businesses in the city. It¡¯s difficult for us to take care of other things.¡± The one who spoke was a cultured and weak looking scholar. He didn¡¯t seem to be superior to anyone in terms of his appearance but he was competent enough to escape unscathed when facing against the killing moves of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s inner valley disciples. After that incident, he voluntarily joined as he placed his safety above all else. The moment Bai Luochu spoke about the Phoenix King Valley, he became extremely hostile. He was originally unwilling to accept his fate as a mediocre person and the moment Bai Luochu extended her olive branch towards him, he immediately agreed to join. On the second day of the recruitment feast, he was the first to arrive. This person always looked at the big picture. Everyone present had been working together for a month now and the moment the words came out of his mouth, all of them appeared to be worried and concerned about the security of the base. When Bai Luochu saw everyone¡¯s expressions, she knew it was time. She threw her plan out to all of them. ¡°I already have a plan. I once saw an array in an ancient book. It is easy to set up and as long as the core of the array is created, everything else will be easy to set up. This array might not pose much of a threat as it will only inflict poison to those who forcefully barge in. I made some calculations and those who force their way through will show signs of poisoning the moment they arrive at the entrance.¡± ¡°How will this array be able to differentiate between people of our palace and those who come with ill intentions?¡± Someone made an inquiry. Bai Luochu smiled and replied, ¡°If everyone can trust me, then please prick your left ring finger or use your spirit qi to force out a drop of blood. The left ring finger is connected to the artery of the heart. Blood that flows out from this part will possess a unique characteristic to the owner. When your blood is fused into the array, all of you will become immune to it. None of you need to worry.¡± As soon as Bai Luochu replied, someone else asked another question, ¡°Although it isn¡¯t good for other factions to barge into our mountain, will the poison cause them to lose their lives?¡± The one who asked the question was a woman who obviously couldn¡¯t stand the thought of killing people. Bai Luochu was cursing silently in her heart. The person who spoke was rather young and seemed somewhat naive. It seemed as though she would require more coaching from Ying Lan when he was free. Bai Luochu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as she replied, ¡°You are overly concerned. The poison from this poison array will only make the victim dizzy. They will be unable to cause us any trouble if they charge all the way up here. I will prepare the antidote in advance and provide it to the people who are in charge of the security of the palace. After they consume the antidote, we can strike some fear into them before sending them off. The poison array will not activate when one is descending the mountain.¡± When everyone saw how Bai Luochu cleared all their doubts, they no longer had anything else to say. When Bai Luochu saw that no one else had any questions, she carried on. ¡°If everyone is fine with my suggestion, we will implement it immediately. Will everyone please place a drop of your blood into this porcelain bowl. It will be much more convenient for me to set up the array.¡± As soon as Bai Luochu spoke, Ying Lan brought out the porcelain bowl and silver needles. Cai Ling started from the left hand side as she used the silver needles to extract a drop of blood from the members present. Chapter 124: Finding an Alternative After everyone squeezed their blood into the bowl, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t hesitate and released her blood using the silver needle. She turned to speak with Ying Lan and Cai Ling, ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± Ying Lan didn¡¯t hesitate but Cai Ling was rather apprehensive. Bai Luochu urged her on, ¡°Why not try to circulate your spirit qi and force the blood out?¡± ¡°Spirit qi? Master, how could I possess spirit qi?!¡± When Cai Ling heard this suggestion, she assumed that Bai Luochu was intentionally making fun of her. Bai Luochu smiled and said, ¡°Listen and do what I say. Let your qi sink to your dantian and throw your spirit sense into the spirit sea. Circulate your spirit sense along the direction of your meridians. Shift the spirit sense to your left ring finger and exert some strength in your dantian. Force your qi into your finger.¡± Along with Bai Luochu¡¯s instructions and Cai Ling¡¯s series of actions, everyone saw a lump of half materialized qi on the fingertip of the servant girl. In a flash, that lump of qi seemed to turn red. At this moment, Bai Luochu suddenly spoke, ¡°Put your hand above the porcelain bowl and turn your finger.¡± After the words left Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth, a drop of fresh and bright red colored blood fell into the bowl. Not only was everyone amazed, even Cai Ling felt that it was unbelievable. Only Ying Lan and Bai Luochu had an abnormally calm expression on their face. It felt as though this scenario was within the duo¡¯s expectations. ¡°Mis¡­ Master, what is going on? Why does this servant have spirit qi?¡± The impact might have been too huge for Cai Ling, causing her to stutter as she spoke. Bai Luochu glanced at Ying Lan and saw that his expression didn¡¯t even change. She explained, ¡°You will probably have to ask Commander Ying personally. He nearly tricked me as well. Had it not been for the change in your walking posture these few days, I wouldn¡¯t even know that he had actually imparted this technique to you.¡± Cai Ling was confused and just as she was about to ask, Ying Lan spoke up, ¡°If there is anything you wish to ask, you can do so later. Let¡¯s not waste everyone¡¯s time right now..¡± Before Cai Ling could say anything, she shoved all her words back into her stomach. Cai Ling didn¡¯t argue nor did she show any unpleasant expression on her face. After this brief interlude, a serious expression appeared on Bai Luochu¡¯s face once again and she said, ¡°Ying Lan, is the map ready?¡± ¡°Yes. This map is too big and in order to draw out the paths we need to take, I¡¯ll get someone to bring a table over.¡± Ying Lan was about to wave his hand to signal for someone to bring the map and table over. Ying Lan heard the suggestion and felt that Bai Luochu¡¯s method was much better. He immediately asked for some men to bring two rods to hold the map up. Bai Luochu turned around and looked at the map. She realized that the distance from the capital city to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range was around a thousand miles, but there were plenty of paths to choose from. The shortest path would only require three days of traveling. ¡°Are there any suggestions?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t speak of her decision and instead, she threw out a question to the members present. Everyone looked at each other and didn¡¯t know what they were supposed to say. When Ying Lan saw that no one was going to speak, he took the initiative to break the silence. ¡°Master, from what this subordinate sees, we can use this path and avoid the people using the main path. We will be able to avoid clashing with the other factions along the way and we will be able to arrive at the Fallen Cloud Mountain Range in the shortest amount of time.¡± ¡°However, this path seems rather risky. If bandits were to attack us during the journey, things might get troublesome.¡± The one who spoke up was the scholar-looking man. ¡°My grandfather was once the transport envoy of the Cloud Water Nation. He had no choice but to take different paths due to unforeseen complications. I am untalented and can only remember the locations where bandits are located. Why not let me circle out those locations on the map before planning out a new route?¡± Guan Yue who had been silent the whole time spoke up. Guan Yue was a descendant of a declining clan and it wasn¡¯t a surprise for his grandfather to be a transport envoy. When everyone saw that Ying Lan and Guan Yue were trying to pick out the safest path, none of them objected. ¡°Cai Ling, go prepare a red-inked brush for Young Master Guan.¡± Bai Luochu instructed. Cai Ling acknowledged the order and immediately headed into the inner room. After a short while, she brought out a tray with a brush and an ink plate filled with red ink. When Guan Yue saw the items, he stood up and walked towards Bai Luochu. He picked up the brush and started to circle out the locations. In a few moments, he marked out all the locations in his memory. Just as Guan Yue placed the brush down and was about to head back to his seat, Bai Luochu threw out a question. ¡°Which path does Yong Master Guan think we should take?¡± Bai Luochu understood that Guan Yue had been raised in the Guan Clan as the next successor and was even entrusted with the task of restoring the clan¡¯s glory. Since that was the case, he should be able to think of the safest path. After hearing the question directed at him, Guan Yue stared blankly into space for a moment before realizing that Divine Physician Bai was clear about his background. As soon as Guan Yue said he was going to circle out the locations, Divine Physician Bai already had plans for Guan Yue to reveal everything he knew. Guan Yue couldn¡¯t help but shake his head as a smile appeared on his face. Divine Physician Bai is truly a shrewd person. In terms of schemes, not even Ying Lan could compare to Bai Luochu, let alone a young and inexperienced person like Guan Yue. It was no wonder Divine Physician Bai could make a person like Ying Lan serve beside him so willingly. Guan Yue understood that even if he didn¡¯t say it now, he would be questioned in private. He immediately picked up the brush again and traced out two of the safest routes from the capital city to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Chapter 125: Appointing the Palace Master Guan Yue seemed to have expected Bai Luochu¡¯s question and had already prepared an answer. As these routes were marked out with his grandfather¡¯s many years of experience as a transport envoy, Guan Yue felt rather proud of it. He who was originally indifferent and unfriendly started to explain himself. Before giving his reason, he asked Bai Luochu a question of his own, ¡°According to Divine Physician Bai¡¯s wise opinion, what do these routes emphasize?¡± Bai Luochu was rather astonished when faced with a question from Guan Yue, but she quickly regained her composure and replied, ¡°Safety, comfort, speed.¡± These three words that came out in succession were the exact ones in Guan Yue¡¯s mind. Guan Yue didn¡¯t keep everyone in suspense and immediately explained, ¡°What Divine Physician Bai said is correct and that¡¯s the exact reason I chose the two paths. The main path is constructed by the imperial court and is both smooth and spacious. Be it for horses, carriages, or foot, that is the most comfortable way to travel. Of course, that path is guarded by soldiers and that ensures the safety of all travelers. Furthermore, The main path is used when military secrets and important resources are transported. This path passes through the least cities and is the shortest possible route we can take.¡± ¡°As such, there will be a lot of people traveling along the main path. It won¡¯t fulfill our requirements at all. We need to use alternative routes.¡± ¡°Safety is our top priority. Before this, I eliminated the hidden dangers on the map based on my memory. Other paths should be safe for us to travel on. Only three of the five routes are left and most of them will cause us to pass through huge cities. These are the only paths left leading to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. For those people who don¡¯t choose the main path, they will definitely choose one of these three paths.¡± ¡°Out of the two left, one of them will cause us to take a detour to the back of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range before we can ascend the mountain. Furthermore, it will lead us on a winding path that passes through random towns on the way there. As for the last route, it¡¯s a small path hacked out by people carrying out shameful businesses. It¡¯s narrow and regular carriages will not be able to pass through. The road is uneven and those so-called outstanding individuals will definitely not choose this path.¡± ¡°No one other than those involved in those shady businesses should know of that path. Why is it on the map?¡± Bai Luochu already knew the answer in her heart. She was simply asking to confirm her thoughts. Bai Luochu looked at Ying Lan who nodded in response as an indication that Guan Yue was speaking the truth. ¡°But, Young Master Guan pointed out that this path is used by people who are involved in some shameless business. It is hard to say if these people are fugitives or not. If we are to recklessly take this path, won¡¯t it be dangerous?¡± Hearing the doubt in everyone¡¯s mind, Guan Yue took the initiative and replied, ¡°Everyone doesn¡¯t need to worry about this. These people are simply trying to secure their livelihood and hope that no one sees them along the way. As long as we don¡¯t stir up any trouble, there will not be any danger. After the reformation of the authorities¡¯ governance, it¡¯s really difficult to smuggle items in and out of cities. With the even harsher conditions right now, those who use that path will definitely have their own concerns. Everyone can be at ease.¡± ¡°Young Master Guan is someone who considers all aspects of a plan thoroughly. Seeing as how he is able to explain the reasoning behind taking either two paths, shouldn¡¯t we put our trust in him?¡± When Bai Luochu gave her opinion, it became clear to everyone that they should place their trust in Guan Yue. When everyone heard Bai Luochu¡¯s words, all of them fell silent. In the end, they were just subordinates and they were lucky their master was including them in important discussions. What more could they wish for? ¡°My lord, we should assign the teams now and pick out the route. There isn¡¯t a lot of time before our deadline is up. It is better for us to come up with a plan now.¡± When Ying Lan saw that no one was raising any objections, he immediately exhorted and hoped that Bai Luochu could make use of this opportunity to convince everyone to agree to her arrangements. Bai Luochu naturally understood Ying Lan¡¯s thoughts. She didn¡¯t hesitate anymore and she immediately acted. ¡°Right now, I am still ¡®Divine Physician Bai¡¯ to the outsiders. I¡¯m not related to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence in any way and because of my identity, many people are paying attention to me. I cannot officially take up a key position in the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence for now. Ying Lan is someone who has been following me for a long time and he always does things appropriately and with thorough considerations. Right now, I am appointing Ying Lan as the Palace Master of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. When I am not around, everything will be handled by Ying Lan. If any of you need to clarify anything, you can ask him. Does anyone object to my arrangement?¡± Bai Luochu might be bent on making Ying Lan the Palace Master, but if anyone had any objections or other candidates, she would need to take them into account. Bai Luochu was rather surprised that under Ying Lan¡¯s leadership, the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence was united and acted as a single body. When Bai Luochu spoke of her decision, no one refuted. Instead, all of them clapped their hands and offered their congratulations to Ying Lan. Ying Lan responded politely to all of them. ¡°Many thanks to everyone¡¯s trust and appreciation. I will live up to your expectations.¡± After thanking everyone, he turned around and kneeled in front of Bai Luochu with one knee on the ground. ¡°This subordinate shall live up to Master¡¯s expectations. I will give my all to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and I hope that Master will be at ease. This subordinate will do his best to make the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence the strongest backer for Master!¡± After finishing his statement, he kowtowed to the ground with a loud ¡®thud¡¯. Bai Luochu responded by helping Ying Lan up. ¡°Of course I trust you. There is no need for such actions. You may stand up.¡± Chapter 126: Volunteering Everyone present understood what Ying Lan meant. He was afraid that his master might no longer possess any authority in the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence in the future. But in everyone¡¯s heart, it was already an extraordinary matter for Bai Luochu to convince so many of them to join the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. In their eyes, a person like Bai Luochu who was proficient in medical skills, adept at schemes, together with the fact that she had otherworldly wisdom, it truly seemed like she was an existence close to the gods. Apart from the fact that her cultivation was slightly weaker, the rest of her attributes were flawless. After Bai Luochu helped Ying Lan up, she carried on, ¡°As for the rest of the matters, they shall all be handed over to Ying Lan. I will only be taking charge of the specific arrangements for the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that no one had any opinions, she continued speaking. ¡°Since Guan Yue has pointed out two routes, let us not waste his efforts. We have to make good use of his suggestion. According to my plan, Ying Lan shall lead a team and use the route that brings them on a detour to the back of the mountain. I will lead a team to take the narrow path. Splitting up will ensure that there shall be no delays even if one of the teams encounters some mishap. We will be leaving behind a few individuals to take care of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence.¡± ¡°Who is Divine Physician Bai planning to pick for the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range? Who will be in charge of taking care of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence in your absence?¡± The one who spoke was the scholar-looking man. He was in charge of the teahouse and it was obvious that he had some prestige among this group of people. When he spoke, he addressed the question in everyone¡¯s mind. Bai Luochu looked at Ying Lan and saw that he also had an awkward expression on his face. She hastily spoke up in order to alleviate the awkward atmosphere. ¡°We will respect everyone¡¯s opinion on this matter. Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t wish to go to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range? You may voice out your opinions now. I will not force anyone to head over.¡± Just as Bai Luochu¡¯s voice fell, a few of the ladies raised their hands immediately. As this was within Bai Luochu¡¯s expectation, she didn¡¯t say anything. The trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range was extremely dangerous without the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s presence. With the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s presence, the trip was exceptionally dangerous. Bai Luochu raised her hand and indicated for everyone to lower their hand. Just as Bai Luochu was about to move on to the next step of the arrangement, she saw the scholar-looking man raising his hand. Bai Luochu turned back and tilted her head slightly as though she was mulling over something. He saw that Bai Luochu was starting to become suspicious and he explained himself, ¡°Although a man should aspire to travel far to make his mark, if Commander Ying is going to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, there will be no one here to take care of the businesses in the capital city. Everyone¡¯s cultivation is adequate and it won¡¯t matter if I go. In terms of business matters, apart from Commander Ying, I am the next best individual. I thought of staying behind in order to make use of my abilities for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. I hope that Divine Physician Bai will understand and grant my request.¡± Bai Luochu was shocked at his ability to see the big picture. She immediately agreed to his request. ¡°You are¡­ Meng Luoping, right?¡± Bai Luochu asked the scholar-looking man. That man was also surprised that Bai Luochu actually remembered his name. He immediately replied with a pleasantly surprised tone, ¡°That is correct. My name is Meng Luoping. I am indebted to Divine Physician Bai¡¯s attention for remembering my name.¡± After all, the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence had plenty of people. It was truly a difficult task for Bai Luochu to remember all of their names. As for Ying Lan who was standing beside Bai Luochu, he didn¡¯t think anything of it. In the past, Bai Luochu had thousands of secret guards and most of them looked the same. As a secret guard, none of them could possess any special traits as that would allow their enemies to remember them. Thus, not even the former temple master were able to differentiate between all of the secret guards under Bai Luochu. However, Bai Luochu was actually able to identify each and every one of them. She could even remember what they were proficient at. When Ying Lan looked at everyone who had their own unique style of dressing, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh in his heart as these people were so much easier to identify compared to her secret guards. When Ying Lan recalled those brothers and sisters who were willing to risk their lives and limbs for each other, he felt a little sorrowful and the atmosphere around him immediately became a little heavier. Bai Luochu was the first person to detect something wrong with Ying Lan. However, she never expected him to be thinking of the past. She assumed that he was thinking of the fallen temple and she quickly changed the topic to shift his attention. ¡°Ying Lan, pick some people to bring along on the journey, Make some arrangements for the rest of them.¡± Bai Luochu gave her instruction. When Ying Lan heard the order, he immediately started to categorize them based on their strengths and weaknesses. He picked over ten individuals, forming a small team. They would be the vanguard team and Guan Yue was part of them. As for the other team, Bai Luochu had yet to list out the names. ¡°Guan Yue cannot go. Leave him behind, I have something more important for him to do. If you think that you don¡¯t have enough men, choose another one.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s statement caused a commotion and Guan Yue couldn¡¯t sit still. ¡°Why does Divine Physician Bai want to keep me in the capital city?¡± Guan Yue still had that cold and prideful expression on his face as he spoke in a faintly enraged tone. Bai Luochu could faintly see the bursting veins on his forehead even though Guan Yue was restraining himself. She understood that this prideful youth was really angry this time. She lamented his hardheadedness and felt that extra training would greatly benefit the impatient Guan Yue. ¡°This evening around 5 pm, I will look for you in the Silk Flower Pavilion and I will tell you my plans. If you still wish to go to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range after that, you can simply follow Ying Lan. If you choose to stay behind, remember to get someone to inform me.¡± Bai Luochu was helpless and could only pacify him for now. Ying Lan saw that his mistress was probably going to make Guan Yue stay behind no matter what and he decided to look for another strong individual. Chapter 127: Dispute Breaking Ou The moment a question entered their mind, they were willing to voice it out. ¡°Earlier on, Divine Physician Bai said that we must not waste Young Master Guan¡¯s efforts and should make use of both the routes. Who would be using the other route?¡± Bai Luochu looked at Cai Ling beside her and at the silver-haired man who was like an invisible existence standing in the corner, she then said, ¡°Since I am a member of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, I have to do my part too. I cannot let everyone do the work while I enjoy all the benefits.¡± ¡°Master, are you keeping Guan Yue behind so that he can head over to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range with you?¡± Ying Lan assumed that Bai Luochu was keeping Guan Yue behind for this purpose. When Guan Yue heard Ying Lan¡¯s words, he thought Bai Luochu already had a plan for him. A hopeful light instantly appeared in his eyes. When Bai Luochu saw the change in Guan Yue¡¯s expression, she couldn¡¯t bear to disappoint him. However, she still announced her decision. ¡°You have already taught Cai Ling the fundamentals. It¡¯s about time for her to head out and learn through practical experience.¡± Ying Lan opened his mouth and was about to retort but Bai Luochu quickly interrupted him. ¡°I know about your concerns. However, if you are worried about my safety, you can rest easy. He is going along as well....¡± After the words left Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth, she raised her hand and pointed at the silver-haired man. Everyone looked over and they felt some surprise when they saw him standing there. Why would Divine Physician Bai bring along the mysterious man and not Guan Yue? Some of them turned to look at Guan Yue and noticed that other than a disappointed expression, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Everyone immediately withdrew their gaze as they lowered their head in silence. In the main hall of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, there was a stifling and discontented atmosphere as Ying Lan and Guan Yue both had something to say. Bai Luochu knew that when she picked the silver-haired man, not only would Guan Yue be embarrassed, even Ying Lan would be dissatisfied. However, she had plans of her own. Ying Lan couldn¡¯t contain himself and he hurriedly voiced his disapproval, ¡°Master, please forgive this subordinate¡¯s opinion. This person might have offered a lot of help during the construction of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, but he isn¡¯t a member of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. He might have other intentions and he seemed to be really clear about our actions. I cannot believe that he has no ulterior motives and I don¡¯t agree with your decision to bring someone with unknown origins along for this mission.¡± Ying Lan immediately became agitated when he heard the silver-haired man speak after remaining silent all this while. He yelled out, ¡°You have been quiet all this while, but now that we are about to mess up your plan, you start to speak out... Master, it is better not to keep such a person by your side.¡± Ying Lan didn¡¯t forget to persuade Bai Luochu at the end and hoped that she wouldn¡¯t make use of him. ¡°Ying Lan, going to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range is one of his conditions. We cannot burn the bridge after crossing it. It seems like he made huge contributions when constructing the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Don¡¯t go against him just because you don¡¯t like him.¡± When Bai Luochu saw how Ying Lan was treating the silver-haired man, she felt that Ying Lan was a little excessive and tried to mediate the quickly deteriorating situation. ¡°Master, it is fine if he wants to go to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, he will have to follow me. In fact, there is no problem for him to go with any other member of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. However, he cannot be beside you. Besides, Cai Ling has just entered the path of cultivation, if this person suddenly acts against you, how is it possible for both of you to survive?¡± ¡°How are we going to do it then? Won¡¯t our journey be more dangerous if Cai Ling and I travel on our own? The rest of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence will have to be split up into two groups. The first group will be with Meng Luoping and the other group will have to guard the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Even with the support of my array at the foot of the mountain, how can we allow the massive mountain gates to be empty?!¡± For a long time now, Ying Lan had always followed Bai Luochu¡¯s orders obediently as Bai Luochu accepted Ying Lan¡¯s suggestions in a straightforward manner. But right now, the two of them were quarreling because of an unknown individual. Everyone started to hesitate and none of them knew what to do. After Bai Luochu fell silent, the whole hall was filled with a heavy and stifling atmosphere. At the end of the day, Bai Luochu was the true leader of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Bai Luochu closed her eyes as though she was taking a short rest, but in fact, she didn¡¯t want to see the unpleasant expression on Ying Lan¡¯s face. It would only make her more frustrated. Ying Lan still had a hostile expression and would constantly glance at the silver-haired man while rolling his eyes. Of course, there was also Guan Yue whose face was as black as a thundercloud. Those who weren¡¯t clear of the situation might think that they owed him 800 taels of silver. A long time passed and Bai Luochu nearly fell asleep. Cai Ling¡¯s knees were starting to turn numb when Bai Luochu finally opened her eyes. She turned around and said, ¡°Ying Lan, I know that you are worried for me but the manpower we have right now is extremely limited. He is the best candidate here strong enough to protect me on this journey. No matter how you persuade me, I won¡¯t change my mind. You should save your efforts.¡± When Ying Lan heard Bai Luochu¡¯s statement, he sucked in a few mouthfuls of breaths before calming himself down. Ying Lan understood that once Bai Luochu made her decision, there was no way to change it. A respectful expression appeared on his face once again and he spoke, ¡°Since that is the case, this subordinate shall obey. This trip will be a long one and this subordinate will not be able to serve by your side. I hope that Master will take good care of yourself.¡± Chapter 128: Deploying the Poison Array After a lifetime of understanding and interaction, the dispute between Bai Luochu and Ying Lan might be a rare sight to outsiders, but to the two of them, it was just a brief interlude which made their bond even deeper. The mistress and servant had already gotten over it, leaving Guan Yue as the only one left who was dissatisfied. ¡°For those people traveling to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range with Ying Lan, all of you will be setting off in advance. After Ying Lan comes up with a plan, he will inform all of you of the exact timing and date. For those who do not wish to make the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, you will follow Meng Luoping and manage the businesses in the capital city. As for those who wish to go to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range but weren''t chosen, you shall guard the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. If anyone tries to barge into our territory, you don¡¯t need to act politely. Do you understand?¡± After Bai Luochu made the arrangements, she dismissed everyone. ¡°Everyone, this is an urgent situation, please return and make your preparations. I still have to deploy the array at the foot of the mountain. I shall take my leave first¡­ farewell.¡± Bai Luochu left and descended the mountain without even turning her head. Ying Lan followed behind together with Cai Ling who was holding a bowl with everyone¡¯s blood. At the foot of the mountain, Bai Luochu took out the poison herbs that she had prepared in advance and started to deploy the poison array. Looking at Ying Lan from the corner of her eye, she saw that he wanted to say something but eventually swallowed his words. ¡°Just say whatever you wish to say. Since there are no outsiders here, there is no need to be overly cautious.¡± After obtaining Bai Luochu¡¯s approval, Ying Lan finally spoke without reservations. ¡°Mistress, it is true that our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence doesn¡¯t have a lot of capable people. However, there are plenty of people with great cultivation and clean backgrounds. Why do you insist on using that strange person with a shady origin? What if something really happens? How many more years do you want this subordinate to search for you this time?!¡± Bai Luochu paused as Ying Lan¡¯s reaction really shocked her. Bai Luochu felt that she had already experienced death once and she no longer treasured her life. She had always been careful as she wanted to take revenge for the disciples of her fallen temple. It was also the reason why she held herself back. She didn¡¯t expect for Ying Lan, who was a secret guard who threaded the line between life and death, to view it with such importance. If he was like this, what about the rest of Bai Luochu¡¯s secret guards? Were they also like this? In order not to worry Ying Lan further, Bai Luochu quickly explained her intentions. ¡°On the other hand, the businesses in the capital city require manpower, the newly constructed palace also requires people to defend it. I have no choice but to rely on external assistance during my trip. The silver-haired man hasn''t been hostile towards me since the beginning and his cultivation level is pretty high. That is the reason behind my selection. Furthermore, he gives me a very strange feeling. We seem to be acquaintances even though I¡¯m sure I never met him before. Perhaps, I will be able to obtain the information about the secret I have been searching for from him.¡± When Bai Luochu explained herself, she became serious as she spoke of the ¡®secret¡¯. Ying Lan was originally an intelligent person and he knew Bai Luochu¡¯s train of thoughts. Right now, he understood that his mistress made Guan Yue stay behind because she wanted him to defend the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence when she made the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. After considering everything, Ying Lan no longer tried to dissuade Bai Luochu and he started to help her set up the poison array. Bai Luochu took the poison herbs and soaked it in the blood for a moment. She then used her spirit qi to envelop the herbs before waiting for them to absorb all the blood in the bowl. She started to refine the herbs with her spiritual energy until the essence was extracted. Bai Luochu finally dripped the essence of the herbs onto the item that would serve as the source of the array. Bai Luochu used her spiritual energy to bind up the source of the array tightly. Her spiritual energy was different from others as her spiritual energy was milky white instead of the usual transparent. Ying Lan was silently amazed as it was just a little more than two weeks and his mistress¡¯ spiritual energy had already reached such a horrifying stage. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have the time to bother about Ying Lan¡¯s thoughts. She was currently concentrating her spiritual energy onto the source of the array and she hoped that she could complete it as soon as possible. Bai Luochu¡¯s spiritual energy was much stronger than before and it took ten minutes before she blended the essence, a mix of the blood and poison herbs, into the source of the array. Bai Luochu personally picked a few items and placed them in fixed positions according to the deployment of the array. When she was finally done laying them down, the array could be considered half done. In the next moment, Bai Luochu raised her right palm where her spirit qi was circulating and she sucked out the rest of the blood in the bowl. Compressing the blood, a piece of ruby-like crystal was formed. When Bai Luochu saw the bead of blood taking shape, she raised her left hand and wrapped this blood with layers of spiritual energy. After refining it again, she waved her hand and scattered it into the air. Right now, the mountain where the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence was located had a protective barrier around it. When Bai Luochu waved her hand and sent the blood flying, a blood-red color appeared on the barrier. Before anyone could see it clearly, the blood-red color vanished and the barrier became invisible once again. Ying Lan knew a thing or two about this array but he didn¡¯t imagine that his mistress was able to execute it to such a level. When Ying Lan saw Bai Luochu¡¯s current strength, he understood that Bai Luochu¡¯s spiritual energy had improved greatly. He asked respectfully, ¡°Please forgive this subordinate for asking too much. Mistress... did your spiritual energy cultivation progress to the next level again?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say much. She simply extracted her spiritual energy and covered Ying Lan¡¯s body. The moment Bai Luochu extracted her spiritual energy, Ying Lan felt an earth-shattering strength assault him. Since he knew that the attack came from his mistress and wasn¡¯t going to harm him, he allowed it to envelop his body as he experienced it for himself. When Ying Lan felt the strength behind Bai Luochu¡¯s spiritual energy, he felt deep admiration for her. When he first found his mistress, she merely started her journey of cultivation. Right now, her spiritual energy was at such a terrifying level! She was truly an existence who couldn¡¯t be compared to ordinary people like them. Furthermore, his mistress had the body of a wastrel! Chapter 129: Rumors on the Streets ¡°Congratulations to Mistress for achieving such great progress in cultivation within such a short period of time.¡± When Ying Lan saw Bai Luochu¡¯s current cultivation level, he became wild with joy and immediately congratulated her. Bai Luochu wasn''t overly delighted in regards to Ying Lan''s congratulations. After all, her current strength was obtained through cultivation for the past two weeks as she woke up early and slept late. She was simply reaping what she sowed and her strength was mainly gained through her hard work. It didn¡¯t drop from the sky and there was nothing worth celebrating. However, Ying Lan was sincerely congratulating Bai Luochu, hence, she responded, ¡°Alright, enough talk. I still have things to handle and shall return first. Tonight, I still have to visit the Silk Flower Pavilion to straighten things out with Guan Yue. If I don¡¯t, he might leave the palace in a fit of rage.¡± Bai Luochu finished her statement and led Cai Ling back. Ying Lan maintained his pose as he cupped his fists to send her off. He only moved after Bai Luochu was far away. When Bai Luochu was walking on the streets of the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial city, she felt that there were much more people than before. She was in a hurry when she headed to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and didn¡¯t have time to look around. Now that she saw it, she realized that the number of people on the streets was more than that when the Phoenix King Valley was carrying out their disciple selection. It was really bustling with activity. ¡°Cai Ling, is the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciple selection still on going?¡± Bai Luochu was holed up in her room for the past two weeks and was naturally unaware of the rumors spreading around town. She felt that it was abnormal for the capital city to be this lively, thus, she shot a question to Cai Ling. Of course Cai Ling knew the reason for the heightened activity level but as Bai Luochu had been in seclusion for almost half a month, she was no different from a person who lived in a cave their whole life. It was natural for Bai Luochu to not know anything. After thinking about it, Cai Ling decided to narrate all the information and happenings of the capital city to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu heard Cai Ling¡¯s explanation but was still doubtful. She continued to ask, ¡°You mean that all these people are here for the Green Flame Eagle?¡± Cai Ling nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, these people are the ones who recently arrived in the capital city. I have yet to include those who had already set off for the Falling Cloud Mountain Range or those whose base are even closer to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but sneer after hearing Cai Ling¡¯s words. She started to complain. ¡°The Phoenix King Valley is getting better and better... They actually allowed their own members to leak the information. This is really hilarious.¡± ¡°Exactly. I heard that those few disciples immediately surrendered themselves when the news started to spread. However, their punishment wasn¡¯t severe at all and they got off with a simple warning. No one understood the intention of the Phoenix King Valley.¡± When Cai Ling heard Bai Luochu lamenting, she revealed all that she knew. The others might not understand the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s intention, but as the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s ¡®old friend¡¯, Bai Luochu understood the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s true intention. Those who caused the trouble were probably outer valley disciples and there were rules in regards to those outer valley disciples when the Phoenix King Valley was established. When the Phoenix King Valley met with any crisis, the outer valley disciples would be the ones standing on the frontlines and the inner valley disciples would take up positions behind them. In nicer terms, the outer valley disciples were positioned in such a way where they could temper themselves. In fact, those inner valley disciples were mostly descendants of officials and noble clans. If something were to happen, the Phoenix King Valley wouldn¡¯t be able to give a good explanation. As for the outer valley disciples, they were merely descendants of mediocre and lowly clans. Even if something happened to them, the Phoenix King Valley could simply settle it with some silver without any repercussions. Right now, they were about to execute their plan to capture the Green Flame Eagle. Cannonfodder was definitely needed and the outer valley disciples would definitely be the ones leading the way. The inner valley disciples would be able to obtain the Green Flame Eagle and avoid all injuries. Since the establishment of the Phoenix King Valley, all of them knew how to worship the strong and stomp on the weak. Apart from a few righteous individuals, the rest of the people were like jackals of the same tribe. Their actions were so extreme that even Bai Luochu who was from the evil dao couldn¡¯t agree with them. The reason why they could be known as one of the Three Great Immortal Sects was closely related to the two other immortal sects. The dirtier the deeds of the sect, the harder they were to approach. However, this wasn¡¯t the time for Cai Ling to learn these facts. Firstly, there were too many things that a servant girl like her shouldn¡¯t know. Secondly, it would seem rather stranger for the current Bai Luochu to know so much about the Phoenix King Valley. There were still many things waiting for Bai Luochu to settle and it was best for her to keep her hands off other issues. When Bai Luochu reached a conclusion, she instructed Cai Ling, ¡°Why don¡¯t you return to the residence first? I will make a trip to the Hundred Herbs Hall to purchase some herbs. You¡¯ve been busy these few days¡­ you should take a break.¡± ¡°Is Mistress not feeling well?¡± When Cai Ling heard that Bai Luochu was heading to the Hundred Herbs Hall, she assumed that Bai Luochu wanted to get some medication. Cai Ling became concerned all of a sudden. ¡°I am not unwell. However, before we can head to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, we need to prepare some medicine just in case.¡± When Bai Luochu saw how nervous Cai Ling was, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shake her head. Bai Luochu was lamenting the fact that Cai Ling was muddle headed the moment she heard that Bai Luochu wanted to go to the Hundred Herbs Hall. She couldn¡¯t even discern that Bai Luochu was completely fine. Cai Ling understood her mistress¡¯s intention and didn¡¯t ask any more questions. She simply bowed and asked to leave, ¡°Will Mistress please be careful and return to the residence as soon as possible.¡± Chapter 130: The Undercurrent in the Imperial Study On the same morning, not only were the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence having a discussion about the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range at their new base of operation, the same scene could be seen in the imperial study. After the morning imperial court assembly, the Emperor summoned his sons into the imperial study. As some of the princes weren¡¯t appointed with important roles in the imperial court, they would only join in the grand imperial court assembly every 1st and 15th of the month. During the normal imperial court assembly, only the First Prince, Pei Rumo, and Third Prince, Pei Wuchen, would be around. However, today wasn¡¯t the 1st or the 15th, but all of the princes were summoned into the palace by the Emperor. As for the reason, everyone had a clear answer in their heart. It was probably due to the fact that the information about the Phoenix King Valley heading to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range to capture the Green Flame Eagle had reached the ears of their Emperor Father. Just the day before, the Emperor had even summoned the old hall master of the Phoenix King Valley. With how things were going, it seemed as though the old emperor was planning to send his sons over to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range as well. The atmosphere of the imperial study was rather strange. The Emperor was seated on the host seat as he dozed off with his eyes closed. The ambergris incense was lit and the smell filled the room. The chief eunuch stood beside the Emperor silently. There wasn¡¯t a need to mention those palace maids who waved the fan as they stood at the back. They obediently remained in their position as they continued to fan like a machine. It seemed extremely peaceful but the undercurrents were surging.. The smell of the ambergris incense continued to spread and those who were not used to it started to get headaches. When everyone started to feel uncomfortable, the incense finally burned out. Perhaps it was too quiet, everyone seemed to be able to hear the sound of the ash falling to the ground. No one knew if the Emperor felt that the smell of the incense was fading or if he heard the sound of the ash hitting the ground. His eyes snapped open and his gaze shifted to all the princes. The old emperor raised his hand and waved it lightly as though he was trying to scatter the concentrated smell of incense. When the chief eunuch saw the Emperor¡¯s action, he instantly dismissed all the other eunuch and palace maids. Since those two palace maids could serve the Emperor, they were naturally tactful. They instantly placed the fans down properly and left the imperial study. In the room, only the most respectable and influential people of the Cloud Water Nation were left. Pei Wuchen already expected that his Emperor Father would start with him. After all, among all the princes present, he had the closest relationship with the Phoenix King Valley. It was fortunate that Pei Wuchen had already made preparations in advance. As soon as the Emperor asked, he immediately replied according to the script he prepared. ¡°In response to Emperor Father¡¯s question, this son just learned of this matter. I believe that the Phoenix King Valley had recently obtained information through some secret sources and it caused them to make the decision to capture the Green Flame Eagle. When this son heard the rumors, I was also extremely astonished. The Phoenix King Valley had strict rules and they were not allowed to drink excessively. However, from what I know, the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples released this piece of news after getting drunk. This son didn¡¯t believe it and didn¡¯t seek confirmation from the Phoenix King Valley. Since this information might not be accurate, I couldn¡¯t make a report to Emperor Father. It was only the day before when Junior Sister Wan¡¯er looked for me that I understood that the rumors were true. Before I had the time to report, Emperor Father summoned me.¡± Pei Wuchen¡¯s explanation was watertight and flawless. Firstly, he expressed that he had just obtained the information before explaining his late reaction to report the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s intentions to the old emperor. After making all these excuses, he managed to shake off all the dirty water on himself. The old emperor¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest. He knew his third son had a skillful mouth and all his words were calculated. The Emperor¡¯s inquiry was simply a way for him to beat some sense into Pei Wuchen. He wanted to see if Pei Wuchen was siding with the nation or the Phoenix King Valley. Furthermore, the Emperor wanted Pei Wuchen to know that no matter how much glory Pei Wuchen had, the Emperor was the person holding all the authority in the Cloud Water Nation. ¡°Do you have any good plans?¡± The old emperor sat straight and narrowed his eyes a little, seemingly waiting for his prey to jump into the trap. Cold sweat was about to roll down Pei Wuchen¡¯s back as this matter involved the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s interests and also the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s interests. Furthermore, his current situation as the bridge between the two factions was a strenuous and unrewarding task. If he didn¡¯t handle it properly, both sides would turn on him. Pei Wuchen had no choice but to force out a smile before replying to the old emperor. ¡°In response to Emperor Father, in this son¡¯s humble opinion, the capital city is filled with crooks. The Phoenix King Valley won¡¯t be the only ones heading out to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Why not use the excuse of this son wanting to provide assistance to the Phoenix King Valley to bring all my brothers to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range?¡± When this Emperor heard the reply, he knew that his third son was clear on his stance. He laughed heartily and said, ¡°Hahaha, it will be for the best. I am not wrong... Chen¡¯er understands my intention. Since that is the case, we will do as you say.¡± Pei Wuchen sighed in relief. He finally passed the Emperor¡¯s test and what he had to do next was to convince Feng Wan¡¯er and the old hall master. ¡°Emperor Father, this son can¡¯t travel due to my injured legs. However, I still wish to look at the Green Flame Eagle. Can this son head over in a carriage? I¡¯ll travel on the main path and the rest of the brothers will follow the Phoenix King Valley.¡± The one who spoke was Pei Qingfeng. He was worried that he couldn¡¯t follow Bai Luochu into the Falling Cloud Mountain Range but a single decision from the old emperor settled all his worries. The Emperor loved this son who had superior foresight and ability to take care of the country. Had it not for his body being crippled, the Emperor wouldn¡¯t allow Pei Qingfeng to just be an idle prince. He immediately agreed to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s request. ¡°This son thanks Emperor Father for his approval.¡± When the old emperor saw that the matter was settled, he didn¡¯t keep them in the study. He dismissed everyone back to their own residences. Everyone quickly sought permission to leave and was afraid they would accidentally infuriate this old dragon. Only Pei Wuchen hoped that he would be able to stay for a longer time. His mind was flooded with different explanations when he dealt with Feng Wan¡¯er. In fact, he hated the fact that time was moving so quickly. Chapter 131: Mixed Emotions Pei Wuchen¡¯s brows were locked tightly together and he had been pacing around at the entrance for a long time before he braced himself to enter the door. As soon as he entered, he encountered Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°Senior Chen? Why are you here? Are you here to look for me?¡± Pei Wuchen could feel his temples pounding and even his scalp was feeling numb. When Feng Wan¡¯er saw Pei Wuchen¡¯s silent and unpleasant expression, she felt a little suspicious. ¡°Senior brother, are you feeling uncomfortable? I see that you don¡¯t look too well.¡± She was rather concerned for him. ¡°Many thanks for junior sister¡¯s concern. I am fine. However, I do have something I need to discuss with junior sister about. Can we speak in the room?¡± When Pei Wuchen spoke, there was a grave expression on his face. Feng Wan¡¯er felt that Pei Wuchen really had something urgent to talk to her about and quickly invited him into the room. ¡°What did you say? You are bringing the princes along for the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range with the Phoenix King Valley?¡± Pei Wuchen explained the situation in the imperial study earlier and Feng Wan¡¯er couldn¡¯t sit still when she heard it. She was originally seated properly and when he spoke about how he was going to bring the other princes to the mountain range, she stood up from her seat and looked at Pei Wuchen with her huge, bell-like eyes. Her eyebrows arched upwards and there was an expression of disbelief on her face. Feng Wan¡¯er looked at Pei Wuchen¡¯s deadpan expression and understood that everything he said was true. She gradually composed herself before sitting down. ¡°I know, doing so will be making things really difficult for the Phoenix King Valley and yourself. However, Emperor Father was the one who gave the order and I can¡¯t defy him.¡± Pei Wuchen knew that he was in the wrong and he was speaking softer and softer. Feng Wan¡¯er didn¡¯t reply immediately and simply closed her eyes. After a long moment, when the air in the room was going stale, she finally opened her eyes and spoke. ¡°Do you know what kind of position I will be in because of this? Those elders in the Phoenix King Valley are already dissatisfied with how arrogant and willful I am when ordering them around. How can you agree to your Emperor Father¡¯s request so easily? Everyone knows about the relationship between you and I, and not a single person will believe me if I said that I had nothing to do with it! Tell me, how am I supposed to handle this?!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er might be peevish normally, but she wasn¡¯t a fool. She understood that Pei Wuchen had acted first and informed her later all because he wanted to keep his reputation. Now, he was pushing all this mess to her. ¡°Yes, he is my father, but he is an Emperor. He is a ruler who will make use of everything to benefit himself and the Cloud Water Nation! That¡¯s right, I am indeed his son but when I address myself as ¡®official son¡¯ in front of him, I am his official. ¡®If the ruler wants the official dead, the official has to die¡¯. Right now, he wants to make use of me in order to get a share of the pie. Do you think I feel good being sandwiched in the middle?¡± Pei Wuchen had always been cultured and refined, it was also how he treated women. Feng Wan¡¯er had never seen Pei Wuchen yelling so hysterically and loudly before and she was shocked. Pei Wuchen seemed to have realized that his attitude towards Feng Wan¡¯er wasn¡¯t too good. After all, she was someone he loved and even though he had suffered grievance and pressure from his Emperor Father, he shouldn¡¯t vent it all out on Feng Wan¡¯er. He quickly spoke up to comfort her. ¡°I lost control earlier and I hope that junior sister will not take it to heart. I will personally explain this matter to the Hall Master. Hall Master has always been the most partial person in our Phoenix King Valley and will definitely not blame junior sister.¡± Seeing that Feng Wan¡¯er wasn¡¯t replying to him, Pei Wuchen immediately left the room to look for the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s old hall master to discuss this matter. At the Second Prince¡¯s residence, another scene played out. In the study room, Pei Qingfeng had a smile on his face as he casually sipped on his tea. A folded fan rested in his other hand and he carefully studied the surface of it. He seemed extremely carefree. As for the personal guard beside him, he had a long face as though he swallowed an entire bitter gourd. ¡°Master, are you really going to head over?¡± The guard asked reluctantly. Pei Qingfeng heard the question and placed the fan down. He raised his eyes and replied, ¡°I have already agreed to it in front of my Emperor Father. I even said that I will set off earlier so as to avoid slowing everyone down due to my crippled legs. If I take back my words now, I will be deceiving the Emperor.¡± When Pei Qingfeng was done speaking, the corners of his mouth curled upwards and the smile on his face widened. It was as though he was extremely satisfied with himself. His guard felt that his master was simply a fox who had a hundred tails. When the guard saw that Pei Qingfeng was determined to make a trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range no matter what, he understood that it wouldn¡¯t matter how much he persuaded. He had no choice but to complain, ¡°Master, you obviously had this all planned out. You know that His Majesty was going to make a fuss, thus, you deceived this subordinate by saying you wouldn¡¯t go. This subordinate couldn¡¯t follow you into the imperial study and naturally wouldn¡¯t know what went down. Since you have already agreed, this subordinate would never know if it was a decree from His Majesty or was it your own intention.¡± Pei Qingfeng laughed in response. Since he had already achieved his objective, it was nothing for his guard to complain a little. ¡°Master, the number of people looking for Divine Physician Bai has finally decreased during these few days.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s guard made a report in the First Prince¡¯s residence. ¡°Prepare the items, I will be making a trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range in three days.¡± Pei Rumo instructed his subordinate before he took off the clothes he wore during the imperial court assembly. ... ¡°Is it because of that rumor? This subordinate hopes that Master will obtain good results.¡± Pei Rumo glanced at the guard and snorted. ¡°Heh, I am not taking the lead this time. Pei Wuchen is going to lead the way. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to accept your blessing this time.¡± The guard understood that he had said something wrong and immediately knelt on the ground with a ¡®plop¡¯ in order to seek forgiveness from Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t intend to punish the guard. He simply allowed the guard to get up before he muttered, ¡°But this time, Emperor Father wants to forcefully obtain a share of the profits from the Phoenix King Valley. Third Brother agreed to help Emperor Father do so... He is the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Master and also Emperor Father¡¯s favorite son. He must be trapped between a rock and a hard place right now. He¡¯s just like a mouse in the bellows, suffering from piercing wind from both directions. Right now, he must be at the relay station explaining the plan to the members of the Phoenix King Valley.¡± Chapter 132: Night Conversation at the Silk Flower Pavilion Compared to the surging undercurrent in the imperial clan, Bai Luochu¡¯s side was abnormally quiet. Her uncle, aunt, and cousin had already been frightened stiff by the previous incidents with Bai Luochu. It had been a long time since they sought trouble with her. Her uncle was originally a person who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Furthermore, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t appear in the past two weeks due to her cultivation craze. As such, the general¡¯s residence regained its former serenity. Once Bai Luochu returned to the residence, she shut herself into the room and started to refine the antidote for the poison array at the foot of the mountain. Bai Luochu might have claimed that the poison array was something that she happened to see in an ancient book and felt that it was suitable for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s protection but in fact, it was a unique poison array. Not only could it protect everything inside it, it wouldn¡¯t cause the victim to die. Bai Luochu had researched the poison array for a long time in her previous life before being proficient in it. The original intention when she worked on this poison array was rather funny and embarrassing. Back then, the temple¡¯s security was very tight, it would take two hours just to change a shift. There might be plenty of temple disciples, but the temple occupied a massive area. Just the planning of the guard shifts would take up a long time. Bai Luochu was a person who didn¡¯t wish to bother herself with things like this. As such, there were plenty of occasions where people almost broke into the temple. This finally made Bai Luochu take the security of the temple seriously. She decided to combine her expertise and everything the temple required. After putting in a great deal of effort to create this array, Bai Luochu finally completed it. By the time Bai Luochu refined the antidote, the sky was already enveloped by a thin layer of darkness. There were tiny stars scattered out in the black night sky. When Bai Luochu noticed that it was already dark, she packed up the antidote and left towards the direction of the Silk Flower Pavilion. Even if Bai Luochu was disguised as Divine Physician Bai, she was ultimately a young lady. Furthermore, if she were to enter the Silk Flower Pavilion with Divine Physician Bai¡¯s identity, she was afraid that someone would immediately stick onto her like glue. Thus, Bai Luochu decided to enter from the backdoor directly into Guan Yue¡¯s room in order to speak with him. ¡°If Divine Physician Bai is here to console me, you don¡¯t have to do it. There is no need for you to trouble yourself.¡± Guan Yue drank another cup of wine after responding to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu knew that this prideful young man was definitely angry and the words coming out of his mouth were due to his foul mood. Bai Luochu was the root cause of it and she started to explain herself, ¡°That is not true. Nobody Bai is here today to ask for a favor. I was unable to explain things clearly this morning. I wish for Young Master Guan¡¯s forgiveness.¡± Bai Luochu bowed apologetically after speaking before taking out the antidote she had just made. She handed it over to Guan Yue with both hands to express her respect for Guan Yue. Guan Yue was suspicious and he didn¡¯t immediately accept the antidote. Instead, he asked a question of his own. ¡°What is this? Why are you handing it to me?¡± Bai Luochu was silently lamenting that Guan Yue was truly hard to deal with. She had no choice but to explain, ¡°This is the antidote used to detoxify the people who will be affected by the poison array around our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Hold onto it. It will definitely be useful.¡± Bai Luochu stuffed the medicine bottle into Guan Yue¡¯s hands after she spoke. Guan Yue stared blankly and received the bottle. He still didn¡¯t understand what was going on as he stared at Bai Luochu with a frown on his face. ¡°I understand, with your cultivation, it is truly a pity that you cannot go to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. However, I have more important things that I need you to do. I don¡¯t know how long this trip will take. Our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence has recently established ourselves on the mountain. It is hard to say if the nearby small factions have any intention to put pressure on us. During the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, Ying Lan and I will not be in the capital and there will be no one overseeing the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. To a newly established faction, it will be sheer suicide if no one steps up.¡± ¡°What our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence lacks right now is manpower. Therefore, I cannot allow you to head over to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range with us. Ying Lan has been serving by my side and I am clear about his capabilities. This morning, when Meng Luoping volunteered to stay and take care of the businesses in the capital, he solved one of my headaches. Right now, there is one problem left and it¡¯s about how there is no one overseeing the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence when Ying Lan and I leave.¡± ¡°I am truly ashamed. As of now, I am still unaware about the abilities of our members. With no other choice, I chose you to stay behind. I hope you can take care of the palace while we head out.¡± After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s sincere apology and explanation, the anger in Guan Yue¡¯s heart diminished by a whole lot. However, there was a trace of resentment in his voice as he complained, ¡°Why must it be me?¡± ¡°One of the reasons is that I understand you the most out of everyone in the palace. Secondly, you have the most outstanding cultivation in your age group. If such a person oversees our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, we will be able to deter the weaklings who come looking for trouble.Thirdly, you have always dealt with things in a steady manner. Because of your family¡¯s situation, you are knowledgeable and experienced. You can deal with matters after looking at the big picture. I only discovered it just now when you were explaining the routes we could take.¡± Bai Luochu explained everything to Guan Yue. ¡°If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have added on anything when we were discussing the plan...¡± Guan Yue muttered softly and turned to ask Bai Luochu, ¡°How certain are you in dealing with the Green Flame Eagle?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say anything and she unleashed all her spiritual energy onto Guan Yue. He instantly turned pale as he was unable to react in time. Bai Luochu knew that she was too hasty and she should immediately retract her spiritual energy in order not to harm him. Guan Yue knew that Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit qi and strength was inferior to him. However, he didn¡¯t expect that she was able to increase her spiritual energy to such a horrifying level during the span of two weeks. She was able to ignore the difference in spirit qi and exert such pressure on him with her spiritual energy. Guan Yue understood what Bai Luochu was trying to say and he smiled. ¡°Since I cannot personally go to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range to see the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s true appearance, I hope that Divine Physician Bai will bring it back for me to take a good look at it. Otherwise, I will be staying in the capital city in vain.¡± Chapter 133: The Reason Within No content Chapter 134: Making Threats and Promises After Bai Luochu spoke, she left the study room without turning back. When she exited the Remote Paddy Inn, she even pushed her movement skill to the limit and returned to the residence. She was afraid that Ying Lan would chase after her to make her give up on the journey to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Ying Lan watched as his mistress vanished instantly and knew that he couldn¡¯t chase after her even if he wanted to. He was cursing the speed at which Bai Luochu improved and the fact that she was adamant about heading over to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Since he had no chance of convincing her, he was no longer at a loss of what to do as he went straight into his study room. As soon as he stepped into the study room, Ying Lan thought that since he couldn¡¯t persuade his mistress, why not look for that silver-haired man to threaten him and make him promise that he would protect the mistress with all he had? Ying Lan thought that it was a great idea and made his way to the silver-haired man¡¯s residence. This time, Ying Lan didn¡¯t hesitate, after all, this matter was already a done deal. He was here simply because of his mistress¡¯ safety and it was something that he wouldn¡¯t feel hesitant about. Once Ying Lan arrived at the entrance of that silver-haired man¡¯s courtyard, he immediately knocked on the door. The silver-haired man was currently enjoying wine while admiring the moon. When he heard someone knocking on the door, he felt rather curious. Since he didn¡¯t have any friends in the capital city, who would look for him at this time? After thinking about it, the silver-haired man walked straight to the entrance and opened the door. When he saw Ying Lan, he instantly knew that Ying Lan was here because of the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Without delay, he invited Ying Lan into the house. Ying Lan originally wanted to mock the silver-haired man for opening the door so late at night. However, when he recalled the silver-haired man¡¯s strength, the words couldn¡¯t leave his mouth. If he was to ask his question, he might be made fun of instead. He wasn¡¯t going to do such things to dig a pit for himself. He entered the door without reservations and headed straight for the stone table in the yard and sat down. The silver-haired man poured a cup for wine for Ying Lan before asking, ¡°Why is Commander Ying Lan visiting at such a late hour?¡± In fact, the silver-haired man already guessed Ying Lan¡¯s purpose. He was asking because he wanted Ying Lan to take the initiative to beg him, allowing him to gain the upper hand in this conversation. Ying Lan finished his statement while the silver-haired man kept silent. Ying Lan was immediately agitated but he knew that he couldn¡¯t do anything to anger the silver-haired man. Hence, he swallowed the ball of rage in his heart and said, ¡°I hope you can understand the importance of protecting Master. You and I have similar cultivation and if anything happens to Master, I will risk my life to kill you.¡± The silver-haired man finally raised his head to look at Ying Lan with his limpid eyes. He still had an indifferent expression but he was cursing silently as he thought about how Ying Lan was asking him for help. Wasn¡¯t this a threat? In fact, even if Ying Lan didn¡¯t come, he was going to make sure that Bai Luochu would return unscathed without losing even one strand of hair. The silver-haired man was a person who was proud and aloof. He didn¡¯t want to fight with Ying Lan and he quickly replied, ¡°Commander Ying doesn¡¯t have to worry. I will definitely protect him. If there is nothing else, please return. I still have to rest.¡± The silver-haired man immediately chased Ying Lan out. When Ying Lan noticed that he had already achieved his objective, he didn¡¯t say anything else and left. The silver-haired man closed the door and returned to the stone table. He looked at the cup of untouched wine he had poured for Ying Lan and finished it all. He raised his head and looked at the beautiful moon as he lamented softly, ¡°The trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range¡­ is truly worth looking forward to.¡± After speaking, he emptied the last of his wine and returned to his room. Before long, the candles were extinguished and it was obvious that he had fallen asleep. On this night, the relay station where the members of the Phoenix King Valley were staying was particularly lively. After Pei Wuchen exited from Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s room during the day, he headed straight for the old hall master¡¯s room. However, he was stopped at the entrance and was told that the old hall master was busy and was not going to meet any random person. Since Pei Wuchen was the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Master and also one of the officials in the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial court, he wasn¡¯t a fool. How could he not know the old hall master¡¯s intention? He too knew that he had gone overboard when dealing with this matter. Pei Wuchen said nothing else and knelt on the ground with a ¡®plop¡¯. He faced the old hall master in the room and yelled out, ¡°This rebellious disciple knows his sin. But this matter is too urgent and I can¡¯t deal with it any other way! The only thing now is to discuss with Hall Master a method where both sides benefit. Wuchen wishes for Hall Master to give me a chance!¡± These words were profound like the ocean but there was no response. Pei Wuchen understood that he had angered the old hall master deeply and he didn¡¯t stand up. He simply knelt in the yard, hoping that he could move the old hall master... Although the weather wasn¡¯t too hot, basking in the sun for a long time was also a kind of suffering. Furthermore, Pei Wuchen was kneeling on the ground and the ground was hot enough to fry an egg. Right now, Pei Wuchen was like a bun in the steamer. Feng Wan¡¯er delivered food and water to him during this time but he didn¡¯t accept it. After all, the more he suffered now, the higher the chance of him convincing the old hall master. After kneeling for an entire day, his lips were splitting and his body was swaying. Feng Wan¡¯er was feeling the pain in her heart and she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. She didn¡¯t bother about Pei Wuchen¡¯s refusal and used a handkerchief soaked in water to dab on Pei Wuchen¡¯s lips, allowing Pei Wuchen some relief. It was already time for dinner and it was clear that the old hall master wasn¡¯t intending to bother with Pei Wuchen. Chapter 135: Onwards to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range ¡°Is that child still kneeling outside?¡± The old hall master was seated in front of the table and he had his dinner as he questioned the person who brought his meal over. ¡°He has been kneeling there since morning and it has several hours already. He didn¡¯t move, eat, or drink. Without Young Lady Wan¡¯er¡¯s help, he would have already fainted.¡± The person delivering the meal answered honestly. He didn¡¯t seem to be sorry for Pei Wuchen, instead, he seemed to be rejoicing in Pei Wuchen¡¯s misfortune. The old hall master stopped what he was doing and muttered to himself for a moment before giving a reply, ¡°Since that is the case... after I finish my dinner, when you bring the meal box out, ask him to come in.¡± ¡°Yes. This servant shall obey.¡± That person attending to the old hall master replied respectfully. Perhaps he couldn¡¯t wait for Pei Wuchen¡¯s explanation, he finished his dinner in the blink of an eye. ¡°You may enter, the Hall Master wants to see you.¡± That person left with the meal box after speaking and didn¡¯t help Pei Wuchen up. Pei Wuchen had been kneeling for an entire day and now that he suddenly got up, he felt dizzy and his knees were soft. Coupled with the fact that he didn¡¯t eat or drink for almost an entire day, his eyes blacked out for a moment and he almost fainted. Feng Wan¡¯er who stood by the side reacted quickly and gave Pei Wuchen the support he needed before escorting him into the old hall master¡¯s room. The moment they entered, the old hall master spoke up. ¡°Wan¡¯er, you may leave first. There is nothing for you here.¡± ¡°Why! Wuchen is now so weak! How can I leave him here alone?!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er retorted immediately. ¡°He is already an adult. He doesn¡¯t need a girl like you to take care of him. Get out immediately. Don¡¯t make me say it again.¡± It was unknown if Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s words had infuriated the old hall master as he seemed exceptionally angry. Feng Wan¡¯er was still unresigned and wanted to argue with the old hall master. Pei Wuchen desperately signaled for Feng Wan¡¯er to stop talking. When Feng Wan¡¯er saw that even Pei Wuchen was stopping her from staying, she bowed and asked to leave. After Feng Wan¡¯er walked far away, the old hall master asked someone to close the door tightly before addressing Pei Wuchen. ¡°Do you know why am I so angry? Do you know why I made you kneel outside for an entire day?¡± Pei Wuchen glanced at the old hall master and replied carefully, ¡°Is it not because I made the decision to agree with my Emperor Father on my own accord?¡± The old hall master shook his head. ¡°Then¡­ could it be because I made a decision that would affect the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s interests because I didn¡¯t want to lose face in front of my Emperor Father?¡± Pei Wuchen saw the old hall master shaking his head, he changed his answer. Pei Wuchen heard what the old hall master said and he stuttered for a long time. He failed to find an answer and eventually fell silent. ¡°If you can¡¯t say it, I will say it for you!¡± When the old hall master looked at Pei Wuchen who still had an innocent look on his face, he spoke with anger, ¡°The valley¡¯s disciples are already dissatisfied with Wan¡¯er because of her personality and how she deals with things! But you¡­ actually pushed Wan¡¯er towards the edge of the cliff. You might be bringing the princes to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range and no one will say that you are an ingrate who went against the sect¡¯s interests, but Wan¡¯er will be criticized by all of them! They will say that her judgement is clouded due to her love for you. They will say that she can even disregard the sect¡¯s honor and interests over a man. Just her simple action this afternoon will be enough for people to make up exaggerating stories behind her back!¡± Pei Wuchen was still speechless and the old hall master found him to be an irksome presence. He immediately looked for a reason to get rid of Pei Wuchen. ¡°What is done cannot be undone. You might be the Valley Master¡¯s last disciple but as seniors, we will still need to teach you a lesson. Also, we will never let you embarrass yourself in front of the Emperor. Consider me giving you approval to bring the princes with us to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. However, I won¡¯t be able to control the outcome. If there is nothing else, you can return. You should rest after kneeling for an entire day.¡± After the old hall master finished his statement, Pei Wuchen immediately asked to be excused and didn¡¯t stay for a moment longer. Seeing as Pei Wuchen was in a rush to leave, the old hall master felt rueful in his heart. In fact, Feng Wan¡¯er truly loved Pei Wuchen and had bestowed her affection entirely onto him. However, he didn¡¯t know if Pei Wuchen really loved her as much as she loved him. He also didn¡¯t know if his intention was to get closer to the Phoenix King Valley. The next morning, Ying Lan led a small team from the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and departed from the capital city. After traveling for 20 miles on the main path, they changed to another path which led to the back of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. On the other side, Pei Qingfeng had also set off because he didn¡¯t want to delay everyone with his slow movements. The rumors in the capital city became more and more intense. For a moment, it managed to eclipse the news of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s recruitment. By the time Bai Luochu, Cai Ling, and the silver-haired man departed, the capital city was filled with both dragons and snakes. Once the two weeks timeline was up, the Phoenix King Valley and the princes were the first to depart. The other factions and aspiring youths followed behind them. The one that was the most relaxed was Bai Luochu who slowly disguised herself as Divine Physician Bai before helping Cai Ling put on some disguise. She turned the originally delicate servant girl into a handsome manservant. They then met up with the silver-haired man before setting off towards the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. The route that Bai Luochu was taking was the small path that Guan Yue had added onto the map. As it wasn¡¯t recorded on the official map, this route was rather secluded. The trio didn¡¯t encounter any troublemakers along the way and felt rather relaxed. It felt as though they weren¡¯t going to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range to set up the contract with the spirit beast. Instead, it felt like a field trip. ¡°Master, with your speed, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t even be able to obtain the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s feathers!¡± When Cai Ling saw how relaxed Bai Luochu was, she felt rather anxious. ¡°There is no need to hurry. Today is just the first day. I have been cultivating without rest for the past two weeks¡­ We only need to move faster in the next few days. Furthermore, there will definitely be a fight for the Green Flame Eagle. I am a person who practices medicine, it is better to leave such bloody matters to the others. We will simply wait for the battle to end before swooping in to grab the rewards.¡± Bai Luochu gave her response and continued to move forward. After getting reminded by Cai Ling, her pace got noticeably faster. Cai Ling reacted quickly and ran two small steps before walking behind Bai Luochu. The silver-haired man did the same thing. Chapter 136: Old Memories Resurfacing With the Green Flame Eagle at the center, the Phoenix King Valley took the lead and formed an encirclement around it with a 1000 mile radius. The members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and the princes were among the people surrounding the Green Flame Eagle. When Bai Luochu arrived, her attention was placed on the Green Flame Eagle instead of the factions present. The Green Flame Eagle was entirely green in color and it was massive. Right now, it could already cover the sky before it extended its wings. It was clear that the Green Flame Eagle was giving birth as it released pitiful groans from time to time. During this crucial moment, no one dared to make a move on it. They glared at it like a tiger watching its prey. They were probably also afraid to take action in case they became a delicious meal for the Green Flame Eagle. Bai Luochu had a Green Flame Eagle mount in her previous life, thus, she wasn¡¯t as anxious when facing this beast before her. However, that couldn¡¯t be said for everyone else. Right now, Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes were slightly narrowed as she sized up the Green Flame Eagle. The more she looked at it, the more familiar she felt. However, she couldn¡¯t remember where she had seen it before. In the beginning, the Green Flame Eagle was prostrating and from Bai Luochu¡¯s angle, she could only see the front and couldn¡¯t see its abdomen and talons. In the next moment, the Green Flame Eagle changed positions and it revealed its gorgeous flame-like talons. A sudden realisation struck Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu¡¯s thoughts drifted back to her previous life, when Lu Wenshu had been accompanying her every day. ... It was a usual day for Bai Luochu as she scoured the mountains for herbs. During her search, she casually looked around for spirit beasts she could set up contracts with. As the saying goes, ¡®it¡¯s not harmful for one to possess more skills¡¯. The same could be said for owning spirit beasts. Bai Luochu was deep in the forest when she heard a strange voice. When the voice appeared, the Green Flame Eagle who formed a contract with her started to turn restless. Bai Luochu became curious as the Green Flame Eagle had the same personality as her, cold and aloof. She didn¡¯t understand why it was behaving in such a weird manner. Bai Luochu pondered over it for a moment and thought of a possibility. She quickly used the Heaven and Earth Contract to transmit her thoughts into her Green Flame Eagle¡¯s mind, ¡°Is that a cry for help from another Green Flame Eagle? Is it in danger?¡± As soon as Bai Luochu asked the question, her Green Flame Eagle released a loud cry. Without wasting a single moment, she called out to Lu Wenshu before heading straight for the source of the sound. Her determination was rewarded and Bai Luochu arrived just on time. However, when she looked at the scene in front of her, a trace of terror crept up her heart. There was a python the size of an adult¡¯s thigh trying to swallow a young Green Flame Eagle. Due to its tiny physique, half of its body was already swallowed by the python. The calls of the Green Flame Eagle became weaker and weaker as the mouth of the python slowly closed around its body. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t hesitate to offer her assistance. She circulated the spirit qi into her palm and seven swords were formed as they shot straight towards the python. As the swords landed on the snake, it started to wriggle about in pain as it collapsed onto the ground. Due to its size, the ground trembled slightly and soil flew into the air as its humongous body slammed down onto the earth. When Bai Luochu saw the python crashing down, she quickly went over and sliced open the body and head of the python, rescuing the young Green Flame Eagle. As soon as she completed her rescue mission, she could feel the Green Flame Eagle in her body calming down. Taking a closer look, the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s feathers seemed to be in a molting stage and it looked like a really young spirit beast. When the Green Flame Eagle noticed that someone had rescued it, it slowly opened its eyes. It never expected to be rescued and had already decided to resign to its fate of being swallowed alive by the python. As it turned its huge watery eyes to look at Bai Luochu, she couldn¡¯t help but think that this young Green Flame Eagle was much more soothing to the eyes than her matured pet... However, the contract was already set up and there was no way she could forsake her spirit beast due to appearances. In the end, Bai Luochu decided to free the young Green Flame Eagle. The young eagle seemed reluctant to part and wanted to stay beside Bai Luochu. After all, she was its savior. If it could turn into a contracted spirit beast for such a kind young lady, it would be much better than serving those people who treated spirit beasts as tools. ¡°I already have one Green Flame Eagle. If I set up a contract with you, you won¡¯t be able to fully display your talents. It is better for you to leave. You are still young¡­ don¡¯t travel around alone in the future.¡± Bai Luochu placed the young eagle on the ground and released it back into the wild. ¡°Are you really going to let it go?¡± When Lu Wenshu saw how Bai Luochu released the young Green Flame Eagle, he was surprised as she was someone who contracted spirit beasts in groups. Bai Luochu pursed her lips before commenting casually, ¡°I already have one Green Flame Eagle. It will be a waste to set up a contract with another one. Why not set it free?¡± Lu Wenshu¡¯s brows arched upwards. ¡°This isn¡¯t an ordinary Green Flame Eagle. The red flame color on its talons is an indication that it probably inherited the bloodline of the Green Phoenix.¡± Bai Luochu heard Lu Wenshu¡¯s response and her eyes almost popped out of her sockets. ¡°What did you say? That little fellow that nearly became a meal for the python inherited the bloodline of the Green Phoenix? Is that even possible?¡± Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t say anything else and nodded his head silently. When Bai Luochu learned about this fact, she was shocked and was slightly tempted to recapture the Green Flame Eagle. After all, this was a spirit beast that had the Green Phoenix bloodline! It was extremely rare but when she thought about how she painstakingly trained up her own Green Flame Eagle, she felt that it was unfair for her to discard her old spirit beast. Eventually, Bai Luochu decided to set the young eagle free. At that time, Bai Luochu was still immersed in the romantic lie that Lu Wenshu fabricated and didn¡¯t notice the expression on his face. Lu Wenshu was currently looking at Bai Luochu with a look of suspicion as he thought that there was no way she could be such a kind-hearted person. However, by the time Bai Luochu turned her head, his expression had already returned back to normal. Chapter 137: Joyous Conversation When she recalled how she met this Green Flame Eagle, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but lament at the wonderful fate that brought people together. She decided that she was definitely bringing the Green Flame Eagle back. Bai Luochu arrived late and everyone was no longer on high alert. Many people looked over at her group and all the princes noticed her. These princes obviously didn¡¯t think that Bai Luochu would come to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Even though her medical skills were unrivaled, they knew that in terms of cultivation, she was a complete wastrel due to her broken meridians. Was she trying to throw her life away? The thoughts of all the princes were the same as they looked at each other with shock in their eyes. The only prince who had a different reaction was the Second Prince, Pei Qingfeng. When Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu had arrived, he immediately left the company of the princes and headed straight for her. After all, the reason he came all the way to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range was because of her. The reason behind his early departure was to prevent any harm from befalling Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t reveal herself for half a month and everyone assumed that she was still a wastrel. None of them thought highly of her. ¡°Divine Physician Bai is finally here! You didn¡¯t step out for over half a month and the people in the capital city are all looking for you. They almost leveled the doorstep of the First Prince¡¯s residence.¡± Pei Qingfeng was extremely relaxed and he had an indifferent expression on his face as he gently fanned himself. Those who didn¡¯t know might think that he was a graceful and fine young master with peerless bearing. Of course, Bai Luochu understood the meaning behind his words. ¡®Your life is pretty good. Wasting away half a month, making use of Pei Rumo and I to clean up your mess¡­ You¡¯re really amazing.¡¯ Bai Luochu naturally wasn¡¯t going to allow Pei Qingfeng to say whatever he wanted and she shot back, ¡°I am also surprised that the Second Prince would come to this place. The atmosphere is so hostile and everyone might even break out into a fight soon. I think Your Second Highness might be crippled both physically and mentally.¡± After Bai Luochu spoke, she turned to look at the expression on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face. She saw how the magnificent smile on his face froze and how lines slowly formed on his forehead. She started to giggle to herself and wasn¡¯t able to stop. It seemed like Pei Qingfeng was already used to Bai Luochu¡¯s sarcasm. In just a few seconds, he thought of another topic. ¡°Is Divine Physician Bai here because of the Green Flame Eagle? If that is the case, I am able to provide some help.¡± Bai Luochu chuckled in response, ¡°Your Highness must be kidding. No one will come to this god-forsaken place without a plan. Even if I say that I have no interest in the Green Flame Eagle, will you believe me?¡± ¡°I must obtain it.¡± A look of resolution flashed through Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes. Pei Qingfeng was delighted as he knew that he didn¡¯t make a trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range in vain. With this lass¡¯ personality, how could she waste half a month in the general¡¯s residence? Since she disappeared for half a month, she definitely came up with a grand scheme. When he saw how determined she was to obtain the Green Flame Eagle, Pei Qingfeng felt that he had to help her during the crucial moment. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t standing in the middle of the encirclement and was far from everyone. Pei Qingfeng had intentionally made it such that no one could hear their conversation. It was a no-brainer that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to reveal her true identity and she had already set up a restriction that could stop people from eavesdropping. When everyone saw how they were enjoying such a casual conversation in such a tense situation, they felt that the relationship between the two was pretty good. However, the conversation between the two caught the attention of a few pairs of eyes. The first to notice were the First and Third Prince. When Pei Rumo saw the two of them having such a joyous conversation, he felt rather upset in his heart. After all, during her absence, he was the one cleaning up her mess. She enjoyed her days over at the general¡¯s residence while he suffered tremendously. Pei Rumo was someone who didn¡¯t like to strike up conversations with others and he would usually disregard everyone. The only time he would take the initiative to speak was when offering respects to wise sages. He lied to all the officials in the capital city, saying that Divine Physician Bai was cultivating in seclusion, turning them all away. She lived a carefree life as she schemed and plotted in the general¡¯s residence. Right now, she even managed to appear at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range¡­ It seemed as though she had actually developed some skills. The other thing that enraged Pei Rumo was the way Pei Qingfeng interacted with Bai Luochu. His second brother should already know of Luo Chu¡¯s true identity. He was treating her so well even though that was the case... Pei Rumo really wanted to uncover his second brother¡¯s objective and if it was similar to what he had in mind, he felt that he had to be more careful. Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t the only one who was affected. Pei Wuchen also felt that it was a miracle for Pei Qingfeng to approach Divine Physician Bai. His second brother was someone who avoided women at all cost. Listening to the rumors about how Pei Qingfeng and Divine Physician Bai were on good terms, everyone started to assume that they were both homosexuals. However, the rumor quickly stopped when Pei Qingfeng started to visit the former general¡¯s residence because of Luo Chu. The same Luo Chu who was Pei Wuchen¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Pei Wuchen hadn¡¯t developed feelings for Luo Chu yet, but he was afraid that some princes might make use of this information to thwart his original plan. It was also the reason why he started paying more attention to her. Looking at Pei Qingfeng¡¯s earnest appearance now, a bold conjecture appeared in his heart. Could Divine Physician Bai be that lass, Luo Chu? After all, when one of them appeared, the other disappeared. It seemed like after this incident with the Green Flame Eagle he should carry out a proper investigation. If Luo Chu truly possessed such remarkable abilities, he should reconsider the engagement. Chapter 138: Scheme When the two of them stood side by side, rays of sunlight fell through the gaps of the leaves and fell directly on them. The picturesque scene looked extremely magnificent and the two of them seemed to have blended in with nature. It was beautiful, but when this scene fell into the eyes of some people present, they felt that it was an irksome image. The moment Bai Luochu made her appearance, Feng Wan¡¯er could no longer sit still. If there weren¡¯t so many people present and if the Green Flame Eagle wasn¡¯t there, she would have long rushed over to turn Divine Physician Bai into mincemeat. Although Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s feminine senior brother asked her not to be rash, how was it possible for Feng Wan¡¯er to do so when there was a walking disaster in front of her? What if Bai Luochu jumped in between Pei Wuchen and her during the crucial moment and started stirring up trouble? She would probably be angered to death. When Feng Wan¡¯er found out that Luo Chu was still alive, she passed down an order for some people to secretly investigate her survival. From the results of the investigation, she found out that Luo Chu was bought by someone who had nefarious intentions. Later on, Feng Wan¡¯er became even more shocked due to a piece of news. Divine Physician Bai who had been extremely popular in the capital city was actually Luo Chu! No one knew what she did, but everyone was singing her praises. Even the noble and official clans sent people to invite Divine Physician Bai from the First Prince¡¯s residence every now and then. Even the two most sacred individuals of Cloud Water Nation, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, treated Divine Physician Bai with respect. If the Emperor learned of Luo Chu¡¯s other identity as Divine Physician Bai, he would definitely bring up the engagement between Pei Wuchen and Luo Chu. If that were to happen, all her efforts would have gone up in smoke! Pei Wuchen could only belong to her and she would never share him with anyone else! Feng Wan¡¯er thought about it and turned to look at Pei Wuchen. She realized that his eyes had been on Luo Chu the moment she appeared. There was a weird expression on his face and Feng Wan¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but feel alarmed. Did Pei Wuchen already uncover her identity? If Pei Wuchen had already found out about the engagement and realized that Luo Chu was worthy enough to be his wife, Feng Wan¡¯er would probably... Feng Wan¡¯er eyes were no longer filled with wrath but it became a gaze filled with jealousy and resentment. Feng Wan¡¯er was scheming in her heart and thought about how she would use the chaos to her advantage. She was planning to make Bai Luochu disappear during the chaos in order to dig out the root of her problem. After a long period of consideration, the corner of Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s mouth curled upwards It seemed as though she had already seen Bai Luochu¡¯s appearance when she met her miserable end. Her smile hid a sinister intent and the air around her became frosty. Anyone who saw Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s current appearance would feel goosebumps all over their body. Right now, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know that Feng Wan¡¯er had already found out about her true identity. She was thinking about the best time to take action in order to save both the Green Flame Eagle and its younglings. She didn¡¯t detect the burning gaze directed at her by Feng Wan¡¯er. Everyone was eyeing the Green Flame Eagle but no one dared to make the first move. There were several reasons why they didn¡¯t dare to move out. Firstly, the Green Flame Eagle was not in labor yet. Even though its strength had already diminished by half, it was still a massive spirit beast and should not be underestimated. Secondly, there were too many factions around. The first one to make a move would definitely face attacks from all sides. As everyone wasn¡¯t willing to make the first move, the situation became trapped in a deadlock. Before long, the main body of the Phoenix King Valley arrived. The old hall master led the way as they made their way towards the encirclement. ¡°This old man is late. I have truly failed as a Hall Master of the Phoenix King Valley by making everyone wait for such a long time. This old one is truly ashamed and wishes for everyone¡¯s forgiveness.¡± The old hall master immediately greeted everyone with civilities as though none of them were here to battle to the death for the opportunity to own the Green Flame Eagle. The old hall master¡¯s words made it seem as though all of them were gathered there for a martial arts competition. Everyone knew that this old hall master of the Phoenix King Valley was one of the elders in the Phoenix King Valley who knew how to play around with words. He was a true fox who hid his evil intentions behind his smile. No one knew what the old man was scheming and none of them responded. The old hall master¡¯s expression didn¡¯t even change as he started to talk about other stuff. ¡°Don¡¯t look at how this Green Flame Eagle is prostrating on the ground. This old man had once seen the mystical appearance of a Green Flame Eagle. Everyone should know that apart from the elusive secret guards around the evil dao witch, Bai Luochu, she owned plenty of spirit beasts as well. One of them was a Green Flame Eagle. I was curious about why she would choose a Green Flame Eagle as her mount as she had other rare and unique spirit beasts. I only found out the reason on the day of the battle.¡± ¡°On that fateful day, the evil dao witch descended the mountain alone without any servants or guards. All of us had been lying in ambush along her path and the moment she appeared, we were going to strike out with all our strength in order to kill the evil dao witch once and for all. We will be able to eliminate the root of all evil and the righteous path will spread far and wide.¡± ¡°The evil dao witch had profound cultivation and even though she was surrounded by so many of us, she wasn¡¯t at a disadvantage. She managed to slowly wrestle away the advantage we had. One of us understood that the spirit qi we had wasn¡¯t a match for her evil techniques. If we were to drag out the battle, we would be on the losing end. In the end, one of us sent out a hidden weapon.¡± ¡°She fell into the trap and the battle tipped in our favor. Just as we were about to finish her off, there was a flash of green light and her Green Flame Eagle appeared to protect her. Her Green Flame Eagle simply flapped its wings and a hurricane was swept up. We were sent flying. Before we were able to react, it flapped its wings vigorously and branches and rocks were sent flying towards us. The Green Flame Eagle picked up the evil dao witch and left without a trace.¡± ¡°By the time we recovered, the witch and the beast had already vanished without leaving so much as a shadow.¡± ¡°Seeing how mighty the Green Flame Eagle is, our Phoenix King Valley is determined to obtain it today. I won¡¯t be sparing a thought for our friendship if we were to fight. The strongest will obtain the Green Flame Eagle!¡± Chapter 139: Chaotic Battlefield As soon as the words left the old hall master¡¯s mouth, the Green Flame Eagle released a loud cry. One could hear the suffering behind its cry and the thunderous shriek caused the color of the sky to change. The entire Falling Cloud Mountain Range seemed to tremble and it was probably caused by the terrified spirit beasts who were running away from the source of the miserable howl. All of a sudden, someone yelled, ¡°Look! The Green Flame Eagle is giving birth!¡± Everyone turned their gaze to the Green Flame Eagle and saw that an egg with exquisite markings appeared below its abdomen. Hearing the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s unending cries, all of them deduced that there were still eggs in its stomach. Everyone knew that this was the best time to take action. With the Phoenix King Valley in the lead, various factions charged into the encirclement. In order to prevent someone from profiting in the chaos, all of them started to launch out attacks one after another. None of them cared about their targets as they went all out. Around the Green Flame Eagle, the killing began. As long as they weren¡¯t brothers and sisters of the same faction, anyone else was fair game. All of them unleashed their killing moves with no intention to spare the other party. The alliances they had formed before the battle were broken as ex-allies slaughtered each other. There were even those factions who held grudges against each other. They slaughtered mercilessly and took the chance to carry out their revenge. After all, everyone at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range were the elite disciples of their respective factions. If all of them were to die, the faction would definitely suffer a huge blow. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t join in the killing and instead, she went to the side and observed quietly. As for Pei Qingfeng, he stood beside Bai Luochu using his ¡®crippled¡¯ legs as an excuse. He wanted to see what this lass was up to. Ying Lan brought the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to the side and didn¡¯t join in the battle. Without Bai Luochu¡¯s order, Ying Lan didn¡¯t dare to move. He was afraid that he would ruin her masterplan. After a quarter of an hour, the battle started to clear up. Even though it was a mess in the beginning, the Phoenix King Valley was able to obtain the upper hand due to their advantage in numbers. Their disciples were stronger than the rest as well. If Bai Luochu didn¡¯t make a move, the Green Flame Eagle would fall into the hands of the Phoenix King Valley. Shooting a glance at Ying Lan, Bai Luochu gave him the signal to attack. Ying Lan received the order and charged into the fray, causing the battlefield to turn chaotic once again. Bai Luochu brought the silver-haired man and Cai Ling to join the battle as well. Pei Qingfeng could no longer use his legs and even if he wanted to join the battle to assist Bai Luochu, he couldn¡¯t. In his anxiousness, he smashed the armrests of his wheelchair. No matter how many ideas popped up in his head, he realized that they were useless. Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers. In the next instant, his personal guard appeared beside him. ¡°Go. Protect her.¡± Pei Qingfeng passed down his order to his personal guard. The guard was shocked. However, he managed to calm down in the next instant. ¡°Master, I cannot carry out your order. If I join the battle, there will be no one left to protect you.¡± ¡°Did you not hear what I said? Right now, everyone¡¯s attention is on the Green Flame Eagle. Who will bother with a cripple? This isn¡¯t the imperial court. No one will try to kill me here¡­ are you retarded?¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, he didn¡¯t wait for an answer. With a single move, he sent the guard flying towards the group of people who were fighting with each other. Seeing as how he had already appeared in the middle of the battlefield, the guard knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave. He had no other choice but to exchange moves with whoever was in front of him. He slowly made his way to Bai Luochu. Even though he didn¡¯t want to protect her, it was an order from his master. He had no choice. At the same time, Feng Wan¡¯er discovered Bai Luochu¡¯s appearance on the battlefield. A delighted expression appeared on her face as she sneered in her heart. Oh, Luo Chu¡­ You are actually sending yourself to the gates of hell. If you die here, you won¡¯t even be able to complain to King Yama that you died an unreasonable death. There are so many swords flying around and you are actually eager to throw yourself in the middle of all of them. You can¡¯t blame me for being merciless! The air around Feng Wan¡¯er changed and she started to slaughter mercilessly. She used a sword, but didn¡¯t possess the elegance of a swordsman. It was as though she was holding a cleaver in her hand as she chopped down towards the opponent in front of her. After killing everyone around her, she turned and started to head towards Bai Luochu. The moment she stepped onto the battlefield, Bai Luochu released all her spiritual energy. She could feel the killing intent all around her. However, Feng Wan¡¯er killing intent was so strong that even without releasing her spiritual energy, she could tell that someone wanted her dead. Bai Luochu obviously knew that Feng Wan¡¯er was approaching her with nefarious intent. As she fought against her opponent, she watched as Feng Wan¡¯er approached. When she felt Feng Wan¡¯er sword stab towards her, she twisted her body to dodge. Taking advantage of the situation, she moved closer to the Green Flame Eagle. Seeing as she wasn¡¯t able to kill Bai Luochu even after several moves, a ball of resentment appeared in her heart. Based on what she knew, Luo Chu was a wastrel. Today, she was actually able to avoid death even though the one who wanted her life was the daughter of the Phoenix King Valley Master! As the resentment in her heart started to clear up, she became clear of the situation in front of her. Bai Luochu actually made use of her to approach the Green Flame Eagle! Feng Wan¡¯er was no longer able to hold back her anger as her moves became deadlier. The killing intent around her became so dense that no one dared to approach the two of them. Chapter 140: Dangerous Situation Bai Luochu utilized her movement skill to the fullest while dodging Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s strikes and Pei Qingfeng who was standing at the side was amazed. He never thought that other than her extraordinary medical skills, Bai Luochu would also be able to hold her own against someone from the Phoenix King Valley. She was even able to borrow the power of their attacks to edge closer to her goal. It seemed as though Bai Luochu was hiding a lot of secrets. Pei Qingfeng thought about it and shook his head as he snickered to himself. He muttered, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re hiding a lot of secrets¡­ I¡¯ve underestimated you. For someone able to stand up against so many princes, how can you be an ordinary person?¡± Pei Rumo was shocked as well. However, his expression didn¡¯t change. Wasn¡¯t this lass a wastrel? In half a month, she improved so much! Was she pretending to be a wastrel all this while? Nothing more needs to be said. She is able to hold up against Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s onslaught while fighting against other opponents, all while moving in the direction of the Green Flame Eagle! If she started her cultivation earlier, who would be able to fight against her? Even the evil dao witch and her lover, Lu Wenshu, might not be her opponent¡­ However, one of them was already buried underneath the earth and the other withdrew from worldly affairs after the incident. Will there come a day when I will no longer be able to make use of this lass? As for Pei Wuchen, he noticed Bai Luochu not because of her exquisite movement skill. It was because Feng Wan¡¯er was hell bent on killing her. Pei Wuchen wondered about how someone like Divine Physician Bai was able to cause Feng Wan¡¯er to go crazy. He felt that there was something suspicious about it and recalled his previous guess. He was stunned for a second. Could it be that Wan¡¯er already knew about the engagement? Is Luo Chu actually Divine Physician Bai? Pei Wuchen shook his head and suppressed his bold thought. It seemed as though he had to find a time to settle this matter once and for all. At that moment, Pei Rumo and Pei Wuchen¡¯s interest towards Bai Luochu exceeded their interest towards the Green Flame Eagle. If Feng Wan¡¯er could see the look on Pei Wuchen¡¯s face right now, she would probably disregard the fact that there were thousands of eyes looking at her and give her all to turn Bai Luochu into a pile of mincemeat. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t feeling too well at the moment. She had to focus her attention on killing her enemies on one side while avoiding Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s crazed attacks. She also had to pay attention to the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s wellbeing. Bai Luochu saw that the Green Flame Eagle was hurt and a trace of anxiousness formed in her heart. She was the one who saved it years ago. Today, she was determined to do it again. She wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to lay their hands on the Green Flame Eagle! Bai Luochu no longer cared about revealing her identity as she pulled out the poison needles from her belt. The needles shot towards the attackers surrounding the Green Flame Eagle at an astounding speed. The poison on the needles was non-lethal, but anyone who was affected by it would be unable to circulate their spirit qi. After all, Bai Luochu¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t to kill as many experts as possible. Her goal was to save the Green Flame Eagle. When everyone realized that they could no longer circulate their spirit qi, they quickly retreated in order to not die a meaningless death. After all, without spirit qi, their lives were like cabbages. Anyone would be able to harvest them. When everyone left, a huge gap was created and Bai Luochu charged towards it. She wanted to break the restriction set up by the members of the Phoenix King Valley. Seeing as things were going south, Feng Wan¡¯er knew that she could no longer hide on the sidelines to assassinate Bai Luochu. After all, everyone¡¯s attention was on the Green Flame Eagle. They were too close to it and if anyone realized that she was the one who killed the divine physician, the reputation of the Phoenix King Valley would go down the drain. After all, she was just a cheap servant girl. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Feng Wan¡¯er to get rid of her in the future. Feng Wan¡¯er immediately withdrew and charged towards the main troops of the Phoenix King Valley. The Phoenix King Valley had already set up a restriction around the Green Flame Eagle and those not from the same faction would be unable to approach the spirit beast. The opening she painstakingly created was quickly filled up. No matter how much Bai Luochu wanted to avoid fighting, it wasn¡¯t possible. Her enemies were like locust, charging in wave after wave. In the end, Bai Luochu had to take them on while thinking of another plan to break the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s restriction. Seeing as how the Phoenix King Valley were about to achieve their goal, Bai Luochu was starting to panic as she hadn¡¯t been able to break their restriction. Looking at the messy battlefield, Ying Lan quickly made his way over to Bai Luochu¡¯s side in order to absorb some of the pressure. ¡°Mistress, break the restriction at all cost. I will cover you.¡± Ying Lan transmitted his voice to Bai Luochu. Hearing Ying Lan¡¯s assurance, Bai Luochu calmed herself down. The poison needles flew out once again to push her opponents back and Bai Luochu turned around to focus on breaking the restriction. Another group of people left the battlefield after suffering from Bai Luochu¡¯s poison needles. Ying Lan took this chance to form a barrier in front of Bai Luochu as he kept all the enemies away from her. When the old hall master saw that Bai Luochu was focused on breaking their restriction, a trace of disdain appeared in his heart. He opened his mouth and mocked her, ¡°Our little friend here shouldn¡¯t bother himself. Our Phoenix King Valley¡¯s restriction isn¡¯t something the likes of you can break. If something happens, you will be hit by an intense backlash. This old man knows that you possess a kind heart. However, you shouldn¡¯t overestimate yourself.¡± The old hall master spoke arrogantly but Bai Luochu completely ignored his sarcastic remark. Instead, she continued to think of a way to break the restriction. After hearing what the old hall master said, her hands moved even faster than before. Chapter 141: Lu Wenshu’s Appearance The injuries on the Green Flame Eagle were getting more severe and its reactions slowed down. It became weaker and weaker and due to the layer of restriction, it was no longer able to move about as it wished. If Bai Luochu was still unable to break the restriction, the Green Flame Eagle was definitely going to fall into the hands of the Phoenix King Valley. Bai Luochu was more anxious about the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s injury than her own. She didn¡¯t rescue this Green Flame Eagle back in the days just for it to face such a disaster today! Just as Bai Luochu was panicking, the sound of something shattering entered her ears. She felt a little doubtful but the next thing she knew, the restriction shattered in front of her like how a copper mirror would when it fell to the ground. Everyone was shocked even though they were standing in a chaotic battlefield. No one understood how the restriction broke. That Phoenix King Valley¡¯s old hall master had an awful expression on his face. He had just bragged about the strength of their sect¡¯s restriction but it was immediately shattered. It was the same as slapping the face of everyone in the Phoenix King Valley. Presently, the Phoenix King Valley were feeling resentful because their restriction had been broken. As for the others, there was a look of confusion on their face. Ying Lan was extremely delighted as he assumed that his mistress had successfully shattered the restriction. After all, with his mistress¡¯ current spiritual energy, once the restriction was broken, it was an extremely easy task for her to set up a contract with the Green Flame Eagle. However, Bai Luochu knew that the breaking of the restriction had nothing to do with her. In fact, the restriction was broken with a single sword strike. In this world, the only person who was able to do something like that was her previous self¡­ and there was someone else who could do the same. Lu Wenshu! Bai Luochu suddenly raised her head and saw the disgusting appearance of her former lover once again. The face that appeared in all her nightmares. Lu Wenshu was currently standing on his sword as it hovered about in mid air. He stood in the sky as he looked at everyone below him with disdain. He seemed like an immortal from heaven looking at ants in the mortal realm. He was flying across the sky earlier and when he heard the old hall master boasting so arrogantly, he immediately used his spirit qi to launch the flying sword under his leg. Just the tip of the sword was enough to shatter the restriction. His appearance didn¡¯t change at all. His white robes were pristine and his unrestrained personality was clear to the world. Compared to regular cultivators, he stood out from the crowd. Even among cultivators, he was an elegant, matchless, and brilliant young master. His habit of flying around on a sword made it seem like he was an immortal who had just achieved ascension. Actually, Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t pretending. He was originally a gentle and elegant young master. However, after Bai Luochu¡¯s death, his heart turned cold as he felt extremely guilty for causing her death. He withdrew from worldly matters and guarded the temple¡¯s inheritance. He even helped several disciples of the temple change their names before sending them to lead a new life. However, Bai Luochu would never be able to see what he did and Lu Wenshu felt rather dispirited when he thought about it. Originally, Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t intending to make a move. However, he found out that the Green Flame Eagle was the one Bai Luochu had rescued in the past and he didn¡¯t hesitate to rush over. The only reason he wanted to rescue the eagle was because it had something to do with Bai Luochu. After her death, his head was filled with the times he shared with her. Lu Wenshu¡¯s sudden appearance shocked everyone. Lu Wenshu might be a person from the orthodox factions and was a well-known figure among the new generation of disciples, but ever since the evil dao witch¡¯s death, he turned into a guardian for the evil cult¡¯s inheritance. It was as though he was possessed. Everyone claimed that Lu Wenshu was cursed by the evil dao witch as he turned from a righteous warrior to a member of the evil sect. That wasn¡¯t all. Lu Wenshu fought everyone who coveted the evil dao¡¯s inheritance and turned many of them into cripples. Ever since then, no one has tried to obtain the inheritance. Putting aside the fact that Lu Wenshu was protecting the inheritance, he had even assisted those evil dao members secretly. He didn¡¯t only help them change their names and obtain a new life, he even silently eliminated all those people who wanted to secretly kill them off. After all those incidents, no one dared to make a move on them. After Lu Wenshu did everything, everyone expected him to return to his sect to resume his journey of cultivation. With enough time, he would turn into one of the strongest grandmasters in the world. It was either that or he would fall towards the evil dao to continue to legacy. If that were to happen, he would turn into a great devil. No one expected him to do otherwise. However, he looked for a place close to the broken temple in order to live out the rest of his days. He continued to cultivate and when he felt hungry, he would hunt for food in the nearby mountains. He no longer participated in worldly affairs. If anything serious were to happen in his sect, he would return. However, he would never express his opinions and he seemed like a puppet with broken strings. Apart from his cultivation, he behaved just like an ordinary person. When everyone saw how Lu Wenshu was acting, all of them knew that this peerless young master had really fallen in love with the evil dao witch. Of course, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know any of these things. After all, when Bai Luochu reincarnated into another body, it had already been three years since the destruction of the temple. Bai Luochu knew that it wasn¡¯t time for her to get caught up in the past. She cleared her head and stood at the side, ready to approach the Green Flame Eagle. Chapter 142: End of Battle Only Feng Wan¡¯er and the old hall master glared at Lu Wenshu with fire spitting out of their eyes. They wanted to puncture holes through his body. However, the reason behind their rage was different. The old hall master was angry due to the fact that he had forcefully broken through the restriction. Moreover, he did it shortly after the old hall master bragged about the restriction¡¯s strength. It was the same as humiliating the Phoenix King Valley in front of everyone present. Because of this, the old hall master felt more embarrassed than resentful. As for Feng Wan¡¯er, she was simply taking out her anger on Lu Wenshu. Initially, she wanted to take the opportunity to kill Bai Luochu. She never expected for Bai Luochu to possess such unique movement skills and dodge all her killing strikes. Feng Wan¡¯er wasted so much time that she was unable to assist the Phoenix King Valley in taking down the Green Flame Eagle. The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. Furthermore, she was the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s daughter and had deep feelings for the Phoenix King Valley. Seeing how the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s plan was disrupted by a person who had already withdrawn from all conflicts in the world, Feng Wan¡¯er was enraged. Moreover, Feng Wan¡¯er suddenly thought about how Lu Wenshu¡¯s past love was called ¡®Luochu¡¯ and another ball of rage appeared in her heart. She directed all her anger towards him. One of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples was the first to react. When he saw how their ¡®amazing¡¯ restriction was broken by Lu Wenshu with a single strike, he yelled with a voice full of indignation. ¡°What is this sire¡¯s intention for doing this? Are you trying to go against our Phoenix King Valley?¡± The disciple who spoke out was doing so in a fit of anger. Obviously, he was a junior who didn¡¯t take part in the ¡®Battle of Thousand Brilliance¡¯. As Lu Wenshu had hidden himself from the world three years ago, there were some people who did not know what he looked like. As a result, some disciples started to shoot their mouths off as they wanted to show off the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s might. ¡°What a disgraceful being. If the Green Flame Eagle lands in your hand, won¡¯t it be a giant waste?¡± One of the disciples ran his mouth off. Bai Luochu thought about how the Phoenix King Valley would use underhanded means to achieve their goal as the disciples continued to curse at Lu Wenshu. The things they said were getting nastier. ¡°Shut up!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er femenine senior brother snapped and screamed at all of them. ¡°You brainless idiots! The person standing in front of you is Lu Wenshu, the number 1 talent in the cultivation world! What are all of you even saying? All of you can¡¯t even match up to the spirit qi he blows out of his mouth when he exhales¡­ Are all of you crazy?!¡± When the Phoenix King Valley disciples heard the words ¡®Lu Wenshu¡¯, all of them instantly fell silent. All of them might not be aware of his appearance, but all of them heard the legends of Lu Wenshu in the cultivation world. The only thing they knew was that he should never be provoked. All of them were worried that he would remember their faces as they were the ones who scolded him. If that were to happen, it would be anything but reassuring. When they thought about it, the disciples who hurled abuses at Lu Wenshu had their backs drenched in cold sweat. The feminine man spoke in an unhurried tone, ¡°Let me offer an apology to sire. Since the ¡®Battle of Thousand Brilliance¡¯ ended three years ago, sire didn¡¯t appear in the cultivation world for a long time. The juniors failed to recognize your honorable self. I wish for sire to pardon them.¡± The feminine man bowed towards Lu Wenshu. In his heart, he respected this man who held unbelievable power in his hands. If they were to fall out with this person, it would be detrimental to the Phoenix King Valley. After everyone learned that the person standing in the air was Lu Wenshu, they were shocked. They wondered if he was possessed by demons as this was such a desolate area. If he said he came from the Green Flame Eagle, all of them wouldn¡¯t be able to believe it. With his status, what kind of spirit beast could he not own? Why was he so insistent on obtaining this Green Flame Eagle? Was it because the evil dao witch once owned a Green Flame Eagle and he was here to grab another one? Was it to show that he was still in love with her? Everyone was at a loss for words and they felt that Lu Wenshu had been cursed. Otherwise, why would he still long for the evil dao witch after so many years? Despite the fact that there were many young talents in the cultivation world willing to spend their entire lives with Lu Wenshu, he never accepted any of them. Feng Wan¡¯er suddenly felt that she couldn¡¯t understand Lu Wenshu. Since she was young, she heard legends of Lu Wenshu. Even her father who doted on her so much would always compare her to him. After such a long time, Feng Wan¡¯er already knew Lu Wenshu¡¯s personality. She wouldn¡¯t believe it if anyone told her that Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t here for the Green Flame Eagle. Chapter 143: Intentional Instigation Seeing as someone spoke up, Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t try to make things difficult for them. ¡°To be honest, this Green Flame Eagle is really important to me. I am here today because I am determined to obtain this Green Flame Eagle. I hope that everyone can resign yourselves to part with this treasure. I will not interfere with the young eagles. As long as everyone can allow me to bring this Green Flame Eagle away, I will leave immediately.¡±Lu Wenshu might have said that he wasn¡¯t going to fight for the eggs, but he had other plans in mind. After everyone was exhausted from fighting over the eggs, he would swoop in and grab them all. Even though his method was despicable, everyone present was attacking the Green Flame Eagle when it gave birth. He was going to give them a taste of their own medicine.Of course, that was all in Lu Wenshu¡¯s head. How would the Phoenix King Valley and other factions allow him to do as he pleased? However, no one dared to speak out and for a moment, everyone was stuck in a stalemate.The old hall master thought about Lu Wenshu¡¯s appearance and felt that it was bizarre for him to fight with them over a Green Flame Eagle. After all, with his strength, he no longer had a need for spirit beasts. If he was interested in the Green Flame Eagle because of his feelings for Bai Luochu, that would be even more absurd. He didn¡¯t seem like a sentimental person. In fact, he betrayed Bai Luochu and was the main cause of her death.Thoughts flew through the old hall master¡¯s mind and the other factions started to do some calculations in their heart. Although they didn¡¯t participate in the ¡®Battle of Thousand Brilliance¡¯, all of them heard the rumors. When the evil dao witch was executed, Lu Wenshu¡¯s contribution was the deciding factor. Had it not been for Lu Wenshu¡¯s betrayal, the evil dao witch wouldn¡¯t have fallen. No one thought that Lu Wenshu would behave so eccentrically after her death. He even protected her disciples... Initially, the smaller factions thought that the inheritance would be leaked as no one was defending it. They felt as though they would be able to profit from the disaster but Lu Wenshu turned around and started to act against them at the very last minute. The Three Great Immortal Sects suffered greatly during their hunt for the evil dao witch. When they were unable to obtain the inheritance, their losses far outweighed their gains. They had no choice but to turn their spearhead towards the smaller factions in order to recoup their losses. Because of Lu Wenshu¡¯s actions, all of them lived miserable lives. As such, all the small factions directed their hatred towards Lu Wenshu as well.Now that everyone was exhausted, he appeared out of nowhere and claimed the Green Flame Eagle for himself. What complete bullsh*t! Furthermore, when he made his demands, he ignored all the smaller factions and spoke to the Phoenix King Valley directly. Were they non-existent? All of the smaller factions cursed at him and made up their mind to make things difficult for Lu Wenshu.Someone whose brain was working quickly directed the attention to the Phoenix King Valley. ¡°Will sire please listen to me? We know that we aren¡¯t strong enough and even if we wanted to set up a contract with the Green Flame Eagle, we won¡¯t be able to with our pitiful spiritual energy. However, we had enough of the Phoenix King Valley and are here to pit ourselves against them for their tyrannical rule. I wish that sire can work together with us to put up a fight against the Phoenix King Valley.¡±None of them present had any objections. None of the smaller factions were a match for the Phoenix King Valley. However, if they were to form an alliance, they might be able to put up some resistance.Everyone who was smart enough knew that even though this person seemed like he was resenting the Phoenix King Valley, his intention was to cause a fight between Lu Wenshu and the Phoenix King Valley. After all, these smaller factions were suffering because Lu Wenshu broke his agreement with the Three Great Immortal Sects in the past. Why couldn¡¯t they make use of this chance to take their revenge?As soon as the words left the man¡¯s mouth, everyone fell silent. The atmosphere became heavy and it seemed as though there was a mountain pressing down on their shoulders. The silence was enough to suffocate anyone present.Both parties remained in a deadlock and it was Lu Wenshu who broke the silence. It seemed as though he was trying to probe the Phoenix King Valley. ¡°Is everyone here determined to obtain the Green Flame Eagle?¡±Hearing Lu Wenshu¡¯s question, the old hall master regained his wits. ¡°Hahaha, sire must be joking with us. We managed to obtain this piece of information because we had a spy present. They managed to obtain this piece of information because those outer valley disciples broke the rules. Had it not been for the outer valley disciple, there wouldn¡¯t be so many people gathered here. This Green Flame Eagle was our Phoenix King Valley¡¯s to begin with.¡±This old hall master was truly an old fox. He was making it clear that the Green Flame Eagle belonged to the Phoenix King Valley. The hidden meaning behind his words were that the small factions were overestimating their capabilities and should return to where they came from.Lu Wenshu knew the old hall master¡¯s meaning. Other than Lu Wenshu, he didn¡¯t place anyone else in his eyes. Moreover, Lu Wenshu was someone who managed to protect the evil dao inheritance for three years. If the old hall master were to claim that Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t capable of saving the Green Flame Eagle, it would be the same as saying that he was useless. Lu Wenshu pretended as though he didn¡¯t understand and he quickly responded. ¡°Since that is the case, why not rely on our own capabilities to obtain the Green Flame Eagle? I¡¯m afraid there will be some people who won¡¯t be convinced otherwise.¡± Lu Wenshu spoke and casually glanced at the man who instigated the battle between himself and the Phoenix King Valley. It had only been three years, but it seemed as though the quality of the factions was deteriorating. Chapter 144: Taking the Initiative If Bai Luochu was present, she would laugh at all of them. All these ¡®righteous¡¯ people were killing each other over a Green Flame Eagle. Where were their manners and honorable demeanor?I Luo Chu¡­ you were right. The righteous might not be honorable and the evil might not be wicked. Everyone is merely walking on a different path. Even though cultivators enter the orthodox path, they may face corruption due to their greed. Cultivators who enter the unorthodox path may be doing so because of their cultivation technique. They might not be evil after all... As everyone stood rooted to their place, Bai Luochu was feeling suspicious. When she heard how Lu Wenshu wanted to set up a contract with the Green Flame Eagle, she was enraged. From what it looked like, she really had a position in his heart. Otherwise, why would he try to obtain the Green Flame Eagle? Bai Luochu sneered in her heart and felt that her previous life was nothing more than a joke. Her husband whom she loved dearly was a chess piece planted by her enemy. She offered him her heart but was given a miserable death as her temple got razed to the ground. Because of her love for him, she was willing to break off all relations with her teacher. It was the first time she had been moved by a man. All she received was betrayal¡­ In the end, she felt that she was nothing more than a joke. When Bai Luochu saw the Green Flame Eagle, she could still remember the part of her life where things were going well. However, this heartless rat was here using his status to obtain the Green Flame Eagle in front of her. Bai Luochu, oh Bai Lucohu, when are you going to sober up? This person doesn¡¯t even like you. He is the one who caused your death! Why are you still thinking about him?! Will he care about whether or not you truly loved him? Thinking that she had already seen through Lu Wenshu¡¯s objective, Bai Luochu became furious. A feeling of hatred filled her heart and Bai Luochu almost lost consciousness because of it. She wanted to make use of the chaos to sneak up on Lu Wenshu to clear this huge blood debt between them. Just as Bai Luochu was about to act, a figure flashed past her eyes. Ying Lan was the first to move. In fact, Ying Lan was shocked when everyone stopped fighting. When he was certain that no one was targeting his mistress, he turned to look at the person who just arrived. As soon as Lu Wenshu¡¯s face entered his sights, Ying Lan felt as though a thunderbolt struck him. He stood rooted to the ground and stared blankly at Bai Luochu in order to confirm his identity. The moment Ying Lan realized that it was really Lu Wenshu, his blood boiled. If it wasn¡¯t because of the fact that Bai Luochu had given him the order to lie low, he would have already flown over and bashed Lu Wenshu up. The final straw was when Lu Wenshu said that he wanted to obtain the Green Flame Eagle no matter what. Ying Lan knew that Bai Luochu was the one who rescued this Green Flame Eagle from the mouth of the python years ago. How could he not know the reason behind Bai Luochu¡¯s insistence to obtain it? According to Ying Lan, Bai Luochu was determined to obtain the Green Flame Eagle as she was unwilling to forget her wonderful past. As for Lu Wenshu¡­ he was definitely thinking of how he could benefit from this instead of Bai Luochu¡¯s feelings. It was the same situation as three years ago. His mistress fell into such a miserable state because of Lu Wenshu. In Lu Wenshu¡¯s heart, no one else mattered. In the eyes of the world, Bai Luochu had vanished from the face of the earth and Ying Lan assumed that the last thing Lu Wenshu would think about was his mistress. The ball of rage in Ying Lan¡¯s heart burned brighter when he turned around and saw that Bai Luochu¡¯s fists were turning white due to how hard she was clenching them. He could no longer endure it and shot towards Lu Wenshu as he prepared to teach that heartless b*stard a lesson. When Ying Lan flew towards Lu Wenshu, a myriad of thoughts flashed through his mind. The closer he got, the angrier he felt. Ying Lan knew that the moment his sword touched the side of Lu Wenshu¡¯s neck, there would be but a single thought left in his head. Mistress died a miserable death in her previous life and the temple was destroyed. Countless disciples suffered miserably and no one knows if they are still alive. The culprit behind all of that dares to strut around as if nothing is related to him. The heavens are unreasonable! You dare to appear in front of me right now and we¡¯ll settle everything once and for all! When Lu Wenshu saw Ying Lan flying towards him, he prepared himself for a battle. However, he never expected Ying Lan to execute so many deadly moves in such a short while. Lu Wenshu carefully sized up Ying Lan¡¯s appearance and felt that he was somewhat familiar. However, he was unable to recall where he had seen Ying Lan before. Chapter 145: Feng Wan’er’s Malicious Plan Bai Luochu managed to calm herself down before Ying Lan flew over. The reason she almost exposed her identity today was not for revenge. She wasn¡¯t strong enough right now and even if she went over, she would be creating more trouble for Ying Lan. Not only would Ying Lan need to fight against Lu Wenshu, he would also need to take care of her. This would cause him to fall to a disadvantage. Right now, she should be working on a plan to rescue the Green Flame Eagle. After the first person went to fight against Lu Wenshu, everyone assumed that he was overestimating his capabilities. No one would think that the evil dao witch¡¯s competent subordinate was the one to engage Lu Wenshu. It was even further of a stretch to think that the evil dao witch was here in person. Now that Lu Wenshu was tangled with Ying Lan, the battle instantly broke out once again. Bai Luochu was the closest to the Green Flame Eagle and she dashed towards it. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard had already been left behind as he wasn¡¯t as agile as Bai Luochu. She was dodging Feng Wan¡¯er attacks earlier and he wasn¡¯t able to catch up to her. After some effort, he managed to spot her. Although he could see that Bai Luochu was extremely close to the Green Flame Eagle, he also saw that the Phoenix King Valley had their eyes on her. His head immediately started to ache. After all, his master had already ordered him to protect her. Since he was already part of the battle, he had to carry out his task. He immediately started to move forward and he approached Bai Luochu. He might not be able to stay by her side, but as long as he could rush over when she needed him, it would be enough. Of course, there would always be hiccups when carrying out a plan and just as Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard took a few steps towards Bai Luochu, he was surrounded. Around the Green Flame Eagle, there were only members of the Phoenix King Valley and Bai Luochu. It seemed like she was in an awful situation. No one knew if Bai Luochu would be able to walk out alive. Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu was isolated and his personal guard was surrounded. In a state of panic, he turned his wheelchair around and started to head towards Bai Luochu. When Feng Wan¡¯er saw that Bai Luochu was alone and surrounded by members of the Phoenix King Valley, a malicious plan appeared in her head. Heh. You are really eager to die. I was irritated by the fact that I wasn¡¯t able to kill you. However, you charged into our encirclement yourself. It seems like the heavens are sending you to your death. Feng Wan¡¯er understood that this was the perfect opportunity for her to kill Bai Luochu but she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to make a move. After all, no one was making a move yet and she wasn¡¯t near enough to the Green Flame Eagle. If she were to make the first move and kill Bai Luochu, everyone would become suspicious of her. If that were to happen, her gains wouldn¡¯t be able to make up for her losses. When the disciples of the Phoenix King Valley saw that their eldest senior sister hadn¡¯t obstructed Bai Luochu, all of them stood at the side. It was as though they didn¡¯t want to be involved in the matter. Bai Luochu made use of this opportunity to push her movement skills to the limit as she flew towards the Green Flame Eagle. Apart from battling with Ying Lan, Lu Wenshu was also silently observing the situation on the ground. When he noticed that Bai Luochu was close enough to the Green Flame Eagle, he started to make some preparations in his heart. However, he wasn¡¯t able to keep up with Ying Lan and had no way to obstruct Bai Luochu. Finally, Bai Luochu arrived in front of the Green Flame Eagle. The Green Flame Eagle was already weak after giving birth and after struggling against its enemies, its body was filled with injuries. Right now, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t possess the same appearance but her spirit was the same. Spirit beasts had stronger spiritual energy compared to humans and when it noticed its saviour, the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s hope was reignited. ¡°What are all of you standing around for?! Can¡¯t you see that there is someone trying to snatch the Green Flame Eagle? Take him down! I don¡¯t care if you kill him.¡± When Feng Wan¡¯er saw the strange interaction between Bai Luochu and the Green Flame Eagle, an unsettling feeling appeared in her heart. She felt that the Green Flame Eagle knew Bai Luochu before this and if this were to go on, there was a chance she would obtain the Green Flame Eagle. As such, Feng Wan¡¯er quickly ordered the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples to surround and attack Bai Luochu. This was Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s plan. When they crossed moves earlier, Feng Wan¡¯er knew that Bai Luochu¡¯s movement skill was bizarre and brilliant. It was nearly impossible for her to approach Bai Luochu even if she wanted to. Hence, she ordered the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples to deal with Bai Luochu. This would also emphasise the fact that no one could take down Bai Luochu. She would then launch a sneak attack in order to deal with the ¡®troublesome¡¯ being. This would allow her to show off her flawless skills. She would also be able to find a reason to kill Bai Luochu. As Bai Luochu wanted to steal the Green Flame Eagle, she had no choice but to make a move in order to secure the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s interest. To everyone in the Phoenix King Valley, it would seem as though she gave her all to protect their interests. She would also be able to use the chance to make up for Pei Wuchen¡¯s mistake. Those stubborn elders wouldn¡¯t be able to lecture her in front of her father after she returned to the Phoenix King Valley Chapter 146: Double Killing Inten As of now, the originally chaotic battlefield was split into three parts. One was where Lu Wenshu and Ying Lan were fighting. The second part was where most of the people were. As for the last part, it was right beside the Green Flame Eagle where Bai Luochu and the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples were duking it out. Feng Wan¡¯er stood at the side of the battlefield and looked at Bai Luochu with an indifferent gaze. She was waiting for an opportunity to assassinate Bai Luochu. Feng Wan¡¯er never imagined that Bai Luochu¡¯s movement skill would be so brilliant to the point where she wasn¡¯t at a disadvantage even when there were so many people attacking her. In the end, Feng Wan¡¯er disregarded everything and joined in the battle as well. Her goal was to lay Bai Luochu to rest in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Since she liked the Green Flame Eagle so much, she should just stay here! The moment Feng Wan¡¯er joined the battle, Bai Luochu felt that the battle became more intense. She had no choice but to release her spiritual energy in order to continue the battle. By doing so, she would be able to sense everyone¡¯s movement and at the same time, she could use her spiritual energy to pressure them. She would then slowly deal with them. She was right. Even though the disciples had powerful spirit qi, their spiritual energy cultivation was far inferior to Bai Luochu. Even Feng Wan¡¯er would be forced back when Bai Luochu targeted her with her spiritual energy. Feng Wan¡¯er had to use her spirit qi in order to force herself to move when faced with Bai Luochu¡¯s spiritual energy. Beside the Green Flame Eagle, there were only several people present. Bai Luochu was fighting against Feng Wan¡¯er and several disciples from the Phoenix King Valley. However, as Bai Luochu had to use her spiritual energy to pressure her enemies, her movements were no longer as agile. In Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes, she was in serious danger. Bai Luochu was lucky that the Phoenix King Valley only sent out ordinary disciples this time. They were only able to use their spirit qi to protect themselves. Feng Wan¡¯er might be able to execute some techniques unique to the Phoenix King Valley, but after she suffered from Bai Luochu¡¯s spiritual energy attack, the two of them became evenly matched. Over time, Pei Qingfeng managed to notice something wrong. Even though Bai Luochu was struggling against Feng Wan¡¯er, she would avoid the Green Flame Eagle. She prevented the sword qi in the battle from affecting the eagle. One was apprehensive, while the other was fearless. Bai Luochu naturally fell into a disadvantageous situation. Feng Wan¡¯er could see that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to hurt the Green Flame Eagle and knew that her opportunity to kill Bai Luochu was here. Her attacks became fiercer and it seemed as though she no longer cared whether the Green Flame Eagle lived or died. Sword intent shot towards Bai Luochu and the Green Flame Eagle was affected as well. After the Green Flame Eagle suffered more injuries, its cries became louder. In a state of panic, Bai Luochu turned around to look at the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s injuries. In that split second, she revealed an opening. Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s sword changed direction in mid air and she poured all her spirit qi into her sword. She wanted to end the battle with a single strike. Pei Qingfeng was extremely anxious and in a fit of desperation, he yelled out, ¡°Luo Chu, be careful!¡± The moment the words left Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mouth, she felt the cold killing qi behind her. The Green Flame Eagle had also noticed Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s killing intent and when it saw how Bai Luochu turned around in the middle of the battle, it cried out loud in order to warn Bai Luochu. The call from the Green Flame Eagle ruined everything. When Ying Lan heard Pei Qingfeng¡¯s shout, he assumed that Bai Luochu was in danger. He disengaged Lu Wenshu and turned to look at Bai Luochu. In that split second, Lu Wenshu was able to catch his breath. However, the moment the cry from the Green Flame Eagle echoed through the air, Lu Wenshi assumed that someone was going to hurt the eagle and sent out a sword condensed from spirit qi towards Bai Luochu. With the cry, everyone stopped moving. Everyone could see the attacks aimed at Bai Luochu. Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s sword and Lu Wenshu¡¯s spirit qi sword shot towards her. By the time Bai Luochu reacted, she was right in front of the gates of hell. Bai Luochu had no choice but to withdraw her spiritual energy as she pushed her movement skill to the max. No matter how hard she tried, she was only able to avoid Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s attack. Lu Wenshu¡¯s sword sliced down towards her with boundless killing intent. Unable to put up the slightest resistance, Bai Luochu gave up. There was a smile on Bai Luochu¡¯s face as she never expected that after her reincarnation, she was going to die in the hands of the killer of her past self. It seemed as though she wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid the fate of dying in Lu Wenshu¡¯s hand. It was a pity that before she could take her revenge, she would die in his hands once again. How annoying... The moment she felt Lu Wenshu¡¯s killing intent, Feng Wan¡¯er retreated. She knew that there was no way for her to receive his attack. Haha, it seems like I won¡¯t need to make a move personally to kill this cheap slut. It was really satisfying and Feng Wan¡¯er was almost unable to keep her emotions in check. She almost burst out laughing. Chapter 147: Risking One Life to Save Another Bai Luochu could hear the sword qi as it pierced through her body. However, it didn¡¯t feel as painful as she thought. Bai Luochu became suspicious and her eyes snapped open. The scene in front of her caused her to turn pale with fright. Pei Qingfeng stood in front of her as a bright red flower blossomed in front of his chest. Lu Wenshu¡¯s sword qi was extremely strong and when it entered Pei Qingfeng¡¯s body, it damaged a majority of his organs. Pei Qingfeng had been standing at the edge of the battlefield with his eyes glued onto Bai Luochu. When he saw that she wasn¡¯t able to dodge Lu Wenshu¡¯s attack, he disregarded the fact that he was a cripple as he slammed his palm onto the armrest of his wheelchair. He used the force to fly in front of Bai Luochu, just before the sword qi struck her. Pei Qingfeng had achieved what he wanted to do. When Bai Luochu helped Pei Qingfeng to treat his legs previously, she sealed off a portion of the meridians in his legs. Right now, Pei Qingfeng had used his spirit qi to forcefully open up the blocked meridians, causing some internal injuries. The moment Lu Wenshu¡¯s attack struck him, he vomited a mouthful of blood. Without a doubt, this was the closest Pei Qingfeng had been to the gates of hell. Pei Qingfeng lost all strength and collapsed into Bai Luochu¡¯s arms. The thick stench of blood filled Bai Luochu¡¯s nasal cavity and her clothes turned red due to the blood gushing out from Pei Qingfeng¡¯s wound. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to support Pei Qingfeng¡¯s body and she reached out to hug him in order to prevent him from sliding to the ground. The moment her hands touched his body, she felt a sticky liquid sticking to her skin. It was clear that her hands were filled with Pei Qingfeng¡¯s blood. It¡¯s so warm... ¡°Pei Qingfeng, wake up! Don¡¯t you want to make fun of me? Say something!¡± When Bai Luochu saw how Pei Qingfeng sacrificed himself because of her, a feeling of guilt and fear filled her heart. That¡¯s right, Bai Luochu was afraid. Not because Pei Qingfeng was a prince and his death would infuriate the imperial clan. She was afraid because she didn¡¯t want to see anyone else die because of her. Too many people died because of her¡­ the temple¡¯s disciples, her guards¡­ she caused the deaths of too many people and in this life, she didn¡¯t want anyone to die because of her. Bai Luochu sat there as she hugged Pei Qingfeng. She stared into space and didn¡¯t know what to say. Because of the sudden change in events, everyone became silent. Feng Wan¡¯er was panicking as well as the person who had suffered grievous injuries was the second prince of the Cloud Water Nation. He was also Pei Wuchen¡¯s imperial brother! If the imperial family were to investigate the matter, she would be dragged down as well. It would definitely affect the engagement between Pei Wuchen and herself. Bai Luochu was no longer able to stay still as her head snapped upwards to glare at Lu Wenshu. It is you again, Lu Wenshu! You¡¯re really something else. In my previous life, you wrecked my temple and seized the inheritance. My temple¡¯s disciples had to run away like beaten dogs and no one knows if they are still alive. You made use of my feelings before allowing the Three Great Immortal Sects to surround me. In this life, you tried to snatch the Green Flame Eagle the moment you appeared. You didn¡¯t even notice that this was the same Green Flame Eagle we saved. Had it not been for someone blocking your attack, I wouldn¡¯t be able to survive¡­ What the f*ck! Sentimental people won¡¯t live a long life but betrayers are like cockroaches who can¡¯t be killed. The heavens are truly blind! They can¡¯t even distinguish between right and wrong! Bai Luochu was in a state of disarray. Adding up her debts from both lives, the glare she sent Lu Wenshu was rather frightening. The look of wrath, enmity, and the desire to tear him to shreds flashed through her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to kill Lu Wenshu. Bai Luochu looked like a lunatic who was on the verge of collapse. It was at this moment where Bai Luochu displayed her true nature as the evil dao witch. Before she encountered Lu Wenshu, this was her personality. She was surrounded by a murderous aura that could strike fear into the hearts of anyone who looked at her. When she looked at someone, their soul would scatter. After her encounter with Lu Wenshu, she revealed her charming personality as a woman and became a cute, helpless-looking, regular young lady. After Bai Luochu reincarnated, she developed a calm and steady personality. She became much more mature and she lived like an old grandmother. Now that Pei Qingfeng was severely injured, Bai Luochu¡¯s accumulated resentment came bursting out. When Feng Wan¡¯er felt Bai Luochu¡¯s intense killing intent, she couldn¡¯t help but take a step back. She couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind Bai Luochu¡¯s outburst. She was still that dimwitted and stubborn lass who was thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena. How could she possess such a scary air around her? Feng Wan¡¯er was silently frightened. What if¡­ what if Bai Luochu knew what she had done? Wouldn¡¯t she... Feng Wan¡¯er had turned ghastly pale when she thought about the possibility. She took several steps back and wanted to get as far away from Bai Luochu as possible. It seemed like this was the only way to stop Bai Luochu from seeking trouble with her. ¡°Master!¡± When Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard saw that Bai Luochu was hugging a bloodied second prince, he shoved his way through and quickly arrived beside them. When Ying Lan saw Bai Luochu¡¯s current state, he felt rather guilty. If he wasn¡¯t distracted, Lu Wenshu wouldn¡¯t be able to send out the attack. Even though his mistress wasn¡¯t the one injured, he knew that she blamed herself for Pei Qingfeng¡¯s injury. The more Ying Lan looked at Lu Wenshu, the more disgusted he became. ¡°Will this sire only be satisfied after he kills an innocent person?¡± Chapter 148: The Queer Green Flame Eagle No content Chapter 149: The Suspicious Lu Wenshu No content Chapter 150: Who will Triumph? When Feng Wan¡¯er saw that Pei Wuchen still had that dazed expression on his face, she knew that it would be useless no matter how much she consoled him. Since that was the case, why not finish up the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s plan. Feng Wan¡¯er started to use the secret transmission exclusive to the Phoenix King Valley. She silently relayed the plan to the members of the Phoenix King Valley. Feng Wan¡¯er led the members of the Phoenix King Valley towards the location of the eggs when everyone was still in a daze. Even though there were some who were lost in their thoughts, there were also people who were paying attention to the situation. ¡°Is your Phoenix King Valley planning to take all the eggs? Do you think we are non-existent?¡± When Feng Wan¡¯er saw that her original plan had been exposed, she knew that things weren¡¯t going to go as smoothly as she thought. She no longer tried to send anyone to steal the eggs. It seemed like the Phoenix King Valley had to pay the price in blood if they wanted a share of hte eggs. Everyone came back to their senses and surrounded the members of the Phoenix King Valley. The First Prince was also among them. Pei Rumo had already set down a restriction in the vicinity of the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s eggs. As soon as someone tried to steal it, he would immediately sense it. When Feng Wan¡¯er approached the eggs, he didn¡¯t make a sound as he was holding back. He wanted to catch Feng Wan¡¯er and the members of the Phoenix King Valley unprepared. Lu Wenshu joined the battle again and Ying Lan saw a great opportunity. He disengaged from the fight with Lu Wenshu and quickly left the area. He would be able to avoid Lu Wenshu¡¯s questions and he wouldn¡¯t leak any information about Bai Luochu. She would be safer if he didn¡¯t know about her current life. As such, Ying Lan quickly left. His mistress had been taken away by the spirit beast and no one knew where they went. The person in his mistress¡¯ hands was someone with a special identity. If she failed to rescue him, she might lose her life. Ying Lan made a hand signal to the other members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and left to look for Bai Luochu. All of them continued to carry out the plan to obtain the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s eggs. Lu Wenshu was helpless when he saw Ying Lan leave. If he wanted to leave, he could only do so after settling the problem at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Anyway, Lu Wenshu was unable to divide his attention. The moment he was distracted, someone launched an attack at him. He could only concentrate on the battle in front of him. Pei Rumo had already set up a restriction around the eggs and the person who pointed out Feng Wan¡¯er plan was someone he planted. He was the one who ordered the person to point out the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s despicable actions in order to make the Phoenix King Valley public enemy number 1. ¡°Sigh. That being said, you are still a disciple of the Phoenix King Valley, if you rush out and confront them¡­ tsk tsk. I would be able to see your loyalty to the nation but other than me, everyone else will say that you¡¯re an ingrate. I wonder if Third Brother will be able to bear the repercussions.¡± Pei Wuchen who wanted to join the battle stood rooted to his spot. He thought about Pei Rumo¡¯s words as he observed the situation. Pei Wuchen suddenly realized that a lot of people were heading towards the eggs but were unable to touch them. Pei Wuchen understood that it was probably a restriction set up by Pei Rumo. After Pei Wuchen thought about the consequences, he realized that what Pei Rumo said was reasonable. Furthermore, his first brother had already made his preparations. In the end, Pei Wuchen decided against joining the battle. Pei Wuchen might have decided not to join the fray, but he still satirized Pei Rumo, ¡°First Brother is indeed First Brother, always so thorough with your considerations. Wuchen can only look up to you. A gentleman shall always fulfill a lady¡¯s request. If First Brother is so determined to obtain the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s younglings, this brother shall not hinder you. I hope that you will be able to return with your prize in order to please Emperor Father.¡± Pei Wuchen mocked Pei Rumo. It was clear that Pei Wuchen was sneering at how Pei Rumo disregarded brotherhood for petty gain. Pei Rumo, you¡¯re just a dog raised by Emperor Father¡­ Do you even take pride in your own identity? Pei Rumo and Pei Wuchen had always been at odds and when Pei Wuchen criticized him, Pei Rumo¡¯s face didn¡¯t change at all. He bowed to Pei Wuchen before joining the battle. In Pei Rumo¡¯s opinion, a man had to know when to submit and when he should stand his ground. There was no need to consider their ego when making a move. After Pei Rumo joined the battle, the situation became clear. Only Pei Rumo, Feng Wan¡¯er, and Lu Wenshu were left after a round of battle. After fighting with each other for quite some time, all of them made their move at the same time as they grabbed the egg closest to them. They then swiftly retreated and maintained a safe distance from each other. Chapter 151: A Promise That Must Be Kep The Green Flame Eagle soared in the sky with Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng on its back. It seemed like it wanted to bring them out of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range as soon as possible. While it flew in the air, its eggs were divided up by those who were still on the battlefield. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t understand why the Green Flame Eagle would help her. Just a moment ago, it was treating her as someone who wanted to forcefully set up a contract. She also seemed like she was there to steal its eggs. How was it possible for it to be so benevolent to her? This was really weird. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t believe that the Green Flame Eagle managed to recognize her. After all, her appearance was completely different. Unless the Green Flame Eagle could sense Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit, it wouldn¡¯t know that she was the one who rescued it. No matter what, the eagle was a mere spirit beast and it wasn¡¯t capable of such feats. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t understand anything even after wrecking her brains. She no longer thought about it and focused her attention onto Pei Qingfeng. The battle behind them became rather intense at the moment and Bai Luochu turned her head to take a look at the outcome. Seeing as they were fighting for the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s eggs, Bai Luochu spoke up. ¡°Put us down and go back. Otherwise, your children will surely be taken away.¡± When it heard Bai Luochu, the Green Flame Eagle flapped its wings with greater force. It was as though it wanted to send them away from the mountain range as quickly as it could in order to run away from the fact that its children were stolen. When Bai Luochu felt the Green Flame Eagle speeding up, the most tender part in her heart was touched. A spirit beast was actually able to understand the meaning of repaying kindness with kindness. It was much better than a human. After all, there were some humans whose heart was rotten. There were also those whose heart was made of stone. The Green Flame Eagle knew that the humans were there for its eggs. It was possible they would be divided up in just a short moment. However, its saviour was in trouble and a person she was concerned about was injured due to his desire to help. It couldn¡¯t disregard the both of them and had to make a choice. It pitied its children as it was unable to teach them the ways of the world. It lamented the fact that it wasn¡¯t able to educate its children on how to deal with the nasty and vile humans. When it thought about the disgusting humans, the Green Flame Eagle felt heart-broken and tears welled up in its eyes. With Bai Luochu¡¯s spiritual energy, she was able to observe the change in the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s mood. She understood that it was sad because its children were stolen. Thinking about how the Green Flame Eagle sacrificed its children to help her, Bai Luochu consoled it. The Green Flame Eagle let out a clear and loud cry as though it was responding to Bai Luochu¡¯s words. Hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s promise, the Green Flame Eagle started to fly faster. In just a short moment, they left the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. The Green Flame Eagle had just given birth and when it flew out of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, it was already exhausted. It had no choice but to land on the ground. Bai Luochu understood that the Green Flame Eagle was exhausted and didn¡¯t wish to tire it out any further. She immediately prepared to carry Pei Qingfeng towards her residence. The moment she hopped off its back, the Green Flame Eagle pulled her back with its beak. The Green Flame Eagle meant for them to take a break before continuing on their journey. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but let out a helpless smile. ¡°You have just given birth and you¡¯re injured. It¡¯s bad enough you had to bring us out of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range and I am very grateful to you. There are carriages here and I can use them to rush back. It is better for you to stay here and rest.¡± The Green Flame Eagle refused to give up. It didn¡¯t want to become someone else¡¯s spirit beast¡­ If those disgusting humans formed a contract with it, it would have to forsake its position as the tyrant of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. It might as well break off both its wings and jump off a cliff. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know if it was because of her improved spiritual energy or because she had a predestined relationship with the Green Flame Eagle. She could actually understand its thoughts. She quickly provided it with a solution. ¡°Head 200 miles to the west. It is a low-lying area in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Those people won¡¯t pass by it when leaving the mountain range. There should be a cavern for you. Head over there and hide first, After settling this guy, I¡¯ll come and pick you up, okay? I promise to never let you fall into the hands of others.¡± Bai Luochu spoke with sincerity. The Green Flame Eagle already had a good impression of Bai Luochu as she was the one who saved its life in the past. After hearing what she said, it released the two of them and stood to the side. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t delay as Pei Qingfeng¡¯s injury was serious. If she was able to return to the capital city, there would be a larger chance she could save him. Bai Luochu immediately looked for a comfortable carriage and after putting him down, she swung the horsewhip as they charged towards the imperial city. The Green Flame Eagle stood at the side and saw Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng off. When the carriage vanished from its sight, it extended its wings and slowly flew towards the place where Bai Luochu had mentioned. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t allow the Green Flame Eagle to escort her as it would definitely bring about a wave of commotion. Moreover, it was exhausted and injured. If she appeared in front of everyone with a Green Flame Eagle, she would be in danger. It was better to play safe and travel by carriage. Chapter 152: Suddenly Regaining Consciousness Bai Luochu charged towards the imperial city with the quickest speed possible as she would only be able to treat Pei Qingfeng when they arrived in the city. Pei Qingfeng actually woke up during the trip back. Perhaps it was due to the bumpy ride... ¡°Cough cough¡­ Cough, cough.¡± Pei Qingfeng coughed a few times and blood flowed out of his mouth. Bai Luochu¡¯s attention was on Pei Qingfeng and the moment he woke up, she opened the curtain. She noticed that his eyes were wide open and she asked with concern, ¡°How are you feeling? Do you feel any discomfort?¡± The moment the questions left Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth, she realized that she was being silly. Her brain wasn¡¯t working properly right now. How could he feel comfortable with such severe injuries? When Pei Qingfeng heard Bai Luochu¡¯s question, he chuckled. He knew that she wasn¡¯t thinking straight. He was touched but he couldn¡¯t help but want to tease Bai Luochu. ¡°What are you saying? If I feel comfortable with these injuries, won¡¯t I be considered an immortal?¡± When Bai Luochu heard his response, she instantly yielded. She muttered to herself, ¡°Just treat it as though I didn¡¯t ask...¡± Pei Qingfeng might be awake now, but Bai Luochu was still very anxious. Judging from Pei Qingfeng¡¯s voice and breath when he was speaking, his condition was pretty serious. ¡°Try not to talk. It is better for you to conserve some energy. If I need you to be awake for the treatment later and you pass out, don¡¯t blame me for failing to save you.¡± Bai Luochu was truly inept at caring for others and her words were rather crude. ¡°Haha, are you showing your concern for me? It doesn¡¯t matter, you will surely be able to treat me. If you fail to do so, I won¡¯t feel too sad. After all, I died for you.¡± Pei Qingfeng was an individual who grew up in the imperial clan. The descendants of the imperial clan always matured at an early age and would understand the special relationship between man and woman. Pei Qingfeng never allowed anyone to touch him and she was the first lady to do so. He understood that Bai Luochu treated him differently. The reason why he wasn¡¯t going all out was because he knew that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t clear about their relationship. If he scared her off, he would regret it for life. Bai Luochu might react slower than others in terms of relationships, but Pei Qingfeng had risked his life to rescue her and was saying such ambiguous things right now. No matter how slow she was, Bai Luochu could detect the feelings he had for her. However, because he wasn¡¯t willing to state it clearly, she wasn¡¯t going to assume that he was interested in her. Her hands paused for a moment before snapping the reins again. The horses were galloping rapidly and with the sudden stop, Pei Qingfeng nearly flew out of the carriage. Bai Luochu cramped up after hearing Pei Qingfeng¡¯s question. She cleared her throat and replied, ¡°Cough cough, it is nothing. There is a herd of sheep in front of us and it will be bad for me to kill any of them. I stopped suddenly and I hope for Your Highness¡¯ forgiveness.¡± ¡°Sheep? Why are there sheep in the wilderness? Let me see.¡± Pei Qingfeng trembled as he raised his hand to open the curtains. Because it was a random lie Bai Luochu came up with, she couldn¡¯t allow Pei Qingfeng to find out. She held on to the curtain and wouldn¡¯t allow him to open it no matter what. The reason she gave was extremely dignified. ¡°Your Highness still has severe injuries. It is better for you to avoid getting a chill. If you catch a cold, even if I am able to treat you, there might be hidden injuries left in your body.¡± Pei Qingfeng immediately stopped persisting when he saw how insistent Bai Luochu was. He obediently laid down back inside the carriage. Bai Luochu let out a long sigh of relief when Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t insist on opening the curtain to find out what happened. She spurred on the horses and made her way back to the city. At the city gates, guards were adamant about checking the carriage. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to alarm the capital city and thought about how to conceal the fact. However, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s frail voice echoed from inside the carriage. ¡°Open the curtain and let them see!¡± Perhaps it was due to the excessive loss of blood, Pei Qingfeng was panting after he spoke. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t understand Pei Qingfeng¡¯s intention, but since he gave the order, she knew he had a plan. She opened the curtain and allowed the guards to inspect the carriage. ¡°I suffered severe injuries at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Had it not been for Divine Physician Bai, I am afraid I would have already¡­¡± Because of the long journey and delays on the road, the current Pei Qingfeng was extremely weak. When Bai Luochu saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s current state, she became more anxious. She immediately spoke to the guards at the city gates with a severe tone, ¡°Can¡¯t you see that the Second Prince needs immediate treatment?! If there are any delays, the Second Prince¡¯s life will be in danger. If anything happens to the Second Prince, are you going to be held responsible?!¡± As soon as the words left Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth, the guards were terrified. Bai Luochu knew that they were nervous and she calmed them down. ¡°If you can¡¯t take responsibility, open up a path for me to the city. I will provide treatment to His Second Highness right away.¡± The guards didn¡¯t hesitate as they stood to the side and fell to their knees. When Bai Luochu saw that there were no more obstructions, she yelled, ¡°Everyone make way!¡± She then hastened her pace into the city. Pei Qingfeng noticed that they weren¡¯t en route to the Second Prince¡¯s residence and asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Bai Luochu replied casually, ¡°All the tools and precious medicinal herbs are in the general¡¯s residence. Even the Hundred Herbs Hall might not have as many ingredients as me. In Your Second Highness¡¯ opinion, is there any other place better to treat you apart from my general¡¯s residence?¡± Chapter 153: Great Care Bai Luochu steered the carriage with extreme speed. The general''s residence wasn¡¯t like those aristocratic clans that were still in power. It was situated at the outskirts of the capital city. However, they were able to arrive within a short period of time. As soon as Bai Luochu stopped the carriage, she quickly and carefully pulled Pei Qingfeng out . She carried him over her shoulder and walked into the general''s residence. When she reached the entrance, she was obstructed by the guard servants. Looking at the two of them right now, it would be strange if they weren¡¯t stopped.One of them had disheveled hair and had a mask on his face. The other had a horrific wound on his chest and it looked like someone dragged him out from a pool of blood. ¡°If the two of you are here to visit my Master, please hand over the invitation card. If you are here to seek refuge, please go to other residences. Our general''s residence isn¡¯t some wealthy clan big enough to accommodate two buddhas like you.¡± When Bai Luochu heard what the servants said, she was enraged. She spoke to Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Help me take off my mask.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s brain was already muddled and when he heard Bai Luochu¡¯s voice, he simply peeled off the mask on her face. When the guard servants saw the face behind the mask, they were shocked. Wasn¡¯t she the young lady? ¡°What are you standing around for?! Open your eyes wide and look carefully! I am the official owner of this residence. No matter how small the general''s residence is, you still have to accommodate this buddha. As for the person I am carrying, he is the Second Prince. Right now, he is suffering from severe injuries and I am trying to save his life! If something were to happen, even if you had tens of heads, it won¡¯t be enough when His Majesty starts to investigate the matter. The entire general¡¯s residence will be buried along with the prince! Hurry up and help me carry the Second Prince inside!¡± When Bai Luochu saw how clumsy these servants were, she flew into a rage. Was her uncle¡¯s family crazy? Why did they hire these fools? Those guard servants were like wooden blocks as they stood at the entrance. They only started to move when they heard Bai Luochu scream about how everyone was going to die. They quickly helped Bai Luochu to bring Pei Qingfeng into the secluded courtyard. They didn¡¯t even complain when they realized their hands were covered with blood. These guard servants might be fools, but they weren¡¯t actually retarded. After calming down, they realized that there was something wrong. Firstly, Young Lady Luo Chu never left the general''s residence. How did she come back if she didn¡¯t leave? Furthermore, she was dressed in a crude man¡¯s robes and had a mysterious mask on her face. Secondly, wasn¡¯t the person she was carrying the Second Prince? How could he suffer such horrific injuries? ¡°What a joke. With the likes of the general''s residence? A declined noble clan? Young Lady Luo Chu is an orphan daughter and it is already a blessing for her to still be alive. Where did she get the money to study medicine? How is it possible for them to allow her to learn medical skills? If they could, shouldn¡¯t the young lady be the one to obtain the benefits?¡± The other guard servant spoke with extreme disdain. As the guard servants quarrelled with each other, Bai Luochu had already disinfected Pei Qingfeng¡¯s wound. The blood on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s body had already dried up and if she were to rip his clothes off, a layer of his skin would be peeled off as well. In the end, Bai Luochu decided to use a pair of scissors to cut away the cloth stuck to his body. The scissors was made of metal and to prevent rust on the scissors from infecting the wound, Bai Luochu soaked the scissors in white wine before cleaning it with a clean cloth. She sterilized it over the flame of a candle to ensure that the scissors could cut open the clothes easily. It would also prevent the wound from being infected. When Bai Luochu started cutting, Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t forget to make fun of her. ¡°Men and women should not touch each other. Now that I am going to let you see my naked body, is Divine Physician Bai going to take responsibility? If you are unwilling to marry me to compensate me, I am willing to marry you.¡± Pei Qingfeng naturally wanted to send his message across. When Bai Luochu looked at Pei Qingfeng, she had an expression of extreme dislike on her face. She sneered, ¡°Your Highness must be joking. In front of a physician, gender is non-existent. Even if Your Highness were to take off your pants, you will look the same as a piglet bred by the village girl. However, the piglet is easier to treat than you. Your body is very frail right now and you should keep your mouth shut. Save some energy now so that you will have the strength to scream later.¡± Was this still the Second Prince? How could he behave so shamelessly? Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but childe him in her heart. After Bai Luochu replied, she sliced open the clothes on his body. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s upper body was revealed and Bai Luochu fished up the cloth that had been boiling in the pot. She wrung it before she wiped the blood stains off Pei Qingfeng¡¯s body. Pei Qingfeng was currently observing Bai Luochu¡¯s expression as he wanted to see the bashful face that belonged to a young lady. After waiting for a long time, he noticed that her expression was one of seriousness. Let alone being shy, it would be easy to convince someone a wall had more expression than her. Pei Qingfeng suddenly felt that he was inferior to that piglet raised by the village girl. In any case, Bai Luochu might feel that the piglet was cute. It was either that or the piglet could be turned into something delicious. As for Pei Qingfeng, he was only able to cause her more worry. It was good enough she wasn¡¯t angry with him. After Bai Luochu cleaned up the blood, she searched through her box for an elixir. She took out a pill and stuffed it into Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mouth. ¡°This is a medicine I refined recently and it¡¯s suitable for people who are seriously injured. I made it using all sorts of valuable medicine ingredients. I even improved the formula after referencing it with some ancient text. Be at ease and consume it. You will be fine.¡± Bai Luochu explained and started to look for something else. Chapter 154: The Unusual Atmosphere in the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence From the Falling Cloud Mountain to the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s general''s residence, Bai Luochu enjoyed a rather eventful few days. However, this wasn¡¯t the only place bustling with excitement. The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence overseen by Guan Yue was also rather lively. ¡°How many has it been?¡± Guan Yue was rubbing his temple as if he was having a headache. He placed his elbows on the table and used his hand to support his chin as he questioned the other members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. The rest of the members looked at each other with dismay and after a long moment, one of them stammered, ¡°Young¡­ Young Master Guan. Many people visited and we didn¡¯t keep track of the numbers¡­ We only know that there is one bottle of antidote left.¡± The person lowered his head with embarrassment as he spoke. Guan Yue understood the reason behind Divine Physician Bai¡¯s insistence for him to oversee the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Most of the major and minor factions in the Cloud Water Nation were drawn to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, but these factions left people behind to guard their bases. Most of them were small fries who were not qualified to take part in the battle at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence had suddenly emerged within a short span of two weeks, just like spring onion in a drought. No one would believe if the other factions would allow them to do as they wished. As a result, Guan Yue had been extremely busy. It felt as though the surrounding small factions were lining up to test the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. There were some who were competent enough to withstand the poison array, but when they reached the main entrance of the Palace of Resurgence, they passed out. There was a weakling who even fainted in the middle of the poison array. Guan Yue even had to send out men to feed that person the antidote before escorting him back to his faction. When the person woke up and realized that he was back at his base, he was shocked. He asked the other disciples and when he learned about how he was politely dropped off by the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, he felt humiliated. He wanted to go to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to regain his honor but he recalled that he wasn¡¯t even able to reach their gates. He stood at the foot of the mountain and yelled at the palace as he requested for them to send someone to fight him. The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence thought that this person would give up after a few days. No one expected him to set up a shed at the bottom of the mountain. When he became tired from shouting, he retreated to his shed and took a rest. There were times when this person came during the night and yelled the moment the day started. Everyone felt uncomfortable because of him and someone finally sent him a message. Rumor had it that the person fainted the moment he read the message. Guan Yue eventually explained the reason behind it. ¡°If this person is willing to waste so much time because he fainted in the poison array, he is definitely a prideful being. We simply need to tell him that the poison array is merely something at the elementary level and a random physician was the one who set it up. When he learns that he isn¡¯t competent enough to deal with a physician, he will definitely break down.¡± Guan Yue might be noble and virtuous, but he still grew up in an aristocratic clan. He studied stratagems and the art of war. He knew that he had to target the heart when dealing with such people. When Guan Yue heard that the person had vomited blood, he simply passed down the order, ¡°We are the ones at fault here. Get someone to buy some superior medicine from the Hundred Herbs Hall and deliver it to that person. Let him know that it was prepared by our physician after learning that his poison array caused so much trouble. It¡¯s a sign of our apology.¡± The rest of the members from the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence couldn¡¯t understand Guan Yue¡¯s method of doing things and asked, ¡°Young Master Guan, I don¡¯t think the person will consume the medicine. Why are we wasting our time?¡± ¡°It is his decision to consume the medicine. Delivering the medicine will show our etiquette. Just carry out my order. Nothing will go wrong. When you deliver the medicine, you will understand the reason.¡± After Guan Yue spoke, he rubbed the joint of his left index finger and revealed a profound smile. One of the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence acted according to Guan Yue¡¯s instruction. He immediately headed to the capital city to get some medicine before rushing over to that person¡¯s sect. When the disciples guarding the mountain gate heard that he was here to offer their apology, they allowed the member of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to enter. After he arrived, he placed the medicine down and repeated everything Guan Yue had mentioned. In response, the person fainted on the spot. It was said that when that person finally woke up, he wasn¡¯t able to stand up. His cultivation was wasted and he was no longer able to move. He might still be alive, but he was a living vegetable. Everyone immediately understood that Guan Yue was making an example out of this person. He was killing a chicken to warn the monkey. Those small factions didn¡¯t dare to send anyone else and Guan Yue managed to achieve his goal. The reputation of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence started to spread from the surrounding factions. At the start, everyone said that they shouldn¡¯t be provoked. However, as the rumors started to spread, the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence became unfathomable and their poison array was praised to be able to whittle a person¡¯s willpower away. Most of the factions behaved themselves, but there were still a few that didn¡¯t believe the rumors. They sent over several individuals in order to test the waters. ¡°Young Master Guan, what do you think about these two individuals?¡± It had been quite a long time since someone came looking for trouble, therefore, the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence were at a loss of what to do. Chapter 155: Her Cousin’s Scheme Guan Yue was getting very handy at handling such matters. Since the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence sent out their men to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, Guan Yue single-handedly held up the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence.Guan Yue developed rapidly in this short period of time and was now adept at taking up leadership roles. ¡°I wonder if Divine Physician Bai is able to bring the Green Flame Eagle back.¡± After Guan Yue gave his instructions, he stayed in the courtyard and stared blankly towards the direction of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. After a long time, he snapped back to reality and muttered to himself, ¡°Forget it. I shouldn¡¯t think too much. He always keeps his words¡­ All I have to do is trust him.¡± At this very moment, Guan Yue thought that Bai Luochu was still at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. He would never have imagined that Bai Luochu caused Pei Qingfeng to suffer such serious injuries. As she had to rush back to take care of Pei Qingfeng, she wasn¡¯t able to bring the Green Flame Eagle back with her. It would take some time before she would be able to return with the Green Flame Eagle. After Bai Luochu tended to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s wound, she looked for a blanket to cover him up. ¡°With your injuries, you shouldn¡¯t be exposed to the wind. You might suffer from some hidden wounds if you were to catch a cold. If you feel uncomfortable, I will get you another blanket.¡± As Bai Luochu spoke, she tucked in the corners of the blanket to the side of the bed. ¡°I have already administered the medicine and when your wounds start to heal, you can soak in the medicinal bath. The external and internal treatment will allow you to heal faster. There will not be any hidden conditions in your body.¡± Bai Luochu explained herself. She didn¡¯t want Pei Qingfeng to think that she was slacking off. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t mind and laughed, ¡°You can treat me however you wish. You don¡¯t have to bother about what I think. I trust you.¡± After hearing what Pei Qingfeng said, Bai Luochu¡¯s face didn¡¯t change. She was already immune to his mushy words. ¡°I am indebted to Your Highness. I will be waiting outside. If you feel any discomfort, call for me.¡± Before Pei Qingfeng would speak, Bai Luochu left the room. She knew that if she were to stay in the room, Pei Qingfeng would start messing about with her. Bai Luochu was also afraid that she would be tempted to mess with Pei Qingfeng as well. However, she knew that he needed to rest and leaving was the best choice. Pei Qingfeng was also very disappointed. After all, he wanted to use this opportunity to get intimate with Bai Luochu. He never expected for her to leave him in the room alone. Forget it, forget it. It was better not to press too hard, otherwise, it might end up with the opposite effect. The guard servant looked around to make sure that there was no one before he continued. ¡°It is absolutely true. This servant even helped Young Lady Luo Chu to bring the man back to her secluded courtyard.¡± ¡°They are together in the same room in the secluded courtyard?¡± When she heard the news, excitement bubbled in her heart. That guard servant didn¡¯t say anything else and simply nodded. Her cousin was elated. She was trying to find fault with Bai Luochu but was unable to dig out the slightest problem as that lass had been hiding in her room for the past two weeks. She was bored out of her mind when such a juicy piece of information reached her ears. ¡°You have done well, this is your reward. You may be dismissed, I will go and look for my mother right now.¡± the young lady placed a piece of silver into the hand of the guard servant before rushing off to look for her mother. ¡°Sigh, young lady¡­¡± When the guard servant saw her walking away, he wanted to stop her. However, before he could say anything, she was already gone. ¡°There¡¯s still another part...¡± The guard servant had no choice but to mutter to himself. It was true that the piece of information wasn¡¯t complete. The guard servant originally wanted to tell her that the man was probably the Second Prince, Pei Qingfeng. If one were to think about it, her cousin was really stupid. If Bai Luochu came back with another man, why would she allow her aunt¡¯s men to assist her? However, the guard didn¡¯t dare to speak of this. It seemed like the young lady was really getting muddle headed. ... It was due to this incident that Bai Luochu¡¯s cousin was made into a laughing stock. Pei Qingfeng even reprimanded her because of how rude she was to Bai Luochu. She was so humiliated that she didn¡¯t dare to leave her room for several days. Furthermore, Pei Qingfeng made a point to spread the incident to the young ladies from the noble clans. Qianqian was reduced to a joke in the capital city. ¡­ ¡°Qianqian, are you sure you still want to find fault with Luo Chu?¡± The aunt was truly fearful after several rounds of self-humiliation. In the end, she wanted to make sure that her daughter was making the right choice. Qianqian was confused. ¡°Why is Mother so fearful of the consequences? Luo Chu is just a simple lass. Now that the evidence is in front of us, how can she avoid punishment? We¡¯re standing on the side of justice! Isn¡¯t Mother able to deal with all those maids and concubines beside Father? Why are you so afraid of Luo Chu?¡± How can you compare Luo Chu to your Father¡¯s unpresentable maids and concubines? Right now, we are the ones wronging her. Furthermore, if Luo Chu finds out the truth, our entire family¡¯s head will roll! Chapter 156: Constant Obstruction Bai Luochu was outside and she closed her eyes to take a nap. She was really exhausted. Firstly, she rushed to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range without rest. She then participated in a chaotic battle. Right now, because of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s injuries, she rushed back to the capital city without a break. The moment she closed her eyes, Bai Luochu recalled the intense battle back at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. A violent sound of knocking woke her up. Qianqian was too impatient and was afraid Bai Luochu would hide the man if she came a little bit later. She smashed the door down and charged into the courtyard. ¡°Luo Chu! Open the door! Get out here!¡± Qianqian thought she had the upper hand this time and behaved very arrogantly. She yelled confidently as she barged into the courtyard. Bai Luochu felt a headache when she heard the voice. It wasn¡¯t because she was afraid of her cousin, but because she didn¡¯t want to waste her precious time on such meaningless quarrels. She was tired of dealing with this worthless existence. Although Bai Luochu was exhausted, she still opened the door. She wanted to see what kind of tricks her cousin was up to. She was going to treat it as entertainment in order to make up for her past two weeks of hard work. The moment Bai Luochu opened the door, Qianqian wanted to rush into the room with her mother. However, Pei Qingfeng was resting in the room and he was a bed-ridden patient with a serious injury. How could she allow Qianqian to mess around as she wished? Putting aside the fact that she would disturb Pei Qingfeng¡¯s rest, she would also be making a fool of herself. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately stood in front of the door. ¡°Why is cousin in such a hurry? Is there something serious enough to warrant you barging into my room? If anyone makes this information public, other people will think that our general¡¯s residence¡¯s education is lacking. They will say that the women in our family are not refined and dignified. How will we face the public in the future?¡± Bai Luochu was currently trying to reason with her cousin. The young ladies in the capital city were different from an evil dao witch like her. She was considered an undisciplined individual but the women in the capital, especially the young ladies of the aristocratic clans, would follow the rules inflexibly. Bai Luochu suspected that they would even measure the distance between their steps. For a moment, Qianqian was frightened by Bai Luochu¡¯s threat. However, she came up with a reply that stunned Bai Luochu. ¡°Hah, cousin is really hilarious. Of course there is something urgent I need to attend to. I am disregarding the proper formalities because of a pressing matter.¡± When Qianqian spoke, she paid attention to Bai Luochu¡¯s expression as she wanted to detect even the slightest change. ¡°Back to the topic. There are two young ladies in our general¡¯s residence. I might be your cousin, but to everyone outside, I am still someone who received proper education here. If elder sister is to find fault with me, you need to think of your own actions first. After all, if you do something wrong, you will disgrace the residence as well. If my image is affected because of you, don¡¯t blame your younger sister for falling out and turning hostile.¡± Qianqian didn¡¯t forget to laugh after speaking. Her laugh was so fake that Bai Luochu noticed her intention. Bai Luochu silently lamented the fact that Qianqian¡¯s methods were better than they were two weeks ago. The way she spoke had improved as well. However, it was a pity that no matter how great these skills were, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to exploit Bai Luochu¡¯s weakness. After all, how smart they were was the most important factor. According to Bai Luochu, Qianqian¡¯s head was nothing more than a decoration and her skull was filled with water instead of a brain. It was probably due to her upbringing in the general¡¯s residence. However, when she thought about it, Luo Chu was also really lacking. How could she be suppressed by this bunch of mentally handicapped retards? They were even able to kill her¡­ Didn¡¯t Luo Chu understand the meaning of being cautious? Since she couldn¡¯t cultivate, shouldn¡¯t she be more cautious instead? Bai Luochu was a person who had one lifetime¡¯s worth of experience. Even though she allowed Qianqian to run her mouth off, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t show any signs of anger on her face. Instead, she smiled and spoke politely, ¡°Since I am your elder sister, how can I not understand the rationale behind this? Sister really likes to joke. It seems like you are targeting someone with your words¡­ Who are you talking about?¡± It seemed as though Qianqian was still too rash as she snapped at Bai Luochu. ¡°Stand aside, I want to enter the room. I¡¯m talking about you. Let me enter the room and show you your sins.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t stand aside?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s face turned dark. She was enraged. No matter how well-tempered a person was, if they were repeatedly splashed with dirty water, they would flare-up. Furthermore, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t someone with a good temper to begin with. When Qianqian saw how Bai Luochu was bent on stopping her, she assumed that Bai Luochu was hiding something. She became more complacent and thought that she would definitely be able to gain the upper hand this time. ¡°If elder cousin isn¡¯t willing to step aside, you will be admitting your guilt. Elder cousin has never been educated by your parents and doesn¡¯t know what a sense of propriety, justice, integrity, and honor means. However, this sister knows and for the sake of our reputation, this sister must enter the room. If elder sister refuses to give way, don¡¯t blame this sister for being rude.¡± Qianqian shoved past Bai Luochu and wanted to push open the door when she realized she could no longer move. ¡°It hurts, let go!¡± Bai Luochu used all her physical strength and she even utilized some spirit qi. Qianqian was obviously unable to withstand her might and she squirmed with pain. Chapter 157: Scheme Qianqian not only felt an intense pain in her wrist, her face was ghastly pale from Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit qi attack. She wasn¡¯t able to speak smoothly. ¡°You¡­ Loosen your hand, it hurts so much!¡± Due to the pain, Qianqian whimpered. When Bai Luochu saw that she had taught Qianqian a lesson, she loosened her grip. It was enough punishment and there was no need to leave a permanent injury. As soon as Qianqian¡¯s wrist was released, she immediately withdrew her hand. Seeing that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t going to make another move, she carefully twisted her wrist to alleviate the pain. Even after all this, Bai Luochu still noticed that her cousin¡¯s eyes were still looking inside the room. When she couldn¡¯t see anything, she extended her neck in order to catch a glimpse of the man in the room. Bai Luochu understood that if she didn¡¯t allow Qianqian to enter the door today, she wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy any peace. In the end, Bai Luochu decided to allow her in. With Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personality, if Qianqian was to enter and disturb him, he would surely admonish her. It would be a chance to teach Qianqian a good lesson so that she wouldn¡¯t behave like a mad dog who wouldn¡¯t loosen its jaw after chomping down on something. ¡°Let me ask you a question first. If I allow you to enter, are you sure you won¡¯t regret your decision? Will you bear the responsibility of your actions?¡± Bai Luochu immediately fired two questions at Qianqian in order to turn her away. Right now, Qianqian was assured of her victory and she didn¡¯t detect anything peculiar with Bai Luochu¡¯s questions. In fact, she didn¡¯t even register the two questions. ¡°As long as elder sister doesn¡¯t regret, that¡¯s good enough. Why are you still standing in my way? Is there an unspeakable secret inside the room?¡± Qianqian smugly retorted and as she looked at Bai Luochu with an expression of disdain. When Bai Luochu saw that her cousin was determined to enter, she no longer tried to stop her. On the contrary, she politely invited Qianqian into the room. The moment Qianqian walked past Bai Luochu, Bai Luochu spoke so softly her words were barely audible. ¡°I hope you will be able to bear the consequences of your actions.¡± Snapping her head around, Qianqian looked at Bai Luochu and a feeling of dread appeared on her heart. The current Bai Luochu had a profound smile on her face and a sinister light flashed through her eyes. Bai Luochu looked like a hunter who had set up an inescapable net for her prey. Since Qianqian had already stepped through the entrance, there was no reason for her to back out. In Qianqian¡¯s opinion, if she were to retreat right now, she would be admitting that she was afraid. In the future, as long as Bai Luochu was around, she would never be able to raise her head again. Throwing caution to the wind, she steeled her heart and walked into the room. In order to allow Pei Qingfeng¡¯s rest to be as pleasant as possible, Bai Luochu lowered the drapes in order to block the light. Looking through the drape, Qianqian saw a fuzzy figure. She became more and more excited and felt that Bai Luochu was smashing her foot with a boulder by allowing her to enter the room. Qianqian had a smug expression on her face and she shot out a question at Bai Luochu. ¡°Can elder sister tell me why the drape is lowered? Are you trying to hide something? If you don¡¯t mind, your sister would like to see what you are trying to hide.¡± Qianqian was sure that Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t allow her to raise the drapes. In fact, she planned to tear them open when Bai Luochu chased her out of the room. She would be able to catch her in the act and no matter how eloquent Luo Chu was, she would be unable to escape from her punishment. However, Qianqian was wrong. Bai Luochu wanted to hide the fact that Pei Qingfeng was injured from everyone so that they wouldn¡¯t be able to use his injury to their advantage. It would also allow Pei Qingfeng to rest easy during this period of time. After all, he was Bai Luochu¡¯s patient and if she took too long to treat him, she wouldn¡¯t be worthy of her status as a godly physician. When Bai Luochu saw how anxious her cousin was to jump in the pit, she immediately complied. ¡°Just open it. Why are you so concerned?¡± When Qianqian heard Bai Luochu¡¯s response, her heart started to pound rapidly. She didn¡¯t hesitate as she raised the drapes covering the bed. She didn¡¯t dare to believe the scene in front of her eyes. There was indeed a man lying on the bed and he was suffering from severe injuries. However, the face that greeted her sent her into shock. Why was the Second Prince lying in Luo Chu¡¯s bed? Qianqian head started to spin. After all, this was the person she had been yearning for but right now, he was lying in the bed of the person she hated the most. It was impossible for Qianqian to escape. She wanted to ruin Bai Luochu¡¯s reputation and force her to submit. She never imagined that she would be on the losing end once again. Haha¡­ it was no wonder Bai Luochu could act like a lofty mountain. Am I dreaming right now? How can His Second Highness be together with my wastrel of an older cousin?! ¡°Did you do this on purpose? You know that I am interested in the Second Prince but you choose to humiliate me. Are you not ashamed to snatch your cousin¡¯s lover? You even dare to scheme against the Second Prince. Do you think that you will be able to make the Second Prince treat you favorably because of this? In your dreams!¡± Qianqian wasn¡¯t clear about her current feelings. She felt as though she swallowed a fly. Chapter 158: Stern Criticism Before Bau Luochu could retort, Pei Qingfeng who was lying down was no longer able to endure it. He immediately struggled to sit up and he snapped. ¡°I might not have expressed my attitude clearly in the past. It seems like I¡¯ve worried young lady Qianqian in regards to my relationships. I think anyone with discerning eyes can see that I am treating Luo Chu very well.¡± Pei Qingfeng made his intention very clear. He was an imperial prince. Why would someone else be allowed to criticize him? Qianqian was really a brainless fool. When Qianqian saw Pei Qingfeng getting up, she immediately greeted ¡®Your Second Highness¡¯. Her voice was soft and there was a trace of elegance. It was an entirely different tone when she was speaking with Bai Luochu. She went over and wanted to offer assistance, but before she could move, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s words gave her a ruthless slap. ¡°Young Lady Qianqian had better not move. I am allergic to women and it is better for Luoluo to assist me.¡± Bai Luochu was still watching from the side and she didn¡¯t react to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s intimate address. When she finally realized that he was speaking to her, she felt somewhat helpless in her heart. He is already injured but he can still come up with all sorts of weird plans. No matter what, as her patient, she had to care for him. As Bai Luochu walked towards him, she carried out her responsibilities as a physician, ¡°Why are you awake? Do you feel any discomfort?¡± Pei Qingfeng glanced at Qianqian who was standing at the side like a piece of wood. ¡°I do not feel any discomfort, but your cousin is too noisy. I was able to hold it in when you were at the entrance but she screamed and yelled beside my bed. My eardrums nearly ruptured¡­ Didn¡¯t you say that I should rest well because of my injuries? Why did you let her in?!¡± Pei Qingfeng had a disgusted expression on his face as he spoke to Bai Luochu. When Qianqian saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s expression, her heart broke. She wanted nothing more than to leave this place. Before she walked off, she didn¡¯t forget to address Bai Luochu. ¡°Luo Chu, you better remember this. I will take my revenge.¡± Qianqian young lady looked at Bai Luochu with an unyielding expression and when she turned to face Pei Qingfeng, her expression had already changed. Qianqian revealed a pitiful expression as she placed her hands in front of her chest. ¡°Your Second Highness, you must not be mesmerized by a fickle slut like Luo Chu. If she is truly innocent, how is it possible for her to return unscathed after half a month? You might not be able to accept me now, but I am wholly devoted to you, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Hold on. The Young Lady has yet to hear my reply. Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Are your feelings for me fake?¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw that Qianqian and her mother were about to leave, he stopped them. Qianqian thought that Pei Qingfeng had finally noticed that she was the better choice. She immediately swung her mother¡¯s hand away as a brilliant smile appeared on her face. She stood in front of Pei Qingfeng and waited for his reply. She wanted to teach that slut, Luo Chu, a lesson. Qianqian¡¯s mother had eaten more salt than Qianqian had rice. She knew that things were only going to get worse but her daughter seemed to be unwilling to leave no matter what. She had no choice but to let her daughter do as she pleased. However, she also knew that there was no chance of Qianqian mixing around the noble circle of the capital city after this incident. She was probably going to suffer a serious heartbreak this time. When Bai Luochu saw how Pei Qingfeng was smiling pretentiously at a young lady, she knew that he was planning to teach her a good lesson. This was in line with her actions of allowing Qianqian to enter the room. She would also be able to strike a blow at Qianqian to relieve herself of this annoying fly. It seemed like she would be able to enjoy some peace and quiet after this. ¡°This prince appreciates this Young Lady¡¯s feelings. However, this prince is unable to understand something. You are a Young Lady who has yet to marry¡­ yet, you are calling your cousin a slut every time you open your mouth. Furthermore, you are using nasty and dirty words like ¡®fickle¡¯ when describing her. Why are you insulting your relative? Is this how the general¡¯s residence teaches their children? I once questioned Luoluo¡¯s cold temperament. It seems like the lively side of her has been taken away by you, Qianqian. After stealing a part of someone else¡¯s life, it is no wonder you can¡¯t keep your filthy mouth shut.¡± Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t hold back and Qianqian never expected him to criticize her. Her legs went soft as she kneeled on the ground. Crawling towards Pei Qingfeng, she tried to explain herself in a soft voice, ¡°No, Your Highness, it isn¡¯t like this. Listen to my explanation¡­¡± Who would have thought that Pei Qingfeng had an even more ruthless move? HIs smile didn¡¯t fade as he continued, ¡°Since your mother does not know how to teach you, why not let me do her a favor. After my injuries are healed, I will ask someone to come over to relay my order. Young Lady Qianqian is to copy the Women¡¯s Principle several times as punishment. You should be able to learn how to conduct yourself after that. Since you wish to marry into the imperial clan, why not do a more thorough job? Treat it as an early lesson. Is aunt satisfied with my arrangements?¡± How could a commoner like her defy the Second Prince? Furthermore, this Second Prince was obviously sticking out for Bai Luochu. She immediately nodded and bowed, ¡°Your Highness is wise. My daughter does need some teachings. We can¡¯t air our dirty laundry in the open but since Your Second Highness has spoken, this commoner will not refuse your kind intentions. This commoner shall bring my daughter away in order to avoid staining Your Second Highness¡¯ eyes.¡± Chapter 159: Sad and Depressed After Qianqian was dragged away by her mother, Pei Qingfeng turned to Bai Luochu and sniggered. ¡°Divine Physician Bai is really lucky. You managed to put on such a great show for me!¡± Pei Qingfeng smiled. He wanted to see how this lass would defend herself after making use of him. How could Bai Luochu not understand that Pei Qingfeng had already seen through her tiny scheme? Well, no matter what, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t going to admit her involvement in the plan. She laughed it off, ¡°My cousin is young, slow-witted, and rude. Your Second Highness must be really amused. I am the one at fault for disturbing your rest. I hope that you will forgive me. Pei Qingfeng sneered and glanced at Bai Luochu. He started to tease her again. ¡°You¡¯re still trying to deceive me¡­ Do you think that I can¡¯t see through your intention?¡± Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t willing to expose Bai Luochu and she pretended to be innocent. ¡°What does Your Second Highness mean? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Heh, do you think I¡¯m blind? You obviously used me as your weapon. You find Qianqian annoying but you don¡¯t feel like dealing with her personally. You beat her at her own game and made use of me to teach her a lesson. You even made use of her feelings towards me to get even with her. You knew that I would break her heart if I stood up for you¡­ I never expected Divine Physician Bai to be adept at using schemes as well.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that Pei Qingfeng was aware of her plot, she didn¡¯t want to waste anymore time. Instead, she replied bluntly, ¡°Since Your Second Highness already guessed it, why did you willingly act out this show? Didn¡¯t you achieve your goal as well?¡± Bai Luochu walked over to the table where she used to refine medicine in an unhurried manner. She carefully sorted out the medicine meant for Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Oh? Is Divine Physician Bai a roundworm in my stomach now? How is my acting?¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu was still so composed, Pei Qingfeng felt rather curious. She was just a young lass. Putting aside the fact that she was able to predict his reaction, she even made him willingly act out a wonderful show for Qianqian. ¡°Does Your Second Highness wish to know?¡± Bai Luochu stopped what she was doing and smiled at Pei Qingfeng. When he nodded, Bai Luochu placed down the medicine in her hand and she helped him onto a chair. ¡°Since Your Second Highness is willing to listen, I can¡¯t hide the truth any longer. After interacting with Your Second Highness for some time, I realized that you hate dealing with women. I also knew about Qianqian¡¯s feelings towards you. I knew that if she were to see you, she would be deeply concerned about your well-being. Furthermore, your injuries have yet to heal and she wouldn¡¯t be able to take advantage of you.¡± ¡°Finally¡­ It seems like Your Second Highness is unaware. Every time you fail to take advantage of me, you will vent your frustration on someone else. Am I right?¡± Pei Qingfeng broke into laughter after listening to the explanation. Due to his exaggerated motion, he pulled onto his wound and grimaced in pain. However, he didn¡¯t forget to tease Bai Luochu, ¡°Sss¡­ Divine Physician Bai is such an expert in observation. You can compete against my Emperor Father¡¯s attendant.¡± ¡°In terms of physiology, we won¡¯t lose out to those attendants.¡± Bai Luochu immediately retorted. When Pei Qingfeng saw that he wasn¡¯t going to gain anything from the conversation, he stopped speaking to Bai Luochu. He was afraid she would come up with some nonsense to enrage him. Now that his injuries were still severe, it was better for him to watch his words. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be worth it if the lass made him die from excessive anger. In the end, Pei Qingfeng laid down to rest as he didn¡¯t want to waste Bai Luochu¡¯s efforts. However, he kept tossing around and couldn¡¯t fall asleep. He decided to mess with Bai Luochu once again. ¡°Nevertheless, I still helped you earlier. Don¡¯t you have something to say to me?¡± Pei Qingfeng laid down on the bed and looked at Bai Luochu through the drapes. ¡°What does Your Second Highness mean? You might be injured because of me, but my treatment isn¡¯t free. You still need to pay me my medical fees. Furthermore, Your Second Highness addressed me as ¡®Luoluo¡¯ in front of my cousin. She probably missed it due to her crazy obsession over you. After she thinks about it, I will have to face her revenge. I blocked so many suitors for Your Second Highness and it should be enough to pay for your assistance, right?¡± Bai Luochu took the hint but it seemed like she wasn¡¯t interested in Pei Qingfeng. How could Pei Qingfeng not notice the meaning behind Bai Luochu¡¯s words? She was obviously trying to draw a line between them. He instantly felt defeated. He was truly a weirdo¡­ He gave up all the delicate, charming, and well-mannered young ladies in the prestigious clans for this vicious woman who had a heart of steel. Could it be that he was under some sort of curse? Sigh. Luo Chu¡¯s brain was really carved out of wood. Pei Qingfeng was doubtful if she had emotions. She might be controlling herself, but he complied with her plan in order to make her happy. As for what he said to Qianqian, it was revenge for all the nasty things she said to Bai Luochu. He rejected her as he didn¡¯t want Bai Luochu to misunderstand. Perhaps she already knew his intention and was simply acting like she didn¡¯t know. Chapter 160: Cai Ling’s Return Pei Qingfeng was suffering from his excessive loss of blood and after scolding Qianqian, he could no longer hold off the sleep monster. When Bai Luochu noticed that Pei Qingfeng had fallen asleep, she became more careful and made sure she didn¡¯t disturb his rest. As soon as Bai Luochu finished prescribing the medicine, she walked quietly towards the courtyard. It seemed like she was afraid of waking him up. No matter how careful she was, things weren¡¯t destined to go her way. She ended up knocking into a screen. ¡°Bang.¡± The screen nearly fell over and it was fortunate Bai Luochu had quick reactions. She caught the screen before it landed on the ground. Bai Luochu cautiously turned around and looked at Pei Qingfeng. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Pei Qingfeng merely frowned. She placed the screen upright before leaving the room. Lying on a couch in the courtyard, Cai Ling barged through the doors before her seat was even warm. ¡°Mistress! Are you alright?!¡± Due to her worry, Cai Ling yelled out when she saw Bai Luochu¡¯s figure. She didn¡¯t know that there was someone resting in the room. Bai Luochu was shocked and her mind was a little hazy. She didn¡¯t know who had entered the courtyard but she placed her index finger on her lips and made a shushing motion. She slowly sobered up and shook her head to get rid of the last trance of drowsiness. She finally saw the person who entered the courtyard and she said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± Cai Ling didn¡¯t say anything. Bai Luochu was her mistress and if her mistress asked her to do something, she should carry out her orders. Cai Ling simply turned her body and left the courtyard. Bai Luochu stared blankly for a moment before climbing out of her couch. She wanted to straighten out her clothes but she realized that it was stained with dry blood. It was no wonder Cai Ling was so surprised. Bai Luochu hated being dirty. She didn¡¯t bother changing out as she was afraid she would delay Pei Qingfeng¡¯s treatment. Right now, she started to feel a little uncomfortable. Looking at her bloodied clothes, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t wish to tidy up anymore. Without any hesitation, she walked outside. After exiting, she didn¡¯t forget to close the doors tightly. She didn¡¯t want to disturb Pei Qingfeng¡¯s rest and neither did she want to let him eavesdrop on their conversation. ¡°Mistress, what happened to your clothes¡­¡± Cai Ling was rather alarmed when she saw Bai Luochu¡¯s bloodied clothes. Furthermore, she knew that her mistress was someone who liked to be clean. No matter how busy she was during her daily cultivation, she would still take a bath. This was truly an anomaly. ¡°Where is Commander Ying? Didn¡¯t he return with you?¡± Bai Luochu felt suspicious when she didn¡¯t see Ying Lan. After all, Ying Lan was a responsible person. Now that he wasn¡¯t here, Bai Luochu started to worry. She thought that something had happened to him at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Cai Ling stammered and it seemed like she didn¡¯t wish to reply. Bai Luochu became even more anxious and ordered Cai Ling to speak. ¡°Just say it. You don¡¯t need to hide anything from me.¡± ¡°It is just¡­ Commander Ying is fine, but he was unable to snatch the eggs of the Green Flame Eagle. He felt that he let you down...¡± Cai Ling spoke apprehensively and was afraid that Bai Luochu might blame her. ¡°Pfff, just this?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s energy returned and she broke out into a smile. After so long, Bai Luochu was finally able to laugh without restraint. Since Cai Ling followed Bai Luochu into the general¡¯s residence, she realized that Bai Luochu would either be coming up with some plans, or messing about with Qianqian. Cai Ling never saw her laughing out loud before. Now that she saw it, she was stunned. ¡°If that¡¯s all, all of you can rest assured. I subdued the Green Flame Eagle and I will bring it back soon. As for its eggs, I made a promise to the Green Flame Eagle to retrieve them.¡± Bai Luochu reassured Cai Ling. Cai Ling suddenly let out a breath of relief. In the end, she didn¡¯t succeed in her task and wasn¡¯t able to protect her mistress. Furthermore, she allowed an innocent person to be implicated and felt rather guilty. She immediately asked Bai Luochu, ¡°Mistress, is there something I can help with? It is my fault for not protecting you properly. Now that the Second Prince is injured, I should do something. Can Mistress please advise me?¡± Bai Luochu originally wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t Cai Ling¡¯s fault. However, when she saw Cai Ling¡¯s face, Bai Luochu felt that she had to ask Cai Ling to do something. With Cai Ling¡¯s resolute attitude, if Bai Luochu were to brush it off, it would gnaw at Cai Ling¡¯s mind. It would be detrimental for her future development. Bai Luochu immediately made a decision and instructed Cai Ling, ¡°Since that is the case, you should do something for me right now.¡± Cai Ling swiftly nodded her head. Bai Luochu started to bark out her orders. ¡°You will boil some water for me to take a bath. You will then prepare a set of clean clothes for me to change into after my bath. After that, you will go and take care of the Second Prince while I rest. When he wakes up, you will notify me, do you understand?¡± How could Cai Ling not understand Bai Luochu¡¯s intention? She immediately acknowledged her tasks and went on to carry them out. Bai Luochu returned to her room and started to write out Pei Qingfeng¡¯s next prescription. She prepared all the ingredients before going outside to wait for Cai Ling. Chapter 161: The Reliant Pei Qingfeng ¡°Mistress, this servant has carried out Mistress¡¯ orders. You can be at ease.¡± After Cai Ling reported, she took a deep bow. ¡°If he wakes up and says that he is feeling uncomfortable, feed him the elixir in the white jade bottle. If he is feeling fine, ask him to rest. Pour a cup of water for him whenever possible. All medicines have a degree of toxicity. He has to drink enough water...¡± Bai Luochu had enough of her extremely filthy clothes. After she gave detailed instructions to Cai Ling, she immediately rushed towards her courtyard. Just as Bai Luochu entered her room, she noticed that the water was steaming hot. She quickly took off her blood-stained clothes and tossed it to the side. She stepped into the tub and soaked her body into the hot water. Maybe it was because the temperature of the water was just right, or perhaps it was because Bai Luochu was extremely tired, she fell asleep in the tub of water. Bai Luochu woke up when she felt a chill and she realized that the water had already turned cold. After looking around, it was already night time. She swiftly took a cloth and honey locust to scrub herself clean before emerging from the tub and changing into a fresh set of clothes. In the secluded courtyard, Pei Qingfeng gradually awakened and his mind was still hazy. Due to the loss of blood and a nap that took up the entire afternoon, Pei Qingfeng felt that his throat was drying up. ¡°Water¡­ Hurry up and give me water.¡± When Cai Ling heard Pei Qingfeng, she recalled the instructions given by Bai Luochu before she left. She immediately poured a cup of water from the teapot and delivered it to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mouth. The moment the cool liquid touched Pei Qingfeng¡¯s lips, he sucked up everything in the cup. When he felt a little better, he turned to look at the person attending to him. It was as though he changed into a completely different person. He sat up and leaned against the headboard. ¡°Where is Divine Physician Bai? Why are you here? Go and get your Mistress! I do not wish to talk to unfamiliar people!¡± When Pei Qingfeng opened his eyes and noticed that the person beside him wasn¡¯t Bai Luochu and was someone he didn¡¯t recognize, he instantly turned hostile. Cai Lin wasn¡¯t angry when she heard what Pei Qingfeng said. However, she still offered a polite explanation. ¡°Your Second Highness, please don¡¯t be anxious. My Mistress provided you with treatment the moment she got back. She didn¡¯t even get the time to change out of her dirty clothes. After making sure that you were asleep, she went back to take a bath. If she were to cause your condition to worsen by surrounding you with dried up blood, her efforts would be wasted.¡± Pei Qingfeng was stumped by Cai Ling¡¯s explanation. He wanted to say something, but realized that there was nothing wrong with her explanation. He sulked and waited for Bai Luochu to return. ¡°Creak.¡± The sound of the door opening echoed through the room and Cai Ling turned around. She noticed that Bai Luochu had arrived and she asked with concern, ¡°Mistress, is everything okay?¡± Bai Luochu noticed that Pei Qingfeng was already up and she rejoiced in her heart. It seemed like she was on time. Otherwise god knew what Pei Qingfeng would do to torment Cai Ling. Bai Luochu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It was too comfortable and I fell asleep in the tub. Did he make a fuss after waking up?¡± Bai Luochu might be asking Cai Ling, but her eyes had already floated towards Pei Qingfeng. She wanted to observe his condition and wanted to see if he tried making things difficult for Cai Ling. When Cai Ling heard the question, she didn¡¯t complain about Pei Qingfeng in front of Bai Luochu. Instead, she replied respectfully, ¡°Mistress can be at ease. Nothing happened when this servant was taking care of His Second Highness. His Second Highness didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable after waking up. He got a little frantic, but it¡¯s not worth mentioning.¡± Bai Luochu heard the reply and nodded with approval. ¡°You worked hard. You can head back first, with me around, there is no need to worry.¡± Cai Ling knew that Bai Luochu was dismissing her. As such, she took her leave. Bai Luochu had just bathed and there should be many chores waiting for Cai Ling. Cai Ling simply bowed to Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng before taking her leave. Of course, she closed the door behind her. ¡°Second Highness¡¯ body is indeed fragile. I can¡¯t even leave your side for a moment.¡± Bai Luochu saw that Cai Ling had already walked far away and started to mock Pei Qingfeng. Would Pei Qingfeng admit defeat? ¡°There is something wrong with Divine Physician Bai¡¯s words. I am a descendant of the imperial clan. Because of my status, there are countless people waiting to take my life. Right now, I am still recovering from a severe injury. If someone uses this moment to deliver a dagger to my chest, I probably won¡¯t be able to hold out. I was too rash earlier and took Divine Physician Bai¡¯s personal servant as an enemy. I have truly sinned and I hope for Divine Physician Bai¡¯s forgiveness.¡± Bai Luochu laughed and ignored him. He was obviously messing around. He had seen Cai Ling in the past and there was no way he would mistake her as an enemy. He had assumed that Bai Luochu escaped after saving him and didn¡¯t wish to treat him anymore. As a result, he vented his resentment onto Cai Ling. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t in a hurry to expose him and she started a counterattack. ¡°Oh? Is that right? Second Prince is truly prudent, I really admire you.¡± Even though Bai Luochu was speaking to Pei Qingfeng, her hands were not idle. She prepared his medicine before bringing it over to the bedside. ¡°Will Your Second Highness please lie down properly?? I am going to change the bandage now. If you really want to live, you won¡¯t go against my order, right?¡± Bai Luochu held the medicine in one hand and the gauze in another. She revealed a smile when she looked at Pei Qingfeng. Chapter 162: Pei Qingfeng’s Question Bai Luochu removed the bandage on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s body and realized that a scab was already forming. ¡°Eh?¡± Bai Luochu was rather doubtful. ¡°You are recovering rather quickly. If someone takes Lu Wenshu¡¯s attack, he probably won¡¯t be able to recover without half a month in bed. You¡¯re pretty good.¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t lying. In her previous life, she got together with Lu Wenshu not just because of his gentle and understanding personality. It was also because he was an abnormal talent when it came to cultivation. Furthermore, he had exquisite moves and brilliant movement skills. In Bai Luochu¡¯s opinion, only a person like him was worthy enough to walk alongside her. Bai Luochu continued to change the bandage and she didn¡¯t raise her head. She couldn¡¯t see the curiosity on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face. In the next moment, his question came. ¡°Are you very familiar with Lu Wenshu?¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes narrowed but a light flashed through them. Bai Luochu could feel the burning gaze and felt that there was a blade stuck to her back. She was really too muddle-headed. She revealed such a huge flaw in front of this old fox! With how shrewd Pei Qingfeng was, she didn¡¯t know how to throw him off. At this moment, Bai Luochu¡¯s mind was spinning as she thought of an excuse. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± When Pei Qingfeng noticed that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t talking, he became even more suspicious. Bai Luochu¡¯s hands paused for a moment when she heard the question and immediately explained herself, ¡°If I speak of the reason, I¡¯m afraid Your Second Highness will laugh at me.¡± After responding, Bai Luochu continued to bandage his wounds. Pei Qingfeng was curious and he continued to press her for the reason. ¡°Just say it. We know so many secrets about each other and there is no need to pretend that I am an outsider. If I laugh, I¡¯m not a gentleman.¡± Pei Qingfeng cut off all the routes of retreat Bai Luochu had. He wouldn¡¯t let the matter go unless she gave him a satisfactory answer. ¡°Since Your Second Highness has already spoken, I will be unreasonable if I still continue to avoid the topic. Your Second Highness better listen carefully. Don¡¯t laugh at me for overestimating myself.¡± Bai Luochu was done with the bandages and she raised her head to stare into Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your Second Highness should know that I have innately crippled meridians and cannot cultivate. I am like an ugly woman who will admire and revere beauties on the street. I¡¯m like a poor but upright scholar dreaming about promotion to a high official position. As someone who cannot cultivate, I admire those who can. I admire cultivation prodigies even more.¡± It was a pity that Luo Chu wasn¡¯t able to open up her meridians and start cultivating. Because of this, Bai Luochu felt pity towards Luo Chu. After flipping through the books, Bai Luochu realized that her name was also recorded in this ¡¶The World List of Outstanding Prodigies. After striking off the original comments in the book, she added her own comments with a hairpin. ¡°She may be on the path of evil dao, but her heart is benevolent. Her cultivation is profound and she is extremely knowledgeable. She should be the example all women strive for.¡± Those were Luo Chu¡¯s words. It seemed like Bai Luochu was brought together with Luo Chu by fate. Luo Chu had treated Bai Luochu as a role model and Bai Luochu took over her body. This way, Bai Luochu managed to somehow fulfill Luo Chu¡¯s wish. There would be a day when Bai Luochu would spread Luo Chu¡¯s name throughout the world. ¡°Oh? It seems like you know a lot about Lu Wenshu?¡± When Pei Qingfeng listened to Bai Luochu¡¯s excuse, he was still skeptical about it. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t as nervous as before. She explained, ¡°Your Second Highness doesn¡¯t know this. If I admire a person, I will find out everything about them. Normally, I will visit tea houses and listen to the stories. I heard about Lu Wenshu¡¯s past achievements and can even memorize them. Lu Wenshu is an incredible being in my mind which is why I said what I said.¡± Bai Luochu revealed a look of reverence when she spoke about Lu Wenshu. Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t pleased and immediately chided, ¡°Enough, keep your smitten expression to yourself. You are a lady, how can you be so shameless and express your admiration for a man in front of another man?¡± Bai Luochu immediately withdrew her expression when she heard Pei Qingfeng¡¯s words. After all, it was to convince Pei Qingfeng. It seemed like it worked. Pei Qingfeng was silent for a second before he felt that life was too boring. He thought of another topic and started talking again. ¡°Before you met me, did you do any research on me?¡± Pei Qingfeng thought that he was speaking to a young lass. Even if she didn¡¯t admire him, he was still an accomplished and outstanding prince. Since she grew up in the capital city, it was impossible for her not to know anything about him. Chapter 163: Together in a Room Bai Luochu was thinking to herself. Old fox! First, you interrogated me, and I was smart enough to avoid revealing my identity! You must be dreaming if you want me to praise you! Bullsh*t! A scheme popped up in Bai Luochu¡¯s mind. Haha, you want me to jump into the pit that you have dug. Do you think it is that easy? Today, I shall let you camp in your pit. I¡¯ll show you what is called being too smart for your own good! Bai Luochu threw the old bandages away before turning back to Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Your Second Highness has the looks of a celestial being and is an outstanding individual. You captivated the ladies in the capital and you¡¯re a man with unmatched culture. But¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng enjoyed listening to Bai Luochu and there was a brilliant smile on his face. When he heard Bai Luochu saying ¡®but¡¯, he didn¡¯t hesitate and spoke to Bai Luochu, ¡°There is no need to hesitate. You can say anything you want.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. If one were to look closely, one could see the sinister glint in her eyes. ¡°But my energy is limited. Back then, I was only concerned about investigating Lu Wenshu and didn¡¯t have spare energy to understand more about Your Second Highness. Hence, my understanding of Your Second Highness is limited¡­ your only flaw is your crippled legs. Back then, I felt a pain in my heart when I discovered such a flaw.¡± When the words left Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth, a crack seemed to form on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face. If Pei Qingfeng¡¯s hand could actually move, he would slap himself several times. Why did he have to ask her that question? It was fine if Bai Luochu didn¡¯t open her mouth, once she did, her words were like a sharpened knife stabbing deep into his heart. She wasn¡¯t going to stop until she opened a deep wound. Pei Qingfeng felt as though his wound was about to reopen. Bai Luochu looked at Pei Qingfeng and noticed that his expression was like a pallet knocked over by an imperial artist. The bright colors on his face was a pleasant sight. However, Bai Luochu remembered that he was her patient and if his wound reopened because of her, she would be a sinner. Bai Luochu immediately spoke up, ¡°However, these are mere rumors. Everyone says that the Second Prince is ruined because of his legs, but I know that Your Second Highness is doing this in order to distance yourself from the imperial court. After so long, Your Second Highness never justified yourself. You can be considered a role model among the young men in Cloud Water Nation.¡± Pei Qingfeng was looking better after Bai Luochu¡¯s comments. He was able to accept anyone else calling him a cripple other than Bai Luochu. It was like getting stabbed by someone he loved. Pei Qingfeng looked at her with a burning gaze as though she was his long lost lover. Bai Luochu felt Pei Qingfeng¡¯s burning gaze and she raised her head. Their eyes met and sparks flew. The temperature in the room had rapidly increased but Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t plan to look away. All of a sudden, knocks came from the door. ¡°Knock knock.¡± The sound broke the dubious atmosphere in the room, leaving behind nothing but awkwardness. Pei Qingfeng instantly withdrew his gaze and Bai Luochu awkwardly coughed a few times. ¡°You may enter.¡± After pushing the door open, a rather attractive little face appeared in the gap of the doors. Cai Ling carefully observed for a moment and when she saw that nothing was going on between these two deities, she carried in the things Bai Luochu requested. Cai Ling brought in a mattress and a blanket. After she arranged everything, she reported to Bai Luochu, ¡°Mistress, this servant has prepared everything. However, a man and woman cannot stay in the same room. What if you need to take a bath? It is better to return to your courtyard to do something like that. This servant shall take over your shift when you feel like taking a bath. Is that okay?¡± Bai Luochu walked to the couch outside and realized that the mattress Cai Ling had prepared was rather soft. It was probably lying in the sun for the entire day. Bai Luochu thought that if she were to sleep on the mattress for the entire night, she wouldn¡¯t develop backaches. Bai Luochu nodded with great satisfaction and immediately praised Cai Ling, ¡°Well done. Your suggestion is feasible. We shall act according to the situation and will go ahead with the current arrangements. When His Second Highness has recovered, we will make other plans.¡± When Cai Ling saw that there was nothing else she could help her mistress with, she asked to be dismissed. ¡°It is getting late. No one stays here and if Mistress feels cold at night, please cover yourself up with the blanket. Do not catch a cold.¡± Bai Luochu nodded before she waved her hand to dismiss Cai Ling. ¡°Are you going to stay in the same room as me?¡± When Cai Ling left, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s surprised voice filled the room. Bai Luochu glanced at Pei Qingfeng before explaining, ¡°No one knows when you will recover. You can¡¯t move right now and this is a rather remote courtyard. If I can¡¯t rush over in time, your life will be in danger. I¡¯m going to stay here in order to take care of you.¡± Bai Luochu finished her explanation and didn¡¯t feel like there was anything wrong. On the contrary, she layed down and prepared to sleep. ¡°If this news were to spread out, your reputation will suffer.¡± Pei Qingfeng sounded very sincere. Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes had just closed and they snapped open after hearing Pei Qingfeng¡¯s words. She sighed, ¡°When have I ever bothered with other people¡¯s opinion? You can be at ease, Your Highness¡¯ reputation will not be affected. It is late and I shall go to bed.¡± Chapter 164: The Younglings’ Whereabouts Pei Qingfeng originally wanted to question her but he heard her slow and steady breaths and realized that Bai Luochu was already asleep. Even though she didn¡¯t suffer any injuries, she should be extremely tired. After all, she was taking care of him the entire day. With how alert she was normally, how was it possible for her to fall asleep so quickly? If he was able to move right now, he would surely be standing in front of her, examining her from head to toe. However, he couldn¡¯t move and could only stand in place and look through the drapes. If he was tired at looking at the drapes, he could also look at the roof beams holding the ceiling up. After a long while, Pei Qingfeng finally felt tired. As he prepared to go to bed, he thought about how he should rest more in order to give Bai Luochu an easier time. For the next few days, apart from bathing, Bai Luochu would be in this secluded courtyard, tending to Pei Qingfeng with great care. After a few days, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s condition was finally stable and all he had to do was to wait for the wound to completely heal. Early in the morning, Bai Luochu had just finished her cultivation session as she waited for Cai Ling to deliver her breakfast. Looking at Cai Ling running over, she saw how flustered the little girl was as she tripped over the doorstep. ¡°What? Why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen?¡± When Bai Luochu saw Cai Ling falling over, she walked over and asked with concern. Cai Ling was still gasping for air and wasn¡¯t able to open her mouth. However, she didn¡¯t want to worry Bai Luochu and she shook her head vigorously as she sucked in several breaths of air. When she saw how Cai Ling was acting, Bai Luochu felt that she had to teach this girl a lesson. Of course, she could only do it after the incident with Pei Qingfeng. Bai Luochu still doted dearly on this servant girl that she had personally trained. She immediately poured a cup of water for Cai Ling as she patted her back. Cai Ling gulped down the cup of water and calmed herself down. ¡°Mistress, you haven¡¯t left the house for such a long time¡­ Everyone in the capital city already knows about this!¡± ¡°News? What news? Speak..¡± Bai Luochu was cooped up in the courtyard for the past few days as she took care of Pei Qingfeng. Other than when she took a bath, she didn¡¯t step out of the courtyard. As Pei Qingfeng was present, she couldn¡¯t receive reports from the Remote Paddy Inn. Bai Luochu was like a blind and deaf mouse these few days. Cai Ling found it rather funny and took a good look at Bai Luochu. After all, it was a rare sight to see her Mistress like this. Had it not been for the fact that the news was really urgent, Cai Ling wanted to withhold the information in order to take a good look at Bai Luochu¡¯s expression. After all, Cai Ling didn¡¯t know when she would be able to see this sight again. When Bai Luochu heard the news, she grabbed onto Cai Ling¡¯s arm and asked with a grave expression. ¡°Tell me, who are the ones that took the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s children?¡± Cai Ling knew the importance of the Green Flame Eagle to Bai Luochu. ¡®Love me, love my dog.¡¯ It was natural for Bai Luochu to care about the baby eagles. Cai Ling didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately listed out the names of the people who had obtained the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s eggs. ¡°The Green Flame Eagle laid three eggs and the Phoenix King Valley obtained one. The First Prince obtained another¡­ As for the last one¡­¡± Cai Ling observed Bai Luochu¡¯s expression and when she realized there were no abnormalities, she continued, ¡°The other person is the one who injured the Second Prince¡­ Lu Wenshu.¡± When Bai Luochu heard Lu Wenshu¡¯s name, she felt a burst of disappointment. No matter how deep his affection was, it couldn¡¯t be compared to the value of a spirit beast. How did she fall for such a person in her previous life?! Bai Luochu had an unreadable expression on her face and Cai Ling didn¡¯t dare to continue. It was so silent the sound of a pin drop could be heard. ¡°Even if you want to rescue the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s younglings, you can¡¯t act rashly. You need to be careful. None of the three parties should be provoked. I know that you are anxious and want to fulfill your promise as quickly as possible. However, you need to be alive to do so.¡± The one to break the silence was actually Pei Qingfeng. Bai Luochu turned around and addressed Pei Qingfeng, ¡°How did you know about the promise?¡± Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes when he heard Bai Luochu¡¯s question, ¡°My eyes were closed, but I was still conscious. Of course I heard the conversation between you and the eagle.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and said, ¡°I am well aware of the situation and I am not a reckless person. I know how to deal with this.¡± ¡°Mistress, there is something else. Apart from the First Prince who went to report to the Emperor about the egg, the rest of the princes returned to their residences. However, the Third Prince entered the palace as well. I wonder what he is up to.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s heart started thumping. ¡°Why did he enter the palace? Is he going to ask Emperor Father for a favor?¡± Pei Qingfeng was also very suspicious. ¡°Well, you are to be blamed for that. If I didn¡¯t remember wrongly, Your Second Highness yelled my name at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Why don¡¯t you guess your third brother¡¯s intention?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have the intention to blame Pei Qingfeng, but her identity had been exposed so quickly because of him. She would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t annoyed. Chapter 165: Bai Luochu’s Plan Bai Luochu let out a long sigh and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can hide anymore. Tomorrow, His Majesty will probably summon me to the palace to ask for an explanation.¡± Cai Ling piped up. ¡°What should we do? If His Majesty blames Mistress on the grounds of deceiving the Emperor, the whole clan will be executed!¡± Pei Qingfeng blamed himself for the matter. ¡°If there is no other way, I will explain the situation to His Majesty. I am a prince after all and if I am to plead to His Majesty, it might be of some use.¡± ¡°Your Second Highness, aren¡¯t you looking too highly upon us? The general''s residence is no longer the same as before. Even if the Master and Madam are still around, if such a huge hat were to smash down, they wouldn¡¯t be able to block it. Furthermore, my Mistress is an orphan right now. Even if you are to plead for her, how is it possible for His Majesty to do you a favor?!¡± ¡°Even if that is the case, can¡¯t I give it a try? How can I do nothing?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of your mouth! You are the one who caused all the trouble!¡± Cai Ling and Pei Qingfeng quarrelled with each other and Bai Luochu developed an intense headache. She was no longer able to listen to them and she yelled at the top of her lungs, ¡°Shut up! Both of you!¡± Cai Ling and Pei Qingfeng were both shocked and when they saw that Bai Luochu was angry, both of them kept their mouth shut. Bai Luochu looked at Cai Ling first and reprimanded her, ¡°Cai Ling, you have been serving by my side for so long now and I have never once reprimanded you. Today, you dare to raise your voice at a prince¡­ I know you are concerned for me. However, you can¡¯t behave so rudely. If outsiders learn of this, they won¡¯t criticize you. They will criticize me! I have never treated you as a servant, but you still need to be careful when speaking to others. Today, it¡¯s the Second Prince and we get along rather well. He won¡¯t punish you because of that. However, if you speak like that to the other princes, your head won¡¯t be attached to your shoulders right now!¡± Cai Ling had never seen Bai Luochu so angry before. This was the first time Bai Luochu raged at her and she felt extremely afraid. Her eyes turned red and tears almost fell. She sobbed, ¡°Mistress, this servant is just¡­ is just¡­ worried for you. I have been too rude and rash, I hope for¡­ Mistress¡¯ forgiveness.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that Cai Ling was feeling wronged, a sour feeling filled her heart. However, if she didn¡¯t reprimand Cai Ling today, the punishment that she would receive in the future might cause blood to flow. ¡°Do not commit the same mistake again. Go back today and copy the Heart Sutra several times and calm down.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s voice became softer and she meted out her punishment. Cai Ling didn¡¯t say anything and quietly acknowledged her punishment. ¡°I¡¯m not done with you. You want to defend others even though you¡¯re in trouble! What a kind-hearted guy. Your body has yet to fully recover and you are already quarrelling with someone else. Did you not think about how my efforts would be wasted if your wounds were to reopen? If that were to happen, another crime would land on my head. With both punishments landing on my head, I will really be dead.¡± ¡°Moreover, the Second Prince and Third Prince are brothers in name, I am also His Third Highness¡¯ fianc¨¦e. If you help me now, what will others think of it? Even if I am shameless enough to ignore everyone¡¯s opinion, what will the reputation of the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial clan become? You and I will then be crowned with the title of ¡®adulterers¡¯. You are a prince, His Majesty won¡¯t do anything to you. However, I am just an orphan! I will definitely be executed by His Majesty in secret!¡± Pei Qingfeng naturally understood the rationale behind her words. However, he was really worried for Bai Luochu. ¡°Whatever it is, it won¡¯t be good for you to go alone.¡± ¡°I have my plans. There is no need for you to worry.¡± Bai Luochu explained and wanted to dispel the two individuals¡¯ concerns. ¡°What do you mean? Will it be safe for you to go alone?¡± Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t understand. Bai Luochu took a deep breath before explaining, ¡°All the successive generations of great military generals have always been alone. When my father was still alive, there was no one to help him. If I am to obtain assistance from anyone in the imperial court or imperial clan, His Majesty will become more suspicious. Furthermore, I told the Emperor I had no intention to stay in the capital city. If I were to reveal my connections to the officials in the imperial court, won¡¯t His Majesty become more suspicious?¡± ¡°You are right. Emperor Father is getting more and more paranoid. I forgot that the general¡¯s residence cannot have ties with the other officials. It seems like this method isn¡¯t going to work. Since that is the case, you will only be able to fight this battle alone. Have you prepared your excuse? If His Majesty summons you now, it will be bad to go unprepared.¡± After having this conversation with Bai Luochu, Pei Qingfeng felt that everything was reasonable and wanted to help her think of the next step in the strategy. Chapter 166: So-Called Reward ¡°Your Majesty, His First Highness and His Third Highness have returned. They are here to make a report.¡± The Emperor¡¯s eunuch informed the Emperor. Early in the morning, the Emperor had already heard that Pei Rumo had obtained the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling. It was absolutely normal for him to be reporting back. However, why was Pei Wuchen requesting an audience? ¡°Did the Third Prince mention his reason for being here?¡± The Emperor was suspicious. The eunuch glanced to the left and right noticed that all the other eunuchs were busy. The eunuch then went closer to the Emperor¡¯s ear and whispered. ¡°His Third Highness told this servant that he wishes to have a discussion about that person in the general¡¯s residence.¡± The old Emperor stayed silent for a long time before instructing the eunuch, ¡°Since that is the case, ask him to wait at the side palace hall. After I finish things up with the First Prince, I will call for him.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± That eunuch responded with a soft voice before exiting the door. He asked someone to make arrangements for Pei Wuchen as he led the First Prince into the room. ¡°This official son pays his respects to Emperor Father, may Emperor Father live for ten thousand years.¡± Pei Rumo immediately knelt in front of the Emperor when he entered the hall. The Emperor raised his hand and an indication for the eunuch to help Pei Rumo up. He then said, ¡°Mo¡¯er, why are you so courteous? Hurry up and stand up. Now that you have contributed greatly to our Cloud Water Nation, Emperor Father won¡¯t treat you badly. Why will I let you suffer?¡± ¡°Thanks for Emperor Father¡¯s grace.¡± Pei Rumo stood up immediately. ¡°Reporting to Emperor Father, this official son is fortunate enough to bring back a single egg. Our Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial clan will now have a spirit beast to watch over us.¡± ¡°Mo¡¯er is right. Your contributions cannot go unnoticed. This being the case, what do you wish for?¡± The old Emperor narrowed his eyes as though he was waiting for Pei Rumo¡¯s response. How could Pei Rumo not know what his Emperor Father was thinking of? He immediately declined the offer. ¡°Emperor Father is too kind. Taking the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling is my duty. How can I ask Emperor Father for a reward? This official son is no longer a child who will demand for sweets. Moreover, this official son is only strong enough to complete the mission due to Emperor Father¡¯s nurturing. This son is not shameless enough to request for a reward.¡± The Emperor was still suspicious in his heart and he asked again, ¡°Oh? Do you not want anything? After you walk past a village, it will be difficult to find a shop. In the future, if you wish to ask for a reward from your Emperor Father, it will not be as easy.¡± ¡°Just that?¡± The old Emperor was very doubtful. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t speak anymore and nodded his head silently. He looked up at his Emperor Father with sincere eyes and the old Emperor laughed heartily. ¡°Hahahaha. Good! You¡¯re worthy of being my eldest son! Since there is nothing much these few days, you can go and take a break.¡± The old Emperor waved his hand and bestowed Pei Rumo the reward he ¡®wanted¡¯. ¡°This official son thanks Emperor Father for his grace. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave.¡± Pei Rumo responded and bowed before backing out of the door. When he left, he noticed that Pei Wuchen was called into the throne room. He felt curious and asked the eunuch, ¡°Is Third Brother here to report something?¡± That eunuch had been around the old Emperor for some time and knew that Pei Wuchen¡¯s engagement should be mentioned. He looked around before replying, ¡°How can servants like us know anything about the master¡¯s affairs? The Third Prince said that he had something to report. This old servant doesn¡¯t know anything else.¡± Pei Rumo knew that he wasn¡¯t going to fish out any information from this old crafty eunuch. He took out a few gold coins and handed it over to the eunuch without batting an eyelid. ¡°Thank you for the trouble. Earlier on, Rumo was too curious. I hope that eunuch wouldn¡¯t take it to heart.¡± When that eunuch saw that several gold coins appeared in his hand, a brilliant smile formed on his face. ¡°You have flattered me. Your First Highness has also grown up under this old servant¡¯s care. Why will this old servant tell on you?¡± ¡°Since that is the case, Rumo shall give his thanks. It is already late, Rumo had yet to rest after rushing back from the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. I shall head back to my residence.¡± Pei Rumo cupped his fist and bowed before leaving. He didn¡¯t turn back. After exiting the gate of the imperial palace, Pei Rumo¡¯s personal servant grumbled with dissatisfaction. ¡°Your Highness, why do you have to curry favor with those castrated people?¡± Pei Rumo glanced at his servant and shook his head. It seemed like this servant wasn¡¯t living up to his expectations. ¡°Do you think he is an ordinary eunuch? Emperor Father was able to ascend to the throne because of his contribution. If he wasn¡¯t castrated, he would be an official under the Emperor! Emperor Father is getting more distrustful these days. Not only towards the people of the imperial court, but doesn¡¯t trust his sons as well. Now, he is growing closer to those castrated men. That is why I treat them politely.¡± Pei Rumo thought about how that lass would be able to understand his actions. ¡°This servant isn¡¯t thorough in his thoughts. I shall drive the horses back to the residence.¡± Chapter 167: Divine Physician Bai = Luo Chu? ¡°This official son pays his respects to Emperor Father, may Emperor Father be blessed and be in good health.¡± Pei Wuchen entered the throne room and knelt down to pay his respects to the Emperor. That old Emperor didn¡¯t ask anyone to help Pei Wuchen up. ¡°What does Chen¡¯er have to report?¡± Pei Wuchen had already expected the old Emperor¡¯s response. After all, he wasn¡¯t able to obtain the information about the Green Flame Eagle from the Phoenix King Valley. Not to mention the fact that he failed to report the information to the Emperor once he found out. Just these points were enough for his Emperor Father to be dissatisfied with him. Putting aside the fact that he didn¡¯t obtain the eggs, he even caused Pei Qingfeng to be injured. All of it added to His Majesty¡¯s dissatisfaction. Pei Wuchen obviously knew that if he were to ask about the matter of the engagement, the lightest punishment would be a house arrest. However, he could no longer control himself. ¡°Does Emperor Father still remember the engagement to the sole daughter of the former great general?¡± The moment the words left Pei Wuchen¡¯s mouth, the old Emperor¡¯s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. The old Emperor roared, ¡°His Third Highness is weary from his travels. Send him back to his residence for a good rest!¡± When that eunuch heard the instruction, he signaled for the younger eunuchs to take Pei Wuchen away. But Pei Wuchen wasn¡¯t a fool. Since he had yet to achieve his objective, how could he allow the old Emperor to dismiss him so easily? Pei Wuchen immediately shouted, ¡°Will Emperor Father please calm down. This official son is risking the danger of being punished to bring the matter to light. Of course, my report is related to this matter. I hope that Emperor Father can give this official son some time to explain everything!¡± The old Emperor looked up abruptly and a light flashed in his eyes. It was the kind of light that an old man like him wouldn¡¯t possess normally. Subsequently, the old Emperor raised his hand and dismissed the eunuchs. Pei Wuchen knelt on the floor again and the Emperor spoke, ¡°Since that is the case, we shall give you a chance. If you speak nonsense, don¡¯t blame us for showing no mercy.¡± When Pei Wuchen knelt down again, he let out a long breath of relief. Right now, Pei Wuchen¡¯s back was drenched with cold sweat, but even so, he still had to speak of the matter in his heart. ¡°Oh? Strange? What is strange? Why don¡¯t you tell me about it?¡± The old Emperor¡¯s eyes were slightly narrowed and the light in his eyes had dimmed. ¡°There are three points. Firstly, Luo Chu is Divine Physician Bai. She went to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range as well and wasn¡¯t at a disadvantage when fighting against multiple members of the Phoenix King Valley. Even when Feng Wan¡¯er wanted to assassinate Luo Chu, the latter used a peculiar movement skill to keep her life. Feng Wan¡¯er was made to look like a fool.¡± ¡°How do you know that Luo Chu is Divine Physician Bai?¡± The old Emperor¡¯s brows were knitted together as he obviously didn¡¯t believe what Pei Wuchen had said. ¡°This is related to the second point. When Feng Wan¡¯er disregarded the Green Flame Eagle to assassinate Divine Physician Bai, this official son felt something was strange. After all, Divine Physician Bai is just a commoner and it is impossible for him to offend Feng Wan¡¯er. During the latter part of the struggle for the Green Flame Eagle. Lu Wenshu suddenly assumed that Divine Physician Bai wanted to seize the Green Flame Eagle, hence, he launched a sword qi towards her. Right at this moment, Second Brother became extremely anxious and blocked Lu Wenshu¡¯s attack with his own body. The name ¡®Luo Chu¡¯ left his mouth and when confirming the rumors of how Second Brother paid multiple visits to the general¡¯s residence, this official son thinks that Second Brother already knows of her true identity.¡± Pei Wuchen raised his head to look at the old Emperor who had always been mistrustful and suspicious. Once he noticed that the old Emperor¡¯s expression was normal, he mustered his courage and continued his report. ¡°The final point is the strangest. Emperor Father should also know that the Green Flame Eagle would protect its young with all its might. Unless it dies, there will be no way for anyone to obtain the eggs. However, Divine Physician Bai managed to force it to leave its children. In other words, Luo Chu accomplished the task of prying the Green Flame Eagle from its eggs. When Divine Physician Bai saw that Second Brother was injured, he immediately withdrew from the struggle and carried Second Brother away from the battlefield. Who would have expected for the Green Flame Eagle to abandon its children to carry the both of them out of the forest? How can an ordinary person receive such treatment from the Green Flame Eagle?¡± The old Emperor stayed silent for a moment. Immediately after, he dismissed Pei Wuchen and said, ¡°I will find out more about this matter. There is no need for you to worry about it.¡± ¡°De Quan, prepare the decree and summon Luo Chu of the general¡¯s residence. She is to appear before us after the morning assembly.¡± The old Emperor immediately gave his instructions after Pei Wuchen left. The eunuch acknowledged his orders and started to grind the ink for the Emperor to write the decree. Chapter 168: Calm Response De Quan kept the decree that the Emperor had just written and went to look for the eunuch responsible for issuing the decrees. He instructed the eunuch, ¡°Send this decree to the general¡¯s residence immediately. If there are any delays, your head will roll.¡± The eunuch acknowledged his order and immediately prepared to leave. However, he paused for a moment and asked, ¡°May I please ask Eunuch De a question¡­ Which general¡¯s residence is this decree supposed to be issued to?¡± The eunuch forgot that the former general¡¯s residence had fallen and it was normal for there to be doubts. De Quan immediately instructed, ¡°The former military general¡¯s residence. The one who sacrificed himself to rescue the late Emperor. Hurry up and go!¡± That eunuch responsible for issuing the decrees stared blankly for a moment. Since he took over this position a long time ago, he had never visited the former general¡¯s residence. Now that he was suddenly asked to issue the decree, he felt that it was rather unfitting. No matter what he thought, he couldn¡¯t complain. The job of issuing the decree was a tough one to obtain. He had put in a lot of effort and stepped over plenty of corpses of his fellow-workers to climb to this position. He would go to any place His Majesty ordered. He was just a servant and he no longer possessed his manhood. The only thing he desired was riches and honor, he shouldn¡¯t be too curious lest he lost his rice bowl. ... ¡°Summoning Luo Chu of the general¡¯s residence to receive the decree! In tribute to Heaven and to accept the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor¡¯s decree states Luo Chu of the general¡¯s residence is innately kind and has a beautiful appearance. Because of the feats accomplished by the former military general, this Emperor has to reward him. This Emperor remembers the former general¡¯s grace and decided to invite Luo Chu to the palace after morning assembly. This Emperor will provide more care and shall not let down the late general! End of the decree!¡± The eunuch finished reading the decree and closed it. He then handed the decree to Bai Luochu before helping her up. He then said to Bai Luochu, ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, are you not going to quickly thank the Emperor for his favor? Aren¡¯t you going to accept the decree? His Majesty wants to compensate you for the late general¡¯s service.¡± ¡°This official¡¯s daughter thanked His Majesty for the grace! Will His Majesty live for ten thousand years!¡± Bai Luochu bowed respectfully and accepted the decree. She calmly handed some gratuity to the eunuch that issued the decree. The eunuch weighed the bag in his hand and realized that it was full. He then treated Bai Luochu even more politely. ¡°I hope Young Lady Luo Chu won¡¯t forget this servant in the future.¡± ¡°Hahaha, that will be good. That will be good. Now that the decree has been issued, if you have nothing else, I shall return to the palace.¡± The eunuch was naturally coaxed into a great mood by Bai Luochu¡¯s promise. ¡°Please take your time.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s face was filled with a smile and she bowed to the eunuch with her hands in front of her. When the eunuch was far away, she entered the general¡¯s residence and headed towards the secluded courtyard. ¡°The decree has been issued. It says that I am to have an audience with the Emperor at the throne room after the morning imperial court assembly. In honor and remembrance of my father¡¯s benevolence, the Emperor wants to compensate me. I have no idea what is going on.¡± Bai Luochu tossed the decree onto the table and spoke to Cai Ling and Pei Qingfeng. Cai Ling became rather anxious and said to Bai Luochu, ¡°What should we do? Why not let Mistress hide for now and quietly return after this blows over?¡± Bai Luochu looked at Cai Ling and refuted, ¡°I might be able to hide for now, but I won¡¯t be able to hide forever. Even if I can continue hiding, won¡¯t I need to be on the run? This is a little too unrealistic. Furthermore, the world belongs to the imperial clan. Even if I can escape, where can I escape to?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Cai Ling wanted to say something but before she could speak, she was interrupted by Pei Qingfeng. ¡°I feel that Emperor Father doesn¡¯t intend to punish you for the crimes.¡± Pei Qingfeng leaned on the headboard and gave his opinion. Bai Luochu¡¯s brows arched upwards and she felt rather confused. ¡°Tell me about it. You are a prince and you should understand the Emperor better than us. I would like to hear your opinion.¡± ¡°My Emperor Father has always been distrustful and would rather kill 10,000 innocent people than allow a criminal to escape. If he wants to kill you, you¡¯ll be a corpse right now. In my opinion, my Third Brother is related to this.¡± ¡°The Third Prince? Why is he involved?¡± When Bai Luochu heard the Third Prince being mentioned, she was puzzled. Pei Qingfeng hesitated and said, ¡°He might be my Third Brother, but Pei Wuchen has always been a person who wouldn¡¯t move unless it involved his interest. Previously, he wasn¡¯t willing to mention the engagement with you because he didn¡¯t see any value in you. If you were to marry him, you wouldn¡¯t be able to provide any advantages. Instead, he felt that you would be holding him back. The reason he gave preferential treatment to Feng Wan¡¯er was because of her identity. Although his feelings played a part, in the eyes of my Third Brother, all these emotions and relationships are far inferior to practical benefits.¡± ¡°You mean that the Pei Wuchen thinks that I am different? He reported it to His Majesty because he thinks that I am now valuable enough to be exploited? Is that why His majesty summoned me? Is this all a test?¡± ¡°That should be the case. As long as you don¡¯t make any mistakes in the conversation with His Majesty tomorrow, you will be able to return safely.¡± Pei Qingfeng replied. Bai Luochu nodded. ¡°Since that is the case, I will personally make the trip. I want to see His Majesty¡¯s plans.¡± Chapter 169: Imperial Court Dispute After returning to the general¡¯s residence, no matter how Cai Ling and Pei Qingfeng asked, Bai Luochu would put on a mysterious expression. It was as though she was keeping it a secret from everyone. She said that there was no problem and refused to answer any questions. Another seven days flashed by and the bustling capital city flourished. During the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, the strength of the Phoenix King Valley was obvious to all. Once all the commotions settled, the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s selections started again. It attracted the attention of everyone in the capital and the scale was grander than before the expedition. Apart from the fact that everyone witnessed the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s strength and was looking forward to the new disciples, it was also because the Phoenix King Valley had seized one of the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s eggs. These were matters outside the control of the imperial palace. As for the situation in the imperial palace, it became even more ridiculous. Firstly, the officials in the Third Prince¡¯s faction made use of the fact that Pei Rumo was resting and suppressed the First Prince¡¯s faction without restraint. The imperial court was subtly purged and many officials were dragged down from their position. After this incident, it was the end of Pei Rumo¡¯s vacation and he returned to the imperial court. He reacted swiftly and decisively by praising the officials from the Third Prince¡¯s faction in front of his Emperor Father. Afterwards, he even advocated the promotion of these people. When everyone was still unable to make any sense of the matter, the old Emperor immediately approved it and gave Pei Rumo the full authority to handle this matter. Pei Rumo had shifted all of them to higher positions with no authority. He did a great job of ¡®promoting them in the eyes of the public but demoting them in the dark¡¯. Afterwards, he went through the accounts book and penalized a few of the officials in his faction who had the worst conduct. The Emperor showed no signs of stopping him. After all these, the contest between the First Prince and the Third Prince seemed like it ended with the Third Prince gaining an advantage. However, the true winner was Pei Rumo. Pei Wuchen was enraged due to this incident. After all, he was the one who started it but lost to the opposition. Seeing as he wasn¡¯t able to complain to anyone, he held himself back and fell ill due to his pent up frustration. If anyone mentioned the cause of thi battle, they would need to refer to the day when both of them met with the Emperor. Pei Rumo refused to return to his residence and waited for Pei Wuchen to leave the palace. He wanted to dig out Pei Wuchen¡¯s plans. ¡°Haha, First Brother must be kidding. This official brother went to seek an audience with Emperor Father to discuss the marriage. The important matter of marriage has always been up to the parents. Although there is the rationale of the elder brother acting as the father, First Brother will need to wait for Emperor Father¡¯s approval if you want to put your hand into this matter. Looking at it now, isn¡¯t First Brother trying to mess with me?¡± As Pei Rumo had been hiding this information from Pei Wuchen for a long time, Pei Wuchen felt unhappy and spoke sarcastically. Pei Rumo heard the reply and knew that Pei Wuchen learned of Divine Physician Bai¡¯s identity. He immediately stopped shrinking responsibility and explained himself with a terrified expression on his face. ¡°Why is Third Brother acting as though I am at fault? It is better for Third Brother to forget about this incident. If you said this to someone else, no one knows what they will do behind your back. Since you requested an audience with Emperor Father because of your marriage, I shall not involve myself. I hope Third Brother brings home a beautiful wife.¡± When Pei Wuchen saw that he was still unable to force Pei Rumo to reveal his fox-tail, he raged. He swung his sleeve and alighted Pei Rumo¡¯s carriage before turning to board his own \. Before he could enter the carriage, he felt that he wasn¡¯t able to swallow this ball of anger and immediately said to Pei Rumo, ¡°Will First Brother be willing to listen to this official brother¡¯s advice?¡± Although Pei Wuchen phrased it as a question, he wasn¡¯t going to take no for an answer. Pei Rumo replied indifferently, ¡°Speak your mind. I won¡¯t do anything to you...¡± When Pei Wuchen saw how relaxed Pei Rumo was, he became agitated again. He snapped, ¡°This official brother merely wanted to ask First Brother a question. First Brother is keeping a bomb beside you. You plan to use this bomb to kill its original owner but aren¡¯t you afraid of blasting yourself into oblivion instead?¡± How could Pei Rumo not understand the person Pei Wuchen was referring to? He immediately retorted, ¡°Even if this bomb originally belonged to you, you were the one who threw it away. You looked down on its strength and now that I have nurtured this bomb to the point where the explosion would rock the Cloud Water Nation, you¡¯re planning to take it back? Why don¡¯t Third Brother tell me the reason behind your action?¡± Pei Wuchen knew that he was the one at fault and he responded. ¡°But no matter what, in front of Emperor Father, in front of those who know the truth, even if you publicize this story to the world, the bomb still belongs to me.¡± Pei Wuchen tried his best to argue against his first brother. Pei Wuchen knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to win in the argument. Hence, he stopped in order to save whatever pride he had left. Pei Wuchen boarded his carriage and left without turning back. He was afraid Pei Rumo might goad him into another verbal spar. This dispute at the entrance of the palace turned into the start of the mini war between the First and Third Prince. There was a reason why the Emperor didn¡¯t stop them. In the Emperor¡¯s eyes, these two sons were the ones with the highest chance of inheriting the throne. The harsher the dispute between them, the more balanced the power between them. He would be able to solidify his position on the throne and they wouldn¡¯t be able to obtain anything out of this petty quarrel. As such, he allowed them to do as they wished. If a day came where one of them became too much stronger than the other, it wouldn¡¯t be too late for him to act. As far as Bai Luochu was concerned, she did nothing but cultivate. Other than cultivating, she gave Pei Qingfeng some treatment. She heard about all the commotion, but she didn¡¯t care about any of them. Bai Luochu lived a carefree seven days and nothing was able to affect her. Chapter 170: Lu Wenshu Seeking an Audience with the Emperor Bai Luochu was truly annoyed by Pei Qingfeng. He had obviously recovered but he wouldn¡¯t leave. When she asked Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard to fetch him, the guard was originally adamant about bringing his master away. However, after the guard entered the courtyard, he left without turning back. No one knew what Pei Qingfeng said to him. Bai Luochu spent some effort and finally stopped the guard. However, the guard gave a random explanation. ¡°Divine Physician Bai is a saint physician. Master had suffered such a severe injury but he looks completely fine right now. This is all thanks to you. However, the physician in the Second Prince¡¯s residence is a quack and this servant thinks that it will be better to leave His Second Highness here. I will come back for him after a few days.¡± After he spoke, the guard pushed his movement skills to the fullest and ran away. Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t be able to catch him if she tried. Bai Luochu returned and looked at Pei Qingfeng with anger. When she saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s innocent expression, she took deep breaths for a long while before quelling the fire in her heart. After all, he was still her patient. ¡°You are my patient right now and I can¡¯t force you to do anything. However, once your injuries heal, you should go home. Stop hanging out here.¡± When Pei Qingfeng heard Bai Luochu¡¯s words, a smile blossomed on his face and he looked like a kid who got candy. ¡°Of course! Luoluo is the best and I knew you won¡¯t be heartless enough to kick my out with my injuries.¡± ¡°Save it, you better nurse yourself properly. Now that you don¡¯t need close attention and care, I shall return to my courtyard. Don¡¯t walk around or my cousin will pester you. I am not going to help you escape from the abyss of suffering this time.¡± Bai Luochu finished speaking and immediately packed her things as she prepared to return to her courtyard. When Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu was about to leave, he immediately cried out, ¡°Aiyo! Luoluo, my wound is starting to hurt again.¡± Pei Qingfeng held onto his wound and looked to be in pain. Bai Luochu stopped moving and quickly went over to look at Pei Qingfeng. She stood in front of him and took his pulse. After a long examination, she couldn¡¯t notice anything wrong. ¡°That is strange. From your pulse, nothing is wrong with your body. Why are you in pain? Can the sword qi still be lingering around your wound? Stop moving around. Later, I will prescribe some medication for you. I will stay here for the time being. Call me if you feel any discomfort.¡± After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s reply, Pei Qingfeng had a satisfied expression as he had achieved his objective. ¡°I shall thank Divine Physician Bai for your assistance. I am truly embarrassed for causing so much trouble.¡± Pei Qingfeng had already achieved his objective and he allowed her to say whatever she wanted. He was going to ignore her anyway. Early the next day, there was a white clothed man standing at the entrance of the palace. He had a handsome appearance which couldn¡¯t be ignored. He held an artifact sword behind him and it possessed an exquisite sword hilt. There was a bundle of cloth behind him and it seemed like an egg-like item was in it. ¡°I hope that the guard commander can make a report. I am seeking an audience with His Majesty.¡± That white clothed man spoke to the guard commander standing at the entrance. ¡°Who do you think His Majesty is? Do you think anyone can see him?¡± The guard commander sneered at the white robed man. That white clothed wasn¡¯t resentful and he continued, ¡°I still wish that you can go and make a report. Just say that Lu Wenshu is visiting and is here because I accidentally injured the Second Prince. I am willing to use the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling as compensation.¡± Lu Wenshu stuffed some silver fragments to the guard commander. That guard commander held the silver in his hand, but when he heard the name ¡®Lu Wenshu¡¯, he returned the silver with shaky hands. When he heard the words ¡®Green Flame Eagle¡¯, he was even more alarmed. His attitude changed drastically and he became extremely friendly. ¡°This sire is actually Lu Wenshu. I am truly incompetent for not being able to recognize you. I can¡¯t accept your distinguished self¡¯s money. This one will go and report right now. I hope that your distinguished self can wait here for a moment.¡± The guard left without even turning back. He jogged towards the throne room and prepared to report this matter to the Emperor as soon as possible. ¡°Hey, what is the hurry?¡± At the entrance of the throne room, the Emperor¡¯s personal eunuch asked. ¡°Eunuch De Quan, there is someone at the entrance who addressed himself as Lu Wenshu. He said that he is seeking punishment from His Majesty for accidentally injuring the Second Prince. He is now waiting at the entrance!¡± ¡°I understand. You will follow me inside to report.¡± After the guard reported everything clearly, thoughts filled the Emperor¡¯s mind. Who was Lu Wenshu? No one was ignorant enough to not know of his name. Now that the Second Prince was fine, it would be a great thing for the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial clan if he could recruit Lu Wenshu. Furthermore, Lu Wenshu was here to make up for his mistake with the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s egg. This showed that he was truly sincere about the apology. Since that was the case, as the Emperor of the Cloud Water Nation, he couldn¡¯t treat Lu Wenshu unfairly. The Emperor of the Cloud Water Nation instructed his personal eunuch, ¡°De Quan, you shall go along with the guard and must do everything you can to invite Lu Wenshu into the throne room. Send a few men to search for a residence in the capital city. After this, make some proper arrangements for him. We will only be able to keep him in our Cloud Water Nation this way.¡± ¡°Yes, this old servant shall comply.¡± The eunuch named De Quan immediately led the guard commander out. Chapter 171: The Emperor’s Scheme Lu Wenshu knew that they were trying to pull him closer but he couldn¡¯t expose them right now. As such, he responded respectfully, ¡°I am indebted to His Majesty¡¯s grace and I am utterly humbled. I will have to trouble you to lead the way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my job, no trouble at all. Will sire please follow me.¡± De Quan realized that Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t as hard to deal with as the rumors made him out to be. Seeing as how this individual in front of him was someone the Emperor wanted to pull into his camp, he didn¡¯t act pretentious as he usually would. He quickly led Lu Wenshu into the throne room. Before Lu Wenshu could offer his greetings to the Emperor after entering the throne room, he heard a burst of hearty laughter and a brilliant speech from the old Emperor who was more than half a century old. ¡°Hahahahahaha, Young Master Lu¡¯s arrival has brought light to my humble Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial palace! It is my Cloud Water Nation¡¯s honor and blessing to be able to host Young Master Lu.¡± Lu Wenshu had been living in seclusion for such a long time that when he experienced such warm treatment by this old fox, he was stunned for a moment. He stared blankly into space and he didn¡¯t know what to do. When Eunuch De Quan noticed the stale atmosphere in the air, he quickly spoke up in order to alleviate the situation. ¡°Your Majesty, Young Master Lu is a person who isn¡¯t involved in worldly affairs. Your overwhelming welcome might scare him off.¡± The old Emperor detected Lu Wenshu¡¯s embarrassment and he laughed it off. ¡°Young Master Lu can be at ease. This Emperor is old and when I see a young and talented individual like yourself, memories of the past will resurface in my mind. I hope that Young Master Lu will not laugh at this old man.¡± Lu Wenshu was once a disciple from a famous sect. Even though he had been living in seclusion for a long time, it couldn¡¯t be denied that he used to communicate with influential people in the past. He regained his senses and exchanged greetings with the old Emperor. ¡°Seeing how graceful and radiant Your Majesty is, you must be comparable to the current generation¡¯s outstanding youths back when you were young. How will Wenshu dare to laugh at you? Coming back to the topic, Wenshu is here to seek forgiveness.¡± Lu Wenshu immediately knelt down as he asked for the Emperor¡¯s forgiveness. ¡°Will Your Majesty please issue your punishment. During the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, I took Divine Physician Bai for a person with bad intentions and made a move on him. I did not expect that His Second Highness would risk his life to protect Divine Physician Bai. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but Wenshu did injure the Second Prince. Wenshu is willing to compensate by giving up the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling. Please accept Wenshu¡¯s apology.¡± The atmosphere of the throne room turned cold and the sound of a pin drop could be heard. A moment later, the old Emperor replied, ¡°Young Master Lu doesn¡¯t have to be so courteous. The Second Prince has already been treated by Divine Physician Bai. Moreover, the blame doesn¡¯t fully fall onto you. De Quan, hurry up and bring Young Master Lu to his seat. Young Master Lu has been standing for a long time and his legs must be tired.¡± When De Quan heard the Emperor¡¯s order, he acted swiftly. First, he helped Lu Wenshu up before getting another eunuch to bring a chair. He seated Lu Wenshu at the left side of the throne room. The Cloud Water Nation¡¯s custom was to reserve the left side for influential people. Now that Lu Wenshu was sitting on the first position on the left, he understood that the old Emperor was treating him with respect. Most importantly, the old fox was probably trying to use the name of the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial clan to pull their relationship closer. It was the same as adding wings onto the tiger that was the Cloud Water Nation. Lu Wenshu¡¯s assumption wasn¡¯t wrong. Firstly, Cloud Water Nation had the Third Prince who was the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s last disciple. Furthermore, they had three outstanding individuals among the princes. There was also Divine Physician Bai who appeared out of nowhere. If they were to add Lu Wenshu into the equation, Cloud Water Nation¡¯s influence would sweep through the world. Lu Wenshu sneered in his heart. How could he not know what the old Emperor was scheming? There was only one question in Lu Wenshu¡¯s heart. Why was this mediocre emperor able to gather so many talents by his side? Should he play along with the emperor in order to look into that matter? ¡°I shall thank Your Majesty for your kind intention. Seeing how forgiving Your Majesty is, the citizens of Cloud Water Nation must be blessed. However, this one wishes to request a favor from Your Majesty. I wonder if Your Majesty would agree...¡± Lu Wenshu remained calm and collected. Even when facing this suspicious emperor, Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t have any intention to restrain himself. ¡°Please speak. Since you have arrived at our Cloud Water Nation, there is no need to be so mindful. As long as my Cloud Water Nation can be of assistance, we will fulfill our part as a host and allow Young Master Lu to enjoy a guest¡¯s treatment.¡± This old Emperor immediately replied. After all, the ¡®favor¡¯ that Lu Wenshu was asking for was actually a demand. No matter what, Lu Wenshu showed him so much respect and there was no reason for him to refuse. Lu Wenshu smiled and knew that as long as his request wasn¡¯t too excessive, the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s emperor would agree. Lu Wenshu immediately expressed his intention, ¡°To be honest, Wenshu has admired the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial city¡¯s local customs and culture. I hope Your Majesty will allow Wenshu to stay in the Cloud Water Nation for a few days to experience the local customs and culture.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t a problem. Even if you didn¡¯t request for it, I would¡¯ve asked you to stay for several days. I have already asked De Quan to prepare a few places for you. He shall bring you to look at the courtyards.¡± Chapter 172: Inquiring Secretly ¡°Young Master Lu, this is the place. The east of the city is the most flourishing place in the capital city. When His Majesty heard that you were coming, he instructed this servant to prepare a place for you to stay. It won¡¯t be convenient for you to stay in the inner courtyards of the imperial palace. It seems like His Majesty is wise. It¡¯s our Cloud Water Nation¡¯s fortune to be able to house someone of your stature. This servant didn¡¯t waste his efforts in picking out a residence for you. You might be staying alone, but I¡¯m afraid there will be plenty of people lining up to pay you a visit when they find out that you are staying in the imperial city. As such, the courtyard of your residence can¡¯t be small. This servant made the decision and prepared a slightly larger residence for you. I hope Young Master Lu will not blame me.¡± Eunuch De Quan was a eunuch that managed to serve beside the emperor. He might be asking the guest not to blame him, but he was actually trying to tell Lu Wenshu that he had put in a lot of effort. De Quan might be an old fox, but Lu Wenshu was also a person who had seen the ways of the world. He understood what Eunuch De Quan meant, but he maintained an indifferent expression and feigned civility. ¡°Eunuch De Quan is too serious. I think that this residence is perfect. Eunuch De Quan is only thinking of my wellbeing, how can I blame you? I shall trouble Eunuch De Quan to bring me around this residence.¡± When De Quan heard Lu Wenshu¡¯s praise, he understood that Lu Wenshu was satisfied with his arrangements, at least on the surface. For a person like Lu Wenshu, as long as he didn¡¯t flaunt his arrogance, there wouldn¡¯t be much to pick on. A brilliant smile appeared on De Quan¡¯s face and he said, ¡°Young Master Lu, this way please.¡± He bowed slightly and made a gesture for Lu Wenshu to enter. It was almost lunchtime and after De Quan brought Lu Wenshu for a tour, the sun was already high up above their heads. The two of them were rather exhausted. Lu Wenshu, who was rather tactful, immediately asked Eunuch De Quan to stay for lunch. ¡°Eunuch De Quan, it is about time for lunch. Why don¡¯t you stay for a meal?¡± When De Quan heard Lu Wenshu¡¯s invitation, he was over the moon. However, he frowned and replied, ¡°It is truly this old servant¡¯s honor. However, this old servant is His Majesty¡¯s personal eunuch and I must serve His Majesty during lunchtime. If I don¡¯t get back in time, I might be punished.¡± ¡°Eunuch De Quan, please forgive me. I have been living in seclusion for too long. I even forgot such a basic thing. I have truly sinned.¡± Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t feel angry after hearing De Quan¡¯s refusal and instead, he replied politely.. ¡°Then I shall wait for Eunuch De Quan¡¯s invitation. When Eunuch De Quan is free, please don¡¯t forget about our promise today. Please go ahead and return to the palace. I no longer need anyone to accompany me.¡± ¡°Young Master Lu doesn¡¯t have to see me out. It is about time for this servant to report back to the palace.¡± De Quan bowed to Lu Wenshu before rushing towards the imperial palace. When Lu Wenshu saw that De Quan had finally vanished from his sight, he withdrew his pretentious smile. Since Bai Luochu¡¯s death, a smile like this had never appeared on his face. It was truly a pity that he couldn¡¯t invite De Quan for a meal. Of course, Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t want to use the chance to curry favor with the imperial clan. With Lu Wenshu¡¯s status, even if he didn¡¯t look for anyone, they would probably enter in droves and flatten his doorstep. The reason he wanted to invite De Quan for a meal was because De Quan was someone who served beside the emperor. Lu Wenshu felt that if he could obtain information from someone like that, he would be able to save a lot of effort. Now that his plan had failed, it was time to think of another way to obtain information. Before he could do anything, Lu Wenshu¡¯s stomach rumbled loudly. He realized that it was time for lunch and he quickly headed out to look for a decent restaurant. ... After the waiter served the final dish, Lu Wenshu took out several silver fragments and placed it on the table. ¡°Brother, this is my first time in the capital city. I wish to ask about the local customs and culture... Do you think the silver here is enough for that kind of information?¡± When the waiter saw the amount of silver fragments on the table, he felt that there weren¡¯t too many. However, it was still much more than what he could earn in a day. Nodding his head, the waiter bent over with a beam on his face and asked, ¡°This Young Master, you may ask what you wish to know. This one has been in the capital city for several years now. As long as this one knows the answer, I shall tell you everything without reservation.¡± ¡°That will be for the best. I will have to trouble brother to speak a bit more.¡± Lu Wenshu acted like a graceful young master as he started to throw out his questions. ¡°I wonder if brother can tell me more about the noble clans in the capital city? Who are they?¡± Lu Wenshu thought that since Divine Physician Bai was on such good terms with an imperial member in the Cloud Water Nation, he should be from a well-known clan. Not to mention the incredible amount of money required to cultivate a physician. How could he come from anywhere else other than a noble clan? Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t know that he was already looking in the wrong direction from the beginning. ¡°The capital city truly has plenty of aristocratic clans. You might be able to see seven to eight of their descendants when looking down the street. After all, the imperial city is the foundation of the Emperor, even the commoners here can be treated as officials without ranks. Don¡¯t you think so? As for the most illustrious clan¡­ that will be the Su Clan.¡± Chapter 173: Whereabouts Found When Lu Wenshu realized that the waiter wasn¡¯t going to give him the information he needed, he quickly interjected and stopped the conversation. After some consideration, Lu Wenshu felt that it would be more appropriate if he phrased the question differently. ¡°Does brother waiter know of any Bai clans in the capital city? They should be a pretty rich and well-known clan.¡± That waiter muttered for a long time and he thought about how there weren''t any Bai Clans that established themselves in the capital city. He immediately responded to Lu Wenshu, ¡°Young Master, this one grew up in the capital city. Normally, my parents never bothered with me and I made my living out in the streets. All my life, I have never heard of a Bai Clan. Let alone a well known one. It might not even be part of the minor clans...¡± Lu Wenshu was rather disappointed with his answer. He thought that he would be able to look for Bai Luochu, but all that seemed to be a pipe dream now. ¡°I have troubled you. You can go back to work now, thank you.¡± Lu Wenshu might not be able to obtain the information he wanted, but he still spoke politely and in an unhurried manner. ¡°Why is Young Master so polite? You have paid the silver and I am just doing my part. This one shall no longer disturb the Young Master. If there is anything wrong with the dishes, please let me know.¡± The waiter bowed slightly and went back to work. Lu Wenshu picked at the dishes on the table. Even though they smelled great, looked delicious, and tasted amazing, all of it turned into tasteless mush in his mouth. Lu Wenshu¡¯s mind was thinking about the time he spent with Bai Luochu in the past. She would always remember his likes and dislikes, and she would learn to cook his favorite dishes. Even though there were times when she almost burned down the kitchen, those were the times when they created wonderful memories together. Right now, even though he was eating delicious food, the people around him changed. Lu Wenshu suddenly had a bitter taste in his mouth and he gulped down a mouthful of liquor. No one knew if the bitter taste came from his heart of the liquor. Bai Luochu... Apart from her innate talents and beautiful features, she was the only person who understood him. When Bai Luochu first met him, she had once said, ¡°Young Master Lu, you might look refined and courteous when treating others, but that is a polite way of distancing yourself from them. You have a prideful heart and you wish to stand out from the masses. You formed an invisible barrier between yourself and other people in order to keep them away. Am I right?¡± In the past, she was still a young and frivolous evil dao witch. She didn¡¯t know that her title would bring about a storm of blood and carnage. It slipped his mind that Bai Luochu was a proud young lady and wouldn¡¯t be led by the nose. In the end, she was surrounded and killed by the Three Great Immortal Sects, bringing along her hatred and unforgiveness for him into death. Since then, he lived in seclusion and he didn¡¯t care about how his reputation was affected. The only thing he wanted to do was protect her temple¡¯s inheritance and disciples. He wanted to protect everything she cherished when she was alive. Lu Wenshu knew that Bai Luochu had already left this world and nothing he did would be useful. However, it was better than doing nothing and he treated it as though he was atoning for his mistakes. When he saw Divine Physician Bai¡¯s movement skill and his eyes during the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, he thought about the all powerful Bai Luochu and wondered if she had reincarnated into another body. He heard about tales of reincarnation of experts but his hopes were extinguished the moment it was born. Lu Wenshu simply ate a few mouthfuls and placed the money for the meal on the table. He didn¡¯t even wait for the change as he left the restaurant. ¡°Hey, did you hear? Luo Chu of the general¡¯s residence is Divine Physician Bai! I heard that the Emperor has even summoned her into the palace. She committed the crime of deceiving the emperor¡­ why did he allow her to live?¡± ¡°Do you think the Emperor is a fool?! Previously when Young Lady Su was inflicted with poison, none of those physicians proficient in both poison and medicine were able to cure her. Divine Physician Bai cured her with such ease¡­ If the Emperor is able to keep her in the city, she will be a golden and dazzling protection talisman for our Cloud Water Nation! Only a fool would kill such a person because of some stupid reason.¡± When Lu Wenshu heard the conversation between the owner of a bun stall and his customer, he quickly walked to the stall. ¡°Uncle, what did you say about Divine Physician Bai¡¯s true identity?¡± The old bun stall owner was shocked when someone came up to him. However, he reacted quickly and replied, ¡°Divine Physician Bai is the daughter of the former military general. The physician is actually a young lady called Luo Chu. Right now, she is residing in the general¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Is this true? Uncle, you cannot lie to me!¡± Lu Wenshu swallowed a mouthful of saliva and he almost yelled. When the old owner saw Lu Wenshu¡¯s expression of disbelief, he slapped his chest and guaranteed. ¡°Of course! One of my relatives is a guard in the palace. He heard this from a eunuch who serves in the Emperor¡¯s throne room. The news is definitely true.¡± Lu Wenshu¡¯s mind went blank and he didn¡¯t even speak a word of thanks as he staggered out into the street. Divine Physician Bai¡¯s family name was Bai, but her true name Luo Chu. Adding the name ¡®Luo Chu¡¯ to Divine Physician Bai¡­ Bai Luochu! Lu Wenshu¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. He knew that the powerful and heaven-defying Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t just die! She managed to reincarnate into another body! I found her! I finally found her! Chapter 174: Seeking Forgiveness Lu Wenshu knew that Bai Luochu hated him to the bone. There was no way he would use his previous relationship with her to approach her. If he were to do so, he might not even be able to catch the edge of her shadow before frightening her off. He thought of using a completely new reason to look for her. Perhaps the best method was to start from scratch. From the time when they first got to know each other. ¡°That¡¯s right, forget about the past. That is the best way...¡± Lu Wenshu muttered to himself as though he was possessed. It didn¡¯t cross Lu Wenshu¡¯s mind that everything he had done to Bai Luochu was enough for her to hate him many lifetimes over. It was going to be impossible for her to forget the past regardless of how he tried. Before his betrayal, he had already pushed her away from him, to the opposing side. Even though they had been together for many years, as long as Bai Luochu still had the memories of her previous life, it was impossible for them to ever get back together. Lu Wenshu returned to his courtyard and repeatedly rehearsed his visit to the general¡¯s residence. He really wanted to see Bai Luochu again. After three years of dreaming of her, he was finally able to see her again. No one would be able to remain composed if they were in Lu Wenshu¡¯s shoes. Lu Wenshu finally thought of an appropriate reason to visit the general¡¯s residence by the next afternoon. ¡°Mistress, there is a Young Master Lu at the entrance. He is here to ask for forgiveness.¡± Cai Ling ran to the secluded courtyard and reported to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu was currently prescribing some medicine meant for nursing Pei Qingfeng¡¯s body. When she heard Cai Ling¡¯s words, she asked with an expression of extreme shock ¡°What did you say? Which Young Master?¡± Cai Ling was frightened by Bai Luochu¡¯s abnormal reaction and she stammered, ¡°He said, his family name is... Lu.¡± Bai Luochu closed her eyes and knew that this was inevitable. Since she wasn¡¯t able to avoid it, why not face it? ¡°I will meet him. You will guard His Second Highness since his injury is acting up again. If anything happens to him, report to me at the reception pavilion.¡± ¡°What are you going?¡± Pei Qingfeng who was initially resting on the bed couldn¡¯t lay down anymore. He immediately sat up and asked. Bai Luochu was already rather flustered due to Lu Wenshu¡¯s sudden visit. Now that Pei Qingfeng suddenly became curious, she somewhat ignored him and replied half-heartedly, ¡°Nothing much. It is just a visit from a guest, I will attend to it.¡± She left in a rush immediately. In Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes, Bai Luochu looked like she was about to look for a man she admired. Had he not been feigning his illness to stay for a few more days, it was impossible for him to allow that lass to go by herself. After everything that happened, Bai Luochu was no longer a nobody in the general¡¯s residence. Her words held weight and people would actually follow her orders. After Bai Luochu barked out her orders, she walked quickly to the reception pavilion. She tried to calm herself down as much as she could. She wasn¡¯t nervous because of the feelings she had for him. Instead, it was because she was afraid Lu Wenshu might recognize her. She no longer had the strength she once possessed. If he were to recognize her, she was afraid she was going to experience the feeling of death again. Lu Wenshu walked from the entrance to the reception pavilion. On his way there, he saw Bai Luochu¡¯s figure seated in the pavilion. From the way she sat and the aura around her, it really looked like the previous Bai Luochu. Right now, Lu Wenshu was still living in his delusion and he felt that she would rush towards him like she usually did and call out his name with a brilliant smile on her face. When Bai Luochu heard people moving about behind her, she turned around. Bai Luochu had to admit that her heart towards him was already dead. However, when she laid her eyes on him, her heart dropped. She didn¡¯t know what to say. Instead, Lu Wenshu was the one who spoke first as he was excited to meet her again. He didn¡¯t behave indifferently like he usually would. ¡°Divine Physician Bai, I have offended you during your trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. I didn¡¯t expect to accidentally injure your friend, the Second Prince. I am here to ask for forgiveness.¡± Bai Luochu remained silent and Lu Wenshu assumed that she was angry about his actions in the Falling Cloud Mountain. He quickly spoke up to explain himself. ¡°To be honest, that Green Flame Eagle was rescued by an old friend of mine. When I heard that people were fighting over it, I immediately went over to protect it. When Divine Physician Bai approached the Green Flame Eagle, I assumed that someone was trying to make a move on it. I hope Divine Physician Bai can forgive me for sending out such a ruthless strike.¡± ¡°There is nothing to apologize for. Since you said that it was unintentional, I will believe you. With Young Master Lu¡¯s current status, you wouldn¡¯t go around telling lies. Since you came all the way here, you are my guest. Please take a seat, the tea is getting cold.¡± Bai Luochu was rather straightforward with her reply. She acted as though their encounter at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range was the first time they met. Lu Wenshu was feeling a little apprehensive and he couldn¡¯t confirm if the person in front of him was Bai Luochu. He started to probe, ¡°Is Divine Physician Bai not curious about my old friend?¡± ¡°That is something completely unrelated to me. If you wish to let me know, you will speak about it.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all and it seemed as though she was mocking Lu Wenshu for being annoying. ¡°The old friend is the person I love the most. I once thought of spending the rest of my days with her. However, I never thought that my arrogance would cause her to lose her life. Since she is no longer around, I will look for her after she reincarnates. I will find her someday, won¡¯t I?¡± Bai Luochu could feel his gaze when he spoke about looking for her. However, Bai Luochu¡¯s heart was already dead. It died the moment he betrayed her. The tea in her teacup didn¡¯t even ripple. Bai Luochu could see that Lu Wenshu was playing the sentimental card, but he was wrong if he thought that it would move Bai Luochu. ¡°It seems like Young Master Lu is a person deeply infatuated with her.¡± When Bai Luochu spoke the word ¡®infatuated¡¯, she emphasised the word and it seemed like she was mocking him. The thought that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t Divine Physician Bai crossed his mind. However, the last few words exposed her true identity. Chapter 175: Again and Again ¡°If you are here to apologize, I accept your apology. His Second Highness has already handled everything. If there is nothing else, please leave. His Second Highness still has to rest and I have to take care of him.¡± Bai Luochu casually picked up a piece of thousand layer cake and stuffed it into her mouth. It was clear she was chasing him out. It was obvious that Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t want to leave, but he couldn¡¯t shamelessly demand to stay. He quickly brushed Bai Luochu¡¯s words aside and he acted as though he didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind her words. ¡°Is Divine Physician Bai still angry at me? It was unintentional and even His Majesty said it was fine.¡± He is acting like this again. After all these years, he is still acting the same way... He just wants to patch up the problem with a fake apology. Bai Luochu heard what Lu Wenshu said and she was instantly enraged. However, the smile on her face didn¡¯t fade. She gnashed her teeth and said, ¡°His Majesty is His Majesty. Apart from being a father, he is also an Emperor. Does Young Master Lu still not understand? His Majesty said it was fine in order to strengthen the relationship with you. He made use of your guilt in order to pull you closer. I am different. To me, His Second Highness is a close friend and I am the reason he got injured. How can I forgive the culprit so easily?¡± ¡°But...¡± When Lu Wenshu opened his mouth to protest, Bai Luochu slammed her palm on the stone table. She stormed up to him and glared into his eyes. As they looked into each other¡¯s eyes, Lu Wenshu felt his heart palpitate. Bai Luochu¡¯s pretty looking lips moved as she clenched her jaw tightly, ¡°Young Master Lu might feel that there isn¡¯t a problem with that, but someone else suffered in your place.¡± After speaking, Bai Luochu immediately increased the distance between them and spoke as if nothing happened. ¡°If Young Master Lu still wants to enjoy the snacks and tea, you may stay. If you feel that they are hard to swallow, you may leave. I still need to take care of the Second Prince and hope you can forgive me for being a bad host. Farewell.¡± Bai Luochu left without even turning around. ¡°Is he so important to you?¡± Lu Wenshu asked a question, causing Bai Luochu to stop in her tracks. After thinking about the consequences, Bai Luochu thought that she should sever all his delusions. She casually replied him with a single word, ¡°Yes.¡± Before walking out. Her reply sounded like a clap of thunder in his ear. Lu Wenshu suddenly felt that the breeze was chilly and so was his heart, Lu Wenshu sat in the reception pavilion for a long time and he only left after the sun was about to dip past the horizon. If a single visit doesn¡¯t work, I will come again. If two visits won¡¯t work, I¡¯ll come for a third time. One day, you will belong to me again! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you ill?¡± Pei Qingfeng asked with concern. Bai Luochu shook her head and explained, ¡°It might just be a cold. I¡¯ll drink some warm water.¡± ¡°Who did you see earlier?¡± Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t ignore the visitor whose family name was ¡®Lu¡¯. ¡°Lu Wenshu was here. He came to apologize empty handed and didn¡¯t seem sincere at all. I got rid of him after a short conversation. I have lots of things to do right now. I¡¯m not going to waste my time talking to him.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s hand didn¡¯t stop as she picked out Pei Qingfeng¡¯s medicine. Pei Qingfeng glanced at Bai Luochu and grunted, ¡°Heh. I¡¯m afraid someone is chasing him away but is secretly overjoyed in her heart. Tsk tsk tsk, isn¡¯t he someone you admired back then? Why don¡¯t you express your admiration for him properly?¡± Bai Luochu suddenly thought of the excuse she used in order to hide her understanding of Lu Wenshu. Now that she thought about it, she dug a huge pit for herself and she managed to bury herself deep inside. ¡°Why do you sound so sore? Those who don¡¯t know might think that your wife found another man. Your head is filled with too many indecent thoughts for a prince. Is there a reason for me to keep him around? I have lots to do and my head is starting to hurt. Stop interrupting me and allow me to focus on your wound.¡± Bai Luochu saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s bitter face and she teased. Bai Luochu originally thought that it was over but she never expected Lu Wenshu to be so stubborn. He would deliver medicinal ingredients and rare treasures to the general¡¯s residence every other day. Bai Luochu started off by rejecting them but she didn¡¯t imagine that a disciple of an immortal sect would stand at the entrance of the general¡¯s residence like a hoodlum. He said that if she didn¡¯t accept the gifts, it would be the same as rejecting his apology. Since she wouldn¡¯t accept his apology, he would stand under the scorching sun for an entire day in order to express his sincerity Bai Luochu initially thought that Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t being serious. However, he took it for real. He stood in the sun from dawn till dusk. As Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want him to obstruct the entrance of the residence, she had no choice but to accept the gifts. When Lu Wenshu saw the rare treasures turning into gifts, he walked away happily. There wasn¡¯t a trace of sadness on his face. Looking at how Lu Wenshu was acting, Bai Luochu shook her head silently and lamented at the fact that there were too many madmen in the world. ¡°Here. Young Master Lu said these are all for you.¡± Bai Luochu asked someone to carry the gifts into the secluded courtyard. She dumped everything onto the ground like they were trash and she didn¡¯t even glance at them. ¡°Did he specifically give it to me?¡± Pei Qingfeng glanced at the items on the ground and asked. ¡°Nope. But you¡¯re the only injured one around here. Of course it¡¯s for you.¡± Bai Luochu frowned slightly as though she couldn¡¯t understand Pei Qingfeng¡¯s question. Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t a relationship numbskull like Bai Luochu and he knew that he was using these gifts to improve his relationship with her. This simple-minded lass... she might even be sold off without even realizing it. Chapter 176: Pei Qingfeng’s Scheme ¡°My injury is almost fully recovered. Ask the men from my residence to deliver something to relieve my boredom. There¡¯s nothing to do when you¡¯re not here...¡± Pei Qingfeng had an innocent expression as he relayed his message to Bai Luochu.. When Bai Luochu heard what he said, she frowned. ¡°Since you are almost fully recovered, why don¡¯t you get someone to bring you back? All your medicine is ready and you can leave right now. You can enjoy yourself back at your residence and I can have my peace and quiet.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s simple-minded expression enraged Pei Qingfeng to the point where his heart started to throb with pain. Why should I return to my own residence? So that you can enjoy your time with that slimy Lu Wenshu? Pei Qingfeng felt sour in his heart and he started to criticize Bai Luochu. ¡°Sigh... you¡¯re really heartless. Just a few days ago, you said something about being a compassionate physician. Right now, you¡¯re trying to get rid of a patient who hasn¡¯t fully recovered. Tsk tsk tsk, my pitiful self risked my life to save you, only to be abandoned. What a miserable life. People who hear my story will feel heartbroken and those who witness this scene will bawl like a baby.¡± Bai Luochu was an evil dao witch in her previous life and everyone knew that she had a cold and indifferent personality. No one dared to act so unbridledly in front of her. Pei Qingfeng was different. Luo Chu was the daughter of the former military general and he was the Second Prince. If a prince was able to put down his pride and speak to someone in this manner, the individual should feel honored. If one didn¡¯t respond respectfully and tactfully, they would be labeled as ignorant fools. Bai Luochu was someone who wouldn¡¯t back down when facing a stubborn mule. However, when she interacted with people weaker than herself, she would behave more politely. No matter how many martial art manuals she read and how much she trained in the temple, Bai Luochu never learned how to deal with shameless people. Moreover, this shameless person in front of her was a prince. He was also someone who saved her life. Bai Luochu was helpless and in order to stop Pei Qingfeng who looked like he was about to burst into tears, she had no choice but to pacify him. ¡°Alright, alright, alright, stay! As long as Your Second Highness doesn''t feel that this secluded courtyard will lower your status, you can stay as long as you like. I will ask someone to head over to the Second Prince¡¯s residence to deliver your message. Is that okay?¡± Seeing that his schemes had succeeded, Pei Qingfeng immediately withdrew his act. His elegant and refined manners surfaced once again as he thanked Bai Luochu, ¡°I shall thank Divine Physician Bai in advance. I seek Divine Physician Bai¡¯s forgiveness for the intrusion.¡± Bai Luochu might be complaining about Pei Qingfeng, but she already agreed to help him deliver a message to the Second Prince¡¯s residence. She wasn¡¯t going to go back on her words and she immediately got someone to deliver his message. When Pei Qingfeng¡¯s message arrived at the Second Prince¡¯s residence, his personal guard was extremely confused. What else did his master like to do apart from cultivating and pestering Divine Physician Bai? Could it be that he wanted to study ancient text while lying in bed in the general¡¯s residence? If that was what the Second Prince wanted, he would simply shift a little of the residence¡¯s library collection. Just as the secret guard was preparing to transport the ancient texts, he suddenly recalled that His Second Highness finally found a chance to get close to Divine Physician Bai. Master shouldn¡¯t waste this chance. Since his master was going to stay at the general¡¯s residence for a long period of time, shouldn¡¯t he bring more ancient texts over? That¡¯s right, Master also liked to do some inscription on folding fans during his free time. I will bring over some empty folding fans and some ink. As soon as he thought of it, the guard filled an entire carriage with items and delivered them to the general¡¯s residence. By the time Pei Qingfeng could react to his guard¡¯s antics, everything was piled up in front of him. If they were all stacked up, they could form a new table in the room. ¡°You... why did you bring all these things here?¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw everything in front of him, he felt his scalp going numb. Even his head started to ache. That guard looked at the pile of things and replied confidently, ¡°Master, didn¡¯t you say to bring some stuff over? I knew that you had a habit of studying ancient texts and writing calligraphy on folding fans. When I thought that you had finally found an opportunity to stay beside Divine Physician Bai, I brought more of them along with me. After all, weren¡¯t you planning on staying for a long period of time?¡± When the guard spoke to Pei Qingfeng, Bai Luochu was somewhere else. As such, the guard didn¡¯t hold himself back. Pei Qingfeng felt helpless when he looked at his silly guard who had expectant expression plastered onto his face. He had no choice but to bite down hard as he replied, ¡°I really don¡¯t know if I should be praising you or criticizing you.¡± Pei Qingfeng wanted to praise the guard, but decided against it. He was also unable to scold the guard as the guard managed to consider the fact that he was planning to spend a long time at the general¡¯s residence. The guard didn¡¯t understand a word that was coming out of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mouth and he stood at the side patiently, waiting for his master to speak up. ¡°I called you here because I need you to spy on someone for me. He is extremely powerful and you cannot get too close to him. Report his actions to me. As for his name, he is rather famous¡­ Your target this time is Lu Wenshu.¡± ¡°Lu Wenshu? Master, you are making things difficult for me! Who can spy on him without him noticing? If he notices me, won¡¯t I be dead?¡± ¡°Just do it. Even if you don¡¯t want to, you still have to do it! Stop messing around.¡± When he did things for Bai Luochu, Pei Qingfeng disregarded everyone else around him. When the guard heard Pei Qingfeng¡¯s adamant order, he complained. ¡°Master, can you at least tell me the reason?¡± ¡°Cough cough. Firstly, he injured me, I need to know my enemy well if I want to take revenge in the future. Secondly, he has been pestering Luo Chu recently... I am afraid he has ulterior motives.¡± The guard thought that the second reason was the true reason he was assigned to such a dangerous job. Sigh, since Master started mixing around with the orphan daughter from the general¡¯s residence, his mind is filled with nothing but her. If this incident was recorded in the history books, Master would probably be portrayed as an incapable ruler who neglected important affairs in pursuit of a beauty, right? Luo Chu would be made out to be the seductress who brought calamity and destruction to the nation. Chapter 177: Another Malicious Plan The guard didn¡¯t expect that Pei Qingfeng would be able to see through his thoughts. His attitude changed 180 degrees and he kissed up to his master. ¡°Your Highness, that is impossible. This subordinate is praising your brilliant mind. After all, Young Lady Luo Chu has a special status and if someone malicious is to target and make use of her, she will be in for disaster. Master¡¯s strategy is brilliant and Master has amazing foresight!¡± The guard had been serving Pei Qingfeng for many years now¡­ How could a shrewd fox like Pei Qingfeng be unaware of his thoughts? However, he pretended to be convinced and sent the guard away. ¡°Since you think so, hurry up and get to it. As for these things...¡± Pei Qingfeng tilted his head and looked at the things on the ground, ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring some back?¡± How could the guard listen to Pei Qingfeng and bring the items back? ¡°Master, this... isn¡¯t good right?¡± When Pei Qingfeng heard his response, he almost erupted into a multitude of curses. The guard seemed to have predicted Pei Qingfeng¡¯s reaction and he quickly responded, ¡°Master, listen to my analysis. Young Lady Luo Chu might find it suspicious if I were to bring these items back. Furthermore, I have already calculated the quantity before bringing the things over. They are just enough for you to enjoy your stay in the general¡¯s residence. If you no longer have an excuse to stay here, Young Lady Luo Chu will definitely chase you out. Think about it, you are already close to your objective. What if you can¡¯t obtain the moon and someone else picks up this opportunity? There is a saying, ¡®A little error may lead to a large discrepancy.¡¯ If you get kicked out of the general¡¯s residence and Lu Wenshu makes use of the time to get close to Young Lady Luo Chu¡­ won¡¯t you suffer for nothing? All of your efforts will be wasted!¡± Hearing how sincere his guard was, Pei Qingfeng was starting to believe him. These were items meant for him to entertain himself. However, they turned into items that brought him endless suffering. When he thought about it, this lass might just turn into someone else¡¯s woman if he were to get chased out of the residence. If that were to happen, it would be too late for him to cry. ¡°What you say is reasonable. Since that is the case, I shall listen to you. Immediately report back to me if something happens. If something crops up and you can¡¯t deal with it, come here and look for me.¡± Pei Qingfeng was the one who involved the guard in his master plan. He felt that he had no choice but to go along with the guard¡¯s arrangement. Pei Qingfeng sneezed again and he wrapped himself up in a thick blanket. He felt rather suspicious and wondered if the weather was turning cold. Right now, in the general¡¯s residence, Bai Luochu would be protected by Pei Qingfeng. When she left the residence, Lu Wenshu would be her unofficial bodyguard. No one had the opportunity to make a move on her both inside and outside the residence, allowing her to live an unfettered life. Compared to Bai Luochu¡¯s carefree days, it was the complete opposite for Feng Wan¡¯er. In the relay station where the Phoenix King Valley were residing at, an ear-piercing sound suddenly echoed from inside Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s room. Crashes could be heard as things were shattered one by one. ¡°Oh? What made Junior Sister Wan¡¯er so angry?¡± The feminine man seemed like a graceful young master who was making fun of the flustered and exasperated Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°You have the cheek to ask me that question? When I wanted to move against that slut, you were the one who stopped me. Didn¡¯t you say ¡®the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s matter is more important. Seeing as she is close to the Second Prince, the ladies in the capital city will definitely deal with her¡¯. What¡¯s going on now? His Majesty might not have announced to the world that she is Divine Physician Bai, but he didn¡¯t prevent his servants from spreading the news.¡± ¡°Originally, Pei Qingfeng provided her with watertight protection. Now, even the commoners adore her. My men couldn¡¯t even approach her! Even if they turned into houseflies and swarmed her, they would be slapped to death with a single strike.¡± ¡°What is more infuriating is Lu Wenshu who has been pretending to be a dead monk after the evil dao witch¡¯s death! He never involved himself in worldly affairs and would never approach a woman. Now, he is watching over her like a hawk. What rights does that slut have to attract all these capable men? Is she a Nine-Tailed Fox Demon hidden in a human body? If that is the case, why is she still hanging on to the engagement with Wuchen? She already has so many capable men by her side¡­ Why can¡¯t she let go of Wuchen?!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er poured out the grievances she had accumulated in her heart for the past few days. The feminine man¡¯s expression was unpleasant when Feng Wan¡¯er unloaded all her rage onto him. He was about to erupt with anger but he forcefully held it in. ¡°Now that she is so close to so many men, it might not necessarily be a good thing if the imperial clan hears about it. Such a fickle woman can¡¯t marry into the imperial clan, let alone being an official concubine of the prince. If you really want her to die, I have an idea. I wonder if Junior Sister is interested to hear about it.¡± ¡°Stop trying to sell a story. Hurry up and say it! If another useless word comes out of your mouth, I¡¯ll head back and ask Father to deduct your cultivation resource!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er was behaving very arrogantly and didn¡¯t notice the flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. Feng Wan¡¯er is obviously inferior to Luo Chu¡­ She is even acting as though Luo Chu is the one looking for trouble. If you lose your status as the daughter of the Phoenix King Valley Master one day, I will look forward to your miserable end. Even though malicious thoughts were flashing through his mind, a radiant smile remained on his face. He said, ¡°If we bring Luo Chu into our Phoenix King Valley, we will be able to keep an eye on her.¡± Chapter 178: Invitation from the Phoenix King Valley In his mind, he thought that Feng Wan¡¯er was really a fool. Other than that man, she had nothing else in her mind. However, because of her status, he had no choice but to explain his plan enthusiastically to her. ¡°Junior sister¡¯s words are incorrect. Bringing this person right under your nose in the Phoenix King Valley is just the first step. The second step is to quietly eliminate her.¡± ¡°Think about it, the Valley Master is also anxious about the wedding between you and His Third Highness. Seeing how the Valley Master dotes on you, he will definitely help you to quietly eliminate this calamity of a woman. Moreover, the Phoenix King Valley can hide the reason behind her death. We will announce to the outside world that Luo Chu is an incompetent fool who lost her life during a night hunt. She was eaten by a beast during a mission and even if someone wants to investigate, they won¡¯t be able to.¡± Feng Wan¡¯er carefully thought about the meaning behind his words and felt that his suggestion was reasonable. She immediately agreed. ¡°But... what can we do to make Luo Chu willingly enter our Phoenix King Valley?¡± After Feng Wan¡¯er agreed to the suggestion, a headache assaulted her as she didn¡¯t know how they were going to implement the plan. ¡°That is the easy part. Since she isn¡¯t going to take the initiative, we can look for her. Junior sister just has to go and talk to the Elder today. You should say that Luo Chu has good medical skills and even the Green Flame Eagle likes her. We can kill two birds with one stone this way. After all, the Green Flame Eagle was supposed to belong to us. If she joins our Phoenix King Valley, won¡¯t we obtain the Green Flame Eagle as well?¡± ¡°What if... what if she doesn¡¯t agree?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er had a new concern. ¡°Junior sister doesn¡¯t have to worry. Senior brother has seen too many of such people. They might act noble and virtuous. but they are just angling for fame. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can think about it carefully. Isn¡¯t there a lot of official and noble clans protecting her recently? Previously when she was still residing at the First Prince¡¯s residence, there were plenty of officials and nobles who went looking for her. They even offered her huge sums of money. For us to look for her and invite her into our Phoenix King Valley, she has to agree no matter what! If she doesn¡¯t agree, she will be failing to appreciate our kindness. Just the public¡¯s opinion on the matter will be enough to pressure her to death. If it really doesn¡¯t work, we can lure her in with benefits. Won¡¯t we be able to tempt her with the promise of clearing her meridians and allowing her to cultivate? As long as we lure her into our Phoenix King Valley, we can torture her however we want. Why will we still be afraid of her?¡± The feminine man spoke with faith. After Feng Wan¡¯er pestered the elder for the entire night, that elder finally agreed. As a result, on the next day, Bai Luochu received the invitation card from Phoenix King Valley. ¡°We heard of Divine Physician Bai¡¯s legends and there is a saying, ¡®Knowing someone by their reputation cannot be compared to a meeting in person.¡¯ Two days later, at 9am, we cordially invite our young friend to the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s selection stage.¡± Bai Luochu became suspicious and she didn¡¯t know what they were up to this time. She decided to spare some time to visit the Remote Paddy Inn in order to discuss things with Ying Lan. ... It was 7am in the morning right now and Bai Luochu started her cultivation for the day. By the time Cai Ling delivered breakfast, Bai Luochu was done cultivating for the day. Pei Qingfeng had just woken up and he was served by a manservant from the general¡¯s residence. During breakfast, Bai Luochu took the opportunity to brief Cai Ling on the medicine she had prepared for Pei Qingfeng. How could Pei Qingfeng not understand that Bai Luochu was going to let Cai Ling stay in this courtyard to take care of him while she went out to handle those her so-called proper business? ¡°Why are you going out again?¡± Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t able to hold himself back and a question popped out of his mouth. Bai Luochu was startled by his question and she was at a loss. She obediently replied, ¡°I have some business to attend to. Do you need me to get you anything?¡± Pei Qingfeng felt that he was acting like a grumbling housewife right now. As for this ¡®husband¡¯ of his, she didn¡¯t know that she was being targeted by the ¡®red apricot¡¯ outside. I don¡¯t even know what she does outside. She better not be using this reason to confide in the person she admires¡­ This Lu Wenshu is really annoying. Didn¡¯t he disregard all worldly matters? Why is he paying so much attention to Luo Chu? Doesn¡¯t it feel like he is trying to bring home a bride? Pei Qingfeng could only try to persuade Bai Luochu, ¡°Say, aren¡¯t you a young lady? Why are you always showing your face in public? Are you trying to ruin your reputation?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know if she had stepped on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s tail, but the words coming out of his mouth seemed to be thorny. It was still early in the morning but he was already looking for trouble. Since that was the case he shouldn¡¯t blame her for being too direct. ¡°Is our Second Prince¡¯s brain damaged? You are the one shamelessly staying in my residence. If you want to talk about reputation, your reputation should be the one affected, right? Moreover, whenever I go out to handle proper business, I head out with Divine Physician Bai¡¯s identity. As a physician, do I need to bother with the gender issue?¡± Pei Qingfeng was stumped and he replied weakly, ¡°I¡¯m just being concerned for you¡­ I am afraid that you will be kidnapped by some villains when you are outside. Why are you so defensive?¡± Bai Luochu looked at the Second Prince in front of her who was acting like a spoilt child. She couldn¡¯t endure it any longer and she left without eating her breakfast. But as soon as she took half a step out of the door, she couldn¡¯t help but turn back to instruct Cai Ling. ¡°Take care of His Second Highness. If he is feeling bored, let him go fill up some words on his folding fans.¡± Cai Ling quickly acknowledged. Bai Luochu left and traveled without rest until she arrived at the entrance of the Remote Paddy Inn. When she walked through the entrance, the innkeeper thought she was a customer. After realizing she was Bai Luochu, he gestured towards her and invited her into Ying Lan¡¯s study room. When Bai Luochu arrived at the study room, she noticed that Ying Lan was busy with something. Her arrival shocked Ying Lan, but he didn¡¯t rush to keep the things on the table. Chapter 179: It’s a Fortuitous Encounter, not a Disaster Ying Lan read the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s invitation card carefully. He might not be able to infer anything from it, but his brows were locked tightly together. He didn¡¯t know what the Phoenix King Valley wanted to do to his mistress. ¡°Why? Is there something wrong?¡± When Bai Luochu saw Ying Lan¡¯s brows locked together tightly, she thought that there was something fishy with the invitation. Ying Lan shook his head, ¡°This subordinate is slow-witted and doesn¡¯t know what the Phoenix King Valley is scheming in the dark.¡± For a moment, Ying Lan¡¯s study room was filled with nothing but silence. After a long time, Ying Lan finally spoke up. ¡°Mistress, could it be that Phoenix King Valley saw through your reincarnation? They might be trying to...¡± Before Ying Lan finished his statement, his meaning was already very obvious. No matter what, the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s invitation was due to their bad intentions. ¡°I don¡¯t think they know that I¡¯m Bai Luochu yet.¡± Bai Luochu commented. Ying Lan¡¯s brows arched upwards and he replied with a question of his own, ¡°Mistress, why do you think so?¡± ¡°Give me a moment. Get me pen and paper. I will list down the pros and cons before explaining it to you.¡± Bai Luochu wrote her name down in the center of the paper and she started to separate the lists of people and incidents. When she was done, there were lines and remarks everywhere, causing Ying Lan¡¯s head to ache when he looked at the paper. Bai Luochu took another piece of paper and wrote down three things: 1. Green Flame Eagle, 2. Divine Physician Bai, 3. Luo Chu. Bai Luochu turned the paper around and placed it in front of Ying Lan. When she saw his confused expression, she explained, ¡°After pondering over the reasons and connections, these three reasons on the paper are probably why the Phoenix King Valley is looking for me.¡± ¡°Now that my identity as the Divine Physician Bai can no longer be concealed, they should assume that I am the one who abducted the Green Flame Eagle. Seeing as how I snatched the duck in their mouth, they are here to take it back. Furthermore, I am someone who seems like an incredible person in their eyes for making the spirit beast follow me without any effort. They might be thinking of using me to tame the Green Flame Eagle younglings for them.¡± ¡°As for the second reason... It is my identity as Divine Physician Bai. The Phoenix King Valley might have caused a serious setback to our temple during the Battle of Thousand Brilliance, but their losses aren¡¯t negligible. Of course they want someone like me to help them refine medicine. Looking at these two reasons, it is no wonder that they sent me an invitation.¡± Bai Luochu smiled mysteriously and explained, ¡°This is something I have been hiding from you. I am afraid that you will worry too much. I am more afraid that you will directly look for the culprit to seek revenge. However, this seems like an appropriate time to let you know. The reason why Luo Chu appeared as a slave in the Bestial Battle Arena was because of the Phoenix King Valley Master¡¯s daughter¡­ Feng Wan¡¯er! The owner of this body is a wastrel and she died in the Bestial Battle Arena. It is also the reason I am able to reincarnate into this body.¡± ¡°Feng Wan¡¯er¡­ I heard stories about how she behaved in the Phoenix King Valley by using her status as the daughter of the Valley Master. Her behavior was tyrannical but I didn''t think that she would be so ruthless and vicious. She even managed to stretch her hand into the capital city of the Cloud Water Nation. Mistress, you must be on guard against her.¡± Ying Lan finished his statement but suddenly realized something, ¡°Something isn¡¯t right. Mistress, according to your explanation, Luo Chu should be living quietly in the capital city. How did she offend Feng Wan¡¯er?¡± Bai Luochu still had a composed expression. After all, this matter had nothing to do with her and she was just occupying another person¡¯s body. She wasn¡¯t able to live with a clear conscience if she didn¡¯t help Luo Chu to vent out her anger. ¡°I need to tell you another story. Luo Chu¡¯s father was the former military general. Because the general sacrificed his life and his wife¡¯s, he managed to save the former emperor. In order to honor the life-saving grace, the former emperor betrothed the infant Luo Chu to the Third Prince, Pei Wuchen. They were supposed to be married the moment Luo Chu became of age.¡± ¡°The Third Prince? Isn¡¯t he the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Master?¡± Ying Lan still had a confused expression but he seemed to have gained enlightenment. ¡°Mistress, I think I understand now. According to your words,Feng Wan¡¯er should be a couple with Pei Wuchen. However, she found out about the engagement and wanted to eliminate Luo Chu in case her position was threatened.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t speak and simply nodded. ¡°Mistress. You are analyzing this problem from an angle that ignores the fact that they might know of your true identity. What if they know that you are Bai Luochu?!¡± Ying Lan was originally relaxed but worry suddenly overcame him. Bai Luochu glanced at Ying Lan and shook her head silently. She thought that this secret guard of hers was treating her like a young kid. ¡°Let me ask you. Does the Phoenix King Valley want to keep their reputation?¡± Ying Lan nodded blankly. ¡°Let me ask you again. Does the Phoenix King Valley always resort to underhand methods?¡± When he heard this, Ying Lan had a bellyful of resentment and was about to erupt. However, he was interrupted by Bai Luochu before he could say anything. ¡°Enough. I know what you want to say. You want to say that the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s methods are despicable and nasty. That is the reason why you don¡¯t have to worry about them knowing about my true identity. If they knew, they wouldn¡¯t deliver an invitation card to me, nor would they invite me to somewhere in the capital city in broad daylight. If they knew of my identity, they would ask a beggar on the street to deliver the invitation. Moreover, the invitation would be to some place in a deep forest. They would try to eliminate me before I grew strong.¡± Chapter 180: Attending With No Fear ¡°What is there to be afraid of? Don¡¯t I still have you?¡± After Bai Luochu spoke, Ying Lan smiled and shook his head. ¡°If Mistress has any instructions, just let this subordinate know. I will do my best to carry it out.¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t in a hurry as she explained her actions. ¡°According to my deduction, the Phoenix King Valley is probably trying to recruit me. I am both a godly physician and in possession of the Green Flame Eagle. According to them, the moment I enter the Phoenix King Valley, I will definitely hand the Green Flame Eagle over to them.¡± ¡°As for Feng Wan¡¯er, she should be thinking of bringing me over to the Phoenix King Valley and silently eliminating me when I¡¯m there. After all, the Phoenix King Valley can say anything they want after my death. No matter what, I won¡¯t be in danger for the time being. If I am unable to escape their recruitment, things might go south.¡± ¡°Since Mistress has to go, please give this subordinate your instructions. I will do whatever I can to protect you.¡± ¡°The contest stage is right beside our teahouse. You shall be on standby. If anything happens, I will signal for you.¡± Bai Luochu instructed. Ying Lan was still unresigned, ¡°Mistress, do you really have to go? Can¡¯t you refuse to show up?¡± ¡°The Phoenix King Valley is one of the Three Great Immortal Sects. They are showing me a lot of respect by inviting me. If I don¡¯t go, I will be disrespecting them. Since they are so passionate in their invitation, don¡¯t you think I should bring a gift over?¡± When she spoke, a sinister light flashed through her eyes. Ying Lan silently cursed at them in his heart. The Phoenix King Valley is probably going to fail with their schemes. They are poking the hornet¡¯s nest here and when this is all over, their faces will be swollen after getting stung repeatedly. Two days passed by very quickly. During these two days, apart from taking care of Pei Qingfeng, Bai Luochu started to cultivate once again. Even if she couldn¡¯t increase her strength, she wanted to be in her optimum state before she attended the meeting. ... The day finally arrived and Bai Luochu packed her things before preparing to head over to the contest stage. ¡°Mistress, can¡¯t you allow this servant to accompany you? I don¡¯t think there is anything wrong with His Second Highness now. Why don¡¯t you let me go with you? I can take care of you as well!¡± Cai Ling saw that her mistress was going to deliver herself to her enemies and she felt worried. Bai Luochu gently patted the servant girl¡¯s shoulder as an indication for her to be at ease. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ying Lan will be secretly observing the situation in the teahouse. Nothing will happen. If you head over, they might do something to you if they fail to catch me. If that happens, I will have to risk my life to rescue you. Won¡¯t that be worse?¡± Bai Luochu smiled and nodded before heading out of the general¡¯s residence and towards the contest stage. There was still about 15 minutes before the time stated in the invitation card. On the stage, many of the important members of the Phoenix King Valley, along with the elder, were already seated. Feng Wan¡¯er was among them as well. Right now, Bai Luochu was thinking of giving them a ¡®huge gift¡¯. When the Phoenix King Valley Elder saw Bai Luochu arriving, he immediately stood up to welcome her. ¡°For Divine Physician Bai to show up, it is truly our Phoenix King Valley¡¯s honor.¡± ¡°I am indebted to Elder¡¯s kindness for the invitation. I am unsure as to Elder¡¯s intention behind it....¡± One shouldn¡¯t slap a smiling face. Since the elder was treating her nicely, she wasn¡¯t going to act overboard. However, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know if she could maintain her smile throughout the meeting. ¡°Haha, our young friend doesn¡¯t have to worry. You¡¯re here today so that everyone can be a witness. Our young friend is a divine physician who is proficient in both medical skills and poison arts. Our Phoenix King Valley might have some achievements in terms of cultivation, but we have yet to produce an outstanding talent in terms of medicine refinement. Moreover, you seem to have a special bond with spirit beasts. I believe that in the future, you will become a top notch Beast Tamer whose name will shake the world.¡± ¡°This old one heard that our young friend is unable to cultivate because of innately crippled meridians. However, formidable cultivation and supreme strength aren¡¯t the only things people look up to in the world. Alchemists and Beast Tamers are extremely rare professions as well. If our young friend is willing to join our Phoenix King Valley, we will put our hearts into nurturing you. You will be able to quickly develop into a legendary figure in our continent. Of course, if our young friend really wants to cultivate, our Phoenix King Valley is willing to help you clear your meridians.¡± The Phoenix King Valley¡¯s elder threw all his bait out during the negotiation. With so many benefits and advantages, I don¡¯t believe that a greenhorn like you will fail to take the bait. Never in the elder¡¯s wildest imaginations did he think that Bai Luochu would go against his pre-arranged script. ¡°Haha, what is elder thinking¡­ Can it be that I, Luo Chu, am a person who pursues benefits? I can¡¯t understand the meaning behind your actions. You were the ones who wanted me dead to begin with. Why are you inviting me into your Phoenix King Valley now?¡± The elder was shocked when he heard what Bai Luochu said. When did they go after her life? ¡°What do you mean? If you are talking about the incident at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, this old one can represent the Phoenix King Valley and apologize. There were too many people and the situation was too volatile. If we unintentionally offended our young friend, we wish you can forgive us.¡± ¡°Oh? It seems like Elder is unaware of the actions of one of your members.¡± Bai Luochu raised her brows. Even though there was a sunny smile on her face, her voice was cold. Hearing her reply, the elder became even more confused. ¡°What does our young friend mean?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore and she drew her sword. Pointing the tip at Bai Luochu, she raged, ¡°How dare you! You dare to slander my Phoenix King Valley?! Today, I shall do justice on behalf of the heavens by killing you! All your lies will end right now!¡± Ying Lan was standing in a private room of the teahouse and when he saw Feng Wan¡¯er threatening Bai Luochu, he prepared to charge down towards the contest stage. Chapter 181: The Truth is Revealed ¡°Young Lady Wan¡¯er, what is the meaning of this?! I¡¯m trying to tell everyone a story here. Is there a need to make such a big fuss?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s expression remained unchanged and Feng Wan¡¯er started to panic. Once the elder looked at the situation, he understood that Feng Wan¡¯er had probably done something in the dark. She was the daughter of the Phoenix King Valley Master and everything she did would affect the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s reputation. She wasn¡¯t someone who would settle things through the peaceful route¡­ She was the one who suggested recruiting Luo Chu into the Phoenix King Valley. However, now that Luo Chu was here, she drew her sword and got ready to attack. It was clear she was out for revenge¡­ Seeing as how the Phoenix King Valley had already sent out the recruitment letter, they couldn¡¯t back down. The elder had no other way but to stall for time. ¡°Young friend, why don¡¯t you speak to this old one privately. If someone in my Phoenix King Valley wronged you, I will punish them accordingly. The Phoenix King Valley is a prestigious and orthodox sect. Some things can¡¯t be said out loud. It is best to not cross my bottom line.¡± The elder was obviously threatening Bai Luochu, but she had already made up her mind to speak of the truth. ¡°It is best not to cross your bottom line? Haha, what a joke. Back then when Young Lady Wan¡¯er asked someone to throw me into the Bestial Battle Arena, did she think about your bottom line?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s words immediately caused an outburst. ¡°What? Feng Wan¡¯er looks like a fairy but she is so sinister!¡± ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, they say that it is easy to know a person but hard to recognize their true nature. I didn¡¯t think that the Phoenix King Valley could produce such a degenerate offspring. She is even the daughter of the Valley Master¡­¡± ¡°Vicious beauty... These words are perfect to describe her. Luo Chu can¡¯t even cultivate. What a pitiful girl.¡± More and more people gathered around the contest stage and they pointed and cursed at the members of the Phoenix King Valley. Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s current expression was extremely unsightly. When the Phoenix King Valley Elder saw Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s expression, he understood that she was definitely the one at fault. Were they not in public, he would¡¯ve immediately meted out her punishment. ¡°Everyone, please keep quiet for a moment. I¡¯m not done yet. All of you are too noisy and you might miss out on what I am about to say.¡± When Bai Luochu heard the clarmoring crowd, she infused spirit qi into her voice as she yelled out. In an instant, everyone became quiet. When Bai Luochu made sure everyone was paying attention to her, she secretly transmitted a message to Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°Listen up. You are a main character in my story.¡± Bai Luochu revealed a sly smile towards Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°I, Luo Chu, dare to swear an oath to the heavens that I have never hoped for the day I would marry His Third Highness. All I wanted was to live a peaceful life. However, Feng Wan¡¯er came looking for me after learning about the engagement. She suggested for me to pull out of the engagement and because I wasn¡¯t willing to do so, she became angry. She got someone to throw me, a person who was unable to cultivate, into the Bestial Battle Arena as a human slave.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it all because you weren¡¯t willing to withdraw from the engagement with Wuchen?! If you were willing to do so, why would I get someone to throw you into the Bestial Battle Arena?!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er was still unresigned as she counted Bai Luochu¡¯s accusation. ¡°Shut your mouth! Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?¡± When the elder saw that Feng Wan¡¯er still wanted to challenge Bai Luochu, he immediately snapped. ¡°That¡¯s right, if I withdraw the engagement, I wouldn¡¯t need to suffer so much...¡± Bai Luochu started to sob and a mournful expression appeared on her face. ¡°Young Lady Wan¡¯er, you are the prestigious Young Lady of the Phoenix King Valley and you will never experience the miserable fate of an orphan in the general¡¯s residence. After losing my parents, everyone cursed me and said that I was a jinx who caused their death! Among the various aristocratic clans in the capital city, any one of them could stomp on me. How was I going to suggest anything to the imperial clan? Putting aside the fact that His Majesty would execute me for disrespecting him, how would people look at me? How would I face everyone after such humiliation?!¡± Comments broke out in the crowd after Bai Luochu spoke. ¡°Sigh. That is true. As an orphan of a declined noble clan, it is impossible to go against the wishes of the imperial clan.¡± ¡°Feng Wan¡¯er is just a spoiled brat who doesn¡¯t know the hardships of the world. Fancy that the Phoenix King Valley is always speaking of cherishing the common folk. The Valley Master isn¡¯t even able to educate his own daughter¡­¡± ¡°She is just a child¡­ If she tried to withdraw from the engagement, how many people would drown her in their spit?¡± Bai Luochu heard the comments and lowered her head. A sneer appeared on her face. I guess adding more fuel to the fire won¡¯t hurt. ¡°That¡¯s not all¡­ After escaping from the Bestial Battle Arena, I concealed my identity so that she wouldn¡¯t be able to find me. However, she managed to learn of my identity as Divine Physician Bai and she secretly tried to assassinate me during the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. It was so obvious she wanted me dead. Now that they called me here, how could she give up her chance? Young Lady Wan¡¯er didn¡¯t try to stop the Phoenix King Valley from recruiting me as she is probably thinking of killing me silently when I enter the sect. As long as I join, you can say whatever you want, right?¡± The discussions were getting increasingly intense and the Phoenix King Valley Elder couldn¡¯t endure it any longer. He had no choice but to pacify Bai Luochu. ¡°Our young friend doesn¡¯t need to worry. I will return and carry out a proper investigation. If this is true, I shall return and give you a proper explanation.¡± Even though that was what he said, the elder was thinking of covering it up after he returned. When the matter died down, everyone would forget about it. ¡°I shall wait for Elder¡¯s investigation patiently.¡± Bai Luochu politely cupped her hands and bowed. Chapter 182: A Plot Involving Three Sides When the Phoenix King Valley Elder heard Bai Luochu¡¯s response, a wave of relief washed over him. He slipped away with the members of the Phoenix King Valley. When Bai Luochu saw them leave, she didn¡¯t say anything and she simply faced the crowd who were waiting for an explanation. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed of myself. All of you are not related to me but you are all speaking out for me...¡± Bai Luochu left immediately without turning back. She didn¡¯t forget to signal for Ying Lan to return to the Remote Paddy Inn. Her gift had already been delivered to the Phoenix King Valley and she wasn¡¯t going to allow them to roll their eyes and leave. ... Feng Wan¡¯er was in a completely different situation. ¡°Kneel down!¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder was extremely exasperated. He yelled at her without considering her status. ¡°Did Luo Chu speak the truth today?!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er knew that she was in the wrong and she was no longer as confident as before. She timidly replied, ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°What amazing behavior! Wan¡¯er, it is fine if you bully and oppress the outer valley disciples normally as no one will bother with the incidents in our Phoenix King Valley. However, this is completely different! You dare to touch someone in the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial city?! Even so, you can¡¯t even finish her off once and for all. Look at the situation now! Her reputation is akin to the sun in the midday sky. She even revealed our secret to everyone present¡­ How do you want your father to face others from now on? What have you done to our reputation?!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er was pampered since she was young by her father and various elders. Let alone experiencing such a harsh scolding¡­ She hadn¡¯t even been slightly chided before. Right now, as the elder screamed at her, she became unable to raise her head. Her eyes were red and tears were swirling in her eyes. The elder felt a little heartache when he looked at her and his tone immediately softened. ¡°After what happened today, even if none of the commoners remember it, His Majesty will definitely learn of your actions. Don¡¯t leave your room these few days and copy several copies of the Heart Sutra. This way, I¡¯ll be able to provide an explanation to those who come looking for trouble.¡± Feng Wan¡¯er had no choice but to reluctantly return to her courtyard. She was placed under house arrest and in her heart, her hatred for Bai Luochu deepened. ¡°Mistress, are you not afraid of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s retaliation?¡± Ying Lan couldn¡¯t help but ask as he sat across the calm and steady Bai Luochu. She seemed unflustered as she slowly raised a cup to her lips to take a sip of the hot tea. Ying Lan let out a breath of relief as he asked another question, ¡°Mistress, is there something for me to do?¡± ¡°Clever.¡± Bai Luochu praised Ying Lan. ¡°I want the report of our trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t suffer any losses during the trip. Apart from one person who has commendable movement skills, everyone is back and ready to be deployed. The only person absent right now is looking for the whereabouts of the eggs.¡± Bai Luochu nodded. ¡°Great.¡± When Ying Lan thought about how Bai Luochu was making things difficult for the Phoenix King Valley and how she came looking for him in the Remote Paddy Inn, he knew that something was up. What could be so important that she had to look for him immediately after returning from the contest stage? Then it hit him. Ying Lan realized that the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s selection was about to end and this would mean that they would be leaving the capital soon. If they left, looking for the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s eggs would be harder than ascending the heavens. ¡°Mistress, are you thinking to...¡± Before Ying Lan could finish his statement, Bai Luochu interrupted him. Bai Luochu saw that her secret guard was finally able to think for himself. She laughed and replied, ¡°Haha, not bad. You¡¯re getting better at analyzing the situation. Your guess is right. I wish to make a move on the Phoenix King Valley. Even if we cannot kill every single one of them, we need to take back some interest. On the day the Phoenix King Valley departs, we shall make use of the chaos to strike out at them. They won¡¯t be raising any waves anytime soon and this is the best chance to strike out at them.¡± ¡°Is Mistress confident?¡± After Ying Lan confirmed Bai Luochu¡¯s intention, he asked very prudently. Bai Luochu tossed this question back at Ying Lan, ¡°It all depends on the intelligence we have on them.¡± Ying Lan made a solemn vow and guaranteed. ¡°Mistress can be at ease. This subordinate will send more people to locate the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s egg.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and said nothing else. ... Bai Luochu was right. After the ruckus at the contest stage, the news reached the ears of the old emperor. ¡°Is this true?¡± The old emperor sat on the throne and asked. De Quan nodded respectfully. The old emperor closed his eyes and fell into thought. He thought that Feng Wan¡¯er was simply willful and behaved a little arrogantly. It was fine as she was the daughter of the Phoenix King Valley Master. However, he now knew that she was someone who got jealous easily. Not only that, she was extremely ruthless and her methods were vicious as well. How could someone like her marry the Third Prince? If Pei Wuchen were to marry another concubine in the future, wouldn¡¯t the Cloud Water Nation be plunged into chaos because of her? It seemed as though he had to seriously reconsider the marriage. The old emperor trusted De Quan and would always ask for his opinion. ¡°De Quan, what do you think about this?¡± Chapter 183: Tactfully Declining the Alliance Marriage ¡°Hahaha, De Quan, you know me well!¡± When the Emperor heard De Quan¡¯s reply, he instantly laughed heartily. When De Quan received the praise, he knew that his answer was correct. Now was the perfect time for him to make a suggestion to His Majesty. ¡°Your Majesty, the farewell feast for the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s members is coming up. This old servant thinks that the elder will definitely take the chance to bring up the alliance by marriage. If Your Majesty doesn¡¯t want to go through with it, it is better to come up with an excuse beforehand. The people of the Phoenix King Valley are cunning and crafty. The excuse has to be seamless.¡± The old emperor muttered to himself for a moment and he spoke up. ¡°You are right. This Emperor has to make the proper arrangements.¡± The old emperor was hesitant about the alliance marriage between Pei Wuchen and Feng Wan¡¯er not solely because of her behavior. It was also because he felt that Luo Chu wasn¡¯t as useless as he had imagined. The partners of the princes had to match their status. While the marriage was an important matter, it was also a bargaining chip used to pave one¡¯s future path. The Emperor had always doted on his third son and he used to look down on Luo Chu as Pei Wuchen was the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Master. In terms of cultivation, she was a wastrel. She couldn¡¯t compare to the son he was most satisfied with. Moreover, the Phoenix King Valley promised him plenty of benefits. Feng Wan¡¯er and Pei Wuchen were also mutually in love. However, everything seemed to be different now. Luo Chu was too mysterious. Her bizarre medical skills neutralized a poison that stumped many divine physicians. She even managed to treat the Empress Dowager¡¯s old illness. She was even able to move his second son. Everyone knew that the Second Prince was a 1000-year sago palm that would never bloom. He got rid of all the young ladies who approached him in the past but Luo Chu managed to break the barrier around his heart. He even risked his life to save her at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. As for the incident at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range¡­ The old emperor heard the rumor where the Green Flame Eagle abandoned its children to save Luo Chu. She was really mysterious. As for whether Luo Chu wanted to get married or not, the old emperor didn¡¯t care. In his opinion, it was heavenly grace for an orphan like her to marry into the imperial clan. Everyone else would fight for the position and there was no reason for them to refuse the opportunity. As the old emperor made his plans, the day of the farewell feast arrived. Apart from the members of the Phoenix King Valley, the important officials of the imperial court were present as well. Everyone was drinking and enjoying the feast while the dancers danced along with the music. The hall bustled with activities. After three rounds of liquor, the dancers finished their performance. Officials and nobles from the Cloud Water Nation carried out casual conversations with the members of the Phoenix King Valley. Feng Wan¡¯er constantly tugged at the sleeves of the Phoenix King Valley Elder as a subtle hint for him to help her ask about the alliance marriage. The elder¡¯s sleeve was nearly ripped apart and he was extremely frustrated with her constant urging. ¡°Your Majesty, this old one has something to ask.¡± ¡°Oh? Elder, please say it. As long as this Emperor knows about it, I will tell you everything.¡± The old emperor clearly knew that the topic of the alliance marriage was about to be brought up. ¡°This old one thinks that Wan¡¯er and Wuchen have been childhood friends and now that they are of age, why not allow them to enjoy the rest of their lives together? I have watched Wuchen grow up and there is no need to worry that Wan¡¯er will fall into the wrong hands.¡± The instant the words left the elder¡¯s mouth, everyone fell silent. There were several officials who felt that it was a pity as their daughters no longer had hopes of marrying into the imperial clan. After all, everyone knew that the Emperor was very willing to accept Feng Wan¡¯er as a daughter-in-law. ¡°This Emperor appreciates Elder¡¯s kind intention. Wan¡¯er is indeed a good child, but Wuchen has not fulfilled his duties as a filial son. After all, he has been living at the Phoenix King Valley for a long time. His mother and I aren¡¯t willing to let him go yet. Why don¡¯t we push the marriage back for now?¡± The Emperor¡¯s response was like a clap of thunder resounding in everyone¡¯s ears. Did he just reject the alliance marriage? The elder¡¯s expression became extremely awful and his face became as black as coal. He placed his reputation on the line when he asked about Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s marriage. He never expected to be slapped in the face in front of so many people. Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s face was also deathly pale and a single thought went through her mind. My marriage with Wuchen is done for. The only man I care about is going to leave me forever. ¡°Your Majesty, why don¡¯t we set a date for the engagement first? It won¡¯t be too late to conduct the ceremony after Wuchen does what he needs to do.¡± When the elder saw Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s deathly pale face, he tried one last time to salvage the situation. The old emperor laughed as he had an excuse. ¡°How can I do that? Wuchen still has two elder brothers and they have yet to be bestowed with a First Consort. If Wuchen is the first to marry, he will break the hierarchy. How will we answer to our ancestors then? Wan¡¯er has a noble status. How can I wrong her and allow her to be a concubine?¡± Chapter 184: The Third Prince’s Thoughts ¡°Since Your Majesty has no intention to go through with the marriage, our Phoenix King Valley has embarrassed ourselves. The imperial clan of the Cloud Water Nation is noble and not a faction we can seek connection with, after all, we are just some villagers who cultivate and mix medicine in the mountains. Since that is the case, this old one and the disciples of the Phoenix King Valley will not pollute the imperial clan¡¯s palace anymore.¡± The elder spoke and quickly left with the members of the Phoenix King Valley. After being ridiculed, the Phoenix King Valley wasn¡¯t going to remain friendly to the imperial clan. Everyone except Feng Wan¡¯er was reluctant to part as she stared straight at Pei Wuchen. When she noticed that he wasn¡¯t paying attention to her and was thinking about something with his head lowered, she became even more heartbroken. Because of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s sudden outburst, the feast was destined to end badly. These officials were all tactful people. Seeing that the main character of the feast had already left, they quickly left as well in order to avoid displeasing His Majesty. Before long, only the old emperor and De Quan were left in the hall. ¡°De Quan, go and call Wuchen back. Wait for me in the imperial study.¡± The old emperor instructed. De Quan immediately acknowledged the order and ran out of the hall. He wanted to call Pei Wuchen back as soon as he could. The Emperor made his way to the imperial study in order to meet Pei Wuchen. Pei Wuchen was puzzled as to why his Emperor Father would reject the marriage even though he was so happy when it was first brought up. The Phoenix King Valley was one of the Three Great Immortal Sects and Feng Wan¡¯er was the daughter of the Phoenix King Valley Master. If she married into the imperial clan, the Phoenix King Valley would be the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s backer. Why would his Emperor Father reject the marriage? Pei Wuchen was distracted by his thoughts and didn¡¯t notice that Eunuch De Quan was calling out to him from behind. De Quan had been chasing Pei Wuchen for quite some time and if he continued walking, he would be out of the palace. De Quan had no other choice but to give it his all to catch up to Pei Wuchen. After he finally caught up with Pei Wuchen and wanted to pet him on the shoulder, he never expected for the Third Prince¡¯s reaction to be so exaggerated. When he felt someone behind him,Pei Wuchen immediately pinned him to the ground. ¡°Aiyo, my old bones! Third Highness, please show some mercy! This old servant is De Quan!¡± De Quan instantly yelled out in pain. Pei Wuchen was very polite to De Quan as this person was his Emperor Father¡¯s closet eunuch. If Pei Wuchen was to offend this eunuch, it was hard to say if he would complain about Pei Wuchen behind his back. De Quan thoroughly enjoyed Pei Wuchen¡¯s polite behavior. ¡°Aiya, what is Your Highness saying? Your Highness is a prince and it never pays to be more careful. This old servant isn¡¯t here to exchange conventional greetings with you. His Majesty is waiting for you in the imperial study. Let us hurry over and not keep His Majesty waiting!¡± Pei Wuchen shivered in response. He was afraid that his Emperor Father might be using this marriage to test him. Right now, his Emperor Father had even asked De Quan to personally look for him. He understood the weight behind the old emperor¡¯s actions and he quickened his steps as he made his way to the imperial study. The moment he stepped into the study, before he could greet the old emperor, the old emperor started the conversation. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you mad at me?¡± Pei Wuchen was terrified when he heard the question and immediately kneeled on the ground. ¡°Your official son doesn¡¯t dare to!¡± When the old emperor saw how obedient Pei Wuchen was, he felt much more at ease. He signalled to De Quan with his eyes and the eunuch quickly helped Pei Wuchen up. ¡°Other than us, there is no one else in the room other than De Quan. Don¡¯t kneel because of some minor matter. Don¡¯t you know there is gold under a man¡¯s knees?¡± ¡°This official son understands.¡± ¡°Sigh, even if you blame your Emperor Father, I have no choice. After all, I did break you up from your childhood sweetheart. It¡¯s reasonable for you to feel wronged.¡± When the old emperor was alone with Pei Wuchen, he sounded more like a father. Pei Wuchen never intended to blame his Emperor Father. He even understood the meaning behind his Emperor Father¡¯s actions. Pei Wuchen already knew that Feng Wan¡¯er had done some unspeakable things to Luo Chu in the dark. Back then, he felt that Luo Chu wasn¡¯t a match for him and if someone were to help him eliminate her, it wouldn¡¯t be inappropriate at all. However, her methods were too ruthless and her perfect image in his mind shattered. Even though he was a little confused about his Emperor Father¡¯s objection to the marriage, it was within his expectations. After all, Luo Chu had already exposed all of Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s wrongdoings. If the old emperor was kept in the dark, he wouldn¡¯t deserve his title as the Emperor. ¡°Emperor Father is thinking too much. This official son will never blame you. A child¡¯s marriage has always been in the hands of his parents. This official son is a prince and the matter of marriage should be properly discussed. Since Emperor Father opposes it, there is definitely a reason behind your action. This official son understands.¡± Pei Wuchen was speaking the truth. As a prince, he was clear that his marriage was used to benefit the empire. The old emperor laughed heartily as he thought that Pei Wuchen was indeed his favourite son. He was feeling angry at the Phoenix King Valley for being impudent but Pei Wuchen was able to soothe his rage. He hurriedly praised his third son. ¡°Wuchen... Emperor Father hopes that you can understand. I might be a ruler but I still have to weigh the pros and cons. I might even have to use your marriage as a bargaining chip. However, no father will wish for his son to suffer. The reason behind my rejection of the marriage is because I feel that Feng Wan¡¯er isn¡¯t a good match for you.¡± Chapter 185: The Grand Recruitmen ¡°This official son understands.¡± Pei Wuchen replied and was finally dismissed by the old emperor. The Phoenix King Valley might have just been humiliated by the imperial clan at the feast, but they still had to prepare for the final day of the selection. After all, it was the most important day of the selection process. The last day of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciple recruitment wasn¡¯t a time for them to accept disciples. It was a day for the Phoenix King Valley to show off their newly recruited disciples. It was an important event as there were other prestigious sects present. Initially, the Phoenix King Valley drafted a list of sects they would invite and they used a great deal of effort to come up with the list. It was easy to invite people but hard to decide who to invite. In the list, there were many sects friendly to the Phoenix King Valley. There were also some at odds with them. It wasn¡¯t surprising for the Phoenix King Valley to invite supporters. After all, wouldn¡¯t it be awkward for there to be a stale atmosphere? The reason behind inviting the sects at odds with them¡­ it was because the Phoenix King Valley was sure that they would cause some trouble at the contest stage. If that were to happen, conflicts would break out and the crowd would be in for a good show. In the end, the Phoenix King Valley prepared their invitation cards and announced that they would show off their new recruits at the imperial clan¡¯s practice grounds. How would Bai Luochu miss the chance to mess with the Phoenix King Valley? She arranged for Ying Lan to obtain the invitation card after posing as a supporter. The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence thus found the chance to slap the Phoenix King Valley in the face¡­ Oh, that wasn¡¯t right. They gained the rights to admire the Phoenix King Valley during the gathering. At dawn the next day, the members of the Phoenix King Valley gathered at the imperial clan¡¯s practice grounds. Bai Luochu arrived late with Pei Qingfeng and by the time arrived, the members of the Palace Of Brilliance Resurgence were already seated in the audience stand. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to expose her relationship with the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and she silently nodded to her members before looking for her seat. Bai Luochu looked around and noticed many of the prestigious sects. She thought that the Phoenix King Valley was really taking the chance to show off. Why else would they spend so much effort to invite all these heavyweights? Bai Luochu was criticizing them silently in her heart. She even questioned their name as the Phoenix King Valley. In her heart, she thought that they might as well change their name to the Peacock Valley since they loved to show off. Bai Luochu tilted her head and stared blankly at Pei Qingfeng. She thought that he had transformed into a worm in her stomach. How did he know what she was thinking? Could it be that she had been taking care of him for too long and they were starting to affect each other¡¯s thoughts? Pei Qingfeng felt Bai Luochu¡¯s gaze and didn¡¯t know what was happening. He tilted his head and questioned her. ¡°Did I say something wrong? They are behaving like a peacock and they call themselves a phoenix. Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Bai Luochu realized that she was being rude and she quickly turned away. She replied softly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± When Pei Qingfeng heard Bai Luochu¡¯s reply, the idea of teasing her immediately popped up in his mind. He immediately leaned his upper body over towards her and whispered into her ear, ¡°Luoluo, did you suddenly notice my outstanding attributes? Is there something that attracts you to me? Why are you staring at me?¡± Pei Qingfeng might be teasing her, but he looked at her with a passionate gaze. Bai Luochu had never received such treatment before. Her delicate and mellow earlobes flushed red and she realized that she was feeling shy. She thought about how she couldn¡¯t allow the Second Prince to do as he liked and she quickly flashed a smile at him. ¡°In my opinion, someone is messing around, and it¡¯s not me.¡± Pei Qingfeng was stunned for a moment and it dawned on him that she was talking about him. He hopped up from his seat and yelled, ¡°How can you say that I¡¯m messing around?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say anything else and looked at Pei Qingfeng with a look of disdain. It was clear that she wasn¡¯t pleased with him and she looked like she was looking at a fool. As Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng messed about, the Phoenix King Valley Elder was extremely busy as batches of prestigious sects started to arrive. He had to exchange greetings with them and also had to arrange their seats. He couldn¡¯t even find the time to seek Bai Luochu out. Bai Luochu looked around and noticed that the Phoenix King Valley was really capable. They actually invited all the enemies in her previous life. Had it not been because she was too weak, she would¡¯ve killed everyone present. A short moment later, the members of the imperial clan started to arrive. Even though the feast ended on an unpleasant note, this was still the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s territory. As they were using the imperial clan¡¯s practice grounds, there was no reason to leave the imperial clan out of their ceremony. Bai Luochu had also made use of the Second Prince¡¯s status to enter the site. ¡°It seems like the Phoenix King Valley is using this opportunity to show off their strength. They are really trying to suppress the other sects¡­ Do you think they know of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s true intentions?¡± Bai Luochu asked Pei Qingfeng. Chapter 186: Opening the Curtains "What about those experts who moved alone? Why are they gathering around the members of the Phoenix King Valley? They are even having such pleasant conversations... Aren''t they lowering their own status?" Bai Luochu still couldn''t understand the actions taken by various parties during the gathering. She constantly bombarded Pei Qingfeng with questions and he felt as though his head was about to blow up. "Since you have so many questions about the Phoenix King Valley''s gathering, sit down and listen to my story. I will tell you everything you wish to know " Pei Qingfeng closed his folding fan and a rarely seen expression of solemness appeared on his face. ¡°The Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciple selection is a major event for them. One can even say that it is a major event involving the cultivation world. Even if the Phoenix King Valley usually does things in a despicable way, they are still one of the Three Great Immortal Sects. Their status is rather prestigious.¡± ¡°The Phoenix King Valley¡¯s status in the world is the most important reason and if they refuse to show up, they will be asking for trouble. Also, there is a saying that goes ¡®By knowing yourself and your enemy, you will ever be defeated¡¯. All the orthodox sects came here with the same mindset. They are here to look at the standard of the new disciples to see if they will be able to challenge the Phoenix King Valley in the future. How can it be this simple? Can¡¯t they use their brains a little and think about the possibilities?¡± ¡°There are several parties without backbone and they are here to admire the Phoenix King Valley. They are here to kiss up to the Phoenix King Valley in hopes of better days. As for those lone cultivators¡­ Their lives are carefree and they are only here to obtain information regarding cultivation resources. The Phoenix King Valley is extremely despicable as they plunder resources incessantly. Apart from the other two Great Immortal Sects, everyone else is their target. The repulsive part is when they act like charitable saints to distribute resources to other cultivators. Most people here want to cling onto the Phoenix King Valley. Of course, those are mostly weak cultivators. For the true experts, they feel that the newly recruited disciples are the hope of the continent. Some of them are even here to seek a successor to inherit their legacy.¡± ¡°Do you understand now?¡± Bai Luochu might have already heard about the disciple selection process since a long time ago. However, there was another saying that went ¡®Seeing for oneself is better than hearing from others¡¯. After seeing how influential the Phoenix King Valley really was, Bai Luochu realized that their reputation was rather prestigious. When Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit was wandering the world, the Phoenix King Valley had indeed gotten even more shameless. When the Phoenix King Valley Elder saw that almost everyone had arrived, he immediately ordered for the gates to be closed. As the host, he walked to the middle of the practice grounds to announce the start of the event. ¡°It is an honor to be able to invite all of you here today. This old one will thank everyone in advance!¡± He bowed after speaking and everyone responded with a round of applause. They couldn¡¯t possibly let the elder perform a solo act by himself. ¡°Today is the last day of my Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciple selection. According to the rules, we will not be recruiting new disciples today and instead, we will be giving the new disciples a chance to showcase their talents. The practice ground is the first step they will take into the cultivation world. The Phoenix King Valley has been around for a long time and we have been carrying on the tradition of nurturing guardians for this continent. The reason they are here is so that the various seniors can give them some pointers. If they are lacking in some areas, I hope that all of us will be able to enlighten them. This can serve as a kind of motivation for the new disciples as well.¡± After hearing the speech, various sects on friendly terms with the Phoenix King Valley started to sing their praises. ¡°Elder is too humble. The Phoenix King Valley is one of the Three Great Immortal Sects. Those who pass the test are naturally outstanding individuals of the junior generation. How can common folks like us give them pointers?¡± When the elder heard the praises thrown his way, he was delighted. He responded with a laugh, ¡°Hahaha, we are indebted to everyone¡¯s praises. I hope the exhibition today will satisfy all of you!¡± This speech was done brilliantly, but there were still plenty of people who weren¡¯t convinced. The elder didn¡¯t waste any more time and quickly started the exhibition in order to show off the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s might. The new disciples of the Phoenix King Valley were already eager for their turn. After all, this was the first time they were presenting themselves to the various cultivators on this continent. If they were able to prove themselves, their reputation would soar. Even though fame had its price, if they were to enter the Phoenix King Valley without any achievements, they would be letting down their families and the vast amount of effort poured into them. ¡°Next, I shall declare the start of the exhibition!¡± After the words left his mouth, another round of applause broke out. The thunderous applause caused everyone¡¯s heart to surge with excitement. Pei Qingfeng looked at Bai Luochu and noticed an indifferent expression on her face. ¡°I have to say¡­ you are really audacious for coming to this gathering even after sowing such a deep feud with the Phoenix King Valley. I thought you were going to be interested but here you are falling asleep. If you want to sleep, why don¡¯t you stay at home? Isn¡¯t the general¡¯s residence a much safer place for you to sleep?¡± Chapter 187: Written Examination ¡°Don¡¯t speak too soon. You¡¯ll see what I¡¯m interested in.¡± Bai Luochu explained. After the two of them were done bickering, the elder announced the rules for the first round. ¡°The first round will be a written examination. We will mainly be inspecting the theoretical knowledge that the new disciples have towards cultivation, alchemy, and spirit beasts. The Phoenix King Valley has always thought highly of overall talent. In order to prevent the new disciples from choosing a topic they are well-versed in, we will draw lots to randomly decide on one. Every disciple will have the time it takes one stick of incense to burn to come up with an answer. When the time is up, they will put their answers up on the board. There will be a spirit testing stone below every answer. It can store spirit qi for a moment and we hope everyone can walk around the practice ground to choose your favorite answer. Transfer some spirit qi into the stone and the brighter the stone, the higher the ranking. There is no way to cheat in this test. Now the disciples will draw the lots.¡± The new disciples formed up according to what they had learned. Subsequently, someone brought an opaque box onto the practice ground from the side. Bai Luochu used her spiritual energy to examine the box but realized that she couldn¡¯t sense anything inside. It seemed like the box was surrounded by a restriction made by someone with a formidable spirit qi cultivation. How else would they be able to hide the contents from the experts present? Several disciples looked dispirited when the box appeared. It seemed as though they noticed that they couldn¡¯t find out the contents of the box. The rules of drawing lots were very simple, one simply had to reach in and pick randomly. A sheet of white paper meant cultivation, green paper meant alchemy, and black paper meant spirit beasts. The new disciples had varied expressions. Of course, there were some who picked a topic they were good at. Others were not so lucky. According to the lots, they were split into several groups. ¡°The written examination shall begin!¡± The elder immediately asked for the incense to be lit. When Bai Luochu saw how the disciples were writing as though their lives depended on it, she felt extremely bored and weary. Pei Qingfeng thought that since he brought Bai Luochu here, he wasn¡¯t going to allow her to be bored. He immediately looked for a topic and asked, ¡°Do you know about their spirit testing stone?¡± Of course she knew. Not only did she know about the spirit testing stones, she even knew how to make one herself. It was too bad she was bored out of her mind and since Pei Qingfeng wanted to perform a monologue, she would simply listen. Bai Luochu shook her head and acted as though she didn¡¯t know. She raised her chin as an indication for Pei Qingfeng to start his explanation. Bai Luochu thought that she should simply allow Pei Qingfeng to continue talking but she was afraid he would feel insulted if she didn¡¯t respond. Thus, she immediately asked, ¡°Creative? Is there a way to fake one¡¯s spirit qi?¡± Pei Qingfeng assumed that Bai Luochu was interested in this matter and became like an excited kid. He excitedly continued his explanation, ¡°You might not know this, but back then, there was a kind of spirit medicine that could raise the standard of one¡¯s spirit qi by one rank for a short period of time. People would consume the medicine before testing their spirit qi and many people entered the Phoenix King Valley even though they had not reached the basic strength requirement. During the last day of the recruitment process, something felt wrong as the new disciples disgraced the Phoenix King Valley in front of the other sects. They ordered an investigation and immediately found out the way the new disciples cheated their way through. The Phoenix King Valley started to take strong measures against such acts but it still continued despite the prohibition. Without a choice, the Phoenix King Valley turned to fixing the spirit testing stones. They added medicinal ingredients to the spirit testing stones and placed them into the cauldron to calcine. After that, the new spirit testing stones were born. Things took a turn for the better after the new stones were implemented.¡± ¡°The new disciples¡¯ spirit qi would be stored inside the spirit testing stone for a period of time. If someone used spirit medicine to forcefully increase their spirit qi, the spirit testing stone would dim after some time. As the stones were tagged with the names of the disciples, there was basically no more way to cheat.¡± Bai Luochu thought that Pei Qingfeng might not be detailed in his explanation, but since it was something fresh, she found it rather interesting. Just like that, the duo continued their impromptu conversation until the incense fully burned out. ¡°Time is up. Stop writing, otherwise, you will be kicked out of the exhibition.¡± Once the elder spoke, several disciples who wanted to add in some last minute words stopped. They waited for someone to take away their scripts. Of course, there were some disciples who had a depressed look. There were even some young ladies who started to sob and tears flowed down their cheeks. The elder didn¡¯t console any of them and he simply left them with a sentence. ¡°All of you need to know that you are adults now. You can¡¯t cry whenever something doesn¡¯t go your way. If you have the time to cry, why don¡¯t you put in more effort and study? This is just an exercise and in the future, when you charge through enemy lines, there will be no time for you to shed tears.¡± Chapter 188: Double First Ranker ¡°Let¡¯s go. Since we are already here, we should at least do something. You have already thoroughly offended the Phoenix King Valley. Don¡¯t create anymore trouble. Moreover, I am a cripple now and someone has to push my wheelchair.¡± Pei Qingfeng might be asking Bai Luochu to push his wheelchair, but he had her interest in mind. Bai Luochu understood what she had to do. It was good for her to take a look as well. She could see what kind of new disciples the Phoenix King Valley recruited. After all, only by knowing oneself and the enemy would one be able to win all battles. She was unable to confront the Phoenix King Valley now, but there was a day where she would fight them head on. It was better for her to start preparing herself. As Bai Luochu thought about her plans, she pushed Pei Qingfeng onto the practice grounds. ¡°It has been a round¡­ Is there nothing that catches your eye? As long as you feel that the answer is logical, you should pick it.¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw Bai Luochu¡¯s grim expression, he felt that her expectations were too high. She is really difficult to please... In fact, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t hard to deal with. However, all the answers reflected the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s way of thinking. As a member of the evil dao, how could she agree with their viewpoints? When she thought about randomly picking an answer, she looked up and found one that satisfied her. This was a question about alchemy. The theory was completely different from the other answers that were praising the Phoenix King Valley to the high heavens. It was extremely impartial and had started the laws of heaven and earth, to the yin and yang. The five elements were properly described and the classics were quoted to support the answer. After reading through the script, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Orderly and distinct. The theory is logical, the calligraphy is also great. This will be my choice.¡± As soon as she spoke, she infused her spirit qi into the special spirit testing stone made by the Phoenix King Valley. Before Pei Qingfeng could stop Bai Luochu, she had already completed her vote. Pei Qingfeng felt that he had probably wronged her in his past life. He had no choice but to vote for this person as well. Even after the two of them voted, the light was extremely dim. Bai Luochu even suspected that the spirit testing stone was broken. Pei Qingfeng saw through Bai Luochu¡¯s thoughts and immediately explained, ¡°This spirit testing stone isn¡¯t malfunctioning. We are the only two people who voted for this answer.¡± Pei Qingfeng could only shake his head silently. He thought that Luo Chu was slow in regards to relationships. He never expected her to possess such low emotional quotient as well. Pei Qingfeng was helpless and had to explain their actions, ¡°My great aunt... this examination is hosted by the Phoenix King Valley. Even if our votes don¡¯t matter, everyone will use this chance to suck up to the Phoenix King Valley. They are siding with the Phoenix King Valley by agreeing with those answers. Unless someone is a complete retard, they won¡¯t go against the Phoenix King Valley¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying that I am a fool? Of course I am going to choose an answer I like! I¡¯m not going against my conscience by voting for an answer to flatter the Phoenix King Valley.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s brows were locked tightly together as he was troubled by Bai Luochu¡¯s behavior. ¡°That is not what I mean. Didn¡¯t I accompany you to act like a fool?¡± Pei Qingfeng casted his vote because of Bai Luochu. She already formed a grudge with the Phoenix King Valley and if she did something wrong once again, there was no way the members of the Phoenix King Valley would leave her alone. He had to vote for the same person as well in order to create an excuse for Bai Luochu. After all, he was a prince and the members of the Phoenix King Valley wouldn¡¯t do anything to him. Why is she comparing myself to her?! I¡¯m no fool! Pei Qingfeng felt wronged and a bitter feeling welled up in his heart. The votes were completed in less than 10 minutes. Some of the people didn¡¯t even look and had immediately cast their votes to the highly regarded new disciples. There weren¡¯t many people who would look through all the answers like Bai Luochu. After the votes were tallied, an awkward atmosphere filled the grounds. There were actually two individuals who got equal numbers of votes. Pei Qingfeng felt that if he didn¡¯t cast his vote to protect Luo Chu, things wouldn¡¯t turn out this way. In any case, Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t going to look for trouble, he wanted to see how the Phoenix King Valley was going to deal with the matter. It was obvious that the elder was placed in a difficult situation. There were some who suggested another round of tests, but there were others who objected to the delay. The elder was an intelligent person and after thinking of the consequences, he thought of a solution to raise the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s image. ¡°Everyone, this old one thinks that this is actually a good thing. In the past, there would only be one outstanding individual. Now, there are two of them. The other disciples don¡¯t seem to be lacking in votes and it seems like our disciples this year are extremely talented! I declare that there will be two first rankers this year!¡± There was another round of thunderous applause. ¡°Those who are unranked don¡¯t need to worry. This examination is just a method to showcase your talents. Everyone will be treated equally back at the Phoenix King Valley. Of course, this doesn¡¯t mean that you can slack off. You still have to work hard to keep up with the others. All of you represent the future of the Phoenix King Valley. Do you understand?!¡± Chapter 189: Second Round ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, the Phoenix King Valley is really brilliant at brainwashing their new disciples. What nonsense. After entering the valley, only the inner valley disciples can be considered humans.¡± Pei Qingfeng commented with disdain. It was rare for Bai Luochu to agree with Pei Qingfeng. Instead of criticizing him, she agreed with him, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right. Previously, weren¡¯t the outer valley disciples angry because of the unfair distribution of cultivation resources? That was the reason the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s plan was leaked. Seems like the elder hasn¡¯t learned his lesson. The Phoenix King Valley might even be destroyed due to its internal strife. Why are they even segregating these people into so many ranks? These young people are so unfortunate.¡± Pei Qingfeng laughed lightly in response, ¡°Ha, why do you seem like an old woman looking at a bunch of kids? You are not behaving like a young lady at all.¡± Bai Luochu rolled her eyes at Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me! Because I wasn¡¯t able to cultivate, I endured bullying and humiliation from everyone around me. I saw through the fickle mindedness of human nature. This huge pie in front of the Phoenix King Valley¡­ How much will be distributed to the new disciples? If it isn¡¯t enough, these new disciples aren¡¯t people to be trifled with. The Phoenix King Valley is bound to suffer.¡± Pei Qingfeng enjoyed how Bai Luochu referred to themselves as ¡®we¡¯. He found another interesting topic to bring up but was interrupted by the elder. Pei Qingfeng almost ordered the execution of the Phoenix King Valley elder on the spot. He finally found the chance to speak to Bai Luochu properly and the elder had to interrupt them... ¡°After this short test, the highlight of the day will begin!¡± Everyone apart from Bai Luochu were veterans who had attended plenty of disciple exhibitions. They were clear on the event flow and cheers broke out. The atmosphere climbed to the peak and everyone was riled up. Bai Luochu might have heard about this, but she truly didn¡¯t wish to cheer for the Phoenix King Valley. After all, they were groups of snakes and rats. She leaned back onto her seat and her indifferent expression reappeared on her face. Pei Qingfeng knew the grudge between Bai Luochu and the Phoenix King Valley and he didn¡¯t join the cheers. ¡°If the written examination earlier was to test our new disciples¡¯ reasoning and knowledge, we are going to test their combat experience next! Our new disciples will shine in the next segment! I declare the start of the second round!¡± ¡°This disciple understands!¡± The new disciples of the Phoenix King Valley stood behind the elder and responded loudly. ¡°Take a guess, will anyone go and issue a challenge?¡± Pei Qingfeng tilted his head and looked at Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change and answered calmly. ¡°Definitely. Think about it, how noble is the Phoenix King Valley in the eyes of these people? Even after the trouble I caused, they seem to be unaffected. In the eyes of these people, the strong ones in this world shall be respected, while a weak person like me shall be bullied. People will definitely challenge them with how spoilt Feng Wan¡¯er is as a basis. There are some who still harbor hope and think they will be able to make use of this chance to enter the Phoenix King Valley. There are others who want to find out their weaknesses by challenging these new disciples. After all, with their lives and safety guaranteed, this is a rare opportunity to exchange moves with the disciples of the Phoenix King Valley. If they miss this chance, they will have to wait till the next selection.¡± ¡°Haha, good analysis. Since you are so smart, why don¡¯t you act intelligently? You know that it would be useless for you to expose the truth, but you did it anyway. Aren¡¯t you afraid of inviting disaster onto yourself?!¡± Pei Qingfeng was rather angry when he heard Bai Luochu¡¯s opinion. He felt that she was acting too presumptuously. ¡°I have my reasons. The competition is starting, why don¡¯t we pay some attention?¡± Bai Luochu quickly shifted the topic as she definitely couldn¡¯t tell Pei Qingfeng that it was the deal she made with Pei Rumo. If Pei Qingfeng learned of it, it was hard to say if they would flip out at his own brother. The kinship of the imperial clan was already faint, she didn¡¯t want to cause them to face each other with swords fully drawn. The competition had started and there were countless battles going on. The Phoenix King Valley had separated the practice ground into three sections for the previous examination. Right now, the three sections were still being used. With three exciting matches taking place, everyone¡¯s eyes were glued onto the battles. As the competition carried on, the momentum started to die out. No one had succeeded in the battle. In just two hours, no one else was left on the stage. This situation was very common for the Phoenix King Valley. When all was said and done, if anyone could easily pull the Phoenix King Valley down from their rostrum, it would be a great humiliation. No matter what, the elder had to offer everyone a chance. ¡°Is there anyone else up for the challenge? Victory or defeat doesn¡¯t matter. If you win, our Phoenix King Valley will welcome you with open arms, if you lose, you can use it as an opportunity to improve. It isn¡¯t very often for such a chance to come by. All my young friends, it is better to be open-minded. You will be able to improve faster and progress in your cultivation.¡± Chapter 190: Take the Initiative The elder was shocked when a new disciple of the Phoenix King Valley spoke up. ¡°Elder, as the first ranker of this disciple selection, I cannot allow things to go on like this. Up till now, no one issued me a challenge. In order to make the event more lively, I would like to take the initiative to challenge someone. What do you think?¡± ¡°This...¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder was at a loss for words. He had been in the Phoenix King Valley for many years now and never once did a disciple issue a challenge to the guests. According to the long standing rules, if he were to allow this, he would violate the rules of the valley. ¡°Elder, I don¡¯t see why this cannot work. It has always been people challenging you, but never the Phoenix King Valley challenging others. Let us witness the power of the Phoenix King Valley! Isn¡¯t that the wish of everyone present?¡± There was a meddlesome person in the crowd who started heckling after the disciple¡¯s suggestion. He was screaming for the elder to accept the disciple¡¯s suggestion, but most of the people in the crowd were familiar with the Phoenix King Valley and didn¡¯t wish to make things difficult for the elder. Even though they had been making lots of noise, there were some of them who felt that the disciple¡¯s suggestion was going against the rules. The elder was placed in an awkward situation and had no choice but to turn everyone down tactfully. ¡°This old one is afraid that I cannot agree. This doesn¡¯t comply with the rules set by our ancestors. It will be a disgrace to them if we change the rules now. Furthermore, if our disciples injure others, there are some who will say that we are using our influence to oppress the common people.¡± Some people in the crowd started to clamor. It seemed as though they weren¡¯t going to let the matter rest if the elder didn¡¯t allow the disciples to challenge others. The Phoenix King Valley Elder was starting to suspect if they were simply here to cause trouble¡­ What are they doing? Are they planning to go against the Phoenix King Valley? Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s feminine senior brother saw the situation and immediately said to the Phoenix King Valley Elder, ¡°Elder, why don¡¯t you consider it. This disciple is the son of the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s greatest merchant. His father controls half the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s economy. Why not play along with him? If you continue to reject the suggestion, he might even complain to his father.¡± The elder frowned slightly and felt that the words were jarring to the ears. However, when he thought it through, he felt that the suggestion was rather reasonable. The rules set by the ancestors had been passed on for a few thousand years. Nothing would change if they didn¡¯t modify it. Since that was the case, nothing was stopping him from making an exception. It would also make the competition much more interesting. Of course, the most important thing was to appease the young ancestor who made the suggestion. ¡°Since everyone is so passionate, this old one has no excuse to refuse. If I insist on refusing, I will just be disappointing everyone.¡± There was an uproar after hearing the response. Apart from those who started the heckle, the rest of the people disagreed. Were they going to change the rules set down by their ancestors just because the brat had a rich father? Even though he made an exception, he still had to warn the kid. ¡°Kid, you better consider it carefully. Are you sure you want to challenge others?¡± It was a clear warning for the disciple who wanted to issue the challenge. In the end, the merchant¡¯s son was a proud and arrogant brat. Since he already had a target to challenge, he wasn¡¯t going to allow his target to leave the practice grounds. Even if he killed his target, his father would be able to solve everything by throwing some money to appease the crowd. ¡°Elder, I will not regret my decision. We have to show them the difference between a commoner and a member of our Phoenix King Valley.¡± ¡°Alright then. Remember, no lethal moves. If anything happens, I will not let you off lightly. The match shall be decided when one party admits defeat. Do not try to show off and strive for victory. Do you understand?¡± The elder reminded the new disciple. With hot blood running through his veins, how could the merchant¡¯s son bother with the elder¡¯s warning? A sinister smile appeared on his face and he thought that it was a waste of time for the elder to speak so much. The new disciples¡¯ gaze were filled with disdain as they looked at how the merchant¡¯s son was behaving so arrogantly. After all, all of them knew how he obtained the title of first ranker. Someone even grumbled, ¡°Number 1 new disciple, number 1 at squandering money. Certainly the first ranked school fees payer.¡± It was too bad the merchant¡¯s son was too focused on his target to hear the complaints. ¡°I want to challenge him!¡± This young man pointed at a seat in the audience and said firmly. Bai Luochu looked at his target and she couldn¡¯t control her laughter. ¡°What are you laughing at? This is the first time the Phoenix King Valley made an exception to the rules. How can you laugh when everyone is so serious?¡± Pei Qingfeng heard Bai Luochu¡¯s sudden burst of laughter and felt extremely confused. Bai Luochu raised her brows and explained, ¡°Why can¡¯t I laugh at a clown? You better watch carefully. A good show is about to happen soon.¡± Chapter 191: Guan Yue Accepting the Challenge Guan Yue finally realized that he was being challenged. He had already forgotten all his grudges and after thinking about it for a long time, he finally recalled something. The new disciple who challenged him seemed to have insulted him in the past. In a moment of rage, he called the merchant¡¯s son a degenerate. However, shouldn¡¯t one be aware of their own ability? What gave him the courage to challenge Guan Yue? Was it because of his rich family? ¡°If you don¡¯t feel like going up, just refuse the challenge. Our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence isn¡¯t some glamourous sect. It¡¯s not worth your while to fight against that person.¡± Ying Lan saw Guan Yue¡¯s expression of disbelief and assumed that Guan Yue wasn¡¯t in the mood for a fight. He quickly gave Guan Yue a way out of the challenge. ¡°That¡¯s right, Young Master Guan... With the likes of this person, you will be bringing down your own status regardless of the outcome. If you win, it will be because of an unfair advantage. If you lose, you will be seen as trash.¡± Meng Luoping chipped in and advised Guan Yue. ¡°All of you are right. However, if I refuse the challenge, I will be letting our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence down. From what I see, even if I refuse, there is no way he will let me walk away from this place.¡± Guan Yue was very moved when he saw that all of them were not forcing him to accept the challenge. Even if it meant disgracing the faction, none of them wanted Guan Yue to fall into a trap. It was too bad the merchant¡¯s son wasn¡¯t willing to allow him to walk away. As soon as Guan Yue spoke, the merchant¡¯s son started to insult him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you look down on me for being a merchant¡¯s son? Take a look at yourself now. The clothes you wear are made from the same fabric as the cloth used to clean the latrines in my residence. How dare you appear before me? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be very impressive? You can¡¯t even enter the Phoenix King Valley and are hiding in your shell now¡­ Are your parents tortoises? How did they give birth to a coward like you?!¡± Bai Luochu felt a bad premonition rising in her heart. He was definitely insulting Guan Yue on purpose. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t worried about Guan Yue¡¯s strength. When she thought about it, Guan Yue had always been proud and arrogant. If his mindset were to be affected by the insults, things would be bad. Even though the merchant¡¯s son had a bad temper and was an arrogant being, he calculated his every move before challenging Guan Yue. He knew about Guan Yue¡¯s prideful personality and didn¡¯t believe that Guan Yue would take the insults lying down. If Guan Yue would still cower and refuse the challenge, it meant that his judgement was wrong. Such a coward wasn¡¯t worth his time anyway. Ying Lan knew the meaning behind the merchant son¡¯s actions and he quickly turned to look at Guan Yue. With veins bulging on his forehead and bloodshot eyes, Guan Yue¡¯s face was completely red. Ying Lan patted on Meng Luoping¡¯s hand. It was an indication that he was going to handle the matter himself. He turned and persuaded Guan Yue, ¡°Guan Yue, you might be stronger than him, but you are no longer thinking straight. If you recklessly accept the challenge, you will be falling into a trap.¡± Guan Yue heard Ying Lan¡¯s advice and he calmed himself down. ¡°I can¡¯t reject the challenge after all the insults he threw at me. He even humiliated my parents. He crossed the line and there is no way I am letting him off.¡± ¡°But...¡± Ying Lan wanted to say something but was interrupted by Guan Yue. ¡°I know what you wish to say. You don¡¯t need to persuade me anymore. If I win, I will still be a member of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. If I lose, I will return to my past identity as a descendant of a declined aristocratic clan. I will never bring shame onto the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence.¡± ¡°You know that is not what I mean.¡± Ying Lan looked at Guan Yue¡¯s current mental state and felt rather surprised. Guan Yue was painstakingly recruited by his mistress. If he were to suffer such a huge setback now, how was he supposed to explain himself to Bai Luochu? Guan Yue patted on Ying Lan¡¯s shoulder. He knew that Ying Lan wasn¡¯t someone who focused so much on the reputation of the sect. ¡°If you already know that I won¡¯t care about the result of the fight, why are you still accepting the challenge?¡± Ying Lan didn¡¯t give up. A sinister smile slowly crept up Guan Yue¡¯s face. ¡°Why bother? If his parents can¡¯t educate him, they can¡¯t blame it on me for teaching their child some manners. Of course¡­ I¡¯m going to teach this brat how to behave as a decent human being!¡± Guan Yue completed his sentence and flew up to the stage. None of them were able to react in time and by the time Meng Luoqing moved, Guan Yue was already standing on the stage. Guan Yue still behaved elegantly and courteously. He didn¡¯t start with a sneak attack nor did he start cursing. He greeted his opponent respectfully. ¡°I pay my respects to my opponent.¡± When that young man saw Guan Yue accepting his challenge, he laughed heartily. ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHA!! The cowardly tortoise is finally willing to come out of his shell! Since you are here, don¡¯t even think about walking out of this place alive!¡± Before the words left his mouth, the young man had already started his attack. ¡®Plop¡¯. Guan Yue didn¡¯t seem to move at all and if anything, he shifted a step to the left. The merchant¡¯s son who issued the challenge fell onto the ground behind him. Everyone saw Guan Yue straighten his body as he turned to speak to the young man. ¡°There is a saying, ¡®There can never be too much deception in war¡¯. I won¡¯t blame you for attacking me suddenly. Consider this a gift. It won¡¯t be so easy from now on and I shall allow you to stand up before making my first move. Some people here might say that I am taking advantage of you if I make a move now.¡± Chapter 192: Living Up to Expectations That young man was extremely infuriated by Guan Yue¡¯s words. As soon as he got up, he launched another attack. Even though his killing move was in front of Guan Yue¡¯s face, Guan Yue didn¡¯t move. He simply looked at the sword qi filled with murderous intent without batting an eyelid. Cold sweat filled everyone¡¯s forehead but they realized that the once stationary Guan Yue had disappeared. In the next moment, he appeared in mid air and kicked the young man ruthlessly in the back. It wasn¡¯t surprising when the young man fell to the ground again. ¡°This shall be considered my first move. In ten moves, I will make you admit defeat.¡± Guan Yue didn¡¯t return the insults. Instead, he stated his decision calmly. It was as though defeating the young man was as easy as drinking a cup of tea. When he heard how Guan Yue was looking down on him, the young man attacked again. Guan Yue used the same move nine more times in succession. The young man finally fell to the ground, vomiting blood. ¡°You have lost. This is already the tenth move and if you continue fighting, your life will be at risk.¡± Guan Yue spoke and flew back to his seat. Guan Yue already had the extraordinary bearing of an aristocratic descendant. Now that he won the match, the majority of the audience sang praises of him. ¡°Look at him, what an elegant young master. His behavior is graceful and elegant. After being insulted, he can still restrain himself after defeating his enemy¡­¡± ¡°I agree! In my opinion, the merchant¡¯s son is a disgrace! Compare the both of them¡­ Tsk tsk tsk. I can¡¯t stand the sight of the merchant¡¯s son anymore.¡± ¡°Why is there a need to rank the four occupations? That young master might be a descendant of a declined clan, but his clan¡¯s culture isn¡¯t something that can be compared with the merchants smell of smelly copper.¡± Hearing the criticisms from the crowd, the merchant¡¯s son was enraged. It was too bad he was too weak to open his mouth. He could only scream in his heart: No! It shouldn¡¯t be like this! I should be the one they are praising! All of you have to rely on my father¡¯s business to make a living. What gives you the right to criticize me?! The young man became even more unstable and his rage clouded his judgement. Because of the heavy injury, he vomited another mouthful of blood. He didn¡¯t understand that his father was the one who owned the business, not him. His father might be able to help him out for now, but what was he going to do when his father passed away? Even after getting showered with praises from the crowd, Guan Yue didn¡¯t grow smug or conceited. A composed and indifferent expression remained on his face. ¡°Not bad, you got some skills. You should have said something earlier and not make all of us worry for you. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± After Guan Yue returned, Ying Lan made fun of him. Ying Lan punched Guan Yue¡¯s chest in response, ¡°Are you showing off after trashing that joke of a kid? Look at yourself. You¡¯re handsome, but you put on the face of a dead fish all the time. Are you trying to intimidate everyone you see? Can¡¯t you smile more?¡± ¡°In my opinion, it is better for him not to smile.¡± Meng Luoping followed up with a comment. The members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence all looked at Meng Luoping with a confused expression as they didn¡¯t know the reason behind his comment. ¡°Think about it, we have been working together for such a long time¡­ think about the time you last saw him smile. That¡¯s right. Look at how he smiled earlier. After smiling, he sent his opponent to the entrance of hell. Just a step further and his opponent would be having a meeting with the king of the netherworld. It¡¯s better for all of us if he doesn''t smile. It won¡¯t be worth it if he kills you after smiling at you.¡± As soon as Meng Luoping explained himself, the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence erupted with laughter. On the other side, Pei Qingfeng was rather surprised that Guan Yue was such a strong cultivator. He turned to Bai Luochu and asked, ¡°According to the rules, this foolishly conceited young man is going to be expelled by the Phoenix King Valley. The other young master will be able to enter the Phoenix King Valley¡­ Haha, that brat is going to learn a good lesson this time. He should stop acting so arrogantly in case he loses his life. To be honest, I feel that it will be a waste for that white-clothed young master to join the Phoenix King Valley.¡± Bai Luochu stared at Guan Yue as she was unaware of his prowess. He had actually concealed his skills from Ying Lan and herself. However, she couldn¡¯t find fault with him as it was reasonable for one to save a trump card in times of need. Now that he was willing to reveal himself, it meant that he trusted the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. It was a good thing. Pei Qingfeng saw Bai Luochu¡¯s blank expression and he waved his hand to catch her attention. ¡°What are you staring blankly at? You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± ¡°What did you ask me?¡± Bai Luochu finally came back to her senses. Pei Qingfeng wanted to roll his eyes at Bai Luochu but was afraid that he might anger this lass again. He maintained his composure and repeated himself, ¡°Do you think that the Phoenix King Valley will forsake the merchant¡¯s son and replace him with the white-clothed young man?¡± ¡°The Phoenix King Valley will feel that they are suffering a loss if they don¡¯t take advantage of the situation. They are definitely going to recruit Guan¡­ that white-clothed man as a disciple. They won¡¯t forsake the merchant¡¯s son either. In my opinion, they will let the merchant¡¯s son withdraw from their faction for now and after this commotion is over, they will send someone to pick him up.¡± Bai Luochu spoke realistically. ¡°That is what I had in mind. Do you think the prideful white-clothed young man will act according to the script written by the Phoenix King Valley?¡± Bai Luochu smiled as she felt that Pei Qingfeng was treating her as a prophet. She replied ambiguously, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ If he admires the Phoenix King Valley, who will be able to stop him?¡± 1. Chapter 193: Difficulty Stepping Down The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s members and Bai Luochu might have let out a breath of relief, but the Phoenix King Valley wasn¡¯t having such a good time. Guan Yue might have performed outstandingly, but the young man lying on the ground was the son of a great merchant. If they were to expel the young man, things might... The Phoenix King Valley might be a reasonable faction, but they weren¡¯t able to withstand the merchant¡¯s riches and wealth. If the affluent great merchant who was in control of half of Cloud Water Nation¡¯s economy was to cut off all supplies of cultivation resources to the Phoenix King Valley because of this incident, the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s gains would never make up for their losses. In the end, the elder decided to push the blame onto the femenine man who persuaded him. Pulling him aside, the elder whispered into his ear, ¡°You persuaded me to agree with him issuing the challenge. Not only did we violate the rules set by the ancestors, we have also caused dissatisfaction in the crowd. Look at this! There is no way we can salvage the situation. Why don¡¯t you suggest something now? If you can¡¯t think of an idea, you can prepare to be punished when we return to the valley.¡± The elder glared at the femenine man with a profound look in his eyes. The femenine man was complaining without end. He originally thought that since the merchant¡¯s son wanted to issue the challenge, he was confident in his abilities. If it went according to his plan, he would be able to claim credit for allowing the new disciples to issue the challenge. Who knew that the kid wasn¡¯t just an arrogant person, he was just an embroidered pillowcase filled with grass. All his spirit qi probably came from endless amounts of spirit medicine purchased by his father. He probably didn¡¯t possess any combat experience. Those who would spar with him were probably the underlings who were fearful of his father¡¯s influence and wealth. They wouldn¡¯t dare to harm him and it was also the reason why the kid became so arrogant and egoistic. He was a classic example of someone who had strong spirit qi but weak strength. Putting aside the fact that the merchant¡¯s son was beaten up, even the feminine man had been implicated. He even had to think of an idea to mediate the situation. Otherwise, he would be punished after returning to the valley. The punishment was inconsequential. It was a problem if the Phoenix King Valley lost an avenue of gaining cultivation resources. Even if he died 10000 times over, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to atone for his sins. He reckoned that the Valley Master and the elder didn¡¯t even have to make a move as the other disciples in the valley would be enough to deal with him. ¡°It¡¯s obvious who is the better cultivator. Just a simple contest is able to separate the strong from the weak.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right... From the looks of it, the Phoenix King Valley slapped themselves in the face today. The losing party is from the Phoenix King Valley and he is in such a sorry state right now. It seems like the standard of this disciple selection is rather poor.¡± A disciple from an opposing faction spoke up. These people would deride the Phoenix King Valley whenever they found a chance. Now that the Phoenix King Valley was making a fool of themselves, they wouldn¡¯t miss their chance. ¡°Take a look at the young man. He¡¯s lying there like a dead fish. His cultivation probably came from all the spirit medicine he consumed. Tsk tsk tsk, all the wealth poured into him turned to waste. Wasn¡¯t he beaten up so badly that he couldn¡¯t even fight back? This continent was a place where the strong preyed on the weak. Those who weren¡¯t capable enough could only blame themselves when they were beaten to death. The crowd became rowdier and the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s expression became increasingly grave. When he turned around to look at the feminine man, the latter¡¯s body immediately stiffened. He understood that if he couldn¡¯t think of a plan, the elder was going to punish him. The feminine man stared blankly at the merchant¡¯s son while his mind spun rapidly to think of a solution. All of a sudden, he felt as though a great idea struck him as he came up with a plan. Leaning towards the ear of the elder, the feminine man spoke of his plan. ¡°Elder, I thought of something. Now that the new disciple is unconscious and cannot hear a thing, let us invite that white-clothed young master into the Phoenix King Valley. If he doesn¡¯t agree, we will allow the merchant¡¯s son to remain in the valley.¡± The elder snorted after hearing the idea, ¡°Hmph, who doesn¡¯t wish to join our Phoenix King Valley? You¡¯re messing with this old man.¡± ¡°Aiyo, Elder, this disciple doesn¡¯t dare to do such a thing. My reputation will go down the drain as well¡­ Listen to my explanation.¡± ¡°If the white-clothed young master agrees, we will take him in. As for that young man... now that he is severely injured, our Phoenix King Valley will use the excuse of providing treatment to bring him back to the Phoenix King Valley with us. After the ruckus ends, one one will care about the merchant¡¯s son.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be getting the best of both worlds! In the end, our Phoenix King Valley will gain another talent. Most of our cultivation resources come from that young man¡¯s father. Now that his son is in the Phoenix King Valley, why will we be afraid of the lack of resources?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll arrange for the white-clothed young man to be an outer valley disciple and he can fend for himself. We won¡¯t even need to waste cultivation resources on him. We will then arrange for the merchant¡¯s son to enter the inner valley. Since no one will be able to look at the situation inside the valley, there will be no problem!¡± The feminine man spoke a lot at one go and it seemed like he had thought it through. The Phoenix King Valley Elder nodded and agreed. ¡°You¡¯re a smart man. You¡¯re lucky for coming up with this method, otherwise, you¡¯ll be facing serious punishment when we get back. Let me deal with the crowd now.¡± That Phoenix King Valley Elder immediately stood up and spoke to everyone, ¡°Everyone, my Phoenix King Valley will accept the result. Since our new disciple was defeated, the white-clothed young man will be accepted into our Phoenix King Valley.¡± Chapter 194: Already Have a Faction ¡°Keep quiet! You are the cause of all this trouble! I even violated the ancestors¡¯ rules because of you! I persuaded you earlier but you didn¡¯t take a step back. Why are you refusing to admit defeat now? If you agree to bet, you must accept the loss. You should¡¯ve anticipated that something like this would happen if you lost. There is nothing else for you to say.¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder was afraid that the merchant¡¯s son would use cultivation resources to threaten them and his tongue would slip. If that were to happen, the Phoenix King Valley wouldn''t be able to take a step back. This young man had already created dissatisfaction in the audience and he must not be allowed to create another disturbance. The young man seemed as though he wanted to say something else but he swallowed his words. His serious injury, coupled with the elder¡¯s formless pressure caused him to be unable to speak. He fainted due to the pressure the Phoenix King Valley Elder was emitting. When the Phoenix King Valley Elder saw the young man fainting, he let out a breath of relief. As soon as he turned to look at Guan Yue, the expression on his face had changed. According to the elder, the white-clothed young man was more suitable as a disciple. It wasn¡¯t only because of his strength, but his demeanor was much more fitting for the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s image. If he wasn¡¯t the elder of the Phoenix King Valley who had to put the interest of the sect before himself, he would definitely accept the white-clothed young man as a disciple into the inner valley. Just his strength and attitude was enough for the Valley Master to accept him as a disciple. However, he was a descendant of a declined aristocratic clan and wouldn¡¯t be able to help the Phoenix King Valley develop. There was no choice but to throw him into the outer valley. In the case where he achieved outstanding results as an outer valley disciple, it wasn¡¯t impossible for the elder to personally recommend the white-clothed young man into the inner valley. This was the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s brilliant plan. However, he didn¡¯t know that Guan Yue didn¡¯t hold the Phoenix King Valley in high regard at all. ¡°What is that Phoenix King Valley Elder doing? He has been dilly dallying for quite some time now.¡± Ying Lan noticed that the elder was standing still like a pillar and felt very strange. ¡°He is in a difficult situation.¡± Guan Yue didn¡¯t feel surprised and replied. It was as if he wasn¡¯t the person who caused this entire mess. ¡°Mm? What do you mean?¡± Ying Lan couldn¡¯t understand. Ying Lan fell silent. He wasn¡¯t sure if Guan Yue was willing to stay in the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence if the Phoenix King Valley Elder offered him a spot. After all, everyone knew how high Guan Yue¡¯s aspirations were. ¡°Young master, this old man will now officially represent the Phoenix King Valley to invite you as a new disciple of my Phoenix King Valley. After you enter the valley, I hope you can continue to cultivate diligently and contribute to this continent in the near future.¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder spoke respectfully to Guan Yue. According to the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s plan, Guan Yue should be shedding tears of gratitude after his invitation. However, what in the world was going on? Guan Yue was looking at him with an expression of disbelief. Could it be that he had turned silly from joy? The elder¡¯s eyes seemed to be failing him. Guan Yue was staring blankly because he didn¡¯t wish to waste his energy to deal with the elder. He was looking at the elder as though he was a fool. Guan Yue couldn¡¯t believe how self-centered the elder was. Did he think that everyone wanted to join the Phoenix King Valley? The elder had totally forgotten the fact that Guan Yue had participated in the selections and was enraged because he failed. The Phoenix King Valley Elder assumed that Guan Yue was overjoyed and immediately ordered him around. ¡°Young friend, please join the group of disciples. When the time comes, we will be departing together.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve expressed my agreement to join the Phoenix King Valley. I wasn¡¯t the one who issued the challenge. Your disciple was the one who insulted my parents and I had to defend their honor. I do not intend to join the Phoenix King Valley. I hope Elder can withdraw your decision.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s heart that was about to leap out of her throat relaxed. After all, Guan Yue was a prideful person and if he chose to join the Phoenix King Valley, she couldn¡¯t say anything to stop him. The elder¡¯s face changed a little and he immediately asked, ¡°Young friend, what is the meaning of this? If you are resentful because our Phoenix King Valley didn¡¯t choose you during the selections, it is indeed our fault. We have misjudged a pearl as a fisheye. If you have anything you aren¡¯t satisfied with, why don¡¯t you enter the valley and discuss it with us?¡± Guan Yue felt that this old man was very annoying. Was the elder retarded or did he not explain it thoroughly? Since the elder was forcing him to explain himself, he couldn¡¯t let him down. Guan Yue didn¡¯t say anything else. In his eyes, the Phoenix King Valley Elder was mentally handicapped and it would be useless to explain anything to him. After Guan Yue heard what the elder said, he shifted his body and stood behind Ying Lan to express that he was a member of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. ¡°Young friend, you... you are already a disciple of another sect?¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder was stuck in an awkward situation. He didn¡¯t expect for this young man to already belong to a sect. ¡°It cannot be considered a sect... We are people who failed the Phoenix King Valley disciple selection and have established a small faction to support one another.¡± Meng Luoping knew that Guan Yue didn¡¯t wish to say anything else. If they wanted to make the Phoenix King Valley look bad, someone else who failed the selection should speak up. Chapter 195: Palace of Brilliance Resurgence’s First Public Appearance There were only slightly more than ten individuals from the faction that the white-clothed young master was in. It wouldn¡¯t be too much to say that this group of people were outstanding like dragons and phoenixes. Apart from the white-clothed young master that fought on stage, there was also a silver-haired man in the group. He had a unique bearing and looked as though he was an immortal of frost who walked out from the land of the extreme north. There was also a black-clothed man who stood together with the white-clothed young master. With the silver-haired man in the mix, they formed a sharp contrast. Looking at the black-clothed man, he was positioned at the front and center of the group. He had a steady aura and looked to be the leader of their faction. ¡°Oh? It looks like the white-clothed young master¡¯s faction has plenty of hidden talents. No wonder he doesn¡¯t fancy the Phoenix King Valley.¡± The Fifth Prince piped up. He was speaking without thinking and it was fine if he was to drag himself into the water... Too bad his casual statement dragged both parties towards the edge of a war. When Pei Wuchen saw how they were insulting his sect, he couldn¡¯t sit by the side and do nothing. He immediately said something so that the Phoenix King Valley could have a way to step down. ¡°Everyone has their own aspirations. As long as the faction helps others, it is a good faction. There is no such thing as noble or lowly, strong or weak. It doesn¡¯t matter if the faction is big or small. As long as they are righteous and will eradicate the evil from this world, they are a good faction. The Phoenix King Valley has a strong and deep foundation with a thousand year heritage. Right now, even a small faction can possess so many talented individuals. It proves that the new generation is getting increasingly capable and it is a blessing for the world.¡± One had to admit that Pei Wuchen¡¯s speech was truly brilliant. He managed to subtly praise the Phoenix King Valley and the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence at the same time. The Third Prince was truly smooth and slick as his speech didn¡¯t offend either side. Pei Rumo held Pei Pei Wuchen in contempt. This Third Brother of his spoke empty words all the time and seemed to be extremely involved in the state of the world. But his political achievements were in a mess and Pei Rumo would be the one to clean up behind him. The two of them weren¡¯t birthed by the same mother, but they were of similar age and were strong candidates for the throne. There was no way they could avoid clashing with each other. ¡°Seeing how elegant and righteous that white-clothed young master is, there is no way his faction will be weak. There seems to be no weaknesses as well. We cannot underestimate them.¡± Pei Rumo spoke highly of the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. However, he was thinking of looking for the commander for a chat. He wanted to recruit all the members into his faction and even if he failed to do so¡­ it would be a good choice for him to build a good relationship with such a strong faction. ¡°This Prince¡¯s brothers have given enough praise. Look at how all of them are so refined and cultured¡­ It isn¡¯t a stretch to think that the other members of their faction behave the same way.¡± Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t be bothered to speak most of the time, let alone shower praises. Right now, he gave the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence a firm approval in public. Furthermore, not every faction would be able to obtain the Second Prince¡¯s approval. Bai Luochu heard Pei Qingfeng and nodded with gratitude. She might have been blind in her past life, but her vision was clear in this. The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence had only been established but already gained approval from many heavyweights. These ¡®seniors¡¯ that started the faction made contributions that must not be unnoticed. Of course, Bai Luochu was elated because Guan Yue actually rejected the invitation from the Phoenix King Valley and chose to stay with the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Ying Lan allowed the princes to complete their praises before turning his gaze to Bai Luochu. He noticed that his mistress was nodded with a gratified expression and he felt that it was time. He offered his thanks to the princes, ¡°All the princes have overpraised us. The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is just a newly established faction, how can we compare ourselves with one of the Three Great Immortal Sects? We are indebted to everyone¡¯s praises and I shall represent my Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to thank everyone.¡± Ying Lan finished his speech and bowed respectfully as he had to show some respect to the imperial clan. Ying Lan might have said that they couldn¡¯t be compared to the Phoenix King Valley, but in fact, he meant that it was a disgrace to be compared to them. The Phoenix King Valley was just a despicable faction. How could they be compared to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence? It was a faction his mistress poured her life work into... Pei Wuchen helped the Phoenix King Valley find a path of retreat, but everyone present, including the princes of the Cloud Water Nation, were praising the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. The Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s face was contorted and he didn¡¯t look too good. When Ying Lan noticed the expression on the elder¡¯s face, he wondered if he should take this chance to strike at the Phoenix King Valley. ¡°I wish for Elder¡¯s forgiveness. My members are young and frivolous. They are ignorant because of their inexperience. He responded to the challenge because your member insulted his parents. No matter what, he is already a member of my Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and he won¡¯t be joining the Phoenix King Valley. If he joins the Phoenix King Valley, it can be considered an unlawful plundering of skills. It is a huge taboo in the cultivation world. If this violates the rules set by your Phoenix King Valley, I apologize in the name of the Palace Master of my Palace of Brilliance Resurgence.¡± Ying Lan bowed and expressed his apologies. Chapter 196: Leaving The Phoenix King Valley Elder could no longer allow things to continue and he had no choice but to speak out. After all, the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence didn¡¯t hit them while they were down. He wouldn¡¯t embarrass himself by speaking first. He could even show off the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s magnanimous demeanor as one of the Three Great Immortal Sects. ¡°¡®Those that do not know are innocent¡¯. It seems like we are the ones who broke the rules in the first place. We issued a challenge without making things clear. Since this young master is already the disciple of another sect, we shall not force him to join our sect. We¡¯ll let the matter rest.¡± ¡°Since that is the case, Ying Lan shall thank Elder for being so magnanimous. It is no wonder you are an elder of the Phoenix King Valley.¡± Ying Lan might be a secret guard, but he was the one who handled such problems in the past. He was rather proficient when it came to interacting with other sects. The Phoenix King Valley Elder chuckled softly and didn¡¯t say anything else. Even though there was a smile on his face, he was already thinking of settling the score with the feminine man. After this interlude was over, the dying atmosphere heated up once again. It was because of the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s invitation to Guan Yue after the challenge. They actually kept their promise this time¡­ Even though Guan Yue didn¡¯t enter the Phoenix King Valley, everyone fired up after his fight. Many individuals who failed the selections challenged the new disciples and the fight lasted all the way into the evening. Bai Luochu found it rather dull as none of her subordinates were the challengers. It was boring for her to look at all these clowns fighting the new disciples. Just because Guan Yue managed to defeat his opponent didn¡¯t mean that they were strong enough to do so. With their pitiful strength, it would be a surprise if they manage to win. As for the new disciples¡­ They were striving for victory after looking at how the merchant¡¯s son got kicked out after he lost the battle. They were afraid that a careless mistake would cost them their spot in the Phoenix King Valley. It would be the same as falling back to earth after an arduous climb to heaven. Throughout the entire afternoon, not a single challenge managed to defeat the new disciples. The Phoenix King Valley Elder felt gratified that he didn¡¯t accept a bunch of weaklings and his expression slowly brightened up. ¡°Your Second Highness, all of these people are doing the same thing over and over again... I¡¯m not interested in looking at the battles and I shall take my leave.¡± ¡°Since you aren¡¯t interested in the battles, you should go back and rest well. The imperial clan and the Phoenix King Valley don''t see eye to eye currently. It won¡¯t look good on the imperial clan if I leave now. I will get a guard to send you back.¡± Pei Qingfeng replied. Bai Luochu refused Pei Qingfeng¡¯s kind intentions, ¡°There is no need to send me back. Nothing will happen in the busy streets. Even though there are many crooks in the capital city, there are plenty of guards patrolling the area. They won¡¯t be able to make a move on me.¡± Pei Qingfeng knew that once Bai Luochu made up her mind, no one would be able to change it. He simply nodded and said, ¡°Since that is the case, I shall not force you. Be careful on the way back.¡± Bai Luochu smiled and nodded in response. She turned and prepared to leave the practice grounds. Lu Wenshu had been observing Bai Luochu throughout the whole duration of the disciple exhibition. When he saw her leaving be herself, he couldn¡¯t allow a chance like this to slip away. He immediately stepped forward and exchanged conventional greetings with Bai Luochu, ¡°Is Divine Physician Bai bored of the battles? Are you going to leave right now? This might be the imperial city of the Cloud Water Nation, but it is still inconvenient for you to return alone. I have yet to apologize for the incident at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Rather than fixing a date, why not do it today? Let me treat you to a dinner at the Drunk Immortal Inn. I will personally send you back to the general¡¯s residence after the meal.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s brows were locked tightly together. Even so, Lu Wenshu maintained his cultured and refined expression as though he didn¡¯t see the fed-up expression on Bai Luochu¡¯s face. Bai Luochu had no choice but to turn him down, ¡°I have already mentioned to sire that I am not the one you injured. There is no need to apologize to me. I am different from other women and I won¡¯t be easily frightened. It is better for sire to save the silver for yourself. I dislike eating out and it isn¡¯t necessary for you to treat me to dinner. I have survived alone in this capital city and will be able to return to the general¡¯s residence even with my eyes closed. I am grateful for sire¡¯s kind intentions and shall take my leave.¡± Bai Luochu got ready to leave without giving Lu Wenshu a chance to follow up. Pei Qingfeng was guarding the general¡¯s residence like an iron barrel during the past few days and Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t even able to approach it. Now that he found a chance, he wasn¡¯t going to give up so easily. Lu Wenshu immediately reached out his hand to obstruct Bai Luochu¡¯s path. ¡°If Divine Physician Bai thinks that rumors will fly because of a dinner with me, you may also invite His First Highness. After all, he is your benefactor. With him around, you won¡¯t feel uncomfortable, right?¡± Lu Wenshu thought that his plan was flawless. He wanted to see what other excuse Bai Luochu would come up with. Chapter 197: Agreeing Bai Luochu really didn¡¯t know what to do. Lu Wenshu found a perfect reason and made her unable to refuse. She couldn¡¯t possibly admit that she was Bai Luochu and say: Lu Wenshu, you are the culprit who caused my death! I can¡¯t wait to tear you apart with my two hands! Get lost you annoying fly! Right now, she could only place her hopes on Pei Rumo to refuse Lu Wenshu¡¯s invitation. She would use him as an excuse to retreat. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t think that a single statement from Pei Rumo would sever her hope. ¡°Divine Physician Bai, why are you behaving this way? Lu Wenshu just wants to apologize to you and you are coming up with all sorts of excuses to reject him. Can¡¯t you just go for dinner with him? It¡¯s an excuse to clear up all the misunderstandings between the two of you. You can even drink and chat happily in the inn! Since you feel so insecure, I shall accompany the both of you in case you act like a frightened rabbit.¡± Bai Luochu had no choice but to agree. Pei Rumo had already spoken and she couldn¡¯t overrule his choice. Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t able to sit still when he heard that Lu Wenshu wanted to invite Bai Luochu for a meal. After living in the general¡¯s residence for such a long time, he was able to notice Bai Luochu¡¯s stance towards Lu Wenshu. Not to mention the fact that one of his secret guards was stalking the man. Pei Qingfeng was clear about Lu Wenshu¡¯s actions. Pei Qingfeng might not know about Bai Luochu¡¯s feelings for Lu Wenshu, but based on the fact that she agreed to meet him raised some alarm bells in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s head. Lu Wenshu was some serious bad news in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mind. Originally, Pei Qingfeng thought about joining the dinner as well. He never thought that Pei Rumo would come up with such an amazing reason for him to attend. Pei Qingfeng immediately spoke up, ¡°In consideration for the relationship between the imperial clan and the Phoenix King Valley, I was going to stay here even though the battles are boring. However, First Brother is really brilliant. Without saying a word, you found an excuse to leave early for dinner. Doesn''t this make you look bad? After all, I was the one who suffered an injury in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. I was unable to move around for quite some time and now that my injuries are fully healed, there is nothing to be apprehensive about. Why don¡¯t I go along with you? I won¡¯t be letting Young Master Lu down.¡± Lu Wenshu¡¯s smile froze. It seemed as though the Second Prince was really interested in Bai Luochu. Since he had already brought up the apology as a reason, he couldn¡¯t refuse Pei Qingfeng¡¯s presence. ¡°If Your Second Highness is willing to come, I will be honored. Why don¡¯t we go together?¡± Lu Wenshu might seem indifferent, but he was actually cursing at Pei Qingfeng in his heart. Even after cursing for a long time, his anger remained in his belly. Pei Rumo almost burst out in laughter. If this was really the case, it seemed as though an interesting show was about to play out. His two brothers were fighting over the same woman. Coincidentally, she was the Third Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e. It was a show where two dragons were fighting over a phoenix. He never imagined that this would happen when he rescued Bai Luochu from the Bestial Battle Arena. He merely wanted to create some hindrance for his Third Brother. He didn¡¯t want Pei Wuchen to successfully obtain the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s assistance. Looking at the current situation, he would be able to pull his second brother into his camp as well. If such an incident happened in the imperial clan, his Emperor Father was surely going to blow his top. When the sandpiper was hunting for clams, the fisherman would be able to catch both of them. In the end, he would be the best candidate for the throne. Tsk tsk tsk, Luo Chu looked like a fragile and weak woman but she brought him a ton of pleasant surprises. He didn¡¯t know if the Cloud Water Nation would be able to retain its peaceful atmosphere. If her appearance swept up a storm in the capital city, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if his decision to save her was a good one. ¡°My elder brothers are thinking of themselves. How can you abandon your younger brothers here when you go for dinner at the capital¡¯s number 1 restaurant?¡± The one who spoke was the brainless Fifth Prince who wanted to be involved in everything. ¡°Why don¡¯t I speak with the Elder about this? We can invite everyone to the Drunk Immortal Inn for dinner. It can also prevent criticisms towards our imperial clan.¡± After Pei Wuchen knew that Luo Chu was Divine Physician Bai, his attitude towards her changed drastically. He wanted to approach her during dinner. When he saw that his fianc¨¦e was going to have a meal with other men, he felt that there were knots in his heart and couldn¡¯t feel at ease. The rest of the princes agreed promptly. Lu Wenshu thought that since he was the one who suggested dinner, he should be the one to speak to the elder. If Pei Wuchen went, he might be blamed for siding with the imperial clan. Chapter 198: Misery Loves Company Pei Wuchen obviously knew what Lu Wenshu was implying. Because of him, the Phoenix King Valley was preparing to bring up a marriage alliance with the imperial clan. After he led the imperial descendants to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range to capture the Green Flame Eagle, plenty of conflicts broke out. In the end, the Phoenix King Valley obtained one of the eggs while his First Brother represented the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial clan to obtain another egg. If that was the case, it would be fine. After all, the Phoenix King Valley wouldn¡¯t have returned empty-handed. It just so happened that his Emperor Father learned of the rumors behind Feng Wan¡¯er actions. He also learned that Luo Chu was Divine Physician Bai. During the farewell feast, the old emperor rejected the marriage proposed by the Phoenix King Valley and it was equivalent to him slapping the Phoenix King Valley in the face. After connecting all the dots, some people who were too smart for their own good would overthink the situation. They might think that the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial clan had used the Phoenix King Valley from the very beginning. They then got rid of the Phoenix King Valley after obtaining some benefits. It was the reason behind the tense relationship between the Phoenix King Valley and the imperial clan. They were wary of each other and treated the other party with extreme caution. If Pei Wuchen went over to the elder by himself, the elder was definitely going to be unhappy. When all was said and done, Pei Wuchen had grown up in the Phoenix King Valley, but now, he was starting to side with the imperial clan. The elder might even feel disappointed and the relationship between the two parties might deteriorate. ¡°Wuchen doesn¡¯t dare to reject Young Master Lu¡¯s kind intentions. I will have to trouble Young Master Lu to go along with me.¡± Pei Wuchen already thought of the consequences. As such, he accepted Lu Wenshu¡¯s assistance. Before Pei Wuchen could speak to the elder, he was interrupted by Lu Wenshu. Lu Wenshu looked at Pei Wuchen and shook his head gently as an indication for Pei Wuchen not to speak first. Lu Wenshu turned around to speak with the Phoenix King Valley Elder. ¡°Elder, Wenshu has a request and I wonder if Elder can agree to it.¡± Lu Wenshu bowed respectfully. When the elder saw that Lu Wenshu was here, a brilliant smile appeared on his face. ¡°Wenshu, it¡¯s you¡­ What¡¯s the matter? You may speak your mind. If I can make the decision, I will definitely agree to your request.¡± Even the Phoenix King Valley Elder wanted to build a good relationship with Lu Wenshu. Lu Wenshu might be a junior, but there was a saying, ¡®the younger generation will surpass the old in time¡¯. This saying was most fitting for a person like Lu Wenshu. When Lu Wenshu saw how polite the Phoenix King Valley Elder was, he took the opportunity to speak of his plan. Since Lu Wenshu already made up such a good excuse, the elder would look bad if he didn¡¯t agree. He quickly gave them his permission but kept Pei Wuchen behind. He said that he needed to speak with Pei Wuchen before allowing him to attend the dinner. ¡°Wuchen, if you can use this opportunity to make friends with Lu Wenshu, you better remember the Phoenix King Valley. Even if you can¡¯t get into his good books, try to pull him closer to you. Your Emperor Father might have rejected the alliance marriage between the Phoenix King Valley and the Cloud Water Nation, but the relationship between us still exists. Never forget that.¡± It was clear that the elder was threatening Pei Wuchen. Pei Wuchen knew what the Phoenix King Valley Elder meant and immediately responded, ¡°Wuchen understands. A day as a teacher, a life as a father... That is the Valley Master¡¯s place in Wuchen¡¯s heart. The Phoenix King Valley can be considered Wuchen¡¯s second home and I won¡¯t allow you to suffer a loss. Wuchen will keep Elder¡¯s teaching in mind. My brothers are waiting for me and Wuchen shall make a move first.¡± Pei Wuchen cupped his fist and bowed as he left the practice grounds. The tense situation between the Phoenix King Valley and the Cloud Water Nation was putting Pei Wuchen in a difficult spot. Right now, Pei Wuchen was like a mouse inside the bellows as he suffered from winds from both sides. Originally, he thought that the Phoenix King Valley was going to bring him plenty of benefits. He never expected that the old emperor would be the rock in his path. Moreover, after receiving a lecture from the elder, he didn¡¯t feel too good. Pei Wuchen bumped into Lu Wenshu along the way. Just as Pei Wuchen was feeling doubtful, Lu Wenshu spoke out, ¡°Since we came together, we should return together. What if they think I sold you away?¡± Pei Wuchen heard Lu Wenshu¡¯s words and understood that Lu Wenshu probably thought of something after noticing his unpleasant expression. Lu Wenshu was trying to make him feel better. Pei Wuchen immediately thanked Lu Wenshu, ¡°Many thanks to Young Master Lu. If you didn¡¯t come along with me, things might have gone south.¡± Lu Wenshu mocked himself, ¡°There is no need to thank me. No one can understand your current feelings more than me. How can one deal with their sect and their feelings at the same time? It is impossible to satisfy both sides.¡± Pei Wuchen fell silent after hearing what Lu Wenshu said. He did hear of the matters between Lu Wenshu and the evil dao witch. They said that Lu Wenshu had received orders from his sect to get close to the evil dao witch, but never expected to fall in love during his mission. Not only did he disobey his sect, he also defended the evil dao inheritance. He even protected them from the orthodox sects. He even secluded himself after the entire affair. Chapter 199: Dinner Crisis ¡°Let¡¯s go, we shouldn¡¯t keep them waiting.¡± Lu Wenshu regained his refined and dull appearance as he started walking forward. It was as if Pei Wuchen imagined the whole part where Lu Wenshu cheered him up. Just like that, the group of them advanced in a grandiose manner to the capital city¡¯s number 1 restaurant, the Drunk Immortal Inn. ¡°Today, I wanted to invite Divine Physician Bai for dinner. However, Divine Physician Bai wasn¡¯t willing and I had to invite all the other princes. Either way, everyone here is my guest. Order whatever you like.¡± Lu Wenshu passed them the menu. Bai Luochu remained seated and simply observed from the side. It was as if everything here wasn¡¯t related to her. The reason she came was to show her respect for Lu Wenshu¡¯s status. Everyone else was there for the same reason. None of them were familiar with Lu Wenshu. They insisted on tagging along after Pei Qingfeng shamelessly asked to be invited. The real reason they were all here was because of how bored they were. The atmosphere in the inn was rather awkward and it became the Fifth Prince¡¯s stage. He was a person who mixed around with the hedonistic descendants and gangs of scoundrels. They indulged in the many pleasures the capital city had to offer. Hyping the crowd up was his forte. ¡°Young Master Lu is too kind. We are outsiders tagging along for a free meal. Since you are paying for dinner, you should be the one to order.¡± Lu Wenshu no longer tried to argue and he called the waiter over. ¡°Golden Shrimp Ball, Red Braised Pork, Steamed Pork Ribs with Pickled Plums, Squirrel Mandarin Fish... a Scalded Greens with a jar of N¨¹¡¯er Hong.¡± As he called out the dishes, Bai Luochu¡¯s heart sank. Her face started to contort in agony. Those were the dishes she loved in her previous life. It seemed as though Lu Wenshu had seen through her identity. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t sure if she would be able to keep it a secret. ¡°Oh? Young Master Lu actually has the taste bud of a young lady.¡± When the Fifth Prince heard Lu Wenshu¡¯s order, he quickly spoke up to make fun of him. Lu Wenshu chuckled in response, ¡°Everyone must find it amusing. My old friend loved these dishes. She isn¡¯t around anymore and I can¡¯t change my habit of ordering them. This is why I asked for your opinion.¡± When Lu Wenshu spoke, he stared intently at Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu detected Lu Wenshu¡¯s gaze and she didn¡¯t raise her head. Pei Qingfeng, who had always been paying attention to Lu Wenshu, caught his actions. ¡°Haha, it seems like Young Master Lu isn¡¯t sincere enough. Aren¡¯t you inviting Luo Chu for a meal? Why are you ordering things suited to your old friend¡¯s taste? How can this be considered a treat?¡± Pei Qingfeng was very unhappy with Lu Wenshu¡¯s actions. His words were like barbed thorns and were meant to make things difficult for Lu Wenshu. ¡°Second Brother, Young Master Lu has already explained the reason behind his action. I know that you are on good terms with Divine Physician Bai but you shouldn¡¯t get angry. Your injuries have only just recovered, please take care of your body.¡± The one who spoke was the Sixth Prince who had always stood aloof from worldly affairs. Bai Luochu frowned slightly. She couldn¡¯t understand why this Pei Qingfeng was like a cat whose tail was stepped on by Lu Wenshu. ¡°I am angry because of the way he is treating Luo Chu. Has he thought about how she feels? What will others think if they eat together? They are not even married to each other. Now that there are so many of us here, he still called for dishes according to his old friend¡¯s taste. Are you trying to curse Luo Chu because of the matter over the Green Flame Eagle?¡± Pei Qingfeng was infuriated as he thought about how his brothers were opposing him. However, he seemed to have forgotten that he wasn¡¯t qualified to interfere with Bai Luochu¡¯s life. After all, the Third Prince was sitting at the same table. Lu Wenshu felt that Pei Qingfeng was rather strange. He ordered these dishes because he was certain that Luo Chu was Bai Luochu, and these were the dishes she liked. Why would Pei Qingfeng think that he was trying to curse Bai Luochu? It seemed like his guess was right. ¡°It is true that I failed to consider Divine Physician Bai¡¯s reputation. However, I invited all the princes along as well. It is better late than never. However, aren¡¯t you better at ruining Divine Physician Bai¡¯s reputation? You used your injury as a reason to overstay your welcome in the general¡¯s residence. What is your motive for doing so? Your Second Highness better not forget that Divine Physician Bai is His Third Highness¡¯s fianc¨¦e and also your future sister-in-law.¡± Seeing that the two of them were about to fight, Bai Luochu had no choice but to speak up, ¡°I am a physician. I am clear about my patient¡¯s injury. Moreover, there is no gender in the face of a physician. His Second Highness was injured because of me. His body has always been frail because of the obstructed meridians in his legs. Had it not been for His Second Highness, I would have died in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Taking care of him is my obligation.¡± Pei Qingfeng heard Bai Luochu¡¯s words and raised his head with pride. Immediately after that, Bai Luochu said something which killed his mood. ¡°Since the waiter is already bringing the food up, we shouldn¡¯t waste it. Otherwise, we will be showing disrespect to Young Master Lu. As for Your Second Highness, you should head back to your residence in order to prevent more gossip.¡± Chapter 200: News of the Younglings The atmosphere that the Fifth Prince had painstakingly livened fell below freezing point once again. Everyone at the table was thinking about different things and none of them could sit still. After the dishes on the table were cleared, they got ready to return to their residences. ¡°Divine Physician Bai, why don¡¯t I send you back?¡± Lu Wenshu realized that the dinner was ruined but he didn¡¯t want to give up the great opportunity. He stood up from his seat and quickly turned his attention over to Bai Luochu. When Bai Luochu saw Lu Wenshu approaching her, she silently took a step back and declined, ¡°I appreciate Young Master Lu¡¯s kind intentions, but the journey back to the general¡¯s residence isn¡¯t far. I can return by myself. There is no need for Young Master Lu to send me back.¡± Bai Luochu immediately turned and walked in the direction of the general residence after speaking. She didn¡¯t give Lu Wenshu any opportunity at all.towards the general¡¯s residence, denying Lu Wenshu his chance. ¡°Hehe, Young Master Lu acts like a moralist when criticizing this prince earlier. Now you¡¯re exploiting the opportunity to press your warm face against her cold bottom. Can¡¯t you see that Luo Chu doesn¡¯t care about you?¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s meaning was very clear. At least Luo Chu is willing to care for me. She doesn¡¯t even care about you¡­ What are you trying to do here? Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t say anything but his expression became stiff. It was true that the hatred she had towards him wasn¡¯t going to be neutralized with just a single meal. However, he had lots of time to change that. The thing he had above everyone else chasing her was his thorough understanding of her personality. When he thought about his advantage, Lu Wenshu transmitted a secret message to Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Does Your Second Highness really understand Divine Physician Bai?¡± A smile hiding a profound meaning appeared on his face and he bade farewell to all the princes. ¡°Everyone, it is getting late. Nobody Lu¡¯s courtyard is quite a distance from here and I shall take my leave. I apologize if the dishes are not to your taste today. Farewell.¡± After he spoke, Lu Wenshu left without turning his head. ¡°Second Brother, what is wrong with you today? Why are you so aggressive? Young Master Lu didn¡¯t do anything wrong, why did you have to find trouble with him? Everyone makes mistakes¡­ Why don¡¯t you look the other way?¡± The moment Lu Wenshu left, the Fifth Prince started to blab. Pei Qingfeng was still thinking of Lu Wenshu¡¯s words and he automatically blocked off the surrounding noise. ¡°What does he mean? Is Lu Wenshu related to Luo Chu?!¡± Before Pei Qingfeng could think it through, his carriage arrived. He boarded the carriage without another word and left the other princes behind. Pei Wuchen was thinking about Pei Qingfeng¡¯s actions too. Luo Chu¡¯s ability might be more terrifying than what he and his Emperor Father knew. From the looks of it, they couldn¡¯t ignore her existence any longer. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. Your Third Brother has his concerns as well. Why don¡¯t you return to your residence?¡± When Pei Rumo saw how Pei Wuchen was lost in thought, he knew that a seed was already germinating in his heart. He quickly sent the Fifth Prince away in order to get rid of the disturbance in the room. Eventually all the princes left and peace returned to the Drunk Immortal Inn. As soon as Bai Luochu stopped into her secluded courtyard, she sensed that she wasn¡¯t alone. She carefully opened the door and saw Ying Lan¡¯s face. A sigh of relief escaped from her lips. ¡°Why are you here? Why didn¡¯t you inform me in advance that you were coming?¡± Bai Luochu quickly poured herself a cup of tea to suppress the shock in her heart. Ying Lan acted as though his heart was in a million pieces. ¡°Sigh, I didn¡¯t expect that Mistress would forget my presence after my years of long service¡­¡± This was the first time Bai Luochu saw Ying Lan acting like this. She choked on her tea and most of it came out from her nose. After calming herself down, she addressed Ying Lan, ¡°Ying Lan, why are you acting like this? You weren¡¯t like this in the past. Furthermore, with the gap between our strengths, it is already praiseworthy for me to detect a presence in the room. How is it possible for me to detect that you are the one?¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t lying. Ying Lan was extremely serious in her previous life and one could never see a smile on his face. Why was he so different after her reincarnation? Ying Lan smiled and looked at Bai Luochu. Mistress might not have noticed yet. After her reincarnation, she might be young and serious, but she seems more human like now compared to her old self. Whatever, it is better for me to stay silent. It will be good if she learns of it herself... ¡°Mistress, I am here to report an important matter. Sorry for frightening you.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that Ying Lan was serious, she became aware of the situation. He had always been cautious¡­ Now that he came without notifying her, there had to be something serious about his report. ¡°Is there news about the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s eggs?¡± Bai Luochu placed her teacup on the table and shot a question towards Ying Lan. Ying Lan smiled and praised, ¡°Mistress knows best. Nothing can be hidden from your all-seeing mind. You are right. This subordinate did some scouting and managed to obtain some news. Mistress is the reason this subordinate was able to dig out the location of the egg.¡± Bai Luochu felt confused. ¡°Because of me? I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± ¡°Firstly, Mistress unveiled the Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s true colors in front of everyone¡¯ Secondly, Mistress spoke to the Emperor and he became apprehensive about the Third Prince¡¯s marriage. After his rejection of the alliance marriage, the relationship between the Phoenix King Valley and the imperial clan turned sour. The Phoenix King Valley left the relay station and moved into a courtyard in the outskirts. Without guards from the imperial clan, this subordinate was able to move around freely.¡± Chapter 201: Inside the Spirit Ring ¡°That is merely a coincidence. You spared no effort in tracking down the eggs¡­ Tell me, where did the Phoenix King Valley hide the egg? You were unable to locate it for so long...¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t claim the credit for herself. After all, Ying Lan was the reason behind the rise of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. ¡°Mistress, you will never think of it. The elder hid the egg in his personal spirit ring.¡± ¡°Spirit ring?¡± Bai Luochu was confused. A spirit ring was a common accessory in the cultivation world. Many cultivators would wear one in order to store their artifacts or items for the sake of convenience. When spiritual energy was supplied to the ring, a storage space could be opened up. The space could be large or small and depending on the ring, living creatures could be placed into it. The exact function would be dependent on the quality of the spirit ring. After dripping a drop of blood on the ring, the spirit ring would be bound to the owner, ensuring that no one other than the owner had access to the items inside. Of course, there were exceptions. When an individual¡¯s spiritual energy could wipe out the spiritual energy imprint on the ring placed by the owner, the items in the ring would be up for grabs. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s egg? Is there a need for such exaggeration? Why did he place it in his personal spirit ring?¡± Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t understand the importance the elder placed on the egg. The Green Flame Eagle was merely an upgraded means of transport to her. Ying Lan smiled helplessly in response and explained to Bai Luochu, ¡°My incredible Mistress, do you think everyone is like you? Do you think all of them are spirit beast magnets? Putting aside your insanely powerful spiritual energy, you have so many spirit beasts around you. They were like cabbages growing along the side of the road. After getting bored of a beast, you¡¯ll swap it out with another.¡± Bai Luochu suddenly thought of something and she quickly nodded. Ying Lan was right. Not everyone could form so many contracts with spirit beasts. It was no wonder the elder treated it with such importance. When Ying Lan saw that Bai Luochu had understood the importance of the Green Flame Eagle to the Phoenix King Valley, he continued, ¡°It is obvious how important this Green Flame Eagle youngling is to the Phoenix King Valley. Mistress, I am afraid that this operation will be extremely risky. Are you really going to make a move to retrieve the egg? Isn¡¯t two enough?¡± ¡°Ying Lan, this is my promise to the Green Flame Eagle. In my previous life, I saved its life. In this life, I can¡¯t disregard its children. I cannot allow its child to fall into the hands of those pretentious members of the Phoenix King Valley.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s expression suddenly turned solemn. Since his mistress had already decided, he should do his best to help her. Ying Lan started to spew out all the information he knew about the egg, ¡°Mistress, according to my investigation, this is a dangerous exercise. We need to make a watertight plan to ensure that nothing goes wrong. The two of us need to coordinate well with each other and if we have the slightest slip up, our plan might fail. If you have already made up your mind, this subordinate will give you all the information you need.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say a word and she simply raised her chin slightly. With a wave of her hand, she signalled for Ying Lan to speak. Ying Lan didn¡¯t hesitate, ¡°The Phoenix King Valley is now staying in a manor at the outskirts of the capital city. Even though there are no imperial soldiers, there are still core disciples guarding the place. The elder¡¯s residence is guarded even more heavily in the night. I was certain that the elder had the egg, but I was never able to confirm the exact location. I was only able to discover the exact location during the last day of the disciple selection.¡± Ying Lan seemed rather tired and poured himself a cup of tea to ease his thirst. ¡°The elder¡¯s courtyard wasn¡¯t defended by the disciples on the last day of the selection. I sneaked onto the roof in order to get a better look and I noticed that his spirit ring was one of a superior grade. Sending my divine sense into the spirit ring, I was struck by the backlash and almost exposed myself.¡± ¡°Were you injured?¡± When Bai Luochu heard Ying Lan¡¯s experience, she didn¡¯t continue speaking about the spirit ring. Instead, she cared for his well being. When he heard her question, Ying Lan felt warmth welling up in his heart. He immediately replied, ¡°I wasn¡¯t injured. It was a good thing I ran fast, the elder wasn¡¯t able to catch up to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. About the spirit ring¡­ You said that the elder wore it wherever he went. Was there a time when he took it off? It would be a difficult task to retrieve the egg otherwise.¡± When Bai Luochu noticed the difficulty of recovering the egg, her heart sank. ¡°There was¡­ However, Mistress will have a hard time if you plan to personally retrieve the spirit beast egg...¡± Ying Lan hesitated for a second and Bai Luochu became more curious. ¡°Speak! When does he remove the spirit ring? Why are you stammering? Is there a need to hide anything from me? Hurry up and spill it.¡± Ying Lan complained with no end. Mistress still behaves as though there are no differences between men and women It¡¯s just.... Ying Lan had no choice but to reply, ¡°When the elder is showering, he takes the ring off in the bathroom.¡± Chapter 202: Planning the Operation The awkward atmosphere filled the courtyard but Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to waste anymore time. She quickly formed a plan. ¡°Since that is the case, we will split up.¡± ¡°Split up? What is Mistress planning to do?¡± Ying Lan realized that Bai Luochu already had a plan and he was interested in listening. ¡°One day before the Phoenix King Valley returns, everyone will be busy packing and resting up. They will be at their weakest then and the elder will not think that we are bold enough to make a move at that exact time. That is precisely the reason we are making our move then.¡± ¡°After splitting up, you will take care of the Phoenix King Valley Elder. I shall take care of the disciples. After grabbing the spirit ring, we will meet up and rescue the youngling.¡± ¡°I do not have any issues with the Phoenix King Valley Elder. However, there are too many disciples. If there are only outer valley disciples, it won¡¯t be a problem. If those core disciples surround you, Mistress won¡¯t be able to escape easily.¡± Ying Lan sounded very worried. ¡°I¡¯m not done. For the core disciples, I will look for someone to draw them away. As for the outer valley disciples, there is no need for me to be afraid of them with my movement skills. With some sleeping incense, they won¡¯t be awake to stop me. You are in for a hard time as you will have to face the elder. When we start our mission, I will provide you with stronger sleeping incense. Grab the spirit ring and we¡¯ll be good to go.¡± Bai Luochu revealed a shrewd smile. ¡°Are we coming back immediately?¡± Since they were preparing a plan, they couldn¡¯t leave doubts unanswered. Bai Luochu muttered for a moment and explained, ¡°We must not. After we break through the spirit sense on the ring, the elder will definitely wake up. When he learns of the location of the ring, won¡¯t we be inviting disaster onto ourselves? In my opinion, we should look for a forest where we can hide and conceal ourselves.¡± ¡°The Phoenix King Valley is living in a manor at the outskirts of the capital city. There are rows upon rows of trees directly to the southwest. That is a good place to conceal ourselves. When I was nearly discovered by the elder, I hid there for a period of time before making my way back.¡± Ying Lan immediately provided a solution. Bai Luochu nodded in agreement and was very satisfied with Ying Lan¡¯s suggestion, ¡°Since that is the case, that shall be our plan. Prepare a night suit for me and after the Remote Paddy Inn closes for the day, look for me in the general¡¯s residence. We shall depart together.¡± ¡°What about the core disciples and the sleeping incense...¡± The main plan had been settled and there was nothing else to discuss. The minor details were missing for the plan to work. Ying Lan was rather worried even after Bai Luochu¡¯s reassurance. However, he knew that she wouldn¡¯t allow such a small thing to ruin her plan and he quickly left the courtyard through the secret tunnel. After Ying Lan left, Bai Luochu checked the stock of the remaining medicinal ingredients. The sleeping incense had to be used on the Phoenix King Valley Elder, but an ordinary sleeping incense would be ineffective. She had to refine a stronger version in order to knock the elder out for a long time. She was looking for ingredients to refine the stronger incense. As for those core disciples... Bai Luochu brought out the box with all her refined elixirs and rummaged through it. After searching for a long time, she finally found an unremarkable red ceramic bottle. She opened it up and confirmed that the thing inside was the one she had been looking for before closing the lid with satisfaction. She weighed it in her hand and muttered softly, ¡°It seems like I will have to go ask him for a favor tomorrow. That old fox... I wonder if this elixir will be able to satisfy him.¡± Who else could she be referring to other than the Second Prince, Pei Qingfeng? The next day, early in the morning, Bai Luochu completed her morning cultivation and she entered the study room. She ground some ink and started to write on a piece of paper. When Cai Ling entered to deliver breakfast, she was rather surprised, ¡°Why is Mistress writing a visitation card so early in the morning?¡± Bai Luochu was startled when questioned by Cai Ling. Instead of explaining herself, she asked Cai Ling in return, ¡°Do you think he will meet me?¡± ¡°Mm... This servant doesn¡¯t know. Normally, a card is supposed to be sent one day in advance. If they are busy, the card has to be delivered several days in advance.¡± Cai Ling carefully explained the use of the visitation card. Bai Luochu felt awkward after listening to Cai Ling¡¯s explanation, ¡°I need a favor from him... However, is this too last minute?¡± ¡°Who is Mistress going to visit?¡± Cai Ling didn¡¯t wish to crack down on her mistress¡¯s character, hence, she asked prudently. Bai Luochu looked up and replied, ¡°I am visiting Pei Qingfeng. I have to ask him for a favor.¡± Cai Ling laughed, ¡°Since it¡¯s the Second Prince, Mistress can feel at ease. Just go ahead and show up. The Second Prince doesn¡¯t need to attend the imperial court assembly. He is free all the time. Even if His Second Highness isn¡¯t free, as long as you show up, His Second Highness will surely spare out some time. Chapter 203: Transaction with Pei Qingfeng ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ After breakfast, I shall go to the Second Prince¡¯s residence to pay him a visit.¡± Bai Luochu shifted to the table and started to eat her breakfast. After finishing her breakfast, Bai Luochu freshened up with the help of Cai Ling before grabbing her visitation card. She left the residence and made her way towards the Second Prince¡¯s residence without turning her head. This matter was very important and there couldn¡¯t be any delays. If Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t agree to help, she would have to find another solution quickly. Today was the best opportunity for her to launch a night assault at the Phoenix King Valley to steal the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling. If they left, it would be equivalent to her releasing a tiger back into the woods. If she wanted to retrieve the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s egg, she might never have the chance to. ¡°General residence¡¯s Luo Chu is seeking an audience with His Second Highness. I hope that Brother Guards will be able to bring this visitation card in to inform His Second Highness.¡± Bai Luochu arrived at the Second Prince¡¯s residence and immediately bowed respectfully while presenting her card. The two guards at the gate looked at each other and took out a small portrait from their clothes. They noticed that the person in front of them was the same one as in the portrait and one of them immediately asked, ¡°Is Young Lady Divine Physician Bai? If you are, you may enter. Someone will guide you to meet His Second Highness.¡± Bai Luochu was startled for a moment and was surprised that the guards of the Second Prince''s residence were so sloppy. No matter what, being able to enter was better than being stopped at the gate. She nodded and walked into the residence. As soon as she walked across the main hall, she saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard coming out to welcome her. ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, this one pays his respects. Master has informed us that if you visit, I am to lead you to him. Master is currently waiting in his study room. Will Young Lady please follow me?¡± Since he was a personal guard Bai Luochu had met before, she wasn¡¯t too concerned as she followed behind him towards the study. After entering the study room, Bai Luochu noticed that Pei Qingfeng was indeed waiting inside. As for the guard, he silently retreated towards the main gate. ¡°You have just seen Young Lady Luo Chu, do you remember her face?¡± The personal guard walked to the entrance and spoke to the two guards. The guards of the main entrance didn¡¯t know how to reply and they simply nodded with a blank stare on their face. In response, the guard stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Since that is the case, hand over Divine Physician Bai¡¯s portraits. Master said that Divine Physician Bai¡¯s portrait must not land in the hands of others, otherwise, tongues might have to drop.¡± The personal guard stowed them away carefully in his clothes. Pei Qingfeng passed down the order that the portraits had to be returned in one piece and there shouldn¡¯t be any damages. Tsk tsk¡­ His master was becoming more and more like an incapable ruler. On the other side, Pei Qingfeng had already started the discussion with Bai Luochu. ¡°What wind blew you here? You chased me back here in front of so many people.... Why are you here now? Do you miss me?¡± Pei Qingfeng teased Bai Luochu like he usually did. Bai Luochu still couldn¡¯t get used to the way Pei Qingfeng spoke to her and she quickly shifted her gaze to the curtains. ¡°What Lu Wenshu said is true. I am the Third Prince¡¯s nominal fianc¨¦e and I have to avoid gossip from spreading. Even if I don¡¯t bother about my reputation, you, as a prince, should pay attention to how others look at you. There are plenty of people monitoring your every move. If your behavior is inappropriate, the others might not say anything. Instead, they might smear the name of the imperial clan. If that happens, do you think your Emperor Father will spare you?¡± ¡°I never cared about what Emperor Father thought of me. Why are you worried about such meaningless things?¡± Pei Qingfeng was rather touched that Bai Luochu had his interest in mind. However, he became angry again after noticing that she was doing whatever she liked without consulting him. When Bai Luochu heard Pei Qingfeng¡¯s question, she didn''t even bother replying. She immediately changed the topic, ¡°I am here to discuss an important matter. If you want to talk about things of the past, save it for when I¡¯m free. It won¡¯t be good if this matter is delayed.¡± Pei Qingfeng knew that he wasn¡¯t going to get an answer and didn¡¯t harp on it. ¡°Speak. What request do you have? As long as I can help, I will definitely help you.¡± Pei Qingfeng was behaving magnanimously and it made Bai Luochu rather embarrassed. After all, she was merely trying to make use of him. She even chased him out of her residence the day before. ¡°The Phoenix King Valley is about to depart tomorrow. I hope you can invite the core disciples for dinner at the Second Prince¡¯s residence¡­ Is that possible?¡± Pei Qingfeng fell into deep contemplation after hearing the request. He knew that this lass was filled with evil schemes and her target this time was the Phoenix King Valley. After all, she had a bone to pick with them. However, it didn¡¯t make sense for her to target them because of the matter with Feng Wan¡¯er. From the looks of things, there had to be something he didn¡¯t know. Lu Wenshu was right. He didn¡¯t understand this lass as well as he thought he did. Chapter 204: The Matter is Done ¡°Am I someone who will care about such things?¡± Pei Qingfeng was extremely irritated. He was feeling heartache because he didn¡¯t know Bai Luochu well enough. She assumed that he wasn¡¯t going to agree and started using profits to tempt him just because he remained silent for a moment. There were times when he wanted to pry open her head and see what was inside her brain. Were there feelings stored in it? When Bai Luochu saw that Pei Qingfeng was annoyed, she became confused. She didn¡¯t understand why he would blow up like that. Could it be that she insulted his status and moral integrity? Bai Luochu had no choice but to quickly explain her thoughts. At the very least, she couldn¡¯t allow him to continue raging. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to bribe you with the elixir. I feel that I have to give you something for chasing you away yesterday. This is an apology gift.¡± Bai Luochu finished her explanation and pushed the elixir towards Pei Qingfeng, hinting for him to accept it. When Pei Qingfeng saw Bai Luochu¡¯s honest expression, he became even more infuriated. He thought that she was really an emotionless robot. Why couldn¡¯t the heavens send down a lightning bolt to enlighten her? Pei Qingfeng helplessly shook his head, ¡°Take it back. I will definitely help you out with the invitation. If there is nothing else, please return to your residence.¡± Pei Qingfeng had already made his intentions clear. He was afraid that he might strangle her to death if she didn¡¯t leave this instant. Bai Luochu stuffed the elixir into his hand and snapped. ¡°When have I taken back my gifts? If you want to keep it, keep it. If you hate it, you still have to keep it. If you really hate it so much, just throw it away. I can always refine elixirs like this in the future¡­ Are you really going to accept my request?¡± ¡°Yes yes yes, a nobleman¡¯s word is his bond. I¡¯ll definitely send out the invitations. Even if I have to turn violent, I will make all of them stay. Are you satisfied now?¡± This was the first time Pei Qingfeng felt such a painful headache when speaking to Bai Luochu. ¡°Since that is the case, I shall thank Your Second Highness in advance. I still have other things to prepare. Farewell.¡± Bai Luochu left the study room and ran into the guard who just returned. When the guard commander saw how Bai Luochu left in such a hurry, he felt that something was wrong. He immediately quickened his pace and headed to the study room. The moment he entered, he saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s gloomy face. He was also complaining endlessly in his heart. The guard commander was afraid a careless mistake would cause his master to fly into a fit of rage. ¡°Grind the ink for me. I am going to write an invitation card.¡± Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t vent his anger on the guard commander. That guard immediately ran over to help Pei Qingfeng grind the ink after hearing the order. He didn¡¯t dare to move slowly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother with the way I do things.¡± Pei Qingfeng replied to the guard¡¯s question and continued to write. ¡°Master, are you doing this for Luo Chu?¡± The guard commander pondered for a long time before allowing the question to leave his mouth. After all, his master was a person who didn¡¯t like noise. Why would he take the initiative to invite others to a feast? If there was someone who could persuade Pei Qingfeng to do such a thing, Luo Chu would be number 1 on the list. No matter what occasion it was, if Luo Chu was present, Pei Qingfeng would be there as well. Pei Qingfeng paused for a second. He didn¡¯t expect the guard to be able to read his thoughts. He immediately asked in return, ¡°What about it?¡± That guard commander let out a silent sigh and said, ¡°Master, why don¡¯t you ask for the reason behind her favor? You should know that the Phoenix King Valley isn¡¯t a small faction. If she causes trouble out there, they might even suspect that you are involved. How will we explain the matter if that happens? Right now, the relationship between the imperial clan and the Phoenix King Valley isn¡¯t the best. If another incident occurs¡­ I¡¯m afraid His Majesty will punish you to warn the rest.¡± ¡°I trust her.¡± Pei Qingfeng was done with the invitation card. He turned and spoke to the guard firmly, ¡°She always has a plan. Nothing has even gone wrong. If nothing happened to her so far, nothing will happen to her in the future. She crossed swords with the Phoenix King Valley multiple times now and was never at a disadvantage. I even used repairing relationships as a reason to invite all of them for a feast. I will absolve myself of all blame when the time comes.¡± ¡°But Master...¡± That guard commander wanted to say something but was refuted by Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Deliver this invitation card to the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s manor. You have to make sure they accept the invitation. When you are returning, deliver a message to Luo Chu as well. Let her know that ¡®the matter is done¡¯ so she can feel at ease.¡± When the guard saw how determined his master was, he had no choice but to acknowledge the orders. He held onto the invitation card and left the residence. On the other side, Bai Luochu was speeding up her refining of the antidote to the sleeping incense. The core disciples unexpectedly accepted the invitation by Pei Qingfeng without any resistance. After obtaining their answer, the guard quickly left. For convenience¡¯s sake, the guard didn¡¯t enter the main entrance. He headed straight into the secluded courtyard to deliver the message to Bai Luochu. ¡°The request you have for Master has been done.¡± The guard commander was still in a fit of anger and his tone wasn¡¯t exactly nice. Chapter 205: Nightfall, Operation Star Night fell and Ying Lan carried a night suit into the secluded courtyard. Handing the suit to Bai Luochu, he left the room and patiently waited at the back door. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± In less than half the time it took to burn a stick of incense, Bai Luochu flew out of the back door as she made her way towards the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s manor. Bai Luochu never expected herself to be spotted along the way. Much less by Pei Rumo who was on his way to the general¡¯s residence to look for her. ¡°Master, Young Lady Luo Chu seems to be heading towards the mountains where the Phoenix King Valley is. Do you want to follow her?¡± The coachman asked. Pei Rumo muttered for a moment before replying, ¡°You don¡¯t have to. We might be exposed if we head over there now. I will head over there myself. Please bring the carriage back to the residence.¡± Pei Rumo alighted and shot towards Bai Luochu. After Pei Rumo¡¯s figure disappeared, the coachman turned the carriage back towards the residence. As Pei Rumo followed Bai Luochu, more doubts popped up in his heart. What kind of unspeakable secret does Luo Chu have? Putting aside the fact that she has been targeting the Phoenix King Valley, she chose to act against them in the night. This is really strange. I wanted to look for her to discuss the next stage of our plan but caught her in the act instead. What in the world are you scheming now? As Pei Rumo muttered to himself, he executed his movement skill to the fullest. He was afraid he would lose track of Bai Luochu in the middle of the night. If that were to happen, he would never be able to catch up to her. Bai Luochu was speaking to Ying Lan as they made their way towards the Phoenix King Valley. ¡°Listen up. Time is pressing and I shall speak along the way. Remember my instructions and don¡¯t mess up.¡± Bai Luochu took out two medicine bottles and one of them was white, the other was black. She placed them in different colored bottles so that Ying Lan wouldn¡¯t mix them up. ¡°Hold these two bottles properly. Ignite the black one and blow into the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s room. There are extra ingredients in the medicine in order to knock the elder out. If we inhale the smoke, we will be affected as well. The white bottle is the antidote. Before lighting the black bottle up, hold the antidote in your mouth. You cannot swallow it. It will lose its effect if you swallow it. Because of the time constraint, I only made two antidotes. If you mess up, there isn¡¯t anymore, do you understand?¡± ¡°This subordinate understands. What about Mistress? What are you going to do?¡± Ying Lan noticed that Bai Luochu had only given him his instructions. He was afraid she would secretly do something dangerous. ¡°I will ignite the sleeping incense in all four corners of the manor. Once the outer valley disciples fall asleep, we will make our move.¡± ¡°Snap.¡± Right at this moment, a snap brought them back to their senses. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Bai Luochu reached out to stop Ying Lan, ¡°Did you hear the sound of a tree branch snapping?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Mistress, there isn¡¯t anyone around us. Are you too nervous?¡± Ying Lan frowned slightly to express his doubts. Bai Luochu shook her head and said to Ying Lan, ¡°I might be too nervous, but it is better to be careful.¡± Ying Lan nodded in agreement. Of course, the person who snapped the branch was Pei Rumo who was tailing the both of them. When he saw that Bai Luochu had left, Pei Rumo let out a breath of relief before continuing his pursuit. The forest was too dark and he carelessly stepped on a tree branch. If not for the dark surroundings, he wouldn¡¯t have exposed himself. He didn¡¯t know how the two of them were able to see so clearly in the dark when executing their movement skills to the limit. When he thought about it, Pei Rumo became even more curious. How was it possible for Bai Luochu to possess such skills? Bai Luochu and Ying Lan managed to arrive at the manor after the time it took to burn one stick of incense. ¡°Did you bring the map?¡± Bai Luochu extended her hand to ask for the map. Ying Lan responded by immediately retrieving the map and handing it over to Bai Luochu. The trees covered the sky and even during the daytime, it would be difficult for light to enter the forest. Bai Luochu gathered her spirit qi into her palm and silently recited an incantation. A ball of light appeared in her hand and illuminated the map. After observing for a long time, she came up with her plan. Bai Luochu kept her spirit qi and instructed Ying Lan, ¡°I will enter through the front of the manor. After knocking out all the outer valley disciples, you will enter from the back and head straight for the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s courtyard. Wait for him to enter the bath before igniting the sleeping incense. It has a faint fragrance and those who inhale it will have a nice nap till dawn. Even if the Phoenix King Valley Elder wants to look for someone, we will be long gone by then.¡± Bai Luochu was about to fly into the manor, but Ying Lan stopped her. ¡°Mistress, why don¡¯t I go first? Wait till I knock out all these outer valley disciples, I will head straight for the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s room. You can just keep a lookout for me here.¡± Bai Luochu naturally knew Ying Lan¡¯s concern. However, she was the mistress and she knew she shouldn¡¯t be a tortoise hiding in her shell. She pushed his hand away and flew towards the manor. Chapter 206: Knocked Ou ¡°Hey, was that a shadow?¡± One of the outer valley disciples noticed a shadow flash by. ¡°Don¡¯t... don¡¯t scare me. I¡¯m afraid of demons and ghosts. If one appears, I will probably faint from shock. You¡¯ll have to carry me back then.¡± The other patrolling disciple spoke nervously. ¡°I might have seen wrongly. There are plenty of crows here¡­ Let¡¯s go back. Those core disciples are going to attend a feast, leaving us pitiful beings here to guard the manor. Life is really unfair.¡± ¡°Exactly! Sigh, inner valley disciples are humans, outer valley disciples are also humans. Why are we treated worse than Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s dog?¡± ¡°Why else would there be a saying that goes, ¡®can¡¯t be compared to a dog¡¯? The Phoenix King Valley seems glamorous on the surface, but it is a massive pile of crap on the inside. Because of their reputation as one of the Three Great Immortal Sects, no one will believe us.¡± ¡°All of them are going out to have fun while we slog our guts out. The elder is strong enough, why are we even here? Let¡¯s go back to bed.¡± The two of them quickly returned to their room for a nice sleep. ¡°Did the flowers blossom? The smell is pretty good.¡± As soon as one of the disciples spoke, the other started taking deep breaths. ¡°It smells pretty good, but this is the first time I smelled something like this. It is rather unique.¡± Bai Luochu was hiding behind the walls of the courtyard and silently counting down, ¡°Three, two, one. Fall.¡± Just as Bai Luochu finished her countdown, the two disciples fell over. At the same time, Bai Luochu heard plenty of bodies in the manor falling onto the ground. All of them seemed to be affected by the sleeping incense. Bai Luochu immediately headed to the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s room where Ying Lan was waiting. When Ying Lan saw her walking towards him, he knew that she had completed her task. His only job was to wait for the elder to enter the bath. The Phoenix King Valley Elder wasn¡¯t in a hurry as he slowly took his clothes off in the bathroom. Just the process took thirty minutes. As the Phoenix King Valley Elder was taking off his clothes, Ying Lan noticed that he placed the spirit ring where his clothes were. A plan immediately started forming in his head As Ying Lan thought about his plan, the elder entered the bath. Ying Lan ignited the black bottle and the fragrance slowly drifted towards the elder. ¡°Huh?¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder spoke with doubt, ¡°Who is burning this unique incense? I shall praise him tomorrow.¡± The elder started praising the smell of the incense. He reclined his body into the bath as he closed his eyes to rest. He didn¡¯t know that this was a unique incense made by Bai Luochu to deal with him. Finally, Ying Lan noticed that the elder¡¯s head was slowly drooping. It had already been a long time since Ying Lan lit the sleeping incense. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but shake her head secretly. It seemed like her strength was still incompetent and was unable to extract the essence of the medicinal ingredients. Otherwise, the Phoenix King Valley Elder wouldn¡¯t take such a long time to fall asleep. When Ying Lan confirmed that the elder was already asleep, he immediately sneaked into the room and retrieved the spirit ring. He handed it over to Bai Luochu before listening to her instruction, ¡°Throw all his clothes out into the courtyard. Leave nothing here!¡± Ying Lan didn¡¯t understand Bai Luochu¡¯s intentions for doing so, but he still carried out her order. Ying Lan knew that she wouldn¡¯t ask him to do something useless. She definitely had her reasons for doing so. ¡°Go, head towards our destination, hurry!¡± Bai Luochu executed her movement skills with all her might and sprinted towards the forest in the southwest direction. Ying Lan quickly followed behind her. This forest was quite a distance from the manor and even though they rushed over as quickly as they could, there wasn¡¯t much time left. Bai Luochu had already completely examined the treasures in the spirit ring on the way here. Apart from the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling, she noticed plenty of other valuable items. There were some that would greatly benefit her cultivation and there were some precious herbs she could use to refine peerless elixirs. Since she had already stolen the spirit ring, why should she leave anything for him? Since a grudge was already formed, there was no harm in making it worse. ¡°Mistress, how is it? Is the egg inside?¡± Ying Lan was very anxious. He had spent a lot of time and effort, but if the youngling wasn¡¯t inside, it would be an utter waste of effort. There was no doubt Bai Luochu would be extremely disappointed. Bai Luochu nodded. It seemed like the operation wasn¡¯t carried out in vain. ¡°There is not a lot of time left. I will open up the restriction on this spirit ring in a moment. No matter how sleepy the elder is, he will wake up the moment I open the ring. We will need to run away as quickly as possible.¡± Ying Lan quickly piped up with his suggestion. ¡°Mistress, we should leave the ring here before rushing back to the city. He won¡¯t be able to track us down.¡± ¡°On my signal, we will rush towards the city. What do you think?¡± Chapter 207: Successfully Escaping Bai Luochu took a deep breath and started her attempt to get rid of the restriction on this spirit ring. The clash of spirit energies was extremely dangerous. If she wasn¡¯t careful enough, she would be hit with a backlash strong enough to turn her into a retard. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t tell Ying Lan about the consequences of the failure when breaking the restriction. If she told him, it would be the same as cancelling the mission altogether. With Ying Lan¡¯s personality, he would rather tie Bai Luochu up than to allow her to risk her life. Even so, Bai Luochu decided to risk it. She had already promised the Green Flame Eagle she would do anything in her power to retrieve its children. Bai Luochu closed her eyes and gathered her spiritual energy. In Bai Luochu¡¯s mind, her spiritual energy was gathering and it eventually formed a white spot on her palm. When she opened her eyes, she slammed the spot of spiritual energy into the spirit ring. In the spirit ring¡¯s world, the spirit qi barrier was shattered by a glowing rock from the outside world. The glowing rock was none other than Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit qi. As soon as the spirit qi barrier shattered, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t hesitate. She plundered all the treasures in the spirit ring before throwing it onto the ground. ¡°Ying Lan, run!¡± The moment the words left her mouth, a gust of wind was kicked up in the forest. A lonely spirit ring, sparkling with radiance, remained on the spot where the both of them were. The two of them were nowhere to be seen. The instant Bai Luochu broke into the spirit ring, the Phoenix King Elder¡¯s spiritual energy was damaged. He woke up with a start and started coughing violently. Luckily for him, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t strong enough. Otherwise, he would have already turned into a retard after suffering such a strong hit to his spiritual energy. Even if that was the case, the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s face was deathly white. He already knew that the ring was stolen when he woke up. He could feel that the water in his bath was already cold and when he lowered his head, his clothes were gone. Something clicked in his mind and he realized that he had been played. He jumped out of the bath and started looking for his clothes. He wanted to put on some clothes before chasing the thief but he noticed that all his clothes were gone. Without a choice, he yelled loudly, ¡°Someone, hurry up and bring my clothes to me!¡± No matter how loudly he yelled, there was no response. The only reply came from the rustling leaves and the cawing crows. ¡°A bunch of useless fools.¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder knew that the outer valley disciples had also been knocked out by someone. He had no choice but to run out naked and strip off one of the disciples¡¯ clothes before putting it on himself. Once he was clothed, he shot towards the location of the spirit ring. The elder wasn¡¯t wearing any underwear and he stood in the middle of the woods with a spirit ring in hand. He stared blankly into space and as a gentle breeze blew past him, the elder felt that his legs were a little cold. The only thing colder was his heart. This was the first time he had brought a group of disciples out of the valley. He didn¡¯t know what kind of bad luck he met with. First, it was the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s information leaked by the disciples leading to the fight in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Next, he tried to recruit an outstanding disciple but Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s shortcomings were exposed. Finally, he offended the merchant¡¯s son during the disciple exhibition and wasn¡¯t even able to obtain the white-robed man as a disciple. He originally wanted to return without any more losses but never in his wildest imagination did he expect that his spirit ring would be stolen. It was fine if his treasures were stolen. However, how was he going to explain to the Valley Master that the egg was missing? ¡°If I ever find out who did this, I¡¯ll make his life a living hell. I will let him know the consequences of offending the Phoenix King Valley!¡± The elder roared at the top of his lungs and he smashed his fist into the tree beside him. The tree snapped in the middle as birds and beasts ran away as fast as they could. On the other side, Bai Luochu was already back at the secluded courtyard in the general''s residence. She was panting loudly. Ying Lan might also be exhausted but his strength was superior to Bai Luochu. His reaction wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as Bai Luochu¡¯s. Under the moonlight, Bai Luochu¡¯s complexion was ghastly white and Ying Lan felt that it was rather strange. If they were merely escaping, why would his mistress be so pale? Could it be that his mistress was injured? ¡°Mistress, are you injured? Why is your complexion so bad?¡± Ying Lan asked with concern. Bai Luochu felt rather guilty as she had hidden something from Ying Lan. She immediately shifted her eyes and explained to Ying Lan, ¡°Nothing is wrong. It is rather taxing to break the restriction on the spirit ring. After all, there is a large gap in strength between me and the Elder. Furthermore, I was forcefully breaking the restriction. It is natural for me to be exhausted.¡± Ying Lan could see that Bai Luochu was hiding something from him. He knew that his mistress had done something risky because of her promise to the Green Flame Eagle. Since it was already over, he shouldn¡¯t stress her out even more. Ying Lan thought about it and quickly switched the topic. ¡°Mistress, why did you ask me to throw his clothes away?¡± ¡°He is someone who cares a lot about his reputation. After throwing all his clothes away, he will definitely look for some clothes before coming over to chase us. Throwing his clothes away gives us more time to get away. Who cares about his clothes? Do you think that my taste is strong enough for an old man like the Phoenix King Valley Elder?¡± When Bai Luochu explained herself, she didn¡¯t forget to make fun of Ying Lan. Chapter 208: Shifting the Blame After wasting so much time searching for clothes, the elder couldn¡¯t even catch their shadows. Under the illumination of the moonlight, the spirit ring flickered with a cold, white luster from time to time. Compared to the white glow of the ring, the elder¡¯s face was even whiter. He truly had no way to explain this situation. The elder stared blankly into space and no one knew what he was thinking of. A breeze blew across the land, reminding him that he wasn¡¯t wearing any underwear. At this point, he felt that he might as well return to the manor to start searching for clues. By the time the elder returned to the manor, the sun was rising into the sky. All the outer valley disciples who had stronger cultivation were starting to open their eyes. Among them was the disciple who was stripped by the elder. ¡°Why am I sleeping here?¡± The disciples woke up and felt extremely confused. As the sun wasn¡¯t completely up, the weather was rather chilly. As a comfortable gust of wind blew across his body, he felt a bone chilling sensation. Lowering his head to take a look, he realized that he wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes. ¡°God damn it! Which shameless bastard stripped me?!¡± He didn¡¯t expect for the bastard to return as he was screaming. The elder had a stomach full of anger and nowhere to vent it on. When he heard the outer valley disciples cursing at him, he was utterly enraged. He circulated his spirit qi and struck out at the disciple. When the outer valley disciple was struck by the elder¡¯s spirit qi, his knees went soft as he knelt on the ground. His spirit qi went into disarray and he started to gasp for air. This disciple might seem like he was suffering, but he was totally fine. The Phoenix King Valley Elder might be scornful towards these outer valley disciples, but he still considered the severity of the consequences of his actions. The disciple was feeling uncomfortable as he was attacked from behind. ¡°God damn it, who is the one that actually dares to... Eld.. Elder, why is it you?¡± That outer valley disciple originally thought someone else had attacked him from behind. He cursed out loudly and even wanted to use the name of the Phoenix King Valley to intimidate his enemy. When he turned around, he realized that the assailant was none other than the elder. ¡°Why? Take a look at yourself. You are a disciple of the Phoenix King Valley! Why are you screaming vulgarities at the top of your lungs? Aren¡¯t you a capable one to be cursing at me?¡± ¡°No Elder, I didn¡¯t know that you are the one who hit me. I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡± The disciple didn¡¯t dare to look into the elder¡¯s eyes. When he looked closely at the elder¡¯s clothes, he realized that it looked rather familiar. ¡°Elder, why did you strip off my clothes?¡± He didn¡¯t know what had happened and was utterly confused. According to logic, the elder was at fault for stripping a disciple. It was also the reason why the elder was feeling a little embarrassed. However, due to his status as an elder, he didn¡¯t explain too much as he coughed lightly to berate the disciple. ¡°Cough cough. How dare you ask me that question! The whole lot of you allowed someone to sneak into the manor to steal my spirit ring. They threw my clothes away and by the time I found a set to give chase, they had already stolen everything! All of you had better come up with an explanation as to how an infiltrator knocked you out.¡± Now that the effects were gradually dissipating, the outer valley disciples started waking up one after another. They didn¡¯t have time to question the fact that they were sleeping outside when the elder¡¯s question landed on their head. A sense of fear swept through them as they knew they weren¡¯t well liked by the elder. With the core disciples absent, they allowed a burglary to happen in the manor. It seemed like they would be in for a hard time after returning to the valley. ¡°Fragrance! That¡¯s right, it is that fragrance.¡± One of the disciples muttered softly and came to a realization. He raised his head and said to the elder, ¡°Elder, we have probably been targeted a long time ago. Before falling asleep, this disciples smelled a concentrated flowery fragrance. This disciple even wondered if the flowers around the manor started to blossom¡­ Thinking about it now, it seemed as though it was a sleeping drug sent out by the thieves!¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder listened to the explanation and closed his eyes with despair. He had thought that one of the disciples used a fragrant incense in order to please him. It was indeed a deep scheme. He hadn¡¯t even associated the smell to the incident. As it stood, it was too late for the elder to do anything. However, he didn¡¯t give up as he questioned the disciples, ¡°Did any of you hear anything?¡± The outer valley disciples looked at each other and none of them dared to open their mouth. They pushed the question around until one of them stammered, ¡°Elder¡­ none of us heard anything.¡± Chapter 209: The End of the Farce When Feng Wan¡¯er entered the manor, she saw a strange scene where the outer valley disciples were scattered around in groups of threes and fours. Some of them were standing, some were sitting. There were even some who were sleeping soundly on the ground. The elder who had always placed emphasis on appearance was dressed in messy clothes. They didn¡¯t even fit on his body¡­ His hair was in a complete mess and there was even an outer valley kneeling down without clothes. ¡°Elder, what is going on?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er came back with the core disciples. When she saw the scene in front of her, she couldn¡¯t hold back her curiosity. The Phoenix King Valley Elder turned to look at Feng Wan¡¯er. Even though he was angry in his heart, he couldn¡¯t vent it out on Feng Wan¡¯er. However, when he spoke, there was a tinge of anger in his voice. ¡°How dare you ask me that question¡­ My spirit ring was stolen and everything inside was taken!¡± ¡°What?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er yelled in surprise. Everyone knew the contents of the spirit ring. Now that the elder said that everything was gone, there was no doubt about it. Feng Wan¡¯er was unwilling to accept the elder¡¯s words. ¡°Elder, are¡­ are you sure? How is everything gone? What about the Green Flame Eagle¡­¡± Before she could complete her sentence, the elder snapped, ¡°That¡¯s right! Everything is gone! Not just the egg, even this old man¡¯s priceless treasures are gone! After so many years, all of my treasures are gone! How many times do you want this old man to say it? Do you think this old man has the time to lie about things like this?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er was rubbing salt on the elder¡¯s wounds, but she wasn¡¯t at fault. She wasn¡¯t the one who lost the ring and neither was she supposed to be guarding the ring. She never knew that asking the same question twice would cause the elder to blow up. The feminine man was great at observing facial expressions and seeing how enraged the elder was, he silently tugged at Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s sleeve. He hinted for her to keep quiet. However, Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s personality was notorious and she struggled free of her senior brother¡¯s grip. ¡°Elder, do you know who did it?¡± The elder¡¯s face turned a shade darker every time someone asked a question. At this point, his face was darker than the bottom of a pot. He shook his head and replied, ¡°There are no clues. Someone knocked us out with sleeping incense and the next thing I know, the ring is gone.¡± Sleeping incense? Feng Wan¡¯er frowned after hearing the reply. Her mind spun and she thought about the person capable enough to concoct such a powerful medicine to knock the elder out. At this moment, Feng Wan¡¯er assumed that the thief was targeting the treasures in the elder¡¯s spirit ring. She never would have imagined that this was Bai Luochu¡¯s first move in her chess game of revenge. ¡°Is Elder suspecting...¡± As this matter involved the imperial clan, Feng Wan¡¯er didn¡¯t dare to speak carelessly. The elder remained silent and nodded slowly. Someone who had never been involved with them invited them to a farewell feast. Such a huge incident when all the core disciples were at the feast and anyone who wasn¡¯t mentally challenged would be able to connect the dots. Feng Wan¡¯er fell into deep thought and recalled the moment when the guard delivered the invitation. ¡°The Second Prince didn¡¯t seem suspicious. The feast was held to improve the relationship between our Phoenix King Valley and the imperial clan. If anyone else other than the Second Prince invited us, there was no way we would let down our guard and attend. He was the best choice as a mediator.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t he invite anyone else? He didn¡¯t even invite me.¡± The elder didn¡¯t want to miss out on any details and followed up with his question. ¡°As for this... I asked the Second Prince during the feast and he said something about our Phoenix King Valley¡¯s stubborn temper. Even if he invited you, you wouldn¡¯t have attended. If he gave you an invitation, he would annoy you.¡± Even though it was hard on the ears, Bai Luochu felt that she had to convey what Pei Qingfeng said to the elder. The Phoenix King Valley Elder sneered in response, ¡°Heh, he understands me rather well huh? Let me ask you again, during the feast, did any of you leak the information? Did the Second Prince order his subordinates around in a suspicious manner during the feast?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er quickly bowed and spoke with fear and trepidation, ¡°Elder can be at ease. Since the incident where the outer valley disciples leaked the information on the Green Flame Eagle, none of us dared to drink alcohol when outside. We have been using tea as a substitute all the way so Elder can rest assured that we didn¡¯t leak anything. As for the Second Prince, his only orders were to serve the dishes and to replenish the tea. He didn¡¯t say anything else to his servants. This disciple feels that the Second Prince had nothing to do with this.¡± Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s statements might have made Pei Qingfeng a smaller suspect, but in the eyes of the Phoenix King Valley Elder, Pei Qingfeng had yet to fully clear up his name. The elder turned to look at Feng Wan¡¯er and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. He sighed inwardly. This lass is still too inexperienced. No wonder she lost to the lass from the general¡¯s residence. How can there be something so coincidental in this world? ¡°This matter has yet to end. I will definitely investigate it clearly. As for the thief, I will surely apprehend him, I don¡¯t care about his identity. Even if he is a member of the imperial clan, he will pay the price¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder swore in front of all the disciples present. Chapter 210: Mournful Departure Pei Rumo was on a lookout in the nearby forest since the very start of the operation. If he had recklessly charged into the manor, Bai Luochu would be able to detect him. He decided against barging in and waited outside the manor to watch the show unfold. After seeing Bai Luochu and Ying Lan disappearing from the manor, Pei Rumo wanted to return to the First Prince¡¯s residence in order to avoid drawing attention to himself. If the Phoenix King Valley were to suspect him, his losses would outweigh his gains. Just as Pei Rumo was about to retreat, he heard the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s enraged roar. Since he was already here, he decided to continue watching the show. After listening to everything, he learned of Bai Luochu¡¯s actions. Pei Rumo couldn¡¯t help but sneer in his heart. This lass was truly bold. She actually dared to barge into the manor with two people¡­ It was a surprise she managed to complete her mission without a hitch. If the members of the Phoenix King Valley learned that she was the culprit, she would be in deep trouble. Pei Rumo sighed silently and hoped that she would be fortunate enough to escape from the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s clutches. If they were to look for revenge, even the imperial clan wouldn¡¯t be able to protect her. Even though the two of them were making use of one another, Pei Rumo wished for her to be safe. At dawn the next day, everyone saw the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s majestic departure. However, the atmosphere seemed to be deathly stale. ¡°Hey, why are the members of the Phoenix King Valley acting as though their parents had just passed away. Take a look at the atmosphere, How is this a triumphant return? It wouldn¡¯t be excessive to say that they are going to attend a funeral.¡± There was a busybody who couldn¡¯t control his mouth as he blabbered on. ¡°Shush, be quiet.¡± The person beside him seemed to be on good terms with him shushed him. He didn¡¯t wish for his friend to invite disaster by speaking out of turn. He spoke softly to the busybody, ¡°How can commoners like us point and gossip about the Phoenix King Valley? Even His Majesty has to show them respect. Are you trying to make them attend your funeral?¡± The busybody¡¯s face turned ghastly pale as he didn¡¯t actually think of the consequences of his words. ¡°They are probably sad that His Majesty didn¡¯t accept their marriage proposal. Let¡¯s go. I hope your head doesn¡¯t roll off your shoulders.¡± The one who spoke was the owner of the buns stall. Even though he was speaking to others, his hands remained nimble. The gossip on the street ultimately vanished into thin air, like the fragrance of the buns. However, things were different on the side of the imperial clan. All the princes were watching the disciples carefully. How could Pei Rumo be in the dark? From the looks of it, the lass made a ruthless move. How could this be called thievery? She had taken the life out of the Phoenix King Valley. It seemed as though the elder wasn¡¯t going to let it rest. Why else would he remain in the capital city? He was probably waiting for the thief to let his guard down before swooping down for the catch. In Pei Rumo¡¯s opinion, the elder was wasting his time. The lass had always been a shrewd being and it wouldn¡¯t be easy for her to reveal a flaw. Even though that was the case, Pei Rumo was a little worried. He passed an order to the secret guard, ¡°Pick a few personnel to guard the general¡¯s residence around the clock. Keep watch of Luo Chu, make sure nothing happens to her.¡± Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t protecting Bai Luochu so that she could become an important factor to defeat Pei Wuchen for him at the crucial moment. He was protecting her because of her secret. Pei Rumo wanted to see how an orphan girl like Luo Chu was going to achieve her great plan. As for Pei Qingfeng, he did the exact same thing. Early in the morning, he sent his personal guard to check on the Phoenix King Valley. ¡°How is it? What is the situation at the Phoenix King Valley?¡± As Pei Qingfeng asked his question, he casually raised his cup of tea to his mouth. It seemed as though he wasn¡¯t as irritated as when he sent his guard to deliver the invitation. ¡°The Phoenix King Valley members look depressed. It seems like they have met with some sort of disaster. The elder is staying behind and may this subordinate be so bold as to ask Master if the matter has anything to do with Young Lady Luo Chu?¡± Pei Qingfeng placed his teacup down and looked at the guard. ¡°If I feel that this is completely unrelated to her, will you believe me?¡± The guard cursed silently. Pah! Who will believe something like that? She requested for you to keep the core disciples here. Right now, they look like someone killed both their parents. If she isn¡¯t related to this incident, am I the one related to the incident? Am I actually mentally handicapped? Of course, the guard could never say something like that out loud. Right now, everyone in the Second Prince¡¯s residence knew that as long as Luo Chu was involved in something, their Master would be as well. Moreover, he would do anything she asked. ¡°Tsk, Luo Chu is truly a femme fatale. She can actually mesmerize Master to such an extent.¡± A myriad of thoughts flew through the guard¡¯s mind and he shook his head. He didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Since that is the case, why are you asking me that question? If there is nothing else, send more secret guards to protect the general¡¯s residence.¡± Pei Qingfeng gave his instructions. ¡°Why are we protecting her?¡± That guard was puzzled and couldn¡¯t understand Pei Qingfeng¡¯s intention. Chapter 211: Protecting in the Dark When the guard saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s look of disdain, he understood that his master was looking down on him. However, he wasn¡¯t familiar with the Phoenix King Valley Elder. How would he know what the elder was thinking? The guard immediately shook his head and said earnestly to Pei Qingfeng, ¡°This subordinate doesn¡¯t know the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s intention. Master, please enlighten me.¡± Pei Qingfeng closed his eyes with his brows tightly locked together. No one knew whether he was concerned about the mental ability of his guard or Bai Luochu¡¯s safety. After quite a while, Pei Qingfeng opened his eyes and turned to face his personal guard, ¡°The Phoenix King Valley Elder is staying behind to find the culprit. This matter is probably related to Luo Chu and if the Elder finds out, he will never let her off. That is why you lot are going over to protect her!¡° ¡°She made such a huge mess and we are the ones cleaning up after her...¡± The guard muttered softly as though he was expressing his dissatisfaction with Bai Luochu. ¡°What are you mumbling about? If I ask you to do something, get it done! Am I the prince or are you the prince?¡± Pei Qingfeng might not have heard it clearly, but he knew that his guard was complaining about Bai Luochu. Pei Qingfeng was the master and when he gave his orders, the guard could only comply. Before the guard could leave, he was called back by Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Come back.¡± Pei Qingfeng said. In his mind, the guard felt that Pei Qingfeng changed his mind about meddling in Bai Luochu¡¯s affairs. However, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s words almost caused him to choke. ¡°Send some of the skilled secret guards instead. If regular guards go, they will probably attract more attention.¡± After hearing Pei Qingfeng¡¯s instructions, that guard secretly rolled his eyes. Who in the world was Luo Chu to make his Master, the well known women avoider, go to such lengths? If his master became the future emperor, Luo Chu would be a calamity to the nation. Who knew if his master would burn down several cities to see her smile. That guard originally wanted to persuade his master, but when he thought about how his master disregarded all his principles when dealing with her, he decided to keep quiet. He would just be asking for a scolding¡­ It wasn¡¯t worth it. In the end, the guard commander explained the situation to the secret guard commander and asked him to dispatch several men to the general¡¯s residence. After the guard commander left, Pei Qingfeng was finally able to relax. I don¡¯t know what the Phoenix King Valley Elder is planning, but I hope I can stop it. Pei Qingfeng looked through the window in the direction of the general¡¯s residence. She must have made a move. Lu Wenshu gently placed down the teacup in his hand while the corner of his mouth curled upwards. It was as though happy memories resurfaced in his mind. It was true that the Phoenix King Valley had never gained the upper hand when dealing with her. Not in her past life and not in this life either. What did Bai Luochu actually steal from them? Lu Wenshu poured another cup of tea for himself as his thoughts spun. Before long, he came to a conclusion. She must have stolen the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling. The only thing that can make the Phoenix King Valley Elder disregard the safety of the disciples and insist on staying in the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial city is probably related to the Green Flame Eagle. After all, the Phoenix King Valley treasures the Green Flame Eagle very much. Lu Wenshu also heard about the feast Pei Qingfeng held for the core disciples the day before. At first, he was suspicious about the Second Prince¡¯s actions. It seemed like Bai Luochu had asked him for a favor. When he thought about it, Lu Wenshu felt a little jealous that she was looking for another man when she met with trouble. Well, she is really incredible. I don¡¯t know how she managed to step over the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s head without suffering from his revenge. However, if this is really related to the Green Flame Eagle, the elder isn¡¯t going to let it rest. If she exposes herself, it will be difficult for her to escape punishment. It seems like I have to make some preparations to protect her. On Bai Luochu¡¯s side, she was sound asleep. She was deep in dreamland until Cai Ling forcefully dragged her out of bed the next morning with the latest news. ¡°Mistress, Hurry up and wake up! Stop sleeping! This servant has something important to tell you.¡± Cai Ling rushed into the courtyard and when she saw that Bai Luochu was still sleeping, she started to yell. Bai Luochu frowned when she heard Cai Ling¡¯s loud voice. Her vision was still blurry and in Cai Ling¡¯s eyes, she had never seen such a cute expression on her mistress¡¯ face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you trying so hard to wake me up?¡± Bai Luochu sounded a little impatient. ¡°Mistress, the Phoenix King Valley is going back today! How can you sleep so soundly? You didn¡¯t even wake up at daybreak to cultivate¡­ you missed out a great show!¡± Cai Ling didn¡¯t notice Bai Luochu¡¯s impatient expression and she chattered on. Bai Luochu was sniggering in her heart. Of course she knew that the Phoenix King Valley was going back. It was the reason behind her operation the night before. As for the reason behind her missing her cultivation session, it was obviously due to the over-exhaustion of her spiritual energy when breaking through the spirit ring. Chapter 212: Words of Reproach ¡°Mistress, when I went out to get some stuff, I chanced upon the departing disciples. Originally, it should be a lively and joyous farewell, in order to show the joy of their successful disciple recruitment. However, all of them looked sad and miserable. When accompanied by their immortal-like and prideful clothing, people may think that they were attending a funeral!¡± Cai Ling naturally knew the grudge between the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and the Phoenix King Valley. When she spoke about their sorry appearance, she was extremely happy. After all, her enemies were suffering right now. How could she not be happy? Bai Luochu still wasn¡¯t awake. When all was said and done, she was the culprit behind their foul mood. She even stole the elder¡¯s prized possessions. She wasn¡¯t surprised that they were leaving in low spirits at all. ¡°This isn¡¯t the strangest thing...¡± When Cai Ling saw that Bai Luochu was still uninterested, she started to build up the suspense. Bai Luochu¡¯s curiosity was aroused by Cai Ling¡¯s words. Her eyes that were about to close were slowly opening and she opened her mouth to question Cai Ling, ¡°Tell me about it. What is strange about it?¡± Everything Cai Ling said was within Bai Luochu¡¯s expectations. It didn¡¯t matter if she listened to Cai Ling¡¯s narration. However, now that there was something out of her expectations, she had to know. If Cai Ling said that it was strange, it was definitely something noteworthy. When Cai Ling noticed that she had successfully attracted her mistress¡¯ attention, she gained a boost in morale. ¡°Mistress, you aren¡¯t aware of this but the leader of the group is Feng Wan¡¯er. The elder is staying behind in the capital city. No one knows what he is trying to do.¡± ¡°What did you say? The Phoenix King Valley Elder is staying in the capital?!¡± Bai Luochu was still a little drowsy but she snapped awake at Cai Ling¡¯s words. Cai Ling was shocked and she stammered in reply, ¡°That¡¯s right, the Phoenix King Valley Elder is staying in the capital city. Is there a problem, Mistress?¡± A problem? This was a huge problem! ¡°Hurry up and help me freshen up. I am going to visit the Remote Paddy Inn.¡± Bai Luochu immediately wore her clothes. When Cai Ling saw how impatient her mistress was, she knew that something serious had happened. As soon as Bai Luochu freshened up, she headed straight for the Remote Paddy Inn without eating breakfast. When she arrived, she rushed into the study room without even looking at the innkeeper. The only thing the innkeeper noticed was a gust of wind and a faint shadow that flashed by. In his opinion, he was seeing things due to the lack of sleep. Bai Luochu could see that Ying Lan was as steady as a mountain. However, she didn¡¯t know if he knew about the situation. However, she felt relieved that there was someone here to discuss things with her and she immediately started talking. ¡°Feng Wan¡¯er is leading the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s departure group and the Phoenix King Valley Elder is staying in the capital city. Do you know about this matter?¡± Ying Lan nodded silently. ¡°Do you know what this means?¡± Bai Luochu immediately followed up with another question. Ying Lan let out a sigh before speaking, ¡°Sigh, of course I do. It seems like the Phoenix King Valley Elder will not rest until he finds the culprit. We might have gone a little overboard this time.¡± ¡°With my current strength, if I fall into the hands of the Phoenix King Valley Elder, my fate is sealed. I reincarnated with such difficulty and don¡¯t wish to die so early.¡± Bai Luochu had always been steadfast. The reason why she rushed here to look for Ying Lan was because she didn¡¯t wish to waste her reincarnated life. When Ying Lan heard his mistress¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t offer any suggestions. On the contrary, he snorted to express his dissatisfaction, ¡°Hmph, Mistress finally learned how to cherish her life. What have you been doing so far? Since the day we reunited, you have never been safe. Look at us now! Before our wings could grow, we offended the Phoenix King Valley. How is that cherishing your life? You are finally coming down to discuss things with me¡­ My great Mistress, this subordinate is really begging you to be a little more reserved. Right now, you are no longer that evil dao witch who can kill a bunch of Phoenix King Valley¡¯s members with a single slap. Can you stop creating trouble before we regain our original strength? If you really feel like stirring up some trouble, why not turn to your relatives in the general¡¯s residence? Bai Luochu was speechless after hearing Ying Lan¡¯s harsh words. She was truly a little reckless after she had reincarnated and had completely forgotten about the fact that her current strength was incomparable to that of her previous life. She stuttered in reply, ¡°I¡¯m just not used to it¡­ Moreover, I promised the Green Flame Eagle! You should know that once I made a promise, I never go back on my word.¡± After hearing the word ¡®promise¡¯, a stinging pain appeared in Ying Lan¡¯s head. He disregarded the relationship between them and yelled at her, ¡°Promise... If Mistress is now in a superior position and no longer needs to worry about your safety, it is fine even if you promise others that you are going to bring down the moon in the sky. However, you need to care about the Palace of the Brilliance Resurgence and you even need to deal with the imperial clan! Right now, the Phoenix King Valley and Lu Wenshu are still in the capital city! How long can you hide the fact that you reincarnated? Why are you talking about promises now?!¡± ¡°I understand, but...¡± Bai Luochu still wanted to retort but Ying Lan interrupted her again. ¡°But what!? Just because of a single promise, you gave Lu Wenshu an opportunity to exploit you. You even died a miserable death! Haven¡¯t you suffered enough?!¡± Chapter 213: The Whole Story Seeing how despondent his mistress was, Ying Lan immediately knelt down with a ¡®plop¡¯ and apologized to Bai Luochu, ¡°This subordinate has overstepped his authority and spoke out of turn. Will Mistress please issue the punishment.¡± Bai Luochu was silent for a period of time before she said, ¡°You disrespected your superior and should be punished, however, you spoke the truth. Stand up, I will not punish you.¡± Bai Luochu thought that Ying Lan was right. In her previous life, she trusted Lu Wenshu because of the same exact reason. She never expected to die a miserable death because of it. She was an evil dao witch! Why did she care so much about promises? ¡°Mistress...¡± Ying Lan wanted to say something but was interrupted by Bai Luochu. ¡°It¡¯s fine, stand up. It¡¯s all in the past now and there is no point arguing over these things. Right now, we need to think of a countermeasure to deal with the Phoenix King Valley Elder.¡± Bai Luochu helped Ying Lan up to show him that she really didn¡¯t blame him. Ying Lan no longer harped on the matter and he quickly thought of a suggestion.¡°Early this morning, I learned about the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s intention. I wanted to send Mistress away for some time to lie low, but I recalled Mistress¡¯ identity as Divine Physician Bai. Since your identity had already been exposed, our plan might be revealed if you left. In this subordinate¡¯s humble opinion, Mistress should continue living a normal life. This should be the best course of action.¡± Bai Luochu muttered for a moment and felt that apart from Ying Lan¡¯s method, there was no better way to deal with it. She nodded her head but spoke up as well. ¡°Now that the matter of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range is over, I think we need to come up with a plan on the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s development. Moreover, the Green Flame Eagle is in our hands¡­¡± ¡°This subordinate looks forward to it. Please be cautious as the Phoenix King Valley Elder is a ruthless person. Now that he isn¡¯t able to complete his mission, he might just vent his anger out on someone else. It is best if you can avoid him. If you really meet him in person, try your best to not reveal any flaws. If you are captured by him, it won¡¯t be easy to escape.¡± ¡°Of course I will be cautious. I exhausted too much of my spiritual energy when breaking through the restriction the day before and if there is nothing else, I shall return to the general¡¯s residence.¡± A drowsy feeling swept through Bai Luochu¡¯s body and she quickly bade farewell to Ying Lan. As he knew how intense the operation was, Ying Lan didn¡¯t urge Bai Luochu to stay behind. He bowed respectfully to send her off. Bai Luochu made her way back to the residence and thought about how she was going to enjoy her rest. She didn¡¯t realize that she was being watched by several parties. When Cai Ling heard Bai Luochu¡¯s voice, she hurriedly raised her head. When she saw that it was indeed Bai Luochu who was standing in front of her, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Mistress, you left so hurriedly and didn¡¯t even notify this servant. This servant has been too worried to sit still in the residence. I was waiting for Mistress¡¯ return!¡± Bai Luochu felt a trace of warmth in her heart after hearing what Cai Ling said. Even though she was a servant girl Bai Luochu chose at random, the little girl was really considerate. ¡°I was too anxious and forgot about you. If you wish to know, follow me.¡± Cai Ling knew that her mistress was about to speak of extremely confidential matters. It was highly possible no one else should learn of the contents of her speech and Cai Ling obediently followed behind Bai Luochu to the secluded courtyard. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the Phoenix King Valley is acting strange?¡± Cai Ling turned around and closed the doors of the room tightly as she was afraid that Bai Luochu¡¯s voice would leak out. ¡°They were in such low spirits because the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s spirit ring was stolen the night before. All his treasures and even the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s egg was stolen. You came with me to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range and learned about the importance the Phoenix King Valley placed on the egg. Now that it is lost, all of them are responsible for it.¡± Bai Luochu picked out the important points and stated them clearly to Cai Ling. ¡°Oh¡­ Why is the elder staying behind?¡± Cai Ling didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind the elder¡¯s actions and she continued to question Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu muttered to herself and pondered for a long moment before she said to Cai Ling, ¡°He is staying behind to look for the culprit. Otherwise, he won¡¯t be able to justify himself to the Valley Master when he gets back.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. Mistress, in this servant¡¯s opinion, the thief will suffer greatly in the hands of the elder. Even if the thief doesn¡¯t die, a layer of his skin will be peeled off.¡± When Cai Ling heard of the elder¡¯s true objective, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the thief. Chapter 214: Cai Ling’s Worry Bai Luochu took the opportunity when Cai Ling was thinking about the thief to look at her expression. She noticed that this servant girl wasn¡¯t as anxious as when Bai Luochu had just returned. In the end, Bai Luochu decided to tease the servant girl. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask me how I learned about such matters?¡± Cai Ling looked up at Bai Luochu and her eyebrows knitted together. She looked at Bai Luochu for a moment before speaking up. ¡°Mistress is always together with the princes or with Commander Ying Lan. It isn¡¯t a difficult thing for you to know so much. Furthermore, Mistress possesses remarkable abilities and it won¡¯t be hard to learn of such matters.¡± When Bai Luochu heard Cai Ling¡¯s praise, she was speechless for a moment. She didn¡¯t know if she should tell Cai Ling about the fact that she was the thief she was talking about. Before Bai Luochu could make a decision, Cai Ling had already fired off her question. ¡°Mistress, you are only speaking about the Phoenix King Valley. What about you rushing off to meet Commander Ying in the morning?¡± Bai Luochu felt a little headache. She didn¡¯t intend to talk about it, but it looked like she didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°I rushed over to look for Ying Lan because of this matter.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know what excuse she should use. In the end, she decided to answer Cai Ling in a straightforward manner. Cai Ling¡¯s eyes flickered several times and she came to a conclusion in her mind. ¡°Ahh! Could it be that... Mistress, let me guess, are you thinking of making a move on the Phoenix King Valley Elder?¡± She knew that her mistress had always been antagonistic towards the Phoenix King Valley and it wasn¡¯t impossible for her to make a move on them when they were at their weakest. ¡°I am not thinking of making a move on him...¡± Bai Luochu reassured Cai Ling. Well¡­ I already made my move. ¡°Then what exactly is it? Mistress, hurry up and tell this servant. This servant is begging you to let me know...¡± Cai Ling was truly anxious as she shook Bai Luochu¡¯s arm. She acted like a child who was throwing a tantrum. ¡°The thief that stole the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s spirit ring and wiped out all the treasures inside... was me...¡± Bai Luochu felt a little guilty as her voice got softer as she spoke. Cai Ling¡¯s hands stopped instantly as though she was able to accept the giant impact of the news. After a long time, Cai Ling whispered, ¡°Is Mistress telling the truth? Mistress isn¡¯t teasing this servant, right?¡± Bai Luochu truly couldn¡¯t bear to see Cai Ling¡¯s bitter and agonized expression. She closed her eyes and nodded silently. Bai Luochu already knew that Cai Ling would complain and she quickly explained herself, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I already made plans with Ying Lan the moment you gave me the news in the morning. Everything will turn out for the best. If I am to really battle against the Phoenix King Valley Elder, it is still uncertain who will gain the upper hand.¡± Cai Ling obviously knew that Bai Luochu was trying to comfort her, but she didn¡¯t nag at Bai Luochu again. After all, she was the servant and Bai Luochu was the mistress. Cai Ling only wished for Bai Luochu to be safe. ¡°Mistress, in terms of ability, wisdom, shrewdness, and medical skills, you aren¡¯t inferior to the Phoenix King Valley Elder. In regards to strength, Mistress is definitely weaker. The Phoenix King Valley Elder is too old and he is already old enough to turn into a demon spirit! Mistress¡¯ cultivation journey has just begun. Mistress might possess outstanding talent but when compared to the elder, the difference is like night and day. If something happens to you, what are the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence going to do? Isn¡¯t the palace a faction you painstakingly created?¡± ¡°Things are already at this stage and there is no need to speak about it any further. Right now, I can only respond accordingly. Don¡¯t worry, everything is fine.¡± Now that Bai Luochu was facing Cai Ling, she really couldn¡¯t say anything else. In the next few days, Bai Luochu passed her time by cultivating and coming up with plans for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s future development. Ying Lan and Cai Ling were extremely nervous and on edge as they were afraid that the Phoenix King Valley Elder might come knocking on their door. As the person who instigated the trouble, Bai Luochu continued her daily routine as though nothing was wrong. With such a mentality, Bai Luochu¡¯s cultivation progressed by another level. ... Bai Luochu casually made her way to the Remote Paddy Inn as she prepared to finalize the plan of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s development. ¡°Right now, the Remote Paddy Inn, the High Leisure Teahouse, and the Silk Flower Pavilion is doing well. Our information network is also growing day by day into a large network. However, in my opinion, it is far from enough.¡± Ying Lan nodded in agreement, ¡°It is indeed the case. Even though these shops will be able to supply us with enough money and information, if we really wish to expand the scale of our contacts, this is far from enough. After all, it is a little forceful for these businesses to worm their way into making friends with the customers.¡± When Bai Luochu saw that Ying Lan had the same opinion as her, she quickly spoke of her plan. ¡°That is the exact reason I want to establish a merchant or auction house. Such places are the best when forming relationships. Regardless of sellers or buyers, there will definitely be a time when they will ask us for favors. That will be the best time to form a relationship with them.¡± ¡°Mistress, I thought of these things before but it is difficult to put such a plan into action.¡± Ying Lan immediately talked about the obstacles they would face. Chapter 215: Plan for the Future ¡°That sounds feasible. However, those veterans are people who had been working in the field for a long time. Money isn¡¯t their main concern and if we really want to headhunt them, we need to put in a lot more effort. On top of that, these people are people with huge influences. They might also be people who are backed by factions like the Phoenix King Valley. If we wish to enter the market, it won¡¯t be as easy as opening a restaurant. After all, when opening a restaurant, we merely need some good dishes and services. When setting up a merchant or auction house business, we need connections and influence.¡± Ying Lan might feel that Bai Luochu¡¯s plan was good, but he raised up the problems they would face. Bai Luochu might have suffered a little setback after hearing the comments, but she wasn¡¯t too discouraged. She immediately instructed Ying Lan, ¡°Since that is the case, we will push back this plan for now. Right now, we need to continue the expansion of our influence. You are right, in this world, strength rules supreme.¡± ¡°This subordinate understands. However, this subordinate has one more thing to discuss with Mistress. I don¡¯t know if I should say it¡­¡± Bai Luochu chuckled in response, ¡°If I say you shouldn¡¯t, are you not going to say it? Speak. In the future, you don¡¯t have to ask for permission to talk about such matters. The friendship between the two of us stretches across two lifetimes. Why are you feeling so embarrassed?¡± Ying Lan was a little embarrassed by Bai Luochu¡¯s words. He knew that his mistress wasn¡¯t a person who paid attention to formality. Right now, he appeared to be overly rigid. ¡°This subordinate noticed several secret guards stationed around the general¡¯s residence these few days. All of them are pretty formidable and this servant is only able to detect their approximate location. They never moved about and they remained there obediently. This subordinate mistook them for wooden blocks by accident. Right now, this subordinate thinks that the general residence might be targeted by someone and Mistress might attract some attention by traveling out so frequently. After considering it, this subordinate thinks that it will be safer if I look for Mistress in the general¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Mistress might be right, but this subordinate is still worried. The Phoenix King Valley Elder is still in the capital. I¡¯m afraid that he...¡± Ying Lan didn¡¯t finish his statement. Bai Luochu wanted to refuse his proposal but he realized that he made sense. In the end, she agreed. In the next few days, Ying Lan made constant trips to the general¡¯s residence. Since the two of them didn¡¯t need to hide their identity, Ying Lan didn¡¯t use the secret tunnel. It was also part of Ying Lan¡¯s plan to protect Bai Luochu. Now that the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence had made a name for itself, if Ying Lan were to declare his support for Bai Luochu, it would be an added layer of protection. If there were people who wanted to make a move on her, they had to consider the consequences of his retaliation. Ying Lan didn¡¯t expect that his actions would provide protection for Bai Luochu. It also gave her a surprise. It had been days since the Phoenix King Valley had departed, Pei Rumo¡¯s secret guard who was sent to watch over Bai Luochu had been stationed outside the general¡¯s residence for a long time. In the beginning, he would notice that Bai Luochu would frequently visit the Remote Paddy Inn. He assumed that she had to look for her food outside due to her unfair treatment in the residence. However, a man started to visit the residence after she stopped going to the Remote Paddy Inn. The guard became curious and his imagination ran wild. Who could the man be? Is he trying to show his affection for her? Over time, the secret guard noticed something strange. When Young Lady Luo Chu saw the man out, he looked extremely respectful when speaking to her. The secret guard became suspicious and stalked Ying Lan back to the Remote Paddy Inn. Isn¡¯t this the restaurant Young Lady Luo Chu would visit? Is he related to this restaurant? As a secret guard, he had a much higher salary than an ordinary guard and it was natural for him to investigate everything thoroughly before reporting back. This was the mindset of the secret guard. As such, he investigated Ying Lan¡¯s background and immediately found something strange. The real owner of this Remote Paddy Inn wasn¡¯t that innkeeper. The real owner was that man who had been frequently visiting the general¡¯s residence. This man¡¯s name was Ying Lan. He might seem like a businessman, but he was actually the leader of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Palace of Brilliance Resurgence... why did this name sound so familiar? That secret guard was usually tasked with missions that required him to leave the city. He wasn¡¯t by Pei Rumo¡¯s side during the disciples exhibition and he had only heard of the name of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence from the mouth of his comrades. After thinking about it for a long time, he finally recalled that the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence was a newly established faction. They even stomped on the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s face during the exhibition. A leader of a newly established faction and an orphan girl with multiple identities? What was going to happen when these two individuals gathered together? The secret guard used his spirit qi to ignite the paper used for transmitting information. When he saw this paper turning into ashes, the secret guard made a decision in his heart. Chapter 216: Secretly Disclosing the Information Before the sun rose to the middle of the sky, Pei Rumo had completed his morning imperial court assembly. He got ready to return to his residence. After several early morning imperial court assemblies, Pei Rumo was truly exhausted. Furthermore, he was considered an important figure in the imperial court. He had to hand in his evaluation of the various imperial offices on a daily basis. Even when others took a break, he had to enter the palace in the morning to pay his respects to his Emperor Father. He also had to discuss with his Emperor Father about the plans for the nation. Even a person made of iron wouldn¡¯t be able to endure such exhausting tasks, let alone Pei Rumo who was just a mere mortal. The moment Pei Rumo entered the carriage, he closed his eyes to take a breather. He really enjoyed the time when he traveled to and fro from the First Prince¡¯s residence to the imperial palace as it was a time for him to take a break. As soon as he alighted the carriage, he would be busy once again. ¡°Master, the secret guard commander has been waiting respectfully for your arrival in the study room. He said something about a report. Do you want to let him wait outside while you rest?¡± As soon as he stepped down from his carriage, Pei Rumo¡¯s personal attendant immediately came up to him. When he saw his master¡¯s exhausted expression, the personal attendant didn¡¯t lead his master to the study room immediately. Didn¡¯t I send him out to watch over that lass? Why is he back?! It appeared that Pei Rumo¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t completely sober as he wasn¡¯t able to react immediately to the secret guard commander¡¯s sudden return. He didn¡¯t say anything else and strolled towards the main courtyard. When he was about to reach his room, he suddenly thought about what his personal attendant said. ¡°Did you say something about the secret guard commander having something to report?¡± When the personal attendant noticed that his master was talking about the secret guard commander before stepping into his room, he was startled for a moment. However, he calmed himself down in the next second and respectfully replied, ¡°Yes, Master. This servant suggested that you rest before going to listen to the report in the study room. When you headed for your courtyard, this servant assumed that you wished to rest for a moment before heading to the study.¡± Pei Rumo shook his head in response and felt that his brain was moving too slowly. How could he rest before listening to the secret guard¡¯s report? ¡°I shall go to the study room first.¡± If the secret guard was back, it meant that something had happened to Luo Chu. Pei Rumo quickened his steps as he walked towards his study. When he opened the door, he noticed that the secret guard had been standing there for quite some time. At this point, the secret guard had already entered into a meditative state. ¡°Please forgive me. I have something important to report and came over without notifying Master. I hope Master can forgive me for disturbing your rest.¡± Pei Rumo shook his head and replied, ¡°No matter, I was thinking about slacking off before you came. Now that you are here, there is no longer a need to waste my time doing nothing. Speak, why are you here? Did something happen at the general¡¯s residence?¡± Pei Rumo was a prince and was brought up well. He felt that it was inappropriate for him to pay attention to an unwed lady from another family. In front of his subordinates, he would refer to the general¡¯s residence when asking about Bai Luochu. That secret guard nodded and immediately reported his findings. ¡°There is indeed news regarding the general¡¯s residence. This subordinate saw that Young Lady Luo Chu was frequently visiting the Remote Paddy Inn. I assumed that her uncle was ill-treating her and she went out to look for food. However, after a few days, a man started visiting the residence.¡± ¡°A man? Is he someone I know? Is he an influential figure in the capital city?¡± Pei Rumo initially thought that someone was visiting Bai Luochu due to her identity as Divine Physician Bai. The secret guard muttered for a moment and seemed to organize his thoughts. Before long, he continued his report, ¡°At first, this subordinate thought that he was Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s suitor and didn¡¯t pay attention to him. However, I noticed something strange when Young Lady Luo Chu was sending him off. The man was extremely respectful to Young Lady Luo Chu and something felt off. As such, this subordinate went off to do some investigation.¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t say anything and nodded as an indication for the secret guard to carry on talking. ¡°As it turns out, the man is the real owner behind the Remote Paddy Inn. Moreover, Master seems to have met him before.¡± ¡°Oh? Someone I¡¯ve seen before¡­ Tell me about that man.¡± When Pei Rumo heard that he was acquainted with the man, he felt rather curious. ¡°Does Master remember the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence? They were in the spotlight during the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciple exhibition.¡± The secret guard probed with a question as he was afraid that his investigation might be wrong. Pei Rumo suddenly thought of the white-robed man who humiliated the Phoenix King Valley. He seemed to be a member of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. He immediately replied, ¡°Of course. Is the man related to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence?¡± The secret guard let out a breath of relief and it seemed as though his investigation was right. He immediately informed Pei Rumo about his findings. ¡°That man is the leader of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and his name is Ying Lan. This subordinate returned so hastily in order to make this report. Young Lady Luo Chu is just an orphan of the general¡¯s residence¡­ how can she be acquainted with such a person? If Master thinks this isn¡¯t a major issue, please forgive this subordinate for the intrusion.¡± Pei Rumo fell silent after hearing the report. That¡¯s right, Luo Chu is just an orphan girl. Why is she involved with someone like him? Chapter 217: Intention to Recrui Pei Rumo had always been a serious person and there was hardly ever a smile on his face. His subordinates would usually acknowledge his order with a stiff expression unlike Pei Qingfeng¡¯s guards who would joke around with their master. When the personal attendant saw the secret guard commander leaving, he immediately entered and informed Pei Rumo, ¡°Master, this servant took the opportunity to clear up your room. I lit up some new incense and sunned the bedding.¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t move and thoughts flew through his mind. Why is Ying Lan and Luo Chu so close? Can it be because of her medical skills? Maybe it is her status as the Third Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e? Soon enough, Pei Rumo denied his second guess. After all, why would these people of the martial world bother about the status and false reputation given out by the imperial clan? None of that made sense. In that case, he must be doing it for Luo Chu¡¯s medical skills. It seems like she has already joined the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. She probably joined after returning to the general¡¯s residence. Otherwise, why would the commander of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence be so respectful to her? He even visited her so frequently¡­ Even if the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s commander cherishes talents and respects the wise, the treatment that he provided was fit for a founding member. As soon as this thought appeared in his head, he recalled plenty of details related to the matter. Now that he thought about it, the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s commander seemed to be paying attention to Luo Chu since a long time ago. During the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, he stopped moving when someone yelled her name. When he saw her retreating with the severely injured Pei Qingfeng, he withdrew from the battle and disregarded the Green Flame Eagle. It seemed weird back then but he recalled the presence of the silver-haired man beside her in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range and beside Ying Lan during the disciple exhibition. In this world, it was extremely rare to find two identical-looking individuals, let alone two handsome men with silver hair. From the looks of it, Luo Chu had probably joined the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence with the identity of Divine Physician Bai a long time ago. Now that her identity was already exposed, there was no need to hide her relationship to the faction any longer. Tsk Tsk, Luo Chu is truly adept at hiding. She is an incredible person exceeding my expectations. ¡°Master? Master? This servant is talking to you. Why aren¡¯t you responding to this servant after such a long time?¡± That personal attendant noticed that Pei Rumo was unresponsive and after waiting for some time, he brought his master back to reality. That attendant acknowledged his orders and started to grind the ink. Pei Rumo raised his brush and thought of a reason to convince Ying Lan to accept the invitation. After thinking for a long time and running through countless simulations in his head, he started writing. After writing the invitation card, Pei Rumo spoke to his attendant, ¡°After the ink dries, bring the letter to the Remote Paddy Inn. Get the boss out and hand this invitation over to him. This is an invitation for dinner two days later. Remember, you need to hand this invitation over to the boss behind the scenes.¡± ¡°Yes, this servant understands. Does Master need to do anything else right now? If you don¡¯t, please take a break. This servant sees that Master is overworking himself. I know that Master cares for the world but your body can¡¯t hold out for long. Please take a break in order to avoid overexhaustion.¡± When that attendant saw that Pei Rumo had the time to take a break, he started to nag at his master. Pei Rumo was annoyed by his attendant and immediately decided to rest in order to stop the nagging. He quickly turned and walked towards his courtyard. When the attendant saw his master ignoring him and walking away, he was shocked. ¡°Master, where are you going now?¡± The attendant felt annoyed as his master wasn¡¯t taking good care of himself. Pei Rumo rolled his eyes. He felt that if he didn¡¯t state what he was going to do, the attendant would follow him back into his bed. If that were to happen, he would probably need to spend even more effort to get rid of his servant. He quickly explained himself, ¡°What else can I do? I am going to rest. Aren¡¯t you urging me to take a break?¡± When the attendant heard his master¡¯s reply, he felt gratified and felt that his constant nagging had finally worked. He nodded and bowed in order to excuse himself. After taking a few steps, he turned around and spoke to Pei Rumo. ¡°This servant changed your quilt and it is extremely fluffy and comfortable. However, it might not be enough to cover Master¡¯s body. Even though the sun is still in the sky, the weather is getting colder. If Master wishes to sleep, please remember to keep yourself warm.¡± ¡°I understand. Is there anything else?¡± Pei Rumo felt very annoyed by his attendant¡¯s constant harping. After thinking for some time, the attendant felt that he had to repeat himself since his master hadn¡¯t been paying attention to whatever he talked about. He felt that it was better if he reminded his master one more time. ¡°Another thing. This servant lit another incense in order to better Master¡¯s sleep. If you aren¡¯t used to it, let any one of the servants know and they will change it back to the original one. Sister Zi Su will bring them to you.¡± ¡°Alright. If there is nothing else, hurry up and deliver the invitation card!¡± That attendant seemed to have detected a trace of annoyance in Pei Rumo¡¯s voice. He immediately made his way to the Remote Paddy Inn. Chapter 218: Scalding Invitation Card ¡°Innkeeper, call your boss out. My Master tasked me to deliver an invitation card.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s attendant stood in front of the counter and spoke to the innkeeper who was doing his accounts. When the innkeeper heard what was said, his hand that was using the abacus paused. He was thinking to himself, Did Commander Ying¡¯s identity get exposed? Even if that is the case, I can¡¯t admit to it so easily. The innkeeper acted as though he didn¡¯t know anything and said, ¡°What is this young brother talking about? Aren¡¯t I, the innkeeper standing right here? Where else can the boss be?¡± ¡°You can stop pretending. My Master is the First Prince. Do you think there is anything he doesn¡¯t know inside this capital city? Since I am here to look for the true boss of the Remote Paddy Inn, he naturally knows everything happening behind the scenes. Hurry up and inform him. If there are any delays, neither of us can bear the responsibility.¡± The attendant was pressing hard and acted as though he wouldn¡¯t rest until he achieved his objective. The innkeeper was still struggling and he seemed determined to portray himself as the boss of the Remote Paddy Inn. However, the heavens were set on thwarting his plans as Ying Lan walked through the entrance as the two of them were stuck in a deadlock. As soon as Ying Lan entered, he noticed a constipated expression on the innkeeper¡¯s face. There was another man who wore clothing made of luxurious materials in front of him but it seemed like clothes servants would wear. Ying Lan immediately became suspicious. ¡°Old Zhang, what is going on? Is this person looking for trouble?¡± When the innkeeper heard Ying Lan¡¯s voice, instead of a relieved expression, a bitter one appeared on his face. He thought about how there were better times for Commander Ying to return but he had to appear when the man in front of him was looking for the true boss of the Remote Paddy Inn. There was no longer a way for him to hide the truth. As for the attendant, he turned his body the moment he heard Ying Lan¡¯s voice. The man standing in front of him wore a plain black robe. However, he had a calm and steady aura around him and a single look was enough for the attendant to know that he wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. It looks like this man should be the Remote Paddy Inn¡¯s true owner. Even though he hadn¡¯t confirmed Ying Lan¡¯s identity, he gave a polite greeting. ¡°Is sire the true owner of the Remote Paddy Inn? If you are, please accept this invitation card. My Master told me to personally hand it to you. After taking the card, please attend the feast held in my Master¡¯s residence.¡± When Ying Lan heard the attendant, the warm atmosphere in the inn became frigid. He emitted a murderous aura and a mountain-like pressure pressed down on the attendant. When Ying Lan saw that the attendant wasn¡¯t fazed in the slightest, he laughed heartily. ¡°Hahaha, you have some guts. Tell me, who is your Master? I need to know the identity of your Master before I can accept the invitation, right?¡± Ying Lan didn¡¯t directly admit that he was the hidden boss of the Remote Paddy Inn but it was clear that he didn¡¯t deny it either. Moreover, he even asked for the identity of the person sending the invitation card. Even the attendant couldn¡¯t help but praise in his heart: The owner of the Remote Paddy Inn is a true master. He knew he had to quickly reply Ying Lan as it would bring shame onto the teachings of the First Prince¡¯s residence otherwise. ¡°In response to sire¡¯s question, this servant¡¯s Master is none other than the First Prince of the imperial clan. My Master doesn¡¯t hold any malicious intent when inviting sire to the feast, please do not worry.¡± Ying Lan¡¯s eyes squinted slightly and asked in return, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me how a servant like you knows the intention of your Master?¡± That attendant wasn¡¯t embarrassed at all and instead, a smile blossomed on his face before he replied Ying Lan, ¡°This one isn¡¯t afraid of being laughed at. I have been serving His First Highness for quite a number of years, hence, I understand my Master rather well. My Master is the eldest son of the imperial clan and there are plenty of eyes monitoring him every day. They are watching his every move in order to find an opening to exploit. If my Master shows any malicious intent towards you, he won¡¯t be doing so in public. There are plenty of people and too many mouths. I should avoid some topics and I hope sire knows what this servant is trying to say.¡± Ying Lan looked at the invitation card and thought hard about whether he should accept. It was as if the attendant had sensed Ying Lan¡¯s hesitation as he immediately pushed the card closer to Ying Lan. ¡°It is best for sire to accept it. This one still has to report back and if my Master doesn¡¯t see me after waking up, things won¡¯t be good for the both of us.¡± A smile was still on the attendant¡¯s face but it was so pretentious to the point where anyone could tell it was fake. The attendant was obviously trying to intimidate Ying Lan. Ying Lan muttered for a moment before he reached out to receive the invitation card. ¡°How can a nobody like me let down the First Prince¡¯s kind intentions? I hope this young brother can report back to His First Highness that I will be there two days later. I hope the food will not disappoint me.¡± Ying Lan had already accepted the invitation card and there was no change in the attendant¡¯s expression. Of course, that was on the surface. In his heart, the attendant heaved a sigh of relief. It¡¯s more tiring to deal with this man than to deal with Master. After all, I know nothing about him. If I say something wrong and make him angry, I might even die without knowing the cause of my death. ¡°If that is the case, this servant shall no longer impose on sire. I shall return to the residence.¡± After finishing his statement, the attendant bowed headed straight for the First Prince¡¯s residence. Ying Lan was left standing in the hall and he looked at the back of the attendant, seemingly thinking of something. Chapter 219: The Attendant’s Opinion of Ying Lan ¡°Commander Ying, are you okay? Why did you accept it? There is an old saying, ¡®Being close to the sovereign can be as perilous as lying with a tiger.¡¯ Even though the First Prince is still just a prince, his temperament is exactly the same as the old emperor. He is sinister and hard to predict. I¡¯m afraid it will be bad for you to attend the dinner by yourself.¡± There was a concerned expression on the innkeeper¡¯s face. Those who didn¡¯t know would think that Ying Lan was marching towards the gates of hell instead of going to a feast organized by a prince. Instead of complaining, Ying Lan laughed and explained, "Old Zhang, do you think nothing will happen if I declined this invitation card?" Old Zhang understood the meaning of Ying Lan''s words. Even if Commander Ying was the Palace Master of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, he was still a tier lower than the imperial clan. Old Zhang opened his mouth and wanted to say something but swallowed the words back down in the end. "I will be visiting the general¡¯s residence at noon tomorrow. Prepare Divine Physician Bai¡¯s favorite snacks. It has been a long time since Mistress had her favorite snacks. She should be craving for some.¡± Ying Lan might be thinking of a lot of things, but he didn¡¯t allow the innkeeper to notice. When the attendant returned to the First Prince¡¯s residence, Pei Rumo was still asleep. The attendant felt that it had been too long since his master took a good rest and decided that it wasn¡¯t too late to report the matter after his master woke up. As such, the attendant made his way to the study and packed the room before Pei Rumo¡¯s arrival. It was almost lunchtime and seeing that Pei Rumo had yet to wake up, the attendant stopped everything he was doing and decided to head over to the main courtyard. He was shocked when he opened the door of the study and ran into Pei Rumo. ¡°Has the matter been settled?¡± When Pei Rumo saw his attendant leaving his study, he casually threw his question out. ¡°In response to Master¡¯s question, this servant completed the task. Master doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡± The attendant replied respectfully. Pei Rumo nodded and stepped into the study. He noticed that the study room was much tidier compared to before and became slightly confused. ¡°You packed the room?¡± The study room had plenty of imperial notices and there were some that involved the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s secrets. Pei Rumo glanced at the attendant with a profound light flashing in his eyes. "I¡¯m not blaming you. However, I¡¯m afraid someone might have touched something when both of us were absent.¡± When the attendant heard what his master said, he understood that Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t suspecting him of anything. After heaving a sigh of relief, he heard Pei Rumo¡¯s voice in his ears once again. "Did you meet him? What did you talk to him about? What is your opinion of that person?¡± It was obvious that this attendant knew who ''that person'' was. He immediately replied, "In response to Master''s question... This servant is a crude person and in this servant''s opinion, I think he is a merciless fiend." "Oh? What do you mean?" Pei Rumo became interested in the attendant¡¯s description. "I am not afraid if Master laughs at me. This servant has served you for a long time and I have seen many things. I managed to survive in the capital city and I feel that my experience is not lacking in the slightest. This servant feels that the aura around him is similar to Master¡¯s. This servant had to gather all my courage when handing over the invitation card.¡± "Hahahaha, is this person truly as formidable as you say?" Pei Rumo laughed heartily when he saw the wronged expression on his attendant¡¯s face. When the attendant heard Pei Rumo''s laughter, he felt rather embarrassed. In order to prove his worth, he quickly added, "Master must believe me! That person was smiling at first but when I pointed out his identity, the air around him changed! Even those high-ranking officials will not cause such a change when they become enraged.¡± "Were you not overly nervous? How is there such a powerful person in a small inn?" In Pei Rumo''s opinion, Ying Lan was just the leader of a small faction. It was impossible for him to possess a powerful aura. After seeing Pei Rumo''s disdainful expression, the attendant became anxious.anxious. "That is not all. This servant is sure that the man is extremely powerful. He seems ordinary but he is like an artifact sword hidden in an unadorned sheath. The sword looks ordinary from the outside but contains a sharp and cold murderous aura. Moreover, it feels like he had been through countless battles before. Had he not been revealing himself in public all the time, this servant might have mistaken him for a secret guard who crawled out from a pile of corpses.¡± After hearing his attendant¡¯s evaluation, Pei Rumo¡¯s expectations soared. After all, his attendant had been following him for a long time. He might be rather childish but he knew that Pei Rumo hated exaggerations. If he was able to speak of such things, it meant that Ying Lan was an extremely capable individual. It seemed as though he had to be more cautious during the dinner feast in two days. If he was a little careless, he might fall into a deep pit dug by others. "You don''t have to be overly concerned. Since he is willing to accept our invitation, he doesn¡¯t have a grudge against us. Why don¡¯t you start thinking of the dishes we will serve him during the feast? When all is said and done, we are the ones who exposed his identity first and took the initiative to deliver the invitation card. We even forced him to attend. If the food isn¡¯t to his liking, won¡¯t my First Prince¡¯s residence become the laughing stock of the world? If news travel out, no one will say that you are incompetent. Rather, everyone will say that I, Pei Rumo, can¡¯t teach my servants well." In order to calm his attendant down, Pei Rumo quickly gave out his next set of instructions. Chapter 220: The Hard to Fathom Pei Rumo ¡°There is no need to say anything else. Just prepare the things. It is unnecessary for you to be concerned about anything else. After all, this is the First Prince¡¯s residence. I know he seems rather shrewd and he should know that it is in his best interest not to create trouble here. You may be dismissed.¡± Pei Rumo spoke and interrupted his attendant. When the attendant saw that his master already had a plan in his heart, he quickly withdrew. Early the next day, Ying Lan picked a time when Bai Luochu had ended her morning cultivation session to visit. He brought the invitation card with him. ¡°Mistress, Commander Ying is here. He says that he has something urgent to discuss with you.¡± Cai Ling saw that Bai Luochu was still eating her breakfast and she didn¡¯t dare to disturb her. Bai Luochu who was busy shoving food into her mouth paused and muttered softly, ¡°He is here very early today. It seems like there is truly something urgent.¡± She raised her head and said to Cai Ling, ¡°Ask him to head to the secluded courtyard. I will make my way there after breakfast.¡± ¡°Yes, this servant understands.¡± Cai Ling responded respectfully and she went to the entrance to bring Ying Lan into the residence. Bai Luochu watched as Cai Ling walked towards the entrance and the speed at which she stuffed the food in her mouth increased. If Ying Lan came in such a hurry, there had to be something serious he needed to report. The faster she obtained the information the better. Ying Lan arrived at the secluded courtyard and placed the invitation card on the table and he paced around the room. He was extremely nervous as he awaited Bai Luochu¡¯s arrival. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What is so urgent that you have to rush over early in the morning? This isn¡¯t like you.¡± This was the main reason Bai Luochu hurried over. Ying Lan had always done things in a calm and concise manner. If something caused him to panic, it would undoubtedly be a huge matter. ¡°Mistress, why don¡¯t you look at the invitation card on the table before making a decision?¡± Ying Lan pointed at the card on the table and Bai Luochu picked it up carefully before reading it. As she read through the card, her brows knitted together tightly. Her expression became increasingly awful. ¡°This invitation card is given to you by Pei Rumo?¡± Bai Luochu looked at Ying Lan and asked. Bai Luochu placed the invitation card down and mumbled for a moment before speaking, ¡°It isn¡¯t a big issue for him to find out about your true identity. Back then, when he rescued me from the Bestial Battle Arena, he managed to investigate Luo Chu¡¯s background. He even wanted me to cause the Third Prince some trouble. Not to worry, nothing will go wrong.¡± ¡°This subordinate isn¡¯t worried about this, this subordinate is worried that if the First Prince continues to investigate, he might find out about this subordinate¡¯s old identity. Mistress¡¯ true identity might even be dug out.¡± Ying Lan spoke of the concern in his heart. ¡°It won¡¯t happen. Even if he finds out about your old identity, there is no way he will think that I am the evil dao witch. After all, this matter is simply unimaginable. If that day really comes, my strength will be much higher and even if I cannot win in a battle against him, I can escape. Furthermore, the First Prince is a person who won¡¯t move without benefits. If he learns of my true identity, he will make use of the information to blackmail me in order to get the most out of it. He will never kick up a big fuss because of it.¡± After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation, Ying Lan started to calm down. After all, the heavens had already pitied his mistress to let her reincarnate into another body. He had to protect her no matter what in order to not let a tragedy happen again. ¡°This subordinate has something he needs Mistress to clarify.¡± Ying Lan cupped his fist and bowed to Bai Luochu respectfully. Bai Luochu raised her brows slightly when she heard what he said. She became a little suspicious of his overly nervous attitude. ¡°Oh? What else is the problem? Why don¡¯t you say it.¡± ¡°I wonder if Mistress remembers that this subordinate mentioned about the secret guards around the general¡¯s residence?¡± Ying Lan raised his head and looked at Bai Luochu. After seeing her nod, he continued speaking, ¡°This subordinate suspects that the secret guard was sent by the First Prince. After seeing this subordinate so close to Mistress, he probably invited this subordinate over to learn about the reason behind our relationship. I do not understand why the First Prince wants to invite me over by using a feast as an excuse.¡± Bai Luochu reached out and handed the invitation card back to Ying Lan. She smiled and consoled him, ¡°There is no need to be worried. He is a person who does things with a clear intention in mind. If he really wants to harm you, he will never invite you over publically. I have lived in his residence for a long time and I understand that he is an extremely paranoid person. Even when he first brought me in, my eyes were covered up. If he really wants you dead, he will send someone to kill you on a moonless and windy night.¡± ¡°Mistress, even if he doesn¡¯t want to harm me, isn¡¯t it strange for him to invite me, a nobody in the capital city, to a feast?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s words might have calmed Ying Lan down, but his heart was still filled with doubts. ¡°Have you been listening to me?! He won¡¯t make a move unless it benefits him! Right now, he thinks that he can make use of you. Hence the reason behind the feast.¡± ¡°Make use of me? Even if he knows of this subordinate¡¯s true identity, the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is still a small faction right now. What is in it for him?¡± Bai Luochu involuntarily rolled her eyes after hearing Ying Lan¡¯s reply. She thought that it was a good thing for Pei Rumo to invite Ying Lan into his residence. This would allow Ying Lan to learn about the chaotic situation in the capital city. Chapter 221: Bai Luochu’s Deduction ¡°Mistress is trying to say that Pei Rumo has been trying to increase his influence in the imperial court all along? Now that Pei Wuchen lost his support from the Phoenix King Valley, Pei Rumo is trying to recruit people from the martial world into his faction?¡± Ying Lan finally understood what Bai Luochu was trying to say. Bai Luochu nodded as though she agreed with what he said, but she immediately spoke of the things Ying Lan didn¡¯t consider, ¡°It is still hard to say if Pei Wuchen lost the support of the Phoenix King Valley completely. After all, he is the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Master and also Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s beloved man. It is uncertain if there will be a turn for the better. However, with my understanding of Pei Wuchen¡¯s character, he will definitely put in more effort when dealing with the affairs of the imperial court because he knows that it is impossible to form an alliance with the Phoenix King Valley through marriage.¡± ¡°As for Pei Rumo who has been fully immersed in the imperial court for such a long time, he already has a stable influence in the imperial court. He won¡¯t be anxious that Pei Wuchen is trying to challenge him. Instead, he will probably observe Pei Wuchen¡¯s every move before revealing everything to His Majesty, be it intentionally or otherwise.¡± ¡°Reveal his moves to His Majesty?¡± When Ying Lan heard Bai Luochu¡¯s deduction, he widened his eyes as though he didn¡¯t understand why the dispute between the First and Third Prince would be related to the old emperor. Bai Luochu shook her head helplessly. Ying Lan was still unable to straighten out his thoughts on this matter. Therefore, she had no choice but to put in some effort in her explanation. ¡°You might not know this, but our Emperor has always been suspicious and he is trying to balance the power of the princes. This is the reason he tolerated Pei Rumo¡¯s presence in the imperial court. He knew that Pei Wuchen had the support of the Phoenix King Valley. He wouldn¡¯t allow either side to become too powerful but now that Pei Wuchen lost the support of the Phoenix King Valley, the old Emperor would target Pei Rumo in order to balance out the influence between them. Pei Rumo¡¯s authority would be given away for sure.¡± ¡°As such, it is in Pei Rumo¡¯s best interest to withdraw from the messy situation. He will be able to avoid displeasing his Emperor Father and he can even make use of this chance to recruit powers outside the imperial court. The reason why Pei Rumo will get the chance to reveal Pei Wuchen¡¯s actions is because Pei Wuchen is stupid compared to himself. When Pei Wuchen notices Pei Rumo¡¯s withdrawal, he will definitely make a move thinking that it is his time to shine. When he tries to win over the heart of the people to expand his influence, His Majesty¡¯s ire will surely be aroused.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. I am going to breakthrough soon and you should know that it isn¡¯t easy for me to cultivate with innately crippled meridians. My meridians are rather fragile due to the lack of spirit qi nourishment. There are always obstructions to my breakthrough. If there is nothing urgent, please do not look for me. As for the affairs for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, you should discuss more with Guan Yue and Meng Luoping. We need to trust them since they are already in our faction. In terms of their strength, intelligence, and character, you should be clear about it. Why don¡¯t you make use of them and allow them to assist you? Won¡¯t it be much better than cracking your head open?¡± When Ying Lan heard Bai Luochu¡¯s suggestion, he helplessly shook his head and said, ¡°This subordinate understands. Since the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is already established, this subordinate isn¡¯t the only voice in the faction. If there is anything serious, I will discuss things through with them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Don¡¯t you need to go back to prepare? You should hurry up and do what you need to do.¡± After Bai Luochu analyzed the details of the imperial clan with Ying Lan, she felt very exhausted. However, she didn¡¯t wish to chase him away as he was her close guard. As such, she tactfully dismissed him. Ying Lan noticed how tired Bai Luochu was and decided to leave. He quickly left the courtyard and made his way back to the Remote Paddy Inn. After Ying Lan left, Bai Luochu stared blankly into space as her finger unintentionally tapped on the table. Cai Ling was rather surprised to see Bai Luochu in such a state and felt that there was something bothering her mistress as she had been spacing out quite a few times these days. ¡°Mistress, are you returning to your courtyard to cultivate? It will be time for lunch soon.¡± Cai Ling kindly reminded. Cai Ling¡¯s words pulled Bai Luochu back to reality. She looked up at the sky and realized that the sun was blazing down on her, ¡°I didn¡¯t notice the passing of time¡­¡± ¡°Mistress will lose track of time when discussing serious matters with Commander Ying. Moreover, your cultivation session ended late today. Your entire schedule was pushed back.¡± Cai Ling couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Mistress is great at everything but will lose track of time when she takes care of her private matters. If I¡¯m not by her side, Mistress will definitely forget to eat her meals. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the courtyard. I have things I need to inform you.¡± Bai Luochu finished speaking and headed back to her courtyard. As soon as Bai Luochu returned to her courtyard, she started to instruct Cai Ling. She hadn¡¯t even sat down when the words came out of her mouth. ¡°Cai Ling, I am going to break through right now and if there is nothing urgent, do not disturb me. Another thing, my uncle¡¯s family has been too quiet recently. There is definitely something wrong with them. Watch them closely for me and if there is anything serious, inform me right away. I hope I won¡¯t be caught off guard.¡± ¡°Mistress, what about your meals?¡± Cai Ling knew that Bai Luochu regularly forgot to eat when she cultivated. She was really concerned for her mistress. Chapter 222: Private Discussion Two days couldn¡¯t be considered a long time, neither could it be considered a short time. Bai Luochu immersed herself in her cultivation for two days. ¡°Is everything ready? Master said that the feast is prepared for an esteemed guest. If there is anything wrong, Master will be seen as a disrespectful host. Be on your toes at all times.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s attendant spoke to the servants who were preparing the food. ¡°Ming Lu, Master is calling for you.¡± Someone shouted from outside the kitchen. That attendant turned around to look at the person calling for him before addressing the servants in the kitchen again, ¡°Be careful. Nothing must go wrong. Master is calling for me and I shall return in a short moment. I hope all of you will do a good job.¡± The attendant called Ming Lu quickly went to Pei Rumo¡¯s study room after barking out his last sentence at the servants. ¡°Master, you called for me? Is there anything else you need me to prepare for tonight¡¯s dinner?¡± Ming Lu was picked up by Pei Rumo since he was very young. As such, he had always been respectful. Pei Rumo glanced up from his table and saw that Ming Lu had arrived. ¡°Indeed, if we can recruit this person, it will definitely help the First Prince¡¯s residence. Today is our first official meeting and nothing must go wrong. I trust you, but I can¡¯t get rid of the feeling that something will go wrong.¡± Just like what Bai Luochu said, now that Pei Wuchen had lost the support of the Phoenix King Valley, the old emperor wouldn¡¯t be happy that Pei Rumo was the main figure in the imperial court. In order not to incur the wrath of the old emperor, Pei Rumo broke off one of his arms in the imperial court, losing a lot of power. However, if there came a day when the Phoenix King Valley decided to support Pei Wuchen again, he would be at a massive disadvantage. Hence, the most important thing for Pei Rumo now was to allow Pei Wuchen to attract the old emperor¡¯s attention while gathering up his strength in the martial world. There is a saying, ¡®The imperial court never meddles in the affairs of the martial world.¡¯ If I want to make a move in the future, there will be experts outside the scope of politics able to help me. A trace of a smile appeared on Pei Rumo¡¯s face. ¡°Master doesn¡¯t have to worry. The preparation for tonight¡¯s dinner is personally overseen by this servant. There will not be any problems. Now that the weather is cold, the ingredients will not rot so easily. This servant ordered the people in the kitchen to prepare the dishes such that they can quickly serve it during dinner time.¡± Ming Lu nodded and reported to Pei Rumo respectfully. ¡°That will be good. You can leave and make sure to watch them carefully. Nothing can go wrong.¡± Pei Rumo instructed. Ming Lu acknowledged his orders and headed to the kitchen. ¡°Luoping is right. I heard about the First Prince from my father and that he is someone who schemes deeply. He is one of the heirs most likely to seize the throne in the future. Think about it, our Cloud Water Nation¡¯s Emperor stepped over countless brothers in order to sit on the throne. How can his son be any different?¡± Guan Yue revealed everything to Ying Lan when he saw that even Meng Luoping felt that Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t a simple person. He described Pei Rumo according to his father¡¯s description. Ying Lan was having a headache due to the two of them and he regretted his decision to invite them over for a discussion. The two of them acted rather decently in front of Bai Luochu, but when he was there alone, they became completely different people. ¡°Enough, nothing good will happen if we sit here and talk all day. I have already agreed and it is impossible for me not to go. There might be a chance for me to salvage the situation by heading over. Otherwise, we will be offending the First Prince. This morning, Old Zhang encountered the attendant in the marketplace. It seems like everything is being prepared as we speak. If I fail to show up, Pei Rumo will definitely be infuriated and he might even order for my arrest.¡± Ying Lan didn¡¯t wish to continue listening to the two of them. He stated his decision and told the two of them he was going to attend the feast no matter what. ¡°In my opinion, you shouldn¡¯t have accepted the invitation in the first place. Even if you did, you should have thought of an excuse. There wouldn¡¯t be a need to rack our brains now if you did all that.¡± Meng Luoping didn¡¯t detect the frustration in Ying Lan¡¯s voice and he spoke whatever came to mind. ¡°Refuse? He is an imperial prince. How am I supposed to refuse an invitation from him? Even Mistress said that he is someone who won¡¯t rest until he gets what he wants. He might even order his secret guard to invite me into his residence if I refuse to go on my own accord. Even I can¡¯t tell the strength of those secret guards¡­ If we fight, I don¡¯t think I will be able to gain the upper hand¡± When Ying Lan was speaking, he felt a little upset. He felt that if he was stronger, his mistress wouldn¡¯t have to act so passively. Guan Yue and Meng Luoping fell into silence after hearing Ying Lan¡¯s response. It was true, he was the imperial prince. Even if they were powerful individuals, they were still commoners. Everything under the sky was the emperor¡¯s land. Even if they could hide for a moment, would they be able to hide for their entire life? Chapter 223: Ying Lan Attending the Feas It was early evening and the lanterns were just lit. Ying Lan set off from the Remote Paddy Inn and headed towards the First Prince¡¯s residence. From far away, he could see the bright lights and servants were entering and exiting the courtyard non-stop. The illumination from the lanterns made it look like the sun was still up in the residence and there was a black shadow standing at the entrance. The shadow looked into the distance as though he was waiting for something. Ying Lan walked over and noticed that the person waiting at the entrance was the attendant who delivered the invitation card. When the attendant saw Ying Lan arriving, he was very excited and immediately went over to welcome the man. ¡°Palace Master Ying, you have finally arrived! This one has been waiting for a long time¡­ If you fail to turn up, Master will surely put the blame on me. Please follow me into the residence to take part in the feast. Master has been waiting in the main hall for quite some time now.¡± The attendant finished speaking and bowed with a gesture to invite Ying Lan into the residence. He then led Ying Lan into the main hall. Pei Rumo was already waiting for him and there were a total of eight dishes laid out on the table. Eight of them were hot and the others were cold dishes. There was a stew in the center of the table and it seemed like it had been cooking for quite some time. Pei Rumo was seated in the host¡¯s seat and he gently fanned himself. Had it not been for the scar on his face and the stern aura that broke the friendly atmosphere around him, Pei Rumo would look like a graceful young master. ¡°Master, Palace Master Ying Lan is here. Shall we start the feast?¡± Ming Lu bowed to Pei Rumo and tilted his body sideways to reveal Ying Lan¡¯s presence behind him. Now that Ying Lan had arrived, Pei Rumo immediately closed his folding fan and stood up. He greeted Ying Lan politely, ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be able to invite Palace Master Ying today. Please take a seat.¡± Pei Rumo pointed to a chair on the eastern side of the room. In the Cloud Water Nation, people seated at this position were all esteemed guests. Pei Rumo used this custom to show his respect for Ying Lan. Ying Lan didn¡¯t hold himself back as he went over to his seat. He didn¡¯t know much about Pei Rumo and it was best for him to speak less. The more he spoke, the more mistakes he might make. It was fine for him if Pei Rumo spotted a mistake and made things difficult for him, but if it implicated his mistress, things wouldn¡¯t be good. ¡°Bring up the plum blossom brew and warm it up at the side.¡± Pei Rumo immediately instructed his servants after seeing Ying Lan take a seat. ¡°Yes.¡± Ming Lu acknowledged his orders and headed straight for the kitchen. The plum blossom brew was unsealed from the mud during daybreak and the morning dew was still present on the surface of the jug. With such meticulous preparation, the wine was at its best flavor and the drinker wouldn¡¯t be easily intoxicated. In order not to let the alcohol smell disperse into the air, Ming Lu had specially asked the men to seal the liquor in an icehouse to preserve the taste. As a result, they needed a stove to heat up the liquor before they could serve it. Once the plum blossom brew was heated up, it would be an exceptional liquor that couldn¡¯t be found even among the many restaurants in the Cloud Water Nation. Pei Rumo waited for Ming Lu to serve the wine and he waited for an opportunity to bring up the topic. Since Ming Lu wanted to preserve the taste of the wine, he took a long time to serve it. Since Ying Lan didn¡¯t understand what Pei Rumo was thinking, he waited for the prince to break the silence. As Ming Lu poured the alcohol, he noticed an absolutely bizarre scene. These two individuals who had outstanding strength and appearances sat in front of a table full of dishes, without moving an inch. The duo¡¯s current state frightened Ming Lu and he assumed that the dishes prepared by him were not to their liking. The more he thought about it, the more his arm shook as he poured the wine. He finally filled the cups and he placed the jug on the table. If he spilled the fine wine when the dishes were already not to their liking, Ming Lu was sure that he would lose his position in the First Prince¡¯s residence after this. ¡°Master, Palace Master Ying Lan, are the dishes not to your liking? If there is anything you wish to eat, please inform this servant. I will ask the men to prepare it right away! If our kitchen can¡¯t prepare the food, I will get someone to purchase it from the famous restaurants in the capital city.¡± Ming Lu asked carefully with his head lowered. He glanced at Pei Rumo from time to time to look at the expression on his master¡¯s face. However, there was nothing out of the ordinary and Ming Lu hastily offered a solution. Pei Rumo was an official who had been meddling in political affairs for a long time. He quickly reacted and poured a cup for wine for Ying Lan before speaking to Ming Lu. ¡°It¡¯s all good here. However, there is a saying that goes, ¡®to drink and chat merrily¡¯. Without the wine, how are we supposed to start? Isn¡¯t that right, Palace Master Ying Lan?¡± Pei Rumo easily started a topic and passed it over to Ying Lan. Before Ying Lan could say a word, Ming Lu interrupted him. ¡°Please forgive me, honored sir. This servant went through the complicated process to preserve the aromatic taste of the plum blossom brew. It was unsealed in the morning and this servant stored it in an icehouse in order to preserve the taste. Sorry for the delay. This plum blossom brew is a liquor prepared personally by Master and there are only ten jars available per year. If I ruin the taste, won¡¯t I be wasting Master¡¯s efforts?¡± Ming Lu¡¯s explanation was utterly brilliant. First, he explained the reason for the delay, then he stated the preciousness of the plum blossom brew, allowing Ying Lan to feel that he was highly regarded. Chapter 224: More Sounding Ou When Pei Rumo saw that Ying Lan didn¡¯t mind it, he immediately took the chance to alleviate the situation. ¡°Since Palace Master Ying Lan doesn¡¯t mind, I shall not harp on it either. Although it is never too late for a good meal, it is better when the food is hot. Let us begin. I didn¡¯t invite you here to make you starve.¡± Ying Lan forced out a smile in response and sat down slowly. After sitting down, Ying Lan silently observed Pei Rumo¡¯s actions. After listening to his mistress¡¯s description, he knew that Pei Rumo was a person that was extremely shrewd and he couldn¡¯t underestimate such a person. Ying Lan didn¡¯t think that Pei Rumo was someone who would respect the wise and cherish the talented. After Pei Rumo witnessed Bai Luochu¡¯s capabilities, he had been thinking of ways to recruit her to his side. In his eyes, even after putting aside her identity, just her medical skills were enough for her to make a name for herself in the world. However, it was useless as she wasn¡¯t easily baited by him. Whenever he tried to talk about bringing her to his side, she would evade the topic. Originally, Pei Rumo thought that he was going to let this matter rest, but he didn¡¯t expect for this shrewd lass to be so cold and indifferent to him. She went around him and formed a close relationship with the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence behind his back. When Pei Rumo recalled the establishment of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, he realized that it coincided with the time when he tried to recruit experts to his side. It was too bad he hadn¡¯t noticed the true relationship between Bai Luochu and Ying Lan. In the end, Pei Rumo decided to directly recruit the top figure of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. This way, his negotiation with Bai Luochu would be much smoother. No matter how incredible she was, she had to listen to the arrangement of the Palace Master, right? Pei Rumo never imagined that the person making the decisions for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence was never Ying Lan. ¡°I made the last minute decision to invite Palace Master Ying Lan and didn¡¯t have time to gather rare ingredients. I hope that you will not form a bad impression of my First Prince¡¯s residence because of this.¡± Pei Rumo saw that Ying Lan had yet to pick up his chopsticks and he assumed that Ying Lan wasn¡¯t satisfied with the food. Therefore, Pei Rumo quickly offered an explanation. After all, Ying Lan was someone he was interested in recruiting and he didn¡¯t wish to offend him on their first meeting. How could Ying Lan not understand Pei Rumo¡¯s thoughts? He tried to avoid the First Prince like how he would a venomous creature. Ying Lan was afraid that the dishes were poisoned and he was trying to think of a method to make Pei Rumo eat first. Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t angry at all and instead, he laughed heartily. ¡°Hahahaha, Palace Master Ying Lan is correct. It is my mistake. I forgot basic etiquette because of your arrival¡­ Since this is the case I shall start first.¡± After Pei Rumo finished his response, he immediately picked up his chopsticks. It seemed like he had detected something and immediately gobbled down some food. He downed a cup of plum blossom brew before addressing Ying Lan again. ¡°I didn¡¯t consider things through and made Palace Master Ying Lan go hungry. I shall punish myself with a cup of wine.¡° Pei Rumo didn¡¯t forget to show Ying Lan the empty cup after drinking the liquor to show that he wasn¡¯t messing around. Ying Lan naturally felt a little embarrassed. He couldn¡¯t shrink away anymore and he immediately started to eat. The feast continued and just when they were about to finish their food, Pei Rumo asked someone to bring the leftover plum blossom brew along with the liquor warmer over to the reception pavilion. He wanted to enjoy the liquor and discuss some serious business with Ying Lan. After a few rounds, Pei Rumo seemed a little intoxicated and casually spoke to Ying Lan, ¡°This prince has something I wish to ask Palace Master Ying Lan. The Cloud Water Nation has plenty of factions and you won¡¯t need to worry about food and clothing after joining them. You will even be able to increase the speed of your cultivation¡­ Why will you establish your own faction? I understand that there will be many problems with the initial arrangement and there might even be problems after you establish yourself. What is your objective for establishing your faction in the outskirts of the capital city?¡± Ying Lan who was originally enjoying the fine wine froze. He knew that they were finally getting on to the main topic of the night. However, he felt that it was rather strange that the First Prince waited for the entire night to ask him this question. He didn¡¯t believe that Pei Rumo would wait the entire night to ask him such a simple question and neither did Pei Rumo¡¯s attendant. Ming Lu¡¯s master made him run around like a dog for the past two days in order to ensure the smooth running of the feast. Why would he ask such a random question completely unrelated to the wellbeing of the First Prince¡¯s residence? Ying Lan might be suspicious, but his brains started to move the moment the question left Pei Rumo¡¯s mouth. Was the reason simply because of his mistress¡¯ idea? No, it wasn¡¯t. Apart from wanting to revive the temple, the most important reason was that he wanted to establish a faction similar to the previous temple. It was because he wanted to provide a home for his mistress. Ying Lan contemplated for a moment before he arranged a series of words inside his mind, ¡°To be honest, when I established the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, a small reason was because I wanted there to be a place for my old friend to return to. As for the true reason¡­ My lifelong dream is to uphold righteousness in the world. I hope for this world to return to its purest state.¡± When Pei Rumo heard Ying Lan¡¯s answer, he was startled at first as he didn¡¯t expect for a faction with such outstanding talents to actually have such an ambitious goal. However, this was much better for him as a person with an ideal was better than someone without. It was easier to bring such a person to his side. Chapter 225: Pei Rumo’s Olive Branch When Ying Lan heard Pei Rumo¡¯s suggestion, he heaved a sigh of relief. He thought about how the First Prince¡¯s thoughts had been completely seen through by his mistress. Right now, he had to rely on himself to respond accordingly. It would be fine if he fell here. However, he couldn¡¯t allow the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence his mistress painstakingly established to disappear because of his mistake. ¡°Your First Highness, you are confusing me right now.¡± Ying Lan pretended that he didn¡¯t understand Pei Rumo¡¯s words and tried to relay the question back to Pei Rumo. ¡°Hahahaha, Palace Master Ying Lan, you shouldn¡¯t act confused. You and I are intelligent people and we shouldn¡¯t waste each other¡¯s time.¡± Pei Rumo obviously saw through Ying Lan¡¯s intention.. Ying Lan felt a little helpless and he thought about how Pei Rumo was extremely difficult to deal with. Instead of dragging the conversation on, he felt that he should give a straightforward reply in order to avoid incurring Pei Rumo¡¯s wrath. ¡°The First Prince is too polite. Of course I wish for the Palace of Brilliance resurgence to flourish and reach new heights. I am wondering about the cooperation you are talking about.¡± Pei Rumo saw that Ying Lan was already speaking in a straightforward manner and he started doing the same. He stated his plan to Ying Lan. ¡°This matter is a little complicated. Palace Master Ying Lan must listen well and avoid getting impatient.¡± Pei Rumo was speaking the truth. He had been brooding over the lack of influence in the martial world, but if he was to recklessly negotiate with those established factions, his plan might backfire instead. For one, he might not be able to offer them something enticing enough and they might even sell him out to the Phoenix King Valley. If that were to happen, Pei Wuchen would realize what he was trying to do. It was the reason why he delayed his plan for such a long time. But things were different now. There was a faction with great potential right in front of him. Rather than negotiating with a well established faction, why shouldn¡¯t he try nurturing one for himself? Furthermore, the moment Pei Rumo noticed the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, he had a feeling that they would be standing at the peak of the continent. In order to rope in the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to his side, Pei Rumo thought about all the conditions he could put forth. Of course, this included his plan for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Everything could be summed up with a single word, ¡®complicated¡¯. ¡°Your Highness, please speak your mind. I will pay my utmost attention.¡± When Ying Lan heard Pei Rumo speaking like this, he immediately knew that the dinner wasn¡¯t a Hongmen Feast. On the contrary, Pei Rumo was dealing with this matter with utmost sincerity. When Ying Lan heard Pei Rumo putting on such a large hat for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, he immediately evaded the praise, ¡°Your First Highness is exaggerating too much. Our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is a new faction. How can we be compared to the Phoenix King Valley that is part of the Three Great Immortal Sects?¡± Even though he was praising the Phoenix King Valley, he was despising it in his heart. ¡°Sigh, what is Palace Master Ying Lan saying... Regular people might think that the Phoenix King Valley is eminent and unapproachable, but isn¡¯t it obvious after their disciple exhibition? Those with discerning eyes can see that the Phoenix King Valley only has a gilded exterior but is shabby and ruined on the inside. Had it not been for the foundation left behind by their ancestors, they would have already collapsed. I might want to recruit you, but I am not someone who will use flattery to achieve my means. All my praises come straight from the heart. Palace Master Ying Lan should not undervalue yourself.¡± How could Ying Lan miss Pei Rumo¡¯s meaning? The situation of the Phoenix King Valley was indeed different from the past. It seemed like the capability of his Palace of Brilliance Resurgence wasn¡¯t going to escape the eyes of the First Prince. After some consideration, Ying Lan questioned Pei Rumo, ¡°How far is Your First Highness willing to take this? What kind of benefits can you bring to my Palace of Brilliance Resurgence? What do you need our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to do for you?¡± Ying Lan didn¡¯t have the intention to involve the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. He merely wanted to hear the plans that Pei Rumo had so that he would be able to consider his next course of action. To Pei Rumo, he was convinced that Ying Lan was ready to work with him. ¡°There is nothing much I need you to do. There will be times when it won¡¯t be convenient for me to make a move and as a faction in the martial world, you will be of great help. Those that wish to harm my imperial court and those smaller factions that are getting restless and wish to live off the imperial clan shall be handled by you. Moreover, I noticed Palace Master Ying Lan¡¯s close relationship with Divine Physician Bai. I believe the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence should be housing another valiant leader. If Divine Physician Bai is to follow by my side, it will be adding wings to a tiger. Things will be much more convenient.¡± ¡°Of course, there are many benefits for your faction. Previously, when Divine Physician Bai was residing in my residence, be it spirit medicine for cultivation or daily necessities, I have provided nothing but the best. As long as you need anything and it is within ability, I will provide all of it. It may seem like you are serving me, but we will be forming an alliance where both parties are equal. When ¡®that matter¡¯ is complete, the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence will be the most prestigious faction in the entire Cloud Water Nation. Your faction will even be honored as the National Sect!¡± Chapter 226: Both Taking a Step Back After Ying Lan listened to Pei Rumo¡¯s condition, his mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts. He thought about how Pei Rumo was hiding some sort of ulterior motive behind his action. Furthermore, Pei Rumo only started his idea of recruiting the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence because of his close relationship with Bai Luochu. Could it be that Pei Rumo was conspiring against his mistress? When he heard what Pei Rumo said, it seemed as though the First Prince was prepared to sacrifice quite a lot in order to rope in the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. He could even say such disgraceful things like giving the title of National Sect to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, making it look like he was extremely sincere. Too bad no one knew who he was actually targeting. The bestowment of the title was something that could only be done by the ruler of a nation. It seemed as though Pei Rumo had an intention of seizing the throne and Ying Lan couldn¡¯t agree to the deal so easily. He couldn¡¯t throw everyone into the abyss because of a wrong decision by him. Ying Lan came to a conclusion and immediately refused Pei Rumo¡¯s suggestion, ¡°I am indebted to the First Prince¡¯s preferential treatment, but I have to seek Your Highness¡¯ forgiveness as I cannot agree.¡± Ying Lan lowered his head as though he was waiting for Pei Rumo to blame him. Instead of flying into a rage, Pei Rumo became confused instead. With his conditions it was impossible for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to reject his offer. Ying Lan had only contemplated for a short moment before rejecting him. It made Pei Rumo rather curious about the origin of their faction. He felt that there was a massive power backing them. Pei Rumo raised his brows slightly and asked Ying Lan, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me the reason for the rejection? Are the conditions I offered not tempting enough?¡± When Ying Lan heard Pei Rumo¡¯s composed voice, he raised his head and replied, ¡°It isn¡¯t due to the First Prince¡¯s offer being unattractive. On the contrary, I believe that no one will refuse the First Prince¡¯s offer. Even though I am very tempted after listening to it and can feel Your Highness¡¯ sincerity¡­¡± Ying Lan paused for a moment to observe Pei Rumo¡¯s expression carefully. When he didn¡¯t notice any abnormal reaction, he started to talk again, ¡°Being tempted is my own business. Right now, if Your First Highness is trying to recruit Ying Lan alone, with such generous conditions, I will not hesitate to agree. However, I am representing the entire Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and my choice today might allow everyone to enjoy great status and wealth. However, if my decision today is a wrong one, everyone might be consigned to eternal damnation. I might be the Palace Master, but there are many things I need to discuss with the members before I can agree to your proposal. I cannot give you an answer right now.¡± Ying Lan couldn¡¯t understand Pei Rumo¡¯s expression but he still replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. I feel that I do not have the capability to save the entire Palace of Brilliance Resurgence by myself when we face danger. As such, I do not dare to make the decision by myself. The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is established with everyone¡¯s efforts and I cannot risk the lives of my brothers. Although wealth and riches are obtained through risks, the current Palace of Brilliance Resurgence can be considered stable. I hope Your First Highness will not feel that I am someone without ambition.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I didn¡¯t misjudge you. Palace Master Ying Lan is someone who values sentiment and loyalty. You can be considered a good man. However, I do not wish to give up on our relationship. What do you think we should do?¡± Pei Rumo laughed heartily first before his tone turned sharp. He tossed the ball into Ying Lan¡¯s yard and his eyes were narrowed as a dangerous aura was emitted from his body. Ying Lan¡¯s thoughts jolted and felt that after waiting for an entire night, this pretentious fox had finally exposed his tail. The price of seeing this fox¡¯s tail was rather costly and if he didn¡¯t offer a satisfactory answer today, there was a chance he might not get to leave the residence. Even though he was facing a much more dangerous Pei Rumo, Ying Lan felt more composed than before. Dealing with the real Pei Rumo was much easier than dealing with a pretentious Pei Rumo. The current First Prince had thoughts that were easier to read. There wasn¡¯t a trace of fear on Ying Lan¡¯s face as he smiled brightly at Pei Rumo. His thoughts flew through his head as he thought of an excuse which would allow him to leave the residence unscathed. ¡°There is no harm in me and Your First Highness each taking a step back.¡± Ying Lan still had a refined smile on his face as he addressed Pei Rumo. ¡°Oh? What does Palace Master Ying Lan mean?¡± Pei Rumo withdrew the dangerous aura and a smile made its way to his face. ¡°Your First Highness has the intention to recruit us and even arranged for such a feast. As a guest, I cannot possibly brush away Your First Highness¡¯ good intention. I am also someone who values loyalty and cannot make this decision for my brothers. I hope Your First Highness can keep an open mind with regards to our alliance. Give me some time to discuss with my brothers before returning with an answer. What do you think?¡± Ying Lan¡¯s face didn¡¯t change as he voiced out his suggestion. Pei Rumo¡¯s smile disappeared and the air between them became stale. He stared at Ying Lan as though he was trying to see through his thoughts. Ying Lan was a secret guard for Bai Luochu in her past life. How would it be so easy for someone to see through his thoughts? Pei Rumo looked for quite some time but couldn¡¯t figure out Ying Lan¡¯s intentions. He knew that if he continued to push Ying Lan, there would be no way to retreat. He had no choice but to compromise, ¡°Alright, I shall comply with Palace Master Ying Lan¡¯s suggestion. My conditions shall remain and once you make a decision, my residence¡¯s door shall always remain open.¡± Chapter 227: Pei Rumo’s Suspicion Pei Rumo knew that even if he didn¡¯t want to release Ying Lan, with his strength, Ying Lan would be able to force his way out of the First Prince¡¯s residence. Instead of falling out here, he might as well release him. It would be a way to improve Ying Lan¡¯s impression of him. ¡°I still have important matters to attend to and shall not see you out. Ming Lu, help me to see the guest out.¡± Pei Rumo instructed his personal attendant to send Ying Lan out. Just as Ming Lu was about to move over, he was obstructed by Ying Lan. ¡°It is fine, I remember the way and I can return on my own. Your First Highness should be extremely busy and your attendant cannot leave your side. Brother Ming Lu, please stay.¡± Ying Lan didn¡¯t wait for Ming Lu to ask for Pei Rumo¡¯s approval and had already walked off by himself. Ming Lu turned to look at Pei Rumo while waiting for his master¡¯s instruction, only to see Pei Rumo shaking his head. Pei Rumo shouted to Ying Lan who had already walked a distance, ¡°It is late at night, Palace Master Ying Lan should be a little more cautious.¡± His statement seemed to drift off into the wind as Ying Lan had already executed his movement skill and traveled quite a distance. When he saw that Ying Lan was far away, Ming Lu muttered softly, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate kindness. There are plenty of people wanting to obtain Your Highness¡¯ favor. What is wrong with him? Such a waste of my efforts over the past two days.¡± Ming Lu originally wanted to wait for his master¡¯s instruction, but after waiting for a long time, he didn¡¯t receive any instructions. He immediately turned around and took a glance, only to realize that his master was still staring blankly at the direction where Ying Lan had left. ¡°Master, Master, what is wrong? The weather is cold! Hurry up and enter the room!¡± Ming Lu realized that Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t paying attention to him and he waved his hand in front of his master¡¯s face in order to gain his attention. Snapping back to his senses, Pei Rumo returned to his room. After taking two steps, he suddenly turned back and said to Ming Lu, ¡°Bring the wine to my study room. I shall not waste such precious liquor.¡± Ming Lu immediately ran back to the reception pavilion¡¯s table and retrieved the plum blossom brew that was still warm. He turned around and ran back to follow behind Pei Rumo. After entering the study room, Ming Lu placed the plum blossom brew down and noticed there were still plenty of imperial notices that had yet to be responded to. He immediately felt sorry for his master and complained softly, ¡°It is all Ying Lan¡¯s fault. Even after putting in so much effort, he rejected Master¡¯s good grace. Master still has to stay up late in order to complete today¡¯s work.¡± Ming Lu immediately retorted when he heard Pei Rumo¡¯s laughter, ¡°I am not! I merely feel sorry for Master. I am not as old and decrepit like Big Sister Zi Su. Of course there are people calling me immature.¡± ¡°You better be careful. If that lass Zi Su hears you saying that, she will peel off a layer of your skin.¡± Pei Rumo carried on making fun of Ming Lu. ¡°This servant knows. Master, do you think Ying Lan will give you a satisfactory reply?¡± Ming Lu asked with curiosity. Ming Lu had been serving Pei Rumo since he was young and Pei Rumo treated him more like a younger brother than a servant. Hence, he was very easy-going with Ming Lu and would talk to him about most things. ¡°Probably not.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s tone sounded a little helpless but his hand didn¡¯t stop as he continued replying to the imperial notices. ¡°Ah? Didn¡¯t he say that he will discuss with the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence? Why will they not agree?¡± Ming Lu opened his eyes wide and didn¡¯t believe that anyone would reject his master. Pei Rumo glanced at Ming Lu before explaining, ¡°You are still too young and don¡¯t know how things are done. He was only saying that in order to leave the residence.¡± ¡°Then why did Master let him go? Wouldn¡¯t all our efforts go down the drain?¡± Ming Lu pouted and looked very unwilling. Pei Rumo was originally feeling disappointed but after looking at Ming Lu¡¯s response, all his disappointment disappeared. ¡°Look at you, you even dare to make faces in front of your Master? Earlier on, I tried to use my power to pressure him, but he didn¡¯t react at all. It seems like his strength isn¡¯t inferior to mine. Now that the secret guard commander is sent out to look after Luo Chu, the rest of the guards will not be able to stop him. Even if I don¡¯t want to let him leave, can we keep him here with our abilities? Instead of incurring his ire, why not release him magnanimously and give him a good impression of us?¡± ¡°I have already told Master that this person is very unusual and Master didn¡¯t believe me. Look at the situation now. Does Master believe me now?¡± Ming Lu immediately turned the blame to Pei Rumo. ¡°I have to say¡­ you are getting more and more disrespectful. Is my First Prince¡¯s residence not good enough for you?¡± ¡°However, you are right, this person is indeed very unusual. When he first saw me, he had a very respectful attitude and felt like a lackey, making me feel that the Master of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is a person without a backbone. It made me reconsider if I wanted to recruit them. The more I spoke with him, the more I felt something was wrong. This can be considered your second meeting with him. Why don¡¯t you tell me the reason behind his rejection?¡± Pei Rumo might be teaching the young attendant a lesson for not knowing the immensity of their master and servant relationship, but he didn¡¯t blame Ming Lu. Instead, he wanted to hear Ming Lu¡¯s opinion on the matter. ¡°This person... He seems to be rather apprehensive. It feels like there is some sort of unspeakable secret behind the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence currently restraining him. Of course, there is a chance he is actually that loyal to his brothers.¡± Ming Lu stated his thoughts. Chapter 228: The Whole Story Ming Lu asked in a careful manner, ¡°Then... Master, after doing so much, are we giving up on them?¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s eyes were still staring into the distance but the corners of his mouth curled upwards. ¡°Give up? How can we possibly give up? Wait and see. If Ying Lan¡¯s side doesn¡¯t work, we can work on the other side.¡± Ming Lu looked at the profound smile on his master¡¯s face and felt that there was something wrong. ¡°Other side? Which other side is related to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence?¡± ¡°Our Divine Physician Bai had been walking rather closely with them. Of course the other side refers to the general¡¯s residence.¡± Pei Rumo went back to dealing with the imperial notices. The First Prince¡¯s residence might have regained its calm, but the Remote Paddy Inn was extremely lively. Guan Yue and Meng Luoping had been waiting for Ying Lan¡¯s return at Remote Paddy Inn. After waiting for a long time, they were all feeling somewhat nervous. Guan Yue might be a composed individual, but he heard stories about Pei Rumo. He wasn¡¯t able to sit still anymore and was preparing to visit the First Prince¡¯s residence to ask for Ying Lan¡¯s release. If they weren¡¯t going to release Ying Lan, he was prepared to kill his way out together with Ying Lan. Meng Luoping carefully observed the situation and dissuaded Guan Yue. ¡°What are you doing? If you head over there and die, Master will peel off a layer of my skin!¡± ¡°What am I doing? I am obviously going to rescue our Palace Master. Am I supposed to wait for Ying Lan to be delivered back in a coffin?¡± In Guan Yue¡¯s opinion, Pei Rumo was a tyrannical person. Seeing as how Ying Lan hadn¡¯t returned after such a long time, Guan Yue started to worry. Guan Yue was about to charge out of the Remote Paddy Inn but Meng Luoping held him back and didn¡¯t allow Guan Yue to leave no matter what. Just as the two of them were about to fight, the door opened. Ying Lan already had a lot to think about after leaving the First Prince¡¯s residence. When he saw that the two of them were about to break out into blows, he felt a throbbing pain in his head. He rubbed his temples and asked, ¡°What are the two of you fighting over?¡± The moment the doors opened, Meng Luoping and Guan Yue froze in their position. Now that Ying Lan was back, there was no longer a need to fight. Guan Yue felt embarrassed and turned his head away. Meng Luoping had no choice but to explain what had happened earlier. Ying Lan was rather stunned after hearing the reply. He originally thought that they were causing trouble for him, but he didn¡¯t think that they were behaving like this due to their concern for him. Ying Lan felt uncomfortable and coughed lightly, ¡°Cough cough. Nothing happened. As for Pei Rumo¡¯s intentions, I need the two of you to help me analyze his actions. Guan Yue, you are the most familiar with him. I will definitely need your help on this matter.¡± Ying Lan spoke and noticed that the two of them were frozen to their spots like statues. After they sat down, Meng Luoping felt that he had let down Ying Lan and he poured a cup of tea for the Palace Master in order to apologize. ¡°Pei Rumo didn¡¯t look for me randomly. He wants to recruit our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence.¡± Ying Lan didn¡¯t hold himself back. After drinking at the First Prince¡¯s residence and the delay to his trip back, he was parched. He downed the cup of tea in a single gulp before explaining the situation to the two of them. Meng Luoping and Guan Yue looked at each other and could see the suspicion in each other¡¯s eyes. They turned back and Meng Luoping finally asked, ¡°Just that? Is there anything else? If there really is something, you can speak to us about it. Three brains are better than one. Anyway, it will be much better than shouldering the responsibility alone.¡± Meng Luoping felt that things weren¡¯t as simple as Ying Lan described. Ying Lan was rather helpless and he thought that the two of them were overly suspicious. But after thinking about it, he realized that their understanding of Pei Rumo was the reason behind their suspicion. He had no choice but to explain the situation one more time. ¡°If there is anything strange, it will be how Pei Rumo brought up Divine Physician Bai during our conversation. Everyone should know that Mistress is currently too weak and it won¡¯t be good if Pei Rumo decides to deal with her. We are all rough men and cannot constantly stay around Mistress as she is an unwed lady. This is the matter I am here to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Did you agree?¡± Guan Yue asked. Ying Lan immediately refuted, ¡°How is that possible? Putting everything else aside, I cannot possibly agree due to the fact that he might be targeting Mistress. I told him that I would consider the alliance before leaving.¡± ¡°Will Pei Rumo invite you over again? If he does that, you might not be able to leave as easily.¡± The one who spoke was Meng Luoping and Ying Lan was startled as he obviously didn¡¯t think that far. At this moment, Guan Yue piped up, ¡°He will not. Pei Rumo is an intelligent person and already knows that Ying Lan has refused his proposal. He will not continue to harp on this matter as he is a prideful descendant of the imperial clan. Now, we need to investigate how Pei Rumo learned of the relationship between Divine Physician Bai and our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence.¡± Chapter 229: Guan Yue’s Strategy ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier? If Divine Physician Bai didn¡¯t suggest it, are you preparing to suffer alone regardless of what happens to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and Divine Physician Bai?¡± Meng Luoping felt angry after hearing what Ying Lan said. It wasn¡¯t because Ying Lan had failed to avoid Pei Rumo¡¯s secret guard. He was angry because Ying Lan wasn¡¯t treating them like brothers. ¡°It is fine. Things are already at this juncture and we can no longer go back. In my opinion, Pei Rumo has taken a liking to Divine Physician Bai¡¯s medical skills. He feels that our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence has yet to establish ourselves firmly and he wants to recruit us in order to strengthen himself. He probably isn¡¯t hostile towards us. Now that Ying Lan has rejected his offer, who will he target next?¡± Guan Yue looked at the agitated Meng Luoping and immediately mediated the situation by changing the subject. Ying Lan contemplated for a moment before probing the both of them, ¡°Do you mean... He will directly look for Mistress?¡± Guan Yue nodded in response, ¡°That¡¯s right. In two days, Divine Physician Bai will definitely receive his invitation. There is no need to worry. Divine Physician Bai has never suffered a loss even after living in the First Prince¡¯s residence for such a long time. The worst case scenario is for us to be stuck in a deadlock.¡± ¡°If it is truly as you say, the only thing we can do now is to take care of the business on our side. We have to allow Mistress to be at ease.¡± Meng Luoping gradually calmed down after hearing Guan Yue¡¯s analysis and provided the most suitable solution. Ying Lan nodded repeatedly as an indication that he had agreed. After some consideration, he spoke again, ¡°Even so, Mistress has to know about this matter. It is already late and why don¡¯t you both stay here for the night? I will make a trip to the general¡¯s residence tomorrow morning.¡± At this current moment, it was rather peaceful at Bai Luochu¡¯s side. Bai Luochu had just completed her daily cultivation session. It was another useless day as she failed to breakthrough to the next level. As she racked her brains for a way to advance to the next level, a sneeze came out of the blue. Cai Ling just happened to enter the room and she heard Bai Luochu sneezing. She quickly closed all the windows before complaining, ¡°Mistress, this servant has already told you so many times to close the window when you cultivate at night. The weather is getting colder right now and you will definitely catch a cold if you refuse to take care of yourself. Look at yourself!¡± As Cai Ling criticized Bai Luochu, she took out a cloak from the wardrobe and covered Bai Luochu¡¯s body. ¡°I am fine. There is no need to worry about me.¡± After she spoke, she started thinking of ways to break through. ¡°Silly girl, how can such a thing happen? If I can really achieve a breakthrough while sleeping, the techniques and spirit medicine used for cultivation will lose all its value. Whatever. I am really tired right now. Help me wash up and I shall go to bed.¡± Bai Luochu smiled and said to Cai Ling. Cai Ling felt elated that Bai Luochu was finally going to rest and she hopped up to help her mistress clean up. She helped Bai Luochu to the bed before leaving. ... After finishing her breakfast the next morning, a manservant reported at the door that Ying Lan was here to visit her. Bai Luochu recalled the instruction she had given him and understood that something must have happened. Otherwise, there should be no reason for Ying Lan to visit her. ¡°Ask him to look for me in my courtyard.¡± A short moment later, Ying Lan stepped into the room before closing the door tightly behind him. This wasn¡¯t the secluded courtyard and the Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know how loyal the servants were. ¡°Mistress, this subordinate knows you are busy and shall skip the greetings. Today, I am here to report about the situation during the feast. As for how we will deal with the First Prince, I shall leave it to you.¡± Ying Lan was truly in a hurry to report and skipped the formalities. ¡°Yesterday night?¡± Bai Luochu frowned as she tried to recall the major event that happened the night before. After a short while, she realized that it was the day Ying Lan had met Pei Rumo for dinner. She then instructed Cai Ling, ¡°Cai Ling, go and guard the door. Do not let anyone come near.¡± Even though Cai Ling wanted to stay behind, she knew the immensity of the situation and she quickly left the room. ¡°Speak. What is so important that you have to rush all the way over here early in the morning?¡± Bai Luochu nodded to Ying Lan. Ying Lan was out of breath from all the running he did and he paused for a moment before speaking, ¡°Yesterday night, I visited the First Prince¡¯s residence. Mistress is right. Pei Rumo wants to rope in our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. However, this subordinate feels that he has an ulterior motive and absorbing our Palace is just a pretense. He is only interested in bringing Mistress under his wing.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t understand and asked in return. ¡°Pei Rumo brought the topic of Divine Physician Bai up during our conversation and if he was truly paying attention to us, the person he should be thinking of recruiting should be Guan Yue. This also confirmed my previous guess that he was the one observing you in the shadows. How else would he know that we were meeting regularly and your connection to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence?¡± Ying Lan spoke seriously. Bai Luochu was lost in thought. When Ying Lan realized that his mistress wasn¡¯t responding, he continued, ¡°After discussing with Guan Yue and Meng Luoping the night before, this subordinate felt that I should inform Mistress about Pei Rumo¡¯s plan as soon as I can. This way, you will be able to make your preparations. Because of Guan Yue¡¯s connections, he understands Pei Rumo better than Meng Luoping or myself. According to him, Pei Rumo will be targeting you next and his invitation will be arriving soon.¡± Chapter 230: Responding According to the Situation ¡°Be... because...¡± Ying Lan felt a little embarrassed to speak and he could see that Bai Luochu was feeling a little frustrated. He stammered as he spoke, ¡°Yesterday night, when Pei Rumo tried to entice me, I instantly rejected him. However, he was unwilling to let me go and I had to say that I would consider the matter of cooperation. According to Guan Yue¡¯s analysis, he already knows that I will not give him a reply, therefore, he will definitely move against you.¡± Bai Luochu was stunned for a moment before realizing that she had been framed by her subordinates. She instantly felt helpless and she thought about how a simple desire to be left alone for several days couldn¡¯t be achieved. Bai Luochu rubbed her temples and spoke to Ying Lan, "Ying Lan... I didn¡¯t notice this in the past but other than being proficient in other areas, you are brilliant when it comes to throwing your mistress under the bus. I only started to enjoy my peaceful days but look at what happened. With Pei Rumo¡¯s personality, I would be in for busy days.¡± Ying Lan turned into a pouting child as he replied, "I''m sorry, it slipped my mind! Mistress, please punish me!" Ying Lan knelt on the ground with a ¡®plop¡¯. "Enough. You may stand up, I do not have the intention to blame you. However, this is indeed a little troublesome. I understand Pei Rumo rather well and if we are really going to mess with each other, the winner is still undecided.¡± Bai Luochu was speaking the truth. She had already exchanged moves with Pei Rumo back at the First Prince¡¯s residence and she had yet to taste defeat. The worst-case scenario was a mutual step back without anyone taking the advantage. Bai Luochu was merely feeling sorry that she didn¡¯t have time to cultivate. ¡°Mistress, this subordinate shall make a move. If something really crops up, I hope mistress will not shoulder it by yourself. Please head over to the Remote Paddy Inn to discuss things over with this subordinate.¡± When Ying Lan saw that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t angry at him, he immediately felt relieved. He was still worried that his mistress might be at a disadvantage when facing Pei Rumo and he gave her a kind reminder. Ying Lan saw Cai Ling standing at the entrance of the room, ill at ease. He instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, you are to protect Mistress no matter the cost. If you notice anything strange, report back to me. Otherwise, I shall hold you responsible. Cai Ling didn¡¯t understand Ying Lan¡¯s instructions but she still acknowledged the order. ¡°Nothing much. The First Prince might come these few days and I won¡¯t be able to cultivate peacefully.¡± Bai Luochu spoke indifferently as though it was nothing abnormal. When Cai Ling saw how indifferently Bai Luochu was, she felt something tingling in her heart . However, she didn¡¯t dare to believe it. She was afraid that her mistress would cause some trouble behind Commander Ying¡¯s back. ¡°Is this true? Mistress won¡¯t lie to me, right?¡± Cai Ling stared intently into Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes, trying to find some abnormality. ¡°Hiss¡­ All of you subordinates are getting more and more disrespectful. All of you even dare to doubt the authenticity of my words.¡± Bai Luochu felt rather helpless when she saw Cai Ling¡¯s doubtful expression. Cai Ling pouted her lips and muttered softly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it all because Mistress stole the spirit ring behind this servant¡¯s back¡­¡± Bai Luochu was struck speechless. It was reasonable to say that this servant girl had been doing everything she could to serve Bai Luochu. She didn¡¯t utter a word of complaint no matter how hard she worked. It was true that Bai Luochu should not conceal anything from Cai Ling and a feeling of guilt appeared on her heart. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing is going on this time. I shall continue to cultivate. I believe I will be busy from tomorrow onwards.¡± bai Luochu patted Cai Ling¡¯s shoulder and reassured her. Cai Ling saw that her mistress was confident and knew that there was no way to persuade her otherwise. She quickly withdrew from the room and guarded the door. ... In the First Prince¡¯s residence, Pei Rumo had already returned from the morning imperial assembly and he was preparing the invitation to Bai Luochu. ¡°Master, why did you prepare so many invitation cards? How many individuals are you planning to invite to our residence this time?¡± Ming Lu saw that the invitation cards beside Pei Rumo were already stacking up high like the imperial notices and he voiced his concern. ¡°I am not going to invite multiple guests. I am merely inviting the same guest at different timings and locations.¡± Pei Rumo smiled at his attendant before turning his attention back to his cards. That attendant took a glance at the content of the invitation card and actually saw the words, ¡®Luo Chu¡¯. ¡°Master, are you sure that all these invitation cards are for Young Lady Luo Chu?¡± ¡°Who else am I going to give them to? We have already used our warm faces to stick on Ying Lan¡¯s cold backside. Are we going to keep doing so? Won¡¯t it be disgraceful for someone of the imperial clan to beg someone?¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s hands didn¡¯t stop as he merely raised his brows a little. ¡°That might be true, but Master is inviting Divine Physician Bai. Furthermore, you are inviting her to different places using different reasons. This... isn¡¯t too good, right? In any case, she can be considered Master¡¯s future sister-in law.¡± Chapter 231: One Man Tea Party ¡°Then... Master, do we send these individually or do we send them all at the same time?¡± Ming Lu understood that his master was determined to send all these invitation cards to Divine Physician Bai, hence, he asked after hesitating for a moment. Pei Rumo¡¯s hand paused for a second and he only replied after some time, ¡°Deliver them individually. However, she might ask for them all after a few days.¡± Bai Luochu had just finished her cultivation and she sneezed. She thought to herself, Is Cai Ling right? Did I catch a cold? It seems like I should be putting on more clothes. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t request for Cai Ling to look for her clothes for her. Instead, she opened her wardrobe and prepared to look for thicker clothes herself. Before she was able to find any, Cai Ling entered the room to give her report. ¡°Mistress, the First Prince''s residence suddenly sent an invitation card for you. Do you want to take a look at it?¡± Cai Ling still didn¡¯t know what happened the night before and naturally didn¡¯t know the reason behind Pei Rumo¡¯s invitation card. In the end, she decided to consult Bai Luochu before doing anything. When Bai Luochu heard the name ¡®Pei Rumo¡¯, she felt her temples aching subtly as though she had not been sleeping for the past few nights. She cursed in her heart, Pei Rumo acts rather quickly huh? Delivering an invitation card so early in the morning... Is he afraid that I will reject him? ¡°Bring the invitation card over for me.¡± Bai Luochu really didn¡¯t wish to accept this invitation card, but since Pei Rumo had already delivered it to her residence, she couldn¡¯t possibly refuse and asked for it to be returned. Even if she returned the card, Pei Rumo might pay her a personal visit to make her accept the invitation card. Bai Luochu read the invitation card and couldn¡¯t see anything wrong with it. The only thing she didn¡¯t know was what Pei Rumo wanted to discuss with her. When Cai Ling saw that her mistress¡¯ expression wasn¡¯t pleasant, she became rather nervous and asked, ¡°Mistress, what is going on? Is the First Prince trying to make things difficult for you?¡± Bai Luochu shook her head and smiled in an attempt to ease Cai Ling. ¡°Nothing much. He just mentioned that he hasn¡¯t enjoyed tea with me for a long time and is asking me to join him for tea at his residence. You, on the other hand, need to relax. You are still a young lady. Why are you acting like an old woman?¡± ¡°Isn''t it because Mistress is always cultivating without a care for other affairs?¡± Cai Ling muttered softly. If someone else were to hear it, Cai Ling would be charged with disrespecting her superior. However, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t too particular about her behavior. ¡®If it is a blessing, it isn¡¯t a calamity. If it is a calamity, it will be unavoidable.¡¯ Since she wasn¡¯t able to escape, she prepared herself to attend Pei Rumo¡¯s tea party. ¡°It has been days since we last saw each other. I have been plagued with political affairs while Divine Physician Bai has been having a great time. Not only did you progress in your cultivation, your complexion looks better than before. I am truly envious.¡± Pei Rumo was seated in the reception pavilion as he awaited Bai Luochu¡¯s arrival. Now that she appeared before him, sarcastic greetings poured out of his mouth. Bai Luochu¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she replied, ¡°Your First Highness, what are you trying to say? I am a mere carefree idler. How can I compare myself to Your First Highness who has the responsibility of taking care of the nation? Even though Your First Highness feels stressed out, it proves your worth as a capable person.¡± Pei Rumo turned to look at Bai Luochu after hearing her words. He noticed that Bai Luochu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest and realized that he was dealing with an old fox like himself. Her face didn¡¯t even change when dishing out praises for him¡­ what an incredible person. Bai Luochu sat down cheerfully and immediately got to the main topic, ¡°I wonder what Your First Highness wants to speak to me about? You even set up a tea party for me. I am overwhelmed by your grace.¡± Pei Rumo could clearly hear the sarcasm coming from Bai Luochu but the anger didn¡¯t get to his head. Instead, he smiled and started to change the topic. ¡°These tea leaves came from one of my vassals. There is a saying that goes, ¡®For it to taste good, it has to be autumn¡¯s white dew¡¯. This autumn tea tastes mild and even if someone who doesn¡¯t know how to steep it will be able to bring out the fragrance. Have a taste. I am only able to obtain about two portions of these leaves every year.¡± How could Bai Luochu feel like drinking tea when facing Pei Rumo? She had no choice but to raise the cup to her lips in order to reluctantly take a sip. Pei Rumo noticed that the current Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t as sarcastic as when she just arrived, thus, he immediately spoke, ¡°The general¡¯s residence isn¡¯t influential and you¡¯re surrounded by tigers and wolves. Your uncle has been eyeing your residence for a long time. It was lucky your personality changed after escaping from the Bestial Battle Arena, otherwise, you would¡¯ve been tortured to death by the few of them. On the topic of your external problems, you have humiliated the Phoenix King Valley in public previously and you¡¯re both Divine Physician Bai and the Third Prince¡¯s Fianc¨¦e. There are many people keeping their eyes on you now. Even though you are not experiencing any trouble for the time being, there might be some trouble in the long run. Are you not planning to do something about it?¡± Bai Luochu listened to Pei Rumo¡¯s words before downing the tea in a single gulp. She then placed the teacup on the table heavily. As the table emitted a loud ¡®thud¡¯, Bai Luochu spoke up. ¡°Your First Highness does have a thorough understanding of me. It¡¯s a pity I am a short-sighted person. I will play it by ear no matter what happens.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s smile froze after hearing her reply. He already knew that Bai Luochu was an expert in taichi and from the looks of it, she wasn¡¯t going to move by force or persuasion. Pei Rumo originally thought that she would take the initiative to speak, but it ended up with him asking the question. ¡°My intention is for you to do things like before. I will still provide you with cultivation resources and if you encounter any trouble, I will help you out. No one will be able to touch you.¡± Chapter 232: Fancy Reasons The reception pavilion became silent for a moment. After a long while, Bai Luochu no longer wanted to stay in the residence. She stood up and said to Pei Rumo, ¡°If the First Prince has nothing else to say, I shall leave first. After Your First Highness¡¯ reminder, I realized that I should properly increase my strength. I shall return to my residence and make the most of my time by cultivating.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t give Pei Rumo a chance to make her stay and immediately walked towards the entrance. When Ming Lu saw that Bai Luochu was actually harder to deal with than Ying Lan, he immediately exclaimed, ¡°How can she do this?!¡± His eyes were as wide as saucers and filled with disbelief. Pei Rumo had already expected the conclusion and didn¡¯t think there was anything worth getting angry over. On the contrary, he saw how his attendant was fuming like a goldfish and immediately laughed, ¡°Haha. Do you understand why I have to write so many invitation cards? She isn¡¯t as simple as you think. Back then, she was a wastrel that couldn¡¯t cultivate and she used her special skills to survive in the Bestial Battle Arena. Afterwards, she used her medical skills to build up her reputation in the capital city. She was even able to catch the attention of so many princes. Don¡¯t you think I should recruit someone like her?¡± Ming Lu was shocked initially at how rude Bai Luochu was acting. However, after he heard his master¡¯s description of her, he was filled with admiration. ¡°Back when Sister Zi Su was serving Young Lady Luo Chu, I have already heard Sister Zi Su¡¯s admiration for how hard she worked even though she possessed extremely high talent. However, that was the end of it. After Master described the things she had achieved over the months and after the encounter today, I feel that she is indeed an outstanding person. She is worthy of Master¡¯s appreciation.¡± Seeing how Ming Lu was feeling regretful, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t say anything to console him. This child had been protected by the members of the residence since a young age as they saw him as Pei Rumo¡¯s younger brother. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t allow Ming Lu to follow by his side at all times and would only let Ming Lu serve him in the study room, as such, he was naturally short-sighted. It was fortunate that this child was intelligent and it wasn¡¯t too late for him to learn. If he was taught properly, he would surely become a good assistant for Pei Rumo. ¡°15 minutes later, make a trip to the general¡¯s residence and deliver the second invitation card.¡± Pei Rumo gave his instruction and headed to the study room. ¡°Another invitation card?¡± Bai Luochu saw the card in Cai Ling¡¯s hands and forcefully held herself back from tearing up the invitation card. Cai Ling felt that something was wrong with this First Prince. Why couldn¡¯t he say everything at one go? Why was he troubling her mistress every other day? For consecutive days, Pei Rumo invited Bai Luochu to his residence for various reasons. He would invite her to admire the flowers one day, and might even invite her to see some rare item the very next day. Bai Luochu simply played along with Pei Rumo and visited the First Prince¡¯s residence every single day. Everyone who was keeping their eye on her thought that she had taken up a task as a physician in the First Prince¡¯s residence. Of course, Pei Rumo prepared all these various reasons simply because of one thing... to recruit Bai Luochu. On the day when they admired flowers... ¡°They say that no flower can bloom for a hundred days. A human won¡¯t be able to stay well for a thousand days either. If something happens to you in the future, wouldn''t it be good to have someone to speak up for you?¡¯ Pei Rumo pointed something out. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t hold herself back, ¡°There is something wrong with Your First Highness¡¯ words here. I once read a method in an ancient book that the flower can be soaked in a special fluid in order to preserve its color and shape. Even though it has never been done before, there is indeed a method to do it. How can you say that no flower can bloom for a hundred days? If that is so, why can¡¯t a human stay well for a thousand days? Isn¡¯t a thousand days merely three years? How many individuals lived out a peaceful life for three years?¡± There was a day when they admired a rare item... Pei Rumo thought for an entire night and finally prepared a pretext that he believed couldn¡¯t be refused. He said to Bai Luochu, ¡°People are easily interested in unusual things. However, this interest is temporary and once it dies out, no one will care about the item anymore. It will lose its value.¡± His intention was obvious. Pei Rumo was trying to say that Bai Luochu¡¯s reputation as Divine Physician Bai might be great now, but the worship that others had for her would subside. In the end, she would still be the orphan daughter no one cares about. ¡°This thing is merely a non-living thing and will never change. No matter how hard someone likes it, there will be a day they lose their interest. A human being is different, one can wear a different attire every day and can even constantly research some interesting toy. After all, a human being isn¡¯t a mere object.¡± Her final statement was obviously poking at Pei Rumo for comparing her to a non-living thing that would sell for a good price. Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo interacted with each other a lot and Bai Luochu was either cultivating or visiting the First Prince¡¯s residence. She had completely forgotten that there was someone at the Second Prince¡¯s residence whose neck was aching from how hard he anticipated her visits. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t even think that apart from the secret guards sent by the First Prince, Pei Qingfeng had also sent out his elite secret guards to protect her from any attacks from the Phoenix King Valley in the dark. As such, Bai Luochu¡¯s every action for the past few days had been caught by the Second Prince¡¯s secret guard. The secret guard was still hesitating if he should report this information to his master, after all... Young Lady Luo Chu getting close to the First Prince was something that his master probably didn¡¯t want to see. ¡°This ungrateful lass. If I didn¡¯t look for her, she wouldn¡¯t bother thinking of me. Fancy that I nearly died because of her. How can she ignore a patient like me?¡± Pei Qingfeng was in his residence as he grumbled like a neglected housewife about how Bai Luochu hadn¡¯t been visiting him for the past few days. ¡°Master, the secret guard that had been sent to protect Young Lady Luo Chu is back. He said that he needs to report something to you.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard informed him. Chapter 233: Pei Qingfeng Couldn’t Sit Still ¡°Master.¡± That secret guard bowed and greeted Pei Qingfeng respectfully. ¡°There is no need for formalities. Do you have information regarding Luo Chu?¡± Pei Qingfeng might be impatient but he acted composed and indifferent as though he wasn¡¯t looking forward to it. That secret guard didn¡¯t immediately reply and hesitated for a very long time. When he returned to the residence earlier, he had contemplated for a long time if he wanted to inform his master or not. The matter of Young Lady Luo Chu getting close to the First Prince was something that might infuriate his master and he might be the first person to suffer Pei Qingfeng¡¯s punishment. ¡°What is going on? Did something happen to her?¡± Pei Qingfeng was seated properly on the chair at the beginning. However, he became uneasy when he saw that his guard was hesitating. He assumed that the guard was afraid of speaking as he would have to face the wrath of the Second Prince. Pei Qingfeng leaned forward in his seat as an anxious expression appeared on his face. The secret guard quickly denied, ¡°No no, this subordinate is thinking about how to break the news...¡± After looking at Pei Qingfeng¡¯s reaction, the secret guard no longer dared to withhold the information. No matter what, his master wouldn¡¯t take his rage out on a secret guard, right? ¡°Hurry up and say it. Since when have you been so wishy washy?¡± After hearing that nothing was wrong with Bai Luochu, Pei Qingfeng immediately reproached the secret guard. When the secret guard saw how Pei Qingfeng was so insistent, he knew that he had no way to conceal the matter any longer. He braced himself and started to report, ¡°Master, I have been monitoring Young Lady Luo Chu and initially, there were no problems other than her making frequent trips to the Remote Paddy Inn. Other than that, she would rest in the residence and cultivate diligently. However, these few days¡­¡± The secret guard was a little hesitant when he spoke up to this point and he was secretly observing Pei Qingfeng¡¯s reaction. Pei Qingfeng knew that he wouldn¡¯t be pleased with the news given the way his secret guard was acting. However, Bai Luochu was fine and since it was information related to her, he should at least listen to it. He wanted to learn of Bai Luochu¡¯s recent movements. He leaned back into his chair and ordered the secret guard, ¡°You can just speak freely. I will not blame you.¡± ¡°How many days has it been? What kind of reasons?¡± Pei Qingfeng was forcefully suppressing his anger while speaking to his slow-witted secret guard. It had already been days since this secret guard returned to give a report. Pei Qingfeng wished he could learn of what Bai Luochu had for every meal or even how many hours she had been sleeping for. However, this secret guard of his didn¡¯t seem to know his intentions and if Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t bother asking, he was sure the secret guard wouldn¡¯t bother reporting. Pei Qingfeng was even afraid that he would have to address her as his sister-in-law the next time he saw her! That secret guard could subtly detect the anger in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s tone and was rather terrified. He started to stutter while speaking, ¡°It has been three days. The first day, His First Highness invited Young Lady Luo Chu for tea. The day before, it was to admire flowers¡­ Today, the reason was to admire some rare object¡­¡± Before Pei Qingfeng could ask anything else, the secret guard seemed to recall something and quickly added on as though he was trying to compensate for his mistake, ¡°Also, when Young Lady Luo Chu returned to the residence today, His First Highness immediately sent another invitation card to the general¡¯s residence. The card seemed to state that he had newly obtained a jade chess set and is inviting Young Lady Luo Chu over to play a game¡­¡± ¡°Bullshit! What newly obtained jade chess set? That chess set of his was given to him by a foreign vassal many years ago. Emperor Father didn¡¯t like chess and Pei Rumo just so happened to rake up merits on the battlefield, thus, Emperor Father bestowed that chess set onto him. He is already so old and has yet to take a wife... Putting aside his murderous aura, he actually extends his talons to catch a young lady... Why is he learning from those nobles in the capital city? He is trying to feast on young grass as an old cow! Shameless! The imperial city of the Cloud Water Nation is truly getting more foul.¡± Once Pei Qingfeng heard that Pei Rumo had been inviting Luo Chu to his residence for consecutive days, he became furious and even started cussing out his First Brother out in the presence of his subordinates. His elegant demeanor was lost. ¡°And you!¡± After Pei Qingfeng finished cursing Pei Rumo, he turned around and pointed his spearhead at his secret guard, ¡°How dare you wait for such a long time before reporting such important information?! Why don¡¯t you wait till the First Prince¡¯s residence starts to hang up the red lanterns before reporting it? Why don¡¯t you wait until they fall mutually in love before informing me?!¡± After letting out a long sigh, he seemed to recall something and continued to reprimand, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, I forgot. I am the Second Prince and I don¡¯t need you to report back to me since I will be receiving an invitation from the both of them as well. By then I will have to bring a wedding gift to the First Prince¡¯s residence to congratulate them¡­ I also will have to greet that lass as my First Sister-In-Law¡­¡± The secret guard didn¡¯t speak as he quietly stood there to receive Pei Qingfeng¡¯s scolding. ¡°You are dismissed. Don¡¯t stay here and waste my time. Return to the general¡¯s residence and if something similar happens, report back immediately.¡± Pei Qingfeng vented his anger and immediately got rid of the secret guard. That secret guard might be having a stomach full of grievances but he did report back untimely, thus, he didn¡¯t say anything else. Just as he left the study room, he encountered Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard. Seeing the secret guard in such low spirits, he started to tease, ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t this our secret guard commander? Why are you behaving like this? What¡¯s wrong? Did Master reprimand you?¡± Chapter 234: Each Having Ulterior Motives The personal guard patted on the secret guard commander¡¯s shoulder after hearing the latter¡¯s complaint, indicating that he had also suffered the same fate. ¡°Alright, I went through the same thing. Just endure it. This Luo Chu is simply a witch and as long as she is involved in something, Master wouldn¡¯t act like himself. Instead of complaining constantly, why don¡¯t you accept the situation? Be like me. But then again, Master is always thinking of her. What did you report late exactly? Why is Master so angry?¡± ¡°For the past few days, Young Lady Luo Chu had been constantly invited by the First Prince to his residence. She went to the First Prince¡¯s residence for three consecutive days. I was afraid that Master would be heartbroken after knowing this, hence, I reported a little late. Who knew that Master would...¡± As the secret guard commander spoke, his voice became softer and softer as he realized that he was the one at fault. ¡°Then you really deserve it.¡± That personal guard took his hand off the secret guard commander¡¯s shoulder. He even started to mock him. ¡°Do you not understand that our Master is considered our ancestor while Young Lady Luo Chu can be said to be our great aunt? If something happens to your great aunt, won¡¯t you pay more attention to it? Furthermore, looking at how attentive our Master is to Luo Chu, it is possible that this great aunt might just skyrocket and turn into our ancestor¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°But Young Lady Luo Chu has an engagement with His Third Highness, right?¡± The secret guard commander couldn¡¯t understand the complex relationship between them. ¡°Do you really think that Luo Chu must marry the Third Prince? Putting aside the fact that if our Master is going to allow Young Lady Luo Chu to marry someone else, even His Majesty won¡¯t care about whichever prince she marries. With Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s current capabilities, no one can look down on her. The only thing His Majesty wants is for Young Lady Luo Chu to enter the imperial family. Do you think His Majesty cares about some age old promise? Forget it. What¡¯s more, according to Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s temperament, if the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial clan forces her to marry someone that she doesn¡¯t like, it is possible that she might drug the entire Cloud Water Nation¡¯s imperial clan.¡± When the personal guard heard that the secret guard commander still didn¡¯t understand the situation, he immediately explained whatever he knew to this slow-witted freak in front of him. Looking at the bewildered expression on the secret guard commander¡¯s face, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard knew that nothing he said was going to be effective. He quickly chased the secret guard back to the general¡¯s residence. ¡°You better hurry up and return! If you¡¯re a little late, no one will blame you. However, if Young Lady Luo Chu suffers some mishap, do you think Master will boil or fry your flesh?¡± When the secret guard commander was far away, the personal guard closed his eyes and let out a sigh, ¡°Sigh. You created so much trouble, but I have to clean up the mess in the end. You are truly making things difficult for me. If I stretch out my head, I will have to suffer the blade, if I cower, I still have to suffer from the blade. I better hurry up and extinguish the fire.¡± After grumbling, the personal guard opened his eyes and readied himself for death as he entered the study room. As soon as he entered the study room, he detected a gloomy atmosphere and he quickly turned his gaze to the source. A face as black as the bottom of a pot met his gaze and the words became stuck in his throat. He knew that he had to consider his next words carefully in order to avoid a dressing down. ¡°To the general¡¯s residence! I want to clarify things with Luo Chu. I am still recuperating here and have been waiting for her to visit eagerly, so much that my neck has gotten longer by a few inches. Look at her! She is having such a great time enjoying the romantic air in Pei Rumo¡¯s place!¡± Pei Qingfeng finished his statement and immediately turned his wheelchair towards the door. He was ready to head over to the general¡¯s residence. That personal guard quickly stopped Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Aiyo, Master, you must not go like this.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Pei Qingfeng was obviously muddled due to anger and was behaving just like a hoodlum. ¡°Think about it. What kind of excuse are you going to use if you suddenly head over? Did your injuries suddenly reopen? That won¡¯t be enough to deceive Young Lady Luo Chu, furthermore, you should be resting in bed if you are truly injured. As such, this method won¡¯t be appropriate. Putting that aside, even if you went over, what excuse can you use to interfere with the affairs between Young Lady Luo Chu and His First Highness? You cannot go. Even if you are to go, if Young Lady Luo Chu truly wishes to make a trip to the First Prince Residence, she will find a way to climb over you.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what I should do?¡± After hearing his personal guard¡¯s justification, Pei Qingfeng instantly calmed down as he knew that the advice was reasonable. He wanted to think of a method that could satisfy both sides. The personal guard smiled in response and immediately suggested his idea, ¡°If you recklessly visit the general¡¯s residence, others will say that you are acting without justification. If you visit the First Prince¡¯s residence instead¡­ no one will be able to criticize you. Master is the Second Prince and there isn¡¯t a problem for you to visit your First Brother, right? In His Majesty¡¯s eyes, you will be able to earn the merit of being respectful to your brothers. In this subordinate¡¯s humble opinion, Master should visit the First Prince¡¯s residence tomorrow morning. You will be able to observe them both while you¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°Alright, I will do it your way. I will wait for another half a day. I want to see what those two are up to.¡± Pei Qingfeng stopped what he was doing and didn¡¯t ask to visit the general¡¯s residence anymore. The personal guard let out a breath of relief and felt that he had finally stopped his master who was about to blow. At the same time, compared to the somewhat lively Second Prince¡¯s residence, Lu Wenshu¡¯s courtyard was about to explode¡­ Or maybe, the explosion already happened... ¡°Aiyo, hurry up, where is the water?! Young Master Lu¡¯s courtyard is already on fire, why are you not putting it out?!¡± Eunuch De Quan was originally invited by Lu Wenshu to have dinner. No one expected a fire to actually break out in his courtyard. Chapter 235: Knocking on the Door Late at Nigh The fire burned on for quite some time and by the time it was extinguished, the other courtyards had blackened walls due to the smoke. The bedroom where the blaze started was charred black and ashes filled the room. ¡°Young Master Lu, I am truly sorry. I failed to notice the fire hazard in the courtyard and everything is this old servant¡¯s fault. I hope for Young Master Lu¡¯s forgiveness.¡± De Quan felt rather terrified when he saw that the nice house was now unusable. After all, he was the one who brought Lu Wenshu to this residence. Now that something bad had happened, all the blame would fall onto him. He might be favored by the emperor, but he was still just a court eunuch at the end of the day and his status was incomparable to Lu Wenshu. This was something that De Quan understood clearly, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive for such a long time while serving the old emperor. Lu Wenshu reverted back to his refined and cultured expression after hearing what was said and spoke to De Quan in a graceful manner, ¡°How can Eunuch De Quan say something like this? This matter should be my fault. I invited Eunuch over with a last minute invitation card during the day and Eunuch even took some time off in order to attend. I never expected for such a mishap to happen. I am the one who should apologise.¡± De Quan felt relieved after he realized that Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t intend to blame him. De Quan wasn¡¯t as nervous as before and he quickly replied, ¡°Now that this residence is ruined and the night is still young, there should be plenty of rooms in the capital city. However, this old servant cannot possibly allow Young Master Lu to live in those crude places. Does Young Master Lu want to look for another residence? Do you want to enter the palace to report the matter to His Majesty?¡± Lu Wenshu maintained the same expression and immediately replied to De Quan, ¡°The night might still be young, but it is almost time for the palace gates to be locked up. If Eunuch is to help me look for a residence, you might not have enough time to hurry back to the palace. If His Majesty doesn¡¯t see you tomorrow morning, he will surely put the blame on you. As for reporting to His Majesty... It isn¡¯t appropriate. I am an outsider and if I enter and leave the palace at this time, tongues might wag. Let us forget about it. De Quan was already in a dilemma, but now that Lu Wenshu had given such a brilliant solution, there was no reason for De Quan to refuse. He immediately responded, ¡°Young Master Lu is too polite. This old servant will bring you to the First Prince¡¯s residence immediately. This old servant has watched over that child as he grew up and he should be able to do it for the sake of this old servant.¡± De Quan bowed after speaking and led Lu Wenshu to the First Prince¡¯s residence. Lu Wenshu was satisfied as he followed behind De Quan since he had achieved his objective. ¡°Knock knock knock.¡± The doors of the First Prince¡¯s residence echoed. Pei Rumo would usually be attending political affairs and he wasn¡¯t a person who would go out and seek entertainment. When he didn¡¯t need to attend to any guests, the First Prince¡¯s residence would be locked early in the evening. As the residence had plenty of secret guards, there was nothing to worry about. There was no one at the entrance other than two stone lions. De Quan had no choice but to personally knock on the door. ¡°Who is it? Why are you knocking so late into the night?¡± The person who came out was a manservant and he was obviously goofing off earlier. He didn¡¯t look at the visitor clearly and a scolding came out of his mouth. De Quan wasn¡¯t enraged in the slightest. A person of his status was much higher in rank than this unknown manservant. He was also someone who was adept at hiding his emotions, hence, he spoke with a rather friendly tone, ¡°Can I trouble this brother to inform that the palace¡¯s Eunuch De Quan has brought someone here to look for His First Highness? It is for an urgent matter and I need to get back before the palace gates are locked.¡± When that manservant heard that the visitor was Eunuch De Quan, he snapped back to attention. ¡°Oh, it is Eunuch De Quan. This one has failed to recognize you. I will report your presence immediately and hope that Eunuch can wait here for a short moment.¡± The manservant immediately ran inside after speaking. De Quan didn¡¯t reprimand the manservant and simply turned around to speak with Lu Wenshu, ¡°His First Highness is the Emperor¡¯s eldest son. He is rather strict with himself during the recent years and the rules in his residence are rather complicated. It won¡¯t be long before we will be able to enter the residence. It is this old servant¡¯s fault for not sending someone to deliver a message in advance. I am truly sorry that Young Master Lu has to accompany this old servant in the cold.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Wenshu is already extremely grateful for Eunuch De Quan¡¯s assistance.¡± Lu Wenshu replied very politely. A moment later, the manservant ran back and spoke to the duo, ¡°Eunuch De Quan, Master said that he will be waiting for you in the reception pavilion. Please enter and someone will guide you into the residence.¡± Just like that, De Quan and Lu Wenshu entered the First Prince¡¯s residence with their heads held high. ¡°What wind blew our Eunuch De Quan to my humble abode? You are always busy normally, how can you find the time to visit me? Doesn¡¯t Emperor Father need you to serve him?¡± Pei Rumo might not like De Quan who was just a court eunuch as he loved to interfere with imperial matters. However, he was still the Emperor¡¯s favorite Eunuch and Pei Rumo still had to show him some respect. ¡°To be honest, this old servant has an important matter that requires a favor from Your First Highness.¡± De Quan explained all the details of the incident to Pei Rumo before lifting his head carefully to observe Pei Rumo¡¯s expression. He then spoke in a miserable tone, ¡°Your First Highness, you have to help this old servant. If His Majesty knows that this old servant has failed in his duties and allowed Young Master Lu to spend the night outside, I will probably have to suffer a beating. This old servant is only left with a set of old bones, how can I endure such suffering?¡± Chapter 236: A Ruthless Scheme De Quan clearly thinks I cannot afford to offend him. Tonight, if I don¡¯t let Lu Wenshu stay over, this old crafty servant will probably mention tonight¡¯s matter to Emperor Father intentionally or otherwise after he returns. Tomorrow morning, during the morning court assembly, Emperor Father will probably say that I am petty-minded. ¡°What is Eunuch De Quan saying? How will Emperor Father be willing to give you a beating? Young Master Lu¡¯s has truly encountered some hardships¡­ Since you are already here, how can I refuse to play the host? Ming Lu, arrange a superior room for Young Master Lu. Better pick one carefully and make sure no other problems occur.¡± Pei Rumo instructed Ming Lu who stood by his side. De Quan saw that he had achieved his objective and a brilliant smile appeared on his face. He quickly bade farewell to Pei Rumo, ¡°Since this matter is resolved, this old servant shall not stay here and disturb Your First Highness any longer. The palace gates are about to be locked and I have to hurry back. I shall bid you farewell. Your First Highness doesn¡¯t have to see me out.¡± Finishing his statement, De Quan immediately headed for the entrance. Seeing that De Quan had walked far away, Pei Rumo withdrew his pretentious smile and addressed Lu Wenshu. ¡°I am truly overwhelmed by Young Master Lu for thinking of me when you need help. Since things are already at this stage, there is nothing more for me to say. Young Master Lu, please.¡± No one knew how sincere or pretentious Pei Rumo was. Lu Wenshu resided in the First Prince¡¯s residence with satisfaction but no one knew that the great fire was actually a self-guided act that he had conducted. After all, his goal was to live in the First Prince¡¯s residence in order to grow closer to Bai Luochu. Of course he had noticed the frequency at which she visited the First Prince¡¯s residence. It might seem as if Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t have any influence in the capital city, but he had actually planted his men in hidden places. These people wouldn¡¯t appear in front of Lu Wenshu normally and would only appear during major incidents. They would usually use special message slips to relay their report to Lu Wenshu to ensure that nothing went wrong. Early this morning, after Lu Wenshu finished his breakfast, he returned and saw a message slip on the table. He immediately knew that it came from someone observing the general¡¯s residence. When he saw how often Bai Luochu was visiting the First Prince¡¯s residence, he couldn¡¯t sit still. She already hated him so much that she wished for him to turn into ashes and it was already busy enough dealing with Pei Qingfeng. Now, there was another Pei Rumo. If this carried on, he would die before he got his chance. Consequently, Lu Wenshu chose the most dangerous method that involved burning down his house. But even if he was going to burn down the house, it had to be convincing. Even if it was convincing, someone had to persuade Pei Rumo on behalf of Lu Wenshu. After thinking through the consequences, Lu Wenshu picked the best candidate... De Quan. De Quan might just be a court eunuch, but he was actually the most favored court eunuch of the emperor. Even Pei Rumo would have to show him some respect. That was a good enough reason for Lu Wenshu to make use of him. De Quan assumed that Lu Wenshu respected him and gladly accepted the invitation. He never expected that he was merely a tool for Lu Wenshu to achieve his goal. Lu Wenshu wrote an invitation card to invite De Quan over for a chat and immediately started to prepare the things to start a fire. After all the preparations, dusk had already fallen. He hurried to the inn to buy a few dishes and jugs of liquor, putting on a show that he was sincerely treating De Quan to a meal. When it was almost time, he used his spirit qi to knock over a candlestick. The flammable power had long been scattered around the room and the moment a spark appeared, the entire house would be engulfed by a sea of flame. As for what happened next¡­ ¡°Master, did Lu Wenshu¡¯s house really burn down?¡± Ming Lu noticed that Lu Wenshu was fine and didn¡¯t feel a trace of heartache even though his courtyard was in shambles. He couldn¡¯t help but ask Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t sure of Lu Wenshu¡¯s intention and could only speak of his own conjuncture. ¡°It should really be burnt down¡­ No matter how capable he is, it is impossible for him to bribe Eunuch De Quan. But... it is hard to say if it is a natural disaster or a man-made disaster.¡± ¡°What should we do if Young Lady Luo Chu arrives tomorrow morning and encounters him?¡± Ming Lu asked another question. He didn¡¯t know about the bad blood between Lu Wenshu and Luo Chu, but he didn¡¯t wish for his master to be embarrassed in public. Luo Chu? When Ming Lu suddenly mentioned this, Pei Rumo seemed to have remembered something. Lu Wenshu was initially very friendly with Luo Chu. Could he have known that Luo Chu had been visiting my place frequently and came here to look for her? With his ability, it isn¡¯t difficult for him to find out Luo Chu¡¯s whereabouts for the past few days. ¡°If they encounter one another, so be it. Have you found the jade chess set that I asked you to look for in the warehouse a few days ago?¡± It would be good if they encountered one another. I will be able to learn of Lu Wenshu¡¯s true objective. If he is truly here for Luo Chu, things won¡¯t be too bad. At least he isn¡¯t here to look for trouble. Meng Lu responded to the question quickly, ¡°In response to Master¡¯s question, I have already found it and checked carefully. None of the chess pieces are missing. I have already used mountain spring water to wash it and the pieces are drying out in the shed. Tomorrow morning, this servant will pack it properly and make sure it is as good as new!¡± ¡°That will be good. It is already late¡­ go back and rest up. I will return to my courtyard for a good night''s rest. We still need to entertain Luo Chu tomorrow, right?¡± Pei Rumo finished his statement and headed straight for his room. The next morning, when Bai Luochu left the general¡¯s residence, the servants at the gate whispered to one another after seeing that she had left, ¡°Hey, did you notice that Young Lady¡¯s murderous aura is getting stronger these days? People might even think that she is going out to seek revenge.¡± The other guard servant looked around to see if there was anyone around before replying, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Young Lady is behaving weirdly...¡± Chapter 237: Reversal in a Game of Chess It was unknown when Cai Ling appeared behind the guard servants. Since they were familiar with Cai Ling¡¯s voice, the two of them didn¡¯t even dare to turn back. They stood at the entrance without uttering a sound. When Cai Ling saw her mistress¡¯ back, she felt rather heartbroken and let out a sigh. How can there not be a murderous aura? After so many random invitations by someone she doesn¡¯t want to be involved with¡­ If it isn¡¯t because Mistress is able to keep her calm, she will probably be charging out of the residence with a blade in her hand. How dare these people blame Mistress¡­ Brainless idiots. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the First Prince''s residence. I would like to see what my First Brother is up to these days.¡± At this moment, Pei Qingfeng was done with his morning routine and he quickly passed an order down to his guard. The personal guard acknowledged his orders and pushed Pei Qingfeng out of the room and towards the First Prince''s residence. ¡°Eh? Luoluo, such a coincidence for me to encounter you on the way towards my First Brother¡¯s place.¡± No one would have expected for Pei Qingfeng to actually meet with Bai Luochu at the entrance of the First Prince¡¯s residence. ¡°What are you here for?¡± Bai Luochu was about to burst into fury. She was already having a headache thinking about how to entertain Pei Rumo who had been trying to rope her into his faction. Now there was another Pei Qingfeng who stuck to her like glue. It seemed as though he wouldn¡¯t leave no matter how hard she flung him. She felt helpless in her heart and could only wonder who she had offended in order for her to suffer such a terrible fate. Pei Qingfeng was currently acting out the entire show flawlessly. Since he had already made his plans, he couldn¡¯t allow Bai Luochu to mess them up. ¡°Sigh. It is nothing much. I was thinking about how I should visit my First Brother after not doing so for a long time. It is such a coincidence for us to meet at the entrance of his residence. I¡¯m here to show my respects to him right now. Why are you here?¡± ¡°Nothing much. The First Prince invited me to play chess.¡± Bai Luochu wanted to return back to her residence but before she could make a move, Ming Lu walked out. ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, Master is already waiting for you at the reception pavilion. Please follow me.¡± Ming Lu spoke to Bai Luochu and when he turned around, he saw Pei Qingfeng smiling at him. He immediately quivered as he stuttered, ¡°Your... Your Second Highness, why are you here?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I come for a visit? I haven¡¯t seen my First Brother for a long time and I miss him. I am here today to look for him.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s smile was so convincing that Bai Luochu nearly believed him. Before Pei Rumo could finish his question, Ming Lu moved to the side and Pei Qingfeng¡¯s figure appeared before him. In that instant, Pei Rumo¡¯s smile froze. Lu Wenshu¡¯s objective for getting close to Pei Rumo might not be as obvious, but Pei Qingfeng¡¯s visit was obviously related to Luo Chu. It was going to be a long day. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Second Brother inform me before the visit? I could have asked someone to bring you over. My First Prince''s residence has failed as the host.¡± Pei Rumo knew there was nothing he could do to Pei Qingfeng, therefore, he simply started off with a conventional greeting. ¡°This official brother hasn¡¯t been visiting the First Prince''s residence due to my injuries and I feel that it isn¡¯t appropriate for me to do so. As such, I am here to pay my respects to First Brother. When I was on the way, I encountered Luoluo at the entrance.¡± Pei Qingfeng might be speaking to Pei Rumo but his gaze was locked onto Bai Luochu. The way he addressed her was too intimate and it made Pei Rumo sound like an outsider. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t happy after hearing those words and said, ¡°What are you saying? What did you call me? I am not worthy of such an affectionate form of address. Will Your Second Highness please conduct yourself with dignity?¡± ¡°What is everyone talking about? Why is it so lively here?¡± Before the commotion was over, Lu Wenshu made his appearance. Bai Luochu might not have seen him, but her entire body shivered when she heard his voice. There was no way she would forget this voice. Why was Lu Wenshu here?! ¡°Why are you here?¡± Before Bai Luochu could ask, Pei Qingfeng snapped and he looked as though he was a hedgehog whose spikes were raised. Others might not know Lu Wenshu¡¯s thoughts, but the eyes he used to look at Bai Luochu was telling Pei Qingfeng that he had designs on her. Furthermore, in the eyes of Bai Luochu, Lu Wenshu was a young hero. How could Pei Qingfeng remain calm? Lu Wenshu was stunned when he saw Pei Qingfeng. He went through so much trouble and didn¡¯t hesitate to burn down his courtyard just to enter the First Prince¡¯s residence. He created so much trouble so that he could meet Bai Luochu every single day in the First Prince¡¯s residence. What was the Second Prince doing in the First Prince¡¯s residence?! Lu Wenshu might be resentful, but he still had to put up a show. ¡°The courtyard I was residing in caught fire the night before. I have no choice but to intrude on the First Prince.¡± Even though his reasoning wasn¡¯t off, Pei Qingfeng still felt that there was something wrong. Lu Wenshu was in luck as he wasn¡¯t the reason behind Pei Qingfeng¡¯s appearance and the Second Prince quickly changed the topic. He turned to Pei Rumo and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t First Brother invite Luoluo to have a game of chess? It just so happens that my hands are feeling itchy. Why don¡¯t you bring over another set of chess to entertain Young Master Lu and myself?¡± ¡°If your hand is itchy, go scratch a tree! Stop making trouble here.¡± Bai Luochu was about to erupt and Pei Qingfeng just so happened to place himself in her way. After hearing him address her as ¡®Luoluo¡¯ again, she snapped. Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t wish to give up such a great opportunity to interact with Bai Luochu. He immediately suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t the four of us take turns to play with one another?¡± After hearing this suggestion, the atmosphere in the reception pavilion stagnated a little. The four of them each had their own motives and objectives. Chapter 238: The Asura Battleground for the Four Individuals Seeing that the master of the residence had already agreed, the three others had no reason to refuse. But this arrangement didn¡¯t seem to conform with everyone¡¯s original intention. If three women were enough to act out drama, then the three men, Pei Rumo, Pei Qingfeng, Lu Wenshu, with the addition of a single woman, Bai Luochu, would make this place a lively asura battleground. When Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu were playing chess... Pei Qingfeng was as noisy as a frog and would constantly call Bai Luochu by his pet name for her, ¡®Luoluo¡¯, causing her frustration to rise. Just as she knitted her brows tightly and lifted her head to say something, a chess piece flew over from the table at the side. It smacked directly into Pei Qingfeng¡¯s hand. Pei Qingfeng wanted to say something after getting hit but he saw Lu Wenshu gazing at him with a composed expression. ¡°Apologies, my hand slipped.¡± Lu Wenshu apologized in a calm manner and there was a slight smile on his face. Bai Luochu laughed with a ¡®pfft¡¯ and Pei Qingfeng who wanted to say something didn¡¯t bother to argue. He placed his attention back on the board and since Bai Luochu¡¯s chess skills was inferior to Pei Qingfeng, she lost in a short while. They then waited for Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu to end their game before switching places. Right now, Bai Luochu was playing against Lu Wenshu while Pei Qingfeng played against Pei Rumo. ¡°Has Divine Physician Bai been busy recently? I don¡¯t usually see you around¡­¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t reply. ¡°This chess move is rather brilliant and it has the style of an old friend of mine.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s hand paused for a moment but she remained silent. Pei Qingfeng might be playing chess with Pei Rumo, but his mind was focused on the chess game on the other side. When he saw Lu Wenshu constantly trying to get close to Bai Luochu, he sent a chess piece flying over similar to what Lu Wenshu did. As soon as Lu Wenshu turned over, he smiled and said to Lu Wenshu, ¡°Apologies, my hand slipped.¡± As Lu Wenshu was speaking earlier, Bai Luochu¡¯s moves became more aggressive and domineering. It wasn¡¯t long before Lu Wenshu lost the game. ¡°Why did you have to push me to such desperate straits?¡± Lu Wenshu shook his head while speaking with a helpless tone. Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t paying any attention to this game of chess and he lost to Pei Rumo before he even sent the piece flying at Lu Wenshu. The most exciting match had to be saved till the last. ¡°You can use the black stones.¡± Pei Rumo placed the bowl of black pieces before Bai Luochu. Pei Rumo knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse and didn¡¯t waste time quarreling over the color of their pieces. The chess game was getting increasingly complicated and the moment Pei Rumo started to lay down the pieces, Bai Luochu realized that she was being suppressed at every move. It seemed like he wasn¡¯t going to go easy on Bai Luochu as he blocked off all her routes of retreat. ¡°Look. Because the player using the black stones gets to go first, you are at a disadvantage. Right now, you should take a step back and declare your loss.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s meaning was clear. He wanted her to swear her allegiance while she still could. Bai Luochu kept silent as she continued to play the game. The chess game between Lu Wenshu and Pei Qingfeng was rather heated as well. In order not to lose to Lu Wenshu, Pei Qingfeng started with strong aggression. However, Lu Wenshu played defensively the entire time and didn¡¯t seem to be at a disadvantage. ¡°Isn¡¯t Your Second Highness overly intimate with the way you address Divine Physician Bai? This isn¡¯t good, right?¡± Lu Wenshu was still brooding over how Pei Qingfeng was addressing Bai Luochu. Pei Qingfeng sneered in response, "I wonder if Young Master Lu is in a position to criticize me. I have a good relationship with Luoluo and it is natural for me to address her affectionately. If you interfere with this, aren¡¯t you acting like a dog trying to catch mice?" Without completing the rest of the idiom, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s meaning was clear. He was trying to tell Lu Wenshu to mind his own business. Lu Wenshu and Pei Qingfeng''s chess game ultimately ended with a full board and no victor was decided. They immediately turned over to look at the chess game between Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo was getting rather anxious. Even though the white pieces seemed to be on the verge of defeat, he seemed to be lacking when it came to the final move. He wasn¡¯t able to win the game. Bai Luochu placed down another white stone and didn''t continue reaching for another one. Instead, she looked at Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo''s hand was filled with cold sweat. How can this be? Luo Chu has always been on the losing side. It seems like I¡¯m the one making a mistake. Bai Luochu noticed that Pei Rumo was hesitating and she didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for him. She said something for Pei Rumo to step down from this embarrassing situation. "Your First Highness. It is best to stop playing. The Zhenlong chess play is fixed. Even if you continue to play, we will end up in a stalemate. Why don''t we call it a draw?¡± Pei Rumo naturally knew that Bai Luochu was giving him a chance to step down and he quickly agreed. "I have something else to do and shall take my leave. After so many games, we all have a record of one loss, one win, and one draw. It seems like our chess skills are on par with one another.¡± Bai Luochu analyzed as she walked. As though she recalled something, she turned around and asked Pei Rumo, "Does Your First Highness know what is so exquisite about this Zhenlong chess play?" "Will Divine Physician Bai enlighten me?" Pei Rumo bowed to Bai Luochu politely. Chapter 239: The So-Called Zhenlong Chess Play How could Pei Rumo not understand that Bai Luochu was drawing the line between them by explaining Zhenlong Chess Play? Even though they might be hostile to each other, they were able to coexist in harmony. Wasn¡¯t this the situation they were currently in? Even though the two other parties were able to read between the lines, Pei Rumo was the First Prince and the deal between the two wasn¡¯t clear. As a result, Pei Qingfeng and Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t have a clear idea as to what they were referring to. ¡°Divine Physician Bai must be tired after such a long day. Why don¡¯t you head back to the general¡¯s residence for a break? Ming Lu, escort Divine Physician Bai out on my behalf.¡± Pei Rumo gave his instructions. Pei Qingfeng felt there was no meaning to continue staying after Bai Luochu was gone. Turning his wheelchair around, he left the First Prince¡¯s residence. As for Lu Wenshu, he felt that it was inappropriate for him to stay and quickly returned to his room. A short moment later, Ming Lu came back. ¡°Master, did you really lose? No matter how this servant looks at it, the white pieces are at a disadvantage.¡± Ming Lu assumed that Pei Rumo threw the game in order to improve Bai Luochu¡¯s impression of him. Pei Rumo withdrew his gaze from the chessboard and answered Ming Lu¡¯s question, ¡°I have lost. The white stones might look like they are at a disadvantage, but in reality, no matter where I put my next piece, the white pieces will be able to turn the situation around. The story of her Zhenlong chess play isn¡¯t complete¡­¡± ¡°The Zhenlong chess play was developed by two good friends who were chess experts. The one with the black stones had an impulsive nature and he started the game being extremely aggressive. The white stones gave way time after time but after many moves, the black pieces reached a dead end. In order not to jeopardize the friendship, the player with the white stones called the game a draw. Since then, the game has been recorded into the history books. After analysis by numerous generations of chess players, they realized that no matter where the black piece lands, the black pieces would face a crushing defeat.¡± Ming Lu seemed to have recalled something and he exclaimed, ¡°Oh, I nearly forgot. Young Lady Luo Chu asked me to deliver a message when she left.¡± Pei Rumo raised his brows slightly and he felt curious. Why would this lass take the initiative to speak first? With a nod of his head, he indicated for Ming Lu to speak. ¡°What message does she have for me?¡± Ming Lu scratched his head and revealed an awkward expression before speaking, ¡°Master, this message is rather strange. However, Young Lady Luo Chu ordered me to relay it to you word for word. ¡®Deliver a message to your Master: Top left 3-9, Bottom right 3.¡¯ This servant doesn¡¯t understand¡­¡± After seeing the transformation in the board, Pei Rumo chuckled to himself, ¡°I thought she was going to be nice for once¡­ turns out, she was demonstrating her strength. ¡°Demonstrate her strength? What does Master mean? This servant is getting even more confused.¡± Ming Lu saw Pei Rumo muttering to himself and felt that his master was going crazy. ¡°She solved the Zhenlong chess play¡­ She is trying to tell me what no matter which side of the board she is on, she will be able to win the game. This lass¡­ She doesn¡¯t allow anyone to take advantage of her. She probably agreed to the game just to deliver this message.¡± Pei Rumo explained to Ming Lu. Ming Lu might not be able to play chess, but he understood the might behind the Zhenlong chess play. He felt that Young Lady Luo Chu was much more incredible than what his Big Sister Zi Su made her out to be. No one knew if Pei Rumo was going to be able to recruit such a talent. Ming Lu lowered his voice as he whispered to Pei Rumo, ¡°Master, are you still going to recruit Young Lady Luo Chu?¡± He was afraid that he would infuriate Pei Rumo and his voice became softer as he spoke. Pei Rumo shook his head and looked towards the entrance of the residence. ¡°She isn¡¯t a person without aspirations. It is impossible for her to be restricted by anyone and it is probably hopeless for me to try and rope her in. I wonder what kind of witchery the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence used to recruit so many outstanding youths. No matter what, I can¡¯t treat her badly as she is someone who places heavy emphasis on feelings. If we treat her well, we might be able to ask for help in the future.¡± Pei Rumo left for the study after speaking. He had wasted too much time these past few days and the imperial notices had already stacked up to the height of a mountain. He felt that he should hurry up and complete all his overdue work. Pei Rumo might not have said anything else but thoughts were running through his head. He knew that Pei Qingfeng and Lu Wenshu both fancied that lass but he didn¡¯t know who she had in mind. After all, her personality was like clouds in the sky, unpredictable and formless. By the time Bai Luochu returned to the general¡¯s residence, she was famished. Her stomach growled and she felt as though her chest was touching her back. After an entire morning of playing chess, her brain was hurting. ¡°Cai Ling, hurry up and serve my lunch. I am starving.¡± Cai Ling was shocked when she heard the order. ¡°Mistress, why are you back so early? Didn¡¯t you eat at the First Prince¡¯s residence? I¡­ I assumed that you won¡¯t be coming back for lunch and asked the kitchen to¡­¡± Cai Ling¡¯s voice became softer the more she spoke. After all, she was a servant and it was her fault for not planning ahead. ¡°What did you say? There is nothing for me to eat?¡± Bai Luochu was already seeing stars due to her hunger and she snapped at Cai Ling. ¡°Mistress, I am sorry! I didn¡¯t plan ahead and I will immediately ask the servants to whip something up. There will be better dishes for dinner!¡± Cai Ling was about to rush towards the kitchen before the last of her words entered Bai Luochu¡¯s ear. Chapter 240: Lu Wenshu’s Thoughts ¡°What is Mistress going to do? You can¡¯t just go hungry.¡± Cai Ling stopped after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s words. She blamed herself for allowing her mistress to go hungry. Bai Luochu thought for a moment and said to Cai Ling, ¡°It just so happens that I have to look for Ying Lan. I will head over to the Remote Paddy Inn and have a meal there. If anyone visits, let them know that I am not around. If something urgent comes up, send them to the Remote Paddy Inn to look for me.¡± Perhaps it was because Bai Luochu was really hungry, she turned around and left immediately after speaking. When Bai Luochu arrived at Ying Lan¡¯s study room, he was currently settling the accounts for the Remote Paddy Inn. When he saw Bai Luochu entering, he immediately thought that there was something important and asked Bai Luochu with concern, ¡°Mistress, did anything happen? Did the First Prince give you any trouble?¡± Ying Lan went through multiple scenarios in his mind. When he saw that Bai Luochu was in a rush, he assumed that something major had happened. He was stunned by what Bai Luochu said next. ¡°Hurry up and get the Remote Paddy Inn¡¯s chef to cook two dishes for me! I am famished!¡± Bai Luochu yelled and collapsed into a chair. It seemed as though her legs became weak due to her hunger. Ying Lan could see that Bai Luochu was truly famished and immediately instructed the innkeeper to serve some food. ¡°Bring two dishes up here. Get a plate of meat and a plate of vegetables. Serve something palatable...¡± ¡°Mistress, why are you so hungry? Did Pei Rumo lock you up without giving you food?¡± Ying Lan looked at Bai Luochu and thought about his meeting with the First Prince. An unlikely scenario popped into his head. Bai Luochu rolled her eyes at Ying Lan in response, ¡°What are you thinking about? You were never this weird before! I¡¯ll tell you everything after eating my fill.¡± Before long, the two dishes appeared in front of Bai Luochu and she shoved everything into her mouth. Those who didn¡¯t know might even think that she had been starving for a month or two. After swallowing the last of her rice, she downed a huge cup of water before narrating the event in the First Prince¡¯s residence. After listening to Bai Luochu¡¯s story, Ying Lan immediately asked, ¡°From what I can tell, the First Prince shouldn¡¯t be bothering you for quite some time, right? This can¡¯t be the reason for your appearance in the Remote Paddy Inn.¡± Bai Luochu muttered to herself before replying, ¡°Indeed, I am not here to eat. The food is secondary. I am here to speak to you about Lu Wenshu.¡± The moment the name left her mouth, Ying Lan jumped out of his seat. ¡°Mistress, did Lu Wenshu see through your reincarnation?¡± Ying Lan let out a breath of relief and responded, ¡°Does Mistress think that Lu Wenshu is aware of your reincarnation?¡± Bai Luochu shook her head and spoke helplessly, ¡°I can¡¯t confirm anything. Because of his personality, it will be hard to verify that he knows about my reincarnation. There is something I am curious about. Shouldn¡¯t he be promoted after the incident? After seizing the inheritance and the manuals, why is he still looking for me?¡± ¡°Is he actually going through so much trouble to look for you?¡± Ying Lan remained unconvinced that Lu Wenshu still had Bai Luochu in his heart. ¡°Yes, he has been sounding me out all this while and I can see that he is still looking for me. After seeing the way I act, he sticks by my side all the time. I don¡¯t understand the reason behind his actions. Is it possible for him to feel that my death wasn¡¯t miserable enough and he has to do it again in order to uphold justice to the world? Does he wish to kill me again in front of the world such that my soul scatters and I will never enter the cycle of reincarnation?¡± Bai Luochu sounded like she was mocking herself ¡°Bah... Mistress, please refrain from cursing yourself. I managed to locate Mistress after so much trouble and if something happens to you under my watch, I can only follow you in death to offer my apology.¡± Ying Lan spat after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s analysis. He quickly stomped on the ground to offset Bai Luochu¡¯s curse. ¡°Alright, there is no need to worry. Lu Wenshu¡¯s exact objective has to be analyzed again. I am not here to debate with you. If he truly wishes to make a move on me, we need to prepare ourselves.¡± Bai Luochu saw that Ying Lan was extremely serious and she couldn¡¯t help but correct her words. ¡°That is a good plan, I shall comply with Mistress¡¯ instructions. Lu Wenshu is now residing in the First Prince¡¯s residence and Pei Rumo has always been a cautious person. If Lu Wenshu is really planning something, he won¡¯t be able to hide it from Pei Rumo. Now that the incident with Pei Rumo is over, it will be best if Mistress can make use of your time to cultivate.¡± When Bai Luochu heard Ying Lan¡¯s analysis, she felt at ease. He was the only person Bai Luochu could trust completely. Ying Lan sent Bai Luochu to the entrance of the Remote Paddy Inn. Alarm bells suddenly went off in her head and she stopped in her tracks. ¡°Did the Phoenix King Valley make any moves?¡± Bai Luochu stared at Ying Lan as though she was afraid he would lie to her. Under her death stare, Ying Lan crumbled and reported everything to Bai Luochu. ¡°Mistress, to be honest, the Phoenix King Valley has been searching through the entire city for the culprit. The people sent by the Phoenix King Valley are members of the commandment hall¡­ They specialize in searching for evidence and interrogation. I am worried that Mistress will be worried and failed to make the report. This subordinate feels that Mistress should hide away in the general¡¯s residence for the time being.¡± Chapter 241: Fruitless Investigation ¡°Are they just going to arrest people randomly? Won¡¯t they implicate many innocent people?" Bai Luochu looked at the streets for a long time before asking Ying Lan. Ying Lan seemed to be in a difficult position. He spoke after a short silence, "They aren¡¯t just arresting people randomly. The elder had been investigating the source of the sleeping incense in the black market. After realizing that the sleeping incense hadn¡¯t been sold in the black market, he redirected his attention to the medicine shops in the capital city and the cities around. After wasting his time, he activated people from the commandment hall.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and spoke calmly, ¡°That is good. I cannot allow innocent people to suffer because of me.¡± ¡°Mistress, for the next few days... can you please lay low and stay in the general¡¯s residence? This subordinate heard that the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s commandment hall has a treasure to locate items with spirit qi.¡± Ying Lan reported his findings to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu muttered to herself, ¡°For the next few days, I will be extra careful. But... this information might be used by the Phoenix King Valley as intimidation.¡± ¡°Why does Mistress think so?¡± Ying Lan was confused by Bai Luochu¡¯s comment. The corner of Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth curled upwards as she spoke of what she had surmised, ¡°The Phoenix King Valley¡¯s commandment hall does have that treasure. However, it has always been kept in the valley. Even an elder wouldn¡¯t be able to bring the treasure out for his personal use. If I¡¯m not wrong, the treasure is unable to detect the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s younglings.¡± ¡°Mistress¡­ Do you think that they are trying to make the thief panic? If that happens, there is a chance for them to catch the culprit.¡± Ying Lan continued Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation and clarified the matter. ¡°You are pretty smart.¡± Bai Luochu looked at Ying Lan and nodded with satisfaction before continuing, ¡°To be safe, I will be cultivating in the general¡¯s residence for the next few days. Unless an invitation comes, I will not be exposing myself in public. Since the general¡¯s residence is being monitored right now, you should use the secret tunnel in the secluded courtyard.¡± ¡°This subordinate understands. Please be at ease.¡± Ying Lan bowed and escorted Bai Luochu out of the building. Bai Luochu¡¯s guesses were correct. The Phoenix King Valley Elder released the information about the treasure as intimidation. Even the men he sent out weren¡¯t from the commandment hall. They were merely disciples of minor factions that served the Phoenix King Valley. ¡°Are there any clues?¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder had a gloomy expression as he addressed the disciples of the ¡®commandment hall¡¯. ¡°Did you guys release the information as per my instructions?¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder spoke in a deep voice and his voice and it was clear that he was about to erupt. The Phoenix King Valley Elder wasn¡¯t his usual friendly self, scaring the disciples of the minor factions. After a long time, someone finally spoke up. He stammered, ¡°We have already released the information. We have also observed those people Elder asked us to, however, nothing seems out of the ordinary. There¡­ there isn¡¯t any result.¡± His voice became softer and softer as he was afraid the Phoenix King Valley Elder would punish him for the failure of the group. ¡°A bunch of useless idiots!¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder was extremely enraged and he yelled at those disciples. He swept his sleeves across the table, sending everything tumbling to the ground. As though his anger hadn¡¯t quelled in the slightest, he pointed at the disciples and yelled at them, ¡°It has already been so long and I have already handed over the investigation to all of you! Apart from following my instructions, all of you aren¡¯t using your brains to figure out the next step!¡± Even though the disciples were from minor factions, they were youngsters at the end of the day. They weren¡¯t pleased by the scolding and their expressions showed it. The Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s heart sank even further. In order not to alert the culprit, he sent the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciples back. However, he used his strength to threaten the weaker sects into handing over their disciples to assist in the investigation. In order to capture the culprit as soon as possible, he didn¡¯t hesitate when fabricating lies. He didn¡¯t elaborate about the stolen items and simply said that his personal items were stolen. If anyone else learned about the loss of the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s egg, a blood storm would sweep through the capital city. He couldn¡¯t be sure that he would be able to retrieve the egg. There was also no way he would take it lying down. The Phoenix King Valley Elder wasn¡¯t willing to accept this setback and he quickly started his investigation. He started from the black market and extended his reach towards the surrounding cities. With such a huge commotion, everyone was alarmed and when he felt that the timing was right, he released the information about the treasure from the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s commandment hall. He originally thought that he would be able to catch the culprit, but contrary to his belief, no one showed signs of suspicious movement. The culprit was just like a venomous snake hiding in the dark, observing the situation silently. ¡°All of you go out and continue the investigation. Report back to me if there is any new information.¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder detected the odd expressions on their faces and he quickly changed his tone. When they heard the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s instruction, everyone rushed out of the room. It was as though there was a fire burning their backs and it seemed as though they were oblivious to the elder¡¯s murderous aura. When he saw them running out, the elder sank into the marshal¡¯s chair and sighed. He looked like he was about to collapse and thought to himself: It seems like I will have to accept this miserable loss... Chapter 242: Severe Haze of Suspicion ¡°Pfff, he uses his status as the elder of the Phoenix King Valley to oppress smaller factions¡­ If not for the sake of our seniors and juniors, who will care about his stolen items? Helping him is like torturing ourselves¡­¡± One of the youths complained. The moment someone opened the can of worms, all hell broke loose. ¡°Exactly. If he is truly capable, he wouldn¡¯t be robbed in the first place. Not to mention the fact that his disciples aren¡¯t the ones helping him. Are the disciples of the Phoenix King Valley too important to carry out the investigation? Are we weeds from the side of the road he can step over? Where is the justice in this?!¡± Another unsatisfied youth piped up. They had been dissatisfied with the way the Phoenix King Valley conducted themselves for a long time. He was finally able to let out some steam by scolding the Phoenix King Valley Elder. Everyone started to comment and criticize the Phoenix King Valley. The only person who remained silent was the one who reported the findings to the Phoenix King Valley Elder. When everyone saw that he wasn¡¯t saying anything, they assumed that he was trying to suck up to the elder. One of the youths started to mock him. ¡°Oh? Somebody seems content as a slave. You can¡¯t even stand straight now¡­ Wake up from your daydreams¡­ Do you think the Phoenix King Valley Elder will remember your hard work?¡± As the only one who hadn¡¯t spoken up, the man slowly raised his head. When he realized that everyone was looking at him, he discovered that he was the target of their rage. Since he was already getting on in years, he was able to control his emotions. He seemed to be lost in thought as he slowly spoke of his suspicion. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this seem fishy to you?¡± Everyone¡¯s expression shivered and looked at each other with a confused expression in their eyes. They had no idea what he meant. After hesitating a moment, he stated the anomalies he had noticed during the investigation. ¡°Let¡¯s put aside the nasty attitude the Phoenix King Valley Elder has been using to deal with us. Don¡¯t you think that something is wrong when the Elder requested for us to assist him in the investigation?¡± He turned to look at everyone and saw that there was no response. He continued, ¡°The Phoenix King Valley will never ask for help. Even when rewarding us with cultivation resources, they will send the outer valley disciples out for the delivery. The thought of using reputable armed escort agencies never crossed the mind.¡± ¡°The fact that they are sending us to look for an item is a big red flag. Not to mention how the Elder refused to let us in on the details. He simply asked us to follow his instructions. Even after so long, we have no idea what we are supposed to be looking for. We don¡¯t even have a description of the item, let alone an image. Isn¡¯t there something weird about this?¡± After learning about the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s investigation, Bai Luochu returned to the residence as quickly as she could. She was afraid the elder would make things difficult for her. He would really hit the jackpot if he were to place his attention onto Bai Luochu. As soon as she returned to the general¡¯s residence, she saw Cai Ling waiting at the entrance. Perhaps she was feeling guilty for making Bai Luochu starve, Cai Ling quickly apologized, ¡°Will Mistress please issue the punishment. This servant has neglected her duty and caused Mistress to starve.¡± Bai Luochu was startled after hearing the apology and immediately consoled the poor girl. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. After all, I¡¯m no longer hungry. I didn¡¯t plan ahead and failed to inform you in advance. Let¡¯s return to the room first. I have some instructions for you.¡± Bai Luochu gave Cai Ling an eye signal as an indication for Cai Ling to follow behind her. She quickly headed towards Bai Luochu¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Close the door tightly. I have instructions for you.¡± The order came out of Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth the moment she entered the room. Cai Ling already had a habit of closing the doors tightly, but after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s instructions, she knew that what her mistress was about to say was extremely important. Cai Ling shut the door such that even a sliver of sunlight wasn¡¯t able to pass through before asking, ¡°Mistress, do you have any instructions for this servant?¡± ¡°When I was leaving the Remote Paddy Inn earlier, I realized that the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s investigation has already begun. Since I had the guts to steal his ring, I would be prepared for all his attempts at finding it. However, be it Ying Lan¡¯s intention or the result of my deliberation, I will be staying in the residence for the next few days. Furthermore, I might break through at any moment and cultivating in seclusion would be beneficial. There is no need to worry about the elder, but¡­ those wretched relatives of mine are difficult to get along with. I am afraid there will be internal strife in the residence. Did you notice anything strange with them recently?¡± Cai Ling was rather anxious after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s words. After all, the incident with the Phoenix King Valley Elder was a big one and she already had a headache from it. Since Bai Luochu said it wasn¡¯t a problem, Cai Ling wasn¡¯t going to worry about it. Rather than being worried about something that she couldn¡¯t help with, she would rather put in more effort in things that she could do. After some consideration, Cai Ling reported the recent observations she had on the uncle¡¯s family. ¡°Mistress, there is nothing strange going on. Lord Uncle has been constantly drinking and would gamble occasionally. Every time he gambles, he will lose. As for the Madam¡­ it seems like she is afraid of Mistress. She released some control over the residence but there might be hidden tricks. This servant is slow-witted and cannot predict the Madam¡¯s intention. As for Young Lady Qianqian...¡± Cai Ling hesitated for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just speak your mind.¡± Bai Luochu urged Cai Ling to continue. Chapter 243: Long Time No See Bai Luochu squinted her eyes in response to Cai Ling¡¯s comments and no one knew what she was thinking about. After a long silence, Bai Luochu finally spoke again. She mumbled under her breath, ¡°That¡¯s right... She¡¯s not one to stay in her room like a good girl.¡± Bai Luochu suddenly leaned into the chair and closed her eyes. She looked like she was napping but her actions were too sudden and Cai Ling thought that she had fainted. Luckily for Cai Ling, she saw Bai Luochu smoothing out her brows right before she screamed for help. After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s unhurried breaths, she realized that her mistress was thinking about something. Cai Ling returned to her position to wait for Bai Luochu¡¯s next instruction. After a long time, Bai Luochu finally opened her eyes and spoke to Cai Ling, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I have been busy with too many things to the point where I forgot to pay a visit to my Aunt. Why not do it now? Let us visit the Madam immediately!¡± Bai Luochu revealed a profound smile after speaking and she left the room. She headed straight towards the main courtyard of the general¡¯s residence. Cai Ling shivered when she saw Bai Luochu¡¯s smile. She knew that someone was in for trouble. Since Luo Chu¡¯s parents passed away, her uncle¡¯s family had been taking care of her. Even though it seemed like they were taking care of her, it was more appropriate to say that they were taking advantage of the fact that she wasn¡¯t of age. They took over the residence and never provided anymore more than food. Luo Chu¡¯s life might not be great, but she didn¡¯t need to worry about food and clothes. After all, her uncle¡¯s family was still mindful of how outsiders looked at them. There was a saying, ¡®Just as distance determines the stamina of a horse, time reveals a person¡¯s true nature.¡¯ After such a long time, they snapped. Their daughter was obviously much better than the wastrel who couldn¡¯t cultivate, yet she wasn¡¯t the Young Lady of the residence. Even if their daughter was pretty, she didn¡¯t have the status to be a first wife. Adding on the fact that Luo Chu¡¯s uncle was a gambling addict, the already poor general¡¯s residence was going to declare bankruptcy. Since they had to prepare a dowry for their daughter, Luo Chu¡¯s uncle decided to make a move on her. It was also the reason behind Luo Chu¡¯s appearance in the Bestial Battle Arena. However, it was also the reason Bai Luochu was able to reincarnate into her body. When the madam¡¯s personal servant saw Bai Luochu arriving, she instantly felt chills down her back. A chilling aura traveled from her foot all the way to her head as she knew that the king of hell was here. She might very well be the unlucky one who would have to suffer from Bai Luochu¡¯s wrath. Bai Luochu had a calm expression and no one could figure out what she was thinking. Bai Luochu smiled and asked, ¡°Where is my Aunt? I have been so busy these days and have forgotten to visit my Aunt. It is truly my fault as a junior. Since I am free today, I am here to have a nice chat with her.¡± When the servant girl heard Bai Luochu saying ¡®nice chat¡¯, her knees instantly went soft and nearly knelt down on the ground. What kind of chat is this young ancestor talking about, she is obviously here to stab a knife through Madam¡¯s heart. ¡°In response to Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s question, Madam is now having her afternoon nap and it is really bad timing. Why don¡¯t Young Lady return to rest for now before coming over later?¡± How could Bai Luochu allow a maid to chase her away so easily? Bai Luochu raised her brows and spoke to the servant girl, ¡°I prepared my speech for such a long time. Are you trying to chase me away?¡± ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t dare to, this servant is just afraid that Madam will blame me, thus, I cannot allow Young Lady Luo Chu to enter. This servant has no intention to obstruct you and I hope that you will not blame me!¡± The servant girl kneeled on the ground as she pleaded with Bai Luochu. When Bai Luochu saw how terrified the servant girl was, she revealed a brilliant smile and said, ¡°Why are you so nervous? I am not going to blame you. Since the weather is pleasantly cool, why don¡¯t you bring me a comfortable chair so I can rest in the courtyard? When Aunt wakes up, just let me know.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t forget to help the servant girl stand after speaking. The servant girl knew that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t going to leave no matter what. She immediately stopped beating around the bush and asked a few manservants to bring over a marshal chair before putting a firm cushion on top. ¡°Is this to Young Lady¡¯s taste?¡± Bai Luochu nodded and she closed her eyes to rest. Even though the weather was pleasantly cool, Cai Ling felt that the afternoon sun was still very glaring and asked the servant girl to provide a fan to block the sunlight. Bai Luochu sat and waited for a full hour and when she had almost fallen asleep, she suddenly heard the sound of doors opening. ¡°I had a rather nice nap this afternoon.¡± The madam spoke with satisfaction. It was unknown if it was the pleasant afternoon nap or the sunlight, the madam¡¯s sharp and unkind face looked rather mellow and gentle. Just as she was preparing to venture out to shop around with her good friends, she noticed an unknown object in the courtyard. Perhaps she was still drowsy and wasn¡¯t able to see clearly but she snapped at the servant girl who was standing at the door, ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± Chapter 244: Taking the Initiative Her aunt who originally wanted to buy some rouge and cosmetics with her good friend had stumbled from shock due to Bai Luochu¡¯s sudden greetings. She lost her balance and fell backward. It was fortunate that her servant girls had quick reactions as they managed to catch hold of her before she slammed into the ground. Under the brilliant rays of the sun,, Bai Luochu¡¯s sharp teeth reflected off the dazzling golden color and those who were unaware of her true nature would think that she was an innocent and delicate young beauty. As for her aunt¡­ she knew that this lass standing in front of her was scarier than a real demon. Her sharp teeth looked like they were about to tear the skin off someone¡¯s face. Since she was already here, her aunt felt that she had to exchange some pleasantries. She was a senior and she couldn¡¯t embarrass herself in front of a junior. ¡°Luo Chu, aren¡¯t you really busy? Where did you find the time to look for your aunt?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s brows arched upwards and felt that her aunt was becoming more intelligent. At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t try to provoke Bai Luochu like a fool and throw herself into the pit dug by the she-devil. Since she is behaving so politely, I can¡¯t really mess with her, right? As Bai Luochu thought about what she was about to do, the smile on her face became 100x more brilliant. Even though she looked like a sweet young girl, everyone else present felt as though they were looking at a terrifying monster. ¡°Aunt, there is a saying, ¡®Filial piety is most important out of all the virtues.¡¯ This niece has been too busy sorting out some trivial matters lately. After some self-reflection, I thought that it had been a long time since we had a nice chat. This is the reason I am visiting you right now. I am here to pay my respects.¡± The aunt felt her glabella jolting and her first thought was that Luo Chu had fallen on her head: Why would she look for me for a chat? Is she possessed? But the aunt immediately had second thoughts: This lass never wants to see me¡­ Now that she is here to look for me, she might have found something out. The alarm bell in the aunt¡¯s heart had gone off: No, I cannot allow this stupid lass to make her accusations. I have to make the first move. Instantly losing her mood, her aunt no longer felt like going out to shop. She immediately spoke to Bai Luochu in an amicable manner, ¡°Oh my, it is rare for Luo Chu to be so considerate. As your aunt, how can I disrespect my junior? Hurry up and follow me inside.¡± After speaking, she turned around and entered the room. Bai Luochu brought Cai Ling along and entered the main courtyard¡¯s entrance casually. Without caring about her manners, she sat down without a care for the world. The aunt immediately turned to look at Bai Luochu as a signal for Bai Luochu to dismiss Cai Ling. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t respond and looked at her aunt with a flat gaze. ¡°She is one of my people and there is nothing wrong with her being here.¡± This statement shattered the aunt¡¯s idea of dismissing Cai Ling. The aunt had no other choice but to sit down obediently, ¡°I wonder what is so urgent for our Young Lady to personally look for an old woman like me?¡± Now that all the outsiders were gone, the aunt tore off her pretentious mask and spoke with an irate tone. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t reply and asked her own question instead, ¡°I am almost done with the investigation of me being thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena. I wonder if Aunt knows anything about it?¡± Bai Luochu turned to look at her aunt. When the afternoon sun shone on Bai Luochu¡¯s face, her skin was illuminated and seemed to glow a soft golden color. Her skin looked so fair and rosy and perhaps it was due to the overly intense sunlight, even the pores on her skin were clearly visible. The color of her pupils had turned lighter due to the sun, giving her the looks of a foreigner. Even her hair looked like they were coated in gold. Even though Bai Luochu looked like a living and gorgeous beauty from painting, in the eyes of her aunt, Bai Luochu was the emissary of death who was drenched in blood and had overcome all obstacles from hell. As soon as the aunt heard Bai Luochu mentioning the words ¡®Bestial Battle Arena¡¯, her expression changed. She was afraid that Luo Chu would unearth the truth. After all, she had a guilty conscience and when she spoke again, she was in a disadvantageous position, ¡°Speak. What do you want.¡± The aunt might sound like she wasn¡¯t willing to admit defeat, but her tone had weakened significantly. Bai Luochu smiled with satisfaction and immediately spoke with her final objective in mind, ¡°Since cousin has been confined by Aunt, I haven¡¯t seen her for a long time. I am anxious about her well-being and I hope Aunt can shed some light on her current situation. After being cooped up in her room for such a long time, she should be really bored.¡± When she heard Bai Luochu¡¯s question, the aunt became a little suspicious. She wondered about the reason behind Luo Chu¡¯s sudden interest in Qianqian. The aunt might be a sharp and unkind individual, but that attitude was reserved for Luo Chu. She was truly kind to her own daughter and after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s question, she assumed that Bai Luochu had a scheme in mind. She immediately became nervous and asked, ¡°What... What are you thinking of doing? If you want to do something, do it to me. Don¡¯t punish Qianqian.¡± When Bai Luochu saw how her aunt was so anxious about her daughter¡¯s well-being, Bai Luochu did feel a little pity for her aunt. She thought about how someone could be so cruel to others yet behave so differently when other people were plotting against their child. ¡°What is Aunt thinking? I feel that cousin has the temperament of a child and it is good enough to teach her a lesson by confining her for a few days. Why do you have to keep her confined until now? I am afraid she might be bored to death. Why don¡¯t you just let her out? After so many days of confinement, I think she should have learned her lesson.¡± Bai Luochu spoke in a composed manner. Chapter 245: Freed from Confinemen The aunt pondered over the reasons before asking, ¡°Why will you¡­ Shouldn¡¯t you be...¡± Her meaning was obvious, shouldn¡¯t Luo Chu be wishing for her daughter to die during confinement? If that was the case, Luo Chu wouldn¡¯t need to look at her again. Why was she asking for Qianqian to be released all of a sudden? ¡°Aunt, you are thinking too much. In the end, I am the elder sister and cannot possibly be so calculative with my younger sister. I was originally in conflict with her due to the anger in my heart. There was also a small conflict between us. She constantly tried to make things difficult for me, therefore, I had no choice but to make a move. After thinking things through, I decided to let the matter rest. There is a saying, ¡®It is better to squash enmity rather than keeping it alive.¡¯ Furthermore, she is my younger sister closely related to me by blood. How can I allow her to suffer like this?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation had no shortcomings and no matter how the aunt thought about it, she couldn¡¯t understand Luo Chu¡¯s true objective. Without a choice, she simply let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Since that is the case, I will make a trip over there personally. I will also tell her to not create anymore trouble after coming out. As a mother, on her behalf, I shall thank you for your kind intentions.¡± The aunt spoke truthfully. Bai Luochu nodded with satisfaction after hearing her aunt¡¯s promise. She bade her aunt farewell before returning to her courtyard. ¡°Hong Xiu, prepare the things, I will go and visit Qianqian.¡± The moment Luo Chu left her sight, the aunt ordered her servant to get ready. She couldn¡¯t wait to visit her daughter. In fact, the aunt already wanted to release her daughter but after considering Luo Chu¡¯s change in personality, she was afraid Qianqian would be bullied after coming out. In the end, she hardened her heart and confined Qianqian for a long time. Apart from protecting her daughter, she wanted her daughter to sever all thoughts of provoking Bai Luochu. After all, the current Luo Chu was no longer the orphan who would allow people to take advantage of her. Putting aside her relationship with the various imperial princes, just her medical skills was already fearsome enough. ¡°Who is it! Don¡¯t you know that this young lady isn¡¯t in a good mood?! How dare you come over and provoke me?!¡± When Qianqian heard someone knocking on the door, she responded rudely. The aunt¡¯s servant girl was in a difficult situation and felt that Qianqian was behaving too audaciously. After all, the person visiting her was her mother. The aunt wasn¡¯t offended as Qianqian was her daughter. She simply said, ¡°Qianqian, it¡¯s your mother. Mother is here to see you.¡± There wasn¡¯t any commotion inside the house and a moment later, a servant girl opened the door and said, ¡°Madam, please enter the house.¡± No one expected for Qianqian to swat away her mother¡¯s hand, ¡°Isn¡¯t this all because of you?! You actually took the side of that slut and not me! You confined me for such a long time¡­ I even embarrassed myself in front of that slut!¡± The aunt knew that this matter was related to her but she was doing it for the sake of her daughter. It was fine if her daughter couldn¡¯t understand her intentions, she even had to suffer from her daughter¡¯s scolding. It was truly disheartening and she felt really wronged. She then explained to Qianqian, ¡°Qianqian, you have to know that mother is doing it for your own good. Luo Chu has become very wicked and if you are determined to struggle with her, you will not get anything in return. You will fall deeper into her schemes. Furthermore, that lass has complicated relationships with the imperial princes. If you aren¡¯t careful and offend an imperial clansman, ten heads won¡¯t be enough to keep us alive. Mother confined you in order to protect you from Luo Chu, do you understand?¡± Qianqian seemed to be emotionally moved after hearing her mother¡¯s words. But she immediately had second thoughts as she still had to continue suffering in this small house. She was instantly displeased and asked her mother, ¡°Mother, that might be true, but I can¡¯t possibly be locked up in my room for my entire life, right? When can I finally get out of this place?¡± Qianqian acted coquettishly at the end. Originally, the aunt was rather hesitant and was afraid that this was one of Bai Luochu¡¯s schemes against her daughter. After seeing how pitiful her daughter was, she didn¡¯t have the heart to allow Qianqian to suffer. She tried to comfort herself and she readily consented, ¡°Aiyo, you are mother¡¯s precious baby. Today, mother completed negotiations with Luo Chu so that you can be released. However, you need to promise me something.¡± ¡°Please give me your advice....¡± In order to get out of this place, Qianqian quickly asked. ¡°Even if you are freed from confinement, do not go looking for Luo Chu. Our Qianqian is a precious jade artifact while Luo Chu is just a broken tile. We shouldn¡¯t clash with her any longer. Looking at how she conducts herself, trouble will befall her sooner or later. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Your daughter understands. I will not mess with her again.¡± Qianqian naturally agreed. ¡°That will be for the best. Mother still has something to do and shall take my leave. I have specially prepared this dingsheng cake for you. Eat some for good luck.¡± The aunt finished speaking and walked out. Chapter 246: A Scandal ¡°Young Lady, Madam asked us not to provoke Luo Chu, why don¡¯t we keep to ourselves?¡± Qianqian¡¯s servant girl had been serving her for quite some time and understood that Bai Luochu was someone who had plenty of schemes up her sleeves. She quickly spoke up to dissuade her young lady. ¡°When did you start listening to my mother? My mother mentioned that you are not allowed to speak privately with the servants of the residence. Speak. What medicinal dregs did you pour into the back garden previously?¡± As Qianqian was enjoying the cake in her hand, she started talking about the matter between a man and a woman. Her expression didn¡¯t change even though she was a young lady speaking of such things. The servant girl was extremely shocked and immediately knelt down with a ¡®plop¡¯ and begged for mercy, ¡°Young Lady please spare my life. This servant had a moment of folly. After the incident, I was extremely afraid and bought the contraceptive medicine. I hope that Young Lady will not tell Madam. If you need this servant to do anything, please give the order. This servant will risk my life to complete the task.¡± The servant girl never imagined that Qianqian would be able to discover her use of the medicine.. In fact, Qianqian wasn¡¯t intentionally spying on the servant girl. After staying in her courtyard for such a long time, Qianqian felt a little bored and decided to wander about the back garden. It was deep into the night and Qianqian usually had the habit of walking on her tiptoes, it was difficult for anyone to notice her presence. The moment she stepped into the back garden, a smell assaulted her nose and her face flushed red. Her heart raced and she immediately noticed that something was wrong. ¡°You badie, hurry up! If Madam finds out about us, we will have to suffer the consequences!¡± A delicate female voice echoed through the silent garden. Even though Qianqian felt that she had heard the voice before, she couldn¡¯t quite connect the face to the voice. ¡°Aiyo, L¨¹ Luo, don¡¯t be so anxious!¡± A male voice followed up and Qianqian¡¯s eyes opened wide. L¨¹ Luo? Isn¡¯t that my personal servant? Why would she... When Qianqian heard the man, she was too ashamed to continue spying on them. She immediately turned around and returned to her bedroom. She laid in bed and closed her eyes. When she noticed that someone was walking by her room, she pretended to stir as she asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± The easily startled L¨¹ Luo became flustered and the teacup in her hand fell to the ground. L¨¹ Luo forcefully calmed herself before replying to Qianqian, ¡°Young Lady, it is I, L¨¹ Luo. I was having diarrhea earlier and went out for a moment to relieve myself. I was afraid that you would wake up in the middle of the night and there would be no one here to take care of you.¡± She didn¡¯t expect that L¨¹ Luo would behave suspiciously several days later. Qianqian noticed L¨¹ Luo digging a hold in the back garden and in her curiosity, she dug it up. After noticing that L¨¹ Luo buried the remains of several medicinal herbs, a thought sprung up in Qianqian¡¯s mind. After hearing L¨¹ Luo¡¯s confession, Qianqian realized that her guess was right. ¡°If I fail to put Luo Chu in her place, how can I get rid of the ball of anger in my stomach?! Get up! Remember your promise to me!¡± Qianqian placed the cake down and used a handkerchief to wipe her hands. She returned to her bed and instructed her servant, ¡°Dismiss everyone. I feel tired right now and would like to take a short nap.¡± On the other side of the residence, Bai Luochu was in her room, thinking of something. Initially, Cai Ling didn¡¯t want to interrupt Bai Luochu¡¯s train of thoughts but there was a question in her mind she couldn¡¯t answer no matter how hard she thought about it. ¡°Mistress, why did you take the initiative to look for the Madam? Why did you allow her to release Qianqian? She is trouble through and through. Shouldn¡¯t Mistress allow her to rot in her room?¡± Cai Ling spoke truthfully. After hearing Cai Ling¡¯s question, Bai Luochu felt that this little servant of hers had developed some animosity towards Qianqian. She felt that Cai Ling was behaving like a child and she slowly explained her actions. ¡°An enemy in the light is better than one in the dark, right?¡± ¡°Did Mistress release Qianqian on purpose?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation immediately allowed Cai Ling to understand Bai Luochu¡¯s true intention. Bai Luochu nodded as she continued, ¡°You can say that. After all, I cannot allow someone like her to ruin my plans now that we are at a critical stage. She might be in confinement but it is hard to be sure that she is not plotting against me in the dark. During confinement, she has nothing to think about other than revenge against me. Now that she is out of confinement, we will be able to observe her and notice any abnormal behavior. The moment I notice something wrong, I will be able to react accordingly.¡± Cai Ling nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking grains and thought that her mistress was truly a farsighted person. Even though the matter with Qianqian was settled, Bai Luochu¡¯s head was aching as there was a problem she couldn¡¯t solve. It was about her cultivation as no matter how she cultivated, she failed to make any progress. Even though her spirit qi was growing more concentrated, she failed to break through. No matter how concentrated her spirit qi was, if there wasn¡¯t a change in quality, she wouldn¡¯t be a match for those experts. It didn¡¯t matter if she had enough spirit qi to cover the world... Right now, Bai Luochu thought that her crippled meridians were hindering her progress. Bai Luochu thought about it for a long time and was trying to think of a good method to solve her problems. She sat in front of the window and waited for night to fall. Chapter 247: Moonlight Guidance Bai Luochu was silently angry at herself as she should have thought of it sooner. She had only recalled what she needed to do when the moonlight fell on her face. In fact, it wasn¡¯t Bai Luochu¡¯s fault as she was never placed in this situation before. In her previous life, she had abnormal innate talents and didn¡¯t need to use such methods when cultivating. This cultivation method was one that Bai Luochu read from an ancient text that was almost lost in the river of time. The ancient text recorded all the strange cultivation methods since ancient times and Bai Luochu was thinking of using one of the methods. The first person who used this cultivation method was said to have perished on his first attempt because he was lacking in the spiritual energy department. The second person had succeeded and they were in rather similar circumstances as Bai Luochu. In the end, Bai Luochu decided to bet it all and follow in the footsteps of the early cultivators. As for the second person who succeeded, they had crippled meridians, similar to the current Bai Luochu. Since he wasn¡¯t able to absorb heaven and earth spirit qi to cultivate, he used this method in order to reconstruct their meridians. Furthermore, there were plenty of difficulties during future breakthroughs. Whenever that person encountered a bottleneck, he would use this method in order to break through. Even though he wasn¡¯t considered the hero of a generation, he was a rather well-known figure. As for whether the method was really useful¡­ no one knew. Bai Luochu had no other choice and was prepared to take the risk. This method was only recorded down by predecessors and it wasn¡¯t given a name. After all, this cultivation method might look like complete nonsense to others. In the end, Bai Luochu decided to give it a name¡­ Moonlight Guidance. It was named Moonlight Guidance because it would take advantage of the full moon on the 15th day of the month. The user would guide the energy from the moonlight through their body in order to strengthen their meridians. With stronger meridians, the cultivator would be able to circulate more spirit qi through them, easing the path of cultivation. After all, everyone had a limit to how much spirit qi they could circulate and this limit was based on their width and toughness of meridians. Before the moon had gotten its name, it was previously addressed as Excessive Yin. The reason behind its name was because the burning sun in the morning sky was called Excessive Yang. Secondly, the energy from the moonlight was mostly chilly yin energy. If one blindly guided the energy into the body, one might breathe their last without knowing it. Bai Luochu sat in a meditative posture in the backyard before releasing her spiritual energy to communicate with the starry sky. She slowly started the transfer of energy between the moonlight and her body. As her spiritual energy got closer to the moon, she felt a higher concentration of yin energy. At the highest parts of the sky, the energy had nearly materialized. In the end, Bai Luochu realized that the moonlight energy wasn¡¯t exactly the same as what others had described. Originally, Bai Luochu assumed that the moonlight energy was extremely cold with a yin attribute. When her spiritual energy came into contact with the moonlight energy, she only felt a short chill before burning heat took over. She was suffering unspeakable misery and Bai Luochu finally understood the reason why the first person perished. The first person who used this method was dead because his spiritual energy couldn¡¯t withstand such torment. Right now, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have time to think of such trivial matters and she focused on the absorption of the moonlight energy. After a short while, Bai Luochu finally absorbed enough energy. She didn¡¯t hesitate to guide the energy through her body. The moonlight energy inside Bai Luochu¡¯s body was currently compressed into a small sphere by her spiritual energy. It was barging through Bai Luochu¡¯s meridians and due to the characteristic of the moonlight energy, Bai Luochu felt as though her body was burning up for a moment before feeling as though she submerged herself into a pool of ice in the next. Due to the torment, even the tenacious Bai Luochu was groaning in pain. After getting calcined by the moonlight energy, Bai Luochu noticed that her meridians were constantly turning tougher and they became much healthier compared to before. But the moonlight energy didn¡¯t seem to have the intention to stop as it continued to circulate around Bai Luochu¡¯s meridians. It would destroy Bai Luochu¡¯s meridians first before reconstructing it again. The sensation was too painful to describe and Bai Luochu nearly fainted. Before she knew it, the entire night went by and Bai Luochu awakened at daybreak. As the first ray of sunlight basked down onto the world, the moonlight energy in Bai Luochu¡¯s body vanished completely. As the laws of heaven and earth descended on Bai Luochu, she suddenly realized that she had gained a lot from her cultivation session the night before. She actually advanced by one entire rank, much to her delight. ¡°Mistress? Mistress, where are you?¡± Cai Ling¡¯s voice echoed in the bedroom and Bai Luochu finally recalled that she had left her room in order to cultivate. She immediately stood up and she dragged her weary body into her bed. Bai Luochu raised her head and she saw the eyebags on Cai Ling¡¯s face. They were so bad they were almost drooping down to her jaw. Bai Luochu felt rather guilty and said, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t think I would cultivate through the night.¡± Cai Ling didn¡¯t really mind the fact that she wasn¡¯t able to sleep for the entire night. On the contrary, she returned the question to Bai Luochu, ¡°Mistress, what happened to you? Why are you in this state?¡± Bai Luochu had suffered for an entire night and her clothes were soaked through. Her hair hung down her back, painting a miserable picture. Chapter 248: Pei Wuchen’s Visi Cai Ling instructed someone on the outside to prepare the hot water before shutting the doors tightly. She started to help Bai Luochu change and after the cleanup, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t look as miserable as before. Cai Ling started to make fun of Bai Luochu. ¡°Mistress, those who didn¡¯t know you were cultivating last night would think that you took a swim in the pond. What cultivation method did Mistress use last night? You looked so miserable this morning...¡± It was obvious that Cai Ling was grumbling about how Bai Luochu failed to recall that her little servant girl was worried for her. Bai Luochu saw how Cai Ling was behaving and immediately explained the process of cultivation. However, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t tell Cai Ling about the difficulties that she faced during her cultivation session. After all, this servant girl was very concerned and if Cai Ling knew how dangerous her cultivation method was, Cai Ling might constantly keep an eye on Bai Luochu. ¡°Is there really such a mystical cultivation method? Mistress, why did you end up in such a miserable state?¡± Cai Ling wasn¡¯t still confused. Bai Luochu had no idea how to reply to Cai Ling and she quickly thought of an excuse, ¡°I advanced an entire rank this time and all the impurities in my body were forced out.¡± When Cai Ling saw that Bai Luochu was a little vague in her explanation, she felt rather unconvinced. However, she thought about how her mistress was able to come up with these legendary cultivation methods no one knew of and she convinced herself that anything was possible. Even if Bai Luochu were to say that the sun rose from the west, Cai Ling would convince herself that it was the truth. Bai Luochu let out a breath of relief and felt that she had finally passed Cai Ling¡¯s interrogation. As such, there was nothing else to be concerned about. Since she hadn¡¯t slept for the entire night, Bai Luochu got ready to take a short nap. Just as she was about to go to sleep, a manservant knocked on the door, ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, there is a guest at the entrance looking for you.¡± Bai Luochu frowned and asked, ¡°Looking for me? Who is he?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have a good impression of the person who interrupted her rest. She snapped at the manservant and sounded rather unfriendly. The manservant felt that he was placed in a difficult situation and stammered as he replied, ¡°This... this servant doesn¡¯t know the identity of the guest. This servant knows that he is wealthy and respectable. He said to notify Young Lady that he is no stranger. Young Lady should know that other than the Second Prince, this servant does not recognize other people.¡± Bai Luochu nodded in response and said, ¡°Since that is the case, invite that person into the residence. Ask him to head straight for the reception pavilion. I shall head there soon.¡± ¡°Mistress, you have cultivated for the entire night and have yet to rest. Do you want to meet with the guest now?¡± Cai Ling knew that Bai Luochu had made her decision and couldn¡¯t help but complain. ¡°Visitors are guests and I cannot chase them away. Since he is already at the entrance, I shall meet with him to figure out his intention. I hope it¡¯s not a waste of my time.¡± Bai Luochu explained and immediately headed for the reception pavilion. When Bai Luochu reached the reception pavilion, the view of someone standing with his hands clasped behind his back greeted her. Before arriving in front of the man, Bai Luochu immediately asked, ¡°Who is it? What do you want?¡± After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s words, the person turned around and replied, ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu. I apologize for my sudden visit.¡± Bai Luochu was rather surprised to see his appearance. In her heart, the visitor was either Pei Rumo, Lu Wenshu, or one of the nobles who wished to hire her for her medical skills. Bai Luochu never expected for Pei Wuchen to personally visit the general¡¯s residence. At this critical juncture, shouldn¡¯t he be hiding away somewhere? Why did he appear in the general¡¯s residence? ¡°As it turns out, Your Third Highness is here¡­ I wonder what Your Third Highness needs from me?¡± Bai Luochu went straight to the point. Rather than wasting her time guessing, she rather he got to the point. Pei Wuchen was surprised by Bai Luochu¡¯s question and he seemed to be surprised at how blunt she was. At the end of the day, he was a well-mannered imperial prince and had to keep up his refined appearance. He wasn¡¯t agitated by Bai Luochu¡¯s behavior and spoke in an amicable manner, ¡°This prince heard about Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s previous experience. Wan¡¯er is young and ignorant. I am just here to offer apologies to Young Lady Luo Chu.¡± Apologies? Did he look like he was here to offer his apologies? People might believe it if he said he was here to chew Bai Luochu out. ¡°I wonder if Your Third Highness can represent Feng Wan¡¯er to apologise to me¡­ Aren¡¯t you the Third Prince of the Cloud Water Nation? Should I refer to you as the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Master instead? Could it be that you are here as Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s childhood sweetheart to offer your apologies? Or perhaps¡­ you are here as my nominal fianc¨¦.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s tone got heavier and it seemed as though she was about to burst into rage. Does Pei Wuchen think that I am a pushover? Had it not been for his First or Second Brother, I would have sent him flying off with a slap. How dare he apologise for Feng Wan¡¯er! He isn¡¯t fit to apologise for her and neither does she deserve to be forgiven! It was obvious that Pei Wuchen didn¡¯t know that Bai Luochu was as obstinate as a bull. He was placed in an awkward position and it was fortunate that there was no one else in the vicinity. Pei Wuchen put up a bold front and said, ¡°Wan¡¯er grew up proud and arrogant. She doesn¡¯t know better. You should be more forgiving¡­¡± Chapter 249: Extremely Ridiculous Even though I was rescued by Pei Rumo in the end, it was because he had some use for me. Bai Luochu raised her eyebrows and stared at Pei Wuchen. Bullshit. My nominal fianc¨¦ had such deep sentiments for another woman and he even pledged his undying love for her. If he didn¡¯t need to apologise in her stead, he probably wouldn¡¯t bother about my existence. Pei Wuchen was embarrassed after hearing Bai Luochu and his face was flushed red. He was at a loss of what to do as even though he said that Feng Wan¡¯er had a smooth sailing life, he hadn¡¯t experienced much hardship himself. Putting aside the fact that he was an imperial prince of the Cloud Water Nation, due to his exceptional talent at a young age, he was chosen as the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Master. If he had anything to worry about, it would be fighting over the throne after his Emperor Father dies. However, his ability was lacking when it came to matters involving the nation, stressing him out even more. Even the women in the capital city had nothing to say about Pei Wuchen compared to his brothers when it came to political achievements. After being criticized by Bai Luochu, Pei Wuchen didn¡¯t know what to say. Bai Luochu noticed that Pei Wuchen was silent and she chased him out. ¡°Does Your Third Highness have anything else to say? Please leave if you have nothing else to say. I am very tired and wish to rest.¡± Bai Luochu spoke and turned around to leave. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Pei Wuchen called out to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu turned around and asked politely, ¡°Yes? Your Third Highness can speak freely. I am listening.¡± ¡°You are getting too close to my First and Second Brother these few days. If possible, please keep your distance from them. After all, you are my nominal fianc¨¦e. If you grow too close to them, tongues might wag and it won¡¯t be beneficial for either of us.¡± After hearing what he said, Bai Luochu had the urge to strangle Pei Wuchen. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she couldn¡¯t clear up the aftermath, she would have already made her move. Now he thinks about the engagement between us... ¡°I don¡¯t really understand the meaning behind Your Third Highness¡¯ words. I have a good relationship with the First Prince because of his life saving grace from the Bestial Battle Arena. If I fail to reciprocate, people might think that I am an ingrate.¡± ¡°As for my relationship with His Second Highness, everything started after he risked his life to save me in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Why can¡¯t we get to know each other better?¡± Pei Wuchen obviously didn¡¯t expect for Bai Luochu to treat him this way. He was rather shocked and didn¡¯t know what to say. She is reasonable... She suffered so much and as her nominal fianc¨¦, apart from feeling that she wasn¡¯t suitable for me and silently acknowledging Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s actions, I failed to do anything for her. The originally confident Pei Wuchen felt that he wasn¡¯t qualified to talk to Bai Luochu and he slowly lowered his head. ¡°I am sorry. I failed to take into account Wan¡¯er¡¯s actions and caused you to suffer. I have nothing else to say to defend my actions. I shall take my leave right now and you should take a good rest.¡± In the end, Pei Wuchen didn¡¯t even address himself as ¡®this prince¡¯. He no longer had the confidence to raise his head in front of Bai Luochu. Pei Wuchen was about to walk out of the reception pavilion when he heard a voice in his ear. ¡°Why is the Third Prince leaving so soon? Did my fickle cousin infuriate you? It isn¡¯t just the First and Second Highness! My cousin has many close friends!¡± Bai Luochu frowned and she thought about why Qianqian had to butt into the conversation. This cousin of hers loved to watch the world burn... As for the reason behind Qianqian¡¯s appearance¡­ It all started when Pei Wuchen arrived at the residence. ¡°Young Lady, this servant saw His Third Highness at the entrance earlier. He is looking for Young Lady Luo Chu.¡± L¨¹ Luo reported to Qianqian. ¡°Are you sure? Are you sure that it¡¯s the Third Prince? Is His Third Highness really here?!¡± Qianqian stopped working on the embroidered pouch and asked her servant girl. L¨¹ Luo nodded and said, ¡°It is definitely the Third Prince. There is no lady in the capital city who can mistake the romantic and elegant Third Prince for anyone else. Even when purchasing things outside, this servant ran into him several times in the past. I can¡¯t be wrong.¡± Qianqian revealed a profound smile in response and muttered to herself, ¡°I was trying to find a reason to look for trouble but it seems like the opportunity has thrown itself my way. The Third Prince is truly brilliant. He chose to appear at this exact time. Isn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity for me to get back at that slut?!¡± The more she thought about it, the more Qianqian saw Bai Luochu¡¯s reputation hitting rock bottom. She laughed heartily and said, ¡°Hahaha. Hurry up and pack up. A good show is going to play out soon. I shall head over to stir some trouble.¡± Qianqian asked L¨¹ Luo to tidy up and fasten her hairpin again before leaving the room. The slight delay caused her to miss the entire show. Normally, Bai Luochu and Pei Wuchen should be able to converse for another two hours. However, Bai Luochu was too vicious and her words stabbed deep into Pei Wuchen¡¯s heart. For the revered Third Prince, he couldn¡¯t bear the criticism and lost the battle of words after a few bouts. Chapter 250: A Series of False Accusations Pei Wuchen had never visited the general¡¯s residence before, hence, he didn¡¯t know who was the young lady who came out of nowhere to slander Bai Luochu. He had no choice but to turn around to request for help. Bai Luochu spoke calmly, ¡°As the Young Lady of the residence, I am at fault for not giving an official introduction. This is my younger cousin, Qianqian. I was raised by my uncle¡¯s family and grew up together with her. She is a frank and outspoken girl. Please pardon her, Your Third Highness.¡± Frank and outspoken? Pei Wuchen looked at the arrogant and willful young lady whose eyes were filled with sinister light. The corners of her mouth curled upwards and her chin was tilted towards the sky. She looked like she was out for blood. Why was Luo Chu defending someone with such poor behavior? It seemed as though the sisterly bond between the two of them was quite strong. Pei Wuchen came to a conclusion on his own but he didn¡¯t know that he had already fallen into one of Bai Luochu¡¯s schemes.The moment Qianqian showed up, the gears in Bai Luochu¡¯s brain had already started to turn. A plan to cause Qianqian to fall into the pits of hell was already thought up the moment she opened her mouth. ¡°Frank and outspoken? Haha, sister is going out of her way to cover up all the scandals. What a nice way to describe me¡­ It seems like my sister''s brain has grown a little after leaving the Bestial Battle Arena¡­¡± No matter what Bai Luochu said, Qianqian would find a way to turn it into an insult. Her brain was already muddled by Bai Luochu¡¯s constant humiliation and she had no idea she was sinking deeper and deeper into Bai Luochu¡¯s trap. Pei Wuchen¡¯s brows slowly arched upwards. He thought that the both of them shared a strong bond but after hearing Qianqian¡¯s words, he was having second thoughts. How could they treat each other so differently? It seemed as though the Young Lady of the general¡¯s residence was treating her younger cousin well. As for her cousin¡­ she was probably jealous of Bai Luochu¡¯s status in the residence. After all, the Young Lady of the residence was Bai Luochu, not her. The moment Pei Wuchen formed the image in his head, a distaste for Qianqian rose in his heart. To him, she was like an unkind and unreasonable shrew in the market. ¡°Third Prince might not about this, but...¡± Just as Pei Wuchen was sizing Qianqian up, she turned around to make things worse. ¡°Your Third Highness only knows about the First Highness. Before the incident with His First Highness, she used her identity as Divine Physician Bai to stick around His Second Highness. She paraded herself ostentatiously around town and behaved unrestrained.¡± Qianqian might be talking to Pei Wuchen, but her eyes had been staring at Bai Luochu. She was trying to observe the changes with Bai Luochu¡¯s expression in order to grasp her weakness. How would Qianqian miss her change in expression? She was just like a cat who had stolen a fish and she became extremely complacent. She quickly spoke about the matters between Bai Luochu and Lu Wenshu. ¡°The person is someone Your Third Highness is familiar with. This person is Lu Wenshu and since the incident at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, he has been sticking close to my cousin. Using the excuse of seeking forgiveness, he appears in the general¡¯s residence every other day. Even though he might be apologising for injuring His Second Highness, he would often drag out the conversation with my elder sister. As for the reason behind my elder sister¡¯s willingness to meet with him¡­ Your Third Highness, do you need this commoner to tell you?¡± Qianqian let out a resplendent smile and stared straight at Bai Luochu with a haughty expression. On the contrary, Bai Luochu calmed herself down and she put on an indifferent expression. Her job was done. The only thing left to do was to wait for someone else to put Qianqian in her place. After all, Qianqian was the one who had overestimated her abilities. Pei Wuchen¡¯s brows pricked up slightly but no one knew the meaning behind his action. When Qianqian saw that Pei Wuchen wasn¡¯t saying a word, she assumed that Pei Wuchen was enraged with Bai Luochu¡¯s behavior. She started to run her mouth off. ¡°My elder cousin is so willing to see this Young Master Lu because of her admiration for him. Since she was young, she viewed him as her hero. If possible, I¡¯m sure my elder sister would like to marry him.¡± Qianqian turned to look at Pei Wuchen¡¯s reaction. After waiting for a long time, the Third Prince remained silent. According to Qianqian, Pei Wuchen had already started to despise her slut of an elder sister. After all, she had already thrown out so many accusations, dragging Bai Luochu¡¯s reputation through the mud. When Qianqian saw that Pei Wuchen was merely standing there without a word, she assumed that her words weren¡¯t poisonous enough. She carried on, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Your Third Highness feel that something strange is going on? Young Master Lu wants to apologise to His Second Highness but came to the general¡¯s residence instead. Let me enlighten Your Third Highness. Everything happened because of this loose woman, Luo Chu. Not only does she have an ambiguous relationship with the First Prince and Lu Wenshu, she even allowed His Second Highness to stay in the general¡¯s residence for half a month. She made use of her good reputation as a physician and the fact that she didn¡¯t need to consider the differences between a man and a woman to do so. In fact, her head was filled with filthy thoughts!¡± After speaking for what seemed like half a day, the reception pavilion regained its tranquility. Bai Luochu felt that the silence was pleasing to the ear compared to Qianqian¡¯s grumbling. Only the sound of birds chirping and fishes splashing about in the pond remained. It seemed as though there were plenty of wonderful things in the world with the explicit exception of her cousin, Qianqian. Chapter 251: A Great Show Qianqian was extremely proud of herself. She felt that Pei Wuchen¡¯s disgusted expression was because of Bai Luochu¡¯s disgraceful behavior and he was merely holding himself back from lashing out at her. Qianqian was about to add fuel to the fire when Pei Wuchen spoke up. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the general''s residence is filled with snakes. My fianc¨¦e has actually been living in such an environment with these vile people. Even after how politely she treats you, you dare to you slader and defile her reputation. I am truly disgusted by your behavior! I originally thought that everyone in the general¡¯s residence is cultured and refined, until I met you. You have the nerve to make false accusations about the Young Lady in front of an outsider. Do you know what the word ¡®shameless¡¯ means?!¡± Pei Wuchen was agitated. Even though his behavior was somewhat excessive for an imperial prince, there wasn¡¯t anyone in earshot. He wasn¡¯t afraid that people would start to gossip and spread false rumors about himself. Since the words had already left his mouth, he had no regrets. When the words entered Bai Luochu¡¯s ears, they sounded like music to her ears. Of course, seeing as how Pei Wuchen was yelling at Qianqian, Bai Luochu knew that her scheme had succeeded. Since the start, she had no intention to personally step in. Since Qianqian was already at her boiling point, she wasn¡¯t going to care about Bai Luochu¡¯s feelings. As for her uncle and aunt¡­ They were hoping that their daughter would turn into a phoenix and soar through the skies. They never dared to raise their voice at her, much less lecture her about her behavior. Bai Luochu started to scheme against her by making use of the princes. After all, Qianqian was dreaming of marrying into the imperial clan. The words of a prince should be able to wake her up. However, there was a reason behind Bai Luochu¡¯s plan to make the Third Prince scream at Qianqian. This was Bai Luochu¡¯s plan all along. Pei Qingfeng had a good relationship with her and if she had a conflict with her cousin, Pei Qingfeng would brainlessly defend Bai Luochu and ridicule Qianqian. His words were like knives and it was possible for him to kill someone by lecturing them. However, seeing as Qianqian was deeply infatuated with Pei Qingfeng, she might be staring at his face instead of listening to his scolding. Hence, using Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t too good of a choice. As for Pei Rumo, there was no way she would allow him to get involved. With his personality, after seeing Qianqian¡¯s disgusting behavior, he might even get someone to erase her off the face of the earth. Of course, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t intend to kill her cousin. However, if some mishaps were to happen, she might not be able to bear the consequences. After thinking it through, there was only one candidate left... the Third Prince, Pei Wuchen. How could she be so confident that no harm would befall her? Of course, it was all part of her calculations. Normally, she would add fuel to the fire after Qianqian¡¯s harsh criticism, but today, she remained silent while her cousin was chewing her out. The more Qianqian spoke, the more Pei Wuchen would lean towards Bai Luochu¡¯s side. Why? Because Pei Wuchen felt a sense of guilt when facing Bai Luochu. ¡°Your Third Highness? You should be criticizing her, not me!¡± Qianqian saw how Pei Wuchen was yelling at her and felt very surprised. She realized that the situation wasn¡¯t developing how she wanted it to. ¡°I am an imperial prince. Since a young age, my Master has taught me that a man needs great aspirations to make it further in life. He taught me that a man shouldn¡¯t bother about such internal strife, but you really disgust me. I hope you can learn from your mistakes. I never once hit a woman but I feel like strangling you right now. Even if Luo Chu isn¡¯t a member of the imperial clan, my Grandfather arranged a marriage between the two of us. She can be considered half an imperial clansman and how can an imperial clansman be slandered by you?¡± Since the show was already playing out, Bai Luochu realized that she couldn¡¯t remain silent as the lead actor. She quickly shifted in between Pei Wuchen and her cousin before bowing to the Third Prince. ¡°She is the only child of my Uncle and Aunt. It¡¯s natural for her to be a little pampered. After all, she is a young lady and might be envious of all the outstanding men around me. I will lecture her on behalf of my Uncle and even though we had an unpleasant conversation, I hope Your Third Highness will forgive the both of us.¡± ¡°She is a young lady and she can afford to act arrogant and rude. Are you going to allow her to do whatever she likes?¡± Pei Wuchen asked Bai Luochu in return. Bai Luochu lowered her head for some time before raising her head to look into Pei Wuchen¡¯s eye, ¡°I am used to it.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes were red and it seemed as though tears were about to roll down her face. She sniffled and it seemed as though she was holding her tears back. Her teary eyes made Pei Wuchen uncomfortable. He felt as though something was moving in his chest and that his heart was about to break free of his ribs. It was as though it was beating in accordance to her sadness. ¡°Sorry for disturbing you. Please take care of yourself. I have something important to attend to and shall take my leave.¡± Pei Wuchen turned around and left quickly. However, he turned to look at Bai Luochu before leaving the general¡¯s residence and from where he stood, he could see her straight back as she stood her ground. She looked like a lotus flower rising to the sky. Chapter 252: To Call On Qianqian was reluctant to look for her mother and she started to struggle. In the end, she realized that she wouldn¡¯t be able to free herself from Bai Luochu¡¯s grasp and gave up on the thought. She walked behind Bai Luochu like an obedient child and discovered that her cousin was no longer a wastrel. Bai Luochu actually had fearsome strength. If Bai Luochu was able to obtain such strength in such a short period of time, was this elder cousin of hers a wastrel or a prodigy? With this understanding, Qianqian followed behind Luo Chu in a well-behaved manner, like a child who had done something wrong. ¡°What... what is going on? Why are you sisters looking for me?¡± When the aunt saw Luo Chu dragging her daugher around, she felt an ache in her head. Bai Luochu shoved Qianqian before speaking to her, ¡°Explain yourself. Talk about how you enraged His Third Highness.¡± Bai Luochu stood with her hands behind her back. With an indifferent expression on her face, no one could read her thoughts. How could Qianqian¡¯s mother be unaware that her daughter had stirred up more trouble? Looking at the two of them before her, she knew that it was definitely Qianqian¡¯s fault. ¡°Aiyo, Qianqian. Did you forget everything your mother told you? What are you thinking?! You are going to anger me to death! Why can¡¯t you understand that mother is doing everything to keep you safe?¡± The aunt saw that Bai Luochu was standing together with Qianqian and she couldn¡¯t speak her mind. We can¡¯t provoke Luo Chu right now. It is better for us to hide somewhere safe. However, she suddenly thought of something. Why would Luo Chu bring her over? Shouldn¡¯t she leave after teaching Qianqian a lesson? Why are they looking for me? What in the world is going on? ¡°Are you going to say it?¡± Bai Luochu saw that her cousin didn¡¯t have the intention to narrate the incident and became furious. She felt that her cousin was like a stone in the latrine, smelly and stubbornly hard. ¡°Fine, if you are not going to say it, I will say it for you.¡± Bai Luochu was impatient and no longer wanted to wait for Qianqian. She spoke of the whole incident to her aunt. ¡°Aunt, if cousin were to cause trouble for me, I would have settled the issue myself. Why would I need to drag her all the way here? Do you want to know what she did?¡± ¡°Earlier on, His Third Highness came over to look for me. He was about to leave when Qianqian suddenly appeared and blocked his way. She then started to make up stories about me in front of His Third Highness, using such vulgar words without the image of a cultured young lady of a noble family. Does she think the Third Prince is a joke of a man? How can he be oblivious to her petty schemes? He yelled at her and I stepped in to prevent things from getting worse. Only after persuading him that I will bring Qianqian to you did His Third Highness¡¯ flames of anger extinguish. What do you think?¡± ¡°Luo Chu is right. Bringing her here is the right choice and Aunt will definitely try to resolve the matter. I am sorry for getting you involved. Why don¡¯t you head back to take a short break¡­ I will try and do something about this.¡± The aunt took out a handkerchief to wipe her face. There was a look of shame plastered on her face. Bai Luochu obviously knew that her aunt was about to teach Qianqian a lesson. Seeing that she had achieved her objective, she returned to her courtyard. ¡°Kneel down!¡± Seeing that Bai Luochu had walked far away, the aunt snapped at her daughter. Qianqian didn¡¯t listen and her mother flared up even more. ¡°You are truly spoiled! You don¡¯t even want to kneel in front of your mother! So be it¡­ Do you want all of us to be beheaded before you feel satisfied?!¡± When she heard that her mother was no longer playing around, Qianqian¡¯s knees went soft. She knelt down and said to her mother, ¡°Mother, how can that be? I only wanted to mess with that slut!¡± ¡°Mess with her? Do you really think that you are messing with her? You messed with His Third Highness! Do you think I am stupid? I can guess what you said to His Third Highness. Why else would he scream at you? Furthermore, they are on the same side right now! If Luo Chu didn¡¯t interfere and prevent His Third Highness from punishing you, you would probably be thrown into prison for disrespecting a member of the imperial clan!¡± The aunt explained the consequences of her actions. ¡°How... how can that be possible?!¡± Qianqian didn¡¯t want to believe what her mother said. She even thought that her mother was siding with Luo Chu and she screamed in objection. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! It is absolutely impossible!¡± ¡°How is that impossible?!¡± The aunt saw her daughter¡¯s response and was infuriated. She no longer spoke as calmly as before, ¡°His Third Highness is an imperial prince. If he isn¡¯t in a good mood, he can throw anyone into prison! In the past, when I saw your schemes succeeding, I thought that you were a clever child. I never thought that Luo Chu was never interested in messing with you! You better reflect on your actions. If you continue to act like this, a disaster might befall all of us. Think about His Third Highness¡¯ attitude towards Luo Chu. I am only trying to protect you.¡± Qianqian¡¯s mother looked like she was exhausted after the conversation and she returned to her room after speaking. Leaving Qianqian alone, no one knew what she was thinking about. When everything was happening, Bai Luochu made her way back into her courtyard and was about to take a nap. Her plan was to nap till lunchtime before continuing to cultivate. ¡°Mistress, why are you back so early? Why was the Third Prince looking for you so early in the morning?¡± Cai Ling just happened to enter the room and she spotted Bai Luochu. Questions were fired in rapid succession. Chapter 253: Secret Guard Delivering a Letter ¡°Do you wish to know?¡± Bai Luochu originally wanted to ignore Cai Ling¡¯s questions. She wanted nothing more than to sleep but she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She knew that if she didn¡¯t give Cai Ling a satisfactory explanation, the little girl would pester her all day. In the end, Bai Luochu decided to resolve all of Cai Ling¡¯s doubts in order to bring some peace to herself. When Cai Ling heard that her mistress was offering to explain the situation, she became excited. There was no way Cai Ling would miss the opportunity to learn about interesting events going on in the residence and she celebrated. ¡°Of course!¡± However, Cai Ling seemed to recall that her mistress had been awake for the entire night and she regretted her decision a little. She decided to allow Bai Luochu to rest before pestering her any further.¡°Mistress, you can shorten the story!¡± Bai Luochu felt warm in her heart after hearing Cai Ling¡¯s words. This servant girl still had her interest in mind and she didn¡¯t shower Cai Ling with so much love for nothing. Bai Luochu prepared to make the explanation a little clearer so that she didn¡¯t disappoint the little girl. ¡°After I had my conversation with the Third Prince, he turned away to walk out of the residence. Qianqian came at the exact moment and started to throw out accusations in order to cause a misunderstanding between the two of us. She didn¡¯t expect to be the one yelled at by the Third Prince. After that, I dragged her to my aunt before leaving.¡± Bai Luochu narrated the whole incident to Cai Ling. ¡°What about the Third Prince? What was he here for?¡± Cai Ling noticed that Bai Luochu only answered one of her questions. ¡°His Third Highness...¡± Bai Luochu looked far away and her thoughts started to float away as well. It went back to the reception pavilion as Bai Luochu recalled the words that Pei Wuchen had spoken. She also recalled his final words to her, ¡®take care¡¯. At the end of the day, a prince won¡¯t be able to empathize with people who lead difficult lives. Bai Luochu shook her head. She felt that it was fortunate for her to be able to live again after experiencing such a dark past. There were too many people with malicious intent in the world. Bai Luochu shook her head again and said to Cai Ling, ¡°Nothing much. We talked about how a child would follow someone with sweets and several unhappy stories.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Cai Ling was very confused after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s reply. Putting aside the fact that children would always follow people who gave them sweets, Cai Ling felt that it was strange that the Third Prince came all this way to tell a story. Cai Ling might not understand the meaning behind Bai Luochu¡¯s words, but she was happy that Qianqian was being punished. She recalled that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t sleep for the entire night and she rushed to the kitchen in order to request for some dishes to help nourish Bai Luochu¡¯s body. This was probably the only thing she could do for her mistress. ... ¡°Master, the secret guard commander is here.¡± Ming Lu reported to Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo¡¯s hand stopped moving for a moment before passing down his instruction, ¡°You are dismissed. Send him in.¡± Ming Lu left the study room and summoned the secret guard commander. ¡°Master asks you to enter. Hurry up and go inside.¡± This secret guard commander closed the door behind him and before he could say anything, Pei Rumo spoke up, ¡°Speak. What happened at the general¡¯s residence.¡± The secret guard commander was startled. He wondered when his master became interested in the young lady and he felt that the rumor going around was true. ¡°Master, after this subordinate¡¯s previous report, the mysterious man went back to look for Bai Luochu before disappearing. The number of times Divine Physician Bai visited the Remote Paddy Inn decreased after that. I am here today to report another matter.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you think I¡¯m wasting your time by assigning you to spy on the general¡¯s residence? Are you here to request to be transferred away?¡± Pei Rumo listened to the insignificant report from the secret guard commander and assumed that the latter didn¡¯t feel like he was content with his job. The secret guard commander was quick to defend himself. ¡°This subordinate isn¡¯t so bold. I am here today because something happened at the general¡¯s residence. This subordinate feels that Master will be interested in the news.¡± Bullshit! Who dares to look down on Divine Physician Bai? If Master gets angry, he will banish me to a bitter cold desert somewhere in the world to rot. Anyway, I still need to follow his orders. Master has always been a farsighted person. ¡°Oh? Tell me about it.¡± When Pei Rumo heard that something had happened at the general¡¯s residence, his interest was piqued. He placed down the imperial notice in his hand and he indicated for the secret guard to continue. The secret guard made his report, ¡°Master, earlier on, His Third Highness went to look for Young Lady Luo Chu to discuss something. According to what this subordinate heard, His Third Highness is unhappy that Young Lady Luo Chu is growing closer to Master and His Second Highness. Young Lady Luo Chu chewed him out and placed him in an embarrassing situation. Before he left, Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s younger cousin appeared and made some false accusations, causing His Third Highness¡­¡± The secret guard felt that it was rather hilarious and felt that Young Lady Luo Chu was too clever for her own good. He forcefully suppressed his intention to laugh, ¡°In the end, Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s cousin enraged His Third Highness. Right now, Young Lady Luo Chu is dragging her to look for her mother.¡± Chapter 254: Glady Agreeing ¡°You¡¯re telling me that Pei Wuchen personally visited the general''s residence and used the identity of a fianc¨¦ to lecture Luo Chu?¡± Pei Rumo was speaking calmly and no one knew what he was thinking. When the secret guard heard the question, he felt that something was up. However, he still replied to Pei Rumo, ¡°That is correct...¡± As soon as the secret guard replied, he felt that the atmosphere in the room changed. Before he could excuse himself, Pei Rumo started to rant. ¡°Hah, Pei Wuchen is really mature! He actually dares to show off his authority in front of her? Did he finally recall that he is Luo Chu¡¯s fianc¨¦? Where was he when Feng Wan¡¯er threw her into the Bestial Battle Arena? During the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, it was Second Brother who rescued her. Right now, he is using his identity to criticize Luo Chu? I never noticed how thick skinned he was...¡± Pei Rumo was raging at Pei Wuchen and the secret guard didn¡¯t dare to interrupt him. He was afraid that Pei Rumo might vent his anger and punish him instead. After a long time, Pei Rumo¡¯s anger seemed to have subsided. He muttered to himself, ¡°Hmm.. it seems like Third Brother thinks that I am too close to Luo Chu. Since that is the case, I shall up my game.¡± After voicing his thoughts, he yelled towards the door, ¡°Ming Lu! Get in here!¡± Ming Lu who was standing at the entrance didn¡¯t know what was going on in the room but he ran in as quickly as he could. He was afraid he would cause a delay in Pei Rumo¡¯s plan and incur his wrath. After all, Pei Rumo sounded really angry. ¡°Master, is there anything you need this subordinate to do?¡± Ming Lu entered and asked respectfully. Pei Rumo rummaged through the pile of invitation cards that he had prepared previously. He was deciding on the excuse to use and after making a choice, he tossed the invitation card to Ming Lu. ¡°Make a trip to the general''s residence right now and give this invitation card to Luo Chu. She must accept it no matter what, understand?¡± ¡°This... Master, didn¡¯t we give up on the recruitment? Why are we following through with the plan?¡± Ming Lu was rather confused as Pei Rumo was a person who wouldn¡¯t change his mind easily. The secret guard who stood by the side was silently praying for Ming Lu: Aiyo, my little ancestor Ming Lu, even if Master dotes on you, you shouldn¡¯t be adding oil to the fire, right? Can¡¯t you see that there is a giant flame burning in front of you? Before the secret guard could complete his thoughts, Pei Rumo snapped. ¡°Hah, someone pinned such a huge accusation on my head. How can I rest easy without making his accusation real? Hurry up and give her the invitation! Why are you questioning my decision? Are you the First Price or am I the First Prince?¡± Even though Ming Lu had no idea what was going on, he acknowledged the order and ran out of the room. The secret guard commander bowed to Pei Rumo before running off as quickly as he could. He felt extreme fear in his heart, What a bad day. Master¡¯s behavior is so weird! Well, this isn¡¯t an easy sight to come by... As soon as the secret guard left, Pei Rumo regained his composure. Pei Wuchen, I didn¡¯t feel like messing with you if you didn¡¯t resort to underhanded means. Too bad for you, you tried to meddle in my personal affairs. Don¡¯t blame your older brother for not showing mercy. By this time, Pei Rumo¡¯s anger had already dissipated. He picked up an imperial notice on the table as his hand started to move again. When Ming Lu delivered the invitation card to the general¡¯s residence, Bai Luochu was still asleep. When Ming Lu saw that Cai Ling was the one to accept the invitation, he let out a breath of relief. He silently rejoiced that Young Lady Luo Chu didn¡¯t appear to personally accept the card. Even his master was unable to deal with her, let alone him. When Ming Lu wasn¡¯t paying attention, Cai Ling had already snatched the card from his hand. ¡°Hey, little attendant, why did you deliver the invitation card again? My Mistress said that she would be able to enjoy some peace and quiet. Why is there another invitation card?¡± Ming Lu¡¯s face turned bitter as he heard the question and explained to Cai Ling, ¡°Big sister, my Master said the same thing to me and told me that there was no need to deliver invitation cards any longer. However, something came up and he insisted for me to bring another card here. He even chased me out of the residence. I feel rather wronged too!¡± As Ming Lu spoke, he revealed a wronged expression. When Cai Ling saw that the kid was sobbing, she no longer bothered with him. She had no choice but to accept the invitation card. However, she gave him a warning, ¡°I will show my Mistress this invitation card. However, I cannot promise you whether or not she will attend. If your Master blames you, please do not try to shift the blame to me.¡± When Ming Lu heard that Cai Ling was willing to accept the invitation card, he immediately withdrew his wronged expression and said to Cai Ling, ¡°Big sister doesn¡¯t have to worry. I might be young, but I understand such things. I shall take my leave.¡± Cai Ling felt that she had been scammed the moment Ming Lu¡¯s expression changed. She felt that the little attendant was as temperamental as his master. Chapter 255: Everyone has Their Own Plan Cai Ling was grumbling in her heart. She originally thought her mistress would only wake up during lunch she hadn¡¯t slept for the entire night. But Cai Ling had forgotten that Bai Luochu possessed much stronger spiritual energy compared to regular people. She recovered much faster and was fine after a short rest. Right now, she had yet to think of an excuse and was already caught red-handed by her mistress. Cai Ling didn¡¯t know what to do, she cursed silently: If I knew this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have promised that little brat earlier. Bai Luochu saw that Cai Ling wasn¡¯t saying a word and didn¡¯t reply her question. She assumed that something was wrong and stopped cultivating. She raised her head to look at Cai Ling. Looking from bottom to top, Bai Luochu¡¯s gaze finally fell on Cai Ling¡¯s face. She already caught sight of the invitation card in Cai Ling¡¯s hands. Feeling that the card was somewhat familiar, she asked, "What¡¯s going on? What is that? Why are you holding it in front of your chest like some sort of treasure? Let me see it, I will return it to you after reading it." Bai Luochu continued to look up at Cai Ling''s face and when Bai Luochu noticed her awkward expression, she knew that something was wrong. Cai Ling realized that she couldn¡¯t hide the truth anymore and had no choice but to brace herself and make her report, ¡°Mistress, this thing... Mistress might get angry if you read it. Mistress must promise this servant that you will not get angry at this servant before I show it to you.¡± Bai Luochu found it rather funny and simply said to Cai Ling, ¡°Alright, I will not get angry at you. Show it to me.¡± Cai Ling handed over the invitation card and quickly threw out the excuse she prepared, ¡°Mistress, Ming Lu came over to deliver the invitation card while you were asleep. He said it was given by His First Highness and wanted to hand it to you personally. This servant thought that Mistress was still sleeping and felt that it wasn¡¯t good to let a child wait at the entrance of the general¡¯s residence. I accepted the invitation card on Mistress¡¯ behalf. Even though this servant accepted it, I made it clear that Mistress would make the final decision.¡± Cai Ling was afraid Bai Luochu would blame her and she spoke quickly. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t angry after hearing Cai Ling¡¯s explanation. Instead, she sunk into thought. After a short moment, she muttered to herself, ¡°This isn¡¯t right. Logically speaking, he should leave me alone. Why is he sending more invitation cards?¡± Bai Luochu was confused and immediately asked Cai Ling, ¡°Did Ming Lu reveal the reason behind His First Highness¡¯ invitation?¡± Cai Ling thought carefully about what Ming Lu had said earlier before quoting his words, ¡°Ming Lu said that something happened today and his Master insisted that he delivered the invitation card. His First Highness even chased him out of the residence.¡± Pei Rumo¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem like he is trying to recruit me any longer. He probably heard something to change his mind. Only his enemies or people he deeply cares about can make him change his mind¡­ According to my understanding, there is no one he truly cares about. As for his enemy¡­ Pei Wuchen! Bai Luochu suddenly recalled Ying Lan¡¯s words. He told her about the secret guards around her residence and after the incident in the morning, Pei Rumo probably received a report from his subordinate. Even with her calm personality, she was triggered by Pei Wuchen¡¯s appearance, let alone Pei Rumo who had always been prideful and insufferably arrogant. It seemed as though Pei Rumo was trying to find a way to clash with Pei Wuchen. Whatever the case, Bai Luochu hoped that they wouldn¡¯t harm the innocent populace and bring disaster to the capital city. After all, she was one of the fishes in the pond right now. ¡°Mistress? Mistress? About the invitation...¡± Cai Ling saw that Bai Luochu was immersed in her thoughts, hence, she pulled her back to reality. As a servant, she couldn¡¯t decide if her mistress would accept the invitation. Bai Luochu had to be the one to confirm her attendance. After being called out by Cai Ling, Bai Luochu immediately came back to her senses. ¡°Make a trip to the First Prince¡¯s residence now. Tell them that I accept and I hope that His First Highness won¡¯t forget about it.¡± Cai Ling was curious. However, she followed Bai Luochu¡¯s instructions and left for the First Prince¡¯s residence. ¡°Master, why would Young Lady Luo Chu agree?¡± When Ming Lu returned, he quickly went to look for Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo smiled and left behind four words, ¡°She already guessed it.¡± Ming Lu was confused and before he could follow up with another question, Pei Rumo had already left the study. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t going to answer Ming Lu¡¯s question. .... As for Pei Qingfeng¡­ He found out about the incident in the morning and was already cursing to the high heavens, ¡°What in the world is Pei Wuchen thinking? He acts civilised all the time but why is he stirring up so much trouble now? What an annoying guy. If I want to look for Luo Chu after this, I will have to go through a lot of trouble. Just as Pei Qingfeng was lamenting, his secret guard brought back another piece of news. ¡°Master, His First Highness is hosting a feast in his residence. He invited Divine Physician Bai for a chat.¡± ¡°Again?!¡± Pei Qingfeng instantly felt a headache when he heard that Pei Rumo was inviting Bai Luochu for a banquet. Suddenly, he felt that his First Brother wasn¡¯t as annoying as this was a great chance for him. ¡°Inform the kitchen that I will not be eating lunch tomorrow. I shall head over to the First Prince¡¯s residence to evaluate the quality of his chef.¡± Pei Qingfeng was initially angry that Pei Rumo was being so insistent. However, he quickly realized that it was a heaven sent opportunity for him to meet with his ¡®Luoluo¡¯. The more he thought about it, the happier he felt. As for Pei Wuchen¡­ Who cares about him? Since he has already portrayed me in such a way, I shall live up to his expectations. Chapter 256: A Farce ¡°Master please take a look at the menu for the banquet today.¡± Ming Lu passed the menu over to Pei Rumo. ¡°Master, should we hold the banquet in the main hall or the hall of flowers?¡± One of the housekeepers of the First Prince¡¯s residence asked. All the questions came at the same time and Pei Rumo felt a headache coming up. He quickly withdrew from the crowd before leaving a sentence behind. ¡°All of you can rest at ease. I am also concerned about these matters but other than Ming Lu¡¯s menu that needs to be reviewed, the rest of you can follow the plan. Remember to prepare an extra set of cutlery as there might be an uninvited guest.¡± After Pei Rumo finished speaking, he walked back to the study room with Ming Lu following closely behind him. ¡°Master why will there be an uninvited guest?¡± Ming Lu was puzzled as he handed the completed menu over to Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo avoided the question and took the menu from Ming Lu¡¯s hands. ¡°Don¡¯t ask too many questions. Just do as I say and if my prediction is correct, there will be more than just one uninvited guest.¡± When Ming Lu saw how mysterious his master was behaving, he understood that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get an answer. He quickly changed the topic and talked about the menu instead, ¡°Master, please take a look at the menu for the banquet. If Master thinks it is acceptable, this subordinate will instruct the chefs to start preparing the dishes.¡± Pei Rumo glanced at the menu and saw that everything was well thought out. Without missing a beat, he approved of the menu. When Pei Rumo nodded his head, Ming Lu no longer hesitated as he immediately sent the menu to the kitchen. By the time Pei Qingfeng arrived at the First Prince¡¯s residence, Bai Luochu had already been waiting for some time. There was no way for Bai Luochu to know that the Second Prince would arrive later than her. ¡°First Brother only thinks about Divine Physician Bai. As your younger brother, I am extremely heartbroken¡­ After enduring so many boring days at the Second Prince¡¯s residence, I am bored of the food there. I have no choice but to bum a meal off at your place.¡± Bai Luochu could hear Pei Qingfeng¡¯s voice even though he was nowhere to be seen. Bai Luochu unconsciously glanced towards Pei Rumo and he met her gaze and nodded his in acknowledgement. Pei Rumo detected Bai Luochu¡¯s annoyance through her gaze and he shook his head in confusion. Bai Luochu could already feel a headache coming her way. Pei Qingfeng was actually so persistent that she was completely unable to ditch him. She originally planned to explain the incident to Pei Rumo as it was unpleasant to have someone watching her every move. With Pei Qingfeng¡¯s appearance, she knew that he was also keeping tabs on her in the dark. ¡°First Brother, aren¡¯t you feeling rather generous recently? You are hosting banquets every other day¡­ As your younger brother, I am deeply disappointed in your preferential treatment of Divine Physician Bai over your brothers.¡± Pei Qingfeng smiled at Bai Luochu as he criticized Pei Rumo. ¡°Second Brother, why are you being so petty? All of us know of Divine Physician Bai¡¯s poor living conditions. I am doing all I can to stop her uncle¡¯s family from looking down on her. How can you say that I treat my younger brothers unfairly?¡± Even though Pei Rumo made it seem like an explanation, he was blaming Pei Qingfeng for being immature. After all, he was the Second Prince of the Cloud Water Nation and Bai Luochu was an orphan daughter of the general¡¯s residence. How could he compare himself to her? Bei Qingfeng¡¯s smile froze. He realized that his First Brother was actually a sarcastic individual who portrays a cold appearance to the outside world. Pei Qingfeng was not shamed by the ridicule. Instead he turned around and told Bai Luochu, ¡°Luoluo, it has been a long time since I saw you, did you miss me?¡± Bai Luochu felt that she should at least take advantage of a free meal even if she wasted a trip. Being unable to bear Pei Qingfeng¡¯s intense gaze any longer, she tilted her head downwards and started enjoying the feast. Pei Qingfeng became angrier and swore at her when he saw that she had ignored him. Bai Luochu almost choked to death when she heard his complaints and she quickly covered her mouth as she coughed violently. Looking at how the two of them were behaving, Pei Rumo felt that it was the perfect chance to counterattack. He passed a cup of tea to Bai Luochu, ¡°Eat slowly. If there is not enough food, I can get them to prepare more.¡± Bai Luochu was choking so badly she failed to notice the person who passed the cup to her. She gulped down the entire cup of tea in seconds. Pei Rumo secretly observed Pei Qingfeng''s expression and saw that his face was as black as charcoal. His eyes were almost popping out of their sockets and if looks could kill, Pei Rumo¡¯s body would be riddled with holes. Bai Luochu knew that she was stuck between the two princes and said to Pei Qingfeng ¡°I hope Your Second Highness can restrain yourself. If anyone were to hear the curses, I am afraid you will have to write more reflections again. Even though the two of us are close, we are still of the opposite sex. Please maintain a sense of propriety.¡± Chapter 257: An Unexpected Invitation Ming Lu brought over a wooden stool and handed Pei Qingfeng a bowl of rice. ¡°Your Second Highness, this servant has brought out a chair for you. Please take a seat.¡± Pei Qingfeng felt extremely awkward that his seat was beside Pei Rumo and instructed Ming Lu, ¡°I want to sit beside Luoluo.¡± Ming Lu felt that the Second Prince was purposely making things difficult for him. At this point, he had no choice but to look to his master for help. Pei Rumo nodded his head in helplessness and hoped that he could at least have a good dinner. If he were to disagree, he was afraid that Pei Qingfeng would cause even more trouble. When he saw his master nodding, Ming Lu quickly brought the chair over to Bai Luochu. He gestured to Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Your Second Highness, you can take a seat now.¡± Other than Pei Qingfeng who was enjoying his meal, the other two couldn¡¯t wait to end the dinner. They hated that they only had one mouth and had to eat while listening to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s noisy chatter. ¡°Luoluo, try this dish, it¡¯s amazing!¡± Pei Qingfeng picked up a piece with his chopsticks and placed it into Bai Luochu¡¯s bowl. In the end, Pei Rumo was unable to converse with Bai Luochu as he was interrupted by Pei Qingfeng at every turn. ¡°I am full now, you can stop giving me food.¡± Bai Luochu told Pei Qingfeng. Throughout the dinner, whenever Bai Luochu ate the same dish twice, Pei Qingfeng would load her plate with more of it. Bai Luochu probably finished half the table on her own. Bai Luochu made her way back to the general¡¯s residence once she understood that it was impossible to discuss anything with Pei Rumo. Since Pei Qingfeng had no reason to stay, he left the First Prince¡¯s residence as soon as he could.today. After Pei Qingfeng left, Pei Rumo scolded himself, ¡°I can¡¯t believe Pei Qingfeng! As long as Luo Chu is involved, he acts like he is under a spell. I wonder where all his teachings went¡­¡± Ming Lu understood his master¡¯s temper and secretly thought, ¡°Master cares alot about Young Lady Luo Chu as well. It was understandable when she was worth roping in. However, he still cares a lot about her.¡± Ming Lu was very much baffled by his master¡¯s attitude. Of course, Ming Lu kept those words to himself. If Pei Rumo were to hear him, he would be in deep trouble no matter how much Pei Rumo liked him. Even though he scolded Pei Qingfeng, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t wish to pit himself against his Second Brother. Pei Qingfeng was direct and he wore his emotions on his sleeves. He was unlike Pei Wuchen who was a hypocrite. When Bai Luochu reached the general¡¯s residence, she was worried and felt that there was still a need for her to clarify things with Pei Rumo so she instructed Cai Ling, ¡°Take the tunnel to the Remote Paddy Inn and ask them to relay a message to the First Prince''s residence. Do you know what to say?¡± After Bai Luochu wrote her note, she passed it to Cai Ling who left through the secret tunnel. Even the guards were unaware of her disappearance. "Little brother, sorry for the trouble. Can I trouble you to notify your master that I am here with a message from the general¡¯s residence" Cai Ling asked the guard as she stood outside the First Prince''s residence The guard felt that it was weird that Luo Chu who had left earlier was sending a message. However, he chose to notify his master as he had no reason to refuse her. Just as he was about to do so, Ming Lu appeared at the door. ¡° Hey, where are you planning to go? Master is currently busy dealing with important business. You can relay the message to me instead.¡± After the guard recounted everything to Ming Lu, he immediately walked over to where Cai Ling was waiting. Cai Ling knew that her task was complete when she saw Ming Lu. She quickly spoke up, ¡°Ming Lu hurry up, I am here to deliver a message.¡± ¡°I heard from the guard that you are here to deliver an invitation card?¡± ¡°Yes, take a look.¡± Cai Ling took out the invitation and showed it to him. When Ming Lu saw the invitation, he kept it and reassured Cai Ling, ¡°Big sister, you don¡¯t have to worry, I will personally hand this over to my master. Knowing him, he will definitely show up.¡± ¡°My Mistress will be expecting him then. If there is nothing else, I¡¯ll be heading back to the general¡¯s residence. You should also return to notify your master.¡±¡± Cai Ling turned around and walked towards the Remote Paddy Inn. Cai Ling returned to the general¡¯s residence and reported the whole thing to Bai Luochu. ¡°Mistress, I have completed your task¡­ However, I don¡¯t understand. You were never happy to accept His First Highness¡¯ invitation. Why would you take the initiative to invite him for dinner?¡± Chapter 258: Laying the Cards on the Table Cai Ling felt that her mistress¡¯ recent behavior had been getting increasingly unfathomable. But Cai Ling understood that Bai Luochu always had her reasons for doing things a certain way. As a servant, it was already a blessing to be able to listen to her mistress rant. Naturally, Cai Ling didn¡¯t have extravagant hopes. She realized that doing her job properly was the most important thing she could do. At the First Prince''s residence, Ming Lu hopped into the study room and spoke to Pei Rumo, ¡°Master, when this servant was preparing to exit the residence, I happened to come across Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s servant girl. Make a guess. What do you think she was here to do?¡± When Pei Rumo saw that his attendant was behaving without proper etiquette, he helplessly shook his head. He didn¡¯t wish to crack down on Ming Lu¡¯s enthusiasm, hence, he asked, ¡°I cannot guess it. Why don¡¯t you tell me what has happened?¡± Ming Lu immediately smiled and figured that his master wouldn¡¯t be able to imagine the reason behind Cai Ling¡¯s visit. ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu sent an invitation. Her personal servant says that I need to personally hand the invitation over to you.¡± Pei Rumo was startled after hearing Ming Lu¡¯s words and had a look of disbelief. He tried to confirm it again, ¡°Are you sure she is the one who sent the invitation?¡± Ming Lu nodded and said to Pei Rumo, ¡°I am absolutely sure. If Master doesn¡¯t believe me, you can take a look.¡± Ming Lu handed over the invitation card he had been hiding all this while. Pei Rumo took a glance and understood that Bai Luochu was really inviting him for lunch. He immediately instructed Ming Lu, ¡°There is no need to prepare for afternoon tea. Luo Chu has invited me to the High Leisure Pavilion for tea.¡± On the next day, Bai Luochu rested for a short moment after having her lunch and headed for the High Leisure Pavilion. In order not to alert Pei Qingfeng¡¯s secret guard, she used the secret tunnel to leave the residence. The day before, Bai Luochu already notified the staff that she would be hosting a guest. Meng Luoping reserved Heaven¡¯s Sign room number 1 the moment he got the notification and prepared for Bai Luochu¡¯s arrival. Right now, it was just slightly over lunchtime and his mistress had already arrived, Meng Luoping even assumed that he was the one who mistook the timing. ¡°Mistress, didn¡¯t you say you will arrive in the afternoon? Why are you here? I have yet to tidy things up.¡± Meng Luoping quickly explained to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t mind and shook her head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I am the one who invited a guest over and I need to be ready for it. I can also take a look at how our business is running.¡± ¡°Mistress doesn¡¯t have to worry. This teahouse might not be as profitable as the Remote Paddy Inn and the Silk Flower Pavilion, but we have never lost money.¡± Meng Luoping replied honestly. Bai Luochu nodded in response and said to Meng Luoping, ¡°You can¡¯t compare the different businesses. The Remote Paddy Inn is a restaurant and no matter what, humans will need to eat. As for the Silk Flower Pavilion, it is a money squandering establishment for those nobles. It is normal for the High Leisure Pavilion to make less money. Originally, the High Leisure Pavilion is meant for collecting information and its making money is secondary. Alright, I do not have to worry with you around. Instruct the kitchen to prepare the tea and refreshments. Later on, the teahouse will start to get busy. Don¡¯t neglect the other customers because of me.¡± ¡°Yes, this subordinate understands.¡± Meng Luoping quickly acknowledged. After Bai Luochu gave her instructions, she headed up and straight for the teahouse¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Sign room number 1. Pei Rumo arrived on time. ¡°I wonder what special location Divine Physician Bai would pick for our meeting. Even the name of the private room is ordinary. Why would Divine Physician Bai pick such a place?¡± Pei Rumo sighed at the inelegant name of the teahouse¡¯s private room. Meng Luoping stood at the side while cold sweat dripped down his face. He was thinking, The name of this private room is named by this ancestor standing in front of you. It might sound crude, but it is easy to note down the different fees for the rooms. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t angry after hearing Pei Rumo¡¯s criticism. She offered him a seat politely, ¡°Your First Highness, please take a seat. Why bother about the name? The tea and refreshments here aren¡¯t bad. Once Your First Highness tastes the food, you will understand the reason behind my invitation.¡± Pei Rumo sat down quietly. As soon as he sat down, the waiter in the High Leisure Pavilion served tea and refreshments. ¡°Will our guests please enjoy...¡± Pei Rumo picked up a piece of cake and put it inside his mouth. Bai Luochu took the initiative to pour a cup of tea for Pei Rumo and pushed it in front of him. She then raised her hand slightly as an indication for Pei Rumo to have a taste. Pei Rumo swallowed the cake and drank a mouthful of tea. He immediately understood the wonder of this place. The cakes might look mediocre but it was superior when it came to enhancing the flavor of the tea. There was really nothing for him to pick on. Pei Rumo sighed and spoke to Bai Luochu, ¡°Speak. I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t invite me here to taste tea and cakes.¡± Hearing Pei Rumo¡¯s question, Bai Luochu went straight into the topic, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you withdraw your men from the walls of the general¡¯s residence?¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s brows raised in response. He didn¡¯t think that this lass would be so direct. Pei Rumo pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°When did you find out?¡± ¡°I guessed it a long time ago. It might be a guess, but I¡¯m sure of it now.¡± Bai Luochu spoke bluntly. Pei Rumo understood that he was too impatient and his actions leaked the news. Since he had already sent his men out, there was no reason to call them back. He had also replied bluntly, ¡°What will you do if I refuse?¡± Chapter 259: The Needle is Sharp but so are Words After a long time, Bai Luochu laughed softly and said, ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t know that Your First Highness is actually a person that likes to joke around. I didn¡¯t think that the imperial clansmen of the Cloud Water Nation are all improper in their conduct... If Your First Highness wants to arrange men by my side, you should probably ask for my opinion, right?¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t agree, will the outcome change? I think not. Even if I agree now, I can return and send them out again, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Pei Rumo seemed to be declaring war on Bai Luochu. ¡°From Your First Highness¡¯ words, it seems like you don¡¯t wish to carry out negotiations. In Your First Highness¡¯ opinion, if I can avoid Pei Qingfeng¡¯s men today, what makes you think your men will be able to keep an eye on me?¡± Bai Luochu saw that Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t willing to take a step back and immediately broke out into threats. When Pei Rumo heard Bai Luochu¡¯s words, he suddenly noticed that something was off. Bai Luochu was actually able to avoid detection by Pei Qingfeng and meet him at the teahouse, alone. This was also the reason for why Bai Luochu insisted for Cai Ling to deliver the invitation to the First Prince¡¯s residence the day before. Even if Pei Qingfeng were to show up, Bai Luochu would still have her ways of sending Pei Qingfeng out so that she could have a proper negotiation with Pei Rumo. But by doing so, she would have one less bargaining chip in her hand. Even if her negotiation with Pei Rumo was successful, it was inevitable that she would suffer some losses. However, if Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t appear from the start to the end, it would be easier to deal with Pei Rumo. The two princes¡¯ secret guards were evenly matched and if she was able to avoid Pei Qingfeng¡¯s secret guard, she would naturally be able to avoid Pei Rumo¡¯s secret guard. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t need Bai Luochu to spell it out for him. ¡°Fine, what do you want?¡± Pei Rumo closed his eyes and frowned while asking Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu finally let out a breath of relief after hearing his response. She had won the bold gamble and she turned to him and fearlessly asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t Your First Highness being too anxious? I know what is happening and I am not a person who is greedy and would ask for unreasonable conditions. Right now, I simply wish for Your First Highness to withdraw your men. I do not wish to be monitored constantly as I feel like a golden sparrow in a cage right now. I cannot eat or sleep properly.¡± Seeing how reasonable Bai Luochu sounded, Pei Rumo knew that he had no choice but to agree. Why would he waste anymore of his time. After all, everything had a limit and if he needed her to do him a favor, this would serve as a bottom line, right? Bai Luochu squinted her eyes in response. The poison needle was already prepared in her hand. She was currently evenly matched against Pei Rumo and her spiritual energy was stronger than him. If there was a confrontation, it was possible for her to use her hidden weapon to subdue him. Pei Rumo saw the wary look in Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes and immediately clarified himself. He was afraid she would try to move against him because of her anger. ¡°Hold on... I will not propose any unreasonable conditions. Why don¡¯t you listen to me before making a decision? Everything can be discussed considering we are such great friends.¡± Bai Luochu heard Pei Rumo¡¯s words and withdrew her murderous aura. However, the poison needle remained in her hand. She spoke sarcastically, ¡°Haha, what do you mean great friends? Your First Highness has the audacity to talk about friendly relationships? Whatever¡­ Tell me your condition. If it is a reasonable demand, I will accept it. If it isn¡¯t¡­ we can restart negotiations.¡± Bai Luochu revealed a smile after speaking, but it was pretentious. Pei Rumo felt that it was rather frightening. ¡°My condition is simple. I hope that you will accept all my invitations in the future. Furthermore, I can guarantee that the meeting will be beneficial to you. Please do not worry.¡± Bai Luochu shifted her eyes away as though she was thinking it through. ¡°Is it that simple?¡± Bai Luochu asked. Pei Rumo nodded solemnly and answered Bai Luochu, ¡°That¡¯s right. It is that simple.¡± Bai Luochu heaved a sigh of relief. This condition might be within her range of acceptance but Pei Rumo was a person that wouldn¡¯t move without benefits. How could he possibly use such a simple condition to negotiate with her? Something was definitely wrong. Pei Rumo stared at Bai Luochu. As a fox who had been involved in the imperial court for years, he was a seasoned veteran. How could he not see the look of doubt in her eyes? Without a choice, Pei Rumo had to explain for himself. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear it wrongly. That¡¯s all I ask.¡± Pei Rumo stared into her eyes as though he was trying to convince her. ¡°You might not believe it, but I am trying to rope you in. If I rescued you from the Bestial Battle Arena because I wanted to make use of you to trouble my Third Brother, that is no longer applicable. Right now, I want to bring you onto my side because of your skills. Your medical skills are amazing and you are an extremely strong individual to boot. Furthermore, if I don¡¯t remember wrongly, you were unable to cultivate due to innately crippled meridians. Today, your strength is comparable to mine and this is enough reason for me to recruit you.¡± Pei Rumo constantly observed Bai Luochu¡¯s expression and when he noticed that her expression had loosened a little, he carried on, ¡°There is one more thing, the most important factor. In my eyes, we are the same type of person. Vicious and merciless, scheming, the willingness to sacrifice everything to achieve our objectives... In fact, there are times where we will even make use of ourselves to achieve our goal. Luo Chu, you should understand that the two of us are the ones that can set the world right. Your talents and wisdom... I will never be able to find another woman in this world so similar to myself.¡± Chapter 260: A Chance Encounter With the Phoenix King Valley Elder After a very long time, so much so that Pei Rumo assumed that Bai Luochu was still emotionally moved by his words, she finally said something, ¡°Alright, I will agree to your condition. But...¡± Pei Rumo had already heaved a sigh of relief when he heard her agreement. However, his heart dropped when she reached the second part of her sentence. ¡°Your First Highnessmade a mistake. I do not belong together with anyone. Since the moment I woke up in the Bestial Battle Arena, I knew that the proper way to walk down my path was to do it alone. I will never be a Chinese Trumpet Vine that climbs up with the help of a tall mountain. The only thing I¡¯ll be is a tenacious Cattail at the side of the river.¡± Bai Luochu looked exhausted after pouring her heart out. Pei Rumo seemed like he wanted to say something but Bai Luochu interrupted him, ¡°The tea and snacks in this teahouse are amazing. I hope Your First Highness will enjoy them while I take my leave.¡± ¡°Time will prove everything. Luo Chu, just wait and see. The most suitable person to help you accomplish your ambition... is me.¡± It seemed like Pei Rumo had not given up yet as he followed up with another statement. ¡°We¡¯ll cross the bridge when we get there.¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t about to give in. When Pei Rumo saw that Bai Luochu was still composed and indifferent, he felt that she didn¡¯t appreciate his kindness. ¡°I am not the only one who planted secret guards outside your residence! You should know the other person who did. Will you be treating him the same as me?¡± Bai Luochu paused after hearing the statement. She obviously knew that the people stationed outside the general¡¯s residence weren¡¯t all from the First Prince¡¯s residence. However, she had not thought of a proper method to deal with Pei Qingfeng¡¯s men. In her heart, she owed him her life. ¡°I thank Your First Highness for your consideration. I will deal with the matter however I see fit.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t bother turning around as she left the teahouse. When Pei Rumo saw how Bai Luochu left without turning back, the cake in his mouth turned a little bitter. It seemed as though there was a gap between Pei Qingfeng and himself. It was possible that Luo Chu didn¡¯t notice that she was treating Pei Qingfeng differently from everyone else. As soon as Bai Luochu walked out of the High Leisure Pavilion, she noticed the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s trail. He was carrying his bags as he rushed out of the city. Bai Luochu felt that something suspicious was going on and thought that there was no way he would run away with his tails between his legs. Since she was going to return to the general¡¯s residence, she would need to use the tunnel at the Remote Paddy Inn. It was the perfect time to discuss the elder¡¯s behavior with Ying Lan. ¡°Guess who I just saw?¡± Bai Luochu sat in Ying Lan¡¯s study room and built up a scene of suspense. Bai Luochu was shocked. ¡°How did you know? Are you following me around?¡± Ying Lan¡¯s eyes opened wide after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s response, ¡°What did you say, Mistress? Did you really encounter the Phoenix King Valley Elder? Did he say anything to you?¡± Bai Luochu felt it was funny to see her secret guard so anxious. She immediately teased Ying Lan, ¡°Oh my, why are you so anxious? It sounds as though the Phoenix King Valley Elder is your daughter-in-law who had yet to marry over. Is there a need to be so nervous? Do you think I¡¯ll be able to drink tea with you if I had met with trouble?¡± Ying Lan thought about it and felt that her words were logical. He quickly asked Bai Luochu, ¡°Did Mistress really see him?¡± ¡°When I exited the High Leisure Pavilion, I saw him running down the street. He seemed rather strange though. He looked like he was in a hurry as he carried his bags and ran away. Didn¡¯t we rob him? Why is he the one running away?¡± Bai Luochu spoke of the suspicion in her heart. After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s description, Ying Lan stayed silent and said a single statement after a period of time, ¡°Our men are watching him closely and if he is really running back to the valley, our informants should be coming back to make a report.¡± Shortly after Ying Lan spoke, a member of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence arrived at the study room. ¡°Palace Master, Divine Physician Bai, this subordinate has something important to report.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say anything and turned to look at Ying Lan. Ying Lan nodded as an indication for that person to speak, ¡°Is there news about the Phoenix King Valley Elder? If there is, spill it.¡± Bai Luochu knew that this was the spy sent out by Ying Lan to watch the Phoenix King Valley Elder. When that person obtained Ying Lan¡¯s order, he immediately reported, ¡°Palace Master, this subordinate saved myself from embarrassment. This subordinate has been following the Phoenix King Valley Elder for a long time and he has been cowering like a tortoise without appearing. Today, this subordinate noticed that he was leaving the city in a hurry. It seemed he was heading in the direction of the Phoenix King Valley.¡± ¡°He just left?¡± Ying Lan muttered softly. When he was pondering over the implications of the elder leaving, he recalled that his subordinate was still standing there. He immediately praised, ¡°You have done well. Return to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to take a break. You have suffered these days.¡± That person acknowledged his orders and was preparing to leave. But Bai Luochu stopped him and stuffed a spirit medicine in his hand. ¡°Take this, consider it as a reward for your hard work. This elixir is for firming the fundamentals and nurturing the spirit. I noticed that you are on the brink of a breakthrough. Ingesting this medicine will not affect your future cultivation.¡± After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation, the subordinate thanked Bai Luochu repeatedly and only left after Ying Lan gave the word. ¡°Mistress, what do you think is happening in the Phoenix King Valley?¡± Ying Lan had no idea what was going on and he could only ask Bai Luochu. Chapter 261: The Last Straw ¡°According to what Mistress said, we should be safe?¡± Ying Lan inquired. Bai Luochu thought deeply for a moment before replying, ¡°There is no need to hurry. Why don¡¯t we sit back and wait. It might just be a diversion. If the elder suddenly kills his way back, all our efforts will be ruined.¡± ¡°Mistress is right.¡± Ying Lan responded. ¡°For the next few days, I will be concocting medicines in the residence. If the Phoenix King Valley Elder has truly left, it will be time for me to head over to where the Green Flame Eagle is hiding. Back then, it suffered severe injuries and shouldn¡¯t be able to move about freely. If there is no news of the elder after several days, I will make a trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range.¡± Bai Luochu spoke of her arrangements and Ying Lan didn¡¯t raise any objections. With no reason to stay, Bai Luochu entered the tunnel and made her way back to the general¡¯s residence. As for the reason behind the Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s departure, everything started two days ago. ¡°You useless fools! It has been two weeks, but none of you found anything... You didn¡¯t even catch a single suspicious person for me! Tell me, what use do I have for all of you?!¡± Looking at the disciples from the various factions, the Phoenix King Valley Elder was enraged. Initially, the disciples conducted the investigation without a word as they revered the Phoenix King Valley. As time went by and with the elder raining curses on them non-stop, the grievance in their heart accumulated. They were close to their breaking point. ¡°Elder, you can¡¯t blame us for not producing results!¡± The one who spoke was the same man who reported to the Phoenix King Valley Elder in the past. The Phoenix King Valley Elder¡¯s eyes opened wide in response. It was as though he couldn¡¯t believe the words which left the man¡¯s mouth. ¡°What did you say? Aren¡¯t you getting awfully smug? Are you very capable now? How dare you talk back to me!¡± His reasoning turned the Phoenix King Valley Elder into a mute as the elder didn¡¯t know how to retort. After all, he was right. The Phoenix King Valley Elder didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment as he realized his folly. However, he couldn¡¯t tell them that he had lost the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s egg! If the news came to light, half the Cloud Water Nation would receive the news! If that were to happen, another bloodbath would wash through the lands. How did they obtain the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling? It was because the Phoenix King Valley learned about the information before time and sent an elite force over to snatch the eggs. The prize was supposed to be the Green Flame Eagle and three of its eggs! With the slip of a tongue, the Phoenix King Valley ended up with only a single egg! If everyone knew that it was stolen right under his nose, all the experts would be sweeping through the Cloud Water Nation to look for the egg! Alone, he wouldn¡¯t be able to retrieve the egg if it boiled down to a fight. Once the volcano erupted, it wouldn¡¯t stop until the lava had cooled. Right now, these disciples were filled with rage, the moment the man released the gates, no one would be able to stop all of them. Countless curses and criticisms blasted towards the elder. His mind was filled with chaotic voices and a huge ache formed in his head. Among the cacophony in his head, a single voice rose above the rest and it blamed him for losing the egg. The voice was none other than his own. After all, if he stayed vigilant, none of this would happen! ¡°Enough! Just shut up!¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder was no longer able to tolerate their criticisms and he snapped. The manor fell into silence. The chirpings and the flowery fragrance gave life to the land in the cold weather. However, the atmosphere inside the manor was still and dead. ¡°All of you may go. Change and leave. Don¡¯t come back.¡± The Phoenix King Valley Elder sighed and dismissed them. Originally, he was an energetic person as his body had constantly been nourished by spirit qi. Right now, he looked shriveled and it was hard to associate this person with the Phoenix King Valley Elder. There were some disciples that were bold enough to take off their outer robes before flinging it onto the ground. They stomped on it before leaving in a huff. On the contrary, the disciples who spoke up first left in a polite manner. The Phoenix King Valley Elder slouched in his chair for a moment before packing his baggage to leave the manor. He was preparing to enter the city to search for the ring himself. What could he possibly do?! The elder¡¯s chance of finding the ring was 0%. Be it his treasures or the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling, Bai Luochu had hidden them properly. Chapter 262: Things Bai Luochu Didn’t Know After learning that the Phoenix King Valley Elder had left the city, Bai Luochu let out a breath of relief. Bai Luochu might not be worried that the Phoenix King Valley Elder would look for her, but she still had to stay vigilant. Now that the elder had left, she would be able to dedicate more attention to her cultivation. It was also about time to visit the Green Flame Eagle. Bai Luochu looked up into the sky and noticed that it was still lit. She decided to purchase some medicinal ingredients at the Hundred Herbs Hall. ¡°It is still early. I will make a trip to the Hundred Herbs Hall and buy some medicinal ingredients.¡± Bai Luochu stated. ¡°Alright. But Mistress still has to be cautious. If you encounter trouble, please head back to the Remote Paddy Inn.¡± Ying Lan wasn¡¯t completely at ease even though the elder was gone. Bai Luochu snickered and said, ¡°I know, Grandma Ying, you are really long-winded. I shall take my leave.¡± Bai Luochu left after speaking and headed for the Hundred Herbs Hall. In just a short moment, Bai Luochu arrived at the Hundred Herbs Hall. Business was as usual but it seemed as though there were more people seeking treatment. ¡°Ghost Mortar, Seven Leaf Lotus, Luminous Sand, 15 grams each. 130 grams of June Snow...¡± Bai Luochu listed out the names of the herbs she wanted to the shop attendant. She didn¡¯t notice that there was a pair of eyes staring at her. ¡°Young lady, what are you preparing to make? People don¡¯t usually buy these ingredients...¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to notice that there was someone talking to her. She only turned around to glance at the man after feeling his gaze on her. This person... looks rather familiar? Bai Luochu looked at the smiling old man who was standing beside her. She racked her brains to think of where she had seen him before. The old man seemed to be able to read Bai Luochu¡¯s thoughts and he took the initiative to introduce himself. ¡°Previously when Divine Physician Bai was residing in the First Prince¡¯s residence, you were falsely accused of killing someone. This old man offered his assistance to clear up the situation. Perhaps it was too long ago, Divine Physician Bai no longer remembers.¡± After the reminder from this old man, Bai Luochu finally recalled the old man. She quickly greeted him, ¡°Elder Physician, I remember you now. I am truly ashamed for letting it slip my mind. I have sinned. Now that I think about it, after our parting that day, this is the first time seeing elder in the Hundred Herbs Hall. I have yet to express my thanks for your assistance. Let me thank you now.¡± Bai Luochi bowed respectfully to Elder Li after speaking. In Bai Luochu¡¯s heart, she was moved by this person¡¯s enthusiasm for offering his assistance towards a stranger. However, Elder Li wasn¡¯t willing to accept her bow. This was Elder Li¡¯s true personality. Bai Luochu was startled. She wasn¡¯t surprised that Elder Li helped her in the past. Instead, he was shocked that Pei Qingfeng was the one who dragged him there. ¡°Elder Li¡­ Did you help me because His Second Highness dragged you over?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Elder Li observed Bai Luochu¡¯s confused expression and understood that Bai Luochu was truly unaware of the situation. He spoke with embarrassment, ¡°Perhaps that child doesn¡¯t want you to know. Look what I have done! My mouth slipped! That said, His Second Highness really treats you well. If he didn¡¯t personally invite me, this old one wouldn¡¯t get involved in such matters. Even though Qingfeng came over to invite me, he still had to offer me an Icy Snow Herb before I went over. Looking at how things played out, this old man didn¡¯t head over in vain. Putting aside the medicinal ingredients that Qingfeng gave me, it was already a blessing to have met you.¡± ¡°I am truly filled with admiration towards you. You are still young but can stay composed in such stressful situations. Not to mention your top-notch medical skills. I have a whole new level of respect for you. If you have spare time in the future, why don¡¯t you visit me more? Isn¡¯t it good for you to discuss medicine with this old man?¡± Bai Luochu looked pensive while listening to Elder Li. No one knew what she was thinking. Elder Li saw that Bai Luochu was in a daze and he waved his hand in front of her face. He then asked Bai Luochu, ¡°Lass, a senior is speaking to you. Why are you in a daze?¡± ¡°Apologies. I was thinking about something else. I hope for your forgiveness.¡± Bai Luochu bowed to Elder Li respectfully. Elder Li had always been an old urchin. Right now, he had the intention to tease Bai Luochu, ¡°Oh? After hearing what I said, are you moved by that child, Qingfeng, for everything he had done for you? To be honest, I have never seen Qingfeng being so attentive to a young lady. If you are interested in him, why don¡¯t the two of you quickly settle down? I don¡¯t really like Pei Wuchen. Even though he is engaged, he allowed Feng Wan¡¯er to bully you¡­ Tsk Tsk Tsk, that child...¡± When Bai Luochu heard that Elder Li was getting out of line, she wanted to escape. It was perfect timing as the shop attendant brought out the ingredients for Bai Luochu. She immediately stopped Elder Li, ¡°Elder Physician, I still have urgent matters waiting for me to attend to and I shall not continue this conversation. If I have spare time in the future, I will surely visit you to discuss medicine.¡± Bai Luochu finished her statement and slipped off as though there was oil under her feet. Perhaps Elder Li had embarrassed her with his words, she slipped when she was leaving the Hundred Herbs Hall. Chapter 263: Elder Li’s Message ¡°Elder Li, are you done? There are still plenty of patients waiting for you!¡± An attendant in the inner hall yelled. ¡°Coming, coming.¡± Elder Li walked into the inner hall quickly. As it turned out, Elder Li was using his rest time to speak with Bai Luochu. When Elder Li returned to his seat, he called for his personal attendant and said, ¡°Go and deliver a message to His Second Highness. Tell him that the lass from the general¡¯s residence came to visit me. I told that lass everything about how he invited me to rescue her in the past. If he asks for the reason, tell him that this old man thinks he is acting too slowly. Moreover the lass seems a little slow in noticing such things. This old man merely helped him to speed things up. You have to personally relay the message, understand?¡± When the attendant heard the orders, he started to complain, ¡°You are always causing trouble before sending me in to get scolded in your stead...¡± Before the attendant could finish his words, Elder Li interrupted him, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m old and hard of hearing? Stop complaining!¡± The attendant had no choice but to do as he was told. Bai Luochu was already on the way back to the general¡¯s residence. Along the way, Elder Li¡¯s words rang in her mind. Bai Luochu thought to herself, Pei Qingfeng actually did so much for me¡­ What else do I not know? Bai Luochu didn¡¯t dare to continue her train of thought. Just like this, Bai Luochu panicked along the way and didn¡¯t even notice that she had arrived at the general¡¯s residence. When Cai Ling saw that Bai Luochu was preoccupied with her thoughts, she asked in concern, ¡°Mistress, what is wrong? You look distracted. Did something happen? Why don¡¯t you talk about it and let me solve the problem with you?¡± Bai Luochu finally came back to her senses after hearing Cai Ling¡¯s words. She then instructed Cai Ling, ¡°I will be concocting medicine in the residence for the next few days. I¡¯ve never done these before and I cannot afford to make a mistake. If someone comes to look for me, reject them for me and say that I am in seclusion. In the future, I will visit them to offer my apologies.¡± ¡°Mistress, are you really not going to see anyone?¡± Cai Ling understood that Bai Luochu had been very busy recently. One moment, it was the First Prince, the other moment, it would be the Second Prince. Just a few days ago, the Third Prince came knocking at the door. Putting aside the imperial princes, there was also Lu Wenshu. If these people were to visit one after the other, Cai Ling wasn¡¯t sure if she could deal with them. Bai Luochu muttered for a moment before continuing, ¡°If the First Prince visits, just say that I will definitely invite him for dinner in the future and will comply with the promise between the two of us.¡± Bai Luochu said. Cai Ling felt rather curious after hearing what Bai Luochu said. Previously, Mistress yelled at Pei Qingfeng for sticking to her like glue. Wasn¡¯t she annoyed at him? Cai Ling might be curious but she was a servant and if Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to speak about the reason behind the different treatment, she couldn¡¯t be the one to ask. Cai Ling simply acknowledged the order. Bai Luochu thought to herself: Pei Qingfeng did so much for me in the dark¡­ I should treat him a little better, although he is rather annoying at times. As a prince, he should have a virtuous character after studying literature and etiquette in the palace, but it feels like he has thrown it all away. I am a lady waiting to marry and he acts intimately with me. This might be my second life and I might have not cared about my reputation in the past. Well, in this life, I¡¯m sure I can¡¯t be bothered by it as well. In any case, shouldn¡¯t a member of the imperial clan be more mindful of his behavior? Bai Luochu shook her head when she noticed that her head was filled with Pei Qingfeng. She felt that she was possessed by a ghost and Elder Li was the cause of all her troubles. As Bai Luochu was thinking, she closed her eyes and concentrated on trying to remove the words ¡®Pei Qingfeng¡¯ and everything related to him from her mind. After composing herself, Bai Luochu returned to her secluded courtyard and started to concoct medicine. At the same time, Elder Li¡¯s personal attendant arrived at the Second Prince¡¯s residence. He spoke to the guard at the entrance, ¡°Can I trouble you to relay a message to His Second Highness that Physician Li of the Hundred Herbs Hall has something to tell him?.¡± The moment the attendant introduced himself, the guard ran into the residence. Before long, the attendant was escorted to the study. ¡°Speak. What did Elder Li say?¡± Before the attendant could speak, Pei Qingfeng spoke up. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s intuition told him that the matter was definitely related to the little lass. Pei Qingfeng never thought that he would be put in a difficult spot because of this message. ¡°Today, Divine Physician Bai visited the Hundred Herbs Hall to purchase some medicinal...¡± Pei Qingfeng interrupted him the moment he opened his mouth. ¡°Hold on, what did you say? Luoluo went to purchase medicine at your place? What¡¯s wrong with her? Is she ill?¡± Recently, Bai Luochu left the residence through the tunnel and Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t able to keep tabs on her. He assumed that she had not left the residence for several days. When he heard that Bai Luochu had visited the Hundred Herbs Hall to purchase medicine, he immediately associated it with her quiet behavior. His mind immediately wandered off. The attendant was complaining about how he was unable to roll his eyes further back into his head. He is so concerned about her¡­ Why doesn¡¯t he actually do something about it? The attendant suddenly felt that Elder Li was up to no good. However, it might be a good thing for the both of them as without Elder Li¡¯s ¡®timely¡¯ message, they might miss the perfect opportunity! Even though the attendant was complaining about Pei Qingfeng in his heart, he didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud. His expression remained unchanged as he addressed the Second Prince with respect, ¡°Second Highness, please be at ease. Divine Physician Bai is in good health. She came to the Hundred Herbs Hall to purchase medicinal ingredients. This subordinate will now relay Elder Li¡¯s message.¡± Chapter 264: Devastated Pei Qingfeng Of course, he hid his thoughts in his head. Pei Qingfeng was filled with shame as he knew he had overreacted. He found out that he couldn¡¯t control his emotions whenever Luo Chu was mentioned. Other than the attendant who found his reaction absurd, all his other guards were used to his reaction.They couldn¡¯t believe that their indifferent master would fall for a lady like Luo Chu. The attendant took a deep breath before speaking. ¡°Elder Li revealed the incident to Divine Physician Bai on accident.¡± The attendant spoke quickly as he was afraid Pei Qingfeng would harp on the ¡®accident¡¯. Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t able to catch the mistake but he raised his voice as he questioned the attendant, ¡°What did you just say?! Elder Li revealed my actions in the dark?!¡± The attendant nodded his head and repeated Elder Li¡¯s message, word for word. ¡°Elder Li also said that he was helping you as she wouldn¡¯t have learned about it otherwise.¡± ¡°How is he helping by doing that?! He completely ruined my chance! I was planning to take things slow!¡± The attendant grumbled softly, ¡°Well, I thought he did the right thing¡­¡± ¡°What did you just say?! The two of you are so unreasonable! How am I supposed to face her now? She probably thinks I¡¯m someone who doesn¡¯t take responsibility for my actions.¡± Pei Qingfeng got even angrier after hearing the attendant¡¯s words. The attendant squirmed and finally countered, ¡°Drop your act! You¡¯re afraid she will ignore you and you won¡¯t even be able to remain friends! Master said that a man should be decisive! If a servant like me can understand such a simple logic, why can¡¯t the Second Prince of the Cloud Water Nation understand it?!¡± Pei Qingfeng was stumped as he couldn¡¯t retort the attendant. When he saw his master in an awkward situation, the guard quickly came in and mediated the situation. ¡°Master, since things are already as it is, you should come clean and tell Young Lady Luo Chu the truth. It¡¯s not like you did something wrong. You should also show your goodwill.¡± Pei Qingfeng sank into his chair and pondered for a long time before finally speaking up, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you can return to the Hundred Herbs Hall. Thank Elder Li for his goodwill on my behalf.¡± No one knew the meaning behind his words. The attendant obeyed him and returned to the Hundred Herbs Hall. The silence in the study room was deafening. Even the sound of incense ash dropping to the ground could be heard. ¡°Let¡¯s wait another day before visiting the general¡¯s residence.¡± Pei Qingfeng was unwilling to accept his face. ... At the same time, Pei Rumo was meeting with his secret guard who was stationed at the general¡¯s residence. ¡°Luo Chu found out about my actions and confronted me in the teahouse.¡± The hidden guard knelt to the ground and begged for forgiveness. ¡°I was unable to complete master¡¯s task. Please forgive me!¡± Pei Rumo did not punish the guard. Instead, he blamed himself. ¡°I am the one at fault. My impatience caused the information to leak.¡± The guard secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed as though his head would remain firmly attached to his neck. Whatever the case, it was time to prepare for the next mission. ¡°What should we do now? Now that Young Lady Luo Chu knows about my existence, should I return to the First Prince¡¯s residence?¡± Pei Rumo narrowed his eyes and it was clear he was forming a plan. ¡°Even though I already promised to recall all the secret guards, I still need to know her every move. Isn¡¯t she a high profile character?¡± Pei Rumo was absentmindedly sweeping away the ashes from the table as he spoke. The hidden guard understood that he would have to adopt a different way of watching the general¡¯s residence in the future. ¡°It shall be done.¡± The hidden guard declared as he awaited further instructions. Pei Rumo revealed a slight smile.¡°You will continue spying on the general¡¯s residence as per usual. Only report back to me when something major happens. As long as you are careful, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°Yes, your subordinate understands. If there¡¯s nothing else, I shall return to the general¡¯s residence.¡± Pei Rumo said nothing and waved his hand to dismiss the guard. Leaving through the front door, the secret guard disappeared in the blink of an eye. Ming Lu who stood beside Pei Rumo asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of Young Lady Luo Chu finding out and ignoring you for the rest of her life?¡± Pei Rumo understood Bai Luochu¡¯s temperament and sighed. ¡°We can only hope that she doesn¡¯t find out. If she does, there is nothing we can do about it. After all, she is a rising star and everyone¡¯s attention is on her.¡± Pei Rumo fell into his thoughts after speaking. Chapter 265: Completed Elixir Ming Lu stood silently beside Pei Rumo as the latter¡¯s thoughts ran wild. After the time it took one incense stick to burn, Pei Rumo said calmly, ¡°I want you to visit the general¡¯s residence tomorrow and invite Young Lady Luo Chu to tour the lake with me.¡± Now that Ming Lu knew how much his master cared about Luo Chu, he no longer bothered questioning Pei Rumo¡¯s choice. After Bai Luochu refined the medicinal ingredient, she started to refine an elixir for the Green Flame Eagle. Even though she had superb medical skills, she had no experience when it came to refining elixirs for spiritual beasts. She had to proceed step by step cautiously. Even though she had no experience, she followed the prescription that she had read from the Pill Sculpture when she was in the palace. She had perfect memory so it was easy for her to recall everything she had read. Most of the refinement methods recorded in the book were unique and she had already gone through numerous trials. The only part she hadn¡¯t tried was refining elixirs for spiritual beasts. Even though the herbs'' medicinal effects were the same, the dosage of medicinal ingredients were different. After all, humans had different physiques from spiritual beasts. Luckily, the book recorded everything she required to concoct the spiritual beast¡¯s elixir. The recipe was written by an orphan who was raised by spiritual beasts. He went on to become a famous doctor later in his life. However, the book wasn¡¯t circulated widely as most refiners felt that it was a waste to use precious elixir on spiritual beasts as they were seen as tools instead of companions. If it died, they would simply find another one to replace it. Bai Luochu was the first to try using the method recorded in the book. She was extremely careful and was no longer able to estimate the dosage according to her experience. She had to rely on the memory in her past life in order to ensure the success of the refinement. Under the purification of her spirit qi flame, the essence of the medicinal ingredient was gradually purified and extracted into spirit fluid of varying colors. She separated the fluids into different containers before pouring them out into the cauldron. In order to succeed, she had to pour them in the correct order. Otherwise, the elixir produced would be nothing more than slag. If anything bad were to happen, the elixir might very well be a poison elixir. Furthermore, the process of fusing the spirit fluids affected the quality of the elixir as it would affect the structure and surface. If she fused them properly, a high quality elixir would be produced. After pouring everything into the cauldron, Bai Luochu increased the heat. Seeing that the fluid was gradually turning blue, she knew that the time to form the elixir had come. The final step was where many refiners failed. If they were lucky, the elixir would fail to form. If they were unlucky¡­ the cauldron might even explode and claim their lives in the process. After all, there were numerous cases in history where outstanding physicians died due to cauldron explosions. As the cauldron started to shake, Bai Luochu poured her consciousness into it. It started shaking even more violently before calming down. Bai Luochu breathed a sigh of relief after seeing a complete elixir. The only thing left to do was to figure out the grade of the elixir. Bai Luochu took a deep breath to calm herself before opening the cauldron. A smooth elixir emitting a faint luster laid quietly inside the cauldron. A faint medicinal fragrance wafted out of the cauldron and Bai Luochu took a deep breath. A smile slowly formed on her face as she knew that she had succeeded. Bai Luochu was pleasantly surprised that she had not only succeeded on her first try but had also produced a superior grade elixir. She knew that the chances weren¡¯t high since she used her barely strong enough spirit qi as fuel. When she thought about how her success rate would only rise as she refined more elixirs in the future, she was elated. Chapter 266: Refusal Bai Luochu had been speeding up the progress of the concoction and heavens would never let down the determined man. The elixirs that Bai Luochu had been concocting were of higher quality every time. By the time Bai Luochu went back to concoct the easier formulas, she was able to do two at once. While Bai Luochu was busy concocting elixirs, Pei Qingfeng had been staring blankly and waiting at the main hall for the entire day. When Pei Qingfeng¡¯s housekeeper saw his master acting all dejected, he turned to the personal guard. ¡°Hey, what is wrong with our Master? He has been waiting for the entire day and he looks rather anxious. Did something serious happen?¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard remained silent and looked into the sky. He sighed, ¡°What is love? It makes death a beauty, as long as you are with me.¡± After speaking, the personal guard looked at Pei Qingfeng who was sitting in the main hall motionlessly. Pei Qingfeng endured the cold wind and was unwilling to return to his room. It all boiled down to two reasons... The first reason was due to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s imagination of Bai Luochu¡¯s temperament. After Elder Li had revealed the truth of the matter, he knew that Bai Luochu would come over and confront him. If he were to take his time, she might even ignore him altogether. If that were to happen, he would regret ever asking Elder Li for help. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that tempering his body in the cold wind was much better than enjoying the warmth of his room. As for the second reason? There were plenty of things that Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t able to think through and he was racking his brains in the main hall. He wasn¡¯t able to understand Bai Luochu¡¯s attitude towards him. He assumed that Bai Luochu had been treating him differently from the other princes, but from the looks of it, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference. She treated everyone with the same cold and indifferent attitude. It felt like her face wouldn¡¯t change even if the continent were to sink to the bottom of the ocean. If Pei Qingfeng said he didn¡¯t feel defeated, he was lying. With his looks and character, he was the prince charming in many ladies¡¯ eyes. Putting others aside, Luo Chu¡¯s cousin was acting like a dog who had seen a bone when she saw him. But what about her? She was cold and aloof and would always ask him to mind his conduct as an imperial prince. Does she know that I treat her very differently compared to everyone else? I never allowed another woman to get close to me... Pei Qingfeng thought about it the entire day. Pei Qingfeng stared blankly for a moment before speaking, ¡°Sigh, it seems like she doesn¡¯t care about me. I shall wait another day. If she doesn¡¯t come over, I shall personally visit the general¡¯s residence to explain myself.¡± The personal guard shook his head in response and thought that his master was truly obsessed with Bai Luochu. He did nothing the whole day but think of her. Early the next morning, Bai Luochu had just finished her morning cultivation and she went back to her secluded courtyard to concoct medicines. At the entrance of the general¡¯s residence, Ming Lu was quarreling with Cai Ling. ¡°How can your Mistress go back on her word? She personally promised His First Highness that she would accept all his invitations!¡± Ming Lu seemed to be raging as he blamed Bai Luochu for breaking her promise. Cai Ling looked at the young kid whose voice sounded like birds chirping. She felt as though her ears were buzzing, but her mistress had already given her instructions and she had to act accordingly. Otherwise, how could Bai Luochu trust her in the future? Cai Ling understood that Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t keep useless people around. Cai Ling felt that she couldn''t possibly allow Ming Lu to disrupt her mistress'' peace and concentration. Cai Ling immediately counter-proposed, "Little Ming Lu, if you are worried that you can''t explain to your Master, let me follow you back to the First Prince¡¯s residence. I¡¯ll explain to your Master. How about it?¡± "But..." Ming Lu was still thinking of retorting. How could Cai Ling allow a little kid like Ming Lu to go against her word? "No buts, hurry up and follow me." After Cai Ling spoke, she grabbed onto Ming Lu''s wrist and headed towards the direction of the First Prince¡¯s residence. They were obstructed by the guards "Who is it? How dare you barge into the First Prince¡¯s residence?" Cai Ling didn¡¯t even look straight at them. She merely glanced at them before looking away. ¡°Look carefully, I am Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s personal servant. My Young Lady is currently in seclusion but your Master sent an invitation to the general¡¯s residence. As a servant, I am coming over to personally offer His First Highness an explanation and to avoid making things difficult for your residence¡¯s little Ming Lu.¡± Cai Ling even pulled Ming Lu in front of her after speaking to protect herself.. Ming Lu discovered that he could no longer stay hidden. He quickly explained himself, ¡°This big sister is telling the truth! I wasn¡¯t able to handle my task properly and I¡¯m afraid of Master¡¯s punishment. I invited this big sister back to help with the explanation. Brother guards, please do me a favor... You can¡¯t possibly allow me to get spanked, right?¡± The two guards seemed to have noticed something odd in Ming Lu¡¯s gaze. ¡°Ming Lu, are you sure you aren¡¯t being threatened by this woman?¡± Ming Lu didn¡¯t know whether to cry or laugh. ¡°Aiyo, of course not! Even if I value my own life, I will willingly die in order to protect Master from harm.¡± When all was said and done, the guards were merely doing their job. After all, Cai Ling was strong enough to remain composed when faced with the questioning of two imposing guards. She didn¡¯t seem to be an ordinary person. Seeing that Ming Lu was the one who invited her over, they allowed the two of them to pass. Chapter 267: Frightened in the First Prince’s Residence Ming Lu was cursing silently. The servant really takes after her master. Young Lady Luo Chu is so overbearing... Her personal servant has the same personality... Ming Lu couldn¡¯t help sighing as he thought that he was really having a bad day. They arrived at the study room in the blink of the eye. Cai Ling said to Ming Lu, ¡°Go in and notify your Master that we are here. Let me do the talking.¡± Due to the fear of Pei Rumo overhearing her statement, Cai Ling had suppressed her voice to the best of her abilities. But Pei Rumo was far superior to her and had naturally heard all the commotion outside. In fact, he heard them clearly. He then spoke to Ming Lu from within the study room, ¡°Ming Lu, since there is a guest, why don¡¯t you quickly invite her in? Why are you waiting outside?¡± Ming Lu was complaining in his heart and he knew that things weren¡¯t going to end well. Cai Ling frowned in response and felt that the First Prince was truly hard to deal with. It seemed like she had to be very cautious today. It was fine if she was to lose her life, but the important matter was her mistress losing her support and being alone in the general¡¯s residence. Ming Lu looked at Cai Ling who had a fearless look on her face and immediately opened the door. She bowed to Pei Rumo before speaking, ¡°This servant is Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s personal servant, Cai Ling. I hope Your First Highness will forgive me for the intrusion.¡± Pei Rumo looked at Cai Ling whose every move was neither obsequious nor supercilious. Interesting. Pei Rumo was a little angry because Bai Luochu had rejected his invitation. But right now, he wanted to see how capable Bai Luochu¡¯s personal servant was. Pei Rumo made fun of Cai Ling, ¡°You are a rather interesting servant girl. Your Mistress didn¡¯t say a thing and you actually decided to come over and speak with me. Are you not afraid that I might order to have you killed?¡± Cai Ling heard what Pei Rumo said but she didn¡¯t feel an ounce of fear. ¡°Your First Highness definitely knows about the situation in the general¡¯s residence. My Young Lady only trusts me. She is currently in seclusion and will be unable to keep her promise. I made the decision to visit you as I was afraid Ming Lu might not be able to explain the situation properly.¡± ¡°According to what you say, Ming Lu is supposed to thank you?¡± Pei Rumo raised his brows and questioned. His tone was calm and no one knew what he was thinking. ¡°This servant is older than Ming Lu and if my explanation can save him from a scolding, saying a simple ¡®thank you¡¯ should be worth it. My Mistress is unable to attend as she is currently at a crucial point in her cultivation. She mentioned about her agreement with Your First Highness and said that she would send you an invitation when she exits seclusion.¡± Cai Ling repeated Bai Luochu¡¯s instructions. Cai Ling heaved a breath after hearing Pei Rumo¡¯s response. Before Cai Ling was able to relax, Pei Rumo shot a question which made her heart jump. ¡°Once again, are you not afraid of me making things difficult for you?¡± Cai Ling¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change and she replied in a steadfast voice, ¡°Nope. If I am worried about something, it will be about my Mistress being left alone in the general¡¯s residence with no one by her side.¡± Pei Rumo looked at Cai Ling and squinted his eyes as though he was trying to see if Cai Ling was lying. After looking for a long time, he saw her determined gaze and there wasn¡¯t a trace of fear in her eyes. Pei Rumo suddenly smiled and praised Cai Ling, ¡°You are truly worthy of being trained by Luo Chu. Be it your courage or wits, they are the best. Since this is the case, remember to report to your Mistress about my invitation. Don¡¯t allow her to forget about her promise. If she forgets about it, I will blame everything on you.¡± Cai Ling smiled in response and knew that she had passed. She immediately replied to Pei Rumo, ¡°Your First Highness doesn¡¯t have to worry, this servant shall not forget. If Your First Highness has nothing else, this servant shall take her leave.¡± ¡°Alright, I shall not keep you any longer.. Your Mistress is still in seclusion and it will be better for you to go back and take care of her, Ming Lu, hurry up and escort her out. Remember to properly thank Young Lady Cai Ling, otherwise, your task today shall be considered a failure. You won¡¯t be able to escape punishment.¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t forget to make fun of his personal attendant. Ming Lu pouted his lips and said reluctantly, ¡°Thank you, Big Sister Cai Ling.¡± His voice was as soft as a fly. Cai Ling looked at Ming Lu and felt that it was rather funny. Too bad for her, she wasn¡¯t able to tease him any longer as her most important task was to return to the general¡¯s residence. She immediately said to Pei Rumo, ¡°There is no need for the escort. This servant has already remembered the way when I came in. This servant shall take my leave now. Many thanks to Your First Highness.¡± Cai Ling bowed after speaking and walked out by herself. Ming Lu complained after seeing that Cai Ling had walked far away, ¡°Master, why did you make me thank her? I didn¡¯t beg her to come. She embarrassed me!¡± Pei Rumo looked towards the entrance of the residence and words slowly left his mouth, ¡°That young lady might be helping Luo Chu to explain the situation but she didn¡¯t need to make a trip here. She is kind at heart and you are merely offering your thanks. Why are you complaining as though someone cut a chunk of flesh off your body?¡± Just as Ming Lu wanted to retort, he was interrupted by Pei Rumo. ¡°Furthermore, that young lady has the courage to come alone to the First Prince¡¯s residence and negotiate with me. She isn¡¯t a simple person. As expected, all her subordinates are outstanding ones.¡± A profound light flashed through Pei Rumo¡¯s eyes. Ming Lu was completely silent after hearing what his master said. Pei Rumo was right, Cai Ling wasn¡¯t a mere servant girl. Even his master¡¯s imposing presence wasn¡¯t able to suppress her and just this point alone would make her much more superior than the young ladies from those noble clans. Chapter 268: Each Individuals Thoughts Pei Rumo was becoming increasingly curious about Bai Luochu. He thought about how she was hiding all her abilities from him. Cai Ling rushed back to the general''s residence. She would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t nervous during the meeting with Pei Rumo. However, she managed to calm herself and deal with the First Prince despite her fear. Now that she was back at the general¡¯s residence, she had to wait for her mistress to leave seclusion before reminding her to send an invitation to Pei Rumo. Bai Luochu had shut herself inside her secluded courtyard for the entire day and she didn¡¯t know what happened to Cai Ling. She felt that something weird was going on when Cai Ling delivered lunch late. However, she treated it as though Cai Ling was too busy and merely forgot about lunch. She threw the incident to the back of her mind and went back to refining medicine. At the end of the day, she finally left the secluded courtyard and Cai Ling updated her on the incident. After hearing Cai Ling''s report, Bai Luochu spat out the tea in her mouth and asked, "What did you say? You went to the First Prince¡¯s residence alone?" Cai Ling thought that her mistress was angry and immediately explained, "Mistress, please listen to me before blowing up. Today, Ming Lu came with an invitation card and no matter what this servant said, he insisted on seeing you. This servant was afraid he might disrupt your peace and I decided to bring him back in order to explain things to His First Highness. This servant might be rash, but I came back in one piece! Please don''t be angry." Bai Luochu suddenly felt as though her servants were too competent for their own good. She immediately reprimanded Cai Ling, "I am not angry because you made your own decision, I am angry because you didn''t inform me before going to the First Prince¡¯s residence! Pei Rumo is someone who has an entire stomach full of filthy water! He is such a dangerous person! If you disappear after the meeting, won¡¯t I be left alone in the general¡¯s residence?!¡± Cai Ling understood that her mistress was worried for her well being as she quickly consoled, "This servant knows her mistake. I will never do it again." Bai Luochu nodded in response and asked Cai Ling, Apart from the First Prince, was there no one else?" Cai Ling was confused by Bai Luochu''s question and she asked a question of her own, "There isn''t anyone else. Is there something wrong? Did Mistress invite someone to the general¡¯s residence today?¡± Bai Luochu didn''t reply and shook her head quietly. Bai Luochu felt it was rather odd: Wasn¡¯t Pei Qingfeng being an annoying brat? Why is he behaving himself these days? It isn¡¯t like him¡­ Did something happen to him? "Tomorrow will be the last day of elixir concoction. If there isn''t anything urgent, you don''t need to look for me." Bai Luochu instructed. Didn''t Mistress already say this before? Why is she repeating herself? Is the Second Prince really so important to her? Cai Ling didn¡¯t dare to voice her thoughts. She simply acknowledged the order. Pei Qingfeng was seated in the main hall as he stared at the moon hanging high up in the night sky. He felt despondent. Turning to his personal guard, he asked, "Luo Chu didn''t look for me today?" When the personal guard heard the question, he wanted to roll his eyes at Pei Qingfeng if it weren''t for his status as a subordinate. He has already lost count of the number of times Pei Qingfeng asked him that question. Since his master had asked a question, he couldn¡¯t simply ignore it. "Master, Young Lady Luo Chu really didn''t visit us today. If she did, why would I keep the news from you?¡± "Are you sure she didn''t visit? Did you ask the guards to block her off at the entrance? Are you afraid she would look for me to take revenge?" Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t believe that she hadn¡¯t visited him yet. "How is that possible! Doesn¡¯t Master wish for Young Lady Luo Chu to visit you? This subordinate will never stop her from coming in! This subordinate has already instructed the guards to personally guide her in." The personal guard explained frantically and was afraid his master might blame her absence on him. Pei Qingfeng slouched and leaned back on the chair. In a helpless voice, he said, "Oh no¡­ everything is over. I¡¯m afraid she doesn¡¯t care about me any longer¡­ What am I supposed to do?!¡± "Didn''t Master say that you were going to visit the general¡¯s residence tomorrow?" The personal guard was confused, his master had already made his decision the day before. Why was he acting as though he didn¡¯t know what to do? Pei Qingfeng shook his head and said, "You don''t understand. She might kick me out in a fit of anger." "Is Master worried about embarrassing yourself?" The personal guard probed. Pei Qingfeng was struck speechless and immediately retorted, "What are you talking about? I¡¯m afraid of annoying her..." The personal guard was startled when he heard the answer. His master was never like this! When had Pei Qingfeng, the almighty Second Prince, been so wishy-washy about something? The personal guard pondered for a moment before persuading Pei Qingfeng, "Since Master isn''t worried about losing face, there is nothing to worry about. Just head over and with your head held high. Young Lady Luo Chu has always been distinct when dealing with love and hatred. If she hates you, she would have sent someone over with a message. She wouldn¡¯t offer to treat your illness either. It¡¯s better to go to the general¡¯s residence! Master can be at ease and the problem will not drag on.¡± After listening to his personal guard, Pei Qingfeng''s expression changed. A smile slowly appeared on his face as he felt that his guard made sense. He lowered his head and muttered to himself, "That''s right, it is better to visit than not to. It has been a long time since I met her." The personal guard was speechless: Didn''t you just see her a few days ago? Since when was it a long time? He replied to Pei Qingfeng respectfully, "Master, since that is settled, why don''t you have your dinner?" Pei Qingfeng was stunned for a moment before nodding in low spirits. Chapter 269: An Anxious Pei Qingfeng As a gust of chilly wind blew through the land, Bai Luochu thought that Pei Qingfeng was acting weird the past few days. As for Pei Qingfeng, he wondered if Bai Luochu had developed hatred for him. The duo had their own thoughts and eventually fell asleep. On the next morning, Bai Luochu woke up early to cultivate as per usual. As for Pei Qingfeng, his eye bags were almost reaching his chin. When his attendant entered the room, he was shocked. "Master, what happened to you?" That personal guard asked. Pei Qingfeng didn''t pay any attention and replied, "Nothing, I had a nightmare yesterday night and wasn''t able to sleep properly." As for the exact details of the dream, Pei Qingfeng didn''t say much. Even if the personal guard had to guess, he could easily deduce that it had something to do with Bai Luochu. "Master, according to the schedule today, it is time to visit Young Lady Luo Chu. It is best to move quickly, otherwise, if Young Lady Luo Chu starts getting busy, she won¡¯t have time to listen to you." The personal guard spoke up. Pei Qingfeng who was wearing his clothes paused. "Why don¡¯t... why don''t we stay at home today?" "Why? What is wrong with you, Master? Why are you acting so differently when it comes to Young Lady Luo Chu? No matter what, this problem has been on your mind for too long. Why don¡¯t we hurry up and solve it? Master doesn''t have to say anything, even if Master doesn''t wish to go, you still have to go. This servant will drag you there if I have to!" After the personal guard finished speaking, he helped Pei Qingfeng with his clothes before dragging him out of the residence. He squeezed Pei Qingfeng into a carriage and before Pei Qingfeng could say a word, he steered the carriage towards the general¡¯s residence. The carriage charged through the streets and Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t able to do anything about it. Before long, they arrived at the general¡¯s residence. Pei Qingfeng wasn''t willing to alight and his personal guard dragged him out. The personal guard then informed the guard, "Can I trouble this brother to inform your Young Lady that the Second Prince is here to visit her?¡± The guard felt that something strange was going on when he looked at the bizarre combination of master and servant before him. Luckily for him, Pei Qingfeng was considered a regular at the general¡¯s residence and the guard immediately let him in. "His Second Highness is here?" Cai Ling asked the guard. The guard nodded and said to Cai Ling, "That is right. His Second Highness is here to see Young Lady Luo Chu.¡± Cai Ling immediately headed for the secluded courtyard after giving her instructions and prepared to inform Bai Luochu. The guard acknowledged his orders and randomly found a manservant to inform the kitchen to prepare the tea and refreshments. The guard then personally went to the entrance and invited Pei Qingfeng to the reception pavilion. ¡°Mistress, His Second Highness is here and asked to see you.¡± Cai Ling arrived at the secluded courtyard and made her report. Bai Luochu¡¯s expression remained unchanged after hearing what Cai Ling said. She merely raised her brows and said, ¡°Oh? Is he finally willing to show himself? It is fortunate that I haven¡¯t started the concocting process yet, otherwise, I will not be able to leave for a while.¡± Bai Luochu finished portioning the medicinal ingredients she was working on and followed Cai Ling outside. Pei Qingfeng was unable to sit still in the reception pavilion and didn¡¯t know what to do. When he saw Bai Luochu walking towards him, he became increasingly nervous and he sat upright like a student attending imperial college. But Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard could slap his chest to testify that his master didn¡¯t sit this upright even during his days in the imperial college. Because of that, the old and stubborn mules in the college didn¡¯t like to teach him. One could say that Pei Qingfeng passed several casual years in college because of that. Bai Luochu was walking rather quickly. She was originally following behind Cai Ling, but now, she was pretty far ahead. Cai Ling even had to break into a light jog in order to keep up. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t detect that there was something wrong with her pace. Cai Ling felt rather strange and didn¡¯t know why her mistress was in such a hurry to meet with His Second Highness. Is His Second Highness here to give something to Mistress? When Bai Luochu arrived at the reception pavilion, she walked in front of Pei Qingfeng and saw his huge eye bags. Putting those aside, he looked very pale and he was also sweating. She immediately placed her hand on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s wrist and she did it extremely casually, making it look as though it was extremely normal behavior. This action had made Pei Qingfeng even more nervous and his heart was racing uncontrollably. The cold sweat on his forehead poured down his face. Bai Luochu started her diagnosis but her hands were still on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s wrist. She then asked him, ¡°Why are you so nervous? I noticed that your complexion wasn¡¯t good and I¡¯m merely taking your pulse. I¡¯m not trying to kill you here. Why are you so scared of me? Take deep breaths and relax, otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to give you an accurate diagnosis.¡± When Pei Qingfeng heard Bai Luochu¡¯s statement, he immediately relaxed. If she was still willing to take his pulse, she shouldn¡¯t hate him. Bai Luochu waited for Pei Qingfeng to calm down before measuring his pulse again. She then heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°When I saw your eye bags at first, I thought you experienced a serious illness. I thought about why you weren¡¯t coming here to bother me every other day. From the looks of it, you were merely unable to sleep properly last night.¡± Bai Luochu poured two cups of tea after giving her diagnosis. She pushed one cup of tea to Pei Qingfeng while she drank her own. ¡°Speak. Why are you looking for me? Do you have anything you want?¡± Pei Qingfeng felt that the atmosphere was rather strange. I should be the one to speak first. What is going on? Is it because of my guilty conscience? Pei Qingfeng immediately shook his head and denied this possibility. That¡¯s not possible. Why is she taking the initiative to talk to me? Does she want me to apologise? Chapter 270: Ripples of the Hear ¡°I heard from Elder Li that he spoke to you about me inviting him to offer assistance. I hope you will not feel that I am a busybody and I¡¯m here to explain myself.¡± Pei Qingfeng spoke sheepishly. Bai Luochu raised her brows in response and spoke unhurriedly, ¡°Why do you need to explain yourself? Back when Elder Li offered his assistance, I already suspected that you were behind all that. Right now, I merely confirmed my guess. Since you have helped me out, how can I turn around and bite the hand that helped me? I definitely can¡¯t do that. Then again, you shouldn¡¯t blame Elder Li for doing things without your approval. He told me because he wanted me to know the things you have done for me. He also wants me to know that you went through a lot of trouble for my sake. He is a senior that is genuine and sincere in his feelings. Even if you feel embarrassed, don¡¯t vent your anger on him.¡± Pei Qingfeng was rather stunned after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation. As it turned about, she was never angry at him. He was getting upset over nothing for the past few days. Not only did she guess Elder Li¡¯s intention, but she had also guessed his attitude towards Elder Li afterwards. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s valuation of Bai Luochu went even higher. Originally, he thought that she was only a bookworm that had great medical skills, and was a person who was overly serious and couldn¡¯t fathom people¡¯s feelings. From the looks of it now, it wasn¡¯t completely accurate. Then... does she know about my feelings for her? Once a thought emerged in the mind, it would experience rapid growth and become a massive tree. Right now, Pei Qingfeng ignored the consequences and asked, ¡°Do you know my intention for going through all those troubles?¡± This time, it was Bai Luochu¡¯s turn to be dumbstruck. Bai Luochu might have destroyed her view on love in her previous life, but it didn¡¯t mean that she couldn¡¯t sense other people¡¯s feelings. The way Pei Qingfeng looked at her was how a man would look at the woman he adores. Bai Luochu initially thought that she should ignore it. After all, Pei Qingfeng was an imperial prince. Sooner or later, his enthusiasm would wear off. But Bai Luochu didn¡¯t imagine that since the moment Pei Qingfeng agreed to let her check his pulse, she was destined to be someone different to him. Bai Luochu¡¯s ignorance had actually given Pei Qingfeng hope, causing the look in his eyes to grow more and more intense. During the trip to Falling Cloud Mountain Range, when Pei Qingfeng blocked the fatal attack for Bai Luochu, she was emotionally moved. However, she quickly suppressed it. When Bai Luochu convinced herself, she smiled and replied, ¡°I naturally understand. Your Second Highness fancy my medical skills and wants me to remember your favor and to expel the poison array in your body. Your Second Highness doesn¡¯t have to worry, I, Luo Chu, always repay the kindness offered to me. I thank Your Second Highness for the trouble.¡± Pei Qingfeng could easily see that she was brushing him off. He knew that she was trying to escape. She was trying to avoid his questions and most importantly, she was trying to avoid her feelings. However, Pei Qingfeng suddenly rejoiced. Even if Bai Luochu was trying to escape now, it was much better than her personally rejecting him. If it was a rejection, there would be no more possibility, from the looks of it, there seemed to be hope, right? Pei Qingfeng smiled as his thoughts ran wild. He was a carefree prince and had plenty of time, he was able to wait. He had a long life ahead and he could spread his net and wait for Bai Luochu to willingly give herself up. If she took one step back, he would take two steps closer, the distance between the two of them would get closer and closer. One day, the distance between them would be reduced to zero. But, Elder Li is right about something, I am going too slowly. If this carries on, she will never admit her feelings. It seems like I will have to force her to do something. Now that Pei Qingfeng knew that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t angry at him and wasn¡¯t going to ignore him, he became his usual self. He started to make fun of her, ¡°Since Luoluo knows that I have gone through a lot of trouble to help you, why not start repaying me.¡± Bai Luochu assumed that Pei Qingfeng was asking her to diagnose the poison array in his body. She immediately placed her hand on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s wrist and closed her eyes as she prepared to release her spiritual energy and her spirit qi. Pei Qingfeng saw Bai Luochu closing her eyes and immediately revealed a smile. His smile didn¡¯t contain a trace of malice. Instead, it actually contained unlimited love, making this sight excessively sentimental. Pei Qingfeng looked at Bai Luochu for a long time and after confirming that she had closed her eyes, he leaned forward towards Bai Luochu¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Luoluo, you have to give your heart to me in order to repay me.¡± Pei Qingfeng was very close to Bai Luochu and he could see the thin white hair on her skin. Also... Bai Luochu¡¯s ear rapidly flushed red. Bai Luochu¡¯s spiritual energy was abnormal and her senses were very acute. When Pei Qingfeng¡¯s charming voice echoed in her ears, she felt his warm breath extending down towards her neck. Even in two lives, Bai Luochu had never experienced something like this. She immediately withdrew her hand and she jumped up like a frightened rabbit. Her voice shivered as she said, ¡°Your Second Highness, please... please conduct yourself with dignity.¡± Bai Luochu could feel her face burning and she was starting to panic. She took deep breaths in order to calm herself. Pei Qingfeng had never seen Bai Luochu like this. Because of her embarrassment, Bai Luochu¡¯s cheeks were pinkish. They looked like juicy peaches ready to be eaten. Due to the frenetic feelings in her heart, tears welled up in her eyes and it seemed exceptionally clear as the brilliant golden glow of the sun reflected off it. Chapter 271: The One Who Threw My Heart into Disorder Breeze, delicate flowers, sunlight, beauty. Especially when she was the most beautiful person in his eyes. In Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes, this was simply a painting of a goddess. He had seen plenty of beauties in the capital city and none of them were able to amaze him. Even though Luo Chu had yet to fully develop, in a few more years, she would be superior to all the aristocratic young ladies in the capital city. Pei Qingfeng was able to think clearly and he knew that if he continued to stare, he would come off as being rude. He immediately shifted his eyes and coughed gently. ¡°Cough Cough.¡± It was unknown what Pei Qingfeng was thinking when he had shifted his eyes from Bai Luochu to the ground. Bai Luochu composed herself and felt that Pei Qingfeng was intentionally teasing her. She immediately got shy and angry as she pouted, ¡°Your Second Highness, even if I have a good relationship with you and I¡¯m indebted to you for saving my life, I''m just a normal girl and you¡¯re an imperial prince! You should understand what decorum is, right?¡± Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu was angry and didn¡¯t dare to make fun of her anymore. He quickly apologized as he was afraid that she would flare up at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry Luoluo, I was rude. Let¡¯s do it this way, if you have free time, why don¡¯t I invite you for a meal? You can eat anything you like.¡± Pei Qingfeng suggested. As they said, ¡°In order to capture a man¡¯s heart, one must capture his stomach.¡± This saying was probably the same for a woman. Whatever the case, that was the thought running through Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mind. No matter what happened, he was going to invite her out for a meal. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t really angry at Pei Qingfeng. She just felt that if she yelled out, she would be able to conceal the trace of ripples in her heart. ¡°Sure, but I am very busy recently. If Your Second Highness sincerely wishes to invite me for a meal, why don¡¯t you wait till I¡¯ve wrapped up everything on my end?¡± Bai Luochu spoke calmly. Pei Qingfeng was rather surprised that Bai Luochu¡¯s was able to compose herself so quickly. Seeing that Bai Luochu was no longer angry, he quickly agreed. Bai Luochu noticed that the two of them had been talking for a while and immediately invited him to leave, ¡°If Your Second Highness has nothing else, please return to the Second Prince¡¯s residence. I still have some unfinished business that needs to be completed soon.¡± Pei Qingfeng understood that Bai Luochu really had something urgent to deal with and he no longer bothered her. After walking two steps, he turned around and asked a question, ¡°Luoluo, can I ask you a question?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know what Pei Qingfeng was thinking and simply nodded her head. Pei Qingfeng saw the response and he wanted to tease her again. ¡°Luoluo, why did you blush when I whispered into your ear?¡± Bai Luochu pondered on this question for a long time and couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind her reaction. She blamed the fact that she hadn¡¯t been interacting with members of the opposite sex for a long time. When Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard saw his master leaving the general¡¯s residence with a radiant smile, he understood that the meeting had gone smoothly. ¡°Master, what did Young Lady Luo Chu say?¡± Pei Qingfeng described Bai Luochu¡¯s behavior to his personal guard but he didn¡¯t mention a word about him teasing Bai Luochu. The personal guard responded by speaking in a straightforward manner, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say so? Young Lady Luo Chu still cares about you and definitely won¡¯t leave you to die. Master is just scaring yourself...¡± The personal guard suddenly realized that he had said something wrong and immediately shut his mouth. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t have the intention to blame his personal guard. Now that knew that she had feelings for him, there was nothing left to do. He only had to wait for her to submit to her feelings. Pei Qingfeng who was in a great mood felt that everything he looked at was pleasing to the eye. Pei Qingfeng quickly pardoned the guard who spoke out of turn. On Bai Luochu¡¯s side, she wasn¡¯t doing that well. After getting teased by Pei Qingfeng, she wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind. Originally, she had achieved a 100% success rate in her medicine concoction, right now, she only had a 50% success rate. This was all because of Pei Qingfeng, causing her heart to shake. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have a choice as she entered a meditative state and recited the Clear Heart Mantra. Too bad it wasn¡¯t effective. The moment she closed her eyes, she thought about how Pei Qingfeng whispered in her ear. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t compose herself at all, she could only curse silently, ¡°Damn Pei Qingfeng!¡± Seeing that she couldn¡¯t concoct the elixirs anymore, she simply entered the secret basement of the secluded courtyard and went to see if the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling had been successfully incubated. Pei Qingfeng was immersed in joy but Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to concentrate on her concoction. As the two of them immersed themselves in their world, there was a gloomy individual listening to a report from his secret guard. Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng¡¯s actions had been witnessed by Pei Rumo¡¯s secret guard. After thinking it through, the secret guard felt that this was important enough to make a report. As the secret guard¡¯s report got increasingly detailed, Pei Rumo¡¯s face got increasingly gloomy. ¡°You are saying that Pei Qingfeng went into the residence and met with Luo Chu?!¡± Pei Rumo asked with an unpleasant expression. The secret guard could obviously feel the tension rising and he stammered, ¡°Ye... Yes, that is correct.¡± The secret guard closed his eyes after answering and was prepared to welcome his master¡¯s wrath. Chapter 272: The Observer Sees Clearly The secret guard aknowledged his orders and immediately left. Ming Lu felt the injustice and said, ¡°Master, how can Young Lady Luo Chu act this way? She turned you away but met with the Second Prince! She obviously doesn¡¯t care about you. If I am to say it, we should visit her and bring this topic up and see what she says.¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t agree, ¡°If I go over now, won¡¯t I expose myself? By then, I will no longer have any reason to send my men to monitor her residence. The agreement that we have previously set will be invalid. Won¡¯t I be on the losing end if that happens?¡± ¡°Then, are we going to leave it at this?¡± Ming Lu was still unresigned. Pei Rumo raised his brows and said, ¡°Forget it? Impossible. Luo Chu is a person I wish to recruit, hence, I will not directly make a move on her. We can make other people suffer instead.¡± Pei Rumo finished speaking and revealed a profound smile to Ming Lu. Ming Lu still looked rather wronged as he said, ¡°Master, I¡¯m speaking up because she treats you unfairly...¡± Pei Rumo looked at Ming Lu and felt that the child was really spoiled by people in the residence. He felt that it was time for Ming Lu to learn about proper conduct. ¡°Ming Lu, you should understand that there are different types of relationships. Some people are closer to others and there is no such thing as fairness. Take me, Luo Chu, and Qingfeng as examples. I might have bought Luo Chu out of the Bestial Battle Arena, but I had the intention to make use of her. Things are different for Pei Qingfeng. Even though he wanted Luo Chu to treat his poison, he managed to fully devote himself towards her. He could even sacrifice his life for her. Put yourself in Luo Chu¡¯s position. Who do you think she will be closer to?¡± Ming Lu pondered for a long time and didn¡¯t say anything. Pei Rumo knew that Ming Lu would choose Pei Qingfeng. ¡°See, if you were in her shoes, you would choose Pei Qingfeng as well, right?¡± Pei Rumo asked. Ming Lu might not wish to admit it, but he reluctantly nodded his head. He knew that his master was right. There were differences between how they treated each other. If he placed himself in Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s position, it wasn¡¯t hard to understand her behavior. ¡°Master, what are we going to do now?¡± Ming Lu still wasn¡¯t resigned and he continued to ask. Pei Rumo¡¯s gloomy expression had yet to fade but the corner of his mouth curled upwards, ¡°What are we going to do? We will wait for Luo Chu to send me an invitation. We¡¯ll be able to see him rage for once.¡± As for the person he was referring to, who else could it be? Pei Qingfeng was in a great mood within his own residence. Since the moment he knew that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t angry at him, he was immersed in joy. The personal guard was inevitably worried. Every action Young Lady Luo Chu makes is able to amplify Master¡¯s emotions several times. If Master fails to bring her back... The personal guard didn¡¯t dare to continue his train of thought. He really didn¡¯t dare to continue thinking as he was afraid that not even the Cloud Water Nation would be able to hold Pei Qingfeng back. Whatever the case was, it was great that his master was no longer depressed. Just as his personal guard was about to follow behind his master, the secret guard stopped him. ¡°There is news from the other side. They are going to enter the capital city in a few days. Go and remind Master.¡± The secret guard spoke to the personal guard. The personal guard¡¯s face instantly turned solemn, ¡°I understand, head back and keep a close eye on them. If you find out more information, quickly report back to the residence. Never let down your guard!¡± The secret guard acknowledged and left the residence. The personal guard turned around and walked towards the study room. When he entered, he saw the delighted expression on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face. He couldn''t bear to disturb his master, but he still had to make the report. ¡°Master, the secret guard we sent over brought some news back. There are some movements over on the other side and they should enter the capital city in a few days.¡± When Pei Qingfeng heard the news, he became serious. ¡°Since that is the case, I shall up the security of the residence. Ask the secret guards at the general¡¯s residence side to keep their guards up. They need to protect Luoluo at all costs. They should be clear about my recent actions and if they learn of Luoluo¡¯s existence, they might make a move on her.¡± Pei Qingfeng instructed. ¡°Do we need to inform Young Lady Luo Chu so that she can make some preparations?¡± Pei Qingfeng shook his head and said, ¡°We don¡¯t need to. With her personality, no matter how much we warn her, she will grow suspicious and investigate the matter herself. She might have incredible subordinates, but no one knows what will happen if they discover her existence.¡± ¡°Then are we not going to do anything?¡± The personal guard felt that it wasn¡¯t good for Bai Luochu to cause his master to become muddle-headed. However, he had to admit that she was an outstanding individual. ¡°We will be here to deal with them. I am still the same old Pei Qingfeng. Nothing will happen.¡± That personal guard thought, Master is trying to restrain his thoughts to protect Young Lady Luo Chu. Master¡¯s intention towards Young Lady Luo Chu is obvious to all the guards. How can he conceal it so easily? Whatever¡­ I¡¯ll follow Master¡¯s plan. I just hope the other side discovers her existence as late as possible. ¡°Since that is the case, this subordinate shall send a message to the secret guards at the general¡¯s residence.¡± Pei Qingfeng nodded and indicated for him to hurry up and leave. Even though his expression remained unchanged, he felt sour in his heart. Originally, it was a day for him to rejoice as he had found out Bai Luochu¡¯s feelings for him. But from the looks of it, the road ahead was going to be long and treacherous. Right now, Pei Qingfeng could only hope that Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t encounter any mishaps in this crucial moment. Chapter 273: Green Flame Eagle’s Birth ¡°Tell me, what exactly is his intention?¡± Bai Luochu faced the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling while talking to herself. ¡°I am not a fool, even if I am a wooden block, I will be able to detect his feelings towards me. But... it is destined that I am unable to reciprocate. I have no feelings for him. Even if I feel something for him, it is gratitude at best. I just don¡¯t know when his feelings will stop...¡± Bai Luochu looked at the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s egg and looked like she was truly in distress. The Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling looked as though it wanted to reply to Bai Luochu as it shook a little. When Bai Luochu noticed the slight movement from Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling, she laughed, ¡°Oh you, are you thinking to emerge to speak to me? Fortunately, I didn¡¯t put you high up in the air. Otherwise, you¡¯ll roll off and smash yourself into mush. I am leaving, hurry up and hatch. After you are born, I will go and tell your mother that I have rescued one of her children.¡± Bai Luochu stroked the eggshell gently after she spoke. After Bai Luochu stroked the egg, she turned and was preparing to return to the surface and continue her elixir concoction. But just at this moment, Bai Luochu heard a cracking sound. ¡°Crack!¡± Bai Luochu was shocked. She raised her head to look at the ceiling of the underground palace. This is such a concealed place¡­ No one will be able to find it. However, this place is too old! Is this place falling apart? Bai Luochu shook her head: It¡¯s time to call Ying Lan to repair this place. But when she took another step, she heard the same cracking sound. Bai Luochu was shocked. She really thought that the place was going to collapse. She immediately returned to where the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling was and she hugged it before running out. Just as Bai Luochu was about to reach the entrance of the underground palace, she heard the third crack. This time, she was able to confirm the source of the sound. It was precisely the egg in her arm. Is it hatching? When she thought about the possibility, Bai Luochu placed the egg onto the ground before walking far away. She fixed her gaze on the hatching egg. The sound grew increasingly frequent and the crack lines on the egg became increasingly obvious. Bai Luochu might not have witnessed a spirit beast¡¯s birth, but she understood that this youngling was about to emerge from the egg. With the final crack, the entire egg split into two. A clammy and feathered little head emerged. The two bright and big eyes turned to look at Bai Luochu. A human and an eagle stared at each other while having individual thoughts. The little Green Flame Eagle was thinking: Where is this place? Where is my mother? This human can¡¯t possibly be my mother, right? The Green Flame Eagle seemed to have read Bai Luochu¡¯s thoughts and it shrieked at her. Its voice had not matured yet and Bai Luochu laughed when she heard it. She thought that the Green Flame Eagle was rather cute. Now that the Green Flame Eagle was born, she should inform Ying Lan and the others. ¡°Be good and wait for a moment, I will be back soon.¡± Bai Luochu immediately went to the surface and instructed Cai Ling, ¡°Cai Ling, make a trip to the Remote Paddy Inn and ask Ying Lan to bring Guan Yue and Meng Luoping to the underground palace. Tell them that the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s egg has hatched and I need to discuss our next course of action.¡± Cai Ling wasn¡¯t surprised to hear that the Green Flame Eagle was born. After all, her mistress would go over to talk to the egg whenever she was free. She would also transfer some spirit qi to the youngling. Hence, it wasn¡¯t strange for it to be born so quickly. Cai Ling had just opened up the tunnel and was preparing to leave, but she was called by Bai Luochu again, ¡°Remember to buy some bird feed. I think the little bird is hungry.¡± Cai Ling was speechless as her mistress was treating the Green Flame Eagle like her child. It was difficult for Cai Ling to take her seriously. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t feel anything inappropriate and immediately went back into the underground palace to play with the newborn eagle. In just a short moment, Cai Ling reached the Remote Paddy Inn and informed Ying Lan about the news. Ying Lan then called Guan Yue and Meng Luoping before heading over to the underground palace with a sack of bird feed. As soon as they entered the underground palace, everyone saw a scene. Bai Luochu was seated on the ground and the Green Flame Eagle was staring at her. The human and eagle might not be interacting with each other but everyone could feel a warm atmosphere. Right now, the Green Flame Eagle was dry and it looked a little more presentable. But in terms of physique, it was far inferior to the adult Green Flame Eagle. It was hard to imagine that this little thing was the Green Flame Eagle that everyone coveted. Meng Luoping one of them. He had always been a talkative man and the jokester of the team. He had asked with suspicion, ¡°This little bird is the Green Flame Eagle? Isn¡¯t it far too different? Divine Physician Bai, were you duped by the Phoenix King Valley Elder?¡± Just as Bai Luochu wanted to explain herself, a grey shadow rushed at Meng Luoping and he realized that the little bird was gone. Bai Luochu instantly understood that the Green Flame Eagle had rushed at Meng Luoping to settle the score. There was a struggle. The Green Flame Eagle might still be a youngling but it was still an agile beast. Meng Luoping wasn¡¯t able to hold it back. Guan Yue and Ying Lan laughed after exchanging looks but didn¡¯t do anything else. The two of them thought that it was perfect that the Green Flame Eagle was taking care of the annoying Meng Luoping. Chapter 274: Discussion in the Underground Palace ¡°Alright, stop fooling around. Hurry up and come back, I still have important things to say.¡± Bai Luochu saw that they were messing around for quite some time and she decided to recall the Green Flame Eagle. The little Green Flame Eagle might not be satisfied with the fight but when it heard Bai Luochu¡¯s call, it instantly flew back onto Bai Luochu¡¯s shoulder. It didn¡¯t forget to give Meng Luoping a provocative glare. Meng Luoping was so angry and wanted to make a move to teach the little eagle a lesson, but he didn¡¯t expect for Bai Luochu to stop him. ¡°Enough. You are a human, why are you fighting with a spirit beast? Weren¡¯t you the one who insulted it first?¡± Bai Luochu put a stop to this matter. When the little eagle heard Bai Luochu standing up for it, it intimately rubbed its head on Bai Luochu¡¯s face. Bai Luochu found it funny because of the little eagle¡¯s action, however, she also criticized the little eagle. ¡°You too! Why did you treat him like that? It is very rude and you can¡¯t do that in the future, understand?¡± The little Green Flame Eagle might be unwilling, but it still responded with a chirp. Seeing the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s cute expression, Bai Luochu instantly revealed a brilliant smile. Everyone felt that Bai Luochu had changed. She was originally an overly serious person, but right now, she was actually glowing radiantly with motherly love because of a Green Flame Eagle. Just like that, the matter ended and Bai Luochu regained her serious expression, ¡°I called all of you here today to discuss our next step. The secret tunnel is too narrow and it will be difficult for the Green Flame Eagle to leave. If that happens, it can¡¯t leave unless we tear down the entire palace. Right now, we need to resolve this matter as soon as possible.¡± Everyone nodded and agreed with Bai Luochu¡¯s consideration. ¡°Let¡¯s raise the little bird here and talk about it after the commotion blows over. If it can still leave the tunnel, we will bring it to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. If we can¡¯t, we will wait for a little more. In the worst case scenario, we can buy a life spirit ring to keep it inside before going out. That''s the safest way.¡± Ying Lan spoke his mind. Bai Luochu nodded and said, ¡°Ying Lan¡¯s suggestion isn¡¯t bad. Apart from the large sum of money to purchase the life spirit ring, the rest isn¡¯t a problem. What about the rest of you? Do you have any good suggestions?¡± Meng Luoping suddenly thought of something and immediately spoke up, ¡°What if we set up a contract with it? After becoming a contracted spirit beast, it would be able to change shapes like a shadow. Getting out wouldn¡¯t be a difficulty.¡± Meng Luoping didn¡¯t feel resentful and nodded as an indication that he agreed, ¡°You are right. I am the one who didn¡¯t consider it through.¡± Bai Luochu could see the improved mutual understanding between the trio and was rather gratified. She was thinking about how they would grow into her left and right arms. Bai Luochu nodded and expressed her admiration. ¡°Why don¡¯t we use Ying Lan¡¯s solution for the time being? If there is a better solution, we will discuss it again. What does everyone think?¡± The trio looked at one another and nodded in agreement of Bai Luochu¡¯s idea. After the matter about the Green Flame Eagle, Bai Luochu brought up another point. ¡°This time, I called all of you over for another important matter.¡± ¡°Mistress, please speak.¡± Ying Lan responded. ¡°Recently, I have obtained the news that the Phoenix King Valley Elder is no longer in the capital city. I do not know if this information is true or false and I am afraid that this is an intentional plot set up by the Phoenix King Valley Elder. It has been several days since the update and we no longer have information related to the Phoenix King Valley. For the past few days, I have been concocting elixirs for spirit beasts and if I¡¯m almost done. If the Phoenix King Valley Elder has truly given up, that will be for the best. I am thinking of going to visit the Green Flame Eagle. It was in a weakened state after giving birth and it even suffered injuries. After it carried me and Pei Qingfeng out of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, it would probably have escorted us back into the capital city if I hadn¡¯t stopped it. Shouldn¡¯t I take care of such a loyal spirit beast?¡± Bai Luochu stated. Ying Lan heard Bai Luochu¡¯s words and reported the latest news. ¡°I have asked men to monitor the various checkpoints. They discovered that the Phoenix King Valley Elder has indeed returned to the Phoenix King Valley. If Mistress wishes to visit the Green Flame Eagle at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, it is feasible. However, this subordinate thinks that Mistress should bring someone with you.¡± Bai Luochu naturally understood that Ying Lan had given it a lot of thought, but she felt that the manpower on their side was truly scarce. She immediately refused, ¡°It will be fine for me to go alone. I still need Cai Ling to cover up for me at the general¡¯s residence. The three of you need to worry about the various matters of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and won¡¯t be able to spare much time. I shall go alone. Nothing will happen to me.¡± They knew that once Bai Luochu made a decision, no one would be able to change her mind. They merely reminded her to be careful. Bai Luochu felt there was nothing else and dismissed them. It was night time and Bai Luochu up for her adventure to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Cai Ling was at the side to help her pack. Bai Luochu felt a little puzzled as Cai Ling didn¡¯t try to dissuade her. She asked, ¡°In the past, you would always ask me not to go. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything today?¡± Chapter 275: Revisiting the Falling Cloud Mountain Range ¡°Previously, this servant thought that Mistress was like myself, a weak little girl. This servant felt that even though Mistress has heaven-defying abilities, Mistress should still be like other clan¡¯s young ladies and live through peaceful days. But now, I feel that it isn''t really possible. Mistress is destined to be the phoenix soaring through the nine heavens. Mistress shouldn''t be trapped in the general''s residence as a canary. Since Mistress might not listen to what this servant says Mistress can do as you please. This servant will deal with the aftermath. Please be at ease.¡± After hearing Cai Ling¡¯s reply, Bai Luochu suddenly realized that this lass had unknowingly matured. Bai Luochu felt rather touched, it felt as though she had personally nurtured a person into a talent "You will probably be in for a hard time. If anyone visits, you have to help me stop them. Tomorrow, I will use the tunnel to travel to the Remote Paddy Inn before purchasing a carriage to exit the city, allowing the least possible chance of exposure. You should know that there are plenty of eyes in the capital city on me. It is hard to say if anyone will notice my actions. In the worst case scenario, look for Ying Lan if you can¡¯t handle them. He has followed me the longest and has handled many things. He should be better at dealing with this." Bai Luochu stated. Cai Ling understood that Bai Luochu was worried she might suffer in the general''s residence alone without support. Thinking that her mistress trusted her so much and had also laid down a route of retreat for her, Cai Ling nodded and gave her word, "Mistress doesn''t have to worry. I will definitely be able to handle everything they throw at me." Bai Luochu nodded with gratitude and said, "You must learn how to adapt. Since I will be away for the next few days, why don''t you make use of the time to cultivate. On the path of cultivation, if one stops, your level will decline. You are someone who will stand beside me and cannot be weak. Otherwise, in crucial moments, I will need to waste some effort to protect you.¡± ¡°Yes, this servant understands.¡± Cai Ling didn¡¯t say much. Bai Luochu saw that everything was almost packed and instructed Cai Ling, ¡°Alright, you can go back. I shall rest early tonight and leave early in the morning.¡± In response, Cai Ling left in a respectful manner. After a good night¡¯s sleep, Bai Luochu headed towards the Falling Cloud Mountain Range the moment the rays of sunlight touched the earth. Bai Luochu had pushed her movement skill to the extreme and with her quick speed, she reached the foot of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range before noon. Bai Luochu looked through her memories to look for the mountain cave but when she entered, she found no signs of the Green Flame Eagle. The Green Flame Eagle immediately withdrew its cold and murderous aura before walking forward to rub its head on Bai Luochu¡¯s shoulder like a spoiled child. Bai Luochu took out the elixirs from her bag and passed them to the Green Flame Eagle. ¡°These are the elixirs I have concocted the past few days and they are all made specially for you. However, I do not know the exact medicinal effects... Do you want to try it?¡± Bai Luochu asked. When the Green Flame Eagle heard that Bai Luochu had concocted the elixir for itself, it swallowed everything without hesitation. One had to admit that Bai Luochu¡¯s elixir had extraordinary effects when used on spirit beasts. In the time it took one stick of incense to burn, the Green Flame Eagle fully recovered. The Green Flame Eagle felt its injuries disappearing and was very happy as it extended its wings to hug Bai Luochu. It rubbed its face on Bai Luochu¡¯s cheeks and the scene felt rather warm. Bai Luochu felt ticklish due to the feathers and she laughed, ¡°Hahaha, I have another piece of good news, do you wish to know?¡± The Green Flame Eagle stopped and looked at Bai Luochu with a hopeful gaze. It could still remember that Bai Luochu had promised to bring back the little eagles. Did she already accomplish her task? Bai Luochu saw the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s hopeful eyes and didn¡¯t want to keep up the suspense. ¡°A few days ago, I took back one of the eggs from the Phoenix King Valley Elder. It hatched yesterday and I am raising it in my residence right now. It is very safe and I¡¯m feeding it well. Once the commotion is over, I will bring it over to you.¡± Spirit beasts also had feelings as tears rolled out of the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s eyes. It prostrated on the ground to show its gratitude to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu felt rather embarrassed and said to the Green Flame Eagle, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me now. There are still two more younglings. It won¡¯t be too late to thank me when I bring them all back to you.¡± Bai Luochu saw that much time had already passed and immediately said to the Green Flame Eagle, ¡°It is rather late, I shall return and it is better for you to hide here for some time. I will give you the rest of the elixirs and you need to finish them all.¡± Bai Luochu separated all the elixirs so that the Green Flame Eagle wouldn¡¯t eat the wrong ones. Chapter 276: Returning the Invitation When Bai Luochu returned to the general''s residence, she didn¡¯t see Cai Ling. She recalled something and went over to Cai Ling¡¯s room to look for her and realized that Cai Ling was cultivating. She laughed helplessly and felt that her brain wasn¡¯t functioning properly. She was the one who asked Cai Ling to cultivate and she was also the one who didn¡¯t know why Cai Ling wasn¡¯t around. As such, Bai Luochu returned to her room and started to cultivate. At night time, Cai Ling still didn¡¯t know that Bai Luochu had returned. In order to put on a show, she picked up the dinner to look for Bai Luochu. As soon as Cai Ling entered, she saw Bai Luochu sitting at the table busy with something. Cai Ling was shocked. ¡°AHH!¡± Had it not been for her normally stable hands, Bai Luochu¡¯s dinner would be all over the ground. Bai Luochu was also frightened by Cai Ling¡¯s scream and nearly dropped the teacup in her hand. After some time, she said to Cai Ling, ¡°Why are you getting flustered? When I returned, I noticed you were cultivating and didn¡¯t want to disturb you. I thought that you would look for me at dinner time and didn¡¯t think my presence would shock you.¡± Cai Ling frowned and started to complain to Bai Luochu, ¡°Mistress, you... Why didn¡¯t you tell me?! This servant thought you would be gone for a long time and wasn¡¯t prepared to see you in the room. I almost died from shock! What if a thief was in your room?¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m the one at fault here. Since it¡¯s dinner time, hurry up and serve dinner. I didn¡¯t eat during lunch and I¡¯m starving.¡± Bai Luochu started to take the dishes from the meal box and arranged them on the table. Cai Ling heard that Bai Luochu was starving and she quickly helped to lay the dishes. Seeing as the two of them were eating together, Cai Ling quickly picked up some dishes with her chopsticks before putting them into Bai Luochu¡¯s bowl. ¡°Mistress, why are you back so early? This servant thought that you were only going to return after a period of time. Did something happen to the Green Flame Eagle?¡± Bai Luochu packed as though she was heading out for several days but she came back by dinner time. Bai Luochu swallowed the vegetables in her mouth and explained to Cai Ling, ¡°That¡¯s the exact opposite of what happened. I came back so quickly because everything went smoothly. I gave the elixirs to the Green Flame Eagle and told it that the little bird had hatched. It was elated and brought me back.¡± ¡°That is great. Oh right, Mistress, don¡¯t forget to return the invitation to His First Highness after you are finished with everything. If you forget about it, His First Highness will blame me.¡± Cai Ling pretended to complain. Cai Ling nodded as an indication that she understood. The mistress and servant spend a rather quiet dinner after that. On Pei Rumo¡¯s side, he was currently listening to a report from his secret guard. ¡°Luo Chu didn¡¯t leave her residence but appeared in the afternoon?¡± Pei Rumo listened to the report and asked in shock. ¡°That is correct. This subordinate thinks that the general''s residence has a secret passage that leads outside.¡± The secret guard spoke of his conjecture. ¡°There might be a secret passage, but it isn¡¯t important. Are you here just to report this?¡± Pei Rumo felt that it wasn¡¯t surprising for Bai Luochu to construct an underground tunnel inside the general''s residence. To be accurate, he wouldn¡¯t feel surprised no matter what Bai Luochu did right now. After all, she was a capable and bold lass. In Pei Rumo¡¯s opinion, there was nothing she didn¡¯t dare to do. The secret guard hesitated for a moment before speaking up, ¡°Those people outside said that they saw Luo Chu in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range.¡± The room fell into silence. Pei Rumo was able to guess the reason behind her appearance in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. He was also able to guess what she was up to. ¡°You may be dismissed. I have my own way to deal with this matter.¡± Pei Rumo instructed. After the secret guard left, Pei Rumo asked Ming Lu, ¡°Do you think Luo Chu will send an invitation to me?¡± Ming Lu felt that this question wasn¡¯t easy to answer and if he answered poorly, he might get in trouble. Ming Lu hesitated for a moment before speaking, ¡°This servant cannot answer this question. However, Master mentioned that Young Lady Luo Chu is a person who keeps her word. She will probably send an invitation.¡± Ming Lu answered with uncertainty and when Pei Rumo heard it, he felt it was rather funny. ¡°What are you nervous for? It doesn¡¯t matter if she visits or if she sends me an invitation. This is a matter between the two of us, why will I vent my anger on you?¡± After Pei Rumo¡¯s explanation, Ming Lu felt a little better. ¡°Wait at the entrance tomorrow. She will definitely send someone.¡± Ming Lu didn¡¯t know why his master was so certain, but the First Prince had his way of doing things. Cai Ling was currently grinding ink for Bai Luochu and before the brush landed on the paper, Bai Luochu asked, ¡°What did the First Prince invite me to do?¡± Cai Ling pondered for a moment and finally recalled the invitation. ¡°Previously, His First Highness invited you with the context of strolling by the lake. Does Mistress not know what to do?¡± Bai Luochu nodded and explained to Cai Ling, ¡°That¡¯s right. They are usually the ones who send the invitation. It is rare for me to be writing an invitation card. I have no idea how to write one as I don¡¯t normally visit other people to apologize.¡± Cai Ling giggled, ¡°Why don¡¯t Mistress just invite His First Highness for a meal? No matter what, having a meal is the best solution.¡± Chapter 277: Jealous Pei Qingfeng The next morning, before Pei Rumo finished his morning imperial court assembly, Ming Lu was already waiting at the entrance of the First Prince''s residence. After a short moment, he saw Cai Ling¡¯s figure moving closer towards him. Ming Lu immediately put on a serious expression and waited for Cai Ling to hand over the invitation card. When Cai Ling reached the entrance, she was rather shocked that Ming Lu was waiting at the entrance. ¡°Ming Lu, why are you waiting at the entrance? Anyway, I am here to deliver my Young Lady¡¯s invitation. Please hand it over to your Master.¡± Cai Ling handed the card over to Ming Lu. Before Ming Lu could react, Cai Ling had already walked far away. Ming Lu looked at the invitation card in his hand and was amazed at his master¡¯s supreme prediction. Young Lady Luo Chu really delivered the invitation card first thing in the morning. Ming Lu held onto the invitation card and headed for the study room. He placed it on the table before waiting for Pei Rumo¡¯s return. ¡°How is it? Did you deliver it?¡± Bai Luochu asked Cai Ling when she returned. ¡°Mistress doesn¡¯t have to worry. I passed the card to Ming Lu and His First Highness should see the card when he returns.¡± Cai Ling reported. ¡°Alright¡­ Since there isn¡¯t much to do, why don¡¯t you head back to cultivate after serving my meal? ¡± Bai Luochu instructed Cai Ling. Cai Ling acknowledged and backed out of the room respectfully. Pei Rumo had just returned to the residence and Ming Lu immediately welcomed him. ¡°Master, You were right! Young Lady Luo Chu sent someone to deliver an invitation card early in the morning.¡± Pei Rumo nodded with satisfaction before pacing towards the study table. He wanted to read her invitation card and the moment he laid eyes on it, he chuckled. ¡°Luo Chu is truly interesting. I invited her to stroll by the river but she invited me for a meal...¡± Even though he sounded like he was blaming her, he spoke casually. After a short moment, Pei Rumo was done with the card. He forgave her. ¡°I won¡¯t blame her since she took the opportunity to apologize.¡± He turned around and instructed Ming Lu, ¡°Tell her I¡¯ll be there.¡± Ming Lu acknowledged the order and jogged out. Pei Qingfeng, who had also stationed men to watch the general¡¯s residence, was listening to the report in his study room. I didn¡¯t look for her for the past few days because I wished to protect her. What is she doing?! I merely turned my head and she started mixing around with two-faced Pei Rumo... ¡°I am going out tomorrow. I need to keep an eye on Pei Rumo.¡± Pei Qingfeng instructed his personal guard. Pei Qingfeng sighed and came up with a random excuse, ¡°I¡¯m curious as to what Pei Rumo is up to. I am not going for Luoluo¡¯s sake. Only by knowing myself and my enemy will I be able to win every battle. Only by knowing what my First Brother is thinking will I be able to lead a comfortable life in the Cloud Water Nation.¡± In the personal guard¡¯s opinion, his master¡¯s self deceiving skills were growing day by day. The personal guard muttered softly, ¡°You¡¯re just looking for an excuse to look for Young Lady Luo Chu. Why drag His First Highness into it?¡± ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t hear you? If you continue to talk behind my back, start thinking of ways you would like to be punished.¡± Pei Qingfeng intimidated his personal guard. That personal guard instantly fell silent. Since Pei Qingfeng was the boss, he had to listen to him. When Bai Luochu was cultivating in the general¡¯s residence, she had been sneezing constantly. She measured her pulse and became even more confused. ¡°This isn¡¯t right, I am not sick. Why am I sneezing so much? Is someone talking about me behind my back?¡± Bai Luochu shook her head to clear her thoughts. She prepared to enjoy a peaceful cultivation session. Bai Luochu spent the entire day cultivating in peace. Early the next morning, Bai Luochu finished her morning cultivation and called for Cai Ling to enter and help with her grooming. ¡°Mistress, why are you getting ready so early in the morning?¡± Cai Ling didn¡¯t know why Bai Luochu was in such a hurry and questioned. Bai Luochu was startled but she quickly found an excuse. ¡°We are offering an apology today. Shouldn¡¯t we arrive early?¡± Cai Ling might be surprised at how seriously Bai Luochu was treating the meeting but she remained silent. Even Bai Luochu herself didn¡¯t know the reason behind treating the appointment so seriously. She had a vague feeling that Pei Qingfeng would also be present and she felt that it was better to be prepared. Bai Luochu arrived early at the appointed place and waited for Pei Rumo¡¯s arrival. Soon enough, someone knocked on the door of the private room. Thinking that it was Pei Rumo, she quickly invited him in. Unexpectedly, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s figure appeared at the door. When Pei Qingfeng saw that the person inside was really Bai Luochu, he said, ¡°I thought I saw wrongly when I looked through the window earlier! Luoluo, it really is you!¡± He casually took a seat beside her and ignored basic courtesy. ¡°Such a coincidence! I never thought I would be able to meet you just by strolling down the streets!¡± Bai Luochu frowned slightly in response and thought in her heart: Is it really a coincidence? I¡¯m pretty sure your guards are among those stationed outside the general¡¯s residence. Chapter 278: Suddenly Departure ¡°I arranged an appointment with His First Highness today. It isn¡¯t nice to interrupt our meeting...¡± Bai Luochu might be complaining, but she poured a cup of tea for Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Hey, why does it matter. We brothers don¡¯t hold any grudge against each other. It¡¯s just a meal, why does it matter? Unless the two of you have a secret you are keeping from me...¡± Pei Qingfeng asked Bai Luochu in return. Bai Luochu practically flipped as she quickly denied the possibility. ¡°Nonsense! How can I share my secret with His First Highness?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know why she yelled. She simply didn¡¯t want Pei Qingfeng to misunderstand the relationship between herself and Pei Rumo. When Pei Qingfeng saw how Bai Luochu was in a hurry to draw a clear line between herself and Pei Rumo, he was very happy. He immediately drank all the tea that Bai Luochu had poured for him. He felt that he was drinking a cup of honey instead of tea. The two of them didn¡¯t speak until Pei Rumo made his appearance. Originally, Pei Rumo had a smile on his face. When he saw that Pei Qingfeng was also present, the smile on his face froze. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Pei Qingfeng smiled as though he was a cat who successfully stole a fish. He replied to Pei Rumo, ¡°I raised my head when walking past and saw Luoluo sitting in the room. I came up to take a break. Since no one is going to accompany me for a meal in my residence, I might as well leech on First Brother¡¯s generosity to bum a meal. I don¡¯t think Your First Highness would be so stingy as to refuse to feed your own brother, right?¡± Pei Rumo looked at Bai Luochu and noticed that she wasn¡¯t intending to chase Pei Qingfeng out. He understood that Pei Qingfeng could act so arrogantly as Bai Luochu had given her silent approval. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s speech was amazing and he even rendered Pei Rumo speechless. He had no choice but to readily consent, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind treating my Second Brother to lunch. However, you should eat slowly and not choke on the food.¡± Pei Rumo ground his teeth as he spoke to Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng pretended to completely ignore Pei Rumo and he beamed, ¡°Your First Highness¡­ please be at ease! Sit down and order the dishes first.¡± Pei Rumo almost erupted in anger. However, it was a rare occasion for Bai Luochu to invite him for a meal. Rather than missing this opportunity, why shouldn¡¯t he endure it and finish this meal? When it was time to order the food, Pei Rumo felt as though there was a ball of rage burning in his stomach as he wasn¡¯t able to touch the menu. Pei Qingfeng ordered a dozen dishes at once and they were all Bai Luochu¡¯s favorites. Pei Qingfeng then asked Pei Rumo, ¡°Does First Brother want anything else?¡± Pei Rumo was unable to challenge his second brother and he quickly agreed with Pei Qingfeng¡¯s choice. Pei Rumo felt disgust for his second brother for the first time. This guy seems to have forgotten everything Teacher has taught! What an uncultured swine! As Pei Qingfeng was picking vegetables for Bai Luochu, he took a casual glance out of the room. He noticed someone who shouldn¡¯t be there and immediately recognized the person. ¡°Why are they here?¡± Did they send someone into the capital to scout for information? Thinking up to this point, Pei Qingfeng immediately put down his chopsticks and grabbed the door. Before he left, he didn¡¯t forget to inform Bai Luochu, ¡°Luoluo, take your time! I will settle the bill. I might not be able to visit you for the next few days but please be extra careful.¡± Even before the words reached her ears, Pei Qingfeng disappeared. Throughout the meal, Bai Luochu looked like a stuffed duck as Pei Qingfeng filled her bowl constantly. She became curious when she saw how much of a hurry he was in. ¡°What is wrong with him? He is the one who insisted on coming but he is leaving so suddenly!¡± Pei Rumo quickly found a chance to criticize Pei Qingfeng¡¯s actions. Bai Luochu heard him and quickly formed an explanation. ¡°He might really have something urgent to attend to¡­ He is never in such a hurry...¡± When Pei Rumo heard Bai Luochu¡¯s response, he was shocked as he never thought that this lass would make up excuses for someone else. He instantly mocked himself and knew he wasn¡¯t comparable to Pei Qingfeng. She might not talk about how well he treats her, but she definitely remembered what he had done for her. Pei Rumo was a spectator that could see clearly and he could easily see the feeling Bai Luochu had for Pei Qingfeng. However, he was sure she had no clue about her own feelings. Pei Rumo felt curious all of a sudden. If her thoughts were exposed by someone else in the future¡­ what will her expression be like? After Pei Qingfeng left, Bai Luochu felt that the dishes lost their taste. After finishing the dishes Pei Qingfeng placed in her bowl, she sat there quietly as Pei Rumo finished his meal. When Pei Rumo noticed that Bai Luochu had stopped moving her chopsticks, he knew that Bai Luochu had lost her appetite because of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s departure. However, he couldn¡¯t stop eating as that would leave the two of them staring at each other awkwardly. Without a choice, Pei Rumo braced himself and continued eating a few more mouthfuls before stopping. Bai Luochu saw Pei Rumo putting down his chopsticks and she immediately asked, ¡°Do you know who Pei Qingfeng normally interacts with?¡± Bai Luochu might have believed that Pei Qingfeng suddenly departed because of some urgent matters, but she was still suspicious. She felt that Pei Qingfeng had many things he had concealed from everyone. When Pei Rumo witnessed that Bai Luochu was concerned and curious about Pei Qingfeng, he felt even sadder. I¡¯m one of the most eligible bachelors in the capital city but why isn¡¯t she attracted to me? Chapter 279: Mysterious Organization Bai Luochu nodded slowly. Pei Rumo was right, for a person like Pei Qingfeng, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he had several mysterious friends or identities. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have anything else to ask and the atmosphere became stale. Pei Rumo was a person who didn¡¯t know how to liven up the atmosphere and he allowed it to stagnate. In the end, the two of them didn¡¯t feel like sitting there anymore and Pei Rumo quickly spoke up, ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave? I still have a stack of imperial notices to handle. If I return any later, I might not be able to finish them.¡± Bai Luochu was no longer in the mood to mess around after Pei Qingfeng had left. Since she was alone with Pei Rumo, she didn¡¯t know what to say. After listening to Pei Rumo¡¯s suggestion, she immediately agreed. Pei Rumo was willing to spontaneously end this awkward meeting because he had sensed that Bai Luochu was finding it difficult to sit still. He also felt a little awkward and he understood that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t saying a word in order to not embarrass him. Furthermore, if the host suggested that they leave, she would be placed in an awkward position. From the looks of it, Bai Luochu is indeed much better than Pei Qingfeng. Pei Rumo shook his head and quickly dismissed the thoughts in his mind. Why did I think of her? It seems like I¡¯m really obsessed. Bai Luochu made the first move and prepared to settle the bill, but she was informed by the shopkeeper that someone had already paid the bill. ¡°Young Lady, the Young Master who left in a hurry paid the bill.¡± Bai Luochu was rather surprised. She didn¡¯t expect for Pei Qingfeng to remember to pay the bill even though he was in a rush. Whatever¡­ Bai Luochu was someone who never loved taking advantage of others. She silently noted down his action and prepared to return the favor. Pei Rumo felt even more uncomfortable as he didn¡¯t expect for Pei Qingfeng to pay for the meal. It really made him look bad in front of Bai Luochu. Right at this moment, Pei Qingfeng had already rushed back to his residence. He called out to his personal guard and asked, ¡°Did our scouts send back any information?¡± The personal guard saw that his master was anxious and was afraid that something had happened. ¡°Master, this subordinate didn¡¯t receive any information from our secret guards... What happened to you? Did someone mess with Young Lady Luo Chu?¡± Pei Qingfeng shook his head before letting out a long sigh. ¡°Sigh, I was having a meal with Luoluo and guess who I saw?¡± The personal guard noticed that his master was intentionally building suspense. He shook his head. As Pei Qingfeng spoke, he saw his personal guard¡¯s face turning increasingly grave. That personal guard immediately knelt down with a ¡®plop¡¯ and begged for forgiveness, ¡°Will Master please mete out the punishment. This subordinate has failed to detect their arrival in the capital city.¡± Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t intend to blame his secret guard and he quickly gave out his order. ¡°It is fine. Since they are already here, we need to be more careful. Of course, nothing will happen to me. We cannot be careless with protecting Luo Chu. If they find out about Luo Chu¡¯s existence, they will definitely deal with her. Do you understand what you have to do?¡± The personal guard naturally understood and immediately gave his word. ¡°Master doesn¡¯t have to worry. Previously, I have already informed the brothers to protect Young Lady Luo Chu at all costs. At the same time, I have passed down your instructions. If those people start to investigate Luo Chu, we will receive news immediately. This subordinate thinks that Young Lady Luo Chu is safe since no one is asking around about her.¡± ¡°That will be for the best.¡± Pei Qingfeng nodded and felt a little more at ease. Outside the capital city, in the Ten Miles Gentleman Pavilion, there was a group of people who were taking a break. The majority of them had outstanding looks and no one dared to approach them. No one questioned the arrival of the group. Among them, there were three young ladies whose faces were covered with veils. They looked like fairies who descended from the heavens. They looked extremely beautiful and there wasn¡¯t a trace of obscenity around them. One of the young ladies seemed as though she was frustrated by the wait and complained to a middle-aged man, ¡°Honored Sir, how long do we have to wait? I wish to quickly see Brother Qingfeng!¡± Only her eyes were revealed, but a brilliant light flashed in them. They were like round apricots with curly eyelashes, giving her a doll-like look. Those who laid eyes one her would feel the urge to protect her from harm. The middle-aged man was obviously doting on the young girl. Even though he felt that her behavior wasn¡¯t appropriate, he waved it off. ¡°Xian¡¯er, look at yourself! You are already a grown young lady, how can you still act like a kid? Look at your behavior now. If your Brother Qingfeng saw you like this, he will surely laugh at you.¡± When the young lady heard the middle-aged man¡¯s words, she behaved even more childishly. ¡°Aiyo, Honored Sir, it has been a long time since Xian¡¯er met with Brother Qingfeng. Xian¡¯er really misses him! Don¡¯t you also miss Brother Qingfeng?¡± The young lady used a lovable expression to look at the middle-aged man. Chapter 280: Mystery Organization Entering the Capital Just as she was acting spoilt, a person came in and bowed to the middle-aged man. ¡°Honored Sir, this disciple scouted the capital city. There isn¡¯t anyone who knows about our identity and I don¡¯t think there is a need to worry. But... ¡± He seemed to hesitate when he spoke. The middle-aged man didn¡¯t mind and said, ¡°Just speak your mind.¡± When the disciple heard what the middle-aged man said, he instantly reported his findings. ¡°When this disciple was in the capital city, it seemed like I encountered Young Master Qingfeng. He seemed to have noticed me and he gave chase. This disciple went through a lot of trouble to shake him off. Not only so... when this disciple saw Young Master Qingfeng, he was having lunch with a beautiful young lady. However, it is possible this disciple was mistaken.¡± The middle-aged man responded and said something rather surprising. ¡°Young Master Qingfeng doesn¡¯t really pay attention to his own words. If others know about it, things might get out of hand. It will definitely affect the agreement between the Patriarch and the rest.¡± The young lady called Xian¡¯er was startled and she looked towards the floor. No one knew what she was thinking. That middle-aged man didn¡¯t say anything else, causing the atmosphere to stagnate. Xian¡¯er had a lively character and wasn¡¯t able to endure the silence. She immediately piped up, ¡°Aiyo, Honored Sir, rather than us standing around and making wild guesses, why not clarify things with Brother Qingfeng? That¡¯s one of the reasons why we should enter the capital city as soon as possible. We will be able to stay warm and we can even confirm our suspicions. Xian¡¯er will also be able to meet Big Brother Qingfeng!¡± The middle-aged man who originally had a gloomy face was amused by Xian¡¯er, ¡°You¡­ you are taking advantage of the love the Sect Patriarch and your Big Brother Qingfeng have for you to run amok. Alright, this old man shall listen to you and enter the capital city. However, you need to promise me something.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s tone changed as he spoke to Xian¡¯er. Xian¡¯er interrupted him before he could say anything. ¡°Xian¡¯er knows. Others might not know our identity, but everything we do represents the sect. When we are in the capital city, I cannot behave willfully and I must not embarrass the sect. Calluses are growing in my ears after hearing Honored Sir¡¯s repeated reminders.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er pouted her lips to show her dissatisfaction. The middle-aged man laughed heartily and said, ¡°Hahaha, I hope you will keep my instruction in mind. Alright, I shall not repeat myself. Let us quickly enter the capital city before all the inns are filled up.¡± With a wave of his hand, the middle-aged man commanded everyone to advance. The group moved in a grandiose manner towards the capital city. ¡°Hey, hurry up and look! Who are these people? All of them look like celestials! I thought that the members of the Phoenix King Valley were outstanding talents but from the looks of it, they look like bumkins compared to these people¡­¡± ¡°Exactly! Look at their attires. They don¡¯t seem to be from the other two immortal sects either. Who exactly are these people?¡± ¡°Hurry up and look. The three young ladies behind the leader look like goddesses! I have never seen such gorgeous looking young ladies!¡± When Bai Luochu heard the clamor, she quickly turned around to look at the group of people entering the capital. A single glance was enough for her to identify their clothes. The commoners were amazed by their appearance but Bai Luochu was amazed at their clothing. ¡°Moon Descent Cloud Brocade?¡± Bai Luochu tilted her head slightly and muttered. Tilting her head the other way, the color of their clothes changed. Bai Luochu confirmed the thoughts in her mind. It was actually Moon Descent Cloud Brocade! The fabric was extremely valuable as only one roll of it could be made in a year. Superior and natural silk was waved together to form the Moon Descent Cloud Brocade. It was made using special weaving methods and the color of the fabric would change depending on the angle of observation. The fabric gained its name as one would look as though they were wearing a coat made from moonlight when standing under the sun. When Bai Luochu noticed that everyone in this group was wearing clothes made of the Moon Descent Cloud Brocade, she couldn¡¯t help but envy them. She was even more curious as to where these people came from. She turned around and asked Pei Rumo, ¡°Your First Highness, do you know these people? Who are they?¡± Pei Rumo had already noticed this group of people for a long time and had already roughly guessed their identity. But Pei Rumo felt that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to tell Bai Luochu and acted as though he didn¡¯t know, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I have never seen these people around.¡± Bai Luochu nodded helplessly and thought if she had spare time, she had to investigate them. They didn¡¯t stop as they headed straight for the imperial palace. The guards at the imperial palace¡¯s gate stopped them. ¡°Halt! Who are you? How dare you barge into the imperial palace.¡± The guards at the gates felt nervous when he saw this group of people walking over in a grandiose manner. They were afraid that the group was here with malicious intent. Chapter 281: Conflict at the Palace Gates ¡°Get lost, get lost! A group of lunatics coming out of nowhere in funeral gear... How dare you request an audience with the Emperor! Do you think you are related to the imperial family? Do you think you can see him just because you said so?¡± That guard chased them away. The Honored Sir¡¯s brilliant smile collapsed as he berated the guard. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t believe me, you can¡¯t insult my disciples like this! This old one has traveled this world for a long time and has never seen a young man as vulgar and rude like you.¡± When the guard heard the scolding, he was immediately enraged, ¡°What are you talking about? As an old man with one foot in the coffin, you should return home and live out the rest of your days in peace. If we need to give you a beating and send you away, things would get ugly.¡± Due to his overwhelming power, the middle-aged man had to conceal his true strength. The guard had a misconception that he was stronger as he was unable to feel the middle-aged man¡¯s aura. The middle-aged man squinted his eyes and spoke with disdain, ¡°Are you sure you are going to treat me like this? If we really have to fight, you might not be able to defeat me.¡± The middle-aged man stated. The atmosphere between the two sides turned into a state of mutual hostility. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± De Quan just so happened to be sent out by the emperor and he noticed the situation at the gate. He quickly tried to de-escalate the conflict. ¡°Chief De Quan, this person wants to barge into the imperial palace with his group of men. I stopped him and he even wants to threaten me.¡± This guard spoke quickly. ¡°You... Not only are you unreasonable, you dare to accuse me when you are in the wrong! I showed you my token as a proof of identity and you insulted us in return. You even threatened to beat us up! This eunuch, please take a look. This token is proof of my identity. If you present it to His Majesty, he will surely invite us inside.¡± This middle-aged man stated with a serious expression. De Quan who originally didn¡¯t believe him was now rather convinced. De Quan felt that there might be a chance this middle-aged man was some kind of big shot. If he were to detain him outside the palace gates, he might be in deep trouble. De Quan quickly took the jade pendant and said, ¡°Sir, please wait for a moment. This old servant will make a report to His Majesty. Regardless of whether His Majesty is willing to invite you in, this old servant will return with an answer.¡± That guard saw De Quan¡¯s attitude and realized that things were going south. He immediately prepared to stop De Quan, ¡°Chief De Quan, you must not do that! It might be a plot to get you into trouble.¡± De Quan finished speaking and headed straight for the throne room. When the emperor finished listening to De Quan¡¯s report, he immediately asked, ¡°You said he handed something to you? What is it? Bring it to me.¡± De Quan obediently handed over the middle-aged man¡¯s jade pendant to the emperor. The emperor was originally very sleepy but when he saw the jade pendant, he immediately sat up straight. He yelled at the top of his lungs, ¡°De Quan, comb my hair and straighten my clothes! I need to personally receive them!¡± De Quan instantly knew that he had done the right thing. He called for more eunuchs as he went out to make the ceremonial preparations. In just a short moment, the emperor was ready and he prepared to receive the group of people at the gate. Before reaching the palace gates, the emperor broke into a light jog. He greeted the middle-aged man as soon as he arrived. ¡°Oh my, Honored Sir. Why didn¡¯t you inform me in advance? I didn¡¯t even prepare for your arrival¡­ You even had to wait at the gates of the palace¡­ I apologize.¡± De Quan instantly reacted by putting the blame on himself, ¡°Your Majesty, this old servant is at fault. Had it not been for this old servant¡¯s fear of setbacks and didn¡¯t dare to allow them in, our esteemed guests wouldn¡¯t have to wait for such a long time.¡± When the middle-aged man saw the two men play in front of him, he laughed it off. ¡°Your Majesty, we arrived too suddenly and by the time I realized that I hadn¡¯t sent the invitation card, I was already in the capital city. It wouldn¡¯t matter if I was alone, but these children came with me. I cannot allow them to suffer hardships with me.¡± The emperor responded by laughing heartily. ¡°Hahaha, it isn¡¯t a problem. My imperial palace is very spacious! If all of you would like, you can simply reside in the imperial palace. It¡¯s getting windy and let us enter the palace before continuing the conversation.¡± As the emperor spoke, he gestured to invite the man inside. Right when they were about to enter the palace, a delicate voice echoed through the air, ¡°Emperor Uncle, don¡¯t you know that someone threatened to beat up Honored Sir when we were waiting at the entrance? Shouldn¡¯t you do something about it?¡± The emperor paused and he turned to look at the trembling guard. He tried to think of a way to appease their anger. That middle-aged man quickly reprimanded the young lady who spoke, ¡°Xian¡¯er, what is wrong with you? What are you saying?! Hurry up and shut up!¡± After scolding her, the middle-aged man turned around and spoke to the emperor. ¡°Your Majesty, this child is behaving willfully. You don¡¯t need to mind her. Let us enter the palace quickly.¡± The emperor wasn¡¯t going to allow this matter to rest and he immediately questioned the guard. ¡°What is going on? Hurry up and give me an explanation.¡± That guard¡¯s knees immediately went soft as he knelt on the ground, ¡°Please spare my life! This servant failed to recognize an important person and didn''t know that he was an important guest! Please forgive my sins!¡± The emperor wasn¡¯t going to pardon him. ¡°De Quan, bring this person to the inner affairs department and ask him to hand over his waist token. Issue him this month¡¯s salary and let him leave. He shall no longer guard the imperial palace.¡± Chapter 282: Conspiracy The guard started wailing, ¡°No, Your Majesty! Your Majesty! This servant knows his mistake! Please don¡¯t chase this servant out of the palace!¡± When De Quan heard the wailings of this guard, his expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest. Instead, he spoke unhurriedly, ¡°Enough! There are plenty of people watching. Those who don¡¯t know might think that there is something wrong with your head. If I were you, I would quickly take the money and leave. His Majesty doesn¡¯t wish to leave a bad impression for the esteemed guest and is sparing your life. Why else do you think you¡¯re still alive?¡± The guard heard De Quan¡¯s words and immediately stood up to head to the inner affairs department. By the time he emerged, he was wearing commoner robes and was no longer the palace guard he once was. At the palace gates, De Quan called out the guard and kindly ¡®reminded¡¯ him, ¡°I do not wish to criticize you. You have been working at the palace gates for a rather long time but why are you so bad at making judgements? Those people are surrounded by a noble aura and you actually tried to make a move on them? You cannot blame anyone for losing your job. If you wish to blame something, blame it on your stupidity. Hurry up and leave. Leave before His Majesty changes his mind and executes you. You have to understand that our Emperor is getting increasingly temperamental.¡± The guard understood De Quan¡¯s advice and immediately replied, ¡°Many thanks to Chief De Quan¡¯s kind intentions. Please take care of yourself.¡± The guard quickly left towards his home. De Quan watched as the guard left and he thought to himself, These people are merely servants. Why do they think that they have the authority to make their own decisions? ¡°Whatever¡­ at least he doesn¡¯t have to be on his toes all the time.¡± De Quan muttered softly and immediately returned to the throne room. He had to serve the emperor as guests were present. Just as De Quan entered the throne room, he immediately heard the emperor¡¯s orders, ¡°De Quan, ignore my previous orders. Hurry up and send a message to Qingfeng to tell him that those people are here. Tell him to hurry up and enter the palace.¡± De Quan acknowledged his orders and headed straight to the Second Prince¡¯s residence. ... ¡°Master, Eunuch De Quan is here and says he has a message from His Majesty.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s guard reported. Pei Qingfeng was actually writing something but his hand stopped. After letting out a long sigh, he said to the guard, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go and meet Emperor Father.¡± In fact, Pei Qingfeng already knew what was going on but he didn¡¯t wish to face it. ¡°Your Second Highness.¡± When De Quan saw Pei Qingfeng coming out, he immediately bowed to Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng greeted, ¡°I wonder why Eunuch De Quan is looking for me?¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s smile immediately froze as he thought about how the inevitable had arrived. He immediately replied to De Quan, ¡°Since that is the case, I shall follow Eunuch back to the palace. Men, prepare the carriage.¡± Just like that, Pei Qingfeng followed De Quan back to the palace. As soon as Pei Qingfeng took a step into the throne room, he saw a snow-white figure rushing at him. ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng! Xian¡¯er is finally able to see you again!¡± Ling Xian¡¯er plunged into Pei Qingfeng¡¯s embrace. Pei Qingfeng revealed a doting smile before putting on a straight face to chide Ling Xian¡¯er, ¡°Xian¡¯er, you are already a grown-up young lady! How can you casually jump into another man¡¯s embrace? Has Master been teaching you the wrong things?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er replied without shame and hugged Pei Qingfeng even tighter while speaking coquettishly, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care! Xian¡¯er misses Big Brother Qingfeng too much. Big Brother isn¡¯t an outsider, why can¡¯t I hug you?¡± Pei Qingfeng shook his head helplessly and replied, ¡°Alright, let go of me for now. I have to pay my respects to His Majesty. Your Big Brother Qingfeng cannot possibly behave without etiquette just because you are behaving like a wild-child, right?¡± In response, Ling Xian¡¯er helplessly let go of her hand and backed off to the side while waiting for Pei Qingfeng to pay his respects to His Majesty. ¡°This official son pays his respects to Emperor Father. Long live Emperor Father for ten thousand years.¡± After finishing his greetings, he turned to bow to the middle-aged man, ¡°Honored Sir, it has been a long time. I trust you have been well.¡± That middle-aged man laughed heartily, ¡°Hahaha, Qingfeng is truly an elegant and fine young master. It seems like I¡¯ve embarrassed myself. Xian¡¯er, look at your Big Brother Qingfeng. He is such a well mannered lad. He is the complete opposite of a wild child like you. You¡¯re just embarrassing yourself at this point.¡± How could the emperor not notice the middle-aged man¡¯s intent? He immediately brokered a compromise, ¡°Honored Sir can¡¯t be more wrong. It is nothing for a young lady to behave a little willfully. If she is so inflexible, she wouldn¡¯t be a member of your sect. In my opinion, I feel that Xian¡¯er¡¯s personality is just right, lively and sweet. She¡¯s a little bundle of joy.¡± ¡°Your Majesty must be joking. This lass loves to pester Young Master Qingfeng. He spoiled her since a young age. She even behaves wantonly in the throne room. I hope for Your Majesty¡¯s forgiveness.¡± This unified act made Ling Xian¡¯er and Pei Qingfeng rather uncomfortable. The Honored Sir looked at Ling Xian¡¯er and Pei Qingfeng before withdrawing his smile. He turned to look at the emperor with a serious expression on his face, ¡°Your Majesty, to be honest, I am here this time to discuss something with you. These children haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time, why don¡¯t we allow them to go out and enjoy themselves while we discuss proper matters. What do you think?¡± The emperor was a shrewd person and immediately understood the Honored Sir¡¯s objective. He immediately instructed, ¡°Qingfeng, bring Xian¡¯er out for a tour of the garden. I will stay here with Honored Sir to discuss some proper matters.¡± Chapter 283: Disagreement in the Garden ¡°Honored Sir, what would you like to discuss with me?¡± The emperor had a very respectful attitude towards this person. The middle-aged man addressed ¡®Honored Sir¡¯ leisurely drank a cup of tea before speaking unhurriedly as though this matter wasn¡¯t that important. It was as if this matter was as simple as drinking a cup of tea. ¡°The reason we didn¡¯t send a request to visit is because of the severity of the matter. Qingfeng is already of age now and it is about time to honor the agreement set by our Patriarch.¡± The emperor was startled for a moment before nodding silently, ¡°What Honored Sir said is reasonable. Since this matter has been set a long time ago, it should be fulfilled.¡± The middle-aged man laughed in response, ¡°Haha, I knew Your Majesty wouldn¡¯t go back on your words. However, we shouldn¡¯t mention this to Qingfeng in case he becomes disgusted. If that were to happen, things would go south really quickly.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. Everything shall be arranged by Honored Sir.¡± The emperor¡¯s attitude towards the middle-aged man was truly respectable. It was hard to relate the current emperor with that authoritative person in the imperial court that wielded absolute power. At this moment. Pei Qingfeng led Ling Xian¡¯er and a group of disciples to the imperial garden. ¡°Everyone can relax. Even though there are no exotic plants, every single flower here is nurtured and grown by imperial gardeners. These flowers might be mediocre and ordinary, but they are pretty in their own right. Everyone may enjoy the view. Don¡¯t worry about messing up the place.¡± Pei Qingfeng felt that as a host, he should take care of them as best as he could and allowed everyone to enjoy the hospitality. When everyone heard Pei Qingfeng, they weren¡¯t overly constrained and grouped up with their closest friends to tour around the imperial garden. As for Ling Xian¡¯er, she didn¡¯t behave as lively as usual. She didn¡¯t go about messing around with others as she followed beside Pei Qingfeng. She tugged on the corners of her clothes and lowered her head as she thought of something. Pei Qingfeng obviously detected something wrong with Ling Xian¡¯er and he asked, ¡°Xian¡¯er, what is wrong with you? You were in such high spirits earlier, but why aren¡¯t you happy after seeing me? Why don¡¯t you go and play with them? Look, they are playing in the pavilion by the lake.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er forced out a smile before explaining herself to Pei Qingfeng,, ¡°Hehe, Big Brother Qingfeng, it has been a long time since Xian¡¯er met you. I really miss you! Can¡¯t I spend more time with my Big Brother Qingfeng?¡± Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t happy after hearing her reply and he rolled his eyes at her, ¡°Stop it. Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m stupid. Speak your mind. If you bottle up your feelings, you will be hurt. If that happens, someone will come and settle the scores with me.¡± Pei Qingfeng was startled as he didn¡¯t expect this lass to be vexed because of this matter. Pei Qingfeng might have already guessed the objective of this visit but he didn¡¯t wish for the young lass to bear this weight on her shoulders. He immediately laughed and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t he here to see me? Aren¡¯t you here to see me as well? Why are you acting so sad?¡± ¡°No, Big Brother Qingfeng! Honored Sir is here for the agreement back then!¡± Ling Xian¡¯er knew that Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t wish to speak of this matter. However, she knew that if she continued to hide their true objective, she would be the one suffering for it. She disregarded everything and screamed her heart out. Pei Qingfeng responded with an expression that was hard to discern whether he was angry or happy. After a long moment, he let out a long sigh, ¡°Sigh, you are still young. Go and play with your friends! You should also be cultivating diligently. Why are you interfering with such matters?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er acted as though she didn¡¯t hear Pei Qingfeng¡¯s reply and started to argue, ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, have you never thought of fighting or resisting?! I rarely get to see you normally! At this critical juncture, I have your best interest in mind! Right now, you are the only one suffering. In the future, there will be much more casualties! Xian¡¯er doesn¡¯t want this to happen!¡± Xian¡¯er was about to burst into tears as her face was flushed red. Pei Qingfeng saw how emotional Ling Xian¡¯er was and felt rather heartbroken. He took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears before rubbing her head, ¡°Xian¡¯er, your Big Brother Qingfeng doesn¡¯t want that to happen as well. However, I do not have the strength to resist. Furthermore...¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s gaze dropped as the image of a certain someone flashed through his mind. ¡°Furthermore, your Big Brother Qingfeng has someone he wishes to protect now. I cannot expose her to danger, do you understand? You are thinking too much. The Sect Patriarch dotes on you the most. How can he allow you to suffer the same fate?¡± He messed up Ling Xian¡¯er hair which caused her to complain, ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, Xian¡¯er styled my hair specially for you! Look at what you have done to my hair.¡± She took out a small mirror and looked at her reflection. She tried her best to tidy up her hair but when she realized that she wasn¡¯t able to fix it, she punched Pei Qingfeng in the chest. She grumbled, ¡°Look! My hair is in a mess now! It looks like a bird¡¯s nest!¡± Pei Qingfeng laughed helplessly and felt that Ling Xian¡¯er was still a child that had yet to grow up. Earlier on, she was still weeping endlessly, right now, the dark clouds were gone and she had the strength to hit him. While Pei Qingfeng was still smiling, he didn¡¯t notice that the look in Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s eyes had changed. Ling Xian¡¯er withdrew her coquettish expression and squinted her eyes. There was a mischievous smile on her face as she started to question Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, I heard someone saying something about protecting someone else¡­ Who is it? Why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± Pei Qingfeng silently cursed. Earlier on, he was trying to console this lass and accidentally leaked some information. Now this lass held on to his weakness. Chapter 284: Feigning Civility ¡°How is that possible? Stop trying to deceive me! There is no way I heard wrong! Just tell me, I promise that I will not tell Honored Sir.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er naturally knew Pei Qingfeng was trying to avoid the question. She was unable to suppress the gossip queen in her and she started to pester Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng was helpless and could only speak ambiguously, ¡°Nothing is set in stone yet. You need to stop gossiping so much. If Honored Sir hears about it, both of us will be in trouble.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er knew that Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t going to tell her anything, hence, she stopped talking and she pouted. At this moment, the emperor was still having a conversation with the middle-aged man. ¡°Honored Sir, day is fading¡­ Do you have a place to stay?¡± The emperor asked with concern. The middle-aged man had no intent to refuse and he accepted the gesture, ¡°We arrived in a hurry and weren¡¯t able to make the arrangements. If Your Majesty can help us arrange for a place to stay it would be for the best.¡± The emperor was waiting for him to say that. He immediately responded, ¡°Hahaha, this Emperor has the same intention. There is an empty residence beside Qingfeng¡¯s. We use it to receive guests. The furniture was designed by a craftsman I specially hired. Even though the designs aren¡¯t original, it looks really elegant. Why don¡¯t you stay there for the time being? I noticed that your disciples were traveling light. The residence is fully equipped and I will also send more men from the inner affairs department to serve you. I wonder if Honored Sir is happy with the arrangements?¡± The middle-aged man looked rather satisfied with the emperor¡¯s arrangement as he nodded his head repeatedly. He even politely thanked the emperor, ¡°Since Your Majesty has already made such detailed arrangements, I cannot possibly refuse.¡± After the two of them had decided on everything, they went to the imperial garden to gather the disciples. Pei Qingfeng might have said that they could do as they pleased, but everyone present were cultured individuals. They didn¡¯t do anything that crossed the line. None of them raised their voice as they had fun in the garden. When the Honored Sir and the emperor arrived, they were met with a harmonious scene. When the Honored Sir saw the situation, he nodded with satisfaction. The emperor spoke with amazement, ¡°This is truly a group of outstanding individuals. With the elegant personality and formidable strength, they are truly the future of the continent.¡± The Honored Sir might have understood the intention of flattery, but he felt that they were worthy of praise. After all, he was the one who nurtured them and they were perfect. As such, he had no intention to remain humble as he accepted the praise. ¡°Qingfeng, there is no need to be so polite. After all, we are all on the same side. Earlier, I discussed with His Majesty and decided to stay in the residence beside yours. We will be able to meet frequently as well. If anything happens, we will be able to provide help in the shortest time possible.¡± Pei QIngfeng knew that the Honored Sir wanted to monitor him but he couldn¡¯t refuse. If he refused, he would only cause the Honored Sir to become more suspicious. Without a choice, Pei QIngfeng laughed and replied, ¡°That will be great! We haven¡¯t met in such a long time. We can catch up frequently then...¡± ¡°Hahahaha, then it¡¯s settled! When I heard your Emperor Father¡¯s decision, I was worried you might find this old man annoying.¡± The Honored Sir responded with a burst of hearty laughter, but it was unknown how sincere this laughter was. The emperor¡¯s face froze as he never expected that the middle-aged man could be so two-faced. He didn¡¯t even try to refuse the arrangement¡­ He throws all the blame to me right after seeing Pei Qingfeng... The emperor was shocked in his heart: It seems like I cannot treat this person as a mere esteemed guest. I need to be more careful around him... ¡°It is getting late. Even though the residence is fully equipped, you will need to settle down.¡±¡± Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t wish to be trapped between the two giants when they clashed. When he felt that something was off, he quickly feigned civility and changed the topic. The two of them knew Pei Qingfeng¡¯s character and they knew he was sick of the farce. They stopped talking and the emperor saw them off passionately. All of them left the imperial palace and headed towards the residence. When they arrived, the disciples revealed their true nature as they wandered around to pick their courtyards. Ling Xian¡¯er wasn¡¯t an exception. She hopped and jumped as she ran over and pulled on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s sleeve while pointing at the tallest building in the residence, ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, Xian¡¯er wants to live in the stargazing pavilion! It is so pretty! The pavilion is high and I can see the entire city from the top! I will be able to look at Big Brother Qingfeng as well.¡± Pei Qingfeng flicked Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s nose and made fun of her, ¡°Xian¡¯er, aren¡¯t you going overboard? You actually want to monitor your Big Brother?¡± ¡°How is that possible!¡± Ling Xian¡¯er knew that Pei Qingfeng was making fun of her and she started to act spoiled. ¡°Xian¡¯er just wants to see Big Brother Qingfeng as much as possible.¡± When the middle-aged man looked at the two of them, he laughed. ¡°Hahaha, Qingfeng, look at what you have done. You pampered Xian¡¯er too much. Xian¡¯er, you are already a young lady and you should behave properly. Don¡¯t wrap your arms around others like that. What will others think of your actions?¡± Chapter 285: It is Merely a Misunderstanding ¡°Xian¡¯er is still young, we need to slowly educate her about such matters.¡± Pei Qingfeng looked at Ling Xian¡¯er who had an innocent smile on her face. He might feel rather helpless but he still wanted to protect her. When the Honored Sir heard Pei Qingfeng¡¯s comment, a profound light flashed through his eyes. After a long time, he spoke to Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Qingfeng, it has been a long time since we had a conversation. There are some things a young lady like Xian¡¯er shouldn¡¯t hear. Follow me, we need to talk.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s heart started to pound. His intuition told him that there was nothing good when the Honored Sir called him over for a discussion. However, Pei Qingfeng was unable to come up with an excuse and he had to acknowledge his order. He followed the Honored Sir to the study room. The moment Pei Qingfeng entered, the middle-aged man swung his sleeves and the doors shut tightly. He quickly arranged a restriction at the entrance so no one would be able to hear the conversation. He had no intention to beat about the bush and he quickly fired his question.¡°Before I entered the capital city, I asked one of our disciples to scout it out. Do you know what he told me?¡± Pei Qingfeng knew that things were going south. The disciple definitely saw him eating with Bai Luochu. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s heart was racing but he pretended to be composed, ¡°Oh? I wonder what that disciple saw?¡± The middle-aged man stared into Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes. He was trying to detect a trace of a lie by seeing if Pei Qingfeng would become uncomfortable or nervous. Pei Qingfeng sat there unmoving as a mountain. Regardless of rain or wind, he didn¡¯t budge an inch. It was as though nothing had happened. Only Pei Qingfeng knew that his heart was racing uncontrollably. He wasn¡¯t afraid that the Honored Sir would do anything to him. He was afraid that he might make a move on Bai Luochu if he learned of her existence. That Honored Sir examined Pei Qingfeng for a long time and wasn¡¯t able to see through his pretense. He no longer persisted and he closed his eyes to conceal his thoughts. He repeated the report by the disciple to see if Pei Qingfeng would react differently. ¡°That disciple came back and told me that you were having a meal together with a young lady who is at the prime of her youth. Furthermore, your actions were... rather intimate.¡± After speaking, the Honored Sir opened his eyes again. This time, his intention was obvious as he stared straight at Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face. His eyes were like torches which wanted to tear through Pei Qingfeng¡¯s pretense. He wanted to expose the panic in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s heart. ¡°So that is the case.¡± Pei Qingfeng opened up the folding fan in his hand and gently fanned himself. He spoke with an expression as though he had understood what was going on, ¡°Honored Sir might not know, but that woman is the famed Divine Physician Bai. She is adept in disguise and she hid her identity in the past as a man. I formed a good relationship with her and I forgot basic etiquette after she revealed her identity. As she rescued me from the brink of death previously, I am extremely grateful to her. She is the orphan daughter of the general¡¯s residence and I really pity her.¡± Pei Qingfeng might have made up his story at the last minute and the sequence of events might even be different. However, he didn¡¯t lie. The Honored Sir was almost convinced. After all, Pei Qingfeng never lied. However, if there was one thing the Honored Sir didn¡¯t know, it was that Pei Qingfeng could turn into a shameless scoundrel when it came to Bai Luochu. He was lying with his eyes wide open in order to protect her. ¡°Is that true? You better not be lying to me.¡± The Honored Sir was still suspicious even though his expression remained unchanged after the interrogation. Pei Qingfeng closed his folding fan and slammed his palm on the table. He seemed really angry that the Honored Sir was doubting him, ¡°What?! Does Honored Sir not believe me?¡± When the Honored Sir saw that Pei Qingfeng was angry, he immediately dispelled his suspicion. After all, he knew that Pei Qingfeng might look amicable, but if he truly turned hostile, it would be extremely difficult to deal with him. It was merely a report from a disciple and the Honored Sir didn¡¯t need to offend Pei Qingfeng over it. ¡°Hahaha, there is no problem then. I knew that Young Master Qingfeng wasn¡¯t a spoiled child like Xian¡¯er. You won¡¯t act so inappropriately with a woman.¡± He paused for a moment before reminding Pei Qingfeng, ¡°But in the future, I hope that Young Master Qingfeng will be more careful with your words and actions. Do not interact with that young lady frequently. The agreement with the Sect Patriarch is still in effect. You don¡¯t want to give me a hard time, do you?¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s expression dimmed a little as he looked towards the ground. ¡°Yes, Qingfeng shall comply with the Honored Sir¡¯s teachings.¡± When the Honored Sir saw that Pei Qingfeng was compliant and obedient, he nodded his head with satisfaction and dismissed Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Alright then, you haven¡¯t met Xian¡¯er for a long time and she misses you a lot. Hurry up and accompany her. That lass is waiting outside the door right now and is probably hopping around with anxiety because she can¡¯t hear our conversation.¡± Pei Qingfeng could also sense Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s presence outside the door. Once he was dismissed he quickly opened the door. Ling Xian¡¯er was really curious about their conversation but she wasn¡¯t able to hear a thing, hence, she could only place her ear on the door as she tried to eavesdrop. When Pei Qingfeng abruptly opened the door, Ling Xian¡¯er tripped and fell into his arms. Chapter 286: Worried Pei Qingfeng thought that the little lass had finally grown up and was able to feel embarrassed. Pei Qingfeng knew that Ling Xian¡¯er was going through sheer hell due to embarrassment and immediately stopped making fun of her. He rubbed her head and patted her shoulders to console her, ¡°Alright, there is no one else here, why are you so embarrassed? Get up, no one will laugh at you. If you continue to bury yourself in my embrace, Honored Sir will have to lecture you again for your poor behavior.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er raised her head to look at the Honored Sir. He noticed her gaze and felt that Xian¡¯er was no longer a young girl. She couldn¡¯t continue to stick to Pei Qingfeng. He quickly chided her, ¡°Your Big Brother Qingfeng is right. If you don¡¯t get up now, I will not only laugh at you, I will also give you a lecture.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er turned into a remote controlled robot when she heard his words. She jumped out of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s embrace and she pursed her lips. ¡°Aren¡¯t I up now?¡± There was a trace of disdain in her voice. The Honored Sir and Pei Qingfeng shook their heads helplessly while looking at Ling Xian¡¯er. Just as they were starting to feel bad, Ling Xian¡¯er turned to Pei Qingfeng and whispered in his ear, ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, what did you talk about? Why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Cough cough.¡± The Honored Sir obviously heard Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s whisper and immediately faked a cough. ¡°Xian¡¯er, you shouldn¡¯t be listening to something like that. Stop asking about it.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er knew that she wasn¡¯t going to get any information from him but she had an inkling of what they were talking about. Her voice changed when she spoke to Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, it¡¯s getting rather late. Why don¡¯t you hurry back to your residence? There are still plenty of medicine to tidy up and things to arrange. We have a lot of people and His Majesty has already sent some servants over. Let them sort out the things... Why don¡¯t you come over when you have some spare time?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s intention to chase Pei Qingfeng was obvious. However, it was because she didn¡¯t want Pei Qingfeng to be stuck in a place with such an oppressive atmosphere. Pei Qingfeng understood Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s kind intention and didn¡¯t refuse her kindness. He quickly left. Ling Xian¡¯er turned to face the Honored Sir and announced her departure, ¡°Honored Sir, Xian¡¯er has to tidy up her room and shall take my leave.¡± When she spoke to the Honored Sir, there was an innocent and unfettered expression on her face. However, the moment she arrived at the stargazing pavilion, her expression changed. She put on an indifferent expression which was like a motionless lake. Her beautiful eyes were half-closed and her long eyelashes were fluttering, making it hard to guess what she was thinking. Ling Xian¡¯er raised her head and realized that her sisters were making fun of her. She immediately retorted, ¡°Enough, stop making fun of me. In my opinion, you are the ones who want to see Big Brother Qingfeng.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± The young lady who teased Xian¡¯er pouted and pretended to complain, ¡°But then again, you haven¡¯t seen your Big Brother Qingfeng for such a long time, are you willing to let him return so quickly?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er sighed, ¡°What use is it to keep him here? Even if the others don¡¯t know about our true objective, how can we be unaware? If he stays here, he will just suffer endless torment.¡± The two young ladies looked at each other after listening to Ling Xian¡¯er. The older one consoled, ¡°Alright, there is nothing we can do. This is Young Master Qingfeng¡¯s fate and none of us can change it.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er shook her head in response and questioned the heavens. ¡°This time, Big Brother Qingfeng has to suffer¡­ What next? When will it be my turn?¡± Within the stargazing pavilion, the three of them remained silent as they added a tinge of sorrow to the already chilly night. When Pei Qingfeng returned to his residence, his personal guard immediately pushed him into the study room. ¡°Master, what did the people from that side say? Why are they here...¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw that his personal guard was impatient, he felt a headache coming up. He tried to change the subject. ¡°Enough. Can¡¯t you allow me to rest for a moment? I have been listening to the Honored Sir¡¯s ramblings for the entire day. I wanted to enjoy some peace and quiet but you messed it all up.¡± His personal guard immediately went silent and waited for Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mood to become better before asking again. Pei Qingfeng sat in the study room in a rather decrepit state as he cleared his mind. The study room was silent. It was as though darkness was slowly filling up the place. After a long moment, Pei Qingfeng spoke, ¡°Their objective is clear. They are really here because of the matter but that¡¯s not the most troubling matter.¡± When the personal guard realized that his master was willingly explaining the situation to him, he took the initiative to ask, ¡°Troubling? How much trouble can it be? The only troublesome matter is Young Lady Luo Chu¡­¡± The personal guard knew that his tongue slipped and he quickly shut his mouth. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t feel like reprimanding his personal guard and he simply nodded his head. ¡°You are right. It is indeed related to Luo Chu. When I was having lunch with Luo Chu today, one of the scouts noticed it and even reported to the Honored Sir. He interrogated me because of that. It seems like I shouldn¡¯t see Luo Chu for some time. Sigh, this is going to be really annoying¡­¡± The personal guard rolled his eyes a little and said to Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Actually... This subordinate thinks that Master might find it unbearable that you won¡¯t be able to see Young Lady Luo Chu for a while. However, it might not be a bad thing.¡± Chapter 287: Being Careful is Key Pei Qingfeng shut the folding fan in his hand and raised his brows slightly at the personal guard, "Tell me then. Why is it a good thing?" When the personal guard saw that his master didn''t make a move to hit him, he understood that his suggestion was probably going to be effective. He explained to Pei Qingfeng his thoughts, "Master, it has already been a long time. The way you treat Young Lady Luo Chu might be obvious to us, but Young Lady Luo Chu isn''t giving you a response. This subordinate thinks that Master should take this chance to test her feelings for you.¡± Pei Qingfeng understood his personal guard¡¯s meaning but he didn¡¯t know how to go about doing it. He asked with a trace of doubt, "How are we going to test it?¡± "It is simple." The personal guard puffed up his chest and said, "We will remain indifferent during this period of time. Normally, Master will seek Young Lady Luo Chu out all the time, I¡¯m sure she has already gotten used to it. It just so happens that the people on that side are monitoring you. Young Lady Xian''er will surely be pestering you too, hence, you will not have time to look for Young Lady Luo Chu. If Young Lady Luo Chu really has feelings for Master, she will be unable to hold herself back. If that happens¡­¡± He didn¡¯t continue but his meaning was obvious. If Bai Luochu didn''t come and look for Pei Qingfeng, it meant that she was uninterested in Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng didn''t give up and asked, "What if she can hold herself back?" That personal guard silently rolled his eyes and thought that his master was truly brainless when it came to Young Lady Luo Chu. The personal guard had no choice but to brace the risk of getting beaten and stated clearly, "Master, if Young Lady Luo Chu doesn¡¯t look for you, there can only be one possibility¡­ Young Lady Luo Chu isn''t interested in you and you should give up." It was obvious that Pei Qingfeng understood the meaning behind his personal guard¡¯s words. However, he didn¡¯t want to face reality. On the other hand, Bai Luochu charged into Ying Lan¡¯s study room in order to tell him about the strange group of people she saw on the streets. Ying Lan frowned after listening and he muttered to himself, "Moon Descent Cloud Brocade¡­ So much of it. Putting aside the aura they emit, their clothes are dazzling enough. No one obstructed them when they moved through the capital city. Mistress, I think they come with malicious intent.¡± "You are right. I am here to inform you that you need to be extra careful the next few days. Avoid falling into their traps. These people are suspicious and even though they aren¡¯t our enemies, we need to stay on our toes. The incident with the Green Flame Eagle was quite some time ago but there might be people who were late to the party." Bai Luochu cautioned. Bai Luochu¡¯s answer disappointed Ying Lan. "To be honest, I never came into contact with a faction like that. In my previous life, our temple might be addressed as the evil cult, but we have some interactions with some of the prestigious factions. Apart from some insignificant factions, I am able to recognize most of them. I can either tell by their clothes, their elders, or their Patriarch. I didn¡¯t recognize anything when I saw this group of people in the morning. From their clothes and behavior, it is impossible for them to hail from a small faction. Is there an organization that rose up rapidly after I died?¡± Ying Lan shook his head and explained, "Mistress, I once mentioned that the Three Great Immortal Sects suffered huge losses during their crusade against us. After the ''Battle of Thousand Brilliance'' and your death, in order to rapidly recover their power and maintain their position, the Three Great Immortal Sects resorted to despicable means to plunder cultivation resources. Most of the factions found it hard to survive, let alone rise up. It is basically impossible for the situation you mentioned to exist." Bai Luochu''s expression got even more grave after listening to Ying Lan¡¯s explanation. After a long time, she spoke again, "If that is really the case, we better not provoke them. Let¡¯s hope that we are not their objective. The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence has been too high profile lately. Ask the members to conceal themselves. This new organization looks really terrifying." Bai Luochu shook her head slowly and had a concerned look on her face. Ying Lan couldn''t really understand the meaning behind Bai Luochu¡¯s instructions. "What does Mistress mean? These people might be bluffing! They might be an embroidered case containing weed.¡± "That might not be the case." Bai Luochu shot him down. ¡°Think about it. Were we ever afraid of the Phoenix King Valley when we slapped their face during their disciple exhibition? Was I scared when I exposed Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s shady character?" Ying Lan shook his head. "Do you know why we aren¡¯t afraid of the Phoenix King Valley?" Bai Luochu immediately asked. Ying Lan didn''t understand Bai Luochu''s question and he gave a random reply, "Isn¡¯t it because the Phoenix King Valley isn¡¯t strong enough?" "Let me ask you again. I am an orphan daughter of the general¡¯s residence and the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is a newly created faction. Do we really not fear one of the Three Great Immortal Sects?" Bai Luochu asked again. Chapter 288: Pei Rumo’s Considerations Ying Lan snapped back to reality. He never thought of such an aspect. He couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked. Bai Luochu saw that Ying Lan had already understood her meaning and she started speaking of her considerations. ¡°You should already understand my meaning. Once we provoke them, we will be facing an enemy completely unknown to us. The enemy appeared out of nowhere and we are like a blank piece of paper to them, but to us, they might also be a blank piece of paper. Who knows what kind of massive entity might be behind them? How can we not be afraid?¡± ¡°Mistress, do you have any instructions for the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence?¡± Ying Lan understood the severity of this matter and immediately asked for Bai Luochu¡¯s decision to avoid getting caught unprepared. Bai Luochu muttered silently for a moment before giving Ying Lan detailed instructions. ¡°Be extra careful and avoid attracting attention to ourselves. The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is currently in the center of attention right now. Before we learn of their objective, it is better to lay low. All of you will still oversee the business and don¡¯t worry about daily operations. As for the establishment of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence... I¡¯m afraid that a mere poison array isn¡¯t enough. Ask them to cultivate diligently.¡± ¡°We shall do as Mistress says.¡± Ying Lan felt that Bai Luochu¡¯s arrangement was watertight and he accepted it. He quickly relayed a message to the heads of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. On the other side of the city, Pei Rumo received information about the mysterious group of people. ¡°Master, after Young Lady Luo Chu left, she has yet to return to the general¡¯s residence. Do you think something is wrong?¡± The secret guard spoke of the suspicion in his heart. He had been complying with his master¡¯s orders and monitoring Bai Luochu for a long period of time, hence, he had quite an understanding of Bai Luochu¡¯s actions. Bai Luochu was a through and through cultivation maniac. If she didn¡¯t have anything to do, apart from her three meals and sleeping time, she would basically be cultivating or moving about in the secluded courtyard. The guard felt as though his job was too boring and he even hoped that Pei Qingfeng would visit her everyday so he could report back to the First Prince. If he were to stay on the tree the entire day to watch over Bai Luochu, a layer of mold would definitely grow on his body. His skin might even stick onto the tree, making him part of it. Pei Rumo felt that something was fishy and he asked, ¡°Luo Chu has yet to return to the general¡¯s residence?¡± The secret guard nodded to express his affirmation.. Pei Rumo shook his head and tried to dispel the doubt in his heart. He regained his composure and instructed his secret guard, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t return by nightfall, let me know. If she returns to the general¡¯s residence, report back to me.¡± The secret guard acknowledged the instructions and backed out of the study room quietly. Ming Lu was busy the entire day and he felt that his arms and legs were sore from work. Zi Su was the one serving Pei Rumo in the study room. When Zi Su saw the secret guard leaving, she asked a question, ¡°Master, His Majesty sent the group of mysterious people to the residence beside the Second Prince¡¯s residence. I think that they have an extraordinary identity. Furthermore, the group of people headed straight to the imperial palace the moment they entered the city. His Majesty even received them personally. He also discussed a guard due to misconduct.¡± ¡°That is rare. My Emperor Father is so afraid of the throne running away that he pities the fact that he can¡¯t stick himself to it. He took the initiative to invite someone into the palace and even fired a guard? It seems like these people are truly extraordinary.¡± Pei Rumo frowned and he sank into thought. Zi Su continued her report, ¡°That isn¡¯t all. After they entered the palace, Eunuch De Quan left the palace to bring someone back. Why don¡¯t Master guess the identity of that person?¡± ¡°What is wrong with you recently? Ming Lu has been behaving like a cheeky little brat and you¡¯re acting the same.¡± Pei Rumo noticed that Zi Su was building suspense and he felt a little annoyed. Zi Su didn¡¯t reveal a fearful expression and she spoke her mind. ¡°Master, please forgive me. This servant thought that if Master can guess the person¡¯s identity, Master will also be able to guess the identity of the group of people. Since Master doesn¡¯t wish to guess, this servant shall reveal his identity.¡± Zi Su paused for a moment before speaking again, ¡°The person who was summoned in a hurry was His Second Highness.¡± Pei Rumo raised his brows and thought. I would be summoned most of the time when entertaining foreign guests. If I¡¯m not the one doing it, it would be the brat, Pei Wuchen. Since when did Emperor Father start summoning Pei Qingfeng? If what Zi Su said is true, this is a really strange matter. Zi Su quickly reminded Pei Rumo, ¡°Master, those people¡¯s true objective might be His Second Highness. Master should remember that His Second Highness is...¡± Chapter 289: Zi Su’s Proposal ¡°You are growing too bold. You need to watch your words...¡± When Pei Rumo heard Zi Su¡¯s statement, he immediately chided her. Zi Su noticed that Pei Rumo was angry and understood that she was at fault. She immediately asked for forgiveness, ¡°This servant knows her mistake. This servant spoke her mind as no one else was present. This servant hopes for Master¡¯s forgiveness.¡± Pei Rumo shook his head and sighed, ¡°There are ears growing on the walls. There are plenty of people monitoring our First Prince¡¯s residence. Do not be so reckless again in the future.¡± Zi Su heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Pei Rumo¡¯s response as she knew that he wouldn¡¯t punish her. A second later, Zi Su spoke up, ¡°Master, these people have rather mysterious identities. Do we need to send people to investigate?¡± Pei Rumo rejected Zi Su¡¯s idea, ¡°It isn¡¯t necessary. They are not threatening our direct interest. If they are really from that faction, investigating them would only draw more suspicion. It would be better for us to wait. Since they are living in that residence, they must be here for some important matters. They won¡¯t be leaving for some time. We have no need to worry that they will be able to avoid our investigation.¡± ¡°Master is truly thorough in his considerations, this servant is too reckless.¡± When Zi Su listened to Pei Rumo¡¯s arrangement, she quickly acknowledged. Pei Rumo praised Zi Su instead, ¡°You have already done a good job. For you to be able to think so far ahead, my nurturing has not been done in vain. If Ming Lu is half as sensible as you, I won¡¯t need to bring him around everywhere I go. Not only do I have to exhort him earnestly, I still have to teach him such things, step by step.¡± Zi Su covered her mouth and giggled, ¡°Master has pampered Ming Lu too much. The other servants are following in Master¡¯s footsteps. Ming Lu is different from this servant. When this servant was picked up and brought to the residence, I already knew the ways of the world. Ming Lu was raised in the residence at a young age and has not seen the world. There isn¡¯t a need to hurry as we are living in peaceful times now. Ming Lu is much more intelligent than this servant. When he grows up, he will definitely be more useful to Master. Master doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡± Zi Su understood that her master doted on Ming Lu, thus, she didn¡¯t criticize him too much. Otherwise, people might think that she was vying for Pei Rumo¡¯s attention. At the end of the day, they were serving the same master and there was no need to draw such a fine line between them. Since Zi Su was able to serve by Pei Rumo¡¯s side for such a long time, she wasn¡¯t a naive girl. Pei Rumo looked at Zi Su and recalled Luo Chu¡¯s bold servant girl who charged into the residence with Ming Lu in tow. He immediately made fun of Zi Su, ¡°Lucky you weren¡¯t the one to deliver the letter to the general¡¯s residence. If you encountered Luo Chu¡¯s servant girl, the both of you will probably start fighting at the gate.¡± ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s personal servant? Is there something wrong with her?¡± Pei Rumo brought the topic up suddenly and Zi Su was bewildered. Pei Rumo shook his head in response and laughed, ¡°Nothing is wrong with her. Both of you are loyal to your master and mistress, but your personalities are poles apart. You are steadfast and will bury your thoughts in your heart. She is completely different. Her emotions are written on her face. If you are an invisible hidden weapon that kills without a trace, she should be a gutting knife who will be able to catch people off guard.¡± ¡°After listening to Master, I really wish to meet her. After all, if Master is praising a servant girl, she must be someone extraordinary. But Young Lady Luo Chu is a frank and upright person. It isn¡¯t surprising her servant takes after her. Perhaps after a few more years, when that servant girl¡¯s wisdom matures, she would be the same as this servant.¡± Zi Su laughed lightly and felt that Cai Ling was an interesting person. ¡°Enough of that. Hurry up and help me come up with a plan. What pretext should I use to invite Luo Chu the next time? I got her to invite me out to lunch last time but Pei Qingfeng, that annoying brat, disrupted our meeting.¡± Pei Rumo revealed a trace of anger when he spoke about Pei Qingfeng. Zi Su felt that it was odd for her master to be on the losing end. However, he was her master and she would do her best to think of another plan. ¡°Previously when this servant served Young Lady Luo Chu, she was very obsessed with alchemy, poison-making, and cultivation. Why don¡¯t Master come up with something regarding these fields? Even if you invite Young Lady Luo Chu for a meal, you can use some rare and odd medicinal ingredient, some poison or some elixir prescription as an excuse. Young Lady Luo Chu will definitely accept the invitation.¡± After this reminder, Pei Rumo suddenly recalled that Zi Su was the person who served Bai Luochu during her stay in the First Prince¡¯s residence. He turned his gaze to look at her to the point where she felt uncomfortable. ¡°Let me ask you. When Luo Chu was living here, did anything happen between her and my Second Brother?¡± When Zi Su saw Pei Rumo staring at her, she assumed that her master wasn¡¯t satisfied with her proposal. She never expected for him to change the topic. She became extremely confused. Chapter 290: Meeting Again Pei Rumo didn¡¯t expect a grown lady like Zi Su to clearly guess his thoughts. He was placed in a tough spot as a wave of discomfort swept through his body. Pei Rumo coughed twice before replying, ¡°It isn¡¯t really the case. I just feel that Luo Chu is more easy-going when dealing with Pei Qingfeng.¡± Zi Su frowned and fell silent for a moment. She thought for a long time before speaking up, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I feel that Young Lady Luo Chu treats everyone with her icy-cold expression. If she treats anyone nicely, medicinal ingredients would be involved. She treats medicinal ingredients like treasure. Sometimes, I will feel goosebumps on my body when I look at her dealing with her medicinal ingredients.¡± Pei Rumo was regretful he asked the question. Zi Su was the same as Bai Luochu. They were both blockheads when it came to relationships. ¡°Alright, you may be dismissed. Tomorrow morning, help me to deliver an invitation card to the general¡¯s residence.¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t wish to carry on talking about it and he quickly changed the topic. Zi Su knew that he was chasing her out and she dismissed herself. Just as Pei Rumo was thinking of whether or not he should leave the room, a pigeon flew through the window with a message slip on its legs. He opened it and read the large words, ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu has returned to the general¡¯s residence.¡± Pei Rumo sighed. He felt that he was treating her differently because of her talent. In the general¡¯s residence, Cai Ling was sneezing constantly. Bai Luochu had been vexed over the sudden appearance of the mysterious faction but she lost her ability to think because of little Cai Ling. But how could she force Cai Ling to stop sneezing? Bai Luochu didn¡¯t blame her and she asked, ¡°What is wrong? Did you catch a cold?¡± Cai Ling shook her head and confessed to Bai Luochu, ¡°I didn¡¯t. When this servant was young, I suffered from an illness that hadn¡¯t been completely cured. If I caught a cold, I would have collapsed a long time ago. I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand here. This servant doesn¡¯t know what is going on as well¡­ I feel that my nose and ears are always twitching. Who is talking about me behind my back?¡± Bai Luochu felt it was rather funny as she didn¡¯t expect her personal servant to be so superstitious. She didn¡¯t say anything and turned her gaze to stare out of the window. Since Bai Luochu returned to the general¡¯s residence, Cai Ling felt that there was something off about her. Since Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say anything, Cai Ling didn¡¯t dare to be nosy. Now that Bai Luochu had spoken up, Cai Ling mustered her courage and asked, ¡°Mistress, since you came back, it seemed like there were a ton of things on your mind. This servant didn¡¯t dare to ask but will Mistress be able to tell this servant what happened?¡± When Cai Ling heard Bai Luochu¡¯s reply, she knew that she wasn¡¯t going to get an answer. A dispirited expression appeared on her face but she still consoled Bai Luochu, ¡°Mistress, if there is a problem, never take it on alone. Don¡¯t forget you still have us and a whole group of helpers from the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence behind you!¡± Bai Luochu felt much better after listening to Cai Ling. ¡°I know. There is no need to worry about me. Nothing has happened yet. Even if something comes up, we will definitely be able to handle it together¡­ Right?¡± Cai Ling nodded her head forcefully. Bai Luochu felt that after her reincarnation, the most fortunate thing that could happen to her was to meet all these companions. From the looks of it, the mysterious faction that entered the capital might not be a threat to herself and the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. However, Bai Luochu felt as though something big was about to happen. Taking a look at the sky, Bai Luochu saw thick layers of clouds that hid the moon. Cold wind howled as it blew through the land and the plants in the courtyard seemed as though they were about to be ripped off their roots. It seemed as though disaster was about to befall the land. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t a superstitious person and she calmed down before going back to cultivate. Early the next morning, just as Bai Luochu was having her breakfast, someone made a report. ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, the First Prince¡¯s residence sent someone to deliver an invitation card. The young attendant isn¡¯t the one who came. The newcomer is a young lady and she said that she had to meet you. Bai Luochu stopped chewing for a moment. It isn¡¯t strange for Pei Rumo to send someone to deliver an invitation card. Neither is it strange for him to arrange for a lady to deliver the card. If she insists on meeting me... Once the thoughts formed in her mind, it wasn¡¯t going to stop. Bai Luochu immediately asked the guard to bring the lady inside. Zi Su followed the guard all the way to Bai Luochu¡¯s courtyard and gently knocked on the door. ¡°Please enter.¡± Zi Su then unhurriedly opened the door and bowed to Bai Luochu as she gave her greeting, ¡°This servant greets Young Lady Luo Chu. It has been a long time since we last met. I trust Young Lady Luo Chu has been well?¡± Bai Luochu was overjoyed to see Zi Su, ¡°Zi Su, it really is you! It has been such a long time! I thought that I would be able to see you during my meetings with His First Highness. Today is actually the first time we meet again.¡± Zi Su responded with embarrassed laughter, ¡°That¡¯s right, Young Lady might not know this but since Young Lady left the residence, Master sent me out. I only came back recently. Furthermore, Master has the intention to nurture little Ming Lu. It just so happens that Ming Lu is recuperating right now because of his sore muscles.¡± Chapter 291: Silently Determined Zi Su became rather embarrassed after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s praise. She immediately replied modestly, "How can that be possible? Young Lady Luo Chu is making fun of me." Since the two of them started talking, the poor Cai Ling was standing by the side as she seethed in silence. Cai Ling was obviously unsatisfied with Zi Su¡¯s sudden visit. Moreover, she looked so familiar with her mistress! She wasn¡¯t even able to voice her discontent as her mistress would probably scold her for speaking out of turn. As Cai Ling¡¯s thoughts ran wild, she slowly suppressed the anger in her heart. Zi Su had a personal agenda for visiting the general¡¯s residence. She wanted to take a look at Bai Luochu¡¯s servant who had been evaluated highly by her master. When she was conversing with Bai Luochu, her gaze would occasionally shift towards little Cai Ling who was standing in the corner. Cai Ling¡¯s expressions were naturally caught by the observant Zi Su. Initially, when Zi Su noticed Cai Ling¡¯s irate look when she appeared, she felt that she made a wasted trip. She felt that Zi Su had put up a good show in the First Prince¡¯s residence for her master to hold her in such high regard. However, when she realized that Cai Ling regained her composure in an instant, she saw her in a completely different light. Right now, she seems like an immature lass. However, after a few years of training from Young Lady Luo Chu, she might turn out to be a completely different person. Master is right¡­ This lass is indeed incredible. In time to come, she should turn into a formidable leader. Since Young Lady Luo Chu has never taken background into account, this little girl might just become an influential figure in the imperial city... Zi Su quickly shifted the topic to talk about Cai Ling. "Are you Young Lady Luo Chu''s personal servant?" Cai Ling raised her head and looked at Zi Su without a trace of fear. There was a trace of smile on her face as she replied, ¡°Yes. Is there a reason behind sister Zi Su¡¯s question?¡± Zi Su lowered her head and smiled. There was a bashful look on her face as she replied, ¡°Nothing much. I heard rumors about you storming into the First Prince¡¯s residence several days ago. Moreover, my Master praised you without end¡­ That was one of the reasons I decided to head over. I wanted to see the person my Master held in such high regard.¡± ¡°Sister Zi Su must be teasing me! I really do not deserve such praise from His First Highness. I did it because I didn¡¯t want my Mistress to be misunderstood. I was offensive and rude¡­ I hope sister Zi Su can relay a message to His First Highness that I sincerely apologize for my behavior.¡± Even though Cai Ling¡¯s words held no hidden meaning, she managed to end the conversation. Zi Su shook her head helplessly and laughed, ¡°Master is right. It is really a straightforward and efficient, fish gutting sword.¡± ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, I have delivered the invitation card. Please look through it and decide whether or not you would like to attend. There are plenty of things in the First Prince¡¯s residence I need to take care of. I shall take my leave and there is no need to see me out.¡± Zi Su immediately left after speaking, leaving behind a puzzled Cai Ling and an enlightened Bai Luochu. When Bai Luochu saw that there was no keeping Zi Su, she turned to Cai Ling. ¡°Do you know how big of a disaster you brought onto yourself?¡± ¡°Disaster? What disaster? This servant stayed in the residence for the past few days. I tried my best to cultivate and didn¡¯t cause any trouble! I didn¡¯t even head to the Remote Paddy Inn or other places¡­ What did I do?¡± Cai Ling felt wronged by Bai Luochu¡¯s sudden criticism. Bai Luochu frowned and laughed bitterly, ¡°No wonder Zi Su would ask to see me. She wanted to see the person His First Highness praised. Didn¡¯t you barge into the First Prince¡¯s residence the other day? Now you¡¯re famous! You¡¯re even a target for everyone living there.¡± Cai Ling panicked a little after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s words and she didn¡¯t know what to do next. ¡°Mistress¡­ what do I do now?!¡± Bai Luochu snickered,¡± Pfff, hahaha! I was kidding! Pei Rumo is an old fox and he couldn¡¯t be bothered with you. Zi Su must have felt a little insecure after hearing his praises and decided to scout you out. Whatever, you did well and she should be convinced by your act. There isn¡¯t a need to worry.¡± A wave of relief washed over Cai Ling but when she recalled how Bai Luochu made fun of her earlier, she started grumbling, ¡°Mistress, how can you make fun of your poor servant?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s expression changed and she put on a serious face. ¡°You can¡¯t say that I made fun of you. It was a reminder for you to keep a low-profile. If a tree stands out in a forest, it will be blown down by the wind. A nail that stands out will be hammered down. This time, you merely attracted Pei Rumo¡¯s attention. If your performance catches the attention of some incredible individuals, you might not be alive to complain to me.¡± Cai Ling heard Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation and understood her mistress¡¯ worries. ¡°This servant understands. I shall be more cautious with my words and actions in the future. I will not cause more trouble for Mistress!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Even if I need to clean up after you, it¡¯s not a problem. As long as you¡¯re not in danger, everything can be negotiated.¡± Cai Ling nodded in response and was touched by Bai Luochu¡¯s concern. When Zi Su returned to the First Prince¡¯s residence, Pei Rumo had been sitting in the study room for a period of time. Zi Su quickly rushed into the study room and apologized to Pei Rumo, ¡°Please forgive me, Master. This servant had a short conversation with Young Lady Luo Chu and delayed my journey back.¡± Chapter 292: Two Different Appointments at the Same Time Zi Su didn¡¯t pick up the hidden meaning behind Pei Rumo¡¯s words. She replied respectfully, ¡°Master doesn¡¯t have to worry. I personally handed the card to Young Lady Luo Chu.¡± ¡°What about her? Did you see her too?¡± Zi Su didn¡¯t understand his question. Didn¡¯t I say that I handed the card over in person? Why would he ask about her? Zi Su was unable to think of the reason behind Pei Rumo¡¯s repeated question and assumed that he hadn¡¯t heard her the first time. ¡°Master might not have heard me clearly. This servant was late as I had a short conversation with Young Lady Luo Chu.¡± Pei Rumo raised his head and looked into Zi Su¡¯s eyes. He cleared his throat before speaking, ¡°I praised you the day before for being smart. Are you putting up an act right now? Do you think you¡¯ll be able to hide the fact that you went over to look at the little servant girl I praised yesterday? Weren¡¯t you delayed because you went to scout her out?¡± Zi Su felt that her actions were exposed and she replied in embarrassment, ¡°Master, I really can¡¯t hide anything from you...¡± Zi Su paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Initially, I thought that the servant girl was nothing much. She revealed her hostility the moment I started talking to Young Lady Luo Chu. However, it seemed as though she realized something and she quickly concealed her feelings. I wanted to probe her out but she managed to end the conversation with a single sentence. She is really direct¡­ Even though she seems a little immature now, she is Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s follower. It is a matter of time before she spreads her wings.¡± Pei Rumo listened to Zi Su¡¯s analysis and nodded in agreement. He then said, ¡°I never thought that you would change so much. You are no longer the hot-tempered and timid Zi Su of the past.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t deserve Master¡¯s praise.¡± Zi Su replied modestly. Pei Rumo decided to change the topic as there was no reason to continue talking about Zi Su. ¡°Did Luo Chu accept the invitation card?¡± Zi Shu shook her head and replied, ¡°She didn¡¯t express her agreement when I was there. However, I reminded her to read the card carefully and she should be tempted when she sees the extra condition. Young Lady Luo Chu should also see through this servant¡¯s tricks and might even be saying something about me right now.¡± ¡°Whatever. She won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Pei Rumo replied without a change of expression. Zi Su¡¯s lips twitched secretly as she thought to herself. Of course you wouldn¡¯t mind! You¡¯re not the one she is talking about... Of course, Zi Su wouldn¡¯t voice her thoughts. Pei Rumo might even lash out at her if she spoke her mind. She wasn¡¯t Ming Lu and she couldn¡¯t speak without a filter in front of her master. Zi Su¡¯s guesses were correct. In the general¡¯s residence, Bai Luochu¡¯s voice echoed through her room, ¡°Zi Su is taking after that old fox¡­¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t explain and simply handed the invitation card to Cai Ling as an indication for her to read it herself. Cai Ling wasn¡¯t able to notice anything wrong in the invitation. However, when she saw the final sentence, she yelled in a high-pitched voice, ¡°What is the meaning of this! If Mistress agrees to the meeting, they will give you precious medicinal ingredients¡­ Isn¡¯t this an obvious plot against you?!¡± Bai Luochu nodded with satisfaction as she felt that her servant girl wasn¡¯t as slow-witted as she thought. She completed her explanation, ¡°Pei Rumo doesn¡¯t know me well enough. This must be Zi Su¡¯s proposal.¡± ¡°Mistress, are you going to attend this appointment or not?¡± Cai Ling probed with a question. Bai Luochu nonchalantly replied, ¡°Of course I¡¯ll attend. Pei Rumo wants to rope me into his faction, not take my life¡­ Not only will I bum a meal off him, I will also be able to obtain medicinal ingredients. Is there a reason to decline?¡± Bai Luochu might be her mistress, but when Cai Ling looked at Bai Luochu¡¯s current expression, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Pei Rumo. Sigh, it seems like Mistress is setting up a giant scam for His First Highness... Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t the only person receiving an invitation card. Ling Xian¡¯er was also pestering Pei Qingfeng to bring her around the capital city. ¡°Aiyo, Big Brother Qingfeng, Xian¡¯er hasn¡¯t been here for a long time! Why can¡¯t you bring me out to play?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er tugged on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s sleeves as she acted like a spoiled child. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s vision was spinning but he managed to control himself, ¡°Xian¡¯er, I have something important to attend to today. How can I possibly miss my appointment because of your sudden request?¡± Xian¡¯er¡¯s head drooped and she complained, ¡°Hmph! You said you would bring me out today! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about your appointment? Whatever, you men are all the same¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes widened to the size of saucers as he stared at Ling Xian¡¯er in disbelief. He didn¡¯t know where she learned all these things from. ¡°Ling Xian¡¯er! Who taught you that?! How can you say such things?! You¡¯re not even married yet.¡± After getting yelled at by Pei Qingfeng, Ling Xian¡¯er frowned as though she was heartbroken and cried out, ¡°What did I say?! How can you shout at me?! I only want some company but you¡¯re using all sorts of excuses to turn me down. You even raised your voice at me! You¡­ you!!!¡± Pei Qingfeng rarely had contact with other women and the only women he talked to was Bai Luochu. She was a wooden block who didn¡¯t know how to act lady-like and she was as cold as ice. She never behaved like Ling Xian¡¯er and Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t know how to handle this little ancestor in front of him. He was defeated and made a promise to her. ¡°Fine, fine, fine! I am not able to do it today, is tomorrow fine? I will definitely accompany you to tour the capital city tomorrow!¡± Chapter 293: Not in the Mood to Ea Ling Xian¡¯er was a completely different person compared to the one who was complaining to Pei Qingfeng. She was like a fairy who descended from heaven as she mingled among the common populace. Compared to her change in temperament, Pei Qingfeng was more curious about her use of language. He immediately questioned, ¡°I have a question for you. Who taught you such things?¡± If her ¡®great¡¯ sisters taught her such things, I will ask Honored Tian Yun to transfer them away even if she hates me for it. How can they teach her such inappropriate language? Ling Xian¡¯er didn¡¯t know that Pei Qingfeng was enraged and she brushed it off. ¡°Where can I learn such things from other than those folk tales? Big Brother Qingfeng should start reading those romance novels. I heard from Honored Sir that you never interact with any women. If this carries on, won¡¯t you remain single for the rest of your life? You¡¯ll die alone without anyone by your side!¡± Pei Qingfeng was gritting his teeth so hard that they were aching. However, he wasn¡¯t able to scream at Ling Xian¡¯er. He had no choice but to send her out. When he saw that she was gone, Pei Qingfeng turned to his personal guard. ¡°Look for Honored Tian Yun and let him know about her outrageous behavior. She had been reading too much junk and ask Honored Tian Yun to confiscate those books and burn them on the spot.¡± The personal guard was about to leave, but he was called back after taking a single step out of the room. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t burn them. Bring them all to me.¡± ... When the personal guard arrived in Ling Xian¡¯er room to confiscate her books, she screamed at the top of her lungs, ¡°Pei Qingfeng! How dare you do this to me! I was merely trying to be kind!¡± When the personal guard saw the raging Ling Xian¡¯er, he was terrified. After all, she might look like a beautiful fairy, but she was a little demoness. ¡°Young Lady Xian¡¯er, my Master is doing this with your interest in mind.¡± He prepared to slip away after explaining himself. ¡°Wait!¡± Ling Xian¡¯er called out to the personal guard and made him extremely apprehensive. He forced out a smile and replied, ¡°Is there anything this servant can do for you?¡± ¡°I have a question for you. What is Big Brother Qingfeng going to do to all my books?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er stared at the personal guard as she tried to detect traces of lies in his words. That personal guard felt as though he had seen the doors of the netherworld when Ling Xian¡¯er questioned him. The hair on his back was erect from fear. In order to escape from this she-devil, he spoke truthfully, ¡°Young Lady Xian¡¯er, Master initially ordered me to burn these books. However, he changed his mind and told this subordinate to bring them back to him. He will return them after Young Lady¡¯s behavior improves.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er was very satisfied with his answer and immediately released the personal guard. ¡°Could it be...¡± A bold thought formed in Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s mind, ¡°Is he planning to read those books?!¡± When the thought formed in her head, Pei Qingfeng had already dismissed everyone on his side as he flipped the book open. He sat in his study as he read the book in silence. ... On the day of the meeting, Bai Luochu appeared on time but realized that Pei Rumo was already waiting for her. ¡°For making Your First Highness wait, I have sinned.¡± Even though she was apologizing to Pei Rumo, she had an indifferent expression on her face. She seemed completely insincere about the apology. Pei Rumo never expected Bai Luochu to behave with proper etiquette and it was already a feat for her to be willing to express her apologies, albeit an insincere one. Whatever the case, he wouldn¡¯t bother about how she conducted herself in front of him. ¡°I didn¡¯t wait for a long time. However, you were early in the past. If I were to arrive late, I might leave a bad impression.¡± Pei Rumo spoke and poured a cup of tea for Bai Luochu before handing her the menu. ¡°I recall that you have a certain dietary preference. Since I am fine with anything, please order whatever you like.¡± Pei Rumo sipped his tea as his gaze never left her face. Those who didn¡¯t know the relationship between them might think that they were mutually in love. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t hold herself back and ordered her favorite dishes. When she thought that Pei Qingfeng might appear out of nowhere, she made an additional order of poached chicken. She remembered that Pei Qingfeng was unlike her who loved food with intense flavors. When Pei Rumo saw Bai Luochu ordering the poached chicken, his eyes drooped downwards and a weird expression appeared on his face. Isn¡¯t this one of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s favorite dishes? Does she think he will show up today? Seems like she is going to be disappointed today. Pei Rumo could see that Bai Luochu was treating Pei Qingfeng differently compared to the other princes. However, she didn¡¯t realize that her attitude towards him had changed. He thought that it would be interesting to see her reaction when she realized that Pei Qingfeng had been spending the past few days with another woman. ¡°Alright. That shall be all.¡± Bai Luochu closed the menu and asked the waiter to take their order. After ordering the food, she took the initiative to start the conversation. ¡°Why did Your First Highness invite me for lunch today?¡± Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t in a hurry to reply and he started to drag it out. ¡°Why can¡¯t I ask you out for lunch? Didn¡¯t you say that you would accept all my invitations?¡± Pei Rumo silently observed Bai Luochu¡¯s expression and he discovered that she constantly turned to look at the door of the private room. Chapter 294: Coincidental Encounter When the waiter delivered the dishes, Pei Qingfeng was still absent from the meeting and Bai Luochu¡¯s face fell as she stared blankly at the poached chicken. After a long time, she raised her chopsticks and started picking at the dishes she liked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are the dishes not to your liking?¡± Pei Rumo looked at Bai Luochu who was picking at her food and thought that the chef had messed up. He raised his chopsticks to try some of the dishes personally. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong¡­ it tastes the same as before. Didn¡¯t you like the food the last time we came?¡± Pei Rumo was a regular customer and would usually carry out his meetings here. He brought Bai Luochu to the restaurant in the past and knew that she loved the food. Most of his invitations included lunch or dinner at this particular restaurant. Bai Luochu felt that it was odd as the picky Pei Rumo found nothing strange with the dishes. She simply couldn¡¯t taste the food and quickly found an excuse to pacify Pei Rumo. ¡°I might have been too busy lately and my body might be getting too heaty. My sense of taste might have been affected as a result of that.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s eyebrows arched towards the sky and it was obvious he didn¡¯t believe whatever she said. Luckily for her, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to expose her and he continued to eat his meal. Bai Luochu was unable to taste anything and her chopsticks stopped moving when she felt that she was getting full. ¡°It is rare for us to finish a meal in peace. Pei Qingfeng would usually pop out and disrupt the peace.¡± As he spoke, Pei Rumo observed Bai Luochu¡¯s reactions. When Bai Luochu heard the name ¡®Pei Qingfeng¡¯, her face shivered a little and changed slightly as though a short-lived night-blooming cereus. Too bad the other party was Pei Rumo. He caught every detail in his eye. Pei Rumo knew that something fishy was going on but he couldn¡¯t allow the atmosphere to stale. He quickly prepared to reveal the precious medicinal ingredient he was planning to take out. Before Pei Rumo could speak, Bai Luochu asked a question. ¡°What has His Second Highness been busy with recently? It is rare for him to be missing for so long. Life is so peaceful without him looking for me all the time.¡± Bai Luochu was rather dazzled and didn¡¯t have the time to notice Pei Rumo¡¯s expression. When he saw that Bai Luochu was taking the initiative to ask about Pei Qingfeng, a smile bloomed on his face. He changed the topic to talk about Pei Qingfeng¡¯s recent activities. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a mysterious group that entered the capital city a few days ago? He is helping His Majesty to attend to those people. Among them, there is a young lady who has been pestering him constantly. His Majesty might even reveal news about a marriage bestowal soon.¡± Bai Luochu was still unable to detect her abnormal behavior but Pei Rumo did. He didn¡¯t expose her immediately and continued to explain, ¡°That¡¯s right. Qingfeng isn¡¯t young anymore and he doesn¡¯t allow any young lady to approach him in the imperial palace. Hence, his marriage has been delayed for a long time. Now that he is interacting with a young lady, coupled with her mysterious background, Emperor Father might just bestow a marriage upon the both of them.¡± But that mysterious young lady isn¡¯t the only woman that can stay by his side, so can I! When Bai Luochu heard Pei Rumo¡¯s explanation, such a thought appeared in her mind. Bai Luochu suppressed it forcefully and managed to keep it from coming out of her mouth. She felt that she was going insane as such weird thoughts were popping up in her head. In order to distract herself, Bai Luochu changed the topic, ¡°Didn¡¯t Your First Highness mention about some precious medicinal ingredient? Why don¡¯t you take it out so we can talk about it?¡± Pei Rumo could see that Bai Luochu no longer wished to discuss the matter with Pei Qingfeng. He quickly took out the herb and handed it over to Bai Luochu. ¡°As you can see, this is the Snow Appearance Herb. Previously, I received it from a herb farm in the extreme west. I do not know about the properties and use of it and decided to bring it to you. Someone with your expertise would definitely be able to make full use of it.¡± ¡°Snow Appearance Herb?¡± Bai Luochu was pleasantly surprised. Even though this herb was growing like weed along the side of the road, there were special cases that could cause it to turn into a rare medical herb. It had to grow in a certain climate and since Pei Rumo spoke about obtaining it from the extreme west, he shouldn¡¯t be lying. As expected, when Bai Luochu held the herb in her hand, she detected a trace of spirit qi. She then nodded to Pei Rumo and asked, ¡°Your First Highness, this stalk of medicinal herb isn¡¯t ordinary. Are you really willing to give it to me?¡± Pei Rumo laughed heartily in response, ¡°Why not? This medicinal ingredient will be wasted if I place it in my storeroom. Why not give it to someone who knows its worth and gain a favor?¡± Bai Luochu shook her head gently and said to Pei Rumo, ¡°Your First Highness is still an expert at schemes. You can look for me if you require medical attention.¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t reserve himself and quickly agreed. ¡°There is another mystical way to distinguish between a useful and useless Snow Appearance Herb. I will show Your First HIghness that this herb is a worthy trade as your future medical fee.¡± After speaking, she reached out to close the window. Her gaze landed on Pei Qingfeng who was acting intimately with a young lady at the prime of her youth. Even though she didn¡¯t see his face, she was sure it was him. However, she couldn¡¯t be sure of the young lady¡¯s identity. With no other choice, she had to turn to Pei Rumo. ¡°Your First Highness, take a look. Who is that young lady beside Pei Qingfeng?¡± When Pei Rumo heard her question, he turned to look out of the window. He realized that he didn¡¯t recognize the young lady and knew that she was the mysterious woman who had been pestering Pei Qingfeng for the past few days. Chapter 295: Sudden Realization Pei Rumo had no choice but to reply Bai Luochu¡¯s question. He quickly spoke of the conjecture in his heart, ¡°I have never seen this young lady in the capital city. With the recent rumors going around, this young lady should be the person pestering Pei Qingfeng.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t leave Pei Qingfeng and Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s body as they strolled down the street. All their actions were caught in her eyes. Young lady?! With her physique, she looks about my age. She looks like a lively bunny compared to an old and decrepit hag like me. Bai Luochu felt a strange feeling welling up in her heart. It was as though there were ten thousand ants crawling around her body and she quickly attributed it to her recent lack of rest. ¡°Your First Highness, I am not feeling very well and shall take my leave.¡± Bai Luochu kept the medicinal herb and ran out of the restaurant. Pei Rumo remained in the private room and an indifferent expression hung on his face. After some time, the corners of his mouth curled upwards and he muttered to himself, ¡°Hmm, interesting. Things are getting really interesting.¡± Not too long ago, there was a scene playing out in the Second Prince¡¯s residence. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard and the secret guard commander were squatting in the back garden of the residence as they started fighting over something. ¡°You¡­ Why didn¡¯t you make a report about it? We¡¯re both going to die!¡± The first one to speak was Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard. The secret guard wasn¡¯t convinced he was in trouble as he tried to argue his way out of it, ¡°How dare you criticize me! You¡¯re the one hanging around Master everyday! I have been crouching in front of the general¡¯s residence the entire time and came back as soon as I heard the information! Who knew that Young Lady Xian¡¯er would invite Young Master when His First Highness invited Young Lady Luo Chu for lunch?!¡± ¡°Shut up! You better start praying!¡± The personal guard interrupted. ¡°What? Why do I need to pray?¡± The personal guard raised his hand to smack the secret guard on the top of his head. ¡°What else?! We better pray that they never meet! If they see each other¡­ we are both dead men.¡± ¡°Then what if they really meet?¡± The secret guard commander asked fearlessly. ¡°If that were to happen¡­ I hope Master isn¡¯t the one who sees them. That way, we will be able to live for a few more days.¡± ¡°If Young Lady Luo Chu erupts in anger, won¡¯t our deaths be accelerated? Master will definitely blame the two of us!¡± The personal guard stood up and left. When the secret guard commander saw that he was being left alone, he yelled, ¡°Hey, why are you walking away?!¡± The personal guard closed his eyes first before yelling his reply, ¡°Where else can I go?! I¡¯m going to sharpen all the blades in the residence. I don¡¯t wish to suffer under a blunt blade.¡± There was a saying that went ¡®One could eat whatever they liked, but words cannot be spoken without thought.¡¯ Whatever the two guards said came true and Bai Luochu noticed Pei Qingfeng¡¯s presence just as they left to sharpen the blades. ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, look, this mask is really interesting!¡± Ling Xian¡¯er was tugging at Pei Qingfeng¡¯s sleeve as she pointed to a mask in a stall. It was a white color fox-shaped mask that had red and gold patterns all around it. When the stall owner saw that someone was interested in his products, he went all-out to praise it., ¡°This Young Lady really has a keen eye for goods! This fox mask is the most popular item in my shop and I even painted the design on personally. This is the only mask left and if you want it, I¡¯ll wrap it up for you.¡± Pei Qingfeng looked at the fox mask and Bai Luochu¡¯s face appeared in his mind. He didn¡¯t know why he thought of her either, but it might be because of her fox-like eyes when she was planning a scheme. The more he looked at the mast, the more he felt that it suited Bai Luochu. He took out some money with the intention of purchasing the mask. Ling Xian¡¯er really fancied the mask and acted coquettishly to Pei Qingfeng immediately, ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, can you buy this mask for Xian¡¯er?¡± Pei Qingfeng handed money to the stall owner and kept the mask. He didn¡¯t pass the mask to Ling Xian¡¯er. Ling Xian¡¯er was initially filled with joy as she assumed that Pei Qingfeng had bought the mask for her. She became puzzled when he kept it instead of passing it to her. ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, why are you not giving me the mask?¡± Pei Qingfeng raised his brows and asked Ling Xian¡¯er, ¡°Do you want it?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er thought that Pei Qingfeng was just trying to tease her and quickly nodded. Pei Qingfeng never had the intention to give her the mask in the first place. ¡°This mask isn¡¯t suitable for you.¡± He took a pig-faced mask and placed it on Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s head before turning to pay the stall owner. ¡°This suits you more.¡± How could Ling Xian¡¯er not be aware of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s true intentions? Even though she was extremely mad, devious schemes didn¡¯t form in her mind. She merely swore in her heart. Just you wait, Pei Qingfeng, sooner or later, I will personally meet the person you care so much about. If Honored Tian Yun asks about her, you better not beg me to show her any mercy. Bai Luochu watched the whole scene play out and she felt lost. In her daze, she absent-mindedly made her way to the Hundred Herbs Hall. Thinking about how she shouldn¡¯t waste the newly obtained Snow Appearance Herb, she decided to buy some medicinal ingredients while she was at it in order to concoct a new elixir. Chapter 296: Mischievous Elder Li The person standing in front of her was none other than Elder Li. ¡°Oh? Young lass, are you here to purchase medicinal ingredients again?¡± Elder Li¡¯s passionate voice echoed in her ears, causing Bai Luochu¡¯s body to jerk. She turned around and noticed Elder Li standing in front of her. Since Elder Li was a senior, she would be rude if she didn¡¯t reply him. She quickly gave a polite greeting, ¡°Elder Li, it has been a while.¡± Elder Li was very fond of juniors who weren¡¯t arrogant or hot-tempered. Bai Luochu fitted perfectly into those criterias and coupled with her incredible medical skills, Elder Li liked her even more. ¡°Previously, we talked about having a discussion on medical skills. Does Divine Physician Bai still remember our conversation? What better time for a discussion than now? If you have spare time, why don¡¯t we do it today?¡± Elder Li didn¡¯t forget about the discussion and he invited Bai Luochu with enthusiasm. Since she had nothing else on, Bai Luochu felt that she should agree and get the discussion over with. After all, it would prevent the old man from looking for her whenever he was free. She quickly nodded in agreement. When Elder Li saw that Bai Luochu had agreed, he invited her into his consultation room and poured a cup of tea for her. He started to speak about the various methods he used in his life after tens of years of experience. As he droned on, Bai Luochu felt that she was about to fall asleep. She didn¡¯t know how to change the subject. Before Bai Luochu could change the topic, Elder Li threw a curveball at her. ¡°Lass, you don¡¯t need to be overly disappointed. I understand Qingfeng really well. He has his reasons for hanging around that young lass. Wait for some time and Qingfeng will definitely make things clear.¡± Bai Luochu was baffled as she didn¡¯t understand why Elder Li would suddenly bring Pei Qingfeng up. A puzzled look appeared on her face and she asked, ¡°Elder Li, what are you talking about? Why are you talking about His Second Highness?¡± Elder Li assumed that Bai Luochu was feeling embarrassed and said, ¡°I understand. You are in a serious relationship with Qingfeng and won¡¯t be swayed by the recent events¡­ However, this old man feels a little heartbroken to see you in such a sorry state.¡± ¡°Elder Li, I am not despondent. Am I not having a pleasant discussion with you right now?¡± Bai Luochu saw that Elder Li was getting overboard and interrupted him. ¡°Are you not feeling down because of Qingfeng¡¯s interaction with the mysterious young lass?¡± Elder Li noticed that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t pretending and he was growing more confused by the minute. Instead, Bai Luochu was growing increasingly confused. ¡°All of you seem to know that Pei Qingfeng has been interacting closely with a young lady. Why did I only learn about it today?¡± This was the reason Bai Luochu had only recently learned of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s interaction with Ling Xian¡¯er. When Elder Li noticed Bai Luochu¡¯s genuine confusion, he consoled her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be too angry. Qingfeng probably hid it from you as he was afraid you would overthink. Once this event blows over, he will definitely look for you to explain himself.¡± Bai Luochu felt that Elder Li was spouting nonsense. Listening to Elder Li, she felt as though she was going to be abandoned by her husband. Moreover, the heartless rat who was going to leave her was Pei Qingfeng... Bai Luochu felt that it was necessary to explain to Elder Li and she immediately retorted, ¡°Elder Li, listen to me. Things aren¡¯t as you think...¡± Before Bai Luochu could speak, Elder Li interrupted her again, ¡°Aiyo, you are really devoted to Qingfeng. Even now, you are still speaking up for him. Tsk Tsk Tsk, if I get the chance, I have to knock some senses into that brat. He should learn to cherish the people around him¡­¡± Bai Luochu felt that talking to Elder Li was like talking to a wall. She went straight to the point and shot him down. ¡°Elder Li, I am only friends with Pei Qingfeng. He can be considered my patient.¡± When the words left her mouth, the consultation room fell into silence. Elder Li¡¯s trembling voice finally broke the silence after quite some time. ¡°Are you speaking the truth?¡± Elder Li had a hopeful expression and he seemed to be hoping that Bai Luochu was speaking in a fit of anger. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have the heart to break the old man¡¯s heart, but she nodded anyway. Elder Li had an expression of disbelief as though he was struck by a bolt of lightning. He looked at Bai Luochu as though he was about to scream at her. Aren¡¯t you touched by how well he is treating you?! Bai Luochu was rather embarrassed when she looked at Elder Li. She had no choice but to lower her head in order to hide her thoughts. ¡°Are you not planning to give him a chance? To be honest, I know Qingfeng very well and you are the first person he treats favourably. Even though it seems like I am meddling in your business, I feel that the two of you are made for each other. Apart from Qingfeng, I don¡¯t think there is anyone suitable for you.¡± Bai Luochu fell silent in response. What was there to consider? She admitted that Pei Qingfeng was an outstanding individual and if she was still the Young Lady of the general¡¯s residence, she would definitely be moved by him. It was a pity she wasn¡¯t Luo Chu. How could she accept someone who might betray her the next day? He might even personally stab her through the heart¡­ Lu Wenshu had given her a lesson she would never forget. Once bitten, twice shy. The current Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t going to bother herself with relationships. ¡°Elder Li, I don¡¯t wish to think about such things now. Concentrating on the medical field is the way to go.¡± Bai Luochu avoided the topic. Who knew that a casual comment by Bai Luochu would reopen Elder Li¡¯s wounds? She really opened a can of worms this time. Chapter 297: Overestimating Their Capabilities Bai Luochu felt that Elder Li was a man with a lot of experience. As Elder Li droned on, Bai Luochu tuned him out. When he was done narrating his life experience, Bai Luochu finally managed to buy all the medicinal ingredients she needed. By the time she left the Hundred Herbs Hall, it was already evening. When she left, Elder Li¡¯s words echoed through her mind. She wasn¡¯t as sad as before but she walked rather quickly. She wasn¡¯t able to hide the restless feeling in her heart. "Lass Luo Chu, listen to my advice. You will never get the chance to turn back time. If you miss the chance, some things may be lost forever. You need to think it through.¡± What is he talking about?! What do I need to think about? The betrayal in my previous life? Pei Qingfeng¡¯s friendship with me? Bai Luochu felt that her mind was in a mess. With her mind in a chaotic state, it was difficult for her to avoid trouble. ¡°Give way! Hurry up and give way!¡± A carriage blazed a trail down the path which was already narrow to begin with. Even though the pedestrians were cursing under their breath, they jumped aside to make way for the carriage. Bai Luochu was the only one left in the middle of the road. Luckily for her, the coachman didn¡¯t want to be pinned with the crime of a murder. Even though he was in a hurry, he jerked the reins of the carriage causing it to come to an abrupt stop. He stopped the horses right before a tragedy happened. Even though the carriage had stopped, the curses flowing out of the coachman¡¯s mouth was as smooth as a river. ¡°Are you crazy?! Even if you wish to commit suicide, go do so at the side of the road! Why are you blocking the path of a carriage from the Prime Minister¡¯s residence?! If you startle the members of the Prime Minister¡¯s residence, you are screwed!¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t even notice that the coachman was cursing at her. She only discovered that she was the target of his insults when she saw everyone pointing at her. She finally snapped out of her daze and turned to look at the coachman. Whatever the case, a carriage shouldn¡¯t be thundering down the city center. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t someone who would take a scolding passively. She quickly retorted, ¡°The Prime Minister residence is really amazing¡­ you allow your horses to run about in the crowded city center without regard for everyone¡¯s safety. I discovered a newfound respect for the Prime Minister¡¯s residence.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s words stirred the hornet¡¯s nest and discussions broke out in the crowd. ¡°Sigh, the Prime Minister¡¯s residence is getting overboard. They are making use of the fact that they are from the Empress Dowager¡¯s birth clan and think that they are above the law.¡± ¡°This Young Lady is really courageous. She knew that they were from the Prime Minister¡¯s residence yet she dared to criticize them.¡± ¡°Nonsense. Out of everyone in the capital city, I thought the Prime Minister would be the last person to flout the law. I guess not.¡± Bai Luochu carried on with the sarcasm. Everyone broke out into an uproar the moment the words left Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth. ¡°This young lady is crazy!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that she is Divine Physician Bai? Even His Majesty has to show some considerations when dealing with her. How can a mere Prime Minister¡¯s residence touch her?¡± Su Luoqing who was seated in the carriage couldn¡¯t sit still anymore when she heard that the person blocking her way was Luo Chu! How dare a lowly slut like her block my way?! Without hesitation, Su Luoqing exited the carriage directly and used a peculiar tone to criticize Bai Luochu, ¡°Oh? Who would have thought that the person blocking my way would be Divine Physician Bai! I apologize for being rude¡­¡± Bai Luochu never paid attention to worthless people. However, she detected a trace of hostility from the lady in front of her. No matter how hard she racked her brains, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t think of where she had seen the lady before. ¡°Do I know you?¡± Su Luoqing was obviously enraged by Bai Luochu¡¯s question. She tried to suppress her anger but to no avail. ¡°Divine Physician Bai kindly offered your assistance when I was suffering from a deadly poison, don¡¯t you remember?¡± Bai Luochu finally recalled that she was the woman who tried to mess with her because of Pei Qingfeng. She assumed that her previous lesson would be enough for Su Luoqing but from the looks of things, she was wrong. Looks like I was too lenient in the past. If I don¡¯t teach her a proper lesson, people like her wouldn¡¯t know when to back down. When Su Luoqing saw that Bai Luochu fell silent, she had no idea that Bai Luochu was forming some sort of insidious plan in her mind. She assumed that Bai Luochu was afraid of her status and spoke haughtily, ¡°If Young Lady Luo Chu thinks that His Second Highness will support you and speak out for you, I would like to remind you that the person beside the Second Prince is no longer Young Lady Luo Chu. You better be mindful of your words and actions!¡± ¡°Sigh, such a pity. Someone thought she could soar into the sky after turning into a phoenix. What a shame. She is still an unassuming sparrow after waking up from a dream.¡± Everyone in the crowd knew of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s recent actions and they all looked at Bai Luochu with pity in their eyes. Bai Luochu ignored all of them as she raised her head to speak to Su Luoqing. It was as though she was speaking to a retard, ¡°Since when have I relied on other¡¯s support when doing things? Even when comparing sparrows and phoenixes, aren¡¯t you the one despised by His Second Highness? You directed all your anger at me after failing to seduce him during the banquet¡­ Even if I dreamt of turning into a phoenix, it was better than being someone without the opportunity to dream. If you¡¯re here because you think I¡¯m easy to bully, why not go holler at His Second Highness?¡± Bai Luochu turned around to leave but she suddenly thought of something. She turned back and spoke to the coachman, "Didn''t you say something about the Prime Minister being in a rush? Why did the Prime Minister turn into Young Lady Su? Did our Cloud Water Nation change Prime Ministers?¡± Bai Luochu wanted everyone to hear her and didn¡¯t bother suppressing her voice. In the next second, everyone¡¯s attention shifted to the coachman and Su Luoqing. Bai Luochu no longer bothered with them and she headed for the Remote Paddy Inn. Chapter 298: Sudden Investigation Ying Lan wasn''t surprised that Bai Luochu was paying him a visit. In fact, he was wondering what took his mistress so long to come. Even though Ying Lan could roughly guess the purpose behind Bai Luochu¡¯s visit, he chose not to expose her intentions, ¡°Mistress, why are you here so late at night? Are you here for supper?¡± Bai Luochu became doubtful when she saw Ying Lan acting so casually. She didn¡¯t know why everyone was acting differently around her recently. ¡°When I had lunch with Pei Rumo, I chanced upon Pei Qingfeng acting intimately with a girl similar to my age. To be so close to Pei Qingfeng, she¡¯s definitely no simple person. If you have some free time, help me investigate her background. She should be part of the mysterious group of people who appeared in the capital city a few days ago.¡± Ying Lan could feel the jealousy in Bai Luochu¡¯s voice. It was a pity that his mistress didn¡¯t realize that Pei Qingfeng was treating her differently from other young ladies. The worst part was her acting oblivious to her feelings for him. This was a good thing as Ying Lan did not wish for his mistress to hate all men because of Lu Wenshu. After all, he wasn¡¯t blind and could see how well Pei Qingfeng was treating her. ¡°Mistress, why the sudden change in decision? Didn¡¯t you say something about laying low and avoiding trouble just a few days ago?¡± Bai Luochu regretted her initial decision. Right now, her subordinate was using her words against her and she felt like she raised her hand to slap herself. Since she had already said it, she had no reason to take back her words. She felt that if she retracted her order to lay low, the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence would grow suspicious. With regards to her sudden urge to investigate these mysterious people¡­ Bai Luochu explained to Ying Lan, ¡°Pei Qingfeng looks sociable and approachable, but in fact he¡¯s extremely picky about the people around him. Out of the numerous pursuers he had, none of them could enter his eyes. Thus, this girl is definitely no simple individual, much less the group of people with her. Anyway, we should prepare ourselves as ¡®know thyself, know thy enemy¡¯.¡± Just as Bai Luochu felt that her explanation was bullshit and wanted to explain further, Ying Lan had already agreed to it. ¡°I understand Mistress, I will investigate these bunch of people personally.¡± Ying Lan sighed as he looked at the awkward Bai Luochu. It was obvious that she was surprised to see Pei Qingfeng acting intimately with other girls other than her. Although the operation this time was dangerous, Ying Lan still agreed for the sake of his mistress. Once Bai Luochu saw Ying Lan¡¯s resolute look, she nodded her head in satisfaction and went back to her residence. At the same time, Pei Qingfeng was exhausted and lying in his study room. He was drained after following the energetic Ling Xian¡¯er around the capital city for a day. Since he managed to get his hands on the fox mask, he took it out and observed it in detail. The more he looked at it, the more he felt that it looked exactly like Bai Luochu and that it would look great on her if she put it on. When the guard saw his master smile even when he was so exhausted, he knew that his master was thinking of Young Lady Luo Chu. This guard felt a headache coming as he was deciding between revealing the bad news to his master or not. As though he was able to see through his guard''s thoughts, Pei Qingfeng started the ball rolling, ¡°Go ahead and tell me what you want.¡± The guard gathered his courage and slowly said, ¡°Master, not long after you left, we received news that Young Lady Luo Chu had accepted the First Prince¡¯s invitation. ¡°What did you just say? After I went out with Xian''er today, Luoluo also went out with Pei Rumo?¡± Pei Qingfeng raised his voice and asked. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what happened.¡± The guard nodded his head unwillingly. After he confirmed it, Pei Qingfeng sat in his chair and was depressed for a long time before he asked, ¡°Let me ask you, is it true that there have been many rumors regarding me and Xian''er in the capital recently?¡± The guard remained silent and simply nodded his head. Pei Qingfeng became even more depressed, ¡°Damn¡­ She definitely knows about it¡­this time she¡¯s definitely going to ignore me for a long time. ¡°Master, if Young Lady Luo Chu heard it from others, things wouldn¡¯t be so bad. However, if she personally saw you and Ling Xian¡¯er¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m done for, completely done for. I can only pray that she never saw us...¡± A feeling of guilt blossomed in his heart and he felt as though he got caught cheating on his wife. Chapter 299: Gossipy Ling Xianer After Ying Lan sent a letter to Bai Luochu the next morning, he left to spy on the Second Prince¡¯s residence. After an uneventful day, the only thing he heard was a girl shrieking at Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Ahh!! Pei Qingfeng you bastard! Why did you buy a fox mask for others and a pig mask for me?!¡± Ling Xian''er voice echoed throughout the yard early in the morning. Ling Xian''er''s loud voice woke two people up, ¡°Ling Xian''er! Why are you screaming so early in the morning?! If you don¡¯t want to sleep that¡¯s your problem, don¡¯t stop others from sleeping in!¡± When the two of them finally woke up, they no longer bothered scolding Ling Xian¡¯er. They saw her sitting on her bed with huge eye bags and her hair was all over the place. She looked extremely dispirited as if she was a vengeful ghost. They clasped their hands together and murmured in their hearts, ¡°Amitabha.¡± They secretly wondered which idiot had provoked this little devil. ¡°Pei Qingfeng is a bastard! He¡¯s so shameless! He took my folktales and advice, but gave me a pig mask in return. I¡¯m never going to be bothered with him anymore!¡± The more they listened, the more they thought something was wrong. Is she cursing at Pei Qingfeng?! However, they weren¡¯t too caught up with Ling Xian¡¯er as they turned their attention to Ying Lan. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that someone actually dares to spy on us.¡± Xian''er wondered who the suicidal individual was and she followed their gaze to find Ying Lan lurking in the corner. At that moment, Ying Lan was unaware that he had already been exposed. He even thought that the three ladies were enjoying the scenery. ¡°Just let him do what he wants. Anyway, he won¡¯t be able to find out anything. But¡­¡± Ling Xian''er eyes sparkled and thought of something, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t find out who they are.¡± The two of them silently prayed for Ying Lan as he managed to catch the little devil in a bad mood. Ying Lan sneezed atop the tree. For the next few days, Ling Xian¡¯er placed all her attention onto investigating Ying Lan. Finally, Ling Xian''er found out Ying Lan¡¯s background and details. ¡°Ying Lan, Remote Paddy Inn¡¯s boss, owner of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and has close relations to Luo Chu.¡± After hearing the report, Ling Xian¡¯er opened her mouth to ask a question, ¡°Let me ask you, who is Luo Chu? Why haven¡¯t I heard of her before?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s subordinate respectfully replied, ¡°She is the ex-general¡¯s daughter and is now the master of the general¡¯s residence. She is also quite close to Pei Qingfeng.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er immediately regained her spirit, ¡°She¡¯s related to Qingfeng?!¡± Ling Xian''er grinned as she ran down the stairs to meet Ying Lan. Ying Lan who was starting to panic after failing to gather any information heard a girl¡¯s voice from under the tree. ¡°Big brother! Can you please come down for a moment? I have something to ask you.¡± Ying Lan looked down and discovered that the little girl was staring straight at him. He was doubting if she was able to see through his concealment and thought it was impossible. He remained silent and stayed on the tree. When Ling Xian''er saw that Ying Lan wasn¡¯t going to come down, she started revealing everything she found out about him. As her voice reached his ears, Ying Lan jumped down in shock. ¡°I know what you want to ask me. You want to know where I got this information from right? Well, you don¡¯t have to bother about it, you just need to tell me if you are here to investigate me on Luo Chu¡¯s orders.¡± When Ying Lan heard that this little girl was speaking of his mistress¡¯ name, he became alarmed. ¡°How did you learn all this?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll take it as I¡¯m right...¡± Ling Xian¡¯er dodged Ying Lan¡¯s question and fired another one at him. This was the first time Ying Lan met someone as unreasonable as this little girl and he didn¡¯t know what to do. Looking at Ying Lan¡¯s ashen face, Ling Xian¡¯er decided to tease him. ¡°Aiyo, handsome big brother, can you stop acting so seriously? I¡¯m not going to do anything to cause you harm. I just want to know the person my Big Brother Qingfeng has his eyes on.¡± Ying Lan realised that this girl was probably very close to Pei Qingfeng from the way she addressed him. He was also worried she would pester his mistress if he revealed the information, causing him to be at a loss. Even though Ying Lan said nothing, Ling Xian''er had more or less understood the situation. She quickly turned around and walked towards Pei Qingfeng¡¯s residence. Before she left, she warned Ying Lan, ¡°Big brother¡­ just out of kindness, I want to warn you that we are different from the Phoenix King Valley. Don¡¯t think that you will be able to spy on us like how you spied on them. If Honored Tian Yun discovers your presence, things will get ugly. You better hurry up and report this to your mistress.¡± Chapter 300: Joke ¡°What did you say? Not only have you not found anything for the past few days, but they have discovered everything about you?¡± Bai Luochu stood up and asked with a face of disbelief. Ying Lan naturally knew the seriousness of this matter and knelt to the ground to beg for forgiveness, ¡°I not only failed the task you have given me, but implicated you as well. I deserve to die.¡± Bai Luochu calmed down after she saw Ying Lan beg for forgiveness and consoled him, ¡°I can¡¯t really put all the blame on you, it¡¯s partly my fault for being too rash. I shouldn''t have taken action when I have not ascertained their strength. At this point, we can only wait.¡± ¡°Wait? What do you mean?¡± Ying Lan evidently did not understand what Bai Luochu meant. Bai Luochu thought about it for awhile and said, ¡°If it was as you reported, this girl should not have any ill intentions against us, and she should just be curious about Pei Qingfeng''s relationship with me. Especially when she only warned us not to go near the yard in the future, you don¡¯t have to be so nervous.¡± Initially Ying Lan was quite nervous, that¡¯s why he had hurriedly came back and reported to Bai Luochu. But after his mistress analysed the matter, he agreed with Bai Luochu and felt that there wasn¡¯t a need to panic. . Meanwhile, Ling Xian''er was stopped by the guards outside when she tried to enter Pei Qingfeng study room. The guard stopped Ling Xian''er and informed her, ¡°Young Lady Xian''er, our master has told us he doesn¡¯t wish to see anybody as he¡¯s feeling down recently.¡± Ling Xian''er was unconvinced, ¡°He doesn¡¯t wish to see anyone? Not even me?¡± When he heard her, he almost accidentally spilled out the real reason why his master didn¡¯t want to see anyone. Who else was it but her who stuck to him everyday, causing rumors to spread in the capital and making his master dispirited and worried all day? He was so afraid Bai Luochu would hear those rumors and develop a hatred of him. Ling Xian''er was unresigned and shouted, ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, I just want to ask a simple question, are you planning to give the fox mask that you had bought to Luo Chu?¡± The guard was stunned and was secretly surprised that Young Lady Xian''er had found out about this. Just as the guards were about to chase her away, Pei Qinfeng opened the door and reprimanded Ling Xian''er. ¡°If you have anything to say, come in and tell me, you don¡¯t have to shout so loudly! What if you disturbed Honored Tian Yun?¡± Pei Qingfeng turned around after he finished speaking and left the door open for Ling Xian''er. Ling Xian''er did not forget to stick out her tongue to the guard before she entered the study room.The guard felt cold shivers running through his body. ¡°Speak, what do you know?¡± Pei Qingfeng got straight to the point. Pei Qingfeng thought that Ling Xian''er knew the reason behind it and thus asked, ¡°So why did she get someone to investigate you?¡± Ling Xian''er shook her head. ¡°Of course I don¡¯t know. If I knew, why would I still be here?¡± Pei Qingfeng felt that Ling Xian''er was getting ruder as she grew older, ¡°You came here just to ask me this? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll disappoint you because I¡¯m also clueless about this matter.¡± ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, don¡¯t be worried!¡± When Ling Xian''er saw Pei Qinfeng depressed, she then spoke of her conjecture, ¡°Actually, I do have a conjecture, but...I¡¯m not sure if you want to hear it.¡± Pei Qingfeng was more than willing to hear her guess on this matter and he quickly nodded his head. ¡°Recently there must have been many rumors ongoing about us, and since you are extremely close to her, people will start comparing the both of us. She might be suspicious about our relationship and she sent someone over to spy on me.¡± When he thought about how Bai Luochu would ignore him, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face turned white instantly. The guards at the door complained innardly and wished that Ling Xian''er would stop exaggerating and blabbering, else they would be the unlucky ones to face their master¡¯s wrath . At this instance, the guard almost couldn¡¯t control himself and wanted to cover Ling Xian''er¡¯s mouth and drag her out of the room. However, Ling Xian''er continued her explanation, ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, this may not be such a bad thing though. From how she sent someone to investigate me, it¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s interested in your affairs! She definitely has you in her heart!¡± Chapter 301: Requesting to Mee This was the first time Ling Xian¡¯er saw such a ferocious expression on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face. She no longer dared to say anything else and she quickly nodded. However, she felt she was rather insincere and said quickly added something, "Of course it is true. Big Brother Qingfeng, according to the many folk stories I have read, I¡¯m acting like the bad woman who wishes to ruin the relationship between the male and female protagonist. However, I ended up helping them to advance their relationship. I¡¯m actually the hero in the story!¡± This was the first time Pei Qingfeng felt that the folk stories read by Ling Xian¡¯er should be distributed around the world. It was also the first time Pei Qingfeng felt that it wasn¡¯t wrong for Ling Xian¡¯er to read such things. After all, she was able to be of assistance in times of need. "Men, bring me the brush and ink." Pei Qingfeng spoke and summoned his servant. The moment the personal guard heard Pei Qingfeng¡¯s order, he burst into the room. "Does Master need this servant to do anything?" "I want to deliver a letter of visitation to the general¡¯s residence tomorrow." Pei Qingfeng started looking for an empty card after he was done speaking. The personal guard immediately stepped forward and started to grind the ink for Pei Qingfeng. Ling Xian''er took the initiative to chide the personal guard, "You are just a boor who only knows how to brandish swords around to kill people. How are you going to prepare the ink for Big Brother Qingfeng? Wait at the side. I shall grind the ink¡­¡± The personal guard wasn''t content with Ling Xian''er''s attitude towards him, but when he saw how spirited and energetic his master was, he didn¡¯t dare to poke the hornet¡¯s nest. Before long, a letter of invitation was crafted and Pei Qingfeng placed his brush down. He passed the card over to the servant before reminding him to deliver the card as soon early the next morning. Ling Xian''er felt that it was time and she said, "That... Xian¡¯er hopes Big Brother Qingfeng can promise me one thing." Pei Qingfeng looked up and saw Ling Xian''er''s mischievous expression. He immediately knew that she was up to no good but he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to refuse her request. He nodded and perked up his ears. Ling Xian''er thought that Pei Qingfeng would definitely agree and she went straight to the point. "As you can see, I am the cause of this misunderstanding. If Big Brother Qingfeng goes alone, you won¡¯t be able to convince her. Big Brother Qingfeng, why don¡¯t you bring me along? It will be easier to explain yourself.¡± Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t bother coming up with an excuse and he shot her down, "You should stop right here. If you come along, we probably won¡¯t be able to enter the residence. I¡¯m pretty sure you only want to see what Luo Chu looks like. Stop with your schemes¡­ I know what you are capable of.¡± After Ling Xian''er left, the entire study room became quiet. Pei Qingfeng was left alone and he couldn¡¯t believe what he just did. Due to a baseless guess from Ling Xian¡¯er, he sent a letter of visitation to Bai Luochu¡­ He felt that he was acting too hastily. Whatever the case, he couldn¡¯t pin the blame entirely on Ling Xian¡¯er. He couldn¡¯t deny that he really wanted to see her. Pei Qingfeng settled his unsteady heart and he became excited at the thought of meeting Bai Luochu the next day. "His Second Highness¡¯ personal guard is here to deliver a letter of visitation?" Bai Luochu was extremely puzzled. Cai Ling nodded and spoke indignantly, "That''s right! How dare he continue to pester you! Isn¡¯t he enjoying his time messing about with some mysterious lady?¡± Bai Luochu quickly stopped Cai Ling, "Cai Ling, don''t be nosy. No matter what, Pei Qingfeng is an imperial prince and he isn''t someone you should gossip about." Cai Ling instantly fell silent. Bai Luochu seemed to have realized something and she quickly instructed Cai Ling, ¡°Cai Ling, bring that person in. I want to see what schemes Pei Qingfeng has up his sleeves." Cai Ling might not be willing but she still invited the personal guard into the residence. "Young Lady Luo Chu, this is the letter of visit my Master ordered me to deliver. Please accept it." The personal guard seemed as though he was afraid Bai Luochu would decline the card and he pushed it towards her. He hated the fact that he couldn¡¯t directly push it into her face. Bai Luochu felt that the personal guard was rather hilarious and immediately made fun of him, "Hold on. I have to read it before I can decide if I am accepting the visit." The personal guard¡¯s forehead dripped with cold sweat. If Young Lady Luo Chu declines, won¡¯t I need to kneel down to beg her to accept the card? After reading the card, Bai Luochu fell into silence. Looking at the quiet Bai Luochu, the personal guard¡¯s heart started to pound erratically. Just as he was about to kneel down, Bai Luochu placed the card down and spoke to him, "Go back and inform your Master that he better not be late." The personal guard felt like a high weight was lifted off his shoulders and he skipped away happily. It was as though he was afraid Bai Luochu might regret her decision as he left in a hurry. Just as Cai Ling wanted to dissuade Bai Luochu, she noticed that her mistress was rubbing the card between her fingers. She was unable to decipher her mistress¡¯ thoughts. The card was really one of a kind. There was a simple statement written on it but it was altered plenty of times. Even the outside of the card was stained with ink. Why would she accept such a poorly written card? Even though he changed the words several times, Pei Qingfeng was unable to convey his thoughts. In the end, he wrote down the timing and location in a single statement without saying anything else. ¡°I will personally explain myself.¡± Bai Luochu was curious as to what he wanted to say. Apart from that, Bai Luochu chose to ignore the other feeling in her heart. There was a voice in the bottom of her heart which couldn¡¯t be drowned out no matter how hard she tried. Meet him and listen to what he has to say. Chapter 302: The Meeting The next day, early in the morning, Pei Qingfeng woke up early and prepared to visit the general¡¯s residence. Before he left, he gathered a ton of medicinal ingredients. If Bai Luochu was really angry at him, it would be for the best if he took it all out as compensation. In the residence beside the Second Prince¡¯s residence, Ling Xian¡¯er was packing up some items in the stargazing pavilion. The other two young ladies who shared a great relationship with Ling Xian¡¯er asked, ¡°Xian¡¯er, where are you going?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er looked at them. She wanted to bring the two of them along but after thinking about how overprotective Pei Qingfeng was of Bai Luochu, she changed her mind. Even if Honored Tian Yun realized something, she would be able to hide it from him. If the two of them went, they would definitely spill everything they knew. As such, Ling Xian¡¯er decided to conceal the fact from the two of them. ¡°Nothing much. I am simply going out for a stroll with Big Brother Qingfeng.¡± Their lips started twitching and they started to make fun of her, ¡°Fine! Leave us alone here and go out with your Big Brother Qingfeng!¡± To avoid the two of them from spoiling her plan, she quickly made a promise to placate the both of them. ¡°Can the two of you calm down? I am touring around the capital city with Big Brother Qingfeng now in order to bring you to the best spots!¡± After thinking about it, the two of them allowed her to leave. Ling Xian¡¯er heaved a sigh of relief and she started making her way to the general¡¯s residence. Bai Luochu was in the general¡¯s residence as she ate her breakfast. From time to time, she would ask Cai Ling, ¡°Did you inform the kitchen about my instructions?¡± Cai Ling¡¯s lips twitched and she almost sighed in disappointment. ¡°I have already reminded them to prepare some light dishes for the guest this afternoon.¡± Before Bai Luochu could nod, Cai Ling piped up. ¡°Mistress, I do not understand. How can Mistress continue to act as though nothing is wrong when the Second Prince is treating you like this?!¡± Bai Luochu naturally understood that Cai Ling was feeling unjust for her, thus, she immediately explained, ¡°Cai Ling, you can¡¯t say that. His Second Highness might really be facing some difficulties. Weren¡¯t you aware of how well he treated me in the past? You little servant girl, why are you always so fast to react without thinking your actions through? All visitors are guests and since he is coming, we need to act like proper hosts. Calm down and let him explain himself.¡± Cai Ling knew that it was useless no matter what she said. She had no choice but to stand at the side quietly. There was still 15 minutes before the agreed time and the guards sent someone to inform Bai Luochu, ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, His Second Highness is here. Do you want us to bring him to the reception pavilion?¡± A manservant immediately ran off to relay Bai Luochu¡¯s orders. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we shouldn¡¯t allow our guest to wait.¡± Bai Luochu stated. Cai Ling was rather reluctant but she still followed behind Bai Luochu. By the time Bai Luochu arrived at the reception pavilion, Pei Qingfeng was already waiting for her. Pei Qingfeng sat upright the moment he noticed Bai Luochu walking over. He gestured to Bai Luochu and said, ¡°Luoluo, hurry up and take a seat.¡± As soon as this statement came out from Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mouth, he felt rather vexed. Putting aside the fact that Bai Luochu had a negative impression on his actions these past few days, just his behavior alone was enough to give people a poor impression of himself. After all, he was acting like the host when he was the guest. Pei Qingfeng became even more dispirited. Bai Luochu was a person who never bothered about etiquette and when Pei Qingfeng called out to her, she didn¡¯t feel that it was inappropriate. Instead, Cai Ling was the one cursing at Pei Qingfeng. When Bai Luochu saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s expression, she thought that the refreshments weren¡¯t good enough. As soon as she sat down, she tasted some of the dishes and realized that there was nothing wrong with them. She was puzzled and turned to ask Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Are the refreshments not suited to your taste? If they aren¡¯t, I will ask someone to take it away and prepare something else.¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw how Bai Luochu was concerned for him, his mood took a turn for the better. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, there isn¡¯t a need to go through the trouble.¡± Bai Luochu thought that Pei Qingfeng was embarrassed to say it so she quickly spoke up. ¡°There isn¡¯t need to be so courteous. I cannot be rude to my guests.¡± When Pei Qingfeng heard that Bai Luochu was treating him as a guest, he felt a little sad. Ling Xian¡¯er was currently lying on the tree outside the general¡¯s residence as her heart started to race. She scratched her ears and cheeks like a monkey. ¡°This Pei Qingfeng¡­ did he even read the stories? Did he just use them to support his table? Whatever¡­ Let alone clearing up this misunderstanding¡­ Without me, he won¡¯t be able to bring her home even if his hair turns white.¡± Pei Qingfeng remained silent for quite some time. When he finally broke the silence, he stammered and tried to explain himself, ¡°There should be rumors about me in the capital city. However, they are just rumors and you can¡¯t treat them seriously¡­¡± Bai Luochu sipped her tea and replied, ¡°That is true. Rumors are just rumors and shouldn¡¯t be treated seriously. However, when I was meeting His First Highness, I looked out of the window and saw a certain someone having a great time with a young lady approximately my age. I wasn¡¯t able to see her face but she seems rather lively and cute. I think you two are made for each other.¡± Bai Luochu poured herself another cup of tea and wondered why her mouth was so dry. Cai Ling stood at the side and felt that there was something wrong with the atmosphere. It was as though there was a sour smell in the air. However, she didn¡¯t dare to say anything and she could only hold her thoughts in her heart. She felt that she should ask her mistress after Pei Qingfeng left. Chapter 303: Two Beauties Side by Side Pei Qingfeng remained calm and glanced at his personal guard. As though he felt a blade pointed at him, the personal guard felt all his hair stand on its end. In order to prevent his master from sending him to the netherworld then and there, the personal guard knew what he had to do, ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, don¡¯t be in a hurry. My Master will explain everything to you.¡± Bai Luochu felt that Pei Qingfeng was a husband who was caught cheating and was trying to explain to his wife his wrongdoings. The moment the thought flashed across her mind, she shook her head to get it out of her mind. What the hell am I thinking about?! She was silently shocked that such an inappropriate thought entered her mind. When Pei Qingfeng saw that his personal guard was helping him, he received a confidence boost and continued, ¡°Luoluo, I know that whatever I say now won¡¯t be able to convince you, but you need to know that I am forced to do it. The relationship between me and that young lady isn¡¯t what you think it is. Please leave it alone and once I can be sure that you won¡¯t be dragged into it, I will tell you everything.¡± When the sunlight landed on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face, a golden radiance enveloped it. Pei Qingfeng, who already had the face of a prideful flower in the mountains, was given an additional divine glow by the sunlight. His pair of black eyes were like the darkness in the night and they portrayed the depth of his resolution. Apart from that, Bai Luochu could see her reflection in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes. This was the first time Bai Luochu noticed her looks. Moreover, she saw reflection in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes. The Bai Luochu in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes wasn¡¯t the same as the one she had thought herself to be. The Bai Luochu in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes was more womanly and exuded a tender and exquisite aura. Could it be because of his eyes? Bai Luochu looked into Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes again and she suddenly realized this was the first time she saw herself through his eyes. There was a feeling of hope that she would believe him, but there was something else¡­ She wasn¡¯t able to put a finger on it... Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes could only be described with four words... gentle, passion, love, and reluctance. Bai Luochu had seen those eyes before and they were Lu Wenshu¡¯s. There was only one difference, she wasn¡¯t able to see herself in Lu Wenshu¡¯s eyes. Compared to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes which were filled with her, Lu Wenshu¡¯s eyes seemed rather different. Bai Luochu turned her gaze and knew that if she continued to look into his eyes, something would emerge in her heart. There was a string in her mind on the verge of snapping. No! I can¡¯t keep thinking about it! Bai Luochu told herself. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before agreeing, ¡°Fine, I believe you. I shall wait for you to tell me everything. Is that good enough?¡± After Bai Luochu spoke, she didn¡¯t dare to raise her head to look at Pei Qingfeng. She was afraid, afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to withhold her budding emotions. She was afraid that those thoughts would emerge and bloom into a giant flower. She was afraid that she would be unable to remove Pei Qingfeng from her mind. Bai Luochu missed out on a beautiful scene because of her fear. A brilliant smile containing the warmth of a thousand suns bloomed on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face when he heard her agreement. The smile had even dazzled Ling Xian¡¯er. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s narrow and almond-shaped eyes rose up slightly and the indistinct little mole below his eyes glistened like a gemstone under the illumination of the soft sunlight. His sharp brows, jade-sculpted nose, and lips that formed a rigid look on his face slowly thawed. In addition to his emotional and sentimental eyes, he looked like an absolutely stunning deity who shouldn¡¯t exist in the mortal realm. ¡°Resplendent like an immortal...¡± Ling Xian¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh when she saw how Pei Qingfeng was smiling, ¡°Oh my... With my Big Brother Qingfeng¡¯s face, is there even a need for him to read the folk stories to learn how to move a young lady? A simple smile would suffice... Tsk Tsk, no wonder he doesn¡¯t think my folk stories are worthy of attention. It seems like he has some skill.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er knew that she was an exceptional beauty but never expected her Big Brother Qingfeng to look so attractive. Right now, Ling Xian¡¯er was even more curious about Bai Luochu. She wanted to know the person who managed to move her Big Brother Qingfeng. She also wanted to know the person who managed to resist Pei Qingfeng¡¯s remarkable looks. The more she thought about it, the more she moved her body in order to catch sight of Bai Luochu¡¯s face. However, as Bai Luochu had her back to Ling Xian¡¯er, there was no way for her to do so. She was utterly helpless and muttered to herself, "Oh heavens, I am pleading with you, just a single glance is enough." Perhaps the heavens really heard Ling Xian''er''s prayers. Bai Luochu turned around in order to face her. Well, maybe it wasn¡¯t because of the heavens¡­ Ling Xian¡¯er broke one of the branches due to her excessive movements. Ling Xian''er used her hand to grab onto the branch and she didn¡¯t allow herself to fall off the tree. However, Bai Luochu easily noticed something wrong. "Who?!" Bai Luochu turned around abruptly and looked towards the source of the sound. Ling Xian''er quickly concealed herself and didn¡¯t forget to steal a glance at Bai Luochu. "Oh my... She is actually an ice-beauty." Ling Xian''er knew that the woman in front of her wasn¡¯t inferior to her in terms of looks. They merely had completely different styles. Ling Xian''er was like a gorgeous peony, like a dazzling diamond under the sunlight. This woman was like a lotus flower growing in a thousand year old lake of ice, like a precious jade one would appreciate under the brightest moonlight. Since Bai Luochu escaped from the Bestial Battle Arena, she had been nourishing herself for quite some time. There was no doubt she had grown into a fine young lady. Chapter 304: The Joy of Eavesdropping ¡°It is just a stray cat.¡± Pei Qingfeng had already detected Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s presence long before the conversation with Bai Luochu. Since Ling Xian¡¯er was able to keep her presence a secret, Pei Qingfeng allowed her to do whatever she liked. He didn¡¯t wish for Bai Luochu to look at Ling Xian¡¯er as he was afraid the quick-witted lass would be able to recognize Ling Xian¡¯er as the young lady she had seen the other day. Even if Bai Luochu didn¡¯t mind, it would be very difficult for him to explain himself. If Bai Luochu were to break off all relations with him, his losses would outweigh his gains. ¡°Stray cat? Is there really a stray cat that can cause such a huge commotion in broad daylight? Truly strange...¡± Bai Luochu turned around and squinted her eyes at Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mind fell and he knew that Bai Luochu had definitely realized something. However, he couldn¡¯t back down now. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? There must be more people in the capital city feeding the stray cats.¡± Pei Qingfeng felt that it was the worst lie he ever told in his life. Even though Bai Luochu felt that something was amiss, she didn¡¯t wish to harp on the matter. She sat back down and said to Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Back to the topic. Wouldn¡¯t that young lady be jealous if Your Second Highness visited me today?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er frowned and thought, My timing back then was really impeccable. Big Brother Qingfeng is in so much trouble because of me... Cai Ling felt that the sour smell in the air was getting stronger. It was as though someone opened a jar of old vinegar. Pei Qingfeng originally wanted to explain himself but he realized that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t behaving like her usual self. She seemed to be asking random questions and the usual Bai Luochu would never do anything like this. Bai Luochu might not like Pei Qingfeng, but Pei Qingfeng understood Bai Luochu thoroughly and knew that she was someone who never repeated herself. He had already explained everything but she had to return to the topic. It was obvious she cared about it very much. Does she care? Even though Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t able to confirm his guess, he became much happier after making the discovery. Perhaps it was because he was no longer as tense, but Pei Qingfeng was no longer as reserved. The intention to tease Bai Luochu appeared in his mind once again. ¡°Luoluo, why do I smell something sour in the air?¡± Pei Qingfeng squinted his eyes and looked at Bai Luochu while beaming. Hearing the question, Bai Luochu¡¯s hand that was reaching for an osmanthus cake paused. She pulled her hand back to grab her teacup but her mind was in a mess. When she raised her cup, her hands were shaking slightly and small ripples formed on the surface of the tea, just like the ripples appearing in her heart. Pei Qingfeng broke out into laughter as he was sure of his guess. After this interlude was over, Pei Qingfeng was no longer as gloomy and worried when he left the general¡¯s residence. Ling Xian¡¯er had already seen Bai Luochu¡¯s appearance and she had already snuck back into the residence. The moment she stepped into the stargazing pavilion, she saw Honored Tian Yun sitting in the hall. ¡°Honor... Honored Sir, why are you here?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er knew that she couldn¡¯t say anything and she felt a little guilty. Before Ling Xian¡¯er entered, Honored Tian Yun was casually sipping on his tea. When he noticed Ling Xian¡¯er, he placed the cup down and turned around to question her. ¡°Where did you go? I heard from the other disciples that you went out with Qingfeng?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s heart thumped and she felt that something was wrong. Luckily she was a master of controlling her emotions and she kept the indifferent expression on her face. She hoped Honored Tian Yun wouldn¡¯t notice anything off. ¡°That¡¯s right. I originally wanted to have a good stroll with Big Brother Qingfeng. However, his secret guard appeared with an important report and Big Brother Qingfeng sent me back.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er lied without batting an eyelid. Honored Tian Yun wasn¡¯t suspicious and nodded before advising Ling Xian¡¯er, ¡°If you have time, you should cultivate more diligently. Don¡¯t bother your Big Brother Qingfeng all the time.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er curled her lips and spoke with disdain, ¡°Yes, Xian¡¯er understands. If Honored Sir has nothing else, Xian¡¯er shall return to my room to cultivate.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er didn¡¯t wait for Honored Tian Yun¡¯s reaction before running off. Honored Tian Yun raised his head and noticed that there were fresh leaves stuck to Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s clothes. He immediately became suspicious, ¡°Hold on a moment. What is wrong with your clothes?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er stood still abruptly and her back was frozen stiff. She was afraid Honored Tian Yun would get to the bottom of the matter. ¡°Little lass, did you climb a tree?¡± Honored Tian Yun¡¯s brows were locked tightly and felt that this matter was rather odd. She was fine when she left this morning but she came back looking like a mess. It was difficult for him to believe she didn¡¯t do anything bad. Ling Xian¡¯er instantly felt her scalp turn numb when she glanced at the fresh leaves on her shoulder and the abrasion marks on her clothes. She thought for a long time before giving an excuse, ¡°Honored Sir, Xian¡¯er will never climb trees! These leaves probably fell from trees. The abrasion marks came about when Xian¡¯er walked past some people holding rattan baskets in the market.¡± Honored Tian Yun seemed to be suspicious but he knew that no matter how mischievous Ling Xian¡¯er was, she wouldn¡¯t do something to undermine her status. He eventually sent her back to her room. Ling Xian¡¯er heaved a sigh of relief and ran back to her room as though there was oil smeared under her feet. Originally, she wanted to go remind Pei Qingfeng not to meet with Bai Luochu for the next few days as she knew that Honored Tian Yun would be monitoring him closely the next few days. Even if Honored Tian Yun wasn¡¯t able to do anything to her Big Brother Qingfeng, he would be able to move against Bai Luochu. However, she thought about it again and felt that she would expose herself if she ran over to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s side right now. She gave up and decided to remind Pei Qingfeng when they toured the lake in the future. On Pei Qingfeng¡¯s side, he left the general¡¯s residence as he headed towards his own. At the side, Pei Rumo¡¯s secret guard returned to the First Prince¡¯s residence and reported everything he had witnessed at the general¡¯s residence. Chapter 305: Unaware ¡°Master, what should we do?¡± The secret guard didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind Pei Rumo¡¯s words and quickly asked. Pei Rumo contemplated for a moment before giving out his orders. ¡°I will ask someone else to monitor the general¡¯s residence for the next few days. All you need to do is to find out Pei Qingfeng¡¯s itinerary with the mysterious young lady. You don¡¯t have to worry about the rest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The secret guard found no reason to disagree. He had already grown bored of watching the general¡¯s residence and now that his master had assigned him another target, he was happy to agree. Of course, there was also another reason behind his change in duties. The group of mysterious people were not merely highly looked upon by the imperial clan. They were also extremely formidable and if Pei Rumo sent someone else other than him, he would only be sending them to their deaths. Their surveillance plan might even be exposed because of it. Pei Rumo became increasingly interested in Bai Luochu¡¯s life after sending another guard to secretly monitor her. The new secret guard once made a report, ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu has been cultivating every day. She even endures the cold night by cultivating in the backyard. The moment she starts, she would cultivate for the entire night. Even if she doesn¡¯t sleep, she looks more energized when the sun rises. This servant finds it truly baffling.¡± There was another time when the new secret guard went over to make a report, ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu would spend time in her secluded courtyard everyday. She can spend up to half a day there but there are some days where she leaves after just a short while. No one knows what is happening in the courtyard but sounds of explosions can occasionally be heard. A burning smell would also fill the air when that happens.¡± There was a way to explain the explosions and burning smell¡­ Bai Luochu would spend most of her time trying to advance the grade of a medicine and when she failed, her cauldron would explode. When the new secret guard noticed her spending a lot of time in the courtyard, she had probably gone to the Remote Paddy Inn using the secret tunnel. Initially, Pei Rumo felt that the guard was unable to distinguish between important and unimportant matters as he would report everything at the end of the day. He felt as though the new secret guard was too enthusiastic about the job... Just as Pei Rumo was considering transferring the new secret guard to another task, he felt that those reports allowed him to notice a lot of little secrets Bai Luochu had been keeping and it stoked his interest in her. ¡°This Luo Chu is rather interesting.¡± Pei Rumo muttered softly and turned to instruct Ming Lu, ¡°Ming Lu, deliver an invitation card to Young Lady Luo Chu. I shall invite Young Lady Luo Chu for a boat ride the day after tomorrow. We shall meet at 5pm.¡± After Pei Rumo spoke, he walked out of the study room and was preparing to rest. Zi Su remained in the room as she thought about something. ¡°Big Sister Zi Su, why are you not leaving?¡± When Ming Lu saw Zi Su standing at the corner motionlessly, he felt that something was wrong. ¡°Nothing much, let¡¯s go.¡± Zi Su replied half-heartedly. Master has never been so attentive to a lady in the past. Previously, he paid so much attention to Young Lady Luo Chu because she had her uses. Why is he paying so much attention to her now? Master always says that His Second Highness and Young Lady Luo Chu are unable to see the truth because they are caught up in the matter, but what about himself? Is he really a spectator? The more she thought about it, the heavier the sigh that escaped her mouth. Zi Su had been serving Pei Rumo for a long time. Now that Pei Rumo had some unclear thoughts towards Bai Luochu, as a spectator, Zi Su was able to detect some signs. However, she shook her head and grumbled. I guess Master is involved in the matter too¡­ No matter how much he says he is not interested in her¡­ Whatever. I¡¯ll just wait for the outcome to slowly reveal itself. ... Even though she knew that Pei Qingfeng was busy with his matters, she felt a little bit awkward that he hadn¡¯t been visiting the general¡¯s residence to pester her. She used to hate him for annoying her everyday, but now that he hadn¡¯t shown up for some time, she felt that something was missing in her life. Whatever the case, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t allow the matter to bother her. Since Pei Qingfeng hadn¡¯t shown up for some time, she decided to immerse herself in cultivation in order to drown all irrelevant thoughts from her mind. When Cai Ling saw her mistress in this state, she became slightly worried. Even though Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say anything, Cai Ling had been serving her for a long time. She knew that her mistress treated Pei Qingfeng differently compared to the other princes. In Cai Ling¡¯s opinion, she felt that Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t showing enough concern for her mistress and she became more and more resentful towards him after such a long period of absence. ¡°Seems like His First Highness is the best...¡± Cai Ling muttered softly. When Pei Qingfeng was missing, Pei Rumo asked either Ming Lu or Zi Su to deliver an invitation card every few days despite being busy with imperial court assembly. Even though her mistress had been trying to keep her distance from the scheming First Prince, he was still acting rather friendly towards her. Apart from the frightening scar on his face, Cai Ling felt that he was treating her mistress with sincerity. Whatever the case, Cai Ling felt that he was tens of thousands of times better than Pei Wuchen who made use of the engagement to make requests from her mistress despite not showing the slightest bit of concern for her. As thoughts flew through her head, a guard came over to make a report. ¡°Sister Cai Ling, the First Prince¡¯s residence sent someone to deliver an invitation card. Do you want to ask Young Lady Luo Chu to attend to him or will you receive the card?¡± Everyone had witnessed Bai Luochu¡¯s decisive and ruthless methods and it made them treat Cai Ling with respect. Cai Ling directly instructed the guard, ¡°There isn¡¯t a need to inform Mistress. It¡¯s just the First Prince¡¯s residence¡­ My presence is enough.¡± Cai Ling spoke and started walking to the entrance. Ming Lu saw Cai Ling from a distance and waved to her. Cai Ling walked over quickly and made fun of Ming Lu after receiving the invitation card, ¡°Your Master is finally willing to send you out to run errands?¡± Ming Lu pouted his lips and replied, ¡°I¡¯m just going through puberty right now. Big Sister Cai Ling shouldn¡¯t make fun of me! This invitation card is the main reason I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Cai Ling kept the invitation card before continuing, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I will personally hand this card over to my Mistress.¡± Chapter 306: Gladly Agreeing Before she knew it, it was lunchtime. Bai Luochu opened her eyes after her cultivation session and didn¡¯t see Cai Ling. She was rather puzzled as Cai Ling would be by her side when she cultivated. Why was the little lass missing today?! She decided to look for Cai Ling and she pushed the doors open. It was perfect timing as Cai Ling was returning with lunch. The moment she opened the door, it swung into Cai Ling¡¯s tiny figure. With the sudden jolt, Cai Ling staggered and nearly lost her grip on the lunch boxes. She took several steps before steadying herself. ¡°Mistress, why are you in such a hurry? Do you have something urgent to do?¡± After Cai Ling found her balance, she asked in shock. Bai Luochu shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I realized you weren¡¯t in the room after I completed my cultivation session. I wanted to head out to look for you.¡± Cai Ling laughed helplessly and explained, ¡°Mistress¡­ you nearly cultivated yourself into an immortal. If I don¡¯t bring the meals over on time, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t even remember to eat.¡± As Cai Ling spoke, she entered the room to arrange the dishes. Bai Luochu could hear the sarcasm in Cai Ling¡¯s words but she didn¡¯t say anything. After all, she knew that she would easily forget the time when cultivating. Seeing that Cai Ling had already arranged the table, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t reserve herself and sat down to eat her lunch. ¡°Mistress... there is actually one more thing. Earlier on, this servant went out to receive an invitation card.¡± Cai Ling took out an invitation card and handed it to Bai Luochu. When Bai Luochu heard the words ¡®invitation card¡¯, she raised her head in anticipation. She was expecting it to be from Pei Qingfeng but when she opened it up, she realized that it was from the First Prince¡¯s residence. The light in her eyes instantly dimmed. Bai Luochu might not have detected her own loss of self-control, but Cai Ling could see everything. She felt her heart slowly shattering and she became even more resentful towards Pei Qingfeng for ignoring her mistress. After Bai Luochu read the contents of Pei Rumo¡¯s invitation card carefully, she placed it down and continued her lunch, ¡°Did you accept it?¡± Cai Ling was able to stay silent when she noticed the disappointment in Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes when she discovered that the invitation card wasn¡¯t from Pei Qingfeng. However, now that her mistress directed a question at her, she had no choice but to reply, ¡°This servant wouldn¡¯t dare to. I simply took it on your behalf. If Mistress doesn¡¯t wish to attend, you can easily find a reason to refuse His First Highness.¡± Cai Ling thought that Bai Luochu was feeling down because of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s recent behavior and it was better if she didn¡¯t attend the meeting with the First Prince. Cai Ling felt that her mistress was serious about it and she quickly acknowledged, ¡°Understood. When lunch is over, I shall inform the First Prince¡¯s residence that Mistress accepts the invitation.¡± Bai Luochu nodded in response and looked at the invitation card. She paused for a moment before picking up her chopsticks. It was clear she was distracted as she didn¡¯t really touch the dishes on the table and she merely picked at the ones she liked. Cai Ling could see that Bai Luochu was distracted but she couldn¡¯t speak up due to her status. She simply waited for Bai Luochu to complete her meal before heading to the First Prince¡¯s residence. ¡°Sister Cai Ling.¡± When Cai Ling arrived at the First Prince¡¯s residence, she realized that Zi Su was already waiting for her. When she saw that Zi Su had taken the initiative to greet her, Cai Ling had to reply. She quickly exchanged some conventional greetings with Zi Su, ¡°Sister Zi Su. It has been a long time, how are you?¡± Zi Su smiled and nodded, ¡°Let us find another time to chat. My Master has been waiting for a long time now. Why don¡¯t you follow me into the residence? This way please.¡± Zi Su raised her hands slightly as an indication for Cai Ling to follow her. She immediately started walking towards the study room. Cai Ling visited Pei Rumo¡¯s study room once and knew how to get there. However, since there was someone leading the way, she had to follow. She followed behind Zi Su and maintained a reasonable distance from her. When Zi Su arrived at the entrance of the study room, she opened the door and gestured to Cai Ling, ¡°Please enter, Master has been waiting for a long time.¡± Pei Rumo had indeed been waiting for a long time. Since he asked Ming Lu to deliver the invitation card, he had already been waiting in the study. He even ate his lunch in a hurry as though he was afraid he might miss out on something important. There was ¡®creak¡¯ as the door opened. Pei Rumo was disappointed when he saw that Cai Ling was the one standing at the door. However, he looked at her expectantly as he knew that she was here to bring Bai Luochu¡¯s reply. Cai Ling captured the disappointment in Pei Rumo¡¯s eyes but she didn¡¯t expose it, she immediately reported, ¡°Your First Highness, my Mistress said that she would be attending the meeting in two days. She wouldn¡¯t let down Your First Highness¡¯ kind intentions.¡± The originally semi-dejected Pei Rumo broke into ecstasy. He quickly replied, ¡°I will need to prepare a lot of things before the boat ride and will not be able to personally head over to the general¡¯s residence before the meeting. However, I will arrange for a carriage for Young Lady Luo Chu to bring her there and back. I will ensure her safety throughout the trip.¡± Cai Ling nodded and responded, ¡°If Your First Highness gives his word, Cai Ling has nothing to worry about. Since that is the case, this servant shall entrust my Mistress to Your First Highness.¡± ¡°Naturally. Even if something happens to me, I will never let anything happen to Luo Chu. Can I trouble Sister Cai Ling to report back to Young Lady Luo Chu? Please tell her to wait at the general¡¯s residence on the appointed day.¡± Chapter 307: Meticulous Dress Up Cai Ling was already clever and after serving beside Bai Luochu for such a long time, how could she not understand what Zi Su meant? But right now, her mistress was still confused and His First Highness obviously wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind. As a servant, she really couldn¡¯t comment on the situation. Now that Zi Su had already asked, it was impossible for Cai Ling not to reply. As such, she gave an ambiguous answer, ¡°How can I be clear on my Mistress¡¯ thoughts? Sister Zi Su should be able to understand my difficulties.¡± Zi Su didn¡¯t expect to be stumped by a young and inexperienced servant girl and was speechless for a moment. After a period of time, she finally responded, ¡°You are right. As servants, we can¡¯t say anything about our superiors. I was wrong. Sister Cai Ling, please see yourself out. I have to return to His First Highness¡¯ side.¡± Zi Su left without turning around. When Zi Su returned to the study room, she asked Pei Rumo, ¡°Master, do we need to prepare anything for the boating trip around the lake?¡± Pei Rumo was still on cloud nine and he failed to think so far ahead. After Zi Su¡¯s reminder, the gears in his head started to turn again. After a long time, he seemed to have arranged his thoughts and he passed his instructions to Zi Su, ¡°The time for the meeting is at 5 and it should almost be time for dinner. We cannot possibly allow our guest to starve. Even though there is a place to eat dinner on the private boat, we still need to prepare the food. Order a table of dishes from the Drunk Immortal Inn and have them deliver it onto the boat.¡± ¡°Yes, this servant understands.¡± Zi Su acknowledged and thought that Pei Rumo didn¡¯t have any other specific arrangements and was preparing to leave. Before she could leave the room, Pei Rumo¡¯s voice entered her ears once again. ¡°Hold on.¡± Zi Su turned around and looked at Pei Rumo, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Pei Rumo hesitated for a moment before speaking,, ¡°Remember to ask the Drunk Immortal Inn to prepare a plate of osmanthus cakes for Luo Chu. As for the dishes, I will provide them a list.¡± Zi Su¡¯s brows arched upwards and even though she didn¡¯t say anything, several thoughts appeared in her mind. When Pei Rumo handed over the menu to Zi Su, she smiled helplessly and thought about how her Master had fallen for Bai Luochu. She used to think that her master was attentive to Young Lady Luo Chu as she had her uses. However, looking at it now, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Even though Zi Su tried to convince herself otherwise, the menu in front of her confirmed her thoughts. Every single dish on the menu was suited to Bai Luochu¡¯s taste. Zi Su served Bai Luochu for a period of time in the past and knew her likes and dislikes. In the blink of the eye, it was already the day after tomorrow and it was the day of the appointment between Pei Rumo and Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu had just finished her lunch and was pressed down onto a chair by Cai Ling. She was facing the bronze mirror and at a complete loss while Cai Ling spoke, ¡°Mistress, today, you are attending a lake boating with His First Highness. We cannot use the same dress up as before.¡± Bai Luochu felt that Cai Ling was making a big fuss out of nothing and quickly shut her down, ¡°What difference is there? It¡¯s just clothes! How different can they be?! Moreover, we are just going to ride a boat on the lake¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to meet with my lover, why do I need to care so much about my dressing? The First Prince and I are just good friends. There is no need to be so particular.¡± After Bai Luochu¡¯s statement, Cai Ling was struck speechless. She didn¡¯t know how to reply and quickly shut her mouth. After all, Bai Luochu was the mistress and as a servant, she couldn¡¯t possibly scold Bai Luochu. Furthermore, Bai Luochu was merely speaking her mind and she wasn¡¯t being unreasonable. Cai Ling wasn¡¯t able to find any fault and didn¡¯t get the opportunity to retort. The mistress and servant were in a deadlock in front of the bronze mirror for a long time. When Cai Ling saw how stubborn her mistress was, she immediately started to make her move. ¡°Cai Ling, are you trying to rebel against me?¡± Bai Luochu noticed that Cai Ling undid her ponytail and combed her hair again. Cai Ling pretended as though she didn¡¯t hear it and continued to comb Bai Luochu¡¯s hair while speaking, ¡°Mistress, this servant can see that His First Highness is treating you really well. Your mind shouldn¡¯t be full of His Second Highness. Right now, he might even be enjoying himself in someone else¡¯s gentle embrace.¡± Bai Luochu was baffled, ¡°What are you talking about? What Second Highness or First Highness? Is there something wrong with your little brain?!?!¡± Cai Ling muttered softly, ¡°Mistress might be slow, but this servant isn¡¯t. I can¡¯t allow you to keep walking down the wrong path...¡± As Cai Ling spoke, her voice became softer and softer. Bai Luochu might not understand what Cai Ling was saying, but she didn¡¯t dare to ask as she was afraid her little servant would say something shocking again. She allowed Cai Ling to dress her up as she wished. When Bai Luochu was getting drowsy, Cai Ling finished her ¡®masterpiece¡¯. She gently tapped on Bai Luochu¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡°Mistress, this servant is done. What do you think?¡± Chapter 308: Thoroughly Prepared Cai Ling was very satisfied with Bai Luochu¡¯s reaction. She opened up the wardrobe and started taking out the best-looking dresses. After rummaging around, she couldn¡¯t find any special or fresh designs and was only able to find a passable green lotus dress. After sizing Bai Luochu up, Cai Ling felt that it was fine and started to dress her mistress up. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t wish to disappoint Cai Ling and had no choice but to change. As someone who was used to wearing clothes meant to facilitate easy movement, Bai Luochu nearly tripped over when she tried walking in the dress. ¡°Can I wear something else? I can¡¯t even walk properly in this dress! My hair feels so heavy that my neck is about to snap from the weight!¡± Bai Luochu wanted to make use of this opportunity to take off the accessories Cai Ling meticulously placed on her head. How would Cai Ling allow Bai Luochu to do as she please? Cai Ling immediately persuaded, ¡°Mistress, stop complaining about it! Most of the aristocratic young ladies in the capital city are wearing the same thing as you. There are plenty of other private boats on the lake and we cannot allow a ¡®young master¡¯ from the general¡¯s residence to attend the First Prince¡¯s invitation.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even walk properly!¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t willing to give up. Cai Ling knew that Bai Luochu would use this excuse and she prepared a countermeasure while she was dressing her up. ¡°Mistress, This servant will bring you all the way to the entrance of the general¡¯s residence. After you board the First Prince¡¯s residence¡¯s carriage, you wouldn¡¯t need to walk around for a period of time. After alighting the carriage, His First Highness will naturally be there to help you. His First Highness promised this servant that nothing will happen to you. Mistress doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡± Seeing that there was no other choice, Bai Luochu could only agree so as to avoid Cai Ling from sprouting more nonsense. On Pei Rumo¡¯s side, the First Prince¡¯s residence was bustling with activity as they got ready for the appointment. ¡°The Drunk Immortal Inn shouldn¡¯t mess it up, right?¡± Pei Rumo was afraid that something might go wrong and this wasn¡¯t the first time he asked Zi Su this question. Zi Su was almost annoyed by Pei Rumo¡¯s constant questioning but she managed to remain patient. ¡°Please do not worry about the food. The Drunk Immortal Inn has always been reliable and the moment this servant brought out the title of the First Prince¡¯s residence, they reassured this servant everything will be in place. Right now, they should be preparing the dishes.¡± Even though Zi Su had already given her assurance, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t feel at ease. He quickly sent someone to check up on the Drunk Immortal Inn. He even told the person to remain there to ensure that nothing went wrong with the preparations. When Pei Rumo looked at Zi Su from the corner of his eye, he grew suspicious, ¡°What are you laughing at? Why are you shaking your head?¡± Zi Su¡¯s body trembled in response and felt that her actions were a little too obvious. She immediately responded, ¡°Master, please forgive me. This servant feels that it has been a long time since Master has been so attentive to a young lady.¡± Pei Rumo was startled at Zi Su¡¯s reply and coughed uncomfortably, ¡°Cough Cough. In any case, Luo Chu has resided in our residence for a period of time and it is reasonable for me to be concerned about her. Moreover, she is more than qualified right now and I should bring her to my side. Why can¡¯t I be attentive to her?¡± Even though Pei Rumo spoke with confidence, his voice became softer and softer and he didn¡¯t even dare to look into Zi Su¡¯s eye. Zi Su raised her brows slightly and thought, I don¡¯t think it is that simple, right? Master just hasn¡¯t realized it. As a servant, Zi Su couldn¡¯t directly expose her master¡¯s thoughts. Instead, she felt that it would be best for her master to discover his feelings for himself. The study room fell silent and Zi Su finally broke the silence after a long time. She reported, ¡°Master, the weather will turn cold after it gets dark. This servant has already prepared two cloaks on the private boat. Because of the time constraint, I sunned your cloak and bought a new one for Young Lady Luo Chu. This servant got it from the most popular clothing store in the capital city and Young Lady Luo Chu should be satisfied with it.¡± Pei Rumo nodded with satisfaction and praised Zi Su, ¡°Well done. I didn''t even think of all that. It seems like you ladies are more considerate when it comes to clothes.¡± ¡°Many thanks for Master¡¯s praise.¡± Zi Su complained in her heart... If you fall sick, nothing will really happen. If Young Lady Luo Chu falls sick, won¡¯t you return to the residence and fly into a terrible rage? How can I not be thorough in my considerations? The sky was gradually turning dark and it was almost time for the appointment. Bai Luochu walked slowly from her courtyard to the entrance of the general¡¯s residence and she understood the reason behind why the young ladies and madams from the aristocratic clans had a certain posture when walking. It was definitely due to the weight of all the accessories they had on their body. The person who came to receive Bai Luochu was Ming Lu and when he saw her getup, his eyes lit up and he started to sing praises. ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, you look like a fairy mingling around in the mortal world!¡± In the end, Ming Lu was still a child and he didn¡¯t think about the impact behind his words. Bai Luochu felt that there wasn¡¯t anything special about her appearance and she didn¡¯t bother replying to Ming Lu. Cai Ling who was standing beside Bai Luochu quickly spoke up, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? My Mistress has always been pretty. Do you mean to say that my Mistress looked ugly in the past?¡± ¡°How can I say something like that? Young Lady Luo Chu has always been good looking. However, she looks even more breathtaking now!¡± Ming Lu didn¡¯t dare to bad mouth Bai Luochu and he quickly changed his words. Chapter 309: Chance Encounter Ming Lu could hear the impatience in Bai Luochu¡¯s voice and immediately stepped forward to help her board the carriage. After bidding farewell to Cai Ling, he steered the carriage towards the lake. It didn¡¯t take long for the carriage to arrive by the lake. Before Bai Luochu¡¯s seat became warm, they arrived at their destination. Once she alighted the carriage, Ming Lu¡¯s voice entered her ears, ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, His First Highness is waiting in the private boat. Do you need this servant¡¯s help to board?¡± Bai Luochu already felt that walking was difficult because of her clothes and accessories-filled hair. She didn¡¯t reject Ming Lu¡¯s proposal and she allowed him to help her board the private boat. When she stepped onto the private boat, she saw Pei Rumo¡¯s figure at the bow. Even though she wasn¡¯t late, it was never polite to keep others waiting. As such, Bai Luochu walked over slowly and said to Pei Rumo, ¡°I am sorry for making Your First Highness wait.¡± Pei Rumo turned around when he heard Bai Luochu¡¯s voice but was stunned by her current getup. This was the first time Pei Rumo had seen a lady-like Bai Luochu. Her mountain-like brows were gently brushed with umber-black dye, and her vermilion lips were touched up with some rouge, accentuating her beauty. The serpent top knot made Bai Luochu¡¯s already slender neck look even slimmer and the beautiful ornaments in her hair seemed to lose their appeal. If Bai Luochu was a snow lotus on the heavenly mountains without makeup, she was a bewitching blood-colored lotus blooming in a sea of blood right now. She was still lofty and unyielding, but held fatal attraction. Pei Rumo was unable to resist her charms. The moment Pei Rumo saw Bai Luochu, his heartstrings moved and a warm feeling seeped through his body. The blood flowed to all his limbs and bones and when they passed through his eyes, one would realize that they were filled with nothing but her. Bai Luochu saw Pei Rumo¡¯s blank expression and thought that her looks frightened him. She immediately said, ¡°Do I look weird? If you can¡¯t get used to it, I can take out the hair ornaments¡­ This isn¡¯t my idea. That lass Cai Ling was the one who insisted I wear them. After all, all the young ladies in the capital city are doing the same. She even said that I would be humiliating the general¡¯s residence and Your First Highness if I didn¡¯t wear them. That¡¯s the only reason I changed my usual attire and ponytail to this¡­¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation seemed to be unending but she was interrupted by Pei Rumo, ¡°It isn¡¯t necessary. I was stunned for a moment because this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you dress this way. Young Lady Luo Chu is really beautiful. I am the one making a fuss over nothing¡­¡± ¡°I specially asked the chefs at the Drunk Immortal Inn to prepare dinner. It was just delivered to us and it is still warm. Should we eat before the food gets cold?¡± Pei Rumo could see that Bai Luochu was a little awkward and he quickly made a suggestion to alleviate the awkwardness. This private boat was massive and there were many rooms on board. Because Bai Luochu found it difficult to move, she was unable to keep up with Pei Rumo and when he turned around, he realized that there was a huge distance between them. When he saw that Bai Luochu was walking with an odd posture, he quickly went back to support her. He held her by the wrist and walked beside her. Bai Luochu struggled at first as she didn¡¯t want Pei Rumo to hold her wrist. However, she stopped struggling after a statement from Pei Rumo. ¡°I am not trying to take advantage of you. Neither am I trying to offend you. I can see that you aren¡¯t used to walking in such a long dress and I¡¯m here to help you. If you continue to stumble around, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to eat dinner anytime soon.¡± Bai Luochu was embarrassed but she felt that Pei Rumo was right. She allowed him to hold onto her wrist. When they finally arrived at the dining room, Bai Luochu realized that Pei Rumo prepared all the dishes she liked. ¡°I learned your preference after inviting you to so many meals. You like dishes with strong taste and are exceptionally fond of spicy food. These dishes were prepared by the chefs in the Drunk Immortal Inn and shouldn¡¯t taste bad. Hurry up and eat.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t expect that Pei Rumo would pay attention to her likes and dislikes. She felt touched that he was paying so much attention to her. After the meal, Bai Luochu felt extremely full but Pei Rumo had only eaten a little. ¡°You... don¡¯t normally eat these dishes?¡± Bai Luochu asked. Pei Rumo nodded with embarrassment and replied, ¡°That is indeed the case. Since I am the host, I cannot give my guest a bad impression.¡± Bai Luochu blinked but didn¡¯t say anything. She started to think about the way Pei Rumo was treating her and she realized that she was forcing herself to ignore his feelings. ¡°The weather seems nice tonight. Why don¡¯t we head to the bow of the boat and admire the view of the moon? I even prepared some osmanthus cakes and plum blossom brew.¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t wish for the atmosphere to turn awkward and he quickly suggested doing something else. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know what to do and now that Pei Rumo had suggested something, she quickly agreed. Bai Luochu never expected that she would see something she really didn¡¯t want to when she reached the bow of the boat. ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, don¡¯t be so sulky. It¡¯s hard for us to leave the residence and you¡¯re putting on such a stern face. Other people might think that Xian¡¯er owes you money¡­¡± Ling Xian¡¯er and Pei Qingfeng stood at the bow of their private boat and their intimate behavior entered Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes. Chapter 310: Undercurrent on the Lake This was the exact reason he invited Bai Luochu for the boat ride. Pei Rumo already knew that Pei Qingfeng wouldn¡¯t be able to pay attention to Bai Luochu for a period of time. As such, he wanted to take the opportunity to sow some discord between the two of them. Even if he wasn¡¯t able to break the two of them up, he would be able to create some misunderstandings. Whatever the case, Pei Rumo was rather shocked when he saw another woman wrapping her arms around his second brother. He was even more surprised Bai Luochu would catch sight of them so quickly. Pei Rumo thought in his mind, Pei Qingfeng, oh Pei Qingfeng. I didn¡¯t do this on purpose. You¡¯re the one suffering from misfortune. At that moment, Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t know that Pei Rumo and Bai Luochu were on the boat beside him and he allowed Ling Xian¡¯er to continue holding him. ¡°Xian¡¯er, you need to act more maturely. You can¡¯t behave like this. You¡¯re a young lady now and if you wrap your arms around another man, Honored Tian Yun would probably chew you out!¡± Even though he was criticizing Ling Xian¡¯er, he was unable to do anything to her. Ling Xian¡¯er tightened her arm around him and leaned closer towards Pei Qingfeng. ¡°You said it yourself¡­ If it was another man, Honored Tian Yun would definitely reprimand Xian¡¯er. However, Big Brother Qingfeng isn¡¯t just some random man at the side of the road. Furthermore, is there anyone out there worthy of my hug?¡± Pei Qingfeng felt extremely helpless and was unable to pick out the faults in Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s words. After all, she wouldn¡¯t stick close to any other man apart from himself. Without a way to deal with the lass, he reached out and playfully pinched Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s nose. Ling Xian¡¯er instantly felt the weight of a mountain pressing on her. It wasn¡¯t spirit qi and instead, it was a burst of spiritual energy. When she wanted to look for the source, she realized that the pressure was coming from the private boat beside her. When Pei Qingfeng was still distracted, she looked out and muttered to herself, ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Isn¡¯t that the young lady Big Brother Qingfeng went to see? If she saw that scene earlier, Big Brother Qingfeng is definitely going to be in for a hard time. Wait¡­ If Big Brother Qingfeng rages, I won¡¯t be spared. Ling Xian¡¯er shivered when she thought about it. Just as she was about to do something, the pressure vanished. When Bai Luochu witnessed the intimate actions between Pei Qingfeng and Ling Xian¡¯er, an unbearable feeling appeared in her heart. However, that wasn¡¯t enough to sway her emotions. She finally lost control of her emotions when Pei Qingfeng reached out to pinch Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s nose. The moment she lost control, all the spiritual energy assaulted Ling Xian¡¯er. In the next moment, Bai Luochu realized that she made a mistake and quickly withdrew the aura around her body. Ling Xian¡¯er heard Pei Qingfeng¡¯s question and felt indescribable pain in her heart. However, she didn¡¯t think that she should notify him and felt that solving the problem as it came was the way to go. She immediately said to Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, it¡¯s getting cold out here. Can we steer the boat to a less windy area?¡± Pei QIngfeng noticed that Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s forehead was filled with sweat and didn¡¯t understand why she said that it was cold. However, he did as Ling Xian¡¯er pleased. ¡®If it is a blessing, it isn¡¯t a calamity. If it is a calamity, it will be unavoidable.¡¯ When Pei Qingfeng turned around, he looked at the duo standing on the boat opposite him. When Ling Xian¡¯er saw that the two parties had met, she cursed in her heart. Life is full of unexpected surprises¡­ Cold sweat started to pour down her back. Pei Qingfeng was stunned when he saw Bai Luochu¡¯s getup as this was the first time he had seen a lady-like Bai Luochu. When he thought about it, anger rose in his heart. She never dressed up when she met with him! Why did she pay so much attention to her appearance when meeting with Pei Rumo? Could it be that feelings were developed when he saved her from the Bestial Battle Arena?! Pei Rumo could sense that something was wrong with Bai Luochu and felt that she was really unaware of the fact that she was treating his second brother differently from anyone else. The more he thought about it, the more pain filled his heart. Right now, there is still a paper-thin screen between the two of them. One of them is confused and unaware of her own feelings. With Luo Chu¡¯s personality, she would probably feel uneasy when she sees Pei Qingfeng acting so intimately with another woman. This is the best time for me to make a move. Since they were staring right at each other, there was no reason to pretend like they hadn¡¯t met. Just as Pei Qingfeng was feeling a headache on how he should call out to Bai Luochu to explain himself, Pei Rumo made a preemptive strike. ¡°Who would have thought that the private boat beside mine with the same specifications would belong to my Second Brother! What a surprise to see you here with another young lady! I always thought you were only acquainted with Divine Physician Bai.¡± The moment the statement came out of Pei Rumo¡¯s mouth, Pei Qingfeng cursed in his heart. He thought that Pei Rumo had a cursed mouth. The excuse Pei Qingfeng just came up with turned useless with a single statement. He had no choice but to play to Pei Rumo¡¯s tune, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? It¡¯s a rare sight for me to see you here. Originally, Fifth Brother was the one to pester us to order the boats and this is the first time I took it out for a spin. I heard First Brother loved to invite beautiful entertainers and dancers to entertain fellow officials.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s expression froze. It was true that he did something like that once but Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know about it. If she learned of it, no one knew how the impression of Pei Rumo in her mind would change. Pei Rumo sneakily turned to look at Bai Luochu and when he noticed that her expression didn¡¯t change, he breathed out a sigh of relief. ¡°I have prepared refreshments and fine liquor in my private boat. Why don¡¯t Second Brother come over and enjoy the evening along with us?¡± Chapter 311: The Asura Battleground on the Private Boa Pei Qingfeng rolled his eyes at Ling Xian''er and a feeling of disappointment filled his mind. Doesn''t she know that I am in a hostile relationship with the person on the other side? How can she be attracted by Pei Rumo¡¯s refreshments? Nonsense! However, Ling Xian¡¯er had thoughts of her own. After I go over, I will behave myself and maintain a distance from Pei Qingfeng. He will be in a better position to explain himself to Luo Chu. If I don¡¯t do that, I won¡¯t be able to clear my name even if I jumped into the Yellow River. Pei Qingfeng stared into Bai Luochu¡¯s cold eyes and he turned to look at the delighted Pei Rumo beside her. Rage surged through his heart and he yelled at Ling Xian¡¯er, "He is just being polite! Why would he invite us over there?!" Pei Qingfeng was yelling as he was clear about Pei Rumo¡¯s character. Pei Rumo was someone who wouldn¡¯t allow his reputation to be ruined and after listening to what Pei Qingfeng said, he had no choice but to invite them over. This way. Pei Qingfeng would be able to stop the ¡®date¡¯ between the two of them. Pei Qingfeng made such amazing plans but never expected it to be spoiled by Bai Luochu instead of the cunning Pei Rumo.. When Bai Luochu saw the two of them acting intimately, a fire already started blazing in her heart. When she saw how Pei Qingfeng wouldn¡¯t even greet her, she became even unhappier. She snapped at Pei Qingfeng "It is good that Your Second Highness understands. His First Highness is just being polite and the refreshments prepared are my favorite osmanthus cake and snacks. The liquor is the plum blossom brew and I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to enjoy them even if you come over.¡± Every single word from Bai Luochu stabbed into Pei Qingfeng¡¯s heart. Pei Qingfeng never expected that Bai Luochu would be so impolite when speaking to him and he was struck speechless. On the other hand, Pei Rumo was rejoicing. Even though he knew that Bai Luochu was merely acting out of jealousy, this was the outcome he wanted as Pei Qingfeng wouldn¡¯t be able to board his boat. The person who was completely lost was Ling Xian¡¯er. As the person who caused Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu¡¯s relationship to turn sour, she felt that Pei Qingfeng was definitely going to beat her up when he got the chance. Bai Luochu was waiting for Pei Qingfeng to behave shamelessly and invite himself on board like he usually did. However, even after a long time, Pei Qingfeng remained silent and Bai Luochu became tired of waiting. The air between the two private boats seemed to be still and even the surroundings fell silent. The pitch black sky hung above them and made the scene look extremely oppressive. It was as though the air had turned into liquid and it suffocated the four individuals who were facing each other. Bai Luochu slowly closed her eyes and no one could guess her thoughts. Bai Luochu''s finger trembled slightly and even her lashes started to tremble. After a long moment, she gripped her fist tightly and replied, "Yes! That is what I think!" "Good, good, good." A bleak reply left Pei Qingfeng¡¯s lips. It was too late for regrets as Bai Luochu instantly regretted her words. However, when she thought about how Pei Qingfeng was interacting intimately with Ling Xian¡¯er, she no longer bothered about his feelings. "Since that is the case, it is better for us to stay on our respective boats. A useless person like me shouldn¡¯t disturb the date between my First Brother and Divine Physician Bai." Pei Qingfeng was obviously infuriated and his words were no longer kind. Bai Luochu stared at Pei Qingfeng with a look of disbelief. What in the world is going on?! Is that what he really thinks? Bai Luochu felt that she was a retard for listening to him two days ago. A person would say the meanest things when they were angry. Right now, several statements caused both their hearts to sink into the bottom of the lake. A bone-chilling wind suddenly swept through the area. Ling Xian''er realized that the situation was going south and she quickly laughed wryly in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "Hahahahaha¡­ I should be blamed for this. I¡¯m such a klutz and I hope Your First Highness and Divine Physician Bai wouldn¡¯t hate me for it.¡± Ling Xian''er was nearly going insane from the tense atmosphere. If there was really something going on between Pei Qingfeng and herself, she might be able to explain herself. However, it was impossible for her to be with Pei Qingfeng but she still had to stand in the crossfire of the two parties. She suddenly felt that her life was extremely bitter. Pei Rumo might be an onlooker but he couldn¡¯t allow the situation to deteriorate any further. After all, if Bai Luochu flew into a rage, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to do anything about it. He quickly diffused the situation, "Nonsense! We will never direct our rage at you. However, Divine Physician Bai is in a bad mood right now and her words can be rather spiteful. Please forgive us.¡± Pei Qingfeng frowned when he heard Pei Rumo¡¯s response as he felt that his first brother was trying to close the gap between Bai Luochu and himself. Pei Qingfeng felt extremely disgusted and he quickly retorted, "Is Your First Highness the parasite in Divine Physician Bai''s stomach? How can you know what Luoluo is thinking?" Chapter 312: Ample Charred Taste Pei Qingfeng became even angrier after seeing Bai Luochu¡¯s expressionless face and could no longer control himself. ¡°Oh?! I didn¡¯t know that First Brother had such a great understanding of Divine Physician Bai. It is no wonder the two of you are one the same private boat.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s words had the same impact as sacrificing 800 of his own men to kill 1000 enemies. If Pei Rumo was boating on the lake because of his close relationship with Bai Luochu, Pei Qingfeng wouldn¡¯t be able to explain why he was doing the same with Ling Xian¡¯er. It was obvious Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t able to think straight because of his jealousy. Even though the jealousy in the air was obvious, Bai Luochu¡¯s brain seemed to be damaged as she ignored Pei Qingfeng¡¯s words as she turned to leave. A single action from her caused a huge problem. Bai Luochu was used to walking casually in her casual outfit and she usually walked with large strides. Because of her current getup, she stepped on the hem of her dress and staggered when turning around. After losing her balance, she almost fell off the private boat. ¡°Luoluo!¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw Bai Luochu in danger, he disregarded Ling Xian¡¯er and immediately called out his intimate nickname for Bai Luochu. He got ready to charge over to save her but luckily for everyone, she didn¡¯t fall into the water. Even though there was a distance between the two private boats and Pei Qingfeng had formidable movement skills, she was on Pei Rumo¡¯s boat. With Pei Rumo standing a step or two away from her, he simply reached out to prevent her from falling. Bai Luochu felt a sense of foreboding when she stepped on her dress. If she fell into the lake, hypothermia would be the least of her worries. She cursed in her heart: This is all Cai Ling¡¯s fault! If not for her insistence to dress me up, I wouldn¡¯t trip over myself! Before Pei Rumo heard Pei Qingfeng¡¯s intimate address, he already noticed something wrong with Bai Luochu. However, he moved half a second late and barely managed to catch her before she fell overboard. Luckily for him, he was agile and he managed to pull her back in time. Due to the large inertia, he fell backwards after pulling her back. Bai Luochu prepared to face the chilly water but she felt her head spinning before falling back onto the deck. When she felt that she fell on something soft, she couldn¡¯t help but doubt herself. Bai Luochu opened her eyes and used her hand to prop herself up. After pushing on the soft ground several times, she realized that she was pressing down on Pei Rumo! Bai Luochu looked down and saw Pei Rumo¡¯s mocking smile. A wave of embarrassment washed over her and she tried to stand up. Too bad for her, Pei Rumo held her tightly, preventing her from standing up. Bai Luochu wasn''t used to seeing Pei Rumo like this and immediately asked, ¡°How long more does Your First Highness want to lie on the deck?¡± When Pei Rumo heard Bai Luochu¡¯s question, he knew that she wasn¡¯t playing around and he quickly loosened his grip. When Bai Luochu felt that he was no longer holding onto her, she quickly stood up. Reaching out, she helped Pei Rumo stand up as well. The first thing Pei Rumo did after standing up was to ask Bai Luochu, ¡°How are you? Are you feeling alright?¡± The concern he had for her was so obvious even Pei Qingfeng who was standing on the other boat could hear it. Bai Luochu shook her head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am fine. I was shocked when I nearly fell off the boat but I am fine now. After all, I didn¡¯t fall into the lake. Is Your First Highness feeling alright? Did you sprain your wrist from pulling me back?¡± Pei Rumo had indeed sprained his wrist and it was the reason he didn¡¯t immediately stand up. He didn¡¯t intend to tell Bai Luochu as he didn¡¯t want her to feel guilty because of him. He quickly denied, ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re not that heavy anyway. If I¡¯m weak enough to sprain my arm from pulling you back, how can I fight on the battlefield?¡± It completely slipped Bai Luochu¡¯s mind that Pei Rumo was able to obtain his status in the imperial court because of his bravery in the battlefield. He was an impressive figure in the military and had huge military achievements. She immediately laughed, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! I forgot about that. I hope Your First Highness will not feel offended.¡± Pei Rumo shook his wrist slightly and started to make fun of her, ¡°I won¡¯t feel offended because of that. Why don¡¯t I bring out the snacks and drinks since you have some difficulty walking? The weather isn¡¯t too bad¡­ Let¡¯s sit here and enjoy the wonderful night.¡± After the frightening experience, Bai Luochu¡¯s anger for Pei Qingfeng was already gone. She didn¡¯t refuse Pei Rumo and agreed to his suggestion. Standing still, she remained at the bow of the boat as Pei Rumo went inside to get some snacks. On the other private boat, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face was extremely gloomy. After all, he just saw another man holding the woman he fancied in his embrace. How was he able to remain calm after witnessing all that? Moreover, Pei Qingfeng became even more infuriated when he saw that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t refusing Pei Rumo¡¯s gesture of goodwill. Before Pei Qingfeng could do anything, Pei Rumo came back with the snacks. After putting the cakes and drinks on a small table beside Bai Luochu, he went back inside to get more stuff. Pei Qingfeng became even angrier when he witnessed Pei Rumo¡¯s actions. He almost lost control of himself and without Ling Xian¡¯er holding him back, he might even have flown over to Pei Rumo¡¯s boat to give him a good beating. Chapter 313: Ling Xian’er’s Thoughts After Pei Rumo brought out the osmanthus cakes and the plum blossom brew, he felt that the weather was turning chilly. Recalling the cloaks prepared by Zi Su, he turned around and went back to get them. He carefully placed one on Bai Luochu¡¯s body after bringing them out. At that moment, Bai Luochu was admiring the moon as she thought about recent matters. When Pei Rumo suddenly approached her from behind and placed the cloak over her, she became startled and wanted to dodge. She was a little too late as Pei Rumo had already added some pressure in order to prevent her from running away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a cloak to keep you warm.¡± Pei Rumo carefully adjusted the cloak before walking in front of her to secure it. He didn¡¯t want her to move around as he was afraid she would throw the cloak away, causing her to endure the chill of the night. ¡°Zi Su prepared this cloak as she was afraid you would catch a cold during the trip. Because she did it in a hurry, she wasn¡¯t able to get an accurate measurement of your body. Since she was once your servant girl, she bought one based on your previous measurements. It seems like you have grown taller since then and I will need to inform Zi Su about it so she doesn¡¯t get you the wrong size in the future.¡± Pei Rumo spoke as if they were a couple who had recently been reunited. Bai Luochu had no idea what intimacy was and she quickly praised Zi Su, ¡°That servant girl¡¯s memory is truly praiseworthy. When you return, remember to praise her on my behalf and thank her for her kindness.¡± ¡°Of course. She is probably waiting for you to personally commend her.¡± Pei Rumo continued, ¡°Let¡¯s start eating. If we wait any longer, the liquor is going to go bad.¡± Pei Rumo pulled Bai Luochu¡¯s wrist as he helped her to her seat at the small table. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t forget to pour the liquor for Bai Luochu before wiping off the crumbs on her lips. Bai Luochu tried to dodge, but her actions were completely warped in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes. ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, please don¡¯t get anxious. Why don¡¯t we come up with a plan together?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er felt that Pei Qingfeng was about to snap and she quickly stopped him. Pei Qingfeng rolled his eyes at Ling Xian¡¯er before turning his gaze back to Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you that we are out boating today. If you didn¡¯t decide to go boating, why would we encounter the two of them here?¡± Pei Qingfeng started to complain to Ling Xian¡¯er. Ling Xian¡¯er knew those were words spoken in a fit of anger and decided to remain silent. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing...¡± Ling Xian¡¯er muttered. Ling Xian¡¯er saw that Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind due to his jealousy and she knew she had to explain herself before he blew up. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to throw a tantrum? Can¡¯t you listen to what I have to say?! Think about it! If Divine Physician Bai doesn¡¯t care about you, why would she be so angry when she saw us together? Isn¡¯t it because she cares about you?¡± When Pei Qingfeng heard what Ling Xian¡¯er said, he started to think back to Bai Luochu¡¯s behavior when she first noticed them. It is true that her attitude is vastly different from before. It seems like I am getting muddled due to my jealousy. Anger clouded my judgement when I noticed Luo Chu with Pei Rumo and I wasn¡¯t able to detect anything wrong with her behavior. Xian¡¯er¡¯s words make sense but what can I do now?! Unless... Pei Qingfeng suddenly turned to look at Ling Xian¡¯er and thought about how this shrewd lass always had some weird ideas tucked away somewhere in her brain. She had read too many of those ¡®folk stories¡¯ and might just have an idea in that tiny head of hers. When Ling Xian¡¯er saw that Pei Qingfeng had finally calmed down, she knew that he was ready to listen to her. The only thing she had to do now was to work harder to enlighten this pig-headed individual in front of her. Ling Xian¡¯er cleared her throat and started to speak, ¡°Cough cough. Big Brother Qingfeng might not know about this but for a pair of lovers, the thing they hate most is a grain of sand in their eye. The grain of sand refers to the person standing in the way of their relationship and to Divine Physician Bai, I am that grain of sand. As for the grain of sand in your eye, it would be the man sitting opposite Divine Physician Bai.¡± When Pei Qingfeng heard Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s bad analogy, he quickly interrupted her, ¡°Where in the world do you get these stuff from? It better not be some nonsense you read in some random book.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er saw Pei Qingfeng¡¯s doubt and she tried to explain herself, ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng, how can you say that about me! I am trying my best to help you here and you¡¯re being an ungrateful person!¡± Pei Qingfeng felt that he couldn¡¯t allow Ling Xian¡¯er to create a bigger commotion and he quickly stopped her, ¡°Fine fine fine, you¡¯re a genius. Continue speaking but remember to keep your volume down.¡± After seeing how Pei Qingfeng gave in to her complaints, Ling Xian¡¯er continued her explanation, ¡°Big Brother Qingfeng might be unaware, but young ladies are extremely reserved beings. I think that you should allow me to stimulate Divine Physician Bai so that she can realize her feelings for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem! I can¡¯t be certain that she has feelings for me! If she doesn¡¯t...¡± Pei Qingfeng was never confident when it came to reading Bai Luochu¡¯s feelings. Chapter 314: Night of the Dragon and Fish Dance "Alright, whatever you say." Pei Qingfeng wasn''t able to deal with Ling Xian''er and could only brush her off for now. The still surface of the lake was finally disturbed by the sudden emergence of fireworks. The instant the first firework exploded in the sky, Bai Luochu raised her head in shock. "What occasion is it? Why are there fireworks?" Bai Luochu looked at Pei Rumo, hoping that he could give her an answer. Pei Rumo paused for a moment before replying, ¡°Today is our Cloud Water Nation¡¯s Colored Lantern Festival. Men and women who hold affection for each other would enjoy each other¡¯s company under the beautiful moonlit night. Apart from this lake, the streets should be really lively now. I thought you wouldn¡¯t enjoy the clamor in the streets and chose to bring you to the lake. If you wish to visit the bustling streets, we can go right now.¡± Bai Luochu shook her hand in order to decline the invitation. ¡°I appreciate Your First Highness¡¯ good intention, but I really dislike the hustle and bustle of the streets. Why are fireworks only set off during the Colored Lantern Festival? Why not other festivals?¡± In her previous life, Bai Luochu had never participated in such activities and she became interested after hearing Pei Rumo¡¯s introduction. When Pei Rumo saw that Bai Luochu was full of zest, he wouldn¡¯t choose to hide anything from her. ¡°The Colored Lantern Festival is the most lively festival in the Cloud Water Nation. This isn¡¯t the most important festival, but it is one with the least restrictions. As long as the young lady is of age and the young man is ready to marry, they can invite each other out to enjoy the night of festivities. If the other party is willing to accept the invitation, the relationship is probably going to work. Both sides would probably be sending matchmakers shortly after the festival ends. The fireworks at the end are a kind of blessing for these young men and women. After the fireworks, they would set off sky lanterns and release colored lamps on the surface of the lake. When thousands of lamps are released into the lake, the beauty of such a scene isn¡¯t something one can easily come by. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t go through all the trouble to bring you here tonight.¡± After his explanation, Pei Rumo turned to look at Bai Luochu cautiously. He wanted to see if she realized his true intentions. Only men and women who were mutually affectionate to one another would spend time together at such a festival. Will she understand my intention? Bai Luochu didn¡¯t bother responding and Pei Rumo felt that he did everything for nothing. However, he was able to act as though nothing had happened as he quietly looked at Bai Luochu. Mutually affectionate men and women huh? Bai Luochu turned to look at Pei Qingfeng and Ling Xian¡¯er. Under the illumination of the fireworks, Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s face alternated between light and dark as she various colors of the fireworks painted her skin with myriad of colors. She wasn¡¯t able to forget Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s fairy-like appearance and her carefree and limpid eyes. Bai Luochu became gloomy when she saw Ling Xian¡¯er as their personalities were completely different. For a refined and aloof prince like Pei Qingfeng, Ling Xian¡¯er seemed to suit him more. Bai Luochu could sense the feelings Pei Qingfeng had for her and she knew that she had feelings for him as well. She was merely unwilling to admit it. She didn¡¯t wish for the disaster in her past life to happen again and she kept denying her feelings for him. She kept retreating and finally realized that she was at a dead end. She discovered that the wall stopping her was one she had built around her heart and it wasn¡¯t as indestructible as it seemed. Just a mere push caused the wall to collapse. The jealousy she felt when she saw Pei Qingfeng and Ling Xian¡¯er on the other boat caused her to topple the wall herself. Bai Luochu finally noticed her feelings for Pei Qingfeng. Isn¡¯t it too late¡­ Because of my cowardice, Pei Qingfeng no longer has the courage to pursue me... When Pei Rumo saw Bai Luochu¡¯s confused expression, he knew that she was thinking of Pei Qingfeng. He sat there silently as he sipped on his wine only to discover that it tasted a little bitter. Will she even bother looking at me? If she turns to look at me, does that mean I will have the opportunity to pursue her? As the fireworks ended, a sombre atmosphere descended on the two boats. ¡°Divine Physician Bai, look up to the sky. The sky lanterns have already been set off.¡± Pei Rumo wanted to shift Bai Luochu¡¯s attention and tried to interrupt her thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s really pretty.¡± Bai Luochu replied half-heartedly. It was indeed beautiful as countless sky lanterns rose into the sky. It seemed as though they wanted to compete with the stars in the starry night as they flew higher and higher into the sky. Every single lantern contained the wish of potential couples and it was a breath-taking scene. Apart from the sky lanterns, the surface of the lake was filled with colored lamps. The countless lanterns and lamps contained endless wishes as they drifted towards the unknown. It was a night where the dragons danced in the sky as fishes waltz in the lake. When the colored lamps finally cleared, the sky was no longer filled with sky lanterns. The night eventually passed and Pei Rumo escorted Bai Luochu back to the general¡¯s residence. Before leaving, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t forget to leave behind a few words. ¡°Luo Chu, it is truly fortunate that we can go boating together on the Colored Lantern Festival. If there is a chance in the future, let¡¯s go to other amazing places.¡± Chapter 315: Another Chance Encounter When Bai Luochu¡¯s figure finally disappeared from his sight, Pei Rumo reluctantly ordered Ming Lu to steer the carriage back to the First Prince¡¯s residence. As soon as Bai Luochu returned to the residence, Cai Ling welcomed her back. "Mistress, was the boat ride interesting? Did the First Prince say anything to you?¡± Cai Ling might be an orphan but she understood the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s tradition. When she heard the fireworks exploding in the sky, she realized that it was the Colored Lantern Festival and thinking about how Pei Rumo extended an invitation to Bai Luochu, she immediately understood his intention. However, she was unable to read her mistress¡¯ mind and decided to clear her doubts. Bai Luochu was still in a daze and she spoke like a wooden puppet without a soul, "It was fun but His First Highness didn¡¯t say anything to me.¡± Cai Ling felt a sense of disappointment after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s reply. She thought that the First Prince was an aggressive man but never expected him to chicken out during the trip. If Pei Rumo were to hear Bai Luochu¡¯s statement, his blood vessel would probably pop. He explained the true meaning of the Colored Lantern Festival and his meaning couldn¡¯t be more clear. Anyone would be able to realize his intentions if they used half their brain to think. However, it was a pity his target was Bai Luochu as she only saw him as a friend. After the Colored Lantern Festival, Bai Luochu continued her endless cultivation session as though she was trying to avoid something. That was until Pei Rumo delivered another invitation card. ¡°Mistress, His First Highness delivered another invitation card. Do you wish to take a look?¡± Cai Ling could sense something wrong with her mistress but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything about it in case she angered Bai Luochu. Now that Pei Rumo had finally sent an invitation card over, she finally dared to approach her mistress. Bai Luochu behaved like a machine and she chewed her food methodically. She didn¡¯t raise her head when Cai Ling placed the card down on the table. Without even opening the card, Bai Luochu said to Cai Ling, ¡°As long as His First Highness sends an invitation card, accept them. There is no longer a need to consult me about it.¡± Cai Ling was rather astonished at Bai Luochu¡¯s attitude towards the First Prince, but she didn¡¯t say anything about it. After all, she was merely a servant. Furthermore, her mistress had been acting strangely for quite some time and she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if her mistress went over to the palace to persuade His Majesty to rescind the engagement. As for the state of the First Prince¡¯s residence, it was completely different from the general¡¯s residence. Pei Rumo was busy with political affairs and seemed completely indifferent to the fact that he sent out an invitation card to Bai Luochu. When she finally found some spare time, she entered Pei Rumo¡¯s study room and reported, ¡°Master, the things over at the Landscape Pavilion are in order. We are only waiting for Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s reply.¡± Pei Rumo was still buried under the imperial notices and he gave a quick reply, ¡°I can be at ease with you handling the arrangements. If there is nothing else, you may be dismissed.¡± However, Zi Su stood in the study room for a long time and she didn¡¯t leave. In the past, she would have disappeared a long time ago and this made it obvious that she had something on her mind she wanted to ask Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo kept the imperial notice and raised his head to look at Zi Su, ¡°Speak. There is no need to bottle up your feelings. If you fall sick after keeping everything to yourself, people might think that the First Prince¡¯s residence does not care about the servants¡¯ well-being.¡± After getting teased by Pei Rumo, Zi Su became embarrassed. ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t know if I will overstep my boundaries¡­ Master might even scold me after I ask the question. Whatever the case, I hope Master can clarify this servant¡¯s thoughts.¡± ¡°Whatever it is, you need to ask before I can reply you, no? If you ask about the secrets of our Cloud Water Nation, I can¡¯t possibly tell you, right?¡±Even though Pei Rumo already guessed Zi Su¡¯s question, he wasn¡¯t going to talk about it on his own accord. Zi Su laughed and asked, ¡°This servant knows what can be asked and what cannot be asked. Why would I ask Master about the secrets of our Cloud Water Nation? This servant only wishes to know if Master is interested in Young Lady Luo Chu.¡± Pei Rumo might have already guessed Zi Su¡¯s question, but he was still nervous. His hands started to sweat and he nearly stained the imperial notice in his hand. If I admit to it directly, will I embarrass myself? Pei Rumo didn¡¯t wish to give Zi Su a straightforward answer and he replied, ¡°What if I do and what if I don¡¯t?¡± When Zi Su heard Pei Rumo¡¯s reply, she knew that he had already fallen for Bai Luochu. Zi Su didn¡¯t expose him and she quickly continued, ¡°Master is the First Prince of the Cloud Water Nation and no one will be able to touch you. However, Master needs to be careful as there are other men around Young Lady Luo Chu. Apart from His Second Highness, His Third Highness might also get involved in this matter. If Master is really interested in her, you need to make a move soon.¡± How would Pei Rumo be unaware of the meaning behind her words? ¡°I know what I need to do. Remember to prepare the carriage and I will pick Luo Chu up before going to the Landscape Pavilion.¡± ¡°Yes, this servant understands.¡± Zi Su felt that her master had truly fallen for Young Lady Luo Chu. In the blink of an eye, the day of the appointment arrived and Bai Luochu rode in the First Prince¡¯s carriage towards the Landscape Pavilion. She never expected to encounter Pei Qingfeng and Ling Xian¡¯er at the entrance. When they met again, Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t stop himself from overthinking. Even Ling Xian¡¯er took an extra glance at Pei Rumo and she thought that he was someone with profound schemes. He even included her in his dirty little plot. Chapter 316: ‘Coincidence’ How could Pei Rumo allow Bai Luochu to leave now? His elaborate plan to make Bai Luochu lose her feelings for Pei Qingfeng had just started and if she were to leave right now, his well-thought out plan would be wasted. ¡°Your First Highness, Divine Physician Bai, it is such a coincidence!¡± Pei Qingfeng naturally started to suspect Pei Rumo¡¯s true intention. There was no way he would run into them every time he was out with Ling Xian¡¯er. Pei Qingfeng never expected for Pei Rumo¡¯s information network to be so strong. ¡°That¡¯s right, what a coincidence! I heard that the Landscape Pavilion¡¯s chef prepared his dishes using seasonal fruits and I wanted to bring Luo Chu here to try them. Since we ran into each other, why not have lunch together?¡± Pei Rumo was eager to witness Pei Qingfeng and Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s intimate relationship as he wanted Bai Luochu to hate Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t refuse and quickly agreed. ¡°Sure, if First Brother doesn¡¯t mind, why would I mind?¡± Pei Qingfeng wanted to see what his first brother was up to. Bai Luochu also felt that something was wrong. After all, this wasn¡¯t somewhere princes frequent. Why would they run into Pei Qingfeng and Ling Xian¡¯er? However, she didn¡¯t wish to seem rude and even if she asked, Pei Rumo would never admit it with his stubborn personality. She decided to let his scheme play out. Even though the meal was prepared by elite chefs with the best ingredients, none of them was able to taste a thing. Even though the food was tasteless, Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu both realized that Pei Rumo had feelings for Bai Luochu. As soon as Pei Qingfeng returned to his residence, he immediately summoned his personal guard and secret guard commander to interrogate everyone. ¡°Go and investigate immediately. Who was the one for leaking my plans for the past few days? If you can¡¯t find the culprit, I will hold you responsible.¡± When the two of them heard Pei Qingfeng¡¯s orders, they assumed that a traitor had appeared amongst the servants and Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal safety was threatened. The two of them unleashed their true strength and conducted a thorough investigation of the matter and finally uncovered an old servant who was in charge of the residence¡¯s cleanliness. When the old man was detained and brought to the study room, he didn¡¯t know what was going on. He never expected to be detained by both Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard and the secret guard commander at the same time. When Pei Qingfeng finally spoke to him, he felt that something was wrong. ¡°Did you reveal my recent schedule to anyone?¡± Pei Qingfeng had a stern expression and the old man was so frightened he didn¡¯t dare to lie. He spoke with a stutter. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t know if he should cry or laugh. He had always been vigilant but this old man managed to betray him unknowingly. ¡°Another question. Did you receive any benefits from them?¡± Pei Qingfeng continued. The old man¡¯s expression changed. If I admit to it, His Second Highness will definitely punish me. If I conceal the truth, Master will still punish after he finds out. Whatever the case, a quick death is much better. The old man decided to come clean as he admitted, ¡°He gave me five teals of fine silver to reveal Your Highness¡¯ whereabouts.¡± ¡°Five taels of fine silver? You betrayed me over five teals of silver?!¡± Pei Qingfeng had an expression of disbelief. The old man knew that his odds of survival just plummeted and he nodded fearfully. Pei Qingfeng felt that he was played in the worst possible way and he no longer wanted to speak with the old man. He waved his hand and passed down an order, ¡°Give him some silver and kick him out of the residence. My Second Prince¡¯s residence doesn¡¯t need a slave who betrays his master.¡± Pei Qingfeng finally learned of Pei Rumo¡¯s plan of bringing Bai Luochu to wherever he and Ling Xian¡¯er was. The old fox wanted to anger Bai Luochu and himself at the same time in order to drive a wedge between them. All that just for an opportunity for himself... ¡°Pei Rumo, your name really fits your character! Your heart is as black as ink!¡± Pei Qingfeng cursed. At that precise moment, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard returned and asked, ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you cursing His First Highness?¡± Pei Qingfeng narrated the previous incidents to his personal guard and no matter how dim-witted his personal guard was, he realized the truth. He became more agitated than Pei Qingfeng and he started to panic, ¡°What if Young Lady Luo Chu misunderstands? What are we going to do?!¡± ¡°Relax¡­ Luo Chu is an intelligent individual and after the meeting today at the Landscape Pavilion, she probably noticed that something is up. Now that all of us know of Pei Rumo¡¯s true objective, shouldn¡¯t we start taking action?¡± Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t anxious and ended off at a cliff-hanger. The personal guard was confused, ¡°Master, what are we going to do?¡± Chapter 317: Hidden Agenda Pei Rumo was like a different person and after reading through the imperial notices, he remained in the study room. Instead of resting, he sat up straight as a smile appeared on his face. He looked towards the entrance of the First Prince¡¯s residence as though he was waiting for someone. Zi Su swept away the ashes from the incense burner and looked at Pei Rumo in puzzlement. ¡°Master, it is already deep into the night. Why don¡¯t you return early to rest?¡± Pei Rumo looked at Zi Su and replied, ¡°Light more incense. A guest should be arriving shortly.¡± Zi Su was confused as she didn¡¯t understand why a guest would appear so late in the night. However, Pei Rumo had already given the order and she didn¡¯t dally about. She quickly lit more fresh incense. Pei Rumo knew that with Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personality, he would start an investigation as soon as he noticed that something was off. By then, Pei Rumo wouldn¡¯t be able to hide his true intentions. Whatever the case, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t wish to hide it any longer. After all, they were all of age and Bai Luochu was still single. Why couldn¡¯t he openly contest against his second brother? Before the fragrance of the new incense filled the room. Pei Qingfeng had already barged his way in. Even Ming Lu was unable to stop him. ¡°Your Second Highness, our Master is still working. Please do not disturb him.¡± In order to prevent Pei Qingfeng from charging into the residence, he advised Pe Qingfeng to stop. Ming Lu¡¯s statement was akin to pouring oil over the flames. The enraged Pei Qingfeng lost his temper and yelled at the poor servant boy. ¡°Working? What important state affairs can he be attending to right now? Isn¡¯t he busy coming up with schemes to wreck other people¡¯s relationships?!¡± Before Ming Lu was able to respond, Pei Qingfeng pushed open the door of the study room. He was greeted with Pei Rumo¡¯s smiling face and it seemed as though his first brother had already predicted his arrival. ¡°What a genius! Your First Highness even predicted my arrival! If Your First Highness decides to change a job, why not become a fortune teller in the temple? I don¡¯t think anyone is better than you when it comes to predicting people¡¯s actions.¡± Pei Qingfeng was clearly enraged. His subtle curses were no different than openly slapping Pei Rumo across the face. Pei Rumo acted as though he wasn¡¯t the target of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s rage and he even spoke politely, ¡°The study room is indeed a good place for a discussion between brothers. Why not pour our hearts out to each other here? Zi Su, you may be dismissed.¡± Zi Su might be terrified by Pei Qingfeng who suddenly barged in, but she still obeyed Pei Rumo¡¯s orders and immediately backed out of the room. Before she left, she dragged Ming Lu out as well. ¡°Since you came in such a hurry, I presume you know what I did. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re here for tea and I shall not ask my servants to prepare any. It is getting late and I think that we should settle this quickly.¡± Pei Rumo saw that everyone had left and immediately got to the point. Pei Qingfeng suppressed his anger and started to interrogate Pei Rumo, ¡°Did you ask someone to spy on me?¡± Pei Rumo causally swept the dust off the table and replied, ¡°Yes. Not only did I spy on you, I even invited Luo Chu out in order to ¡®coincidentally¡¯ run into you. We are both clear about Luo Chu¡¯s temper. If she gets angry, she will hate you for life.¡± Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t able to suppress his anger any longer and he grabbed Pei Rumo¡¯s collar. ¡°Why did you do that? What do you stand to gain from doing that?!¡± When Pei Rumo saw that Pei Qingfeng was unable to keep his cool, he mocked him, ¡°The world should really take a look at the current Pei Qingfeng. Take a look at our refined and aloof Second Prince acting like a hoodlum in the streets trying to beat up his older brother. Look at yourself! When it comes to Luo Chu, you are never able to compose yourself!¡± Pei Qingfeng gradually calmed down but his words were still sharp, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me how much you stand to gain from doing all that? Luo Chu will find out sooner or later and once she realizes it, you won¡¯t be any better off.¡± Pei Rumo sneered, ¡°Haha, benefits? There are plenty! I was the first one to get close to her. You pestered her incessantly but managed to gain her affection! In order to make her accept my invitations, I had to look for rare and bizarre treasures around the world! All that for just a smile! You did nothing!¡± ¡°I nearly died to save her....¡± Pei Qingfeng refuted. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that she is treating you differently because of guilt and gratitude? What if there aren¡¯t any feelings between the two of you?¡± Pei Rumo was slowly losing control of himself. Pei Qingfeng felt weak and he slowly sank back into his chair. He was extremely worried that Pei Rumo was right. What if Bai Luochu was treating him differently because of her guilt and gratitude? If it was a mere misunderstanding, he was confident that he would be able to win Bai Luochu¡¯s heart. However, if she was merely being nice to him because of his actions in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Pei Rumo looked at Pei Qingfeng and knew that his words greatly impacted Pei Qingfeng. He felt that he was the winner this time.. Chapter 318: Honest Intention Since Pei Rumo started stabbing at his sore spot, what was stopping him from doing the same? Pei Qingfeng suddenly felt that they were acting like immature children fighting over Bai Luochu as if they were fighting over a toy. ¡°Why else will I put so much effort into this scheme to drive a wedge between the two of you?¡± Pei Rumo invested a lot into the imperial court and right now, he was taking a short break before going back. ¡°This is my only chance. Even if she hates me, I won¡¯t be the only one.¡± Pei Rumo sounded rather deranged as he spoke. ¡°There is still Pei Wuchen. In name, Luo Chu should be Pei Wuchen¡¯s fianc¨¦e and should be our nominal sister-in-law.¡± When Pei Qingfeng noticed that Pei Rumo was ready to risk everything, he managed to calm down and mediate the situation. ¡°So what?¡± Pei Rumo retorted, ¡°Do you really think the engagement is set in stone? With Luo Chu¡¯s current abilities, as long as she says she is not willing to marry Pei Wuchen, no one will be able to do anything to her. Our mistrustful Emperor Father doesn¡¯t bother about such promises, he only cares about benefits. As long as Luo Chu can be used by the imperial clan, it doesn¡¯t matter who she marries.¡± Pei Qingfeng took a step back and laughed silently, ¡°I originally thought that I was the only one who fell for her. Looks like you fell for her the hardest...¡± After getting criticized by Pei Qingfeng, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t have the intention to retort, ¡°You are right. We are all insane¡­ Let¡¯s stop messing about and stop blaming each other.¡± ¡°I just hope you won¡¯t keep using such despicable methods to drive a wedge between us. Luoluo will be the only one to suffer if that happens.¡± Pei Qingfeng persuaded. Pei Rumo nodded in response and said, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t continue doing it. As for Luo Chu¡¯s final decision, let¡¯s compete fairly. Even though I know I might not have a chance, I don¡¯t wish to give up. Do you understand?¡± Pei Qingfeng saw that Pei Rumo had already taken a step back and didn¡¯t want to push his luck. He simply returned to the Second Prince¡¯s residence. After Pei Qingfeng left, Zi Su and Ming Lu rushed in, ¡°Master, are you okay?!¡± Too bad Pei Rumo was immersed in his thoughts and didn¡¯t wish to reply to them. He silently waved his hand to dismiss them. I don¡¯t wish to go out without a bang. Pei Rumo cursed silently, Even though I only wanted to make use of her at first, I managed to fall for her... I¡¯m too deep under and my emotions are already out of control. After saying all those things to Pei Qingfeng, I realized that I am merely lying to myself. If I can¡¯t even do that, how can I keep her by my side? Zi Su had already guessed Pei Qingfeng¡¯s reason for barging into the First Prince¡¯s residence. Knowing that her master needed time alone, she quickly dragged Ming Lu out of the room. ¡°Big Sister Zi Su, did Master quarrel with His Second Highness because of Young Lady Luo Chu?¡± When Ming Lu saw that they were far enough from the study room, he immediately asked. Zi Su never expected that Ming Lu would be able to make the connection. However, it wasn¡¯t wise to speak too much about this matter. If anyone were to hear of this incident, be it her master or Bai Luochu, they might be in trouble. She immediately berated Ming Lu, ¡°This concerns Master and we can¡¯t speak about it! Master doted on you too much¡­ How dare you speculate about Master¡¯s matters?¡± Ming Lu pouted and complained, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t tell me, I already know. Apart from Young Lady Luo Chu, no one can make our Master lose control to such an extent.¡± Zi Su rolled her eyes at Ming Lu and immediately covered his mouth. She brought him away before scolding him, ¡°You are really a little ancestor. I¡¯m telling you not to speak recklessly and you shoot your mouth off the next instant. Do you know how many pairs of eyes are staring at the First Prince¡¯s residence? Why are you speaking so loudly about such matters? Do you wish for His Majesty to send down the order to execute every servant in the First Prince¡¯s residence before you are happy?¡± Ming Lu merely guessed the ins and outs of this matter and never thought of the consequences. His eyes widened to the size of saucers and he became extremely terrified. She quietly allowed Zi Su to pull him back into his room. For the next few days, Pei Qingfeng would either accompany Ling Xian¡¯er to tour the capital city or accompany Honored Tian Yun. In short, he spent all his time around the mysterious group of people. He didn¡¯t know what was going on between Pei Rumo and Bai Luochu. These days, Bai Luochu had a lot of spare time as Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t pester her endlessly. She slowly got closer to Pei Rumo. But every time Pei Rumo wished to express his intention to her, Bai Luochu would immediately change the topic. Slowly, Pei Rumo no longer brought up the topic. Even though he would still invite Bai Luochu on trips, he no longer talked about it. He felt that Bai Luochu was avoiding the topic as she was afraid of losing the man she loved. Chapter 319: The Old Emperor’s Scheme Pei Qingfeng had been busy with the group of mysterious individuals while Pei Rumo was spending time with Bai Luochu. Pei Wuchen wasn¡¯t doing anything because of Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s matter and the other princes were not worth noticing. Since his outstanding sons were all busy and the others were useless in his eyes, the old emperor¡¯s thoughts started to run wild. When weird ideas appeared in the head of the most powerful man in a nation, the calm situation would take a drastic turn. ¡°De Quan... Do you think that our Cloud Water Nation occupies too small of a space on the map?¡± As the old emperor continued to age, his paranoia intensified. Right now, he held more regard for a castrated man like De Quan. He would even consult with the eunuch before doing anything. De Quan could react according to the situation and he was great at reading the emperor''s expression. However, that only applied to matters that didn¡¯t concern the nation. Now that the old emperor had asked him such a serious question, De Quan didn¡¯t know how to reply. The throne room fell into silence and apart from the noise of the bugs struggling to survive, nothing else could be heard. When the old emperor saw how terrified De Quan was, he found it rather funny, ¡°Hahaha, look at you! Why are you getting so nervous? I am merely asking for an opinion, why do you need to be so apprehensive? I will be the one to make the decision in the end. Just speak your mind!¡± De Quan immediately let out a sigh of relief upon hearing His Majesty¡¯s explanation. His Majesty definitely wants to hear a firm answer. To His Majesty, I am his pet parrot. While other parrots have to mimic what others say, I need to repeat the words in the old emperor¡¯s mind.q ¡°This old servant feels that the Cloud Water Nation should occupy a larger space on the map. Now that our Cloud Water Nation is enjoying peace and prosperity, we have adequate resources, and our population is booming, why can¡¯t we seize a piece of territory for ourselves? Our Cloud Water Nation is able to enjoy such prosperity due to Your Majesty¡¯s contribution. The commoners are enjoying their life because of Your Majesty¡¯s grace. All Your Majesty wants is more fertile and spacious land for the nation to grow. The commoners will understand...¡± De Quan brought up all the achievements of the Cloud Water Nation and praised the old emperor before ending his speech. ¡°Hahahaha, that¡¯s exactly what I thought. Since that is the case, I shall ask you one more time, whose land shall we conquer?¡± The old emperor added another question. This wasn¡¯t a difficult question as De Quan knew that the old emperor already had a choice in mind. He merely wanted to tease the old eunuch and De Quan quickly responded, ¡°Your Majesty, please do not tease this old servant. This old servant can¡¯t possibly think about conquering other countries.¡± When De Quan heard the old emperor''s plan, he immediately agreed. ¡°Your Majesty is wise. However, the weather is getting colder and if we wish to conquer the Desolate Region, we have to do it quickly. Otherwise, the weather might affect our speed when traveling through the region.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to think about such trivial matters. I have already decided on the general of the expedition. The timing has already been decided as well.¡± The old emperor¡¯s expression changed and spoke sternly to De Quan. De Quan knew that serving beside the old emperor was akin to living with a tiger and he quickly dismissed himself. He respectfully said, ¡°This old servant understands.¡± The first day of the month rolled around. On the first day of every month, every single official and general of the nation would be present in the morning assembly. Even those who were below the fifth-rank or princes without official roles had to be present. Of course, this was to encourage the freedom of expression as not everyone would be able to speak to the emperor normally. However, as the political group became increasingly corrupted, cover-ups were common occurrences. They were lucky it didn¡¯t get to the point where the country was at risk. The old emperor arrived late and even Pei Qingfeng felt that the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s emperor was getting muddle-headed. Behind the glorious appearance of the Cloud Water Nation was a pile of filth. The old emperor cleared his throat and started speaking, ¡°Cough cough. This Emperor has been dreaming of my parents for the past few days. In my dreams, they would always remind me, ¡®As the crown prince, you must not be mediocre. The future of the Cloud Water Nation is in your hands. If you fail to accomplish anything great, the commoners will suffer with you.¡¯ Their teachings stayed in my mind and luckily for me, I managed to give them a peaceful life. The more I think about it, the more I feel that I could have done more. However, this Emperor is getting old and I feel ashamed for not achieving anything noteworthy.¡± The old emperor pretended to be heartbroken and wiped his tears. After all, he was sitting high above the masses and no one could see his actual expression. Pei Rumo dealt with the old emperor too frequently and he could feel that something was off. The old emperor wasn¡¯t the late emperor¡¯s favorite child¡­ In fact, there were times the late emperor wanted to dispose of him and find another heir. Had it not been an outstanding grandson like Pei Wuchen who allowed the late emperor to see a semblance of hope for the nation, the old emperor wouldn¡¯t be the one sitting on the throne right now. Even if the old emperor dreamt of the late emperor, wouldn¡¯t they be tearing each other¡¯s throat off? Even though Pei Rumo had differing thoughts in mind, he had to attempt to please the old emperor. ¡°Impossible! Emperor Father is healthy and robust! For the commoners to be able to enjoy peace and prosperity is their greatest blessing, how can they be ungrateful to Emperor Father? This is the best time for Emperor Father to bask in the glory of your achievements!¡± Chapter 320: An Imperial Decree When Pei Qingfeng suspected that there was something wrong with his eyes, the old emperor broke out into rambunctious laughter. ¡°HAHAHAHA! Rumo is right. Even if I am old, I can contribute to the nation! Furthermore, everyone sees me as a healthy man at the prime of his life. Since that is the case, I shall announce something important while everyone is present!¡± Pei Rumo and Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyelids started to twitch as they felt a bad omen befall them. ¡°Since my ascension, the commoners are able to enjoy lasting peace because of the work done by this Emperor¡¯s predecessors. Compared to them, my accomplishments are insignificant! As such, this Emperor decided that I shall appoint the First Prince, Pei Rumo, as the Commander in Chief of the expedition to conquer the Desolate Region!¡± Clamor broke out once the old emperor passed down his order. Pei Rumo felt extreme regret as he felt that he had spoken too much earlier. As for Pei Qingfeng, he was rejoicing over his first brother¡¯s misfortune. After all, once Pei Rumo left for the expedition, no one would pester Bai Luochu and he would be able to fix his relationship with her. ¡°Your Majesty, the Desolate Region might be big, but there is no civilization. Now that the weather is turning cold, there will be more losses than gain if His First Highness runs into some trouble!¡± In the imperial court, one of the First Prince faction¡¯s officials retorted. It seemed as though the old emperor had already predicted that someone would object. ¡°I have already thought this through and I shall order Divine Physician Bai to accompany him as a military physician.¡± The moment the words left his mouth, Pei Rumo¡¯s body trembled. He turned around abruptly to look at Pei Qingfeng and noticed that he also had an expression of disbelief. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t have an official position and he never cared about the old emperor¡¯s impression of him. ¡°Your Majesty, you must not!¡± The old emperor never expected for the usually indifferent Second Prince to voice his objection because of a woman. It seemed as though the rumors were true. ¡°Why don¡¯t Qingfeng explain the reason why?¡± The old emperor¡¯s smile nearly stretched from one ear to another and his eyes narrowed to a line. He resembled a crafty old fox. Thinking about Bai Luochu¡¯s safety, Pei Qingfeng no longer concealed his thoughts, ¡°Divine Physician Bai might have extraordinary medical skills, but if she recklessly joins the battle, she will probably die on the battlefield. As a woman, how can she blend into a military camp?¡± ¡°I know that you have a good relationship with Divine Physician Bai. You can be at ease. She will not join the battlefield and will not be mixing around with the stinking men in the military camp.¡± It was obvious that Pei Qingfeng was speaking out of turn. He didn¡¯t even notice that the old emperor¡¯s face was already turning gloomy. Pei Rumo who finally noticed something wrong quickly interrupted Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Emperor Father, please quell your anger. Second Brother has rescued Divine Physician Bai once and spoke out of turn. Will Emperor Father please forgive him?¡± Pei Qingfeng looked at Pei Rumo and a furious expression appeared on his face. Pei Rumo lowered his head and signalled for Pei Qingfeng to remain calm. ¡°Rumo is still the sensible one.¡± The old emperor heard what Pei Rumo said and he turned to reprimand Pei Qingfeng, ¡°You¡¯re being too hot-tempered. If I didn¡¯t make the proper arrangements, why would I request for her to take the risk? I won¡¯t send Rumo to his death, will I?¡± The old emperor¡¯s words might make sense, but Pei Rumo and Pei Qingfeng both knew that he had no idea what dangers the Desolate Region held. However, since the old emperor had already decided on it, no one would be able to stop him. The only thing Pei Rumo could do now was to calm Pei Qingfeng down in order to prevent him from saying things he shouldn¡¯t say in front of the old emperor. No matter how Pei Qingfeng argued his case right now, the old emperor would blame everything onto Bai Luochu. Pei Qingfeng was someone who couldn¡¯t think straight when it concerned her and it was easy for him to make Bai Luochu a target for the old emperor. ¡°If Second Brother cannot feel at ease, as the older brother, I shall personally guarantee her safety.¡± Pei Rumo turned around to speak with Pei Qingfeng. In the eyes of everyone present, he was trying to reassure Pei Qingfeng. However, he turned to give Pei Qingfeng an eye signal as his gaze flashed across the old emperor. As the Second Prince, Pei Qingfeng knew that he would be disrespecting the old emperor in public if he continued to harp on the matter and he would definitely be scolded in private. His actions might even implicate Bai Luochu and he quickly shut his mouth. With Pei Qingfeng falling silent, the commotion reached an end. It was decided and the news of the expedition of conquering the Desolate Region spread like wildfire. As the Commander in Chief of the expedition, Pei Rumo¡¯s reputation hung high up in the afternoon sky. However, everyone was confused as to why Divine Physician Bai was sent out with him. When the eunuch responsible for announcing the imperial decree arrived at the general¡¯s residence, Bai Luochu was finishing up her breakfast. One of the guards ran in and made a report. ¡°Young Lady, there is an imperial decree waiting for you. The eunuch said that it will be in Young Lady¡¯s best interest to hurry up and receive the order.¡± Chapter 321: The Biggest Fox ¡°In tribute to Heaven and to accept the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor¡¯s decree states: Luo Chu of the general¡¯s residence has been practicing medicine and has helped the commoners in the name of Divine Physician Bai. She shall be rewarded with a promotion to an imperial physician! She is to accompany the army to conquer the Desolate Region. The date of departure shall be fixed at a later date. End of the decree!¡± After hearing the orders, Bai Luochu was startled and she only received the decree after several calls by the eunuch. ¡°This old servant shall return to make my report. Young Lady Luo Chu better prepare sufficient luggage for the trip ahead. After all, the Desolate Region isn¡¯t as rich as our Cloud Water Nation. If you forget to bring anything, no one will be able to help you.¡± The eunuch responsible for delivering the decree left the confused Bai Luochu standing at the entrance of the general¡¯s residence. After Bai Luochu entered the courtyard, she put down the imperial decree and prepared to cultivate. Cai Ling was rather curious and picked up the imperial decree. ¡°Shall be promoted to become an imperial physician... Mistress, this is a great thing! Why didn¡¯t you say anything about it?!¡± It was obvious that Cai Ling had only read of the first half of the imperial decree before getting excited. Bai Luochu saw how that Cai Ling was overreacting and she shook her head helplessly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you continue reading before making your verdict?¡± Feeling that something wasn¡¯t right, Cai Ling continued reading the imperial decree. When she saw the words ¡®conquer the Desolate Region¡¯, her eyes widened in shock, ¡°Desolate Region? His Majesty wants a lady like you to ride into battle with His First Highness? Is there something wrong with His Majesty¡¯s head? He is blatantly scheming against Mistress! Mistress, can you not go? The Desolate Region doesn¡¯t sound like a friendly place.¡± Of course Bai Luochu didn¡¯t wish to head over to the Desolate Region. However, if she failed to follow the order, she would be defying the imperial decree. If she wanted to worm her way out of it, she had to produce a legitimate reason to convince the old emperor to allow her to stay. She would also need to bring out sufficient benefits to tempt him. I can¡¯t deal with this decree as I please. It has just been issued and if I find a reason to refuse it, I will be disrespecting the old emperor. If he makes a big deal out of it, things will get troublesome¡­ I guess I¡¯ll think of something tomorrow. Throwing the matter to the back of her mind, Bai Luochu went back to cultivating and left behind a worried Cai Ling. ... A stick of incense was still burning in the censer and the smoke formed a veil over the old emperor¡¯s face. De Quan couldn¡¯t see his expression, but it was clear that the old emperor had a plan. ¡°Do you think that lass from the general¡¯s residence has nothing up her sleeves? She is an incredible individual. If she agrees to take part in the expedition, I will be able to test her limits. If she doesn¡¯t agree to go, she will definitely come over to offer me some benefits in exchange. No matter what, I won¡¯t be on the losing end, right?¡± De Quan responded quickly by praising the old emperor, ¡°Your Majesty is wise.¡± In De Quan¡¯s heart, he cursed, The old emperor is getting better and better at scheming. If I can¡¯t keep up, I¡¯ll probably turn into a corpse soon. On the other side, Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo were in an endless dispute in the First Prince¡¯s residence. ¡°Why did you spout so much bullshit in the imperial court? No one ever came out of the Desolate Region alive! If something happens to Luo Chu, how are you going to take responsibility for your actions?¡± Pei Qingfeng raged. Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t going to allow Pei Qingfeng to do all the talking, ¡°You have disrespected His Majesty in front of all the civil and military officials! If I were the emperor, I would¡¯ve thrown you out! If I wasn¡¯t there to stop you, you would have completely offended Emperor Father.¡± ¡°So be it. I don¡¯t wish to sit on the throne and he can¡¯t do anything about it. He has already done so many bad things! He should be the one afraid of criticism!¡± Seeing that the old emperor placed Bai Luochu in danger, Pei Qingfeng no longer cared about manners and he shot his mouth off. When Pei Qingfeng faced Pei Qingfeng who was bordering on irrational, he reprimanded, ¡°I¡¯m trying to hold myself back, but can¡¯t you think about your actions? You¡¯re turning into a brainless idiot when it comes to anything involving Luo Chu! In the end, you¡¯re acting like a lunatic because you want to accompany her there as well, right?!¡± Pei Qingfeng muttered, ¡°Yes....¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s head was about to explode. ¡°Can¡¯t you just trust me for once? I don¡¯t care what you think of me! Sinister, scheming or despicable¡­ You can think whatever you want. As for Luo Chu, I will never allow her to be harmed. Even if I have to use my life to protect her, I will ensure her safety! Can you calm down now?!¡± Pei Qingfeng slowly raised his head and asked, ¡°Are you telling the truth? Are you sure you will risk your life to protect Luoluo?¡± Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t happy with how Pei Qingfeng had been addressing Bai Luochu but he nodded anyway. ¡°Absolutely. Right now, you need to look for the flexible hedgehog armor in your treasury and pass it to Luo Chu. That can serve as the last line of defense in case I am unable to get to her in time.¡± Pei Qingfeng nodded and felt that this statement was the most useful one Pei Rumo uttered the entire day. He quickly made his way back to the Second Prince¡¯s residence in order to look for the armor. Pei Rumo thought everything through and Pei Qingfeng was acting like a cat on a hot tin roof. The final party, Lu Wenshu, finally showed up in the First Prince¡¯s residence after receiving the news. ¡°Young Master Lu sure is free today...¡± Pei Rumo felt drained. First, he had to deal with the emperor, then, he had to deal with Pei Qingfeng. Right now, Lu Wenshu appeared. This was the liveliest his First Prince¡¯s residence had been in a long time. Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t exchange any conventional greetings and immediately got to the point. ¡°I am here today to discuss a deal with Your First Highness.¡± Chapter 322: Lu Wenshu’s Deal ¡°Young Master Lu should speak your mind. I haven¡¯t decided whether or not to accept your proposal.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s current status was comparable to Lu Wenshu and now that Lu Wenshu paid him a sudden visit, he felt something off. Lu Wenshu was adept at scheming but if he failed to speak his mind when talking to Pei Rumo, the First Prince might become more suspicious. ¡°Your First Highness will definitely be satisfied with my deal. Just some time ago, I heard that Your First Highness will be going to the Desolate Region with Divine Physician Bai. As it happens, I have something to do there and if you don¡¯t mind, we can travel together.¡± Lu Wenshu stated. Pei Rumo felt that Lu Wenshu was right. However, he didn¡¯t wish to easily accede to Lu Wenshu¡¯s request as it would make him seem weak. ¡°Young Master Lu is rather considerate. Even though you will be able to lead us there, we won¡¯t be able to avoid using more manpower and resources.¡± Lu Wenshu obviously knew that Pei Rumo was asking for benefits. In his eyes, Pei Rumo seemed to turn into a fox who didn¡¯t want to suffer from any disadvantage. Lu Wenshi¡¯s expression remained unchanged and he explained, ¡°Your First Highness seems to be misunderstanding something about the Desolate Region. The reason behind its name is because of the absence of human presence. However, that¡¯s not all. When somewhere has a high concentration of spirit qi and no one to absorb it, natural treasures would be produced, attracting plenty of spirit beasts. Even though Your First Highness¡¯ army is brave and strong, they have little to no knowledge of spirit beasts. Won¡¯t someone like me be the best candidate to lead them during the battle against the beasts?¡± After listening to Lu Wenshu, Pei Rumo knew that he had no reason to refuse. ¡°Since Young Master Lu gave me a reason I can¡¯t refuse, I won¡¯t. However, I have no idea if Divine Physician Bai will go. I wonder if there is a way to bait her into going?¡± Lu Wenshu fell silent for a moment as he thought of something. After some time, he raised his head to speak, ¡°If Your First Highness trusts me, I can give Your First Highness a reason to make Young Lady Luo Chu participate in the expedition.¡± Pei Rumo raised his brows and felt that Lu Wenshu was probably going for Bai Luochu as well. Whatever the case, it was better that someone familiar with spirit beasts would be going with them. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that bringing Lu Wenshu along was worth it. ... Even though Pei Rumo could see that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t excited to see him, he didn¡¯t get angry. ¡°I have no other intentions. I am only here to give you a reason to head over to the Desolate Region.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s curiosity was piqued. When Pei Rumo said that he had something she would be interested in, it was definitely good stuff. ¡°Your First Highness, please elaborate. If your reason is convincing enough, I don¡¯t mind making a trip to the Desolate Region.¡± Bai Luochu remained indifferent as though she wouldn¡¯t be tempted no matter how enticing it was. Pei Rumo laughed inwardly and felt kind of sad that she was treating him the same as before. Even though he was a little disappointed, he knew that she was definitely going to be interested in what he was about to reveal. ¡°There is a rare herb only found in the Desolate Region and it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to call it an immortal herb. Have you heard of the Field Pearl Flower? This rare flower was only said to exist in legends but my sources told me that a stalk bloomed in the Desolate Region.¡± Bai Luochu was definitely tempted. However, she didn¡¯t immediately agree. ¡°That¡¯s it? Putting aside the fact that even if such a mystical herb exists, there will definitely be a terrifying spirit beast standing guard beside it. Even if we know of its whereabouts, it will be impossible to retrieve the herb.¡± Pei Rumo never thought so far ahead and he stood there blankly. Bai Luochu became unable to make up her mind and she found an excuse to worm her way out of giving the First Prince a definite reply. ¡°Why don¡¯t you head on back first? If I wish to go, I will definitely send you a message.¡± Pei Rumo had no other choice but to return to the First Prince¡¯s residence to wait for a reply. When Bai Luochu saw that Pei Rumo had gone far away, she immediately instructed Cai Ling, ¡°Guard the general¡¯s residence. I am going to the Remote Paddy Inn and you cannot let anyone into the residence while I am gone.¡± It had been a long time since Cai Ling saw Bai Luochu acting so serious. She immediately understood the severity of the situation and acknowledged, ¡°Mistress doesn¡¯t have to worry. With this servant guarding the residence, everything will be fine.¡± Bai Luochu relaxed when she heard Cai Ling¡¯s guarantee and she quickly headed towards the secluded courtyard. Entering the secret room, she used the tunnel to head for the Remote Paddy Inn. When Bai Luochu arrived at the Remote Paddy Inn, Ying Lan had already found out about the expedition to the Desolate Region. Just as he wanted to look for Bai Luochu, she appeared in front of him. Chapter 323: Proper Arrangemen When Bai Luochu noticed that Ying Lan was getting anxious, she knew that he had already found out about the expedition. She didn''t deny and admitted it frankly, "That¡¯s right. I am here to discuss some matters with the three of you. If I leave for the Desolate Region, I won¡¯t be able to handle the matters of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Arrangements must be made.¡± Ying Lan seemed as though he wanted to say something but was cut off by Bai Luochu. "Wait till the other two come before speaking." Without a choice, Ying Lan had to go and look for Guan Yue and Meng Luoping. Ying Lan briefly explained the situation to the two of them along the way and the moment Meng Luoping entered the Remote Paddy Inn, he asked Bai Luochu, "Divine Physician Bai, are you really going to the Desolate Region?" Bai Luochu saw the nervous trio and immediately started speaking, "No need to be nervous. I have my reasons for doing so. If the three of you are worried, why don¡¯t you blend into the First Prince¡¯s army and follow me to the Desolate Region?¡± Bai Luochu saw the anxious Meng Luoping and found it amusing. She couldn¡¯t help but tease him. Ying Lan noticed that Bai Luochu was in the mood to play around and realized that the situation wasn¡¯t as bad as he made it out to be. He might be adept at doing business but Bai Luochu was adept at scheming. If she was going to face danger, there was no way she would joke around with them. Moreover, she would immediately refuse the imperial decree. However, Meng Luoping wasn''t able to keep calm. When he first heard Ying Lan¡¯s explanation, he wanted to charge straight into the Remote Paddy Inn to dissuade his mistress from heading to the Desolate Region. He no longer held himself back when he stood in front of her, "Divine Physician Bai, you have to think it through. We¡¯re talking about the Desolate Region here. It isn¡¯t inhabited by humans and the dog emperor is probably trying to test your limits by sending you there. If that isn¡¯t his intention, he is probably trying to get rid of you. He has already dug such a huge pit for you¡­ why are you jumping head-first into it?¡± Bai Luochu stared at the nervous Meng Luoping and felt like laughing. She calmly explained, "Don''t be in a hurry. All of you should calm down and listen to my reason for heading to the Desolate Region. I am not a fool and I know that this is a trap dug by the old emperor. I¡¯m not close enough to Pei Rumo to be buried alongside him.¡± When she was done, she realized that Meng Luoping and the others had composed themselves. She started talking about the Field Pearl Flower. After she spoke, an enlightened expression formed on Guan Yue and Ying Lan¡¯s face. Only Meng Luoping was left panicking. "Are you sure?! What if Pei Rumo is lying to you?¡± Guan Yue glanced at Bai Luochu and immediately knew that she had made up her mind. Even though he knew that he wasn¡¯t going to change her decision, he asked, "It seems like you have made the decision to go?" Guan Yue had always been the least talkative among the trio. If even Guan Yue was speaking up, it meant that Bai Luochu¡¯s actions were really dangerous. Since she had already made her decision, Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t let anyone change her mind. She nodded and declared, "Yes, I am definitely going to the Desolate Region." "Have you thought of what will happen if something happens to you? What are the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence going to do? During the Phoenix King Valley''s disciple selections, you tried so hard to rope us in... Right now, you are going to disregard us and leave as you wish?" Meng Luoping realized that the analytical way of persuasion wasn''t going to work, hence, he used the emotional method and hoped to move Bai Luochu. "Nothing will happen to me. Even if something happens..." Before Bai Luochu could finish, Ying Lan interrupted her. "Even if something happens, I will help Mistress to bring glory to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Our faction¡¯s name will definitely resound throughout the world. If Mistress really meets with mishap on this trip..." "We will first investigate Mistress¡¯ current status. If she is dead, we will need to see a corpse. As long as there is the slightest possibility of Mistress being alive, we will use the full strength of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to bring you back." Guan Yue stated. Meng Luoping heard Guan Yue''s words and understood there was no way to turn this around. He had no choice but to accept. He muttered, "If you really head to the Desolate Region, you must be careful." Seeing the fearless trio, Bai Luochu felt helpless. However, a burst of warmth filled her heart. During her second life, she was actually able to discover so many individuals who were truly concerned for her. It was much better than her past life. "Enough! I haven¡¯t set off for the Desolate Region and all of you are pulling long faces. Are you people afraid I will run off and leave you behind?!" Bai Luochu knew that they were genuinely worried for her but she didn¡¯t want the atmosphere to turn sour. She quickly changed the topic. "I called the three of you here as I need to make new arrangements for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. We need to think through our next course of actions." Bai Luochu took out a small bottle and handed it to Guan Yue. "This bottle contains poison and we should use it to fortify our defenses. It has been a long time since we have established ourselves and the poison array at the entrance should be losing its effects. Even though not many factions dare to offend us, we still need to be careful. Scatter this all around the array and there shouldn¡¯t be any problems for quite some time.¡± Chapter 324: The Night of Parting By the time Bai Luochu finished her briefing, night had already fallen. Originally, Ying Lan wanted her to stay in the Remote Paddy Inn for a farewell dinner, but she refused. ¡°The Desolate Region isn¡¯t like the capital city. I need to make full use of my time to pack for the expedition. As a military physician, I have to bring some treatment tools and elixirs just in case. With how urgently the old emperor is treating this, I might have to leave the day after tomorrow.¡± Ying Lan naturally understood what Bai Luochu said and no longer tried to keep her. Bai Luochu merely waved her hand before heading to the First Prince¡¯s residence. ¡°Say, do you think Divine Physician Bai will return safely?¡± Meng Luoping was a complete businessman and he hated to take risks. He wasn¡¯t able to understand the meaning behind Bai Luochu¡¯s actions. ¡°Of course she will. Heaven helps the worthy. Divine Physician Bai will surely return safely. Perhaps, when she returns, a completely different Divine Physician Bai will appear before us.¡± Guan Yue answered. Ying Lan preferred Guan Yue¡¯s statement, ¡®Heaven helps the worthy¡¯. This was the most suitable statement to describe Bai Luochu. After a miserable death, his mistress was able to reincarnate into her current body. If this wasn¡¯t Heaven helping the worthy, what was? Bai Luochu went over to the First Prince¡¯s residence to confirm her attendance for the expedition before returning to the general¡¯s residence. The moment she returned, she made a list of everything she needed and passed it to Cai Ling. ¡°Pack everything on this list.¡± Cai Ling glanced at the list and immediately went to work. Bai Luochu was shocked that this little chatterbox would start working so quickly as she was prepared to give her a lengthy explanation behind her acceptance of the imperial decree. Bai Luochu was even more amazed when Cai Ling reappeared in just a short while. Cai Ling placed the items on the table and said to Bai Luochu, ¡°When Mistress said you were going to look for Commander Ying at the Remote Paddy Inn, this servant already understood Mistress¡¯ intentions. I knew you were determined to head over to the Desolate Region and I packed everything in advance.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that all your efforts would be in vain when I came back and rejected the imperial decree?¡± Bai Luochu was very surprised at Cai Ling¡¯s attentiveness. Cai Ling replied casually, ¡°It¡¯s even better if Mistress decides not to go. This servant will be happy to unpack the items. If Mistress decides to go anyway, the items will already be packed. No matter what, this servant can¡¯t go wrong.¡± Cai Ling lowered her head and in response and started to sob, ¡°Mistress, can you promise this servant one thing?¡± Bai Luochu naturally detected Cai Ling¡¯s abnormal response and immediately said, ¡°Of course, as long as I can do it, I will promise you anything.¡± Cai Ling raised her head and Bai Luochu could see tears swirling around the rims of her eyes. ¡°This servant begs Mistress to return safely! This servant still has many things that I cannot do well and I definitely require Mistress¡¯ help!¡± Bai Luochu let out a long sigh. She is still a young girl and doesn¡¯t wish to part with me¡­ I¡¯m sure she is afraid that something will happen to me and is only putting up a strong front so as not to burst into tears. ¡°Alright, I promise you.¡± Bai Luochu replied and rubbed Cai Ling¡¯s head. ¡°Really?¡± Bai Luochu was truly worried about Bai Luochu. She was going to the Desolate Region and it was a place where no humans came back alive. Cai Ling wasn¡¯t able to accept the fact that her mistress was going to enter such a dangerous place. ¡°When have I ever lied to you? I will definitely fulfill my promise to you.¡± Bai Luochu promised Cai Ling. Cai Ling finally dropped the subject. At the Second Prince¡¯s residence, Pei Qingfeng had rummaged through the entire residence and he nearly turned it inside out. After looking in a locked storage room, he managed to find the flexible hedgehog armor that was covered in a layer of dust. He held it like a kid holding candy. He almost jumped for joy as he called for his personal guard, ¡°Hurry up and prepare the carriage to head for the general¡¯s residence.¡± When Pei Qingfeng carried the dusty hedgehog armor and entered the gates of the general¡¯s residence, Bai Luochu thought that Pei Qingfeng had gone crazy. She even thought that he had snatched a piece of clothing off a beggar on the street before coming to look for her. After all, Pei Qingfeng looked extremely haggard after tearing through half his residence. The usual elegance was nowhere to be found. His face was filled with black patches from all the dust and there were even white patches of god-knows-what covering his face. His hair was dishevelled and he looked like he hadn¡¯t bathed in days. Before coming to the general¡¯s residence, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard persuaded him to wash up before heading over. However, he was shot down by Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Impossible! What if I¡¯m too late?! What if Luoluo is already gone?! If something happens to her because I failed to deliver the armor on time, are you going to take responsibility?!¡± Chapter 325: Improper Appearance ¡°Why is Your Second Highness here?¡± Since Pei Qingfeng paid her a visit, Bai Luochu felt that she would be rude if she didn¡¯t exchange some greetings. Standing in front of Bai Luochu, Pei Qingfeng was at a loss of what to say. What should I say? I was the one who gave her the cold shoulder these few days¡­ I also went on a trip with Ling Xian¡¯er without telling her. I won¡¯t be surprised if she is currently angry at me. His guard had no choice but to break the silence, ¡°In response to Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s question, my Master heard about Young Lady¡¯s expedition to the Desolate Region and became very anxious. As he wasn¡¯t able to convince His Majesty otherwise, he can only do all he can to keep you safe. Things might go wrong on the trip and my Master can¡¯t join the expedition even if he wanted to. As such, he dug out the flexible hedgehog armor to serve as Young Lady¡¯s last line of protection.¡± Flexible hedgehog armor? Bai Luochu raised her brows in response. In her previous life, she never used armor as she was able to condense her immense spirit qi into an unbreakable armor. The extremely rare flexible hedgehog armor became a mere object she had seen in some books. When she looked at the dusty armor lying in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s arms, she wasn¡¯t able to recognize it. Pei Qingfeng naturally noticed Bai Luochu¡¯s confusion and he felt that she was doubting the authenticity of the armor. He quickly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t look down on the armor because of its appearance. I left it in a storage room to collect dust as I had no need for it. After you get someone to wash it up, it will look much better. Furthermore, this flexible hedgehog armor has many functions...¡± Pei Qingfeng was like a broken jukebox as he went on and on. Whatever the case, they were standing at the entrance of the general¡¯s residence. The usually elegant Second Prince was holding onto a set of dusty armor while going on and on about in with his dishevelled look. He looked extremely eye-catching. Even though it was rude to interrupt someone in the middle of their sentence, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°Your Second Highness, you look rather haggard and it will be better for you to enter the residence first. Furthermore, the appearance is rather improper right now. It is better for you to enter the residence first. Furthermore, haven¡¯t you heard the saying ¡®An innocent man commits a crime if he treasures a jade ring¡¯? If you list out the benefits of the flexible hedgehog armor out on the streets, won¡¯t the general¡¯s residence be filled with thieves? I should at least serve a cup of tea to thank Your Second Highness for bringing the armor to me. Why don¡¯t we discuss more in the reception pavilion?¡± Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t think of anything else other than protecting Bai Luochu. If he placed her in harm¡¯s way because of his big mouth, all his goodwill would go down the drain. Once Pei Qingfeng sat down, he wanted to go on about the benefits of the armor but was interrupted by Bai Luochu. ¡°Cai Ling, ask a manservant to bring a bronze mirror, some hot water, and a towel. Boil a pot of tea while you¡¯re at it and make sure the taste isn¡¯t too strong.¡± Cai Ling knew that her mistress couldn¡¯t bear to see Pei Qingfeng¡¯s haggard appearance. Hence, she quickly left to carry out Bai Luochu¡¯s orders. Even though she didn¡¯t like how Pei Qingfeng was treating her mistress recently, she had to follow Bai Luochu¡¯s instructions. ¡°I¡¯m not petty about the tea leaves. However, night is falling and if we drink too much tea, it will be hard to fall asleep.¡± Bai Luochu turned around and explained. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t mind. He replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I am already very happy that you are still willing to sit and drink tea with me. I found this armor after flipping the entire residence upside down. Even though I never used it before, I can¡¯t deny the effectiveness of the armor. Just be careful when washing it.¡± Pei Qingfeng passed the armor over to Bai Luochu. ¡°Your Second Highness is too kind. Of course I understand the uses of the flexible hedgehog armor. If Your Second Highness has anything else to say to me, please do so. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re here just to deliver the armor, right?¡± Bai Luochu shook the hedgehog armor, causing a portion of the dust to scatter in the air. The dust particles shimmered under the soft moonlight, forming a beautiful scene. Bai Luochu was clear about the uses of the armor. She even knew that only one armor would be produced every few dozen years. The threads were spun using the fur of various spirit beasts. During the process, the spines from the head of the Spirit Hedgehogs were added in. The spines could only be found from adult Spirit Hedgehogs and it was where the Spirit Hedgehogs stored spirit qi. Only Spirit Hedgehogs above one hundred years old would be able to produce one. Every hundred years, one spine would be produced and one Spirit Hedgehog would only produce five spines in its lifetime. A single piece of armor used a thousand spines and the value could be imagined. The materials might already be priceless, but the function was the most important part of the armor. Putting aside the fact that it was impervious to weapons, fire, and water, it was able to withstand a single blow from pinnacle experts. Furthermore, it was able to block off poison from different types of spirit beasts. The person wearing the armor could even activate the spines by infusing spirit qi into it. The spines would be able to stop approaching enemies, thereby protecting the user. When Pei Qingfeng was still in shock after learning that Bai Luochu knew the uses of the armor, Cai Ling came over with a pot of tea. A manservant followed behind her with a bronze mirror and hot water. Pouring tea for Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng, Cai Ling quickly gestured towards the water and mirror, ¡°It is better for Your Second Highness to groom yourself. Otherwise, when you leave the general¡¯s residence, outsiders might think that we send our guests to do manual labor.¡± Chapter 326: Reluctant Parting Pei Qingfeng realized that he was the person in the mirror and he almost died from embarrassment. No wonder everyone was avoiding me when I went over to the general¡¯s residence. ¡°This... I was in a hurry to deliver the armor to you, hence, I didn¡¯t bother to look at my appearance in the mirror. Please don¡¯t be offended.¡± Pei Qingfeng felt that he should explain himself before his image plunged. When Bai Luochu saw the nervous Pei Qingfeng, she couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter. ¡°Hahaha, it doesn¡¯t matter! Your Second Highness is only concerned about my well-being. How can I despise you because of your appearance?¡± Bai Luochu felt that the current Pei Qingfeng was much more easily affected by other people¡¯s opinion of him. He was no longer the unattainable moon in the night sky. Pei Qingfeng saw that Bai Luochu was laughing because of his unkempt appearance and he felt that it wasn¡¯t too bad. He allowed the manservant to freshen him up before he asked, ¡°Even though I know you won¡¯t change your mind, I hope you can reconsider your decision.¡± Bai Luochu placed her cup down and sighed helplessly, ¡°Why are all of you looking down on me? Since I have the confidence to accept the imperial decree, I definitely had a way to keep myself safe. With the addition of your flexible hedgehog armor, nothing will go wrong¡­¡± ¡°Are you going because of Pei Rumo?¡± Pei Qingfeng was finally unable to control himself as he blurted out the question in his heart. Bai Luochu was befuddled. Why does everyone think that I love risking my life for others? Whatever, I can¡¯t let Pei Qingfeng misunderstand in case he causes more trouble. ¡°Nonsense! I will only do things that benefit myself. As for His First Highness, he is merely the Commander in Chief appointed by His Majesty. I am the army physician appointed by His Majesty and I can¡¯t possibly go against the imperial decree with my lowly identity, right? If it was possible to refuse the imperial decree, I would have already done so.¡± Pei Qingfeng sighed in relief. Even if she doesn¡¯t have me in her heart, as long as she isn¡¯t thinking of anyone else, it¡¯s fine. Even though Pei Qingfeng was worried for her safety and knew that if he spoke with Honored Tian Yun, he would be able to convince the old emperor to retract the decree, he didn¡¯t dare to do it. No matter what, he had to think about what Bai Luochu wanted to do. He had no choice but to use his last resort to convince Bai Luochu to stay, ¡°Luoluo, if there is a way for you not to head over to the Desolate Region, will you take it?¡± ¡°Are you going to ask the mysterious group of people to convince His Majesty?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t troublesome.¡± Pei Qingfeng thought that Bai Luochu was refusing because she wanted to be polite and he quickly responded. Bai Luochu shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not refusing because I¡¯m afraid of troubling you. Instead, I need to go on the campaign as there is something I want there.¡± Pei Qingfeng knew that there was no chance of keeping Bai Luochu in the capital city. The air between them became still once again. ¡°You... have nothing else to say to me?¡± Bai Luochu broke the silence first. She felt that Pei Qingfeng wouldn¡¯t appear in the general¡¯s residence just to persuade her to stay. Pei Qingfeng muttered to himself before speaking up, ¡°Originally, I thought I would be able to persuade you to stay. Hence, I didn¡¯t prepare a farewell speech. Moreover, I need to attend to Honored Tian Yun for the next few days and I might not be able to send you off. I wanted to have a farewell dinner with you today. It¡¯s a pity we don¡¯t have any fine liquor or delicacies.¡± Pei Qingfeng sounded a little regretful but Bai Luochu quickly consoled him, ¡°It is just formalities, why adhere to it so rigidly?¡± ¡°You are right. But after seeing you, I forgot everything I wanted to say. I only remember a small part of my speech...¡± Pei Qingfeng shifted his gaze only to realize that Bai Luochu was staring right back at him. Looking into each other¡¯s eyes, a smile slowly formed on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face. A smile filled with sentiments and love eventually filled his face and he burned the image of Bai Luochu¡¯s face into his mind. ¡°Come back safely. Luoluo, I just want you to... come back safely.¡± Even though you might not be thinking of me, I will be thinking of you. As long as you come back safely, nothing else matters. Of course, Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t voice his thoughts. Even though he wanted to say some lovey-dovey words to Bai Luochu, he decided against it. Firstly, their relationship wasn¡¯t at that point yet and secondly, the voice in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s heart told him that nothing else mattered as long as she was safe. Bai Luochu was startled at first. After all, even Bai Luochu thought that Pei Qingfeng would say mushy words to send her off. Furthermore, she was going to spend a long time together with Pei Rumo and she could also understand Pei Qingfeng¡¯s thoughts. She never expected that Pei Qingfeng would merely tell her to come back safely. Was she disappointed? Not necessarily. Bai Luochu had a cold personality and if Pei Qingfeng really said something sentimental to her, she might not get it. When she realized that he only wanted her to come home safely, a warm feeling buzzed in her heart. Her heartstring was like the surface of a calm lake. His words were like a gentle wind blowing across the land. As the soft breeze blew across the calm lake, ripples formed. Bai Luochu could feel something stirring in her heart. After a long silence, Bai Luochu replied with resolution, ¡°Alright, I promise you that I will come back safely.¡± Pei Qingfeng heaved a sigh of relief. The journey ahead might be unpredictable, but with Bai Luochu¡¯s promise, Pei Qingfeng became reassured that she wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid. Chapter 327: Not Even Once After taking two steps, Pei Qingfeng seemed to recall something and turned back to face Bai Luochu, "Don¡¯t forget about your promise." Bai Luochu laughed... The usually aloof Pei Qingfeng is acting so childishly today! Bai Luochu knew that if she didn¡¯t promise Pei Qingfeng, she wasn¡¯t going to hear the end of it. "I will definitely come back safely. When I get back, I will report to you as soon as I can.¡± Pei Qingfeng nodded with satisfaction and muttered softly, "If anything happens to you, I will settle the score with Pei Rumo. Burning down the First Prince¡¯s residence is the first thing I¡¯ll do¡­¡± Bai Luochu might not be able to hear what he said, but she heard Pei Rumo¡¯s name. She became curious and asked, "Pei Rumo? Why did you mention the First Prince?¡± Pei Qingfeng opened his mouth and prepared to speak about his deal with Pei Rumo but his personal guard signaled him to stay silent in case he said anything wrong. Pei Qingfeng quickly shut his mouth as he felt that his personal guard was right. Bai Luochu might even think that he was meddling in her affairs. He offered a simple explanation, "Nothing much." He then immediately left as though he was afraid she would follow up with another question. Bai Luochu looked at Pei Qingfeng¡¯s back view as she shook her head and laughed helplessly. I previously thought that Pei Qingfeng was the most proper and upright prince. It seems like I was wrong. All of them are weird. After Pei Qingfeng left, Bai Luochu instructed Cai Ling, ¡°Cai Ling, prepare a basin of clean water for me. I shall personally wash the armor to prevent anyone from getting hurt.¡± Cai Ling knew that the dusty armor was a priceless treasure and she immediately did as she was told. By the time Cai Ling brought the water over, it was already late at night. Even though the moon was hanging high up in the night sky, Bai Luochu prepared to clean it before airing it through the night. This was the first time Cai Ling saw such a unique style of cleaning armor. Bai Luochu used her spiritual energy to form a ball of water before splashing it on the armor. After several repetitions, the armor became sparkling clean. The entire armor was in perfect condition and only water stains were left on the surface. With its flawlessly smooth surface, water droplets dripped down the surface of the armor, forming a small puddle on the ground. Bai Luochu glanced at the mess and sheepishly apologized, ¡°I... forgot about this. I should have asked you to bring over an empty basin too.¡± Cai Ling felt that her mistress was really cute when she apologized. She was like a little kid who had done something wrong and was waiting for punishment. Cai Ling was willing to mop the ground over and over again just to see her mistress¡¯ current expression. After everything was done, the entire courtyard fell into silence. ¡°Mistress, it is getting late. Shouldn¡¯t you head to bed now in order to wake up in time to cultivate?¡± Cai Ling made the bed and said to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu nodded, ¡°Of course.¡± After speaking, she headed for the bed stand in order to remove all her accessories. Cai Ling stood silently in the room even though she should have left. Bai Luochu felt that there was something off with the little lass today and she turned to look at Cai Ling. ¡°Just speak your mind. I will answer all of your questions.¡± Bai Luochu stated as she took off her clothes. Cai Ling already knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to hide her thoughts from her mistress and she expressed her doubts, ¡°Mistress, His Second Highness had been treating you well in the past. Right now, His First Highness has taken over that role. I originally thought that His Second Highness had already given up after you failed to respond to his feelings, however, it didn¡¯t seem like that was the case. From how he dug out his treasured armor to the way he rushed all the way here without caring about his appearance, His Second Highness definitely cares about you. This servant thinks that the reason behind his negligence was because he really had some complications and was unable to pay more attention to Mistress.¡± Cai Ling carefully observed Bai Luochu¡¯s expression after speaking. She realized that Bai Luochu was about to burst into laughter and she didn¡¯t know what to do. Cai Ling lowered her head again and asked, ¡°Mistress, these two princes have been treating you very well. Have you not been moved by them?¡± Bai Luochu raised her brows slightly. After speaking so much nonsense, this little lass finally gets to the point. Moved? Bai Luochu looked outside the window and she thought about something. Moved¡­ I haven¡¯t been moved in a long, long time. After all, there was only once in my previous life¡­ Whatever. Have I been moved since reincarnating?! No one knew when, but Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face appeared in Bai Luochu¡¯s mind. They first ran into each other when he barged into her room in the First Prince¡¯s residence. Next, they ran into each other when she was sneaking into the palace. She was saved by him after being surrounded by the palace guards¡­ After that was when he protected her reputation as Divine Physician Bai by inviting the commoners to vouch for her. He even risked his life to save her from Lu Wenshu¡¯s attack in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. There were too many instances and Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know when she formed such a deep impression of him. Bai Luochu shook her head as though she was trying to kick Pei Qingfeng¡¯s figure from her mind. However, she wasn¡¯t able to do so and his image burned brighter than before. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t realize the smile on her face but she regained her composure and said, ¡°Not even once¡± Chapter 328: Reply Cai Ling originally thought that her mistress was just a little cold. When she saw how the two princes treated her, even Cai Ling was moved. She never expected her mistress to be so indifferent. The long sigh from Cai Ling had directly affected Bai Luochu¡¯s thoughts. She laid on the bed and looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought. It wasn¡¯t because she wasn¡¯t moved by Pei Qingfeng¡¯s actions. Instead, she didn¡¯t dare to be moved. The betrayal was still fresh in her mind. Before taking her revenge, she wouldn¡¯t allow herself to fall in love. As she slowly drifted off into dreamland, her mind was still thinking about various things.When she woke up the next morning, she felt exhausted. It was a long night and Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t the only person who didn¡¯t sleep well. Pei Rumo had been in his study room for an entire night. ¡°Master, it is already so late. Young Lady Luo Chu shouldn¡¯t be coming over. Why don¡¯t you go to bed?¡± Zi Su saw the moon hanging in the middle of the night sky and felt that it was pointless to wait any longer. Ever since Pei Rumo came back from the general¡¯s residence, he locked himself in the study room refusing to leave. He was waiting for Bai Luochu¡¯s reply. Pei Rumo was still looking at the entrance of the study room as he said, ¡°I will wait a little longer. It isn¡¯t time for night curfew yet. What if she comes and I fail to receive the reply?¡± Of course, Pei Rumo was talking about Bai Luochu. Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t confident that Bai Luochu would accept the imperial decree and go on the campaign to the Desolate Region. After all... Pei Rumo mocked himself. He knew that he had many dealings with her and also knew that she would only do things that benefited herself. If his conditions weren''t tempting enough, he was certain she wouldn¡¯t accept. When Zi Su saw her master spacing out, she felt that it wasn¡¯t worth it. ¡°His Majesty was the one who ordered her to go¡­ Young Lady Luo Chu can¡¯t possibly defy the imperial order, right? Why don¡¯t Master relax?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. Emperor Father¡¯s intentions are to test Luo Chu¡¯s limits. If she doesn¡¯t feel like going, she can head over to the imperial palace and offer Emperor Father some benefits. As long as she offers enough, he will be happy to retract his order.¡± Pei Rumo stated. Zi Su¡¯s eyes widened and even though Pei Rumo might think highly of her, she would never have thought that the all-mighty emperor of a nation would resort to such low means. The more he thought about it, the more Pei Rumo became depressed. He felt that his odds of success were dropping when she failed to reciprocate his feelings. Now that he thought about the old emperor¡¯s intentions, he felt that his odds of marrying Bai Luochu became lower than ever. No matter what, Pei Rumo would never give up the chance of spending time with her. Even though Lu Wenshu might have popped out of nowhere, Pei Rumo felt that he couldn¡¯t be considered an obstacle in his path. Even if the journey was dangerous, Pei Rumo wanted to bring Bai Luochu along. He also believed that he had the ability to protect her. Zi Su noticed that she wasn¡¯t going to be able to persuade her master and she had no choice but to wait quietly beside him. The wait eventually lasted until midnight. Pei Rumo found the energy to sit motionlessly as he stared at the door without blinking. As for Zi Su, she managed to doze off. When the gong of the night watch filled the sky, Zi Su jolted awake. She spoke to Pei Rumo in a daze, ¡°Master, the night curfew has begun and it is better to rest early. You need to attend the morning court assembly tomorrow. Perhaps Young Lady Luo Chu will look for you after the assembly ends¡­¡± Pei Rumo knew that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t going to appear and he quickly agreed with Zi Su. On the other hand, Zi Su was silently praying for Young Lady Luo Chu to come tomorrow. Early the next day, after Bai Luochu ended her morning cultivation, she headed straight for the First Prince¡¯s residence. When Zi Su heard the report from the guard, she sprinted towards the entrance to invite her into the residence. ¡°Young Lady Luo Chu, you are finally here! Master has been waiting for an entire night. He became disappointed and this servant had to use the imperial court assembly to get him to sleep!¡± Bai Luochu listened as Zi Su droned on and on. Even though she heard everything the little servant girl said, she didn¡¯t give it much thought. After all, in Bai Luochu¡¯s opinion, Pei Rumo was simply making use of her. She was similarly making use of him to achieve her goals. Why should she care about his feelings?! No matter what she thought, she had to maintain her decorum as she gave a polite apology, ¡°I am at fault and when His First Highness returns, I shall ask for his forgiveness.¡± When Zi Su saw that Bai Luochu was acting politely, she felt that she hadn¡¯t been too nice with her words. Zi Su laughed apologetically and said, ¡°What is Young Lady Luo Chu saying? Master will be very happy since you decided to go. There is no need to apologize!¡± Bai Luochu really wasn¡¯t adept at feigning civility and she quickly ended the conversation by smiling and nodding. She headed to Pei Rumo¡¯s study to wait for his return. After Pei Rumo finished the court assembly, he rushed back to see that Zi Su was waiting for him at the entrance. ¡°Master, Young Lady Luo Chu is here and is currently waiting in the study room for you.¡± Zi Su nodded lightly to Pei Rumo and reported. Chapter 329: Lu Wenshu’s Participation When Pei Rumo disregarded everything and rushed in, Bai Luochu was still sipping on her tea. As he was in a rush, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to identify the newcomer as Pei Rumo and she nearly threw the teacup at him. When she looked closely, she managed to withdraw the cup right before it left her hand. ¡°Why is Your First Highness in such a hurry? I thought some assassin was here for my life and I was preparing to make a move.¡± Bai Luochu realized that the First Prince was standing in front of her and she immediately exchanged pleasantries. As for Pei Rumo, his eyes lit up when he saw Bai Luochu sitting in front of him. ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± Bai Luochu could see the expectant look in Pei Rumo¡¯s eyes and she decided to go straight to the point. She nodded, ¡°The conditions that Your First Highness proposed is very tempting. It¡¯s not impossible for me to go to the Desolate Region as an army physician...¡± After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s reply, Pei Rumo sat down in front of the table and said to Bai Luochu, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to bring Divine Physician Bai along on the campaign. Your presence allows us to rest easy.¡± Bai Luochu was rather fed up with Pei Rumo¡¯s superficial exchange but managed to keep her contempt from showing. She replied, ¡°Your First Highness is being too serious. The reason I am here today is to discuss something more important.¡± Pei Rumo was startled at first but he immediately composed himself. With Bai Luochu¡¯s personality, if she didn¡¯t have anything else to say, she would simply send Cai Ling to deliver the message. He urged her to speak about her concerns. Just as Bai Luochu was about to speak, Zi Su entered the room and interrupted them. ¡°Master, Young Lady Luo Chu, Young Master Lu has arrived and wishes to meet with the two of you.¡± Young Master Lu? Lu Wenshu?! Who else with the surname ¡®Lu¡¯ would request a meeting with Pei Rumo? Bai Luochu instantly became suspicious of the campaign and thought about the reason behind Lu Wenshu¡¯s appearance. As thoughts ran through her mind, Lu Wenshu entered the study room. ¡°Your First Highness, Divine Physician Bai, this one offers his greetings.¡± Lu Wenshu greeted the two of them. Pei Rumo saw the polite Lu Wenshu and he felt that he would be disrespecting the expert if he were to give a casual reply, ¡°Young Master Lu is too polite. Why is Young Master Lu here?¡± Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t immediately reply and turned to look at Bai Luochu. She turned her gaze out of the window the moment Lu Wenshu turned to look at her. Lu Wenshu mocked himself with a depreciating smile and it seemed as though the sour relationship between them wasn¡¯t going to fix itself anytime soon. Whatever the case, he felt that there was a long road ahead of him and if he was able to obtain her heart in the past, he would be able to do it again. Pei Rumo¡¯s brows jolted. Originally, he wanted to wait for Bai Luochu to agree before immediately departing for the Desolate Region. He didn¡¯t want Lu Wenshu to find a chance to tag along. However, he never expected Lu Wenshu to react so quickly. He even followed Bai Luochu to the First Prince¡¯s residence! He knew that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to get rid of this old fox now that he was here. Lu Wenshu looked at Pei Rumo with a profound look in his eyes. Your intention is so obvious. You made use of the information I gave you and thought of a plan to leave me behind?! Nonsense! As if I will fall for your tricks. Pei Rumo understood if he didn¡¯t bring Lu Wenshu along, Lu Wenshu might just expose the fact that he was the person who provided the information about the Field Pearl Flower. Right now, they were locusts tied to the same boat. If Lu Wenshu decided to expose everything, Pei Rumo wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from Bai Luochu¡¯s wrath. He had no choice but to accept Lu Wenshu¡¯s proposal. ¡°With Young Master Lu¡¯s strength, nothing will go wrong. Since that is the case, this prince shall accept your proposal.¡± Lu Wenshu had already expected Pei Rumo to agree. However, he wasn¡¯t sure what Bai Luochu would think. Bai Luochu was clear about Pei Rumo¡¯s intention. She knew that Pei Rumo merely wanted to get a chance to spend some alone time with her. There was no way he would allow Lu Wenshu to participate¡­ Now that he agreed to bring Lu Wenshu along, Bai Luochu felt that the two of them had reached a deal and were merely acting out a show in front of her. But what is it? The two of them are old foxes and will never allow themselves to be at a disadvantage. What deal did they make?! A lightbulb flashed in her mind as she felt enlightened. Field Pearl Flower! No wonder I felt that something was off when Pei Rumo spoke to me about it. How can an imperial prince obtain access to so much information about a rare herb like the Field Pearl Flower? It seems like Lu Wenshu was the person who provided the information. He probably used that as a chip in order to bargain with Pei Rumo to bring him along for the campaign... Too bad Lu Wenshu moved fast. With Pei Rumo¡¯s personality, he was probably trying to leave for the Desolate Region before Lu Wenshu found out. Even though Bai Luochu figured out the deal between the two of them, she wasn¡¯t happy about it. After all, it wasn¡¯t a great feeling to be plotted against by others. ¡°Heh, what a great plan. Are you two done acting?¡± Bai Luochu looked at them with disdain and snorted. When Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu saw her expression, they felt embarrassed. They stood there like children who were caught cheating in a test as they knew that they were at fault for plotting against her. Chapter 330: Possible Dangers Lu Wenshu thought that Bai Luochu would leave in a fit of anger. He never expected her to propose the idea of discussing the possible dangers on the journey. He was overjoyed and immediately agreed, ¡°Divine Physician Bai is right, the Desolate Region is filled with dangers and we should plan for any contingencies.¡± Pei Rumo was rather surprised that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t fall out on the spot. After thinking about it, he realized that she was a concoction manic and it was impossible for her not to be tempted by the Field Pearl Flower. ¡°We still know nothing about the situation inside the Desolate Region. Let¡¯s talk about the journey first. The borders of the Desolate Region have little to no human presence. We might not be able to find a place to rest and we might need to set up camp. This shouldn¡¯t be a problem as we have an army with us.¡± Bai Luochu disregarded the schemes and started to break down the situation. When she brought up Pei Rumo¡¯s army, he hurriedly added, ¡°Divine Physician Bai doesn¡¯t have to worry. We can rely on them. The soldiers and officers can provide any assistance you need.¡± After receiving Pei Rumo¡¯s guarantee, Bai Luochu nodded and relaxed, ¡°Accomodation is only one of the problems we will face. After all, we are going on a campaign and rations are a huge problem. We can¡¯t fight a war on an empty stomach. Other than rations, we might meet aggressive spirit beasts during the journey.¡± ¡°What should we do about it?¡± Pei Rumo heard this feedback and immediately asked. He felt that spirit beasts wouldn¡¯t be a problem as Bai Luochu subdued a Green Flame Eagle in the past. Moreover, the chief disciple of his sect, Lu Wenshu, was present as well. Spirit beasts shouldn¡¯t be a problem for both of them¡­ However, he seemed to have forgotten about his officers and soldiers... Bai Luochu stayed silent. Instead, Lu Wenshu glanced at Bai Luochu before giving his suggestion, ¡°I heard that there is a prescription of herbs that can repel spirit beasts. If everyone carries a bag, spirit beasts wouldn¡¯t approach the army. If any of them dares to approach, we should have no problem killing them off with our huge army.¡± Bai Luochu glanced at Lu Wenshu and cursed silently. Damn this man¡­ Why is he always making use of others? Even though I am no longer the evil dao witch of the past, he is still involving me in his schemes. Why didn¡¯t I notice this in my previous life?! After listening to Lu Wenshu, Pei Rumo looked at Bai Luochu expectantly. His scorching gaze seemed to be burning a hole through her and she felt that she didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°Your First Highness doesn¡¯t have to worry. I will give you the list of herbs and you can instruct your men to purchase them.¡± Bai Luochu contemplated for a moment and felt that there was nothing else of concern. Just as she was about to leave, Lu Wenshu interrupted her. ¡°The Desolate Region isn¡¯t inhabited by humans and has ample spirit qi. The spirit beasts there should be rather formidable and some might already possess vitality essence. If we really encounter those spirit beasts, Divine Physician Bai should kill some of them to extract their vitality essence.¡± Bai Luochu snorted and spoke with disdain, ¡°That isn¡¯t necessary. We¡¯ll kill those that dare to provoke us. If the spirit beasts have no intention of harming us, there is no need to chase them down. After all, spirit beasts are born and nurtured by mother nature. If we kill them for the sake of harvesting their vitality essence, we will be going against the laws of nature.¡± Lu Wenshu felt rather embarrassed by Bai Luochu¡¯s statement and laughed apologetically. Pei Rumo noticed the awkward atmosphere between the two of them and said something to alleviate the atmosphere, ¡°The two of you are very thorough in your considerations. I hope that both of you will take care of me during the journey.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Bai Luochu spoke indifferently. The room fell into silence but Bai Luochu seemed to be oblivious to the awkward atmosphere and she started to study the map. After a long time, Bai Luochu pointed at a spot on the map and said, ¡°If I¡¯m right, landslides occur frequently here. We should be more careful.¡± Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t really mind as they felt that landslides rarely happened. The chance it would happen when they were traveling through the Desolate Region was slim to none. Bai Luochu studied the map for a long time and realized there were no other locations that required attention. Hence, she made a summary, ¡°That¡¯s all. As long as we make preparations in advance, those dangers can be eliminated. The real trouble comes when we enter the Desolate Region. After all, there are no rules there and there might be factions more complicated than we can ever imagine.¡± ¡°The campaign to the Desolate Region is a last minute decision by Emperor Father. Will there be anyone else there to cause trouble for us?¡± Pei Rumo felt that Bai Luochu was a little too cautious when dealing with the matter. ¡°What makes you think that others can¡¯t obtain information about the Field Pearl Flower as well?¡± Bai Luochu looked at Pei Rumo as though she was looking at a fool. Pei Rumo looked at Lu Wenshu and realized the latter was nodded solemnly. Even though Bai Luochu thought that Lu Wenshu was using the chance to get close to her, she felt that a selfish person like him wouldn¡¯t head to the Desolate Region if he wasn¡¯t able to obtain some benefits. Chapter 331: Leaving in a Fit of Anger Seeing as there was nothing else for her to say, Bai Luochu returned to the general¡¯s residence. She wanted to prepare for the upcoming journey. She even gave Pei Rumo a list of herbs she needed before leaving. When Cai Ling saw that Bai Luochu was back, she laid the table. When Bai Luochu was eating, she asked, ¡°Mistress, did His First Highness say anything else?¡± Bai Luochu shook her head and placed her chopsticks down, ¡°We merely analyzed the dangers along the journey. What else is there to talk about?¡± Bai Luochu knew the meaning behind Cai Ling¡¯s question but she didn¡¯t wish to talk about Pei Rumo. In the blink of an eye, the day to depart rolled around and Bai Luochu grabbed her luggage. Even though Pei Rumo was at the entrance, she sat in the residence in a daze. It seemed like she was waiting for someone. ¡°Mistress, His First Highness has been waiting for some time. You shouldn¡¯t make him wait any longer.¡± Cai Ling reported. Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes twitched and after a short sigh, she picked up her luggage. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m not waiting anymore.¡± Cai Ling tilted her head in confusion. A moment later, it struck her. His Second Highness! Mistress is waiting for His Second Highness to send her off! ¡°Sigh...¡± Cai Ling couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Mistress definitely lied about not being moved by anyone... ¡°Luo Chu, it is late and we need to hurry. We might not even be able to arrive at our first camping grounds!¡± When Pei Rumo saw Bai Luochu walking out of the general¡¯s residence, he beckoned her to hurry up. Bai Luochu knew that in the military, timing was everything. There was a saying, ''Speed is the soldiers'' asset''. If she delayed the campaign because of selfish reasons, she would be committing a serious crime. Bai Luochu mounted the horse and immediately headed for the city gates. Together with Pei Rumo, they charged towards the West Mountain Camp to rendezvous with the army before marching out. When they reached the Ten Miles Gentleman Pavilion, Lu Wenshu could be seen waiting on his horse. "Your First Highness, Divine Physician Bai, if possible, we should depart immediately." No one knew why Lu Wenshu was so anxious to head to the Desolate Region. Bai Luochu wanted to stop for a moment. What if he comes? What if I don¡¯t get to say goodbye? When Lu Wenshu and Pei Rumo saw how hesitant Bai Luochu was, they looked at each other and knew the other party¡¯s thoughts. Since they didn¡¯t want to disappoint her, they decided to delay the schedule. Before Pei Rumo could say anything, Bai Luochu interrupted him. "Let''s go." Bai Luochu then urged the horse to advance. Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu were startled for a moment before spurring their horses on as well. The campaign officially began. .... However, she wasn''t the Commander in Chief, thus, she had to have a proper discussion with Pei Rumo. Bai Luochu made her way to Pei Rumo¡¯s tent. "Why did you come over? It¡¯s raining so heavily¡­ you should stay in your tent." Pei Rumo helped Bai Luochu with her umbrella and asked with concern. "I need to talk to you about something important." Bai Luochu shook the water off her body and immediately turned to Pei Rumo, "Do you remember about the location I talked about? The one with frequent landslides?¡± Pei Rumo pondered for a moment before nodding. He didn¡¯t understand why she brought it up. When she saw that Pei Rumo still remembered, she immediately explained herself, "It¡¯s raining heavily now and if we depart immediately, we might meet with a landslide. There are too many people and the soil might be loose. I suggest we wait a day before heading out.¡± Bai Luochu initially thought that Pei Rumo would agree, but she didn''t expect that after a brief consideration, Pei Rumo actually rejected the suggestion, "I''m afraid that will not work. Our journey has been delayed for too long due to this downpour. We might not be able to make it to the Desolate Region in time. If some other faction has their eyes on the Desolate Region as well, we might meet with trouble if we are late.¡± "If it¡¯s just the three of us, the landslide wouldn¡¯t be a problem! But there are tens of thousands of soldiers! They can¡¯t circulate spirit qi and fly over the danger region¡­ We can¡¯t risk their lives for the sake of getting there a day or two earlier, right?!" Bai Luochu didn''t imagine that Pei Rumo would be so stupid. She didn¡¯t know how this man could be the war hero of the Cloud Water Nation. Pei Rumo naturally understood the reasoning behind this matter. Were he just an ordinary commander he would definitely be able to delay the journey by using the rain as an excuse. However, he was the First Prince and the old emperor was his father. The order to conquer the Desolate Region was like a sword hanging over his head and how would he dare to delay the campaign?! Moreover, the old emperor gave him a strict time limit and it wasn¡¯t possible for him to defy his Emperor Father¡¯s orders. Pei Rumo knew it was impossible to delay the journey. "It is really... not possible." He couldn''t bear to lose his soldiers too, but the bowstring was already taut and he had to release it. "Good. Pei Rumo, you are truly brilliant." Bai Luochu was furious. She didn¡¯t take the umbrella as she rushed out of the tent. Chapter 332: Falling off the Cliff It seems like Pei Rumo is determined to set off immediately. Even though she was angry, she knew she had to be prepared in case anything went wrong. Bai Luochu started to pick out the frequently used elixirs and stored them in a small bottle. Seeing as the dark clouds were starting to scatter towards the east, the rain was probably going to end soon. They were probably going to continue the journey the next day. As expected, the rain stopped just as the sun was drooping over the horizon. As night fell, the clouds cleared. During dinner, Pei Rumo announced to the officers and soldiers, "We will depart the moment the sun rises. No delays are allowed." Pei Rumo glanced at Bai Luochu after passing down his order. Her expression didn¡¯t change and he assumed that she understood his intentions for heading out immediately. Early the next morning, the army started to march towards the Desolate Region once again. Just to be safe, Pei Rumo sent out scouts in order to survey the ground. When the scouts returned safely, he felt reassured that nothing would happen. Bai Luochu was the only person who was worried and a frown filled her face. Since she woke up, her right eyelid wouldn¡¯t stop jumping. She felt that things weren¡¯t as simple as she thought. No matter what she thought, her words held no weight in the military. No matter what she said, it would be useless as no one would pay attention to her. She might as well shut her mouth to conserve some energy in case something happened. As they marched over the landslide region, Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu took the lead. In order to ensure her safety, they allowed Bai Luochu to follow the group at the back. After all, with such a massive army, only brainless fools would provoke them. There shouldn¡¯t be a need to retreat. It was too bad the heavens had other plans for Bai Luochu. She felt that her horse was sinking into the ground and Bai Luochu quickly circulated her spirit qi to jump off the horse. The moment she landed on the ground, a piece of soil under her foot became loose. The inevitable happened. The ground she was standing on broke off the cliff face and she desperately reached out to grab the side. ¡°Not good! Divine Physician Bai fell off the cliff!¡± A soldier beside Bai Luochu realized something was wrong and immediately yelled out. Pei Rumo immediately turned around and he flew towards her. He reached out to grab her hand. ¡°Luo Chu, grab onto me!¡± Pei Rumo reached out to Bai Luochu and she hurriedly reached out to grab his arm. As her whole body was suspended over the cliff, she wasn¡¯t able to exert any strength at all. The soldiers looked at each other in dismay as they couldn¡¯t do a thing. The soil was loose and the more people going over to help, the greater the risk of falling. Lu Wenshu never expected that Bai Luochu would meet with an accident. He didn¡¯t have enough spirit qi to pull her up and if he went over recklessly, he might cause Pei Rumo to fall over the cliff as well. ¡°Pei Rumo, hurry up and let go!¡± Bai Luochu suddenly shouted at Pei Rumo, ¡°Hurry up and let go! You¡¯re going to fall off if you don¡¯t let go!¡± ¡°I am not letting go, not even if I die! I promised someone to protect you even if I have to risk my life! I, Pei Rumo, never go back on my words!¡± Pei Rumo desperately tried to pull her up. The more he tried, the looser the soil underneath him became. ¡°Listen up. Now isn¡¯t the time to fulfill promises! The two of us cannot possibly fall and die together. As long as one of us lives, everything will be fine! Listen to me... let go.¡± Bai Luochu put up a strong front and hoped he would listen to reason. But Pei Rumo still didn¡¯t give up and Bai Luochu had no choice but to slowly pull her hand away. However, before she was able to pull her hand away, the soil beneath Pei Rumo¡¯s body gave way and they fell off the cliff together. Despite falling, Pei Rumo grabbed Bai Luochu and wrapped his body around hers. He wanted to protect her even if they fell and hoped that her chances of survival would increase with him acting as an airbag. Pei Rumo felt that even though he wasn¡¯t able to develop a relationship with her, dying together wasn¡¯t too bad. However, Bai Luochu was thinking about that night when Pei Qingfeng said to her, ¡°You must come back safely.¡± She closed her eyes tightly. She never thought that she would fail to fulfill her promise to him. Pei Rumo was going to resign to his fate and he circulated his spirit qi to form a protective barrier around the both of them. Bai Luochu understood Pei Rumo¡¯s idea and even though she didn¡¯t have plenty of spirit qi, she still poured everything into the barrier around them. The cliff had plenty of well-grown trees and Pei Rumo would crash into them from time to time. Even though it slowed them down, several trees were smashed due to the huge impact. By the time the two of them landed, Pei Rumo had lost consciousness. Bai Luochu looked to the side and realized that the two of them were nearly at the bottom of the cliff. There was a cave beside them and due to the bad weather, she knew better than to remain in the wild. Chapter 333: Ambiguous Feelings He is still breathing. Bai Luochu heaved a sigh of relief before she shook Pei Rumo gently. She then called out softly, ¡°Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo, hurry up and wake up.¡± As though her words contained magical powers, Pei Rumo slowly regained consciousness. ¡°We are still... alive?¡± Pei Rumo looked at the unfamiliar surroundings and thought that they had both arrived in the netherworld. Even though it wasn¡¯t the best time to joke around, Bai Luochu laughed, ¡°How can such a great view exist in the netherworld? If we were to die, our souls would already be captured and dragged to Yama¡¯s Hall to be judged.¡± When Pei Rumo saw that Bai Luochu had the mood to make fun of him, he broke out into laughter. A short burst of laughter caused his wound to rupture. ¡°Sss...¡± Bai Luochu noticed Pei Rumo¡¯s painful reaction and she asked with concern, ¡°What is wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?¡± After all, Pei Rumo hurt himself trying to protect her. It wouldn¡¯t be nice if she completely ignored him. Pei Rumo immediately withdrew his painful expression and shook his head, ¡°Nothing much, just some superficial wounds. As long as we are fine, nothing else matters.¡± Realizing that Pei Rumo¡¯s injury wasn¡¯t too serious, Bai Luochu felt more at ease. She immediately suggested, ¡°Should we enter the cave before thinking of our next course of action?¡± Pei Rumo nodded as he propped his body up with his arm. He circulated his spirit qi before getting to his feet. When he turned around, Bai Luochu noticed that Pei Rumo¡¯s so-called ¡®superficial wounds¡¯ caused his entire back to be drenched with blood. There wasn¡¯t a single place on his body that was ¡®fine¡¯. Bai Luochu was shocked and immediately reached over to support him. ¡°Your injuries are much worse than you imagine. Let me help you into the cave and attend to your wounds.¡± Pei Rumo was clear about the injuries he suffered. He said he was fine in order to avoid scaring Bai Luochu. Since she already noticed, he couldn¡¯t refuse her expression of goodwill. After all, it was rather exhausting to endure the pain without a change in expression. He leaned on her body and a wave of pain assaulted his body.¡± After entering the cave, Bai Luochu placed Pei Rumo on the ground before rushing out. ¡°Where are you going? This is the wilderness! Will you even be safe out there?!¡± When Pei Rumo saw Bai Luochu running out, he became worried. Bai Luochu ignored him and came back with a piece of cloth soaked in water a moment later. It wasn¡¯t hard to notice a piece of fabric missing from her clothes. ¡°Turn around, I will clean your wounds first.¡± Bai Luochu wrung the excess liquid from the cloth and immediately ripped Pei Rumo¡¯s clothes off his back. Tear! Pei Rumo was stunned as he yelled, ¡°Luo Chu, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will not do anything to you. If you don¡¯t wash the wounds on your back, they will be infected. I am cleaning your wounds before applying medicine.¡± Pei Rumo knew that Bai Luochu was doing it for his own good, but he felt that it wasn¡¯t good for him to be undressed in front of an unmarried woman. He hastily refused, ¡°I don¡¯t think there is a need for you to do this. Why don¡¯t I do it myself?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t back down and refused Pei Rumo¡¯s proposal, ¡°You better not move or your wounds might tear. Let me do it.¡± Since the physician had insisted on the treatment, Pei Rumo knew that it was useless to refuse. He sat there silently as he allowed Bai Luochu to clean his wounds. ¡°When I tear off your clothes, your skin and flesh might tear. Please bear with the pain.¡± Bai Luochu warned him. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t mind at all as he said, ¡°I suffered all sorts of injuries after so many years in the battlefield. Do as you see fit.¡± After obtaining Pei Rumo¡¯s confirmation, Bai Luochu started to work. She heard the sound of skin and flesh ripping as she tore his clothes off his body. Even though Pei Rumo didn¡¯t scream in pain, he sucked in a deep breath. Bai Luochu had been very careful, but she failed to tear the cloth off cleanly. However, it wasn¡¯t the time to harp on the little mistakes. She quickly cleaned up the wounds with the wet cloth. The originally white piece of cloth was dyed red with blood. Without a choice, she ran out in order to wash it. After five trips, there was no longer any blood on Pei Rumo¡¯s back. Bai Luochu then took out some medicine and smeared it around his wounds. When Bai Luochu¡¯s fingertips made contact with Pei Rumo¡¯s back, he shivered and felt there were tiny bugs crawling into the wounds. His heart tingled a little. Bai Luochu felt that he was squirming because of the medicinal effects. She consoled him, ¡°Bear with it a little. It will be over soon.¡± Pei Rumo remained silent and allowed Bai Luochu to continue applying the medicine. As she smeared the paste all over his back, Bai Luochu felt completely indifferent. Instead, Pei Rumo¡¯s heart was pounding and he felt a feeling he never felt before. Since she tore off his clothes, Pei Rumo was sitting on the ground, half-naked. Bai Luochu felt that she couldn¡¯t allow a patient to endure the chilling wind and she took off her outer garments before passing it over to him. Pei Rumo originally wanted to refuse but was stumped by Bai Luochu¡¯s statement, ¡°Just put in on. You were injured trying to save me. How can I allow you to suffer from the cold?¡± Bai Luochu walked out in order to search for something and she blatantly ignored his refusal. When she came back, there was a bunch of firewood in her arms. Throwing them on the ground, she used her spirit qi to ignite it before squatting by the side to warm herself. Chapter 334: Lu Wenshu’s Threa "How harsh is the general''s residence treating you for you to actually know so much about caretaking?" Pei Rumo was truly curious. After all, even if the general''s residence had declined, a proper mistress wouldn''t be doing such work. Bai Luochu paused before starting the fire as she didn¡¯t know how to explain herself. In order not to expose herself, she simply remained quiet. Bai Luochu didn''t know if the original Luo Chu knew how to start a fire. After all, she learned how to start a fire in her past life as she used to frequently set up camp outdoors. When Pei Rumo saw Bai Luochu''s response, he thought he had touched on Bai Luochu¡¯s sore spot. He quickly apologized, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bring up bad memories. I apologize.¡± Bai Luochu knew that Pei Rumo must have misunderstood her but she didn¡¯t bother explaining herself. As the firewood burned, it illuminated Bai Luochu¡¯s face with a warm halo, thawing her cold appearance. ¡°Do you think they will find us?¡± Pei Rumo noticed that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t speaking and he hurriedly broke the silence. Bai Luochu raised her brows and contemplated for a moment before murmuring, ¡°They should be able to find us.¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t certain about her guess as Lu Wenshu was the only one left who could save them. After all, she wasn¡¯t sure what was in his mind. If he really wanted to kill her, she could only wait till Pei Rumo¡¯s wounds healed before running away. However, at this very moment, Lu Wenshu who was above the cliff was on the brink of collapse. Bai Luochu had fallen off the cliff and he didn¡¯t know whether or not she was still alive. Was he supposed to watch her die in front of his eyes again?! Even though Lu Wenshu had high cultivation and would be able to fly down to look for them, Pei Rumo¡¯s troops became his main concern. If they were to head down the cliff, they would be courting death. Moreover, none of them intended to jump down the cliff to search for the two casualties. It was too bad the cliff face was too massive and even if Lu Wenshu were to disregard everything and search for the two of them, he didn¡¯t know how long it would take. After thinking about it, he tried to persuade the army to help him carry out the search. ¡°Everyone.¡± Lu Wenshu spoke. When Pei Rumo¡¯s subordinates looked over, he said, ¡°Right now, no one knows if His First Highness and Divine Physician Bai are still alive. We cannot escape responsibility as we are supposed to protect them. Let¡¯s start by searching for their whereabouts.¡± Lu Wenshu already prepared a countermeasure and asked the captain in return, ¡°So if I find a way for all of you to safely descend, you will conduct the search?¡± The hundred-men captain obviously didn¡¯t think Lu Wenshu would have a method for so many of them to descend the cliff safely, hence, he nodded and agreed. ¡°Good.¡± Lu Wenshu hastily stated his method of descending. ¡°There is a way to go down the cliff in another 20 miles. We shall head over and start the search and rescue operation.¡± The hundred-men captain was startled as he was obviously surprised by Lu Wenshu¡¯s quick-wittedness. Just as he was about to come up with more excuses, Lu Wenshu shot him down. ¡°From what I know, the soldiers and officers of the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s military had to record three generations of their families when taking up post. Unless you die in battle, your records won¡¯t be erased. Even if you conceal the matter of His First Highness falling off the cliff, you will need to face scrutiny when resuppling at the next city or town. Even if you can¡¯t be immediately brought back to the capital city to be interrogated, do you think your families can escape punishment? This is your Commander in Chief you¡¯re talking about. Moveover, he is the First Prince of the nation. He is His Majesty¡¯s eldest son and if something happens to him, you should be able to think of the consequences.¡± The soldiers and officers were frightened by Lu Wenshu¡¯s threat and they started moving. By evening, all of them reached the bottom of the cliff. At this moment, Bai Luochu had already applied medicine to Pei Rumo¡¯s wounds for the second time. ¡°How long more can we last?¡± Pei Rumo saw that it was already dark and asked Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu felt that Pei Rumo was being a scaredy cat. However, she couldn¡¯t ignore him. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about medicine, we should be able to last till the day after tomorrow. I didn¡¯t bring too much and it will not last for long. As for food, you don¡¯t need to worry about it. I can harvest some fruits or herbs along the way. Don¡¯t light a fire in case you attract some spirit beasts or wild beasts.¡± ¡°Will they be able to find us?¡± Pei Rumo asked again. In order to reassure Pei Rumo, Bai Luochu promised him, ¡°Definitely. If Lu Wenshu wants to save us, the entire army should have started their search and rescue operation.¡± The cave quickly fell silent after Bai Luochu completed her sentence. ¡°I am not afraid of death.¡± Pei Rumo suddenly spoke up. Just as Bai Luochu was about to tell him that he wasn¡¯t going to die, he interrupted her, ¡°I am just thinking about the promise to keep you safe. Now, I caused you to fall off a cliff. I should have listened to you¡­¡± Bai Luochu was rather embarrassed after hearing Pei Rumo¡¯s words as she quickly soothed Pei Rumo, ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself. If I was insistent on not departing, we might not be in this state. If someone needs to take the blame, I should be the one who troubled Your First Highness.¡± Maybe Lu Wenshu is threatening them as we speak... Chapter 335: Friends ¡°No matter what, I still need to thank you.¡± Bai Luochu took out the ashes of the firewood that had practically stopped burning as she thanked Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo was rather surprised that Bai Luochu would actually say thank you to him. He immediately felt a little overwhelmed by the favor. ¡°Why do you say so?¡± Since there was no one here, Pei Rumo wanted to say everything that was in his heart. Bai Luochu stopped what she was doing and patted the ashes off her clothes. She then sat beside Pei Rumo and said, ¡°If you didn¡¯t save me, I would be a corpse at the bottom of the cliff by now. I always thought we were making use of one another¡­¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s brows raised up and his head became heavy. He didn¡¯t think that one wrong move in the beginning would hinder all progress with her. ¡°At the start, I was indeed making use of you.¡± Pei Rumo felt that since Bai Luochu had already voiced it out, he should be frank about it. He turned to look at Bai Luochu¡¯s expression and when he didn¡¯t notice anything odd, he continued talking, ¡°I might be an imperial prince, but there are many things that I have no control over. Back when I bought you from the Bestial Battle Arena, I wanted to use you to strike a fatal blow to my Third Brother. I didn¡¯t know when, but I started to fall for you. Maybe it was during the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, or it might be when you started appearing as Divine Physician Bai. At the start, I was merely curious about you. How did a lass from the general¡¯s residence who was thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena so mysterious?¡± Bai Luochu could see that Pei Rumo was reminiscing about the past and she quietly sat at the side. ¡°Afterwards, I started to pay attention to you. In the end, I wasn¡¯t even aware that I had already fallen so deep down the rabbit hole.¡± Bai Luochu felt rather uncomfortable after hearing Pei Rumo¡¯s statement. After all, she was aware of Pei Rumo¡¯s feelings but she had been beating about the bush when it came to his feelings for her. Now that he had stated it out clearly, she wasn¡¯t able to remain silent. Her brains started to move and she tried to think of a plan to deal with Pei Rumo. ¡°If I was given another chance, I would never choose to make use of you.¡± Even if I can¡¯t obtain your heart, you won¡¯t feel disgusted by me. Of course, Pei Rumo kept his thoughts to himself as he might frighten Bai Luochu and push her further away from him. When Bai Luochu noticed that Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t speaking anymore, she spoke unhurriedly, ¡°Where can one find the medicine for regret? If it wasn¡¯t because you wanted to make use of me, we might even be friends right now.¡± ... By the time Lu Wenshu led the soldiers down, it was getting late. He didn¡¯t make them start the search immediately. Instead, he allowed them to set up camp by the lake. He felt that they should take a good night¡¯s rest in order to do their best during the search the next day. When the soldiers heard the news, they were immediately relieved. After all, they had used half a day to descend the cliff. Even cultivators would feel tired, let alone soldiers who didn¡¯t cultivate spirit qi. In response, the soldiers started to gather in groups of twos and threes before sitting down to rest. It¡¯s getting late. I wonder if she can take care of herself... The more Lu Wenshu thought, the more worried he became. At the first glimmer of light, Bai Luochu woke up and immediately headed out to search for wild fruits. She conveniently caught a rabbit along the way and got ready to roast it. Just as she was preparing to make the rack to roast the rabbit, she heard voices moving closer and closer to her. ¡°Young Master Lu, how long more before we can reach the area where His First Highness and Divine Physician Bai fell? Our brothers really can¡¯t walk anymore.¡± The person speaking was the hundred-man captain. Lu Wenshu woke everyone up before dawn and ordered them to march towards the place where Bai Luochu fell. Before the soldiers could rest up, they had already walked for more than ten miles. Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t say anything and continued walking. In Lu Wenshu¡¯s heart, he felt that the faster he walked, the less the possibility of Bai Luochu being in danger. As such, Lu Wenshu charged his way through the forest without a care for anything in the world. Bai Luochu felt that with her spiritual energy, she would be able to hear voices within eight miles of herself. If she pushed it, she would be able to hear voices more than ten miles away. According to her calculations, Lu Wenshu and the soldiers shouldn¡¯t be too far away. ¡°Pei Rumo, wake up.¡± Bai Luochu turned around and woke Pei Rumo up. Pei Rumo gradually awakened and thought that something had happened. He grabbed onto Bai Luochu¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen? Are you injured?¡± Bai Luochu shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°I am fine. Lu Wenshu should have brought your army here to look for us. They are around ten miles away and if they travel fast, they will be able to find us in an hour. Pei Rumo was invigorated after listening to Bai Luochu. He immediately sat straight and asked, ¡°Are you certain? Is this true?¡± Bai Luochu nodded firmly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Too bad Lu Wenshu traveled much faster than expected. By the time Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo finished the rabbit, he arrived before them. When Lu Wenshu saw Bai Luochu waiting for him, he walked over quickly and hugged her. It was as though he had found a priceless treasure, ¡°Ah Chu, I finally found you! Do you know how afraid I was? I was so afraid I would lose you again.¡± Chapter 336: Something Queer About the Beast Essence Back then, Lu Wenshu would always address Bai Luochu as ¡®Ah Chu¡¯ affectionately. When she asked why he addressed her as Ah Chu, Lu Wenshu smiled and replied, ¡°¡®Chu¡¯ is a word that has a wonderful meaning. I hope that our feelings for each other will never change.¡± A long time later, Bai Luochu came across a poem, ¡°No matter how blissful the first encounter, everything disappears with the autumn wind.¡± This poem was like the prophecy predicting her miserable outcome when Lu Wenshu betrayed her. Bai Luochu shoved Lu Wenshu away and snapped, ¡°Young Master Lu please mind your conduct.¡± Lu Wenshu was depressed. He felt that the ravine between him and Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t something he could fill in a short period of time. When the scene of Lu Wenshu hugging Bai Luochu entered Pei Rumo¡¯s eyes, he felt a strange feeling well up in his heart. Pei Rumo felt that the flame of jealousy in his heart was about to turn him into ashes. He immediately criticized Lu Wenshu, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Young Master Lu had such a great relationship with Divine Physician Bai! No matter how close you are, shouldn¡¯t Divine Physician Bai be the one to initiate the hug?¡± When he heard Pei Rumo¡¯s scolding, Lu Wenshu frowned. It seemed like Bai Luochu was just as attractive as she was in her past life. Pei Qingfeng had already fallen for her¡­ Now, Pei Rumo was the second prince to fall for her. Lu Wenshu naturally knew that Pei Rumo was jealous and he quickly replied, ¡°What is the First Prince saying? I spent so much time looking for both of you and I was only unable to control my actions because of the relief I felt.¡± Heh¡­ unable to control your actions... Pei Rumo mocked Lu Wenshu in his heart. When he turned to look at his exhausted soldiers, he immediately praised, ¡°This prince is truly grateful for everyone¡¯s help. When we return after the triumphant campaign, I shall request for Emperor Father to raise everyone¡¯s rank in the military. Since everyone is tired, we shall set up camp here. Rest for a day and we shall depart at dawn tomorrow.¡± Bai Luochu had to admit that Pei Rumo was a person with great management skills, otherwise, it was impossible for him to have so many subordinates and soldiers at such a young age. When the soldiers heard Pei Rumo¡¯s words, they immediately knelt down and thanked the First Prince for his favor. After all, Lu Wenshu had treated them like a group of animals during the rescue mission. It seemed as though their master was the better person. Bai Luochu led a few of the soldiers who didn¡¯t look too tired to gather some wild fruits. They went out to hunt some small animals for food. Even though the meal was a little crude, a joyous and harmonious atmosphere filled the air. Of course, everyone was enjoying themselves other than the three people in the main tent. On the other side, Lu Wenshu tore out the other thigh and handed it over to her. Bai Luochu could see the open contest between the two of them. Since she couldn¡¯t accept one without offending the other, she ripped the head off the rabbit. ¡°I... don¡¯t like to eat meat. Gnawing on bones is good enough.¡± She never expected for the both of them to snap off the ribs of the rabbit after the words left her mouth. She had no choice but to say that she was already full. Before long, she returned to her tent and left Lu Wenshu and Pei Rumo alone. Bai Luochu could only endure the feeling of hunger for the entire night. Early the next morning, the army departed. After climbing the cliff and resting for a short while, they headed straight for the Desolate Region. When they reached the next town, they replenished their supplies before setting off. They were getting closer to the Desolate Region and more and more spirit beasts appeared. Some of the timid spirit beasts would flee when they saw the army marching over from a distance as they were afraid of being captured. But there were plenty of fearless spirit beasts that rushed over to do battle with the large army. Whenever a spirit beast attacked, Lu Wenshu and Pei Rumo would deal with it before it could arrive before the army. They would then extract the beast essence for Bai Luochu. Initially, she accepted it happily. However, the more she received, the more she felt that something was wrong. There was some mutation in the beast essence but she wasn¡¯t able to do proper research as they were rushing towards the Desolate Region. ¡­ After a long journey, they were finally two days away from the elusive Desolate Region. The army set up camp and decided to have a good rest. After dinner, Bai Luochu headed back to her tent and she decided to study the mutated beast essence. Looking at those collected recently, Bai Luochu¡¯s frown became deeper. There was definitely something odd with the beast essences. Even though it looked fine, it might pose a problem if hastily refined into medicine. Bai Luochu contemplated for a moment before making the decision to discuss with Pei Rumo. When Pei Rumo saw Bai Luochu entering his tent, he was rather confused. He couldn¡¯t fathom why Bai Luochu would look for him all of a sudden. Shouldn¡¯t she be cultivating or concocting medicine? Even though he felt that something was wrong, he still poured a cup of hot tea for her. ¡°It is already late. Why are you looking for me?¡± Bai Luochu stayed silent for a long time before saying, ¡°I noticed something strange about the beasts essences we harvested recently.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t normally deal with spirit beasts, hence, it was natural that he couldn¡¯t sense anything wrong. ¡°Your First Highness better ask someone to invite Lu Wenshu over. I am afraid that my current cultivation isn¡¯t strong enough to make a proper examination. If Lu Wenshu is here, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡± Bai Luochu stated. Chapter 337: Demonic Beasts Invasion When Lu Wenshu entered, he noticed that Bai Luochu was setting up shop with all kinds of beast essences laid on the table. At first, Lu Wenshu teased her, ¡°What is going on? Does our Divine Physician Bai feel that she has too many beast essences and wishes to sell some to earn some allowance? Just state your price. I will definitely sell Divine Physician Bai this favor.¡± Bai Luochu rolled her eyes at Lu Wenshu and said, ¡°Now is not the time to joke around.¡± Lu Wenshu noticed Bai Luochu¡¯s gloomy face and knew that something was up. Why else would she voluntarily look for him? ¡°Take a closer look at the beast essences. I have already sorted them by dates. The ones closest to me are the ones that were collected recently. Can you sense anything fishy about them?¡± Bai Luochu pointed at the beast essences and questioned Lu Wenshu. Lu Wenshu turned serious. After all, there was nothing much that could make Bai Luochu so serious. Lu Wenshu¡¯s expression turned gloomy after taking a closer look and he asked, ¡°Did you notice something strange about them?¡± Bai Luochu stayed silent for a moment before speaking, ¡°Now that you say it, I am 100% sure there is something strange about them.¡± The atmosphere became increasingly grave, so much so that Pei Rumo was affected. He seemed to realize that something was up after looking at the two of them. Pei Rumo couldn¡¯t bear the suspense any longer. ¡°What is the problem with the beast essences?¡± Bai Luochu looked at Lu Wenshu who nodded at her. After Bai Luochu was certain about her conjecture, she explained to Pei Rumo, ¡°These beast essences are demonized.¡± Pei Rumo heard the explanation and was startled. Demonized? What is that? Bai Luochu saw Pei Rumo¡¯s puzzled expression and she explained, ¡°Your First Highness might not know this but spirit beasts normally absorb spirit qi during their cultivation. No matter how aggressive they are, they will never turn into demons. However, I became suspicious when the usually docile spirit beasts started attacking us. Moreover, there was something strange with the beast essences Your Highness handed over to me. Due to the tight schedule, I wasn¡¯t able to study them. After getting some spare time, I did some research on them before rushing over to inform the two of you. I thought I might be wrong but after Young Master Lu gave his confirmation, I am sure of my conjecture. As we head closer to the Desolate Region, the demonization of the spirit beasts would become more apparent.¡± ¡°What does this mean? What has that got to do with our campaign?¡± Pei Rumo continued to ask. Bai Luochu glanced at Lu Wenshu and indicated for him to finish the rest of the explanation. ¡°Your First Highness, the demonization of the spirit beasts becomes more apparent the closer we get to the Desolate Region. This means that the source of demonization is definitely near the Desolate Region. If that is the case, the difficulty of the campaign just increased a level. We were only concerned about the supplies, but now, there is another point we need to take note of. There might be something in the Desolate Region waiting to act against us.¡± After listening to Lu Wenshu¡¯s explanation, Pei Rumo raised an assumption, ¡°Do you think there might be someone demonizing spirit beasts in order to stop our campaign?¡± As soon as Pei Rumo finished speaking, Bai Luochu denied the assumption, ¡°Impossible, there are too many spirit beasts. It is basically impossible to demonize all of them. Apart from natural power, I don¡¯t think there are other possibilities.¡± After Bai Luochu denied Pei Rumo¡¯s assumption, he realized that this matter was very serious. He muttered to himself, ¡°It seems like we need to be very prudent.¡± All of a sudden, a soldier came to report, ¡°Not good, not good! Your First Highness, there is a pack of spirit beasts attacking us. Our brothers can¡¯t hold them back!¡± As soon as the soldier made the report, the three of them charged to the front lines. ¡°Help!¡± When they arrived at the front, they heard soldiers screaming. Without any choice, Lu Wenshu and Pei Rumo used their spirit qi to repel the spirit beasts. The soldiers made use of the opportunity to retreat, leaving Bai Luochu, Pei Rumo, and Lu Wenshu in the middle of the battle. The trio exchanged looks and used the previous method to hunt the demonic beasts. The most effective method to deal with the demonic beasts wasn¡¯t to use spirit qi but to use spiritual energy. It was fortunate that among the trio, Bai Luochu had outstanding spiritual energy. She immediately released her spiritual energy to restrain the movements of the demonic beasts. In her eyes, all of their movements became sluggish. ¡°Towards the southeast, more to the south! Ten steps away!¡± Bai Luochu constantly informed Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu the positions and the distances of the demonic beasts near them. Acting together, the number of demonic beasts that died slowly increased. However, it became increasingly harder to deal with the demonic beasts at the back. Bai Luochu¡¯s reserve of spiritual energy was about to be exhausted and it seemed as though the demonic beasts realized that Bai Luochu was the true leader. They intensified their attacks on Bai Luochu and both Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu had to give their all to protect her. Even if that was the case, they were still unable to block the crafty demonic beasts. One of them managed to circle around and it approached from behind her. Chapter 338: Fatal Strike ¡°Luo Chu!¡± ¡°Ah Chu!¡± Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu yelled out at the same time, but Bai Luochu had already closed her eyes as she got ready to receive the attack. No one could have guessed that after enduring the attack, Bai Luochu managed to escape unscathed. The demonic beast actually became stunned. It didn¡¯t understand why it wasn¡¯t able to take the life of a weak human with its attack. The thing that confused the demonic beast the most was the omnipresent spiritual energy that descended the moment he made contact with her body. It was as though it flipped some switch in Bai Luochu¡¯s brain. ¡°Mere animals, who gave you the guts to scheme against me!¡± When Bai Luochu finished talking, the heads of all the demonic beasts exploded. Corpses filled the ground and the stench of blood saturated the air. Pei Rumo who had experienced plenty of battles and Lu Wenshu who initially thought he understood Bai Luochu were shocked. They couldn¡¯t understand how a young lady like Bai Luochu could possess such horrific strength. In fact, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t at fault for losing her temper. In her previous life, she had basically subdued all species of spirit beasts. It wouldn¡¯t even be excessive to say that Bai Luochu was the Queen of Beasts. Right now, some random demonic beasts were trying to climb over her head. Anyone in Bai Luochu¡¯s shoes would be enraged if their pet tried to take a shit on their head. Bai Luochu no longer bothered about anything else and she crushed them all. Of course, she had to pay a price for using such a terrifying move. After all, she wasn¡¯t as strong as she once was. She exhausted all her spiritual energy and all she wanted was a good sleep. She felt her vision spinning and slowly going dark. Before Bai Luochu fainted, she gave an instruction, ¡°Check all the essences to see if they are demonized.¡± She finished talking and immediately collapsed. Had it not been for Pei Rumo¡¯s quick actions, she was probably going to fall face-first into the ground. Lu Wenshu noticed that Pei Rumo had taken care of Bai Luochu and he went to retrieve all the beast essences. He cleaned them up before bringing them all to Pei Rumo¡¯s tent. The soldiers saw that the battle had ended and immediately came out to clear the battlefield. When they saw the state of the battle, they were shocked. Someone started the rumor that Divine Physician Bai was the person who killed the demonic beasts in one blow and heated discussion ensued. ¡°My god. Isn¡¯t Divine Physician Bai a lady? How can she be so brutal? Looking at the splatter of blood on the ground, the stench can spread over two miles...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that so. Divine Physician Bai is an expert when it comes to saving people. It seems like she is also an expert in killing as well¡­¡± ¡°Tsk tsk tsk. A woman drenched in blood. The man who marries her will be in for a lifetime of bad luck.¡± ¡°Seems like the men in my army are better at gossiping than the eunuchs in the palace¡­¡± When the soldiers heard their master¡¯s voice, they were dumbstruck. ¡°:Listen up. Without Divine Physician Bai, Young Master Lu and I wouldn¡¯t be able to kill all the spirit beasts. All of your bodies would be littering the ground right now. How dare you badmouth your savior behind their back? What amazing soldiers. This prince felt that only eunuchs would gossip all day. It seems like all of you would rather serve under my Emperor Father¡­ Please let me know so I can make a recommendation for you to enter the palace.¡± Everyone¡¯s legs went soft and immediately begged for mercy, ¡°Will Your First Highness please forgive us! We will never commit the same mistake again!¡± Pei Rumo turned around and walked towards his tent. Before he left, he didn¡¯t forget to add one more statement, ¡°You guys better not let me hear anything else. I¡¯ll pull out the tongues of anyone who speaks more nonsense.¡± Pei Rumo entered his tent and left behind a group of trembling soldiers and officers to clear up the mess. ¡°How is it? Are there any findings?¡± Pei Rumo noticed Lu Wenshu inside the tent and immediately understood that he had something to report. ¡°Come over and look at the beast essences. All of them are demonized.¡± Pei Rumo observed the beast essences carefully and noticed that the demonization progress was even more severe than the previous ones. He immediately asked, ¡°It seems like the trip is getting more and more terrifying.¡± Lu Wenshu nodded and said, ¡°That is indeed the case. How is Luo Chu?¡± Pei Rumo shook his head, ¡°Nothing much. She probably fainted due to over-exhaustion of spiritual energy. She should regain consciousness after a day.¡± He was right. Bai Luochu woke up at dawn the next day. Before she did anything, Bai Luochu asked with concern, ¡°Were the spirit beasts demonized?!¡± Pei Rumo nodded. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here anymore. We have to enter the Desolate Region as soon as we can.¡± Bai Luochu felt alright, but Pei Rumo was concerned about her. ¡°Is your body feeling fine? We can rest for another day if you¡¯re not feeling too good.¡± Bai Luochu shook her head and rejected Pei Rumo¡¯s suggestion, ¡°We can¡¯t risk the soldiers¡¯ life. We will move out immediately. I¡¯m fine.¡± After Bai Luochu¡¯s repeated insistence, Pei Rumo led the army and marched out at dawn. When they continued their journey, everything was peaceful and there were no obstructions in their path. It was a little too peaceful... Chapter 339: Dense Fog Everywhere Bai Luochu frowned after hearing the comment, she felt that the hundred-men captain was right. The originally crisis-filled journey was suddenly peaceful and it was impossible not to feel suspicious. There was a saying, ¡®If it feels unusual, something must be wrong.¡¯ It seemed like the trip to the Desolate Region wasn¡¯t simple at all. The old emperor probably had some other motive and he threw Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo into his scheme. Bai Luochu¡¯s expression got increasingly serious as she thought about it. Pei Rumo had been observing Bai Luochu closely as he was worried after her over-exertion. Seeing Bai Luochu¡¯s anxious expression, he thought that she was feeling uncomfortable and he asked with concern, ¡°Luo Chu? What is it? Is your body feeling unwell?¡± Bai Luochu shook her head. Seeing how concerned Pei Rumo was, she simply spoke of the suspicion in her heart, ¡°I¡¯m worried that the journey is too peaceful.¡± Pei Rumo nearly choked on his words. He was also worried but he didn¡¯t wish to scare Bai Luochu. It was also the reason he avoided talking about it. Since she had already spoken, he no longer hid the truth, ¡°It is indeed strange. After so many intense battles, why did the journey become peaceful when we are about to arrive at the Desolate Region?¡± ¡°Someone might have already entered the Desolate Region ahead of us.¡± Lu Wenshu overheard their conversation and suddenly commented. Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo turned and raised their brows together as though they didn¡¯t understand. Lu Wenshu saw their expressions and carried on his explanation. ¡°There are only two possibilities for it to be so peaceful. The first possibility is that this place has always been quiet. After running into so much trouble during our trip here, I believe that the first possibility is nonsense. Hence, my prediction is that someone has already entered this area and slaughtered all the demonic beasts.¡± ¡°Even though this place is safe, it isn¡¯t good to stay for long.¡± Bai Luochu immediately carried on speaking after Lu Wenshu stopped, ¡°For someone to be able to wipe out all the dangers here, they are either in an alliance of many factions, or an extremely powerful one. No matter what it is, they aren¡¯t our ally.¡± ¡°It seems like my Emperor Father has put me in a huge predicament this time.¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t imagine that his Emperor Father¡¯s ambition was so huge. If this continued, the Cloud Water Nation was in for trouble. ¡°Let¡¯s cross the bridge when we get there. Even if they form an alliance, we aren¡¯t weaklings that they can trample over.¡± Bai Luochu saw Pei Rumo¡¯s expression and knew that he was feeling anger after being plotted against by his Emperor Father. She hastily interrupted his thoughts in order to distract him. But little did they imagine that when they arrived at the Desolate Region, an even bigger problem occured. The tumbling fog was rolling heavily over the ground and passed through the army. When they were marching across the hidden borders of the Desolate Region, it felt like they were above the mountains where the snow caps had just thawed into the spring tide. It was also like smoke spiraling into the sky, dancing gracefully against the azure backdrop. However, it felt more like smoke coming from an incense burner. It felt like they were wrapped in a thick layer of cotton and their bodies looked hazy. Bai Luochu turned around and realized that she couldn¡¯t see the army behind her. The grey fog was present everywhere and felt like it was concealing all the mysterious changes happening in the Desolate Region¡¯s lands. There was another wave of fog that was like a thin layer of milky white wind that rushed against their faces. Due to the concentrated vapor, Bai Luochu felt her clothes moisten. Just as Bai Luochu was feeling lost, there was a hand that grabbed on her sleeve and pulled her to the side. Just like that, Bai Luochu landed into a firm and warm embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I am here.¡± It was Pei Rumo¡¯s voice. If it was some other regular young lady, they would be filled with amorous feelings. However, Pei Rumo was hugging onto a wooden block-like Bai Luochu. She failed to realize the meaning behind his actions and she explained, ¡° We probably ran into the foggy season in the Desolate Region.¡± If they had followed the normal schedule, they would be deep into the Desolate Region by now. Due to Pei Rumo¡¯s decision to move off right after the rain, their schedule was delayed. Moreover, the journey became delayed once again due to Bai Luochu¡¯s overexertion. As such, the entire schedule was delayed by five days. It wasn¡¯t surprising for them to run into the fog. Despite the inconvenience, it was clear proof that the Desolate Region housed many treasures. Why else would it produce a layer of fog to protect itself? ¡°What should we do then? Pei Rumo didn¡¯t know that the Desolate Region was actually a place with so many mysteries. He became more and more confused. Bai Luochu was quiet for a moment. She used her spiritual energy to sense where her horse was before she mounted it. ¡°Move straight ahead. We will definitely be able to outrun the fog.¡± The fog might be able to obstruct vision, but it wasn¡¯t able to obstruct sound. Everyone listened to the hoofs of Bai Luochu¡¯s horse and advanced. After some time, everyone realized that they were being too optimistic. They couldn¡¯t even see their fingers in the fog¡­ How would it be possible for them to find a way out? As a result, Bai Luochu and the rest moved in circles without escaping from the disorientating fog. If they were moving in circles for a day or two, no one could find fault with her actions. However, the soldiers felt unjust after many days of traveling in circles. ¡°What kind of damned place is this?! I have served in the army and fought battles for a long time, but I have never suffered so much. Such wretched luck!¡± Chapter 340: Boosting the Morale When Pei Rumo heard the words of the soldiers, he could understand the indignant intent in their hearts. After all, this journey was long and exhausting, it was also filled with hardships. But all the incidents must not be entirely blamed on a young lady like Bai Luochu. As such, Pei Rumo was preparing to berate them. Within the fog, spiritual energy senses seemed even more acute. Bai Luochu was just beside Pei Rumo and naturally noticed Pei Rumo''s subtle movements, thus, she stopped him. "Just let them speak. It has been a long time since we entered the fog and I was the one who caused the delay. It is natural for them to feel resentful. Not as if I will lose a few pieces of flesh." Bai Luochu was light with her words but Pei Rumo was still heartbroken that Bai Luochu had to suffer such criticisms. He was the one who insisted on marching off immediately after the rain and he was also the one that didn''t notice any anomaly after extracting the beast essences. In the end, the one who suffered the consequences was the person that he treasured the most. Pei Rumo was truly brokenhearted and ashamed However, Bai Luochu was already used to such treatment. This world already had much higher demands towards women. During her previous life, she had exceptional strength and with the title of the Dual Absolute of Medicine and Poison, she had been addressed as the evil dao witch since a young age, causing her to be the target of criticisms behind her back. There were people who said she had shamelessly hooked up with a man at a young age. There were also some that said she was actually a demoness that had lived for a long time and relied on the consumption of men''s vitality and yang aura to maintain her youth. When she was young, she didn''t understand the meanings of the criticism and went to ask her master. Her master merely said that it was just mere tricks coming from the weaklings. After she grew up, there were times when there were disputes and she would fight with others. Due to all the limelight and commotion, she had been listed in the wanted list of the various great immortal sects. But as time elapsed, Bai Luochu realized that no one could do a thing to her, thus, she lost interest. Bai Luochu felt that what her master said was right. She had already reached an untouchable level of strength and felt that the world was extremely dull. For ordinary humans, they definitely felt that life was not worth living. It was no wonder they mocked her for entertainment. Since then, Bai Luochu never bothered when anyone spoke ill of her. She allowed them to act as they pleased since they were the ones struggling with life. They probably felt that life was too long and painful. As for someone like Bai Luochu, she would rather live her days carefree and unhindered. Even though Bai Luochu said that it wasn¡¯t necessary for Pei Rumo to speak out for her, Pei Rumo still wasn¡¯t able to tolerate their insults, ¡°I see all of you are exceptional individuals!¡± This fog might have blocked the vision but it wasn¡¯t able to isolate voices. Everyone heard their Commander in Chief speaking and instantly stopped talking. After hearing everyone keeping quiet, Pei Rumo said, ¡°Previously, when there was a huge downpour, Divine Physician Bai reminded me that landslides would frequently occur around the cliff. She asked me to wait a few days before marching out after the rain, but I didn¡¯t listen to her. Even though she didn¡¯t disobey my command, she brought all the elixirs in case anything happened to us. If she didn¡¯t think of doing so, I might already have died when we landed below. The beast essences were extracted by me but I didn¡¯t notice any anomaly. It was Divine Physician Bai who noticed it and informed me. She might have been a little late, but in the end, she exhausted all her spiritual energy to kill all the demonic beasts. She saved my life before saving all of you. Does she need to endure your criticisms just because she is a woman?!¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s words were like the sudden clap of thunder that instantly struck at those soldiers whose tongues were wagging. Bai Luochu was startled as she had already been numbed by the amount of insults thrown her way since her previous life. This was the first time someone had stood up for her. In her previous life, Lu Wenshu would only tell her to not bother with such people. Now, Pei Rumo was actually speaking out for her! Pei Rumo patted Bai Luochu¡¯s shoulders in an attempt to console her. The corner of Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth curled upwards as she didn¡¯t expect the person willing to speak out for her to be the person who had been constantly making use of her. She felt that there might be a day when they actually became good friends. Since Pei Rumo had already shown some signs of anger, he had to placate his troops in case they became rowdy again. ¡°Listen up...¡± Before Pei Rumo could finish speaking, Bai Luochu interrupted him and addressed the army. ¡°This journey has been long and exhausting. Everyone is ought to be angry as I have delayed the schedule. I am also able to accept everyone¡¯s anger and resentment. Whatever the case, we need to do what we need to do. Right now, our main goal is to enter the Desolate Region. The sooner the enter, the higher our chance of success.¡± No one responded after Bai Luochu finished speaking. She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I know that many people are dissatisfied with my presence. If you have any grievances, please speak up now. If anyone is too embarrassed to speak up, I shall promise you one thing. I know that everyone camps outdoors during campaigns. I also know that many of you suffer from long term injuries. Right now, I shall make a promise to set a date to treat everyone after getting back. I will also deliver spirit elixirs and precious herbs to the military as long as we return to the imperial court after a victorious campaign. Is everyone satisfied by my arrangements?¡± Chapter 341: Illness Strikes But the border of the Desolate Region was truly unpredictable. With the addition of the fog, everyone had been trapped in the borders of the Desolate Region for several days without a way to exit. There was a saying, ¡®Misfortune does not come alone¡¯. Not only were they not able to exit from the fog, but some of the soldiers had fallen ill. Without a choice, they had to set up camp to take care of the ill soldiers first. The curtains of the tent were able to isolate the fog on the outside. As such, it didn¡¯t affect Bai Luochu from conducting her regular diagnosis. The ill soldier was lying in the tent and constantly mumbling to himself. It was obvious that he was suffering and Bai Luochu tilted his face to the left and right in order to observe his expression. When she was unable to see anything, she tried to feel his pulse. A second after she tried reading his pulse, Bai Luochu pulled her hand away and stared at the patient with a grave expression on her face. After thinking for a moment, she asked the soldier next to him, ¡°Did he show signs of coughing recently?¡± The young soldier was startled at first, but he quickly recalled the behavior of his friend. ¡°That is indeed the case. He was coughing a little and we ignored it because we thought his throat was dry.¡± Bai Luochu nodded in response and retrieved an elixir for the ill soldier. She then handed a small clay pot to the other soldier and said, ¡°Make him spit into this pot later. Hand the pot over to me along with his spit.¡± The young soldier didn¡¯t understand what Bai Luochu wanted to do, but he felt that Bai Luochu had to be more knowledgeable about this matter since she was a physician. As such, he acknowledged her instructions. Bai Luochu went to the side and took out her medicine box while waiting for the elixir to take effect. Pei Rumo saw that Bai Luochu was waiting anxiously, he went over to ask with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are there strange things going on in the Desolate Region? Did he catch some incurable illness?¡± ¡°It is still hard to say for now.¡± Bai Luochu shook her head. Originally, she didn¡¯t wish to say anything else to Pei Rumo, but when she saw him waiting for an answer, she gave a simple explanation, ¡°I am not too sure as he is down with two completely unrelated illnesses. We will need to wait and see.¡± After hearing what Bai Luochu said, Pei Rumo knew that Bai Luochu already knew what was going on. She was merely unable to confirm her guess. ¡°He is part of my army. I shall wait for the result with you.¡± Lu Wenshu felt a wave of rage in his heart when he saw Pei Rumo behaving intimately with Bai Luochu after coming back up from the cliff. Too bad there was nothing he could do about it. He was the one at fault and there was nothing left to do but sulk at the side. ¡°Divine Physician Bai, this is the thing you asked for.¡± The young soldier handed it directly to Bai Luochu. What Bai Luochu did next was so shocking their jaws dropped. Bai Luochu took a piece of white cloth and placed it on the table, she then took out a wooden stick from her medicine box and dipped it into the thick phlegm before smearing it on the white cloth. She smeared it out evenly and carefully before observing for anomalies. Those with weak stomachs had already started retching while Pei Rumo pretended to be composed. He used his spirit qi to forcefully suppress his disgust. As for Lu Wenshu¡­ he was used to it as he had seen her conduct many diagnoses in her past life. As for Bai Luochu, she felt that there was nothing wrong about it. As a physician, she should use the best method to determine the illness. Right now, this was the best method she could think of. ¡°Just as I expected.¡± Bai Luochu looked at the smeared phlegm and said, ¡°I already know the cause of the illness. This is an elixir to cure it. Take it three times a day along with your meals. You will need two days to recover.¡± Bai Luochu handed the elixir to the young soldier beside the sick man. She then recalled something and instructed, ¡°Keep yourself warm the next few days. You must not catch a cold.¡± Once Bai Luochu finished talking, she turned and left. Pei Rumo immediately followed behind her as he was afraid he might lose her in the fog. ¡°What is going on?¡± Pei Rumo caught up to Bai Luochu and asked. Bai Luochu calmly replied, ¡°Previously when I was measuring his pulse, I realized that he developed pneumonia. Moisture also invaded his lungs. I felt that something strange was going on and after looking at his phlegm, I knew my conjecture was right. Dust and sand particles fill the air in the Desolate Region. Due to the concentrated fog, the sand particles are also contained within it. One would suck in all these impurities in the air when breathing. Right now, the particles are unable to leave the lungs as the air outside is saturated with water.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that the soldiers are in danger?¡± After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation, Pei Rumo sunk into thought. However, Bai Luochu shook her head. ¡°Your First Highness can be at ease. This matter is based on the individuals. Those with weak spleens are those who might be affected. As for the rest, they may feel uncomfortable but no harm will befall them. Pei Rumo nodded and finally felt at ease. Bai Luochu saw that Pei Rumo didn¡¯t have any more questions to ask, hence, she took her leave. Chapter 342: The Same Though Bai Luochu let out a long sigh. Now that someone fell sick, our journey will be delayed again. It seems like we can¡¯t sit back and do nothing. If the fog is released to deter invaders, it won¡¯t be dispersing any time soon. The three of us can condense spirit qi to protect ourselves but the soldiers can¡¯t. We cannot simply sacrifice the soldiers who are sick¡­ it seems like we need to think of a solution. It seems like I really have to think of a solution to solve both problems. I should have a proper discussion with Pei Rumo. Bai Luochu felt better now that she had a plan. A solution... I already have one, but unless absolutely necessary, I do not wish to reveal my trump card. On the other side, Pei Rumo was also thinking about the same thing. These soldiers have gone through thick and thin with me. If they really get wiped out, none of this will be worth it. My strength in the imperial court will weaken and the morale of the soldiers who didn¡¯t come will definitely be hit. My Commander in Chief Position in the military might even be shaken... Two days passed quickly. The soldier who fell sick made a full recovery and when Bai Luochu diagnosed him a second time, she instructed, ¡°Your liver is inflamed and you¡¯re suffering from the bad weather due to your weak spleen. Eat these elixirs for now. However, you need to pay attention to your health after returning to the capital city.¡± Bai Luochu was speaking the truth. She had always been bold when treating her patients. After considering the issue with speed, she prepared medicines that had aggressive medicinal effects. Other military physicians wouldn¡¯t dare to use such prescriptions while she was merely relying on her medical skills to prescribe these elixirs as she saw fit. In the future, if there were any soldiers that were pulling down the entire army because of their weak physique, they would certainly be tossed to the side of the road. The soldier naturally understood that Bai Luochu was telling the truth and nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, of course. Divine Physician Bai is wise! After I return to the capital city, I will certainly nurse my body back to health. I will comply with Divine Physician Bai¡¯s instructions.¡± Without any sick soldiers holding them back, the army continued to march towards the Desolate Region. Due to the heavy fog, the entire army had to reduce their speed in order to preserve their strength. As night fell, visibility became worse. Another layer of obstruction to their vision appeared and an additional feeling of mystery overwhelmed them. Bai Luochu prepared all the medicine she could think of but the buffoonery of the soldiers would constantly travel into Bai Luochu¡¯s ears. Among the coarse voices of the soldiers in the military camp, there would be traces of clear and refined voices that would constantly linger around her ears. ¡°That is right. I wonder if we will die of old age in this place.¡± ¡°Shush, be quiet. Don¡¯t let His First Highness hear it, or we will surely be scolded!¡± Everyone paused for a moment after the comment but didn¡¯t stay silent for long. ¡°Divine Physician Bai might have treated me, but others might fall ill as well. We cannot delay the journey for several sick soldiers¡­ Our priority is to make our way out of this blasted fog!¡± The person who spoke up was the soldier who recovered after Bai Luochu¡¯s treatment. Bai Luochu¡¯s brows arched slightly upwards and felt that this soldier was rather quick-witted. He knew that they had to solve the problem at its root cause, unlike the other boorish men in the army. ¡°We¡¯re just listening to orders¡­ Even if the captain went over to give his feedback, nothing will happen. ¡°That is true. His First Highness and the others might also be in the same predicament. Whatever the case, I think we¡¯re all dead.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be great if we could fly out of the fog?¡± Someone made the suggestion but was quickly ridiculed by others. ¡°How can we fly? Are you some kind of immortal-level character? We are not His First Highness and the others who can use their spirit qi to fly out.¡± The man who was ridiculed was scratching his head embarrassedly before he muttered softly, ¡°That¡¯s all I can think of¡­¡± Bai Luochu dropped everything in her hand and stared at the entrance of the tent in shock. She never expected that a soldier would think of the same solution as her. That¡¯s right. When Bai Luochu encountered the fog, she already thought of leaving through flight. However, she needed to borrow the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s ability and decided to use it as her last resort. It would only be a trump card if she kept it hidden. At this point in time, it was too late to hope for a solution to fall out of the sky. Bai Luochu decided that she should break out of the fog using whatever method available. Bai Luochu tidied up the table before heading to Pei Rumo¡¯s tent. Pei Rumo was rather surprised by Bai Luochu¡¯s visit. With his understanding of Bai Luochu, she should be either concocting medicine or cultivating. For her to visit him personally, there had to be something important. ¡°Speak. What do you have to report?¡± Pei Rumo asked. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t amazed that Pei Rumo was able to guess her intention. She conveniently sat down and asked Pei Rumo, ¡°In Your First Highness¡¯s opinion, when do you think we¡¯ll be able to arrive at the Desolate Region?¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s thoughts were slightly stirred. It seems like she is getting a little anxious and worried that someone might snatch the Field Pearl Flower. As such, Pei Rumo said something to calm Bai Luochu, ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient. The fog is already starting to disperse. In my opinion, we are merely days away from entering the Desolate Region.¡± Bai Luochu poured a cup of water for herself before asking, ¡°A few more days? Even if we can wait, what about your soldiers? Today, more people are falling sick. If we drag this out, our combat strength will fall significantly. By the time we enter the Desolate Region, all the soldiers will either be dead or sick.¡± When Pei Rumo heard Bai Luochu¡¯s response, he understood that Bai Luochu already had an idea. Since he didn¡¯t have an idea to bring everyone out, he might as well listen to Bai Luochu¡¯s brilliant plan. Chapter 343: An Unexpected Mistake ¡°Earlier, I heard someone¡¯s suggestion about how flying out would be a good idea. I think I will be able to accomplish such a task.¡± Bai Luochu was still speaking indifferently. When Bai Luochu spoke about flying out, Pei Rumo couldn¡¯t understand what she was talking about. He looked at her with a puzzled expression. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t in a hurry and she slowly explained her plan to Pei Rumo. ¡°Does Your First Highness remember the events that happened in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range?¡± Pei Rumo was an extremely clever person and he immediately made the connection between the Falling Cloud Mountain Range and the Green Flame Eagle. He realized that Bai Luochu was thinking of using the Green Flame Eagle to get them out of their predicament. ¡°Are you thinking of summoning the Green Flame Eagle?¡± Since Pei Rumo had already said it, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t keep up the suspense and simply nodded her head. Before she could say anything else, Pei Rumo spoke up to disagree. ¡°No, I object.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t expect him to reject her idea and she immediately raised her voice, ¡°Why not?! You don¡¯t even need to waste any energy to save your men. Just gather them up and I¡¯ll bring everyone out of here. It¡¯s an amazing method!¡± Pei Rumo placed the scroll in his hand and he replied, ¡°Because of you.¡± Bai Luochu was startled as she didn¡¯t know what he meant. Before she could try to convince him otherwise, Pei Rumo continued his explanation. ¡°Everyone might know that during the trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, the Green Flame Eagle disregarded its children to escort Divine Physician Bai out of the mountain range. Even if I can guarantee that my soldiers would keep quiet about the matter of the Green Flame Eagle, there are plenty of factions in the Desolate Region keeping their eyes on us. Everyone already knows your go-to attire and you will be recognized the moment you reveal yourself. Do you know the consequences of calling out the Green Flame Eagle now?¡± Bai Luochu fell silent. She obviously thought about this but she felt that there wasn¡¯t a point in delaying their trip any longer. After all, she would keep the Green Flame Eagle a secret if she could. ¡°An outstanding tree in the forest would be blown over by the strong winds. I know you have unlimited potential but right now, you¡¯re not strong enough. I can¡¯t let you take this risk.¡± Bai Luochu knew that even if she insisted, it would be useless. Hence, she gave up trying to persuade Pei Rumo. However, she left behind a sentence before leaving for her tent. ¡°Tomorrow morning, I will make you change your mind.¡± She was currently in the Desolate Region and she was trying to contact a living being more than a thousand miles away. The difficulty of the task could be imagined and she used the most dependable method by forming an arrow with her spiritual energy before sending it towards the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Located in the western region of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, a massive creature resided in an equally gigantic cave. Despite the obvious presence of a living creature, there wasn¡¯t a single beast in the mountain range that dared to disturb it. The serenity was destroyed in several seconds. The Green Flame Eagle moved silently but a spiritual energy arrow wrecked its peace. It was initially enraged but after realizing that Bai Luochu was asking for a favor, it spread its wings and flew towards the distant land. ... Early in the morning, the fog had yet to disperse. However, it was much thinner than before. The night before, a group of soldiers had been drinking to keep their bodies warm and the urge to relieve themselves made them venture towards the forest. An intoxicated soldier rubbed his eyes when he heard some mysterious sounds coming from the depths of the forest. ¡°Strange¡­ There isn¡¯t any wind right now. Why are the trees swaying?¡± By the time this soldier opened his eyes and turned around, he realized that he was standing in front of a massive creature. ¡°What the?!¡± The soldier exclaimed and fainted. This massive creature was none other than the Green Flame Eagle. It tilted its head in confusion as it saw the soldier fainting. It didn¡¯t know why people were terrified of it as its owner obviously found it very cute. When the Green Flame Eagle was having a headache on how to deal with the fainted soldier, someone came over to investigate the screams. ¡°What happened? What is going... on...¡± Another person arrived and was greeted with the sight of the massive Green Flame Eagle. When he saw that his buddy had collapsed in front of it, his legs turned to jelly. His entire body started to tremble and he wasn¡¯t able to speak properly. The soldier turned tail and ran, staggering from time to time as he tripped over his own foot. As he ran, he screamed, ¡°Hurry up and run! The spirit beast is killing people!¡± The original tranquility of the military camp was destroyed in an instant. When Bai Luochu heard the commotion, she had just ended her morning cultivation session. When she saw the soldier running over in a panic, she stopped him and asked, ¡°What is going on? Why are you screaming and running about in the military camp? Behave yourself.¡± ¡°Aiyo, Divine Physician Bai, you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on! I saw a giant spirit beast standing in the middle of the forest and my buddy was lying motionless on the ground. I have to report this to His First Highness as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Spirit beast?!¡± Bai Luochu muttered softly and instructed the soldier, ¡°Go and look for the captain and gather the soldiers. Look for a place to hide. I will look for His First Highness and Young Master Lu before heading over to check the spirit beast out.¡± The soldier felt a new level of respect for Bai Luochu as she could remain calm even after such a huge commotion. In fact, he felt that she was somewhat similar to his Master. He acknowledged the order and went to look for the hundred-man captain. Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu had always been vigilant. After hearing the commotion, they quickly wore their clothes and ran out. Chapter 344: Arrival at the Desolate Region Lu Wenshu emerged from the tent first and he immediately questioned Bai Luochu. Pei Rumo came out next and after hearing that Lu Wenshu had already voiced the question in his mind, he turned to stare at Bai Luochu. Since they came out to look for her, they saved her the trouble of looking for them. Since the matter at hand was urgent, she ignored formalities and immediately said, ¡°I just received a report from a soldier saying that a spirit beast had killed our men. It is right over there.¡± As Bai Luochu spoke she pointed over to the forest. ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go over now.¡± In the end, the soldier who ¡®died¡¯ was his men. Pei Rumo took charge and led the way as Bai Luochu and Lu Wenshu followed behind. Bai Luochu was weaker than the two of them and definitely wasn¡¯t as fast. By the time she arrived, she saw two humans and one eagle staring each other down. The Green Flame Eagle was looking down at Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu with a hostile look in its eyes. Bai Luochu swore if she had known the ¡®killer¡¯ spirit beast was her Green Flame Eagle, she wouldn¡¯t have asked Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu to come no matter what. After all, these two individuals stole her eggs. There was no changing the fact that they were enemies with the Green Flame Eagle. ¡°Cough cough.¡± Bai Luochu coughed lightly to indicate that she had arrived. When the Green Flame Eagle saw Bai Luochu, it walked over with big, heavy steps. After arriving before her, it lowered its head and rubbed it against Bai Luochu¡¯s face. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t refuse the gesture and the Green Flame Eagle was considerate enough to retract its spiked feathers to prevent injuring her. The tremors caused by the movements of the Green Flame Eagle managed to stir the soldier who fainted. He sat up and turned around to be faced with a scene tens of thousands times scarier than before. The giant spirit beast was acting like a little pet in front of Divine Physician Bai! It was behaving so intimately! ¡°Am I already dead? I must be dead in order to see such crap.¡± When Pei Rumo saw the soldier waking up, he asked, ¡°What is going on?¡± When the soldier heard Pei Rumo¡¯s question, he was pulled back to reality. After checking that he was truly alive, he gave Pei Rumo his full report, describing everything that happened in the morning. After Pei Rumo finished listening, he grunted, ¡°Heh¡­ useless fool.¡± When the Green Flame Eagle finished its display of affection, it stood beside Bai Luochu as it glared at Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu. ¡°As it turns you, you still called for the Green Flame Eagle. No wonder you were willing to leave my tent without negotiating with me. It seems like Divine Physician Bai is getting better at taking matters into your own hands.¡± ¡°Whatever. There is no way to turn back time and you should hurry up and explain things to the soldiers. If they don¡¯t agree with my decision, I will ask the Green Flame Eagle to return.¡± Bai Luochu saw that Pei Rumo was getting angry and she quickly turned the topic away from herself. Without a choice, Pei Rumo could only nod and agree. When Bai Luochu brought the Green Flame Eagle back to the military camp, all of the soldiers gathered around to gawk at the magnificent beast. ¡°Divine Physician Bai, is this big bird yours?¡± The hundred-men captain immediately asked. The Green Flame Eagle nearly wanted to send the captain flying. What a country bumpkin. I am an outstanding spirit beast. How can you compare me to a damn bird?! ¡°Everyone, this spirit beast in front of you is the Green Flame Eagle and it indeed belongs to me. We have been trapped in this fog for a long time and we shouldn¡¯t delay our journey any longer. This is my solution to our problem. I will get the Green Flame Eagle to carry us out of this fog and into the Desolate Region.¡± ¡°Oh my. I just spoke about flying yesterday¡­ It seems like we are really going to soar through the skies...¡± There were plenty of cautious individuals who felt that flying was a little bit too risky. ¡°Divine Physician Bai, what if we fall off?¡± The Green Flame Eagle was rather unhappy when faced with the doubts of so many soldiers. Bai Luochu had to appease the Green Flame Eagle before explaining to the troops, ¡°Everyone doesn¡¯t have to worry. The Green Flame Eagle is extremely stable and you will definitely not fall off. As long as you don¡¯t look down, nothing bad will happen to you. Focus on keeping your balance throughout the flight and it won¡¯t be easy to fall off.¡± After Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation, silence ensued. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry and she slowly waited for the soldiers to make their decision. Cold sweat was forming on Pei Rumo¡¯s back. If his soldiers were to agree, there was nothing he could do to stop this from happening. If Bai Luochu exposed the Green Flame Eagle in the Desolate Region, how was he supposed to protect her? This wasn¡¯t the Cloud Water Nation where his reputation as the First Prince would deter potential evil-doers. Neither was his great army stationed in the Desolate Region. All the soldiers he brought wouldn¡¯t be enough to protect Bai Luochu if some great faction placed their sights on the Green Flame Eagle. ¡°Rather than sitting here and waiting for death, why not take a little risk? Divine Physician Bai has never lied to us before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Divine Physician Bai, we are willing to fly out. Even if there is a possibility we might fall, we are still willing to give it a shot.¡± Once the two individuals voiced their comments, the rest of the soldiers started to echo their agreements. Pei Rumo sighed at the sight of the situation before him. Things were really going south right now. Bai Luochu let out a sigh of relief as her plan was approved. Even if it wasn¡¯t for the soldiers, she was in a hurry to get out in order to look for the Field Pearl Flower. Bai Luochu turned back to look at Pei Rumo with a victorious smile and asked, ¡°The soldiers agree with my plan. What does Your First Highness think of my plan?¡± ¡°Majority wins. Since the soldiers agree, we shall follow your plan.¡± Pei Rumo had no choice but to give in. The Green Flame Eagle wasn¡¯t too eager to ferry its enemies across the fog. Only after multiple persuasions by Bai Luochu did it agree to let Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu ride on its back. Chapter 345: A Place Worthy of Its Name Once everyone landed on the ground, they were stunned by the scenery in front of their eyes. The Desolate Region was indeed worthy of its name as a barren wasteland stood before their eyes. The only plants growing out of the ground were weeds so withered, ¡®dry¡¯ would be an understatement. The ground was so dry it cracked and a baby would be able to fit into the cracks. The most terrifying part was that the soil was filled with dried up bloodstains and eerie bones of the dead. There were even severed limbs and remains that had yet to completely decay. It was obvious that an intense battle had just broken out here. ¡°The Desolate Region is indeed the land of the savage. This is just the border region and there are already so many dead bodies. Furthermore, it seems like this territory isn¡¯t governed by any law. Murders and killings seem to be normal occurrences.¡± Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the sight before her. ¡°It is good that you know.¡± Pei Rumo grumbled, ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want you to summon the Green Flame Eagle. The people here plunder and steal without batting an eyelid. In fact, they can¡¯t even be considered humans. As long as you expose your wealth, they will definitely plunder and steal. Once you expose any wealth or treasure, you will turn into a target in the eyes of everyone in the Desolate Region.¡± ¡°Whatever. Since things are already at this point, there is nothing else I can do. I¡¯ll just send the Green Flame Eagle back.¡± Bai Luochu spoke and prepared to ask the Green Flame Eagle to return to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. The Green Flame Eagle seemed as though it understood Bai Luochu¡¯s thoughts and it immediately laid down on the ground. It was clear that it wasn¡¯t going to listen to Bai Luochu¡¯s instructions. The Green Flame Eagle was determined to stay behind to assist Bai Luochu in case she ran into some trouble. In any case, it was able to pick her up and fly away if the situation turned sour. Bai Luochu shook her head helplessly and persuaded, ¡°You¡¯re too eye-catching and if you stay, I might really be in danger.¡± The Green Flame Eagle seemed to be moved by Bai Luochu¡¯s words but it still insisted on staying. Without a choice, Bai Luochu had to convince the Green Flame Eagle patiently. After a long time, the Green Flame Eagle was still unwilling to give in. In the end, Bai Luochu took a step back. ¡°Why don¡¯t you hide somewhere safe. If anything happens to me, I shall call on you to assist me. If you turn into a target, it will greatly inconvenience me¡­¡± After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s proposal, the Green Flame Eagle was finally willing to give in. However, it was still reluctant to leave and it only left unwillingly after rubbing its head on Bai Luochu¡¯s cheeks. When Lu Wenshu heard Pei Rumo¡¯s comment, he responded with disdain, ¡°She has a rather deep relationship with the Green Flame Eagle. Why can¡¯t they behave intimately?¡± Pei Rumo became suspicious after hearing Lu Wenshu¡¯s response. His attitude towards Luo Chu has been somewhat weird. After falling down the cliff, his first reaction was to hug her. Moreover, he addressed her intimately when we were attacked by the demonic beasts. If they were still in the capital city, Pei Rumo was willing to overlook such small details. However, there were too many odd occurrences and Pei Rumo felt that something was off. Whenever anything concerned Bai Luochu, Pei Rumo would behave differently. He quickly asked, ¡°It seems like Young Master Lu has a deep relationship with Luo Chu. You really know her too well¡­¡± Lu Wenshu¡¯s heart thumped as he silently thought that his mouth had slipped. He exposed himself in front of this old fox and if he didn¡¯t think of a proper excuse, he would be in trouble. Deep relationship with her? Their relationship was deep indeed. The ties between them ran deep and they were even separated after the death of one party. They were lovers once and Lu Wenshu thought that she would come back to his side after clearing things up. Never did he expect... Lu Wenshu shook his head inwardly and threw out increasingly agonized emotions. After all, nothing else mattered to him. The pain of losing her had been carved into his heart and it was a scar he vowed never to touch again. Lu Wenshu wanted to keep this matter hidden forever. After all, reincarnation was an abstract concept and no one would ever believe him. Even if anyone did, he would be seen as a heartless rat who killed his lover in her past life. How could he even think of forgiveness after his filthy betrayal?! ¡°I don¡¯t have... too many ties with Divine Physician Bai.¡± Lu Wenshu stuttered when he spoke. No one knew if he was hesitating because of the pain in his heart or because he didn¡¯t wish to hide his relationship with Bai Luochu. ¡°Then why would Young Master Lu say that Luo Chu has a deep relationship with the Green Flame Eagle?¡± Pei Rumo carried on asking and from the looks of it, he was obviously not going to rest until he got an answer. Lu Wenshu reacted extremely quickly, ¡°Looking at how the Green Flame Eagle gave up its children to keep her safe, we can conclude that their bond is extremely strong. After that, the Phoenix King Valley Elder lost the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s youngling before he returned to his sect. In Your First Highness¡¯s opinion, who do you think is the culprit for the incident?¡± Pei Rumo was silently shocked after hearing Lu Wenshu¡¯s question. He knew the culprit behind the incident as he had been following behind her the whole time. He was safeguarding the secret for her and he never told a soul as he was afraid someone might rat her out. Why would Lu Wenshu speak of this matter all of a sudden? ¡°Did Young Master Lu witness it personally? Can you speak without thinking? Do you know what will happen if rumors of this get out?!¡± Pei Rumo was obviously enraged. How can a person that I have been protecting, fall into the hands of others?! Chapter 346: A State of Mutual Hostility Lu Wenshu still wore a smile, but Pei Rumo felt like punching him in the face. Had it not been for the soldiers present, Pei Rumo would have started a fight with him. Lu Wenshu was naturally aware of Pei Rumo¡¯s feelings and he continued, ¡°Does Your First Highness not have your guesses? Oh, I forgot, with Your First Highness¡¯s understanding of Divine Physician Bai, you should know better.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this!¡± Pei Rumo was obviously angered. If he wasn¡¯t suppressing the fury in his heart, his face would already be distorted due to his rage. As the soldiers were looking at the interaction between Bai Luochu and the Green Flame Eagle, they were oblivious that a fight between Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu was about to break out. When Lu Wenshu noticed the unpleasant expression on Pei Rumo¡¯s face, he decided that he wouldn¡¯t hold himself back any longer. ¡°Why is Your First Highness so angry? Am I not speaking the truth?¡± Even though there was still a brilliant smile on his face, a hint of sinister intent was creeping up behind it. Lu Wenshu stared at Pei Rumo with a complacent look. Pei Rumo was silently shocked. How much more does Lu Wenshu know? In fact, Lu Wenshu was able to guess that Bai Luochu had stolen the Green Flame Eagle¡¯s younglings as he knew that she was doing it for the Green Flame Eagle. As for the reason behind Lu Wenshu¡¯s provocation, he had noticed that Pei Rumo was getting more intimate with Bai Luochu. If he knew that Pei Rumo was a witness during Bai Luochu¡¯s covert operation to steal the egg, he would have kept his mouth shut. When Pei Rumo heard what Lu Wenshu said, a feeling of suspicion bloomed in his heart. He thought that Lu Wenshu was secretly stalking him. No longer able to hold himself back, Pei Rumo erupted with rage. How dare he plot against me! ¡°Young Master Lu, a meal can be eaten however you like but words must not be spoken without thinking. Do you know the consequences of spouting nonsense?¡± Pei Rumo was starting to threaten Lu Wenshu. Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t flare up and he calmly replied, ¡°Your First Highness should be clear of your status when talking to me. I am not a member of your Cloud Water nation and the rules of the nation don¡¯t apply to me. With my current status, even if Your First Highness wants to make a move against me, you had better consult your Emperor Father about it. There are some people you can¡¯t touch even if you want to.¡± Bai Luochu isn¡¯t someone you can obtain as well... Of course, Lu Wenshu kept the last statement in his heart. He was sure that if he said it, a storm of blood would be shed. Lu Wenshu¡¯s attitude had utterly infuriated Pei Rumo. Just as Pei Rumo felt that he wasn¡¯t able to suppress the anger anymore and was about to make a move, Bai Luochu suddenly felt the hostility between the two of them, ¡°What are the two of you doing?¡± The calm and indifferent Pei Rumo had fire spitting out of his eyes. If he were to open his mouth, a ball of fire might emerge to obliterate the person standing before him. As for Lu Wenshu, there wasn¡¯t a need to describe his behavior. Bai Luochu knew him too well and knew that he wouldn¡¯t show his emotions when he was angry. Instead, his face would be filled with a brilliant smile. The brighter his smile, the greater the rage in his heart. Right now, Lu Wenshu was smiling so brightly that only his teeth could be seen. It was clear to Bai Luochu that Lu Wenshu was thinking of slicing Pei Rumo up into a thousand pieces in his heart. Bai Luochu even suspected that without the presence of the soldiers, the two of them would be tearing at each other¡¯s throat. She hurriedly tried to diffuse the situation in case anything happened. When Bai Luochu¡¯s voice entered their ears, they knew that it was time to back down. If they continued to act with hostility, Bai Luochu would start to get suspicious. If that were to happen, the two of them wouldn¡¯t be able to worm their way out of it. The first to respond was Lu Wenshu. After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s voice, he withdrew the smile and his stern aura before turning to look at Bai Luochu with a gentle and sentimental expression. He was obviously the person who started this. Whatever. I can¡¯t destroy the image I tried so hard to build up because of the arrogant Pei Rumo. Of course, his ¡®improved image¡¯ was something he thought up. In Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes, he was still a despicable and heartless betrayer. When Pei Rumo saw the change in Lu Wenshu¡¯s expression, he couldn¡¯t help but snort. What a hypocrite. It¡¯s a waste he didn¡¯t take up acting as his profession. Of course the First Prince couldn¡¯t show his weakness. His expression immediately changed and the calm and indifferent Pei Rumo returned. When Bai Luochu saw that their attitudes changed in the blink of an eye, she became suspicious. What are they hiding from me?! ¡°Answer me. What is going on between the two of you?¡± Bai Luochu tried to get to the bottom of the matter. The duo who were originally in a state of mutual hostility became the best of friends when faced with Bai Luochu¡¯s question. ¡°We were discussing something important. If you don¡¯t believe me, Young Master Lu can back me up. Pei Rumo replied to Bai Luochu¡¯s question and didn¡¯t forget to drag Lu Wenshu down with him. Lu Wenshu silently cursed at Pei Rumo for being an old fox. He turned to look at Bai Luochu before speaking, ¡°That¡¯s right. We were discussing something important.¡± Couldn¡¯t he nod to show his agreement? Why is he repeating after Pei Rumo? The two of them look like they are guilty of something... Chapter 347: Further Arrangemen Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu cursed at Bai Luochu¡¯s wit. She was truly hard to deceive. Pei Rumo felt that his brain juices were about to run dry but he was still unable to think of an excuse to dismiss Bai Luochu¡¯s suspicions. Lu Wenshu¡¯s brains moved faster and he thought of a reply immediately, ¡°We disagreed about something.¡± After Lu Wenshu¡¯s explanation, Bai Luochu nodded skeptically before asking again, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about the cause of the disagreement? I might be able to think of a better solution for you.¡± Since Bai Luochu made the suggestion, the duo couldn¡¯t think of any reason to refuse. Without a choice, Pei Rumo explained, ¡°Now that we have entered the Desolate Region, we need to think of our next course of action. We were arguing over the marching schedule.¡± ¡°Tell me the plan.¡± Bai Luochu was still suspicious and she wanted to bait them into saying something wrong. ¡°In my opinion, the soldiers would be exhausted if they were to start marching after being trapped into the fog for such a long time. I suggested that we take a short break before advancing. His First Highness felt that we have delayed the journey for far too long and wanted to set off immediately.¡± It seemed as though Lu Wenshu had already thought of an excuse when Pei Rumo was speaking to Bai Luochu. After hearing the cause of conflict, Bai Luochu no longer bothered with the two men. After all, the biggest problem right now was the campaign to conquer the Desolate Region. After thinking it over, Bai Luochu suggested, ¡°This isn¡¯t a good place to have such a discussion. There is no water supply here and the temperature is too high. If we remain here for a long time, problems might arise. Looking for a water source should be a priority. Let¡¯s set up camp after finding a source of water before discussing the marching schedule.¡± When Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu saw that Bai Luochu had finally stopped harping on the matter of their conflict, they heaved a sigh of relief. Since Bai Luochu had given a suggestion, there was no reason to object. An order from Pei Rumo made the soldiers head out to look for a source of water. They managed to find one before long and the army quickly set up camp. Pei Rumo was in the main tent along with Bai Luochu and Lu Wenshu as they came up with a plan to reach the core of the Desolate Region. ¡°Where are we now?¡± Bai Luochu looked at the map on Pei Rumo¡¯s table and asked. Pei Rumo pointed to a location on the map and replied, ¡°Seeing that water sources are scarce in the Desolate Region, we can confirm our general location.¡± Even though that was the case, she didn¡¯t intend to blame the Green Flame Eagle. She didn¡¯t give it clear instructions when flying out of the fog. Moreover, this wasn¡¯t the time to blame anyone. ¡°Your First Highness, what do you think we should do?¡± Bai Luochu already had a plan but she had to show some respect to the Commander in Chief of the army. Pei Rumo muttered for a moment and recalled that Lu Wenshu spoke about how he was fixated about moving out immediately. Pei Rumo could only stick to his role. ¡°We are moving too slowly and the conditions in the Desolate Region are harsh. We should head to the battlefield as soon as possible so that we aren¡¯t caught off guard.¡± Bai Luochu nodded. Even though he made sense, the soldiers might not be in their best condition to start their march to the central region. ¡°Young Master Lu, what do you think of this matter? I wish to hear your opinion.¡± Bai Luochu turned to ask Lu Wenshu. Lu Wenshu was delighted that she was speaking to him but he quickly composed himself as he knew that the campaign should be his priority. ¡°I feel that we should rest and reorganize ourselves. The situation on the battlefield is unclear and it will be better for us to practice caution. Moreover, we are running low on supplies and if we can¡¯t replenish them, we won¡¯t be able to last long in the Desolate Region.¡± Bai Luochu agreed with him, ¡°Young Master Lu makes sense. Cultivators like us might not need supplies, but the soldiers are not cultivators. In my opinion, it will be better for us to replenish our supplies before heading out.¡± That was Pei Rumo¡¯s original intention but because of what Lu Wenshu said earlier, he had to change his plans. Now that Bai Luochu had made the suggestion, he was happy to agree. However, he wasn¡¯t pleased when he saw that Bai Luochu had the same thought process as Lu Wenshu. Feeling rather annoyed, he wanted to get back at Lu Wenshu. ¡°Since that is the case, I shall listen to you.¡± Pei Rumo said to Bai Luochu. Even though Bai Luochu was confused, Lu Wenshu knew that Pei Rumo was using the chance to get back at him. Chapter 348: Establishing Authority Pei Rumo thought that his question would stump Bai Luochu, but he received an unexpected reply. She pointed to a spot on the map and said, ¡°Here.¡± Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu turned to look at the location but they couldn¡¯t notice the peculiarity. They assumed that Bai Luochu had already made earlier arrangements and simply asked, ¡°It seems like Divine Physician Bai has already made some arrangements?¡± Bai Luochu laughed and shook her head helplessly, ¡°How can I possess such magical powers? I observed the map and came to a conclusion that this should be the most thriving area in the entire Desolate Region.¡± In response, Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu immediately observed the location that Bai Luochu pointed out on the map. With rivers and forests, if there was anywhere they could stop for a resupply, that would be their best bet. Pei Rumo glanced at Bai Luochu and lamented, ¡°Like father like daughter. If you were born a man, your father¡¯s legacy would remain eternal.¡± Bai Luochu laughed in response without saying anything else. In Pei Rumo¡¯s opinion, she was merely being modest. But Lu Wenshu was sneering in his heart. It seems like Pei Rumo doesn¡¯t understand Luo Chu as well as I imagine. In her previous life, Bai Luochu was proficient at the Book of Changes and had a rather good understanding of military formations. In fact, she wouldn¡¯t be weaker than reputable generals when comparing knowledge on warfare. The former general has nothing to do with this. She gained all her knowledge from her extensive reading in the temple¡¯s library. ¡°You should let the soldiers know of our plan. We will head out towards the east of the Desolate Region first thing tomorrow morning.¡± Pei Rumo said to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu was startled at first but quickly understood Pei Rumo¡¯s intention... he was trying to help her establish her authority in the army. Bai Luochu originally wanted to refuse, but Lu Wenshu stepped in to persuade her. ¡°Divine Physician Bai was the person who suggested this. The two of us can¡¯t possibly seize your credit.¡± ¡°No rush. We merely decided on a place to go. We didn¡¯t discuss the number of people we should send.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that we shouldn¡¯t move the entire army?¡± Pei Rumo asked. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t give a direct answer. Instead, she replied with a question of her own. ¡°Does Your First Highness remember the scene when we first stepped into the Desolate Region?¡± Pei Rumo muttered for a moment before racking his brains. ¡°Severed limbs, some bones, some remnant body parts, and the stench of blood.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and asked again, ¡°Does Your First Highness remember the state of the blood and the remains?¡± Pei Rumo pondered for a long time before he shook his head. ¡°Is this the reason we are going to send out a small team?¡± Pei Rumo asked. Bai Luochu nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t remain here forever. However, we can¡¯t charge blindly as that is pure stupidity. We should send out a vanguard team to scout for information, leaving the rest of us behind to reorganize our ranks.¡± ¡°It seems like you have thought it through.¡± After Pei Rumo listened to Bai Luochu¡¯s proposal, he felt that Bai Luochu had indeed thought things through. ¡°Have you thought about who we should send out? Members of the vanguard team should be stronger than regular soldiers. Moreover, a leader needs to stay behind to command the troops.¡± Pei Rumo thought about the management issue of the military camp and raised his question. Bai Luochu muttered for a moment before speaking her thoughts, ¡°The hundred-men captains cannot join the vanguard team as they need to stay behind to lead the soldiers. It will be best if the members of the vanguard team are scouts. They must also be able to adapt to the unusual weather here. We should let the soldiers volunteer to join the vanguard team. What do you think¡± ¡°It seems like there are no better methods. Since that is the case, we shall do as you say. Since this is a last-minute decision, I shall go along with you to relay the order.¡± Pei Rumo spoke and turned to leave the tent. ¡°Everyone, please gather and listen to the command.¡± Once Pei Rumo walked out of the main tent, he yelled out. When Pei Rumo made the announcement, everyone formed up in front of him in the blink of an eye. ¡°I discussed our next course of action with Divine Physician Bai and she gave me excellent suggestions. She shall now brief you of our plan.¡± Pei Rumo addressed everyone before handing his authority to her. Even though the soldiers knew that Pei Rumo was treating Divine Physician Bai with some bias, his current actions right now made it obvious he was trying to help her establish her authority in the army. The more they thought about it, the more they felt that listening to Divine Physician Bai was the right thing to do. They realized that even though Divine Physician Bai was a woman, her vision and judgement was comparable to His First Highness. Moreover, the emperor himself passed down an imperial decree to order Divine Physician Bai to follow them during the campaign. Even though she was following them under the guise of a military physician, she was more like the vice commander of the army. It was because of her gender that the emperor couldn¡¯t give her an official position. Everyone straightened their backs and awaited Divine Physician Bai¡¯s orders. Chapter 349: Vanguard Team Bai Luochu looked at the soldiers below and immediately recalled her previous life. She had done the same thing in the past, but instead of soldiers, she commanded her secret guards. Her group of secret guards were much stronger and much more valuable than these soldiers. During normal times, they would obey her commands. They only started to disobey her when she turned foolish after getting together with Lu Wenshu. She lost a powerful and loyal group of supporters just like that... Her mood turned somewhat sour when she thought about her secret guards and Pei Rumo managed to detect something wrong with her. He patted her shoulder and called out to her softly, ¡°Luo Chu, Luo Chu, why are you staring into space? The soldiers are waiting for you.¡± When Bai Luochu felt Pei Rumo patting her shoulder, she suddenly returned to her senses and realized she had forgotten that she was supposed to address the army. Bai Luochu forcefully opened her mouth to explain, ¡°I was thinking of a better way to phrase my idea, and now, I shall reveal my plan to everyone.¡± Bai Luochu allowed her qi to sink into her dantian before she shouted at the top of her voice. ¡°Everyone! It has already been over a month since we departed from the capital city. It has been a long and exhausting journey with many mishaps and dangers along the way. I understand that everyone is exhausted right now but even so, we cannot delay our journey any longer. We are now past the border of the Desolate Region and we do not know anything about the situation inside. All of you witnessed the scene when we landed earlier. I am afraid that the central zone will be even more dangerous than that. No matter what, I cannot allow all of you to take such a risk. As such, I have discussed it with His First Highness and we came up with a brilliant plan. I hope that everyone can listen carefully.¡± Bai Luochu silently observed the soldiers¡¯ expression after speaking and she realized that they were all burning with fighting spirit. ¡°We decided to split you up into groups. His First Highness and I will lead a small vanguard team to enter the central zone of the Desolate Region and we will scout it out. The rest of you will take a break and reorganize yourselves. Get ready for battle at any moment in case anything happens while we are away. We require a total of eight members for the vanguard team and you can volunteer yourselves to be part of the squad.¡± After Bai Luochu spoke, there were a few individuals who had to lower their hands. However, even more people volunteered themselves. Bai Luochu was placed in a rather difficult situation as she wasn¡¯t a soldier. She couldn¡¯t make the decision and she turned around to look at Pei Rumo. When Pei Rumo saw Bai Luochu staring at him, he understood that he had to be the one to choose. He immediately declared, ¡°If you¡¯re the only son in your family, lower your arm.¡± ¡°Those who have a family to support, lower your arm.¡± ¡°Those with siblings in the army, lower your arm.¡± ¡°Those with illness and injuries, lower your arm.¡± The more conditions he put forth, the lesser the number of people left. In the end, there were exactly eight arms in the air. Among them, two were scouts and the others were strong and healthy individuals. There was no objection and the vanguard team was formed. Bai Luochu then continued with the instructions, ¡°We will depart first thing tomorrow morning. Rest well tonight and I hope none of you will screw up when we arrive in the central region.¡± The eight individuals knew that their mission was dangerous but they were secretly happy in their heart. After all, it was a great honor to be in the same squad as their Commander in Chief. They started discussing their plans for the next day enthusiastically as they returned to their tent. ¡°All hundred-men captains are to head to the main tent now.¡± After entering the main tent, Pei Rumo sat at the commander¡¯s position while Bai Luochu sat on his left. The rest of the hundred-men captains sorted themselves according to their years of experience in the army. ¡°I know that there are some of you who are frustrated because you cannot join the vanguard team. Your job right now will be more important than scouting for information.¡± Bai Luochu opened her mouth as she saw many dissatisfied expressions among the captains. When their faces eased up, Bai Luochu turned to Pei Rumo and saw him nodding at her. She understood that he was handing her the authority to speak about her plans for them. ¡°As His First Highness and I will be heading to the central zone, we will be unable to lead the army for some time. All of you will stay behind and protect the soldiers. As for the exact details, His First Highness shall brief you as he is more experienced than me when it comes to leading an army.¡± Chapter 350: The Arrangemen All the hundred-men captains nodded repeatedly and felt that Pei Rumo¡¯s arrangement was extremely reasonable. Of course, there will definitely be confusion among the captains. One of them asked, ¡°What if Your First Highness fails to send a messenger pigeon? How should we make our report?¡± ¡°Impossible. I will definitely send a messenger pigeon regardless of the situation.¡± Pei Rumo replied quickly to reassure the captains. ¡°What if an emergency happens?¡± The captain continued to ask. Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t annoyed at all as the captain had served him for a long time. He knew that the captain was a prudent man and his questions all made sense. Pei Rumo was actually happy that he was able to think so far ahead. ¡°That is indeed possible...¡± Pei Rumo nodded and said, ¡°If an emergency happens, leave the Desolate Region and never come back.¡± ¡°What does Your First Highness mean?¡± The hundred-men captain didn¡¯t understand Pei Rumo¡¯s instruction. After all, the original Pei Rumo would rather die in battle than to retreat. ¡°If we fail to send messenger pigeons, leave the Desolate Region. If that were to happen, it would mean that the entire vanguard team has been killed in the central region. It would also mean that fleeing is the smartest choice.¡± Pei Rumo spoke calmly as though it was no big deal for him to die in the central region. The captains were frightened stiff and they turned to look at Bai Luochu with pale faces. It seemed like they were waiting for Bai Luochu to persuade the First Prince against acting recklessly. Bai Luochu sensed the gazes from the captains and quickly mediated the situation, ¡°Everyone doesn¡¯t have to worry. I will be there as well. I will definitely stop His First Highness from risking his life.¡± The hundred-men captains gradually relaxed after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s promise. Bai Luochu glared at Pei Rumo before speaking, ¡°I already prepared all the elixirs we might require during the trip. I will check again and ensure that we have enough medicine for the soldiers staying behind. As for the medicinal effect and the dosage to consume, I have already put the labels on the bottles. Retrieve it from my tent if you need anything. If anyone suffers from a serious illness, write a detailed report about the symptoms in your report. I might return to provide emergency treatment if the situation calls for it.¡± The hundred-men captains looked at each other in dismay. They didn¡¯t expect there would be a day when the physician would be meticulous enough to prepare everything in advance. Feeling touched, tears nearly streamed down their face. Bai Luochu never knew how to deal with emotions and she quickly resumed her brief in order to avoid an awkward situation from forming. After ensuring that the briefing was complete, Pei Rumo dismissed everyone and asked Bai Luochu to stay behind in the main tent. They had to discuss the schedule of the captains¡¯ shift. ¡°These are your soldiers and you know them better than me. You should be the one to decide the order of rotation.¡± Bai Luochu prepared to leave Pei Rumo alone to settle the problem. How could Pei Rumo possibly allow a genius like Bai Luochu to leave? He immediately called out to her, ¡°Hold on, I don¡¯t need you to plan the list, but I need your opinion on some matters.¡± Pei Rumo felt that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t a mere physician. Be it her foresight or ability to scheme, she had the makings of a vice commander and military advisor. Now that the general situation was fixed, Bai Luochu became rather relaxed as she made fun of Pei Rumo, ¡°Does Your First Highness need to consult me when making your decisions? I am a military physician, not a military advisor. I am only receiving one portion of pay but you want me to do two portions of work. This isn¡¯t a worthwhile deal¡­¡± Pei Rumo burst out laughing in his heart and he sighed, ¡°You are truly a money-grubbing lass! How did you grow up to be such a huge money-face? Enough of that, hurry up and speak of your thoughts. When we return back to the capital city, I will give you two carts of medicinal ingredients.¡± After hearing Pei Rumo¡¯s promise, she made a rough estimate of the ingredients a cart could contain before agreeing to help. Now that it was a worthwhile deal, she immediately asked Pei Rumo, ¡°Your First Highness, ask away! I will reply if I know the answer.¡± After Bai Luochu agreed, Pei Rumo muttered softly, ¡°Little miser.¡± He immediately changed the topic, ¡°I want your opinion about the pairing of the captains on duty.¡± Bai Luochu raised her brows in contemplation. ¡°Easy. Pick a junior to work with a senior. The senior captains will have great experience and they usually do things prudently. Their flaw is that they are too inflexible and they rely too much on their experience. The junior captain will be able to help out with their shortcomings. Young people are creative and they can look at a problem from a new point of view. In the unpredictable Desolate Region, coming up with new solutions are a must. We must also consider the fact that they might be too conceited and pairing them up with a senior captain will prevent them from doing anything excessive.¡± Just as Pei Rumo wanted to say something, Bai Luochu suddenly changed the topic, ¡°Of course, this is just one factor. The most important part will be their personalities. They cannot be paired according to their age as some might be more mature despite being younger. Whatever the case, they are your soldiers and you know them better than me. You can do as you see fit.¡± ¡°I shall thank Divine Physician Bai for the brilliant plan and amazing insight...¡± Pei Rumo teased Bai Luochu when he saw that she was only doing it for the two carts of medicinal ingredients. Chapter 351: Entering the Central Region Pei Rumo waved his hand and signalled to Bai Luochu to go prepare. Before she left, he warned her. ¡°You better rest early, else if you¡¯re late tomorrow, I¡¯ll proceed without you.¡± Bai Luochu knew that Pei Rumo was just kidding so she joked, ¡°I thought that the First Prince was a gentleman, little did I know that you¡¯re just like those from the streets who burn their bridges after they cross them. I¡¯m so disappointed...¡± As Bai Luochu had more important stuff that she needed to do, she ended the meaningless conversation and used her movement skill to leave quickly. Pei Rumo originally wanted to chide Bai Luochu, but she left before he could. After Bai Luochu left, Pei Rumo softly muttered, ¡°She¡¯s indeed a spiteful little girl.¡± He then proceeded to assign the groupings for the scouts. Early next morning. While most soldiers were still sleeping, Bai Luochu had already woken up and ended her cultivation session. Bai Luochu felt that the only good thing about the Desolate Region was the small human population and abundance of spirit qi. Thanks to this, she managed to raise her cultivation by two small tiers. Bai Luochu gathered the spirit qi into her hands and when she saw her increasingly dense and pure spirit qi, she got incredibly happy. If she could get her hands on the Field Pearl Flower, that would be perfect. She would definitely be able to reach the cultivation level she was at in her past life. At that time, she would be able to settle all her old and new grudges at the same time. By the time she had finished picking her items, she knew that it was already late. Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu were already waiting for her at the entrance. Bai Luochu adjusted her backpack to reduce her awkwardness. She knew that cultivation couldn¡¯t be used as a reason to delay the expedition. The journey from the borders of Desolate Region to its center was unexpectedly smooth, she even suspected if a high level spirit beast swept through the area and killed everyone in their path. When they finally arrived, Bai Luochu realized that she was right to assume that the central region was the busiest. Even though it was still incomparable to the capital city of the Cloud Water Nation, it was still comparable to the smaller cities near it. Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo decided to head to the tea shop to gather some news. They didn¡¯t expect Lu Wenshu to part with them after arriving in the central region. ¡°First Prince, Divine Physician Bai, since we have reached the heart of the Desolate Region, let¡¯s move separately.¡± Lu Wenshu bade them farewell even before they had reached the tea shop. Pei Rumo narrowed his eyes, seemingly trying to figure out what Lu Wenshu was up to. But after some time, he was still clueless and turned to look at Bai Luochu instead. Even though Bai Luochu was just asking out of courtesy, Lu Wenshu misunderstood her intentions. He thought that she was concerned for him. That caused Lu Wenshu to reply with a face full of smiles, ¡°Before we departed, I have informed you guys that I have some matters to do in the Desolate Region. Now that we have arrived, it is time for us to say our goodbyes. Furthermore, it¡¯s not convenient for me to be there when you guys discuss your military secrets. Hence, now is the best time for me to say goodbye.¡± They never had any intention of keeping Lu Wenshu and now that he had successfully provided them with a reason, they quickly bade him farewell.. Just before Lu Wenshu left, he turned around and spoke tenderly, ¡°Ah chu, if anything happens to you, I will definitely be the first to appear beside you. I will definitely protect you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t have to trouble Young Master Lu. I am sure you have more important things to attend to. How can you take care of Luo Chu all the time? It¡¯s more appropriate for me to protect her. Please don¡¯t forget that I have an army.¡± Pei Rumo immediately retorted. Bai Luochu broke out in a cold sweat when she saw the two of them fighting over her. ¡°Young Master Lu, don¡¯t you have more important things to do? You should hurry up, it would be bad if you end up delaying your matters for us.¡± After she gave Lu Wenshu a push, she turned around and headed towards the direction of the tea shop. Pei Rumo bade farewell to Lu Wenshu with a smile and headed towards the tea shop behind Bai Luochu. After they sat down, a waiter came and attended to them, ¡°What do the two of you want to drink? Unfortunately, we only have black tea and green tea here.¡± The waiter had been exceedingly rude, maybe because he had thought that the two of them were those wealthy Young Master and Mistress who were hard to serve from the way they were dressed. Since Bai Luochu had no expectations for this tea shop in the first place, she simply replied, ¡°Bring me a cup of green tea.¡± Seeing that Bai Luochu ordered green tea, Pei Rumo hurriedly ordered one as well.¡°I didn¡¯t know you like to drink green tea.¡± Bai Luochu shot a glance and replied Pei Rumo,¡± It¡¯s not because I like to drink green tea.¡± Chapter 352: Gathering Intelligence Over a Cup of Tea Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t planning to answer at first, but she knew that if she did not give a reply, Pei Rumo would continue pestering her until he got an answer. ¡°The weather here in the Desolate Region is so hot and dry. Black tea is heaty in nature and I rather not get an ulcer.¡± Pei Rumo became speechless after seeing that she was making full use of her medical skills. After a long period of silence, Pei Rumo could no longer endure it. He brought up the issue of Lu Wenshu again, ¡°Why did you think Lu Wenshu left after arriving in the central region?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he already explain himself clearly just now?¡± Evidently, Bai Luochu did not want to speak of this matter anymore. ¡°You really believe him? I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re just avoiding the topic right now. If Lu Wenshu really had something to do, he wouldn¡¯t remain trapped in the fog with us. He was just giving us an excuse in order to leave.¡± Pei Rumo said what was on his mind. Bai Luochu knew that it was an excuse as well. After all, she was very clear about Lu Wenshu''s character. Since Pei Rumo had already said so much, she knew that he wouldn¡¯t let the matter rest unless she played along with him. ¡°It is indeed possible that he had pressing matters to attend to. He might also be using it as an excuse to leave. After all, there shouldn¡¯t be any dangers around and traveling with us will only tie him down. Do you think there is something he needs to attend to?¡± Pei Rumo guessed, ¡°What else can it be? Other than the battleground and Field Pearl Flower, there should be nothing else that¡¯s important already.¡± Bai Luochu fell into deep thought. This place wasn¡¯t simple and knowing the emperor¡¯s personality, there had to be some sort of treasure hidden in the Desolate Region. If there wasn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have mustered such a large force to go into battle. However, she obviously did not share her thoughts with Pei Rumo, after all, she didn¡¯t want to alert the enemy before she was certain on what¡¯s going on. Thinking up to this point, Bai Luochu hurriedly changed the topic as she wanted to end the conversation. ¡°Well, no matter what, it''s good that he left. Otherwise, it would have been troublesome if he were to leak our strategies and deployment to outsiders.¡± Pei Rumo nodded his head, ¡°You¡¯re right, let¡¯s not bother too much about it. What¡¯s important is that our battle proceeds smoothly.¡± After the waiter filled the two cups with tea, he impolitely warned, ¡°Please drink it while it''s hot. You might not be able to stomach it if the tea gets cold.¡± After seeing the attitude of the waiter, Pei Rumo no longer had the mood to drink tea. However, Bai Luochu looked unaffected and even drank two mouthfuls of it, drawing the attention of the shopkeeper. Seeing as Bai Luochu had already drank the tea, Pei Rumo raised his cups to his lips and took a sup. Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo looked at each other in confusion. Bai Luochu then asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Originally, the waiter didn¡¯t want to interfere with their actions. However, seeing that a frail lady was the one asking him the question, he hesitated for a moment before replying, ¡°Truthfully speaking, I have lost count of the number of people who came to my shop to drink tea these few days. Not only have they gone missing one by one, but they were also wearing clothes similar to yours. All of them said that they came in search of a treasure, but ****!¡± After the ambiguous words spoken by the waiter, Bai Luochu became even more confused. ¡°Shopkeeper, what are you trying to say here?¡± The waiter''s face suddenly changed, and gloomily told Bai Luochu, ¡°Little miss, listen to my advice, don¡¯t go searching for it.¡± After he finished speaking, he returned to the kitchen and started boiling more water. Bai Luochu had a grave expression on her face as she finished the whole cup of tea in one go. She tried to organize her thoughts. Pei Rumo softly coughed and attracted Bai Luochu''s attention, ¡°Ahem...¡± When Bai Luochu raised her head, Pei Rumo continued, ¡°Let¡¯s not ask anymore, from how I see it, there¡¯s something strange about this shop. I think it would be better if we look for information elsewhere.¡± Bai Luochu understood that even if there was indeed something strange about this shop, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get any more information out of the shopkeeper. ¡°I guess we have no choice but to take a look around.¡± Pei Rumo suggested after seeing that Bai Luochu had regained her calm. He paid for the tea and they left to look for another shop. After a short search, they found an inn with a few small courtyards. Seeing that it was getting dark soon, Pei Rumo decided to spend the night in the inn. After ensuring that Bai Luochu was fine with it, he knocked on the door. Chapter 353: Weird Innkeeper A short while later, the door opened and Bai Luochu felt a headache coming when she saw the innkeeper. She knew that he wasn¡¯t going to be an easy person to deal with. The man looked ordinary, with thin eyebrows and sharp eyes and a caved in nose bridge. He exuded a killing intent and looked extremely unfriendly. Bai Luochu knew that it would be troublesome for them to find lodging today. When Bai Luochu thought up to this point, the Innkeeper spoke, ¡°Oh, how can I help the two guests here? Are you here for a meal or looking for a room to stay for the night? Though I must warn you that we don¡¯t have that many delicacies here and the living conditions are bad. If you feel uncomfortable, get lost and stop wasting my time.¡± He prepared to close the door after speaking. Pei Rumo felt that it was a little suspicious for him to be chasing away his customers and he hurriedly stopped the innkeeper, ¡°Please wait.¡± The innkeeper revealed a look of irritation when Pei Rumo stopped him, ¡°Could it be that this gentleman here wishes to stay in our broken down inn?¡± Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t angry at his reply, ¡°What are you saying! After all, your inn is rather spacious, Seeing that it¡¯s getting late, we are planning to grab a meal here before staying for the night.¡± Pei Rumo had already been very tactful with his words and most people wouldn¡¯t be able to find a reason to reject him. Too bad this innkeeper was someone who defied logic and he snorted at Pei Rumo, ¡°You¡¯re indeed good with words, but at the end of the day, you are still just the son of a wealthy family from afar, what can you do to me if I insist on chasing you away?¡± The innkeeper prepared to slam the door in Pei Rumo¡¯s face. At this point, Bai Luochu could no longer tolerate the innkeeper¡¯s rude behavior. ¡°Is this how you treat your guests? Firstly, we are customers who will be paying you. Secondly, we are genuinely trying to find a place to stay. You should give us a reason to turn us away, right?¡± When Bai Luochu snapped at him, she felt that something was wrong as he was a little afraid of her. She dispelled her thought immediately. That¡¯s not possible... ¡°Money? Take it out and show me then. But I have to warn you, even though the inn is quite run down, it won¡¯t be cheap for you to spend a night here. Don¡¯t look down on my inn because it¡¯s a little run down.¡± After he finished speaking, he crossed his arms and looked at the two of them with contempt. Giving them a look of, ¡°I knew you guys are poor people pretending to be rich.¡± Bai Luochu had wanted to secretly teach this Innkeeper a lesson, but who would have imagined that Pei Rumo would strike out first? However, instead of using his fists, Pei Rumo simply threw a gold ingot in front of the innkeeper and taunted, ¡°Is this enough?¡± ¡°Are you planning to chase us away after getting your hands on the money?¡± Pei Rumo asked. When the innkeeper heard Pei Rumo''s reminder, he quickly woke up from his stupor and invited them in. However, shortly after they went in, they met with another problem. ¡°Even though there¡¯s a lot of room here, we only have one good room. I think it is best that she stays in the room.¡± The Innkeeper pointed to Bai Luochu. The majority of people didn¡¯t have any dissent, after all, Bai Luochu was the only female amongst them and letting her stay in a slightly better room was understandable. However, what made everyone astonished was the Innkeeper''s attitude. That was because the way he treated Pei Rumo and Bai Luochu was totally different. When talking to Pei Rumo, he was rude and overbearing. When he interacted with Bai Luochu, he became extremely polite and amicable. ¡°Innkeeper, the person who paid for the rooms was this gentleman here, why are you offering me the best room?¡± Bai Luochu asked suspiciously. Afterall, it would not be good if he had any ulterior motive and planned to move against her secretly. The Innkeeper shifted his eyes shadily before answering, ¡°This is my shop, and I can do whatever I want. If you¡¯re unhappy about the way I do things here, then you can take your gold and scram.¡± Afterwhich, he shoved the gold into Pei Rumo hands and chased them away before walking off. ¡°Wait wait,¡± Pei Rumo quickly blocked the innkeeper, ¡°We can talk this over, we can do it your way.¡± The Innkeeper snorted coldly, ¡°Heh, you can still be considered tactful, if not, I was planning to teach you a lesson.¡± The innkeeper took the keys and brought everyone to their rooms. After the innkeeper brought Bai Luochu to her room, he turned around to leave. Seeing his somewhat familiar back, Bai Luochu called out to him. ¡°Innkeeper, have I seen you before?¡± Chapter 354: Dark Silhouette The innkeeper then ran off in a hurry. Even though Bai Luochu was suspicious of him, she decided to keep it to herself, after all, he wasn¡¯t a threat to her yet. Thinking up to this point, she then closed the door and went to rest. ¡°Knock knock,¡± Just as she laid on the bed, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Pei Rumo whispered, ¡°It¡¯s me, I have something to discuss with you.¡± Bai Luochu opened the door and asked, ¡°Is there something important you need to tell me?¡± Bai Luochu asked. However, she already knew Pei Rumo¡¯s purpose for seeking her out. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that this innkeeper is a little strange?¡± As she expected, Pei Rumo was here because of the innkeeper. She then replied with a question of her own, ¡°Is there a normal shopkeeper in the Desolate Region?¡± Pei Rumo muttered to himself for a short moment and felt that what Bai Luochu had said was indeed reasonable. However, he still felt that it was somewhat strange. ¡°What you say is indeed reasonable, but I think that this innkeeper is far too strange. If he was hostile to both of us, I might be able to understand that he has an attitude problem. However, he treated you strangely well. I¡¯m afraid that something might be up and we might be targeted by somebody.¡± ¡°Your First HIghness¡­ are you feeling jealous because he treats me better?¡± Bai Luochu teased Pei Rumo in an attempt to relieve his anxiety. Even though Pei Rumo understood her intentions, he still felt worried, ¡°You obviously know that¡¯s not what I meant. Anyway, just stay alert and shout for help if anything happens.¡± After seeing Bai Luochu nod her head, Pei Rumo turned around and left. Truthfully speaking, Pei Rumo''s worries weren''t unfounded. Other than being oddly nice to Bai Luochu, the innkeeper was also suspicious as he had deliberately arranged Bai Luochu¡¯s room to be far away from the others. In fact, it would be strange to not suspect him. Even though Bai Luochu was suspicious, she knew that all she needed to do was to wait for the innkeeper to take the bait. He would definitely take action once night falls. When Bai Luochu ended her cultivation, it was already deep into the night. If someone wanted to take action against her, it was about time they struck. Hence, she started to make some preparations. Bai Luochu took out her sword and polished it and was prepared to cut down her assailants the moment they appeared. Suddenly, Bai Luochu placed her sword on the table and pretended to doze off. At this moment, a shadow darted out from one of the rooms in the front yard and crept towards Bai Luochu¡¯s room. The lack of people in the Desolate Region coupled with the weather made it a perfect time to kill someone. As the dark silhouette approached, Bai Luochu only had one thought in her mind. Not long after, Bai Luochu could feel the dark silhouette standing right outside the door, and was waiting for the right opportunity to enter. ¡°Creak¡± The dark silhouette opened the door and darted in before immediately closing it behind him. After noticing that there was no one in the room other than Bai Luochu, the shadow heaved a sigh of relief before reaching out his hand to tap her shoulder. At this moment, a ray of light illuminated the room and blinded the dark silhouette. He covered his eyes and retracted his hand. In the next instant, he felt a chill at the back of his neck. He realized that the light came from the reflection of the moon when Bai Luochu drew her sword. ¡°I¡¯m touched that someone remembered about my presence and decided to visit me despite the bad weather. You definitely took a lot of effort to come up with your plan. What is your reason for coming here? If you are here with bad intentions, please talk to my sword instead.¡± The shadow was shocked and he wanted to retreat. However, he decided against it after seeing that the sword was placed behind his neck. Bai Luochu opened her eyes, and a grin formed on her face. I knew it, the innkeeper is here. However, she didn¡¯t understand why the man was so impatient. He could have dragged his plan out for them to lower their guard before taking action. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t expect for him to tear off a piece of skin from his face before revealing his true appearance. Chapter 355: My Men This person simply reached up and ripped the mask off his face. His appearance changed in an instant. ¡°Greetings to Mistress.¡± The person knelt on the ground and gave Bai Luochu his greetings. As soon as the person ripped the mask off, Bai Luochu recognized him. He was one of the individuals she recruited during the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciple selection. His name was Qin Feng and he was a military scout. He was abandoned by his parents since he was young and had been learning skills while performing on the streets. After growing up, his biological parents found him and acknowledged his existence after explaining the reason behind throwing him away in the first place. Their business failed and they lost their family fortune, giving them no choice but to abandon him. Qin Feng was already able to think for himself and he merely accepted the resources given to him by his parents before starting to cultivate diligently. As for what happened next¡­ he failed the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s disciple selection and was recruited by Bai Luochu. ¡°It has been a long time since we last met, Qin Feng.¡± Bai Luochu withdrew her sword and reached out to help Qin Feng. When Qin Feng heard Bai Luochu addressing him by his name, he became overjoyed. He knew that he was an ordinary member of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and never expected Bai Luochu to remember his name. ¡°If I have offended Mistress in any way during the day, please forgive me.¡± Qin Feng immediately asked for forgiveness. He knew that he had offended her and if she were to take things to heart, his days in the future would be a living hell. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t bother about the offense. She smiled and said to Qin Feng, ¡°There is no need to pay attention to the small stuff. However, why are you being so hostile to the First Prince?¡± Qin Feng scratched his head in embarrassment before explaining himself, ¡°Mistress, to be honest, Commander Ying Lan passed down the order.¡± Bai Luochu frowned in response. ¡°Why did Ying Lan order you to do that? I understand the reason behind ordering all of you to take part in the campaign. But why did he order you to go against the First Prince?¡± Qin Feng was placed in a difficult spot. He opened his mouth but no word came out. Bai Luochu¡¯s temper started to rise and she snapped at him, ¡°Speak. You¡¯re just complying with Ying Lan¡¯s orders. I¡¯ll put all the blame on Ying Lan¡¯s head if anything goes wrong.¡± ¡®Look for a place to set up camp in advance. Also, when you see Mistress, look around for a man wearing black clothes. If he looks like a young master, make his life hell.¡¯ ¡°This subordinate didn¡¯t understand the reason behind Commander Ying¡¯s instructions and I spoke out of turn to question him.¡± ¡®He used the Field Pearl Flower as a bait to lure Mistress into going to the Desolate Region. Mistress never wanted to go but he used his dirty tricks to force her there. He placed Mistress in a dangerous situation, do you think you should make life difficult for him?¡¯ ¡°This subordinate felt that Commander Ying¡¯s words were reasonable and I agreed with his suggestion. When I saw the First Prince today, I tried making things difficult for him.¡± After listening to Qin Feng¡¯s report, Bai Luochu shook her head helplessly. She didn¡¯t expect that Ying Lan was such a narrow-minded person. It seemed like she would need to talk to Ying Lan about this matter properly after returning. ¡°You knew of his identity and still tried to mess with him?¡± Bai Luochu asked. Qin Feng stayed silent for a moment before replying, ¡°In any case, this subordinate disguised myself. He doesn¡¯t know of my true appearance. The First Prince will only think that this subordinate is some eccentric inn owner and he wouldn¡¯t become suspicious. Furthermore, even if I am exposed, Mistress will surely protect us.¡± After seeing that Qin Feng believed in her so much, she withdrew her intention to make fun of him and immediately asked about the important matters. ¡°Since Ying Lan sent out here as a scout, did you find anything useful?¡± Qin Feng¡¯s eyes flickered and he gave an awkward response, ¡°Mistress, to be honest, this subordinate is just a feral child and doesn¡¯t have much experience. I don¡¯t know what the Field Pearl Flower looks like and I can¡¯t find any news related to it.¡± Bai Luochu shook her head helplessly in response. She didn¡¯t expect for the usually reliable Ying Lan to actually make a mistake. It was obvious that she came to the Desolate Region in order to obtain the Field Pearl Flower. Ying Lan should have sent someone a little more reliable than Qin Feng. Qin Feng seemed to have detected Bai Luochu¡¯s anger and he quickly let out an apologetic laugh. He then suddenly recalled something and said to Bai Luochu, ¡°But Mistress, this subordinate found out plenty of other information unrelated to the Field Pearl Flower. Would Mistress like to hear them?¡± Bai Luochu felt that since Ying Lan would send Qin Feng to assist her, he was definitely going to be of use. Even though he didn¡¯t obtain news on the Field Pearl Flower, he definitely would have information on other matters in the Desolate Region. I should really listen to what he has to say. Otherwise, I would be wasting Ying Lan¡¯s efforts... Bai Luochu then nodded as an indication for Qin Feng to continue talking. When Qin Feng saw Bai Luochu nod, he realized that he was still useful and acted as though he was a child who just obtained sweets from his parents. He didn¡¯t immediately report the findings and asked Bai Luochu in return, ¡°Mistress, after staying in the Desolate Region for a period of time, what is your impression of it?¡± Chapter 356: We’re Not Alone Perhaps the scene was too bloody and Bai Luochu became uncomfortable after thinking about it. She frowned and gave her reply, ¡°Desolate and uninhabited. Chaotic and disorderly.¡± Qin Feng heard Bai Luochu¡¯s reply and nodded. ¡°It is indeed so. However, Mistress might be mistaken. Even though the Desolate Region might seem uninhabited, it is actually very lively.¡± Lively? Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to imagine the Desolate Region being related to the word, ¡®lively¡¯. She immediately tilted her head slightly and indicated for Qin Feng to continue talking. Qin Feng hastily continued his explanation, ¡°Mistress, I came here alone and disguised myself as an innkeeper before Mistress¡¯ arrival. I met many groups of people who came before Mistress¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by many groups of people?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes were wide open and she asked in disbelief. Qin Feng noticed that Bai Luochu was anxious and he quickly reassured her before resuming his explanation. ¡°Mistress, don¡¯t be anxious. Please listen to what I have to say and it wouldn¡¯t be too late to think of a solution after this.¡± Qin Feng carefully observed Bai Luochu¡¯s expression. When Bai Luochu regained her composure, he continued to speak. ¡°This subordinate isn¡¯t able to confirm their identities, but some of them are well-trained soldiers. They seem to be similar in strength to the eight individuals Mistress brought along today. There were also some who looked like members of sects as they wore clothes with similar designs.¡± A lightbulb lit up in Bai Luochu¡¯s mind. She was right¡­ They weren¡¯t the only group in the Desolate Region. Since there were other factions present, things were going to get troublesome. ¡°How many of them were there?¡± Bai Luochu immediately followed up with a question. Qin Feng remained silent for a moment and it seemed as though he was trying to recall the number of people in the groups. After pondering for a moment, he seemed to have reached an answer. He replied, ¡°Mistress, it has been a rather long time since they came. This subordinate is unable to recall the number of people in their groups. Furthermore, back then, this subordinate was only mindful about Mistress¡¯ arrival and I didn¡¯t bother counting their numbers.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s heart sank and she felt that Qin Feng was an extremely unreliable individual. She was disappointed that she had to do everything herself but she never expected Qin Feng to follow up with a rough number. ¡°There were four to five groups of them and there were only several members in their group. It seemed like they had the same thoughts as Mistress and they were here to scout for information. As for the members of sects, they brought more people and looked more like a complete team. Furthermore, their cultivation level was extremely high and I wasn¡¯t able to see through them with my pitiful strength.¡± ¡°Do you know of their objective?¡± Bai Luochu felt that Qin Feng would know their objective as they had stayed in his inn. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I will have to disappoint Mistress.¡± Qin Feng shook his head helplessly and looked a little upset. ¡°They are really cautious. Every time I approached them, they would turn silent. I was thinking of using the excuse of delivering hot water to enter their room but I was always stopped before I could enter. Mistress should know what Commander Ying picked me because I was once a military scout. However it was impossible for me to penetrate their defenses even with my skill.¡± ¡°Why is that so?¡± Bai Luochu was rather puzzled. Even though Qin Feng¡¯s cultivation level was questionable, his movement skills, eyesight, and hearing were top notch. If they were able to avoid Qin Feng¡¯s surveillance, they had to be extremely powerful individuals. Qin Feng seemed to have detected Bai Luochu¡¯s thoughts and he felt a little embarrassed. He stammered, ¡°Mistress, those people are excessively cautious. When it was time to rest, they placed a seal restriction at the entrance. As breaking the seal would attract their attention, I couldn¡¯t do anything. I have disappointed Commander Ying and Mistress. Please punish this subordinate when we return to the capital city.¡± Bai Luochu shook her head and consoled him, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. There is no need to blame yourself over such a small matter. If we need to punish everything for every little thing, how will our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence stand firm in the martial world? You managed to find out that we aren¡¯t the only faction in the Desolate Region and that¡¯s enough. Moreover, you caught sight of several extraordinary groups who behaved cautiously. That¡¯s enough information.¡± It was indeed enough. After obtaining those pieces of information, Bai Luochu would be able to head in a new direction in her future investigations. In any case, Qin Feng provided ample information and he wouldn¡¯t be punished. Qin Feng was extremely moved by Bai Luochu¡¯s words as he didn¡¯t imagine a cold-looking person like Divine Physician Bai to possess a warm heart. He realized that his choice of joining the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence was the right one. He was no longer treated like dirt on the side of the street. As for Bai Luochu, she already formulated a plan in her head. Despite coming up with a plan, Bai Luochu felt that something was off. She was unable to put her finger on it. Bai Luochu looked at Qin Feng again and instantly realized the problem. The Desolate Region was tens of thousands of miles away from the capital city. How did Qin Feng become an innkeeper here? Qin Feng¡¯s hair stood on end when he realized that Bai Luochu had been staring at him. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and his voice trembled as he asked, ¡°Mistre... Mistress, why are you staring at me?¡± Chapter 357: The Inn Qin Feng¡¯s body stiffened and his heart started to thump loudly. He cursed in his heart...This is bad, this is bad. Mistress is definitely going to find out. If she finds out, I will be in deep trouble. This time, I might not be able to avoid punishment... ¡°Qin Feng? Qin Feng?¡± Bai Luochu noticed that Qin Feng fell into a daze and his face was turning paler by the second. When she saw the cold sweat dripping down his forehead, suspicion welled up in her heart. Did he... A bold thought appeared in her mind but she didn¡¯t dare to think in that direction. However, now that the thought had appeared in her mind, she wanted to know the answer. She didn¡¯t care about the process, but she felt that she had to know how he obtained the inn. ¡°Did you kill someone to snatch his ownership of the inn?!¡± Bai Luochu squinted at Qin Feng. It seemed as though she wanted to see through his thoughts. When Qin Feng heard her question, he was like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on. He shivered for a moment before regaining his calm. ¡°No, no. Mistress, you have to believe me! I will never kill someone to take over their inn!¡± ¡°Fine. Tell me about how you took over this inn.¡± Bai Luochu chose to believe Qin Feng as he was a talent hand-picked by her. If she didn¡¯t believe her subordinate¡¯s confession, she would be a huge joke. Qin Feng knew that he was unable to hide the truth anymore. He led Bai Luochu outside as he explained himself, ¡°Mistress, please follow me. I will tell you how I obtained this inn.¡± Qin Feng left the inn and went to the front yard. He twisted a mechanism on the wall and a concealed entrance on the ground opened. He quickly entered with Bai Luochu following closely behind. A human figure appeared after descending the flight of stairs. Bai Luochu was shocked as he looked exactly like Qin Feng when he wore the mask. ¡°Is this the original innkeeper?¡± Qin Feng knew that he did something wrong and he nodded. He braced himself for the scolding that was about to arrive as he explained, ¡°When this subordinate arrived, I looked for the closest inn to stay. Even though Commander Ying asked this subordinate to put on a disguise, I didn¡¯t know what would be good enough. It just so happens that I had a similar build to the innkeeper and an idea immediately formed in my head.¡± ¡°One fine night, this subordinate realized that the innkeeper was a scammer. He stole the guests¡¯ belongings and hid them in the basement. This subordinate wanted to teach him a lesson and knocked him out. After hiding him in the basement, I disguised myself as him before running the inn. I would keep him alive by delivering food and water every few days.¡± ¡°What are you planning to do after this blows over?¡± Bai Luochu asked. ¡°I¡¯ll release him and allow him to return to manning the inn. After this, he will definitely learn his lesson.¡± Qin Feng spoke of his original intentions to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu raised her brows in response and felt it was rather funny. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just eliminate this person instead of keeping this hidden timebomb around?¡± Bai Luochu was rather reasonable. No one knew if the innkeeper would look for trouble after he was released. Qin Feng let out a bashful smile before speaking his mind, ¡°Even though all crimes must be punished, his sin is a little too small for him to pay with his life. Furthermore, I am not those incorruptible officials in the constable department nor do I study the law. How can I decide the life and death of others? Doing so will make me no different from those uncultured swines in the martial world.¡± Bai Luochu nodded with satisfaction and immediately praised him, ¡°You have done well. Even though you¡¯re a bad scout, you have a good moral character. I didn¡¯t misjudge you. If you cultivate diligently, you will have a bright future ahead of you.¡± Qin Feng felt embarrassed and he quickly humbled himself, ¡°Mistress, please stop mocking me.¡± They left the basement and made their way to Bai Luochu¡¯s room. Qin Feng was planning to leave but she stopped him. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Qin Feng stopped and turned back to face Bai Luochu, ¡°Does Mistress have other instructions?¡± Bai Luochu picked up the mask that fell in her room and handed it to Qin Feng. ¡°Tomorrow, I will inform the First Prince everything you told me. After all, the two of us are on a campaign to conquer the Desolate Region. The more he knows, the safer I¡¯ll be. As for the source of information, I will tell him about you.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be bad? I treated all of you so badly in the day¡­¡± Qin Feng spoke of his concerns. Bai Luochu muttered for a moment and comforted Qin Feng, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it. Remember to be friendly to us tomorrow. I will also be able to cover up my lie that way. Forgive me if I make you out to be the bad guy.¡± Qin Feng might not understand what his mistress was up to, but since she said it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, why would a subordinate like him care about it? Qin Feng smiled and said to Bai Luochu, ¡°Since I will be in disguise, Mistress can scold me all you like. You will be scolding the original innkeeper anyway. As long as Mistress can gain something out of it, please do anything you like.¡± Bai Luochu was satisfied with Qin Feng¡¯s reply and she waved her hand to dismiss him. Chapter 358: Grim Situation ¡°Luo Chu.¡± Pei Rumo rushed over with an extremely anxious expression when he saw Bai Luochu coming out of her room. Bai Luochu already knew that eccentric innkeeper was one of the members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, so she wasn¡¯t as flustered as Pei Rumo. She couldn¡¯t understand the meaning behind Pei Rumo¡¯s anxiety and she thought something had happened at the borders of the Desolate Region. She immediately asked, ¡°What happened? Did something happen to the soldiers?¡± When Pei Rumo saw that Bai Luochu was unscathed, he let out a breath of relief and said, ¡°Nothing. I am just worried for you. After all, that innkeeper is a little strange and it is hard not to be vigilant against him.¡± Bai Luochu sighed before laughing in her heart. If Qin Feng knew that his original intention to take care of her would be misunderstood by Pei Rumo, he would probably challenge Pei Rumo to a duel. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and have breakfast.¡± When Bai Luochu saw there was nothing wrong, she simply headed for the main hall. After arriving at the main hall, Bai Luochu noticed that Qin Feng had already prepared breakfast and he was waiting for her. It was obvious that the dishes were just prepared as they were still steaming. After seeing Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo, Qin Feng quickly greeted them, ¡°Please enjoy your breakfast. It¡¯s better to enjoy the food while it¡¯s hot.¡± His attitude was a world apart from his harsh and unkind self the day before. Pei Rumo became even more suspicious as he stared at Qin Feng from the corner of his eye. He didn¡¯t understand how someone¡¯s personality could change so drastically. Could it be... Pei Rumo turned to look at Bai Luochu. Instead of saying that the innkeeper¡¯s attitude changed for the better, it would be more accurate to say that he was paying more attention to her. Could it be that this innkeeper has some sort of strange taste? Is he into guys? Pei Rumo felt disgusted and he shook his head to clear his ridiculous thoughts. How can Luo Chu be related to the words ¡®pretty boy¡¯? She is more like the man-eating flower. Bai Luochu took her seat and was about to eat breakfast. When she turned to look at Pei Rumo, she saw him standing around like a useless pillar. She called out to him, ¡°Your First Highness, are you going to skip breakfast? Any later and the food will be cold.¡± When Pei Rumo heard Bai Luochu calling out to him, he quickly took his seat and started eating. After eating breakfast, Pei Rumo escorted Bai Luochu back to her room before preparing to investigate. He didn¡¯t expect Bai Luochu to actually call out to him, ¡°It is better for Your First Highness to wait for a moment. Why not listen to my report before going out to investigate? You¡¯ll be able to narrow down your area of search.¡± Bai Luochu already knew that Pei Rumo was a doubtful individual and if she were to suddenly pull out the report on the Desolate Region, he wouldn¡¯t believe her. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry and decided to explain everything to him. Waving her hand to indicate for Pei Rumo to sit, Bai Luochu started her explanation. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry. Why don¡¯t we sit down and have a good chat?¡± Pei Rumo was clear about Bai Luochu¡¯s personality. She wouldn¡¯t speak of something if she wasn¡¯t confident in it. Right now, it seemed like she had confirmed something. Even if he was suspicious, Pei Rumo took a seat as he patiently waited for her to speak. ¡°Do you remember that I had always been suspicious about something after entering the Desolate Region?¡± Bai Luochu poured a cup of warm water for Pei Rumo and pushed it in front of him. Pei Rumo stayed silent for a moment before replying, ¡°You were wondering if someone entered the Desolate Region before us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I can now confirm the fact that people have indeed arrived before us. Moreover, there are more than one group of people.¡± Pei Rumo immediately became suspicious after listening to Bai Luochu¡¯s deduction. He didn¡¯t understand the source of her confidence. He revealed a puzzled expression as he continued to ask, ¡°You might have incredible foresight, but a guess is still a guess. How can you be certain that someone arrived ahead of us? We have yet to see anyone else ever since arriving in the Desolate Region.¡± Even though Pei Rumo had his suspicions, Bai Luochu had not verified them. ¡°I think that Your First Highness has already guessed the source of the information. I shall not conceal if from you any longer. The innkeeper was the one who gave me this piece of information.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in it for him?¡± Pei Rumo knew that the eccentric innkeeper definitely had a request for Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu had an indifferent expression as though this matter wasn¡¯t related to her. She casually replied, ¡°He needs me to do something for him.¡± Pei Rumo closed his eyes and gnashed his teeth together, ¡°What request did he have for you...¡± Pei Rumo felt that if he wasn¡¯t able to accept the innkeeper¡¯s condition, he was probably going to charge out to tear him into pieces. ¡°Nothing much. He has been plagued by an illness for a long time now. When he saw that I was carrying a medicine box, he knew that I was a physician. He wanted to look for someone to prescribe him some medicine but I cured his illness completely. In exchange, I asked him a few questions about the recent situation in the Desolate Region.¡± ¡°Is it really that simple?¡± Pei Rumo heard Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation and immediately let out a sigh of relief. In response, Bai Luochu nodded her head. ¡°If that is the case, it seems like your guess was right. There are plenty of infiltrators in the Desolate Region. Why are they here anyway? Is there something in the Desolate Region they deeply desire to possess? It¡¯s not possible for so many people to enter the Desolate Region for a single Field Pearl Flower.¡± Pei Rumo felt invigorated and started to discuss the situation in the Desolate Region. Chapter 359: Splitting Up Pei Rumo stayed silent for a long time before speaking up, ¡°Since that is the case, we will still act according to our original plan. We will check out the location of the campaign before coming back everyday to discuss the situation.¡± Bai Luochu also had the same idea and immediately nodded with approval, ¡°I am thinking of the same thing. But in order to be efficient, let¡¯s split up.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous? I am fine with splitting up but if things are really like what the innkeeper mentioned, the others might not be easy to deal with. With your strength... it might be a little troublesome.¡± Pei Rumo spoke of his worries to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu turned silent in response. Everything that Pei Rumo spoke about ran through her mind but she had no choice but to push his concerns to the back of her head. After all, the situation was urgent and even if she was weaker than her enemies, she could flee with her movement skill. After thinking about it, she decided to go ahead with the plan anyway. ¡°Your First Highness doesn¡¯t have to worry. My strength might be lacking, but I can use my movement skill to compensate for it.¡± Pei Rumo felt at ease after hearing the reply. He had also witnessed Bai Luochu¡¯s movement skill at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Back then, she had just started cultivating but she was able to dodge Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s aggressive attacks. She was also able to approach the Green Flame Eagle while doing so. If her movement skill wasn¡¯t good enough, she wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve such a feat. Had it not been for the final sword strike from Lu Wenshu, not only would she obtain the Green Flame Eagle, she would be able to take the younglings and run away. Bai Luochu noticed that Pei Rumo no longer had any objections and she chased him out. When Pei Rumo reached the entrance, he suddenly stopped and turned to face Bai Luochu, ¡°What kind of illness was the innkeeper suffering from?¡± Bai Luochu revealed an awkward expression and coughed lightly, ¡°Cough cough. Do you really wish to know?¡± When Pei Rumo saw Bai Luochu¡¯s awkward expression, he became even more curious. He stared straight at Bai Luochu and decided not to leave if he didn¡¯t get to the bottom of the matter. Without a choice, Bai Luochu hesitantly revealed the truth, ¡°As a physician, I am not supposed to leak my patient¡¯s conditions. Since Your First Highness is a trustworthy individual, I guess it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Then I shall thank Divine Physician Bai for the trouble.¡± Since the matter involved Bai Luochu, Pei Rumo wouldn¡¯t rest till he got to the bottom of it. Bai Luochu looked around to make sure no one was around before she whispered into Pei Rumo¡¯s ears, ¡°He... has body odor!¡± ¡°Achoo!¡± Qin Feng was currently cleaning up the table when he sneezed. Isn¡¯t the Desolate Region really hot all year round? Why would I catch a cold?! Bai Luochu easily came up with an excuse as she knew Pei Rumo¡¯s weakness. After living in the First Prince¡¯s residence for such a long time, she knew that even though he wasn¡¯t as finicky as the other imperial princes, Pei Rumo had mysophobia and couldn¡¯t stand unpleasant odors. Such an excuse would allow Pei Rumo to avoid Qin Feng so that he wouldn¡¯t discover the relationship between them. If Pei Rumo were to learn that Qin Feng was her subordinate, she didn¡¯t know his impression of her would change. As expected, when Pei Rumo heard the words ¡®body odor¡¯, he immediately took two steps back as though Bai Luochu was the person emitting the foul smell. After a moment, he immediately asked to leave. Bai Luochu saw that she had achieved her objective, she quickly returned to her room. She started to prepare all her equipment as the Desolate Region wasn¡¯t a playground. If she were to perish during her mission, the losses would outweigh the gains. She started to speed up the poison tempering process. Bai Luochu had ample spirit qi and was able to refine the herbs without much difficulty. She retrieved the poison herbs she prepared earlier and the silver needles she always kept by her side. Without wasting a second, she started to work on her new poison needles. With the increase in strength, Bai Luochu was currently able to refine even more complicated poisons. She split the silver needles into sets of five and tempered each set with a different kind of poison. When she was done, the needles emitted brilliant radiance that concealed their lethal might. She stored the needles properly before waiting for Pei Rumo to look for her. When it was noon, the two of them finally left the inn. ¡°Do you have any new findings?¡± Bai Luochu asked as soon as they left the inn. Pei Rumo shook his head as he replied, ¡°None yet. It was quiet and it seemed as though we were the only group in the Desolate Region.¡± Bai Luochu sighed with regret. She didn¡¯t notice anything off as well. The days passed one by one and the two of them realized that they made no progress. Finally, after several uneventful days, Qin Feng visited Bai Luochu¡¯s room in the middle of the night in order to report something that slipped his mind a few days ago. ¡°Knock knock.¡± Bai Luochu looked outside the window and saw that it was already deep into the night. She felt that no one would look for her at this hour other than Pei Rumo or Qin Feng. No matter who it was, she had to open the door anyway. The moment she opened the door, she caught sight of Qin Feng¡¯s figure standing outside. ¡°What happened? Is there any more news?¡± Bai Luochu had instructed Qin Feng not to look for her unless he found out something important. This was so that they could avoid alarming Pei Rumo. Now that Qin Feng was here, she was finally able to make progress in her investigation. Chapter 360: ‘Ruins’ Bai Luochu immediately asked Qin Feng to enter. She sat at the table and said to Qin Feng, ¡°You have to tell me everything you remember. This matter is important and there must not be any mistake.¡± Qin Feng nodded as he understood the importance of this matter, ¡°That day, after I returned, I went through the faces of the guests in my mind over and over again. I finally recalled that they were discussing a location. I am here to report to Mistress before I forget about it again.¡± After speaking, Qin Feng raised his head hesitantly to look at Bai Luochu. After all, he was at fault for not remembering the subject of their discussion. If Bai Luochu wanted to blame him, he couldn¡¯t defend himself. Luckily for him, Bai Luochu simply dismissed the matter. ¡°Just speak. It doesn¡¯t matter if it is useful or not, I will not blame you.¡± After obtaining the order, Qin Feng heaved a sigh of relief and reported what he had heard, ¡°Mistress, this subordinate managed to overhear some information and Mistress will need to verify their authenticity.¡± After seeing no in Bai Luochu¡¯s expression, Qin Feng mustered his courage and spoke, ¡°This happened during my first day as an innkeeper. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to anything else other than the Field Pearl Flower but those people were clearly on guard against me. When I approached them, they would fall silent and wait for me to leave before resuming their discussion. After trying my best, this subordinate only managed to hear the word ¡®ruins¡¯ coming from them. Due to the lack of intelligence, this subordinate didn¡¯t investigate further. They said something about heading ten miles to the east before leaving the inn.¡± Bai Luochu finished listening to Qin Feng¡¯s explanation and walked quickly to her writing desk and instructed Qin Feng, ¡°Qin Feng, come over for a moment.¡± Qin Feng saw that Bai Luochu was acting mysteriously and he quickly walked over before waiting for further instructions. ¡°Point out our exact location right now.¡± Bai Luochu opened up the rolled-up map and asked Qin Feng. Qin Feng took a careful look and pointed to a location before explaining, ¡°We should be here. However, this is only the general area where the inn is located. After all, This map is rather small and it is impossible for me to map out the exact location of a little inn.¡± From the location in the map, Bai Luochu moved her gaze towards the east until she reached a location where the ruins might be located. When her gaze landed on the location, she took a step back. If Qin Feng was right, the location of the ruins was the location of the campaign! The only question Bai Luochu had was that Pei Rumo was sent on the campaign with her. Could it be that the old emperor sent his eldest son because he used to be a military commander? There were plenty of generals in the imperial court and no matter what, Pei Rumo shouldn¡¯t be sent to throw his life away. The more she thought about it, the more confused Bai Luochu became. Is there internal conflict in the imperial clan?! Bai Luochu didn¡¯t dare to continue her train of thoughts and she quickly closed the map. Rather than entertaining random thoughts, she felt that she should simply ask Pei Rumo for an answer. Qin Feng noticed that his mistress¡¯ mood changed and his heartbeat started to accelerate. Looking at her solemn expression, Qin Feng thought to himself. Is there something wrong with my report?! ¡°Mistress, did this subordinate report this matter too late?¡± Qin Feng hurriedly placed the blame on himself. He felt that if he reported his findings earlier, Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t be stuck at the same place for such a long time. Neither would she have ran all over the place like a headless fly. Bai Luochu quickly consoled him, ¡°You¡¯re not the one at fault here. You were originally sent to help with the investigation of the Field Pearl Flower. Even though you didn¡¯t manage to get any leads on it, you managed to obtain crucial information for the campaign instead. You shall be rewarded after we return.¡± Qin Feng knew that Bai Luochu was trying to make him feel better but the more she tried, the more guilty he felt. Seeing that it was getting late, Bai Luochu dismissed Qin Feng. After Qin Feng was dismissed, Bai Luochu stood at the writing desk for a long time before letting out a long sigh. She turned around and decided to head to bed. The next morning, after Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo finished breakfast, they prepared to leave. However, Bai Luochu raised a request and it was to swap the direction of investigation. She wanted to explore more to the eastern part of the inn in order to verify Qin Feng¡¯s intelligence report. ¡°After not gaining any results for the past few days, a swap won¡¯t hurt.¡± Even though Pei Rumo didn¡¯t understand the reason behind Bai Luochu¡¯s insistence to change their direction of investigation, he agreed. Before they departed, Bai Luochu suddenly dropped a bomb on Pei Rumo. ¡°Your First Highness, are there any misunderstandings between you and your Emperor Father?¡± Bai Luochu knew that it was rather abrupt and strange for her to ask such a question. However, curiosity was killing her and she felt that if she didn¡¯t get to the bottom of the matter, she wouldn¡¯t be satisfied. Pei Rumo¡¯s eyes widened and his mind started to spin. What in the world got into her?! He felt that Bai Luochu had been acting a little strange since the morning but he brushed it off. He replied truthfully, ¡°No, why would you ask?¡± Hearing his reply, Bai Luochu shook her head and walked away. Pei Rumo watched as Bai Luochu left and mumbled softly, ¡°What?!?!?¡± Unable to understand her train of thought, Pei Rumo turned to leave. Chapter 361: Ruins Discovered After walking for a distance, Bai Luochu stopped and looked back to see that Pei Rumo¡¯s figure was no longer there. She then took out the map that Qin Feng marked out for her in the morning. If it was really as Qin Feng mentioned and the ruins were located towards the east, it would mean that Pei Rumo was slightly off when carrying out his investigation. If she wanted to use the closest path to reach the ruins that Qin Feng mentioned, she would need to make minor adjustments to her plan. After taking a closer look at the map, Bai Luochu confirmed the location before heading to the so-called ruins. The path Bai Luochu took brought her closer to the so-called ruins. However, the closer she got, the stranger the atmosphere became. There were definitely people with formidable strength present. With her ability, she detected more than one such individual. She didn¡¯t know if they were from the same group or if they were silently following her. Are they here for something or are they looking at me? Before she could think about it, one of her questions was answered. They were indeed observing her. When she noticed their presence, she was already halfway to the ruins. The further she traveled down the path, the more unbridled the strong presences behaved. It was obvious they didn¡¯t put Bai Luochu in their eyes. However, no one could blame them as Bai Luochu was really a nobody with weak spirit qi. To them, she was more of an ant-like existence. Bai Luochu might be releasing her spiritual energy, but she didn¡¯t use it to attack anyone. With her powerful spiritual energy, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that no one detected it. The corner of Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth curled upwards as she sneered, ¡°It seems like the Desolate Region is more lively than I had imagined.¡± Even though there were people staring at her, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have any intention to stop. After all, she wasn¡¯t going to make a move and she was merely there to conduct some reconnaissance. If she discovered anything new, she would have to discuss it with Pei Rumo before doing anything. The more she thought, the more she wanted to return to the inn before noon. As such, she didn¡¯t stop to rest and she started to walk even faster. As Bai Luochu was getting closer to the ruins, those people who were looking at her in the dark no longer held themselves back. They originally tried restraining their presence but they no longer did so. It was obvious that they were trying to scare her off. Bai Luochu was obviously able to feel their intent and she immediately raised her brows. She felt that they were being too anxious. She only wanted to take a look at the ruins and she wasn¡¯t there to do anything else. According to her, those people hiding in the dark were short-tempered b*stards. In the end, Bai Luochu disregarded the people who were releasing their spirit qi to pressure her. She simply stood outside the ruins before taking a look at her map. After comparing the location of the campaign and the ruins before her, her expression turned grave. If the map was drawn correctly, the ruins were located in the central region of the Desolate Region... Bai Luochu sat on the horse and observed the towering ruins quietly. Her brows were locked tightly together and no one knew what she was thinking about. After a long time, Bai Luochu turned her horse around and returned to where she came from. The moment Bai Luochu turned around, she could feel that the people observing her in the dark were stunned. They probably never expected her to give up before entering the ruins. Seeing that Bai Luochu was no longer going to enter the central region, all of the presence withdrew their spirit qi. All but one. The only person left locked onto Bai Luochu as he tried to follow her back to where she came from. Of course, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t stupid. After realizing that someone was following her, she didn¡¯t make her way back to the inn as that would expose her whereabouts. She made her way back to the tea stall before ordering a pot of tea. After tying up the horse, she sat down at a table and waited patiently. Whatever. I¡¯ll take it as if I¡¯m waiting for Pei Rumo. Bai Luochu thought silently. The presence didn¡¯t leave as he merely concealed his presence a little better. It seems like this person isn¡¯t going to give up easily¡­ Bai Luochu¡¯s expression turned grave and she felt a sense of danger. How many people are eyeing our group?! Bai Luochu continued to drink pot after pot of tea. So much so that the owner of the tea stall couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She persuaded, ¡°This customer. My tea leaves might be a little inferior, but you cannot just treat it as water and keep pouring it down your stomach, right? You wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep at night.¡± Bai Luochu heard the lady boss¡¯ words and placed the cup down on the table. She spoke with a little embarrassment, ¡°Lady boss, your tea leaves are pretty good. However, I¡¯m waiting for someone and failed to realize the amount of tea I drank.¡± The lady boss who was always cold and indifferent felt a sudden impulse to tease Bai Luochu, ¡°Tsk tsk tsk. Oh? You must be waiting here for your little lover.¡± Bai Luochu suddenly blushed before frantically denying, ¡°No, no, we are merely working partners.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ There is no need to be in such a hurry to explain yourself.¡± The lady boss spoke and refilled her pot of tea. ¡°With my experience, I can see that the young master is definitely interested in you. However, I can¡¯t see through your thoughts and I have no idea if you are interested in him.¡± Chapter 362: The Lady Boss’s Tease When Pei Rumo returned and walked over from far away, he saw the current situation: Bai Luochu was standing in front of the tea stall feeling rather embarrassed. She had a frenetic expression as though she was trying to explain something. As for the lady boss of the tea stall who treated outsiders with hostility, she had the expression of a senior who was trying to enlighten a muddle-headed junior. Pei Rumo felt that Bai Luochu was truly a capable person. She would be cold like ice normally but she would somehow be able to allow others to ease up around her. He casually used this reason to explain how he fell for her in the first place. When Pei Rumo saw how embarrassed Bai Luochu was, he quickly went over and asked with concern, ¡°What happened? Is something wrong?¡± Bai Luochu heard the familiar voice and immediately turned around. She never expected for Pei Rumo to be standing so close to her and she nearly bumped into him. Pei Rumo could even feel Bai Luochu¡¯s lashes gently shivering as they brushed across his cheeks. His heart trembled and he felt as though there were ten thousand butterflies fluttering about in his stomach. Bai Luochu was aware that they were standing too close to each other and she quickly took a step back. After stabilizing herself, she greeted respectfully, ¡°Your Highness.¡± Pei Rumo was rather disappointed by Bai Luochu¡¯s actions. However, he quickly managed to regain his composure as he asked, ¡°You have yet to tell me what happened...¡± The lady boss was someone who experienced much of life and she was able to accurately sense the surge of feelings between the two individuals. Even though Pei Rumo was trying to force his way into the relationship, the feelings between them existed. ¡°Oh? Your little lover is back. An old and faded lady like me shall not disturb the two of you any longer. Goodbye.¡± Finishing her statement, she went back to boil the tea. When Pei Rumo heard this, he immediately guessed the situation between Bai Luochu and the lady boss. The lady boss¡¯ misunderstanding made Pei Rumo rather happy and a smile slowly formed on his face. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know what to do when the lady boss exposed Pei Rumo¡¯s feelings in front of them and now that Pei Rumo was staring at her, she became even more flustered. She couldn¡¯t help but to cough before changing the topic, ¡°Cough cough, the lady boss is just speaking nonsense. She must have misunderstood something. Since Your First Highness is already here, let¡¯s not delay it any longer. I managed to find something related to the campaign.¡± Pei Rumo wanted to make fun of Bai Luochu, but when he heard that she had some important information to report, he turned serious. He took the initiative to retrieve Bai Luochu¡¯s horse before heading back to the inn. Bai Luochu silently guessed that the mysterious man must have recognized Pei Rumo¡¯s face. If that was really the case, the Desolate Region was filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t decide whether or not to tell Pei Rumo about the mysterious presence. The inn was located near the tea stall and with the two of them traveling at full speed, they took a short moment before arriving back at the inn. Bai Luochu dismounted and wanted to bring the horses back into the stable but was stopped by Pei Rumo. ¡°You should be tired after a long day of scouting. You should head back and rest first. I will take care of the horses.¡± Pei Rumo spoke while pulling the reins of the horses into the stable. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t stop Pei Rumo as she was indeed tired after exhausting her spirit energy. As such, Bai Luochu entered the inn first. After Pei Rumo tied up the horses, he quickly followed Bai Luochu into the inn. Qin Feng initially wanted to welcome Bai Luochu¡¯s return but stopped after she shot him a glare. He didn¡¯t know what was going on and felt that the information he provided was a mistake. Deciding not to anger Bai Luochu any further, he took a step back. In the next moment, Pei Rumo burst through the door and immediately understood her intentions. After all, he was acting out the personality of an unkind and harsh innkeeper. If he were to treat Bai Luochu differently, he might expose the relationship between them. Qin Feng thought about it and he immediately felt at ease.He then quickly returned to prepare lunch. After all, his mistress looked very exhausted and the only thing he could do was to prepare a good meal so that Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t go hungry. When she arrived at the entrance of her room, she noticed Pei Rumo standing behind her. He stood there and stared at her without doing anything else. Bai Luochu was rather curious about his behavior. After all, she had already said she had something important to report. How is he able to stay so calm?! Bai Luochu stood at the entrance of her room and stared at Pei Rumo for a long time as though she was waiting for something. Pei Rumo looked at Bai Luochu¡¯s appearance before realizing that she was waiting for him to say something. ¡°I know you have something urgent to discuss with me. However, we have been out for an entire morning and we are covered in dirt and dust. Why don¡¯t we clean ourselves first? We are not fighting a war right now and there is no need to be in such a hurry.¡± Bai Luochu noticed that Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t going to accept a rejection and merely nodded her head in agreement. When Bai Luochu entered her room and started to clean herself up, she realized that her hair was actually filled with sand and dust. She immediately recalled that Pei Rumo was a prince with mysophobia and if she couldn¡¯t tolerate it, he was probably dying to clean himself up. ¡°It must be hard for him...¡± While Bai Luochu was combing her hair, she muttered softly. Chapter 363: Stating the Location of the Ruins Pei Rumo knew that the report was important and he quickly went back to Bai Luochu¡¯s room quickly after cleaning up. ¡°Knock knock.¡± Knocks echoed through the room and Bai Luochu understood that Pei Rumo was here to listen to her report. ¡°Please enter.¡± Pei Rumo opened the doors and noticed Bai Luochu standing behind the writing desk. She was drawing something on the map with a serious expression on her face. ¡°What made Divine Physician Bai so anxious that you had to make a report immediately?¡± Pei Rumo knew that it was definitely a groundbreaking discovery as Bai Luochu would have the authority to decide on matters otherwise. He quickly guessed that the matter was related to the campaign. Bai Luochu responded calmly, ¡°Can Your First Highness please draw out the goal of our campaign?¡± As Bai Luochu spoke, she turned the map around and pushed it in front of Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t understand Bai Luochu¡¯s purpose for doing so. but seeing that Bai Luochu had already passed the brush to him, he received it and started drawing on the map. After marking out an area on the map, he placed the brush on the brush holder and turned the map back to Bai Luochu. ¡°Here. However, this map is a little different from mine.¡± ¡°What is different?¡± Bai Luochu raised her brows and asked. ¡°This place.¡± Pei Rumo pointed at a location on the map and explained, ¡°This place isn¡¯t marked on my map. Where did you obtain this information?¡± Bai Luochu looked at the location pointed out on the map and sighed. He was pointing at the ruins... A moment later, Bai Luochu let out a sigh and said, ¡°Sigh... this map was the same as yours. However, I added this part in the morning.¡± ¡°Why did you draw something there?¡± Bai Luochu remained silent as she turned to look at Pei Rumo with a serious expression on her face. When she realized that he wasn¡¯t joking around, she hastily explained, ¡°I marked out this place because I discovered it in the morning. If I''m not wrong, this should be our objective.¡± ¡°You mean to say that you managed to find an unknown place on the map this morning? Is that why you were in such a hurry to report?¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t ask much. For there to be missing information in the map, even the normally calm Pei Rumo couldn¡¯t help but turn serious. Bai Luochu nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I managed to locate the ruins in the morning but I was alone. I didn¡¯t dare to enter to investigate. From the looks of it, things aren¡¯t as simple as they seem.¡± Pei Rumo muttered for a moment before giving a response, ¡°We¡¯ll head over and take a look tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the reason I¡¯m making my report.¡± Bai Luochu thought that since Pei Rumo initiated it first, there was no reason for her to refuse. Bai Luochu was startled at first as she didn¡¯t expect for Pei Rumo to be so sharp. She couldn¡¯t just state that it was Qin Feng who provided the information. Even if Pei Rumo already sensed something fishy between her and the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, she wasn¡¯t strong enough and it wasn¡¯t the best time to reveal her identity. Therefore, Bai Luochu muttered for a moment before giving an explanation, ¡°It¡¯s an embarrassing story. I originally wanted to scout the area where Your First Highness had scouted previously, however, I lost my way. It was just a small hiccup but I failed to notice that my map was flipped. I traveled in the wrong direction and managed to find the ruins. I thought that something was wrong as Your First Highness wasn¡¯t able to find this place after so many days until I realized that I have been traveling in the wrong direction. As it seems, my mistake brought along unexpected results.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation was thorough and Pei Rumo stared at her for a moment with a blank expression on his face. He felt that her explanation was reasonable and he eventually nodded his head. Bai Luochu let out a sigh of relief as Pei Rumo was an old fox. If she made a mistake during her explanation, she would be exposed immediately. Even though Pei Rumo wouldn¡¯t do anything to her, she didn¡¯t know what he would do to her subordinates if their identities were exposed. She knew that Pei Rumo had feelings for her but she also knew that he was someone who would do anything necessary to achieve his objective. This person is too dangerous, I better distance myself from him. In my previous life, I have already suffered a great loss and I cannot possibly make the same mistake after my reincarnation. After all, if I make a mistake, I will not be the only one to suffer, all my loyal subordinates will also suffer with me. Pei Rumo saw that Bai Luochu was lost in thoughts and he waved his hand to snap her out of it. When he saw that it wasn¡¯t working, he called out, ¡°Luo Chu? Luo Chu?¡± After calling a few times, Bai Luochu was pulled back to reality. She realized that Pei Rumo was calling out to her and she hastily composed herself, ¡°Apologies, I was thinking about the ruins earlier and I lost myself in my thoughts.¡± Bai Luochu felt that her ability to come up with lies on the spot improved by leaps and bounds after interacting with Pei Rumo for such a long time. Chapter 364: Excessive Conjectures ¡°Before this, I have a question I wish to ask Your First Highness.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t directly answer Pei Rumo¡¯s question, instead, she was preparing to ask one of her own. Pei Rumo understood Bai Luochu¡¯s personality, now that they were at a critical juncture, Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t ask a question if it wasn¡¯t important. ¡°If you have any questions to ask, please do so now.¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t think that it was a waste of time to clarify Bai Luochu¡¯s doubts. Bai Luochu was dazed for a second and a puzzled expression slowly formed on her face, ¡°Are there any misunderstandings between you and His Majesty?¡± Pei Rumo frowned in response. Didn¡¯t she already ask this question earlier in the day? Didn¡¯t I already say no?! He was curious about the reason behind her question and was planning to ask her the reason for her doubts. He even felt that she was possessed by some sort of evil spirit. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already mention that there aren¡¯t any misunderstandings between me and my Emperor Father? You have been acting strangely since the start of the day¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re not possessed by some sort of spirit?¡± Bai Luochu felt a little embarrassed after hearing the reply and laughed apologetically, ¡°It seems like I am thinking too much.¡± In Bai Luochu¡¯s opinion, everyone was evil in nature and would constantly utilize underhand methods in order to obtain an advantage over others. It wasn¡¯t a surprise for family members to plot against each other and it would be less of a surprise if members of the imperial clan were plotting something sinister in order to strengthen their authority. There were never any feelings in the imperial palace and the old emperor was a suspicious man. Bai Luochu assumed that the old emperor was planning to send Pei Rumo to his death by sending him on a campaign to the Desolate Region. That being said, Pei Rumo understood the old emperor better than Bai Luochu and if he said that there was nothing wrong with the old emperor¡¯s orders, nothing was wrong. When Pei Rumo heard Bai Luochu saying, ¡°It seems like I am thinking too much,¡± he immediately understood the reason behind her question. He immediately explained, ¡°You have thought too much indeed. Emperor Father might be mistrustful, but a tiger will never devour its own cubs. Even if he doesn¡¯t want us to gain too much influence, he will only make a move on our subordinates. He¡¯ll never touch us, the imperial princes.¡± Upon hearing Pei Rumo¡¯s explanation, Bai Luochu knew that Pei Rumo had already guessed her thoughts. Therefore, she felt even more ashamed. The old emperor might be an emperor, but he was still Pei Rumo¡¯s father. Casually trying to figure out the intentions of someone¡¯s father was truly an inexcusable matter. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t have the intention to blame Bai Luochu. In his opinion, Bai Luochu was a person who had grown up in an environment where her horrible relatives schemed against her. It was praiseworthy enough that she didn¡¯t go about flouting the law. It was indeed reasonable for Bai Luochu to have such considerations. But similarly, this had proven that... the trip to the Desolate Region wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as they thought. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t have intentions to blame Bai Luochu but he thought of a question troubling him for a long time. ¡°Why would you think that my Emperor Father is scheming against me? You¡¯re not someone who would casually try to meddle in other people¡¯s affairs. There must be a reason for you to think this way.¡± Bai Luochu felt that it was already great that Pei Rumo didn¡¯t blame her, but his guess was pretty much spot on. Bai Luochu felt pleasantly surprised as she was able to encounter a person intelligent enough to understand the meaning behind her words. What a pleasant surprise... ¡°Nothing much. The Desolate Region isn¡¯t as simple as it seems.¡± Bai Luochu directly spoke of her concern. Pei Rumo obviously knew this point as he had been investigating the Desolate Region for many days and naturally knew of the various strange happenings. But looking at Bai Luochu¡¯s behavior, it seemed like she knew even more than him. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t waste any more time and asked in a clear and concise manner, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me everything in detail?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not the only group in the Desolate Region.¡± Bai Luochu spoke solemnly and firmly. Pei Rumo¡¯s expression changed in response. He had his doubts, but Bai Luochu just confirmed all of them. When Bai Luochu noticed Pei Rumo¡¯s change in expression, she immediately said, ¡°Truth be told, there were people following me in the dark when I scouted out the ruins earlier. Perhaps after seeing that I didn¡¯t have much spirit qi, they acted unbridledly and immediately released their presence. It seemed like they wanted to scare me off. Your First Highness should know that my spiritual energy is much stronger than them and I managed to notice all of them.¡± ¡°Did they hurt you?¡± When Pei Rumo heard what she said, he was more concerned for her than the mission. He became emotional and unconsciously grabbed her wrist. Bai Luochu was shocked and she pulled her hand away. She smiled insincerely and said, ¡°I thank Your First Highness for your concern. They left me alone after realizing that I didn¡¯t want to enter the ruins. However¡­¡± Bai Luochu paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I still don¡¯t know if those people are from the same group. I can only be certain that all of them are rather formidable presences.¡± Chapter 365: Change of Plan ¡°That¡¯s right. If the same faction can send out so many formidable individuals, they are an influential one. If those people are not from the same faction¡­ the power structure of the Desolate Region will be unpredictable. There are too many hidden talents and I¡¯m afraid a storm of blood will wash through the Desolate Region soon.¡± Bai Luochu carried on Pei Rumo¡¯s statement. Pei Rumo was different from before and he was no longer as anxious as he was in the past. He felt that since they had found the location of the ruins, there was no longer anything they needed to worry about. All they had to do now was to plan their next course of action. ¡°What should we do next? Do you have any ideas?¡± Pei Rumo sat down in front of the writing desk and asked Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu already had a plan in mind and was merely waiting for Pei Rumo to ask. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Bai Luochu started to speak of her plans. ¡°We shall send a message to the soldiers at the border region. Ensure that supplies are sufficient and that the soldiers are ready to move out at any time. The situation in the Desolate Region is too uncertain and a battle might break out when we are least expecting it. We must be ready for everything that comes our way. Time is no longer on our side.¡± ¡°Next, the two of us shall continue to scout out the ruins. I have a feeling that many people there will recognize you and if you appear, it will be more convenient for me to conduct my investigation. Moreover, you can stop those who are plotting malicious schemes against me in the dark. They might even come out and start to negotiate with us, sparing us a ton of effort.¡± Bai Luochu finished speaking and paused for a moment. Pei Rumo thought that Bai Luochu was already done, hence, he raised his brows and tried to tease her, ¡°What? Are you done? Don¡¯t try to fool me. The great Divine Physician Bai should have a much more comprehensive plan.¡± ¡°Is Your First Highness looking down on me? I am merely pausing to catch my breath. My plans have never disappointed you before, right?!¡± Bai Luochu was already used to Pei Rumo making fun of her and immediately fought back. The two of them were able to behave in such a relaxed manner even when the situation was so tense¡­ Some people might find it unbelievable but they were well adapted to deal with the pressure placed on their shoulders. Regardless how well equipped they were to deal with stress they faced, the relaxed atmosphere dissipated shortly. ¡°The soldiers we left behind at the border should be the stronger ones. They should scout out the vicinity of the border zone as well and report their findings to us. This will avoid unexpected changes in the situation.¡± Bai Luochu was rather surprised that Pei Rumo agreed just like this. She originally thought she would have to waste more time trying to convince him. Right at this moment, knocks came from outside the door. ¡°Knock knock.¡± Bai Luochu turned around and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± The person at the entrance was none other than Qin Feng. He was carrying a meal box and he waited respectfully at the entrance. After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s question, he immediately replied, ¡°It is me, young lady. I am here to deliver lunch.¡± When Bai Luochu heard that it was Qin Feng, she didn¡¯t go over to open the doors and simply instructed, ¡°Come in then.¡± Qin Feng acknowledged the orders and entered to arrange the dishes on the table. As he laid the food out on the table, he said, ¡°I noticed Young Lady¡¯s exhaustion and I added some dishes for you. The food in the Desolate Region is lacking and I apologize.¡± Pei Rumo felt that it was somewhat strange that the innkeeper was speaking so politely to Bai Luochu. However, he thought about it and realized that his behavior should be influenced by the fact that Bai Luochu treated his unmentionable illness. When Bai Luochu saw the table filled with dishes, she felt that it was rather funny. It seemed like Ying Lan had informed Qin Feng about her preference for food before he came. Whatever the case, she wouldn¡¯t be able to finish all the food on the table by herself. Since Pei Rumo was present, she should share her lunch with him in order to cut down on the food wastage. ¡°Your First Highness is also exhausted. Why don¡¯t you have lunch together with me?¡± Bai Luochu proposed. Pei Rumo wanted nothing more than to have lunch with Bai Luochu. He immediately nodded in agreement. Looking at the scene in front of him, Qin Feng was dumbstruck. He prepared the food with utmost care and it was going to enter someone else¡¯s stomach. Moreover, the person who was going to eat was also the person who forced his mistress to go on the campaign to the Desolate Region. He was about to make some sarcastic remarks when a voice appeared in his head. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything sarcastic to the First Prince. He helped me quite a lot today. Tonight, come and look for me as I have something I need you to do.¡± Qin Feng could naturally recognize Bai Luochu¡¯s voice. When he turned to look, her mouth was closed and he could see that Pei Rumo was unaware of the voice in his mind. Did Mistress just send me a secret message?! Qin Feng looked at Bai Luochu with extreme astonishment and received a nod in response. He instantly understood the meaning behind her words. Since she had already given her orders, Qin Feng acknowledged and asked to be excused. ¡°Please enjoy the meal. If you need me for anything, don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡± Qin Feng then withdrew from the room. Pei Rumo noticed the difference in treatment and he lamented, ¡°It is truly great to have a specialized skill. I¡¯m benefiting from my association with Divine Physician Bai¡­ How convenient.¡± Bai Luochu was aware of the meaning behind Pei Rumo¡¯s words but she didn¡¯t feel like refuting. The two of them sat around the table and ate lunch quietly. Chapter 366: This is Strange Pei Rumo had a sharp mind. After hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s question, he naturally knew that Bai Luochu was suspicious about the old emperor¡¯s sudden desire to conquer the Desolate Region. ¡°Will you believe me if I said that I didn¡¯t detect anything strange with my Emperor Father?¡± Pei Rumo immediately replied. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t immediately follow up with another question. Instead, she nodded and replied, ¡°Of course I will. Your First Highness might use some underhanded methods to achieve your objective from time to time, but you are not a liar. Moreover, we are both in the Desolate Region now, you have no reason to lie to me.¡± Pei Rumo was surprised by her reply. It was obvious he didn¡¯t expect Bai Luochu to believe him. After a long while, Pei Rumo placed his chopsticks down and sighed before saying, ¡°Sigh... Honestly, I feel that it is somewhat strange...¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bai Luochu placed her chopsticks down and patiently waited for Pei Rumo to explain himself. ¡°My Emperor Father isn¡¯t a militaristic person. He once mentioned that he isn¡¯t someone who had godly strategies or overwhelming might. The only thing he wanted to do was to carry on the ancestor¡¯s bloodline and ensure stability in the empire. Unless other nations come and provoke us, he will never choose to send out the army. When Emperor Father suggested expanding the territories for the first time, I felt that it was rather strange. I didn¡¯t say anything about it due to his status. I thought that he picked the Desolate Region as there was no one to oppose us. We won¡¯t suffer great losses even if a war breaks out. But from the looks of it now, it isn¡¯t as simple as we think.¡± ¡°It is indeed the case. There is truly no way of knowing His Majesty¡¯s true objective. If you can¡¯t figure out His Majesty¡¯s true objective, there is probably no one who can. This matter is getting really troublesome.¡± Bai Luochu felt that Pei Rumo didn¡¯t doubt the old emperor¡¯s orders as he knew what was going on. From the looks of it, he was clueless as well. They stayed silent for a long time as they stared at each other. Bai Luochu could no longer endure the awkward atmosphere and she broke the silence, ¡°Could it be...¡± Before Bai Luochu could finish her statement, Pei Rumo already knew what she was going to say. ¡°Are you thinking that Eunuch De Quan influenced Emperor Father¡¯s decision?¡± Pei Rumo finished Bai Luochu¡¯s question. Bai Luochu felt that they were both thinking in the same direction. However, this made her even more uncomfortable. She felt like someone was peering into her mind. ¡°You should know that this matter isn¡¯t as simple as it seems. His Majesty¡¯s thoughts definitely aren¡¯t as simple as expanding the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s territory.¡± Bai Luochu stated. ¡°Of course I know that. Since we are already here, we can only cross the bridge when we get to it.¡± Pei Rumo could only pacify her for the time being. It started off as a pleasant meal but the topic became increasingly serious. In the end, the food started to taste bland in their mouth as the topics got increasingly flavorful. ... Nightfall... The Desolate Region¡¯s weather was pleasant and it was a rare occurrence. The wind was calm and the clouds weren¡¯t covering the moon. From the looks of it, this was a sort of sign from the heavens. A secretive shadow flashed into Bai Luochu¡¯s room and it was none other than Qin Feng. The reason why Qin Feng was acting secretively was because he didn¡¯t wish to alert Pei Rumo and the others. After all, his mistress¡¯ identity of the true commander of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence should be kept secret. The fewer people that know about it the better. Right now, his mistress wasn¡¯t strong enough and if she attracted attention from the wrong party, things would go south really quickly. Moreover this was an instruction Ying Lan gave her before he departed. ¡°Something unexpected occurred. We need to have an urgent discussion.¡± ¡°What is the matter, Mistress? If there are any urgent matters, please go ahead and give the orders.¡± Qin Feng knew that Bai Luochu was a person who didn¡¯t wish to trouble others. Even if she was the mistress, she would basically do everything personally. Now that she was requesting for help, the situation should be extremely dire. ¡°Do we have anything that can deliver messages?¡± Qin Feng didn¡¯t understand what Bai Luochu wanted to do but he still replied quickly, ¡°There is. Commander Ying Lan gave this subordinate a messenger bird. Previously when I found Mistress, I sent a report back to him. It is able to make a round trip within a single day. Does Mistress need to deliver a message back to the capital city?¡± Bai Luochu nodded and gave her instruction, ¡°That¡¯s right. Deliver a message to Ying Lan and ask him to rush over immediately after he settles everything at the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Tell him that the situation is worse than we expected. We need more manpower in order to achieve our goal.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t Commander Ying lose all sense of reasoning if I say that? What if something happens to him on the journey here?¡± Qin Feng was rather worried. After all, when he was sent to the Desolate Region, Ying Lan gave him detailed instructions as he was afraid that he would be inconsiderate when serving Bai Luochu. Qin Feng was afraid that Ying Lan would lose his cool if he were to make an urgent report. Bai Luochu shook her head and said confidently, ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Bai Luochu understood Ying Lan very well. After all, he was Bai Luochu¡¯s capable subordinate in her previous life and Bai Luochu was clear about his steady personality. He would be unflustered when facing all sorts of situations as he knew that if something happened to him, his mistress would lose a capable subordinate. ¡°Yes, this subordinate understands. Are there any other orders?¡± Qin Feng immediately asked. Bai Luochu considered for a moment before adding, ¡°There is. Remember to discuss the disguise with Ying Lan in advance and don¡¯t reveal anything by mistake. Prepare a skin mask for Ying Lan as well.¡± Chapter 367: Taking the Bait Willingly After Bai Luochu gave all the instructions, she felt a weight being lifted off her chest and immediately went to bed. The next morning, Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo acted according to plan and headed towards the ruins. When they arrived at the junction where Bai Luochu had gotten ¡®lost¡¯ the day before, she stopped. After staying silent for a moment, Bai Luochu opened her mouth slowly and said something that was unexpected, ¡°Did you feel it?¡± The corner of Pei Rumo¡¯s mouth curled upwards and he nodded his head. A light flashed through his eyes and he spoke, ¡°I feel it. It seems like what you say is true. The Desolate Region is very interesting.¡± The presences in the vicinity seemed to have sensed that Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo had detected them and they quickly withdrew their presence. Pei Rumo and Bai Luochu exchanged looks and came to a mutual understanding before they advanced. Those unfamiliar presences continued to follow them like shadows. After reaching the ruins, Bai Luochu was the first to speak, ¡°This is the location of the ruins.¡± Pei Rumo looked at the ruins ahead and couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind so many people¡¯s attention. What in the world is so interesting about it that so many people are attracted to? The place was run down and in Pei Rumo¡¯s opinion, it was just a bunch of rock and sand. The pillars and walls were filled with cobwebs and the dust was so thick that it could form a blanket. If there was anything that could be considered palace-like, it would be the broken glazed tiles. Even the sculptings on the pillars had special patterns. It was evident that when this place was constructed, plenty of effort was put in. The only unknown was the reason behind its destruction. ¡°Did you enter to scout the place yet?¡± Pei Rumo turned around and asked Bai Luochu with an expectant expression. It seemed like he was hoping for Bai Luochu to give him a confirmation. But Bai Luochu was destined to disappoint him, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already mention to Your First Highness that I didn¡¯t get to examine the place because of all the people staring at me in the dark?¡± Pei Rumo might be a little disappointed but he didn¡¯t express it. He then asked Bai Luochu again, ¡°Are we going to enter and scout the place?¡± Bai Luochu shook her head and rejected Pei Rumo¡¯s suggestion. When she saw the expression of disbelief on his face, she explained, ¡°We still don¡¯t know the situation in the Desolate Region. Since this place is within the range of our campaign, it will naturally be a place of contest. In my opinion, we should scout the vicinity in order to make preparations in advance.¡± Pei Rumo felt that Bai Luochu was making sense, hence, he didn¡¯t refuse and immediately turned his horse back and headed to the area around the ruins. Bai Luochu revealed a mysterious smile and said to Pei Rumo, ¡°Your First Highness must not be impatient. If you are impatient, the fish that is going to take the bait will be scared off.¡± Pei Rumo still didn¡¯t understand what she meant but went along with it anyway. After interacting with Bai Luochu for such a long time, he was clear that she had great foresight. He might even be able to learn a thing or two from her. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t idle around the entire day. She quickly made her way around the ruins while doing some random actions. There were times she would pull out some weeds from the ground and would even dig up the soil occasionally. She would also make markings on her map from time to time. In the eyes of others, it looked like she was doing some serious investigation. As for Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo, they both knew that she was merely messing about. Seeing that it was getting late, Bai Luochu stood up, dusted her hands and swept the dust off her body before replying, ¡°Let¡¯s return to the inn.¡± Bai Luochu finished speaking and mounted the horse, leaving Pei Rumo behind. Pei Rumo was rather puzzled and a little annoyed with her actions. However, he chose to trust her and he followed behind Bai Luochu as they went back to the inn. In the dark, a pair of eyes was silently staring at the two of them. Once they were far enough, the individual finally revealed himself and stood still for a moment before vanishing. Back at the inn, Qin Feng had already prepared the hot water and when he saw Bai Luochu returning, he quickly welcomed her, ¡°Divine Physician Bai, I have already prepared the hot water. Just inform me and I will deliver it to your room.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and instructed, ¡°Deliver the hot water 15 minutes later.¡± After finishing her instructions, she returned to her room. Pei Rumo followed closely behind and eventually arrived at the entrance of her room. Bai Luochu stopped at the entrance and looked at the hesitant Pei Rumo. She found it a little funny and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Your First Highness have anything to ask me?¡± Pei Rumo heard Bai Luochu¡¯s question and helplessly shook his head while laughing, ¡°I am truly unable to hide anything from you. My head is filled with questions.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t say a word and she folded her arms. Tilting her head towards the sky, she stood there with an attitude that said, ¡®Ask whatever you want¡¯. Pei Rumo didn¡¯t reserve himself and questions soon flowed out of his mouth, ¡°I am slow-witted and fail to see the reason behind Divine Physician Bai¡¯s actions.¡± Bai Luochu revealed a smile and asked Pei Rumo in return, ¡°Does Your First Highness remember what I said today?¡± Pei Rumo paused for a moment and spoke with uncertainty, ¡°You said something about luring a fish?¡± Chapter 368: Journey Through the Nigh Pei Rumo might not know what Bai Luochu wanted to do but when he thought that she wouldn¡¯t do anything useless, the doubts in his mind disappeared. He returned to his room but she called out to him before he walked too far. ¡°Your First Highness, don¡¯t forget to relay the information. If they reply and mention some important place, do let me know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If there are any findings, I will definitely inform you.¡± Pei Rumo finished speaking and walked towards his room. Just as Pei Rumo left, Qin Feng entered. ¡°Mistress, I am here to deliver hot water.¡± Qin Feng carried quite a lot of hot water and was short of breath when he finally arrived at her room. Bai Luochu immediately opened the door for Qin Feng so that he could bring in the hot water. When Qin Feng finished pouring the hot water into Bai Luochu¡¯s bathtub, he was already panting. ¡°You have worked hard. If there is nothing else, get some rest.¡± Bai Luochu finished her statement and Qin Feng was preparing to leave as though he had received an order. But just two steps later, Bai Luochu called out to him again. ¡°Is there any news from Ying Lan¡¯s side?¡± Qin Feng scratched his head and spoke with an embarrassed tone, ¡°In response to Mistress, there is no news yet. But this subordinate thinks that it should be soon. I immediately sent the message after your instructions yesterday night. I think that Commander Ying Lan hasn¡¯t made preparations yet, hence, he didn¡¯t send a reply. Once there is news, I will inform Mistress as soon as possible.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and waved her hand to dismiss Qin Feng. Just as Qin Feng had predicted, Ying Lan was currently in a discussion with Meng Luoping and Guan Yue at the Remote Paddy Inn. ¡°Take a look before we think of some countermeasures.¡± Ying Lan pushed the message slip from Qin Feng¡¯s messenger pigeon and asked them to read it carefully. Meng Luoping¡¯s face immediately changed after reading, ¡°What did I say? She wouldn¡¯t listen when we persuaded her previously and she is now requesting for help... I knew that the Desolate Region is strange and Pei Rumo probably has some ulterior motives for bringing her there.¡± When Guan Yue read it, he wasn¡¯t as impatient as Meng Luoping as he was a young master of an aristocratic clan. He was more composed when dealing with such matters. After reading the message slip, Guan Yue consoled Meng Luoping, ¡°Relax a little. If our Mistress is able to send us a message, it means she is safe, right? Now is not the time for us to complain. We better come up with a countermeasure quickly.¡± Guan Yue looked at Ying Lan after speaking. If he didn¡¯t guess wrongly, Ying Lan already had a plan. He was merely discussing the actions they had to take before leaving for the Desolate Region. Meng Luoping immediately responded, ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask me. I didn¡¯t agree for Mistress to leave with the army. I was merely unable to change her mind. On the other hand, two of you had been speaking up and reasoning for her, hence, I had no choice but to agree. Now that Mistress said there is something wrong and has sent an urgent message, the situation in the Desolate Region should be extremely bleak. I only have one idea and it is for Ying Lan to go to the Desolate Region and bring Mistress back.¡± Ying Lan and Guan Yue shook their heads helplessly in response. Meng Luoping might be an expert in business, but he was still so impatient when dealing with such matters. It was truly unknown if it was good or bad for a person of his nature to follow Bai Luochu. When Guan Yue saw that Meng Luoping didn¡¯t have the same view as the two of them, he felt that he had no choice but to discuss with Ying Lan himself. As such, he immediately spoke of his idea, ¡°In my opinion, why don¡¯t we use the same method we did when we carried out the Falling Cloud Mountain Range expedition? I will oversee the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and will guarantee the safety of the members. Luoping will still be in charge of the businesses. It might be a little tiring but Mistress is more important. It is best not to have any delays.¡± Ying Lan nodded in response and said, ¡°To be honest, that is what I am thinking too. Mistress¡¯ previous arrangements have been well thought out and there is no need to make any changes. The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s poison array has already been upgraded and there shouldn¡¯t be any problem temporarily. I simply want to hear your opinions. If you have anything you are unhappy with, you may voice it out now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any opinions. After all, I too, understand Divine Physician Bai¡¯s character and her temper is as bad as mine. I just don¡¯t know what this fellow is thinking.¡± Guan Yue finished speaking and looked at Meng Luoping and teased him. Meng Luoping had already detected Guan Yue and Ying Lan¡¯s eyes. He felt very wronged and started to grumble, ¡°Since the two of you have already made arrangements for me, do I still have a choice? I naturally have to accept it.¡± Ying Lan exchanged looks with Guan Yue and after seeing how Meng Luoping was behaving like a little wife that suffered greatly, Ying Lan made fun and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Luoping actually has such a side to him.¡± ¡°But you have to promise me something.¡± When being mocked by the duo, Meng Luoping didn¡¯t feel uneasy and raised his condition to the duo. Ying Lan knew that Meng Luoping had already given in and he felt that as long as Meng Luoping¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t excessive, he would simply agree. ¡°I want you to bring Divine Physician Bai back unscathed without any mishaps.¡± Meng Luoping had a serious look that Ying Lan couldn¡¯t ignore. Ying Lan didn¡¯t think that Meng Luoping who was originally hopping mad would actually state such a condition. Ying Lan¡¯s mouth moved as he wanted to promise Meng Luoping but he didn¡¯t expect to be interrupted by Guan Yue. ¡°Not just Divine Physician Bai, it is the same for you. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you will do anything for Divine Physician Bai and might even forsake your own life. Hence, I have a condition too and that is for you to return unharmed as well.¡± Guan Yue finished speaking and patted on Ying Lan¡¯s shoulder. At that moment, Ying Lan felt as though he was back in the temple as Bai Luochu¡¯s secret guard, receiving encouragement from the other members before setting off for a mission. Chapter 369: Observers in the Dark After getting Ying Lan¡¯s firm answer, the two of them let out a sigh of relief as though a huge burden had been lifted off their shoulders. They then helped Ying Lan to pack his baggage. It was already deep into the night and the city gates were already closed. It was obvious that they couldn¡¯t just strut their way outside through the gates. As such, the trio were preparing to exit through a secret passage. After sending Ying Lan to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence outside of the city, Guan Yue brought out the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s best horse and handed the reins to Ying Lan before saying, ¡°This is our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence¡¯s best horse, don¡¯t work it to death. If the horse dies from exhaustion, you¡¯ll be held responsible.¡± Ying Lan took over the reins and mounted the horse immediately before replying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of your horse.¡± Ying Lan knew that Guan Yue was using the horse as an excuse. He probably wanted Ying Lan to take breaks throughout the journey so as not to tire himself out. At this current juncture, it seemed like it was useless to say anything else. Finally, Ying Lan turned around and urged the horse forward, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. A faint farewell could be heard from Meng Luoping, ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± The capital city wasn¡¯t the only place bustling with excitement. Things were heating up in the Desolate Region as well. It was deep into the night and it seemed as though a screen of black was formed around the sky, blocking off all connection to the outside world. ¡°Creak.¡± The door quietly opened, and a figure suddenly appeared in the room. The person inside the room remained still as though he was expecting someone. Lu Wenshu¡¯s solitary figure could be seen clearly as he faced the newcomer. ¡°Have you investigated clearly?¡± Lu Wenshu spoke to the figure in the dark. The person walked over silently. With the dim illumination of moonlight, the figure finally revealed his face. Looking at his clothes, it was clear that he was from the same sect as Lu Wenshu. ¡°Senior, I have already monitored that person for two days. There are some new findings and I am here to make a report.¡± It was pretty obvious who they were talking about.... ¡°Speak. What did you find out? If you are here to run your mouth off, you should know the consequences.¡± It was clear that Lu Wenshu was threatening his fellow disciple. Before the junior could finish speaking, Lu Wenshu asked, ¡°Does that man have a scar on his face?¡± The junior pondered for a moment before nodding repeatedly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, that is right. I also saw him today. He was together with the person you requested for me to monitor and they appeared at the entrance of the ruins. The man wanted to enter but the person you asked me to follow stopped him.¡± ¡°Stopped him?¡± Lu Wenshu muttered to himself. With Lu Wenshu¡¯s understanding of Bai Luochu, she wasn¡¯t someone who would back away from the unknown. Interesting¡­ It seems like she isn¡¯t really interested in the ruins. Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior seemed to be oblivious to the situation as he continued to analyse, ¡°They went around to investigate the area around the ruins after stopping at the entrance. She went around pulling out weeds or digging up soil. I didn¡¯t know what she wanted to do. As for the man with the scar, he allowed her to do all those useless things. Their actions seemed strange considering the fact that they were in a rush to discover the ruins.¡± Lu Wenshu immediately understood something and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. He laughed in his heart. This lass is still as shrewd as before. She realized the complicated relationship between the factions in the Desolate Region. Even though she isn¡¯t afraid that people will recognize her, she hopes that they will recognize the first prince of the Cloud Water Nation... The First Prince of the Cloud Water Nation had exceptional talent and his influence even stretched across to other factions and nations. Now that Bai Luochu brought Pei Rumo around the ruins, she gave the other factions a window to make their decision. If they wished to form an alliance, they would definitely approach Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo. If they didn¡¯t want to fight, they would use the time to run far away. ¡°Heh¡­ smart lass...¡± Thinking up to this point, Lu Wenshu couldn¡¯t help but complain silently in his heart. The junior saw that Lu Wenshu was in a rather good mood and decided to push his luck. ¡°Senior¡­ why did you send me to monitor some random lady?¡± He felt that it was a waste for a talent like him to play the role of a spy. Lu Wenshu¡¯s expression changed and he emitted a frosty air. ¡°Don¡¯t ask things you are not supposed to. If you ask the wrong question, you might die without knowing who killed you.¡± His junior immediately turned silent. He knew that Lu Wenshu used to be a cultured and refined individual. However, his personality changed drastically after the death of the evil dao witch. Not even his master or elders in the sect would dare to provoke him. ¡°Will senior please forgive me? I will not speak out of turn in the future.¡± Chapter 370: Strange Tracks When the junior received the signal, he immediately withdrew from the room as though he was pardoned. Just as he was about to step out of the door, Lu Wenshu¡¯s voice echoed in his ears again. "I¡¯ll personally take over the mission tomorrow. I shall spy on her personally. As for you, bring some juniors to scout out the surroundings of the Desolate Region. Do not let anyone else into the Desolate Region." Lu Wenshu instructed. "Yes." The junior hastily acknowledged and slipped away quickly as he could. It was as though he was afraid Lu Wenshu would make things difficult for him. He was also afraid Lu Wenshu would give him more work to do. The reason why Lu Wenshu wanted to personally keep tabs on Bai Luochu was because he was afraid his junior had already been exposed. He also wanted to keep an eye on Pei Rumo and Bai Luochu as he noticed that Pei Rumo had a thing for her. Moreover, with his understanding of Bai Luochu, she definitely had her reasons for backing off. She probably wanted to wait for the situation to calm down before exploring the ruins. He casually ignored that fact that he was keeping an eye on her because of his feelings for her. At the borders of the Desolate Region, the soldiers had also received the message from Pei Rumo. The hundred-men captains were all gathered in the main tent and they started to discuss with each other. "Everyone should have read His First Highness¡¯ report. I want to seek everyone¡¯s opinion on this matter as we need to make a proper decision." The hundred-men captain who had been serving for the longest time spoke up. He was a just a fair captain and everyone listened to him when Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t around. If they were to be successful in this campaign, he would immediately rise to become the vice-general in Pei Rumo¡¯s army. "Big Brother Di, if you have any ideas, please share them with us. Us brothers are not as experienced as you and it will be troublesome if we miss out on some important points." "His First Highness had already separated us into groups previously. Now that there is a change of plans, why don¡¯t we split up into two groups again? The first half will stay behind while the other half will scout the borders of the Desolate Region. There is one rule we need to follow and that is for the scouting group to return before sunset. The Desolate Region is a strange place and things might go wrong if we get separated.¡± The rest of the captains looked at each other and agreed as they couldn''t think of a better idea. The next morning, Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo departed to the edge of the Desolate Region''s central zone. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to scout out the Desolate Region as there was nothing noteworthy in it. There were no landmarks or places of interest. However, this also made it confusing as no one knew where they were and it was difficult to draw a map. In fact, Bai Luochu had actually dug into the ground. Before Pei Rumo could react, Bai Luochu was playing with a handful of dirt. "What are you doing?" After seeing Bai Luochu''s vulgar actions, Pei Rumo was shocked. He felt that her actions were unacceptable. Let alone playing with soil, a well-bred lady in the capital city would even disdain their feet getting wet when it rained. Pei Rumo never expected Bai Luochu to disregard her image just to gain some clues. Pei Rumo didn''t know if it was a good thing that Bai Luochu didn''t give any regards to her own image in front of him. She might even be treating it as though he wasn¡¯t there. As for Bai Luochu, she didn¡¯t care about Pei Rumo¡¯s impression of her. After all, the only thing that mattered was clues about the Desolate Region. Bai Luochu wasn''t able to find anything and she quickly moved over to another location. When her clothes changed from a pristine white color to that of brown dirt, she finally made some progress. "Your First Highness, come over here." Bai Luochu reached out her hand and beckoned for Pei Rumo to come over. She then pointed at what she discovered, "Look, there are hoofprints and footprints." Pei Rumo squatted down to take a close look and discovered there were indeed signs of hoofprints and footprints. He then commented, "That doesn''t prove anything..." Bai Luochu shook her head and said, "Why don''t Your First Highness take a look at the path that we came from and see if there are tracks left behind?" Pei Rumo did as Bai Luochu suggested and turned back to where they came from. He wasn¡¯t able to find any clues even after some time. Without a choice, Pei Rumo imitated Bai Luochu and used his hand to fiddle with the surface of the soil. When he was still unable to find any tracks, he ran back and asked Bai Luochu, "What is going on? There are no tracks from the direction we came from! This isn¡¯t logical!" "There is nothing illogical about it." Bai Luochu stood up and explained, "This is the Desolate Region and the soil here is very loose. The path that we took earlier definitely wouldn''t leave behind any tracks. Even if we dug a pit in the ground right now, it would be quickly covered by the sand and dirt. There is something different about this spot." Bai Luochu muttered for a moment before continuing her explanation, "Someone passed through the Desolate Region in the rain. After the rain stopped, the temperature of the Desolate Region rose and the moisture in the ground evaporated. The tracks were imprinted into the ground and after looking at the messy tracks, we can conclude that a large group of people entered the Desolate Region in the past.¡± "It seems like those people are more knowledgeable about the Desolate Region than us." Pei Rumo couldn''t help but sigh with sorrow. They didn¡¯t know that their actions were noticed by Lu Wenshu. Chapter 371: Nearly Exposed Just as Lu Wenshu was thinking about what to do, his junior rushed over to look for him. When Lu Wenshu felt a wave of spirit qi rushing at him, he immediately drew his sword and charged at his junior. The instant he drew his sword, Bai Luochu felt that something was wrong. She turned to face the direction where Lu Wenshu was hiding and she yelled, ¡°Who is there?!¡± Lu Wenshu knew that things were going south. It slipped his mind that Bai Luochu¡¯s spiritual energy was much stronger than the average person. A slight mistake was enough for her to detect his presence. Without a choice, Lu Wenshu grabbed his unsuspecting junior and threatened, "Behave yourself and shut your mouth. If she discovers us, I will push you out to take the blame.¡± Lu Wenshu quickly fell into a meditative state after he spoke. He behaved like an old man on the verge of death. Even though there were weak traces of spirit qi surrounding his body, it became undetectable. It was obvious that he was trying his best to hide his presence. "What¡¯s going on?" Pei Rumo''s spiritual energy was far inferior to Bai Luochu¡¯s and he was much weaker than Lu Wenshu. Even though Lu Wenshu released a wave of spirit qi, he wasn¡¯t able to detect it. Bai Luochu clenched her teeth and an ugly expression formed on her face, "I detected someone over there." Bai Luochu pointed towards Lu Wenshu¡¯s hiding spot. The Desolate Region might be messy, but there were places where there was nothing but sand and dirt. The location Bai Luochu pointed out was suspicious and it was possible that there were experts hiding there. Pei Rumo''s expression changed drastically in response. He immediately held Bai Luochu''s hand and walked towards the location she pointed out. "I will go with you. If something happens, leave me and run." Pei Rumo held onto Bai Luochu with one hand and he placed the other on his sword. It was obvious he was prepared for battle. If they were able to avoid Bai Luochu¡¯s detection, they weren¡¯t useless cannon fodder. Also, it wasn¡¯t possible for a group of people to hide from her. As such, Bai Luochu knew that they were facing an expert. Bai Luochu originally wanted to pull her hand away but she decided against it. In fact, she had a guess as to who the person following them was. She knew that he was merely waiting for an opportunity to take action. Pei Rumo was getting closer to Lu Wenshu and Bai Luochu became more certain that there was definitely someone following them. Just as they were about to expose his hiding spot, Bai Luochu stopped Pei Rumo, "Let''s go, that person is already gone." Pei Rumo turned around and looked at Bai Luochu with a doubtful expression. He asked in disbelief, "Gone?" Pei Rumo felt much more relaxed after Bai Luochu¡¯s reassurance. He held on to her hand and pulled her away. When they were about to mount their horses, Bai Luochu asked, "Can you please let go of my hand now?" Pei Rumo was startled by Bai Luochu''s words. He held onto her in order to react quickly to danger. He didn¡¯t expect that she would ask for his permission before retracting her hand. Since she had already mentioned it, Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t shameless enough as to reject her idea. He spoke with embarrassment, "I have been rude. Young Lady Luo Chu, please forgive me." Bai Luochu waved her hand as she didn''t care about such trivial matters. When they both of them finally left, a figure slowly showed himself. Lu Wenshu closed his eyes and sighed heavily, "She knows... She did it on purpose." He wasn¡¯t wrong. When he first released his spirit qi, he knew that Bai Luochu already discovered his presence. After spending such a long time together in her past life, Bai Luochu should be extremely familiar with Lu Wenshu¡¯s spirit qi. It was the same reason he was able to recognize her even though her appearance was different. As for the words ''on purpose'', Lu Wenshu wasn''t wrong either. Bai Luochu did it on purpose. She didn¡¯t pull her hand away as she knew that Lu Wenshu¡¯s state of mind would be affected after seeing her act intimate with Pei Rumo. That was the only way she could stimulate Lu Wenshu and force him to reveal himself. She was right. Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t able to control the spirit qi leaking from his body and he exposed himself. Even though Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t able to sense the fluctuations in the air, Bai Luochu felt it. Only heaven knew that when Lu Wenshu saw Pei Rumo holding Bai Luochu''s hand, the fire in his heart nearly caused him to succumb to his inner demons. If it wasn''t for the fact that Lu Wenshu didn''t wish to expose himself so early on, he would rush out to chop Pei Rumo''s hand off. How dare he sully Ah Chu... Bai Luochu had her own considerations for stopping at the last moment and not allowing Pei Rumo to expose Lu Wenshu. She needed to know his reasons for approaching her. If she were to tear off all pretense now, it would really restrict her future movements. Since she already knew the identity of the person following them, there was no need to expose him. Lu Wenshu originally thought that even if he wasn¡¯t able to tolerate that lecher, Pei Qingfeng from getting together with Bai Luochu, Pei Rumo would be a much better choice. From the looks of things now, it seemed as though Lu Wenshu wouldn¡¯t be able to allow a member of the male species near her. Now that Lu Wenshu had nowhere to vent his anger, he turned around and snarled at his junior, "You better have a reasonable explanation for approaching me. Otherwise, I won¡¯t allow you to leave the Desolate Region alive.¡± Chapter 372: Adjusting the Strategy Lu Wenshu might be steady but his face betrayed his shock. "What did you say?!" The incident had to be told from the beginning. Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior and members of his sect were discovered in the morning¡­ ... When the soldiers that Pei Rumo had left behind at the borders of the Desolate Region received the orders from their Commander in Chief, all of them became extremely eager to earn merits. Although there were only a few individuals and a few captains who were chosen to complete the task, they were elated. This caused some unexpected repercussions. They were supposed to explore the borders of the Desolate Region to take note of any suspicious personnel. Someone came up with the bright idea and the whole group of them swaggered towards the central region of the Desolate Region trying to look for clues. They thought that it was just a short adventure but they never expected that they would run into a small group of people wearing the same type of clothes. The scouts who went out were rather young and there was a saying that went, ¡®A young calf knows no fear¡¯. They disregarded everything and they immediately engaged the group of unknown men. Those people were Lu Wenshu¡¯s juniors. Even though they were from a sect, they didn¡¯t have much battle experience. When they were suddenly surrounded by a huge army, they were terrified. A group of cultivators were actually suppressed by a small troop of soldiers. They even fell onto the back foot as their clothes were sliced up by the soldiers¡¯ ordinary weapons. After Pei Rumo''s soldiers obtained their spoils of victory, they looked as if they had won a war trophy and quickly retreated. After seeing the barbaric behavior of the soldiers, the sect disciples were stunned. They didn¡¯t know what to do as they watched the soldiers leave. When they finally realized that something was wrong, they quickly sent one of their fellow disciples to look for Lu Wenshu. As for what happened next¡­ ... Lu Wenshu met with his juniors and he had a belly full of anger. With nowhere to vent it, he picked up a tea cup and smashed it onto the ground. A piece happened to rebound and cut the face of one of his juniors. "What are you guys doing?! I asked you to treat this expedition seriously and treat everyone you meet as enemies. What in the world is going on?! A bunch of cultivators were defeated by mere soldiers¡­ If this matter is made known, how will you face your masters?! Our sect will be the laughing stock of the world!¡± The disciples knew they were wrong and didn''t refute. They simply stood there silently while listening to Lu Wenshu''s lecture. After a long moment, Lu Wenshu''s anger finally receded, ¡°Apart from a corner of your clothes, what else did you lose?" Lu Wenshu nodded and dismissed them. It seemed as though he had to look for a time to confront Pei Rumo and Bai Luochu. He was afraid they would make things worse. While Lu Wenshu and his juniors almost broke out into fights, Pei Rumo¡¯s army portrayed a completely different atmosphere. It was just early evening and they had already delivered the information along with the piece of fabric to Pei Rumo. When Pei Rumo received the information, night had already fallen. He brought along the cloth and knocked on Bai Luochu¡¯s door. He planned to discuss their next move. "Your soldiers are rather capable." Bai Luochu looked at the piece of fabric and praised them. They were soldiers he personally trained and Pei Rumo was feeling rather proud after Bai Luochu¡¯s praise. Even so, he kept his expression hidden. He replied humbly, "They are getting increasingly bold. They should have captured all of the enemies before making their report.¡± Bai Luochu glanced at the fabric and fell into deep contemplation. When Pei Rumo saw Bai Luochu''s expression, he thought that there was a problem. "Is there something wrong with this piece of cloth?" Bai Luochu shook her head. She felt that the piece of cloth was extremely familiar but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it. "It¡¯s nothing. However, I think I have seen this type of fabric somewhere before. Whatever the case, we need to pay extra attention and make plans for the worst case scenario seeing as there is another group of experts in the Desolate Region.¡± "Make plans for the worst case scenario?" Pei Rumo truly wasn''t able to imagine Bai Luochu¡¯s ¡®worst case scenario¡¯. "We need to assume that there are other factions with their eyes on the Desolate Region. We need to move with the assumption that they have already noticed us and are waiting to make a move.¡± The air turned stale after Bai Luochu spoke. After a moment, Bai Luochu probed, "I have a suggestion. I wonder if Your First Highness would like to listen to me?" "You can speak your mind. There are no secrets between us." They had been working together for such a long time and there was nothing they would hide from each other. There was no need to be so reserved when talking to each other. "Why don''t we expand the scouting range to the entire Desolate Region? As long as we encounter someone, we will make a record of the unique traits of their attire. We will be able to note down every faction who has their eyes on the Desolate Region.¡± Pei Rumo nodded in response and replied, "Alright. We shall do as you say. I will send a message to the soldiers immediately. They will start to scout out the entire Desolate Region in shifts.¡± Receiving Bai Luochu¡¯s confirmation, Pei Rumo returned to his room to notify his soldiers. Since Bai Luochu had nothing to do, she opened up the map again and divided the Desolate Region into zones. She was planning to split the soldiers into groups so that they would be able to gain a clear understanding of the situation in the Desolate Region. After dividing everything clearly, Bai Luochu entered a state of cultivation. The situation in the Desolate Region wasn''t simple and even if she couldn''t be of any help, she wasn¡¯t going to drag everyone down. Chapter 373: Comprehensive Investigation After Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo met up with the soldiers, she immediately informed them, "Everyone, there is a sudden change in plans. Even though I¡¯m sorry for suddenly transferring all of you out here from the borders of the Desolate Region, now is not the time to harp on this. We need to quickly consolidate our knowledge on the geography of the Desolate Region and the factions present.¡± "Divine Physician Bai can relax. We understand the urgency of the matter." The leading soldier immediately made their stand clear. Bai Luochu nodded and sent everyone out to their respective areas. When Pei Rumo saw how Bai Luochu treated his soldiers, he snickered, "You¡¯re behaving more and more like a military general¡­¡± Bai Luochu raised her brows but she didn¡¯t deny his ¡®praise¡¯. After all, she had grown significantly more mature. Lu Wenshu became increasingly furious as he witnessed Pei Rumo and Bai Luochu¡¯s intimate behavior. He thought of ways and means to rejoin the group. He might be clouded by emotions but his plan to regroup with Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo would allow his sect members to avoid detection for the time being. Of course, he didn¡¯t wish for Bai Luochu to get too close to Pei Rumo. But Lu Wenshu felt very surprised that he wasn''t able to find an opportunity to get close to them. Every time he felt that there was an opening for him to approach them, Bai Luochu would suddenly change the topic or would up and leave the area she was scouting. Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t able to find a chance and he even suspected that she was doing it on purpose. Of course, Bai Luochu was doing it on purpose. She already felt the presence of someone monitoring the both of them early in the day. Even though she knew that someone was following them, she never expected it to be Lu Wenshu. He was more like an annoying fly than a powerful cultivator¡­ However, even though she didn¡¯t know who it was, she knew that Lu Wenshu had been looking for a chance to rejoin the group. Whenever she felt that something was off, she would leave. Lu Wenshu felt there was a breath stuck in his throat and he nearly choked to death. Too bad Bai Luochu didn¡¯t care about Lu Wenshu enough to be bothered with his life or death. She had better things to do and she didn¡¯t have the time to bother about others. "Your First Highness, we found something here!" A soldier discovered tracks on the ground and immediately yelled out. Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo turned and walked towards the soldier that yelled the very next instant. After scrutinizing the tracks on the ground, Bai Luochu turned to look at Pei Rumo in dismay. These were familiar tracks... "What is your opinion on the matter?" Bai Luochu wasn''t in a hurry to voice her opinion. Instead, she asked Pei Rumo for his thoughts on the matter. In fact, Bai Luochu had already formed an understanding about the truth behind the spies in the Desolate Region. She recognized the footprints and tracks on the ground. Looking at the wavy patterns of the sole-prints on the ground, coupled with the piece of cloth Pei Rumo¡¯s soldiers obtained, Bai Luochu confirmed the guess in her heart. Lu Wenshu¡¯s sect members... "Alright. We shall move on to another spot tomorrow." Bai Luochu ignored Pei Rumo and she turned to look at a place devoid of human presence. A profound light flashed through her eyes. When Bai Luochu turned his gaze onto him, Lu Wenshu nearly revealed himself as his mind shook. It was as though a gigantic sledgehammer slammed into his heart. Even though her appearance was different, the spirit was the same. The aura she emitted wouldn¡¯t change either. She still noticed me... Lu Wenshu shook his head silently in response. After thinking about it, he discovered that he was never able to hide himself from Bai Luochu. Why is she looking at me? Is she waiting for an answer? Lu Wenshu remained silent as the matter was related to his sect. He knew that there were only two answers to Bai Luochu¡¯s question, ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®no¡¯, but he didn¡¯t know how to respond. On one hand, it was the love of his life. On the other, he had to face his sect. He felt that it was too difficult to make a choice. By the time he was feeling tired, Lu Wenshu made his decision. Bai Luochu¡¯s death was caused by his sect and they owed her far too much. ... "The few of you will patrol the Desolate Region with me today. This will count as my proper apology." Lu Wenshu''s juniors didn''t know if they were getting the long end of the stick. With Lu Wenshu¡¯s temperament, it was rare for him to give them an opportunity like this. However, they felt that they wouldn¡¯t be able to reap any benefits by going with Lu Wenshu. In fact, he might even lash out at them for no good reason. They pulled long faces as they stared at him. "What¡¯s the matter? You don''t wish to? If you don''t wish to, return to the sect and explain your foolishness to the sect master!" Lu Wenshu threw out a bomb. When his juniors heard him, their souls almost scattered in shock. No matter how temperamental Lu Wenshu was, he wouldn¡¯t punish them. If they returned to the sect empty handed, it was going to be difficult to escape punishment. Moreover, their cultivation would probably stagnate for a period of time due to the punishment. "We understand Senior Brother¡¯s intentions and shall follow your instructions." After realizing that his plan was half complete, Lu Wenshu went to the place pointed out by Bai Luochu the day before. Maybe it was because he was down on his luck, or perhaps it was because Bai Luochu was intentionally avoiding him, Lu Wenshi encountered her only when the sun was about to set. "Divine Physician Bai, such a coincidence!" Lu Wenshu''s eyes lit up when he saw Bai Luochu. Are we finally going to have a good conversation? Before the leaders of the two sides did anything, Lu Wenshu''s juniors and Pei Rumo''s soldiers drew their weapons as they faced each other. Chapter 374: So-Called Chanced Encounter "Senior, these people surrounded us in the past. We can¡¯t let them leave." The junior disciple who had been reporting to Lu Wenshu spoke up. Bai Luochu''s men weren''t going to be outdone as they reported, "Your First Highness, Divine Physician Bai, these are the suspicious people we discovered entering the Desolate Region. We fought them in the past and cut off the corner of their clothes.¡± Bai Luochu raised her brows. She didn''t think that Pei Rumo''s slow-witted soldiers could actually carry out their tasks properly. They were definitely incredibly talented if they were able to take the upper hand when fighting against members of Lu Wenshu¡¯s sect. Even though her thoughts were running wild, Bai Luochu was prepared to step in to mediate the situation. Before she could speak, Lu Wenshu interrupted her with a burst of hearty laughter. "Hahaha, I didn''t think that my juniors would meet the First Prince¡¯s subordinates. I wanted to make their enemies pay but I never thought that we are all on the same side. What a coincidence! We are all friends here¡­¡± Pei Rumo spat in his heart while thinking. What the f*ck¡­ Those people standing on the same side with you would be killed without knowing why. How are you able to gloss over such a serious matter with a simple claim of coincidence? I thought that I was unscrupulous when it came to achieving my goals¡­ Well, you¡¯re the true master in that sense. No matter how he despised Lu Wenshu, he didn¡¯t show it on his face. He forced himself to smile and he exchanged cavities with Lu Wenshu, "That''s right. When my subordinates delivered the message, I chided them for being rude to our guests. I hope Young Master Lu will forgive us boorish people. After all, we are all barbaric soldiers. We don¡¯t have Young Master Lu¡¯s perfect etiquette.¡± The soldiers turned to face each other with an expression of dismay. They were at a loss of what to do as they thought that they were fighting with their opponents. From the looks of things, Lu Wenshu and Pei Rumo knew each other and they even seemed to be friends. Bai Luochu knew that the soldiers were confused but she couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain anything to them. She turned to Lu Wenshu and asked, ¡°What is Young Master Lu doing here?¡± Bai Luochu already had the answer in her heart but she was rather confused with Lu Wenshu''s arrival. After all, he wasn¡¯t one to take the initiative. He is definitely plotting something sinister. When Lu Wenshu heard her question, his expression changed. He asked with extreme concern, ¡°I am under my sect¡¯s orders to patrol the area.¡± "Patrol? Does the Desolate Region belong to your sect?!" Bai Luochu immediately followed up with a question. If Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t give them a clear explanation, no one would be walking away today. But so what? He had done so willingly. Even if she was a femme fatale, he would willingly get into trouble for her. "Divine Physician Bai''s statement is a little incorrect. How can the Desolate Region be our territory? If it belongs to us, my master wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to step into it with his stubborn temperament. However..." Lu Wenshu wanted to put up a wall of suspense but Bai Luochu remained indifferent. She didn¡¯t even bother to look him in the eye. Lu Wenshu felt that he was embarrassing himself as he wasn¡¯t able to deal with the situation with his juniors behind him. As such, he had to come up with an excuse on the fly. "However, our sect arrived in the Desolate Region before anyone else. Now that it is getting chaotic, my sect master ordered us to ensure the peace of the region. We are tasked to carry out patrols and maintain order in the Desolate Region so as to prevent any mishaps.¡± Bai Luochu sneered in response, "Heh, Young Master Lu''s sect is really greedy. Does the world belong to you? I am truly filled with admiration. You can even dip your hands into the Desolate Region¡­¡± Lu Wenshu knew that Bai Luochu was referring to the incident three years ago. She is probably still thinking of the Battle of Thousand Brilliance¡­ In any case, he felt that he owed her too much as he caused her to betray her temple and die a miserable death in the hands of the Three Great Immortal Sects. Lu Wenshu originally wanted to offer consolation, but seeing that Pei Rumo was present, he didn''t do too much. The fist he concealed in his sleeves betrayed his thoughts and he swore in his heart, Luo Chu, please wait a little longer. When the time is right, I will return everything I owe you¡­ Will you forgive me then? Pei Rumo noticed that the atmosphere between Bai Luochu and Lu Wenshu was slowly turning sour and he quickly interrupted, "Does Young Master Lu wish to say that we aren¡¯t allowed in the Desolate Region?¡± Pei Rumo didn''t wish for Bai Luochu to face too much danger. According to him, Bai Luochu was a pitiful girl forced to improve herself due to the darkness of the world. He didn¡¯t know that a powerful spirit was hidden beneath her frail-looking appearance. Lu Wenshu''s expression instantly changed. He never liked Pei Rumo and he felt that Pei Rumo¡¯s presence was all the more irksome after watching their interaction. ¡°Of course not. However, I hope that you are careful when exploring the Desolate Region. We are not the only people here and if anything happens to you during your time here, my sect¡¯s reputation would be tarnished. If you enter the ruins without being able to leave, don¡¯t blame me.¡± Pei Rumo knew that Lu Wenshu was treating him harshly because of Bai Luochu. However, after his years of service in the imperial court, Pei Rumo was a person who could control his emotions easily. He also knew that Bai Luochu trusted him more than Lu Wenshu and felt that there was no point bickering with him over a single statement. With the improvement in his relationship with Bai Luochu, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t bother too much about Lu Wenshu. But then again, Pei Rumo wasn''t going to let Lu Wenshu say whatever he liked. "I thank Young Master Lu for the concern. Luo Chu and I have other important matters to attend to and shall not disturb Young Master Lu''s mission." Chapter 375: Important Timing Lu Wenshu stood behind the duo and watched as they left and the view didn''t feel pleasing to the eye. They didn''t look like they were here to gain intelligence, they were more like a couple that were out for a hunt. Lu Wenshu felt that his plan to split them up would have to be expedited. Not far away, Pei Rumo''s candid laughter could be heard. When it traveled into Lu Wenshu¡¯s ears, he found it extremely jarring. Lu Wenshu''s juniors saw their senior waving his hand and had severed a rather thick three that was five miles away. Soon after, Lu Wenshu''s voice echoed, "Let''s go." Lu Wenshu immediately turned and left without any intention to stay behind. The disciple that had been relaying the messages felt very curious to see Lu Wenshu in this state. After all, his senior was a person who would have the same scowling face no matter who he was talking to. Why was he so friendly to that unknown young lady? He was thinking if he should report this matter to the Sect Patriarch. Just as this thought formed in his mind, Lu Wenshu interrupted, "All of you had better listen up. Do not say a word to anyone about anything that happened here. Otherwise, your outcome will be the same as this tree." After finishing his statement, Lu Wenshu used his leg to kick the tree that he had severed earlier. The fellow juniors were all trembling with fear. That messenger disciple, Hua Sen, thought about how he just brushed shoulders with the grim reaper. Cold sweat drenched his back and his lips were trembling. "Why do you think Lu Wenshu came over to look for us today?" Pei Rumo felt that Bai Luochu understood Lu Wenshu very well, thus, he didn¡¯t hold himself back when asking the questions. Bai Luochu fell silent for a moment and she fell deep into her thoughts. A moment later, Bai Luochu spoke, "It is hard to say. But there is one thing I can be certain of. He must be trying to make it clear that spying on us isn¡¯t a decision made by him. According to what he said, he would be following his sect¡¯s orders by observing our actions in the dark.¡± Pei Rumo nodded in agreement, "That''s right. I feel the same way. If we discover them spying on us without knowing their intentions, it would be difficult for them to explain themselves. After revealing themselves to us, we wouldn¡¯t be able to hold them accountable if we found them spying on us. Even though he was exposing their existence, he was taking the chance to involve us in his scheme. What a troublesome matter¡­¡± "It seems like you understand Lu Wenshu very well?" Pei Rumo finally asked the question lingering in his mind. Bai Luochu paused for a moment before giving a casual explanation, "I don''t really understand him that well. When I was young, no one cared about me. I would always sneak out and listen to folk tales. After listening to many stories, I managed to piece them together and form a clear understanding of the current Lu Wenshu.¡± Pei Rumo fell silent in response and only spoke after a long time, "Apologies for reminding you of your hurtful past." Pei Rumo felt like slapping himself. If he avoided the topic in the past, why was he actively talking to her about it now? Bai Luochu understood Pei Rumo¡¯s intentions but she felt that she didn¡¯t need an apology as she wasn¡¯t the original owner of the body. She immediately shook her head, "It doesn''t matter, I am already used to it." Bai Luochu snapped the reins of the horse and her horse charged forward. Pei Rumo responded by following closely behind her. When they arrived at the inn, Bai Lucohu didn''t enter immediately. She turned to Pei Rumo and said, "It has been a few days since I visited that tea stall. I am thinking of obtaining some information from the lady boss. You can stay here as she doesn¡¯t like to deal with you. If you go, she might hide all the information we need.¡± "Alright. Please be careful. If you are not back by the time it takes three pots of tea to brew, I will personally head over there to bring you back." Pei Rumo pretended to threaten her. Bai Luochu never saw Pei Rumo acting like this before and she felt that it was rather funny. "I am already so old¡­ What can possibly happen to me? I will be back soon." Bai Luochu mounted her horse and she left for the tea shop after speaking. Pei Rumo remained at the entrance of the inn until she disappeared in the distance. When he was finally unable to see her figure, he turned and entered the inn alone. "Oh? This customer must be very busy recently as I haven''t seen you for a long time. It seems like you have something to ask me again." When the lady boss of the tea stall saw Bai Luochu, she immediately teased her. Since the lady boss seemed to be in a pleasant mood, Bai Luochu revealed a smile and replied, "How can that be? I am obviously here to drink tea." "Nonsense. How can Young Masters and Young Ladies like yourself develop a taste for my tea? I¡¯m sure you are here to ask me some questions. Since I¡¯m in a good mood now, you should hurry up and shoot. Do it before I change my mind and chase you away.¡± As the lady boss spoke, she poured a bowl of tea for Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu was rather embarrassed when she saw that the lady boss had seen through her true intentions. Bai Luochu quickly asked, "Lady boss, do you remember the earliest batch of people who entered the Desolate Region? When did they appear?" Bai Luochu was very concerned about the time Lu Wenshu''s sect discovered the Desolate Region. If it hadn¡¯t been for their sensitive identity, she wouldn¡¯t have bothered the lady boss. She felt that it was imperative that she knew the time Lu Wenshu first entered the Desolate Region as she would be able to deduce their true intentions for being here. It was impossible that his sect mobilized so many disciples for a single Field Pearl Flower. Chapter 376: Reunited With An Old Friend Was it half a month? Bai Luochu was silent as she contemplated. Half a month was neither a short nor long time, but in the Desolate Region, it was long enough for them to establish their footing. It seemed like there had to be something up with the ruins as it managed to attract so many people. Bai Luochu felt that it was time to consult Pei Rumo and that they had to carry out a proper investigation. ¡°Is there any problem?¡± The lady boss hurriedly asked when she saw the uncertain look on Bai Luochu¡¯s face. She thought that there was some problem with her tea. Bai Luochu shook her head and reassured the lady boss, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong, I am a curious person and would like to get to the bottom of things.¡± The lady boss knew that Bai Luochu did not want to reveal too much and did not press further. Hence, she stood up and prepared to leave, ¡°Then enjoy your drink, I will go ahead and tidy up some stuff before closing up the shop.¡± Bai Luochu nodded her head and slowly drank the tasteless tea. As she was lost in her chaotic thoughts, she didn¡¯t realize that someone was spying on her. ¡°Hey, look at her, doesn¡¯t she look like the Holy Maiden?¡± A lady asked. Even though she was covered by a veil, one could tell that she was a peerless beauty just by looking at her eyes. Sitting beside the lady was a man with a deadpan expression. He looked like someone who shouldn¡¯t be provoked. After hearing what the elegant lady said, the guy immediately put his fingers on his lips to signal her to lower her volume. ¡°Quieten down, if you let them hear you say the name ¡®Holy Maiden¡¯, they will find out we¡¯re from the Thousand Brilliance Temple and arrest you in the name of upholding the righteous dao.¡± The elegant lady felt wronged and replied, ¡°I miss the Holy Maiden too much! Even though she betrayed us, she wasn¡¯t at fault! It¡¯s all because of that evil b*stard!¡± According to them, she was still the Holy Maiden of their temple and she took care of them in all her years of service. Taking a step back, she was punished when she died in front of the temple. However, they couldn¡¯t accept that the so-called righteous sects set their eyes on her even though she did nothing wrong. ¡°Just give up, it has already been three years, if she was still alive, those sects would have already gone after her. She¡¯ll never appear in the Desolate Region.¡± The cold man gravely said and patted the shoulders of the elegant lady. Even though reality was cruel, they had to admit that their Holy Maiden was never coming back. At this point, the elegant lady started to tear up, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, so what if it has been three years?! Even if it takes my whole life, I will wait, I believe that the Holy Maiden will return, and when she does, our Thousand Brilliance Temple will make a comeback!¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to notice someone approaching her as she was lost in her thoughts. The closer the man approached, the more awkward he felt. He realized that not only did she look similar to their Holy Maiden, they even had similar temperaments. After hesitating for a long while, the man finally forced the question out of his mouth, ¡°Sorry to disturb you but my junior sister thinks that we might know each other.¡± After Bai Luochu swept her gaze across the teahouse, she saw that no one else was around. This man had to be talking to her. She turned around and prepared to reply, but she was struck speechless the moment she noticed his appearance. This person was actually her formal fellow disciple in the temple! As her thoughts drifted back to when she was still in her sect. She reminisced about the time she spent with her fellow disciples. The days when they got beaten up by their master when they got caught skiving off appeared on her mind and a smile nearly broke out on her face. Those were happy times¡­ However, all of that was in the past now. Bai Luochu stared at the man and fell into a daze. If she remembered correctly, his name was Qing He. According to seniority, she should be his Senior Sister. After she became the Holy Maiden, all of them changed the way they addressed her. The only time they would call her by her name was when no one else was around. Just as Bai Luochu was caught up in her memories, Qing He¡¯s Junior Sister came up and blamed him, ¡°Senior Brother, look what you¡¯ve done! You scared her with your terrifying appearance¡­ Let me do the asking..¡± ¡°This friend here, let me apologize for my Senior Brother¡¯s behavior. You really look like one of our old friends, especially your temperament and gaze. We mistook you for her.¡± Qing He¡¯s Junior Sister explained as she choked with emotions. Bai Luochu recognized her. She was called Qing Rong and she was Qing He¡¯s sister. In Bai Luochu¡¯s memories, she had a spirited personality and was a little mischievous at times. Looking at her again, it seemed as though her personality had gone through a huge change ever since the incident. The lady before her was calm and unflustered and the lively girl was nowhere to be seen. Bai Luochu opened her mouth and wanted to tell them the truth. However, she thought about her current strength and influence and decided against it. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you got the wrong person. I¡¯m from the Cloud Water Nation and this is my first time stepping foot in the Desolate Region.¡± After they heard her denial, Qing Rong broke down. Qing He became dejected as well and he let out a sigh, ¡°Please forgive us for mistaking young lady¡¯s identity.¡± Bai Luochu nodded her head and left the payment for the tea on the table before leaving. She didn¡¯t bother saying goodbye. ¡°Why don¡¯t you believe me? I already made the analysis and nothing matched! Her looks, strength, and background are completely different from the Holy Maiden...¡± Seeing that Bai Luochu had left, Qing He grumbled to his sister. ¡°Stop lying to yourself. You chose to forget about her after being disappointed too many times. You¡¯re the person who hopes for her return...¡± Chapter 377: Making Contac ¡°Lady boss, are you close to the person just now?¡± Qing He knew that the lady boss had a bad temper and hardly conversed with others. She had to be close to Bai Luochu, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t grumble when Bai Luochu left without saying goodbye to her. The lady boss''s face turned black and raised her eyebrows, ¡°So what if I am? Why are you asking so much anyway?!¡± ¡°She¡­ she looks like one of our long lost friends.¡± Qing He was embarrassed and reminded himself that he should have properly considered his words before talking to the lady boss. After looking into their eyes and making sure they were not lying, the lady boss replied, ¡°We can¡¯t be considered close. She seems to be a newcomer in the Desolate Region and she frequents my shop¡­¡± ¡°Do you know her name?¡± Qing He asked again. ¡°How would I know? I seem to remember the guy calling her Luo Chu or something¡­ I have no idea. Anyway, the two of you should leave. I¡¯m about to close for the day.¡± After the lady boss finished speaking, she chased the two of them out. Qing He and Qing Rong froze on their spot. They were extremely familiar with that name! Wasn¡¯t the Holy Maiden also called Luochu?! The two of them returned back to their rooms dispirited, ¡°Do you think the Holy Maiden is avoiding us?¡± Seeing his own sister so dejected, Qing He sighed and consoled her, ¡°Just wait for a little more, maybe the Holy Maiden has her own difficulties. If she wanted to acknowledge us, she would have already done so.¡± The meeting between the former disciples of the temple ended just like that. ... Once Bai Luochu returned to the Inn, Qin Feng brought some good news to her, ¡°Mistress, commander Ying Lan has arrived.¡± Bai Luochu nodded her head and instructed, ¡°Let me go and inform the First Prince that I have returned. Bring Ying Lan to my room and tell him to wait for me there.¡± Bai Luochu was still agitated by the meeting from before. After giving Pei Rumo an account of her investigations, Bai Luochu hurriedly went back to her room. When she saw Ying Lan waiting inside, she was finally able to calm herself temporarily. ¡°Reporting to Mistress, this subordinate is still unable to figure out the situation inside the Desolate Region. Seeing that you have called me back, there has to be something important you wish to discuss with me.¡± Unexpectedly, Bai Luochu did not ask him about the Desolate Region, instead she started talking about her past life. ¡°Where did the disciples in the Thousand Brilliance Temple go after my death?¡± Bai Luochu tried to forcefully suppress her feelings as she tried to stop her tears from flowing out. ¡°Do you know who I just met?¡± Bai Luochu choked with emotions. It was all her fault, if it wasn¡¯t for her, the Thousand Brilliance Temple wouldn¡¯t have ended up in ruins. Her fellow disciples wouldn¡¯t be running around the world like beaten dogs. ¡°Who did you meet?¡± Ying Lan had a faint conjecture, but that guess was too absurd for him to believe. He didn¡¯t dare to think about it any further. Bai Luochu took a couple of deep breaths and calmed herself, ¡°I just met the siblings, Qing He and Qing Rong.¡± Ying Lan was dumbstruck. He took a step back as his legs became shaky. ¡°Mistress, are you sure you didn¡¯t mistake them for somebody else?¡± Bai Luochu shut her eyes and she forced her tears back. ¡°I¡¯m sure I met them. If I am able to differentiate my bodyguard by looking at their build alone, there is no way I will forget about the fellow disciples in the temple.¡± Ying Lan fell into contemplation. Bai Luochu¡¯s memory was extremely good and it was indeed impossible for her to mistake her fellow disciples as someone else. ¡°Did Mistress acknowledge them?¡± Ying Lan felt that the trip to the Desolate Region would be worth it if she did. Bai Luochu sat back down on the chair, depressed. She shook her head and helplessly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Why? Mistress, you clearly miss them too!¡± Ying Lan didn¡¯t understand the reason behind Bai Luochu¡¯s actions. Bai Luochu coldly mocked herself, ¡°Ah, Ying Lan, look at me right now. I can¡¯t be compared to the Holy Maiden of the past. I can¡¯t even protect them¡­ What¡¯s the point of reuniting with them if it means putting them in danger?¡± Ying Lan felt that her reasoning was sound. Three years had already passed and Bai Luochu had been missing all this while. If not for his unexpected encounter with her, he would still be looking for her. She was indeed weaker than she was three years ago. If she didn¡¯t call out his name back then, he would never have believed that she was still alive. ¡°How does Mistress plan to resolve this?¡± Ying Lan asked. He knew that if his mistress was willing to talk to him about this, it meant that she was still sentimental about her past. After pondering for a long time, Bai Luochu instructed him, ¡°You can go ahead and make some inquiries in the next few days. Look for those people who have arrived recently with suspicious backgrounds. Try to make contact with Qing He and Qing Rong. If you are unable to¡­ I guess it means that we¡¯re not fated.¡± ¡°Mistress, from your letter, I can tell that the situation in the Desolate Region is very messy. The undercurrents are surging and it seems as though chaos is about to break out at any time. What are you planning to do?¡± Chapter 378: Meeting Once Again ¡°That¡¯s for the better, speaking of which, did the First Prince bully you?¡± Seeing that Bai Luochu had her own plans, Ying Lan knew that it was already too late to change her mind. However, Ying Lan was still worried about the ambitious Pei Rumo. Bai Luochu frowned. She felt that even though Ying Lan had her interests in mind, he was a little too naggy. ¡°How dare you bring up the matter with Pei Rumo! When Qin Feng left, what did you instruct him to do?! He made things difficult for Pei Rumo the moment we arrived at the inn. Without Pei Rumo¡¯s help, I would have already died a few times over! Furthermore, he stepped out to help me quell the dissatisfaction with his troops!¡± Ying Lan originally spoke out of good intentions, but he got chewed out by Bai Luochu the very next moment. He softly grumbled, ¡°Mistress you are too gullible,... how can you change your attitude towards Pei Rumo so quickly? He merely helped you with some matters and you ignored whatever he did in the past.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re complaining in your heart, don¡¯t say it out loud! Are you trying to trigger me?!¡± Bai Luochu threw the scroll in her hand at Ying Lan. ¡°I¡¯ll settle this with you after we leave the Desolate Region. If you have nothing else to say, go back and rest! It has been a long day and you need to take care of your body.¡± Without waiting for Bai Luochu¡¯s second reminder, Ying Lan went back to his room. Early the next morning, Pei Rumo was eating breakfast with Bai Luochu in the main hall of the inn. She raised her suggestions for the next step in their plan. ¡°Your First Highness, shall we set a time to investigate the ruins?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go tomorrow. We will rest up today and I will bring you around the Desolate Region for some fun. After so many days of hard work, the soldiers are getting tired. We can¡¯t possibly send exhausted soldiers into battle, right?¡± Pei Rumo explained. Bai Luochu nodded her head and agreed with Pei Rumo¡¯s suggestion. Even though she agreed, she didn¡¯t understand Pei Rumo¡¯s intention of ¡®having fun¡¯ in the Desolate Region. ¡°Where are we going? I can make some preparations beforehand...:¡± Pei Rumo felt that it was better to keep it from Bai Luochu as she would find tons of excuses to refuse otherwise. If they ended up not going because of Bai Luochu¡¯s refusal, all his efforts would be wasted. He smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ll know once you get there. For now, it¡¯s better to keep it a secret.¡± Bai Luochu wanted to look for a reason to turn Pei Rumo down. However, the old fox, Pei Rumo saw through her plan. She couldn¡¯t refuse and could only follow along obediently. When they finally arrived, Bai Luochu realized that Pei Rumo had put in a lot of effort... ¡°It must have been difficult to find such a lake here.¡± Bai Luochu felt refreshed as she basked in the beauty of nature. ¡°I found out about this place when scouting the Desolate Region. I wanted to bring you here but our schedule kept getting pushed back.¡± Seeing Bai Luocho''s infectious smile, a smile slowly appeared on his usually solemn face. ¡°Your First Highness, Divine Physician Bai, you guys seem to be in a good mood. Why are you here to admire the scenery instead of going to the ruins?¡± Lu Wenshu interrupted as he walked out of the forest. The instant he appeared, a wave of disgust hit Bai Luochu. What is his problem... Before Bai Luochu could make a sarcastic remark, Pei Rumo snided, ¡°What a coincidence. In the vast lands of the Desolate Region, we ran into each other again. I guess fate is pulling us together...¡± Pei Rumo copied the way Lu Wenshu spoke and the mocking intent in his voice was as clear as day. Lu Wenshu¡¯s expression changed, but he realized that there was no reason for him to be angry. Even though the person in front of him was in possession of Bai Luochu¡¯s spirit, she looked completely different from the evil dao witch of the past. In the eyes of others, they were strangers. She felt that it was rather hilarious that two grown men were quarreling in front of her. However, her expression didn¡¯t change as she faced Lu Wenshu with a look of indifference. ¡°Young Master Lu, you seem pretty free. Why are we meeting each other all the time? Since you¡¯re here, we should have a good chat.¡± Looking at Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo from a distance, the two of them looked like a couple. Lu Wenshu thought that they were in the midst of expressing their feelings for each other by the lake. Lu Wenshu could no longer keep his emotions in check. In his mind, he should be the person standing beside her. How dare he snatch her away from me! As though he was possessed by a devil, Lu Wenshu formed a single thought in his mind. I have to separate the both of them! Unable to suppress his feelings any longer, Lu Wenshu erupted and flew directly towards Pei Rumo. With her understanding of Lu Wenshu¡¯s character, how could Bai Luochu not anticipate his next move? Her powerful spiritual energy sensed that Lu Wenshu was about to make a move and she immediately pulled Pei Rumo away. Chapter 379: Uninterested ¡°Lu Wenshu, are you crazy?! We should talk our differences out! What¡¯s the point in attacking the moment we meet? Are you a demonic beast?!¡± Bai Luochu shouted furiously. Bai Luochu felt that Lu Wenshu was really demented. Why won¡¯t he let me off? I died miserably in my past life and he won¡¯t let me off even in this life. I betrayed my sect for him, fought against the world in order to keep him by my side, and he took the opportunity to betray me when I was at my weakest! What the f*ck! Seeing the person he loved protect another man, Lu Wenshu went mad with jealousy. He admitted that he wronged her in the past life. He was more than willing to spend the later half of his life to make it up to her, but she was unwilling to even look at him. WHY?!?! He was crazily in love with her but he wasn¡¯t able to express it. He knew that if he did, the chance of Bai Luochu living out her second life in peace would go down the drain. Everyone would turn against her and the Three Great Immortal Sects wouldn¡¯t let her off. He lost her once and he couldn¡¯t bear to lose her again. When he thought up to this point, Lu Wenshu mocked himself in his heart. Seeing that he had to give them an explanation, he said with indifference, ¡°I had a sudden urge to spar with His First Highness. I never expected Divine Physician Bai to interrupt our duel.¡± Bai Luochu knew that Lu Wenshu was lying and she snided, ¡°Oh, Young Master Lu, you¡¯re the same as always, still thinking so highly of yourself!¡± His disgusting habit of assuming that he was always right had not changed. She became a gentle and mindful lady before him in her past life but he stabbed her in the back when she least expected it. Luckily for Pei Rumo, she was present. Otherwise, Lu Wenshu would have landed his sneak attack. Pei Rumo finally calmed down and patted Bai Luochu¡¯s shoulder to reassure her. ¡°Young Master Lu is indeed in a great mood today. However, I should conserve my strength for the upcoming battle. I shall not take you up on the duel, goodbye.¡± After Pei Rumo spoke, he pulled Bai Luochu¡¯s hand as they walked back to the inn. When the scene of them leaving entered Lu Wenshu¡¯s eyes, he hurriedly stopped them, ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± When Pei Rumo stopped walking, Lu Wenshu continued, ¡°I was rude earlier. To atone for my mistakes, please allow me to accompany the two of you into the ruins. I have a basic understanding of the Book of Changes and if we meet with any dangers, I will be able to provide some assistance.¡± Lu Wenshe thought that the two of them would be more than happy to accept him into their group. However, the truth hit him hard. Only Pei Rumo seemed slightly moved. The thought of accepting Lu Wenshu crossed his mind as he was hoping for someone to protect Bai Luochu in case anything went wrong. After speaking, Bai Luochu left with a belly full of anger. Pei Rumo chased after her as he was afraid she might do something stupid in her fit of rage. When they finally returned, Pei Rumo wanted to look for Bai Luochu to analyze the situation. He didn¡¯t expect for her to slam the door in his face. Pei Rumo stood awkwardly outside Bai Luochu¡¯s door for a moment and he finally decided to return to his room. Before he could do so, Bai Luochu opened the door again and called out to him. ¡°This is for you.¡± Bai Luochu then handed a small bottle to Pei Rumo. Feeling curious about the contents, he turned to stare at Bai Luochu as he waited for an explanation. Bai Luochu explained happily, ¡°This pill is for you to stabilise your spiritual energy, Lu Wenshu¡¯s attack is too powerful and if you try to circulate your spiritual energy, you will realize that you are actually hurt.¡± ¡°Then will you¡­¡± Pei Rumo was worried for Bai Luochu as she had been even closer to Lu Wenshu¡¯s attack. She bore the brunt of the attack if that was the case. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Even though Lu Wenshu has stronger spirit qi, he is no match for me in terms of spiritual energy.¡± Moreover, Lu Wenshu forcefully withdrew his energy when Bai Luochu made her move. She even felt that Lu Wenshu¡¯s injury was more serious than Pei Rumo¡¯s. In order to avoid suspicion, Bai Luochu kept her thoughts to herself. After knowing that Bai Luochu was fine, Pei Rumo calmed down. He even felt that he should convince her to allow Lu Wenshu to follow them into the ruins. Before he even had a chance to open his mouth, he was immediately turned down by Bai Luochu, ¡°If you want to persuade me to bring Lu Wenshu along, I advise you not to waste your breath. Once I make up my mind, even the heavens won¡¯t be able to make me change my decision. I will never keep a betrayer by my side. As for the Book of Changes, I know quite a bit about it. We won¡¯t have to rely on him.¡± Bai Luochu was right. Lu Wenshu merely knew the basics written in the Book of Changes. She was the person who taught him whatever he knew¡­ Moreover, after seeing the strange ruins, Bai Luochu realized that basic knowledge wasn¡¯t going to help them. Chapter 380: Blind Bai Luochu entered the room and closed the door without saying anything. Seeing that there was no further movement coming from Bai Luochu¡¯s room, Pei Rumo left. After Bai Luochu completed her cultivation session the next morning, she prepared her equipment and waited for Pei Rumo¡¯s call. By the time the two of them had arrived at the ruins, the sun was hanging high in the sky. ¡°Let¡¯s complete our investigation as soon as possible.¡± Pei Rumo suggested and took a step forward. However, Bai Luochu blocked Pei Rumo before he could walk any further, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that there will be a ton of traps in the ruins. It will be better for me to lead the way.¡± ¡°How can I let a lady stand in front of me? You should just follow behind me.¡± Pei Rumo disagreed with Bai Luochu and walked ahead. ¡°Now is not the time to fight with one another. Furthermore, there¡¯s no difference between a male and a female in the military. Since I¡¯m better at this, I shall take the lead.¡± Without a choice, Pei Rumo obediently followed behind Bai Luochu. When they entered the ruins, Bai Luochu cut off a small piece of the pillar supporting the structure and weighed it in her hand. She passed it to Pei Rumo, ¡°Look at the material used to build the pillar. Most of the structures in the Cloud Water Nation are made from wood. However, this is made from stone. Pei Rumo received the piece of rock in Bai Luochu¡¯s hand and discovered that she was right. The pillar was made from stone. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be a peaceful place.¡± ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s not all, take a look at this.¡± Bai Luochu pointed to a brick wall on the other side. Pei Rumo felt slightly embarrassed. They were behaving like thieves instead of investigators. No, that wasn¡¯t right. After such a long time and the numerous people buried in the ruins, they should be called grave-robbers instead. Bai Luochu twirled the brick she had sliced off and raised it in front of Pei Rumo, ¡°Take a look at this brick, it¡¯s actually made of rare earth forged in a kiln!¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t know why Bai Luochu was so knowledgeable and since he knew nothing at all, he nodded and agreed with whatever she said. The two of them proceeded deeper into the ruins and they eventually ran into a spacious and empty room. Feeling that something wasn¡¯t right, Bai Luochu stopped Pei Rumo from proceeding further. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°This is the only road that leads to the outside world. With so much space, there are probably many traps here. Wait for me to disable them before doing anything else.¡± But before she was able to start, she was stopped by Pei Rumo. ¡°Wait, let¡¯s go together instead.¡± Pei Rumo then grabbed Bai Luochu¡¯s hand and refused to let go. Seeing that he was not going to let go no matter what, Bai Luochu had no choice but to disarm the traps together with Pei Rumo. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. Let¡¯s go.¡± Before Bai Luochu had a chance to reply, Pei Rumo had already walked forward. As soon as he stepped into the corridor, Bai Luochu heard a ¡®kacha¡¯, and arrows started flying. Bai Luochu yelled, ¡°Pei Rumo! Be careful!¡± After hearing the warning, Pei Rumo immediately drew his sword and turned around. He barely managed to repel all the arrows flying at him. As Bai Luochu was standing far away from the exit, she wasn¡¯t affected by the rain of arrows. ¡°This trap is so ingenious!¡± Pei Rumo can¡¯t help but to sigh. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t expect there to be traps assaulting those who were about to leave. However, when she thought about it, it made sense. Those intruders would usually let down their guards before leaving and if she failed to remain alert, Pei Rumo would have died. The further they walked, the more traps they faced. Bai Luochu systematically disarmed them all. When they finally arrived at the end of the passageway, Bai Luochu felt a strange eerie feeling. Ordering Pei Rumo to stand to the side, she started disarming the traps. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± After Bai Luochu was done, she pushed the door open. The second she touched the door, a purple vapor shot out from the cracks. As it was too quick, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to react in time and the purple vapor entered her eyes. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Bai Luochu cried out painfully and she stumbled backwards. Before Pei Rumo could react, Bai Luochu was already covering her face and crouching on the ground. ¡°Luo Chu! Are you okay?!¡± Pei Rumo rushed forward to support her. He tried to access the situation in case they were hit by any more traps. Bai Luochu felt her eyes throbbing in pain. After a long while, the pain subsided and she lowered her hands. ¡°Pei Rumo, did the ruins collapse?¡± ¡°Luo Chu, how many fingers am I holding up?¡± Pei Rumo was in a state of denial as he raised his hand towards her face. Seeing that Pei Rumo could ask her that question, it was evident that the darkness before her wasn¡¯t because of the collapsed ruins. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ ¡°Pei Rumo, did I go blind?!¡± Pei Rumo squeezed his eyes shut. His voice trembled as he replied, ¡°Luo Chu, calm down. There is a physician going by the name of Ghost Doctor in the Desolate Region and I will definitely ask him to save you. Even if I have to beg him, I will make sure your eyes are healed. Let me bring you back to the inn first.¡± Pei Rumo carried Bai Luochu on his shoulders and charged out of the ruins. He placed her on the back of his horse before getting on. After making sure that she wasn¡¯t going to fall off, he charged towards the inn at full speed. Chapter 381: Estranged Relationship When Qin Feng saw that his Mistress was in Pei Rumo¡¯s arms when he rushed back to the inn, he was stunned. He ran up to Pei Rumo and asked, ¡°What¡¯s all this about? Wasn¡¯t she fine with you left in the morning?! What happened to the both of you?!¡± Pei Rumo glanced at Qin Feng and didn¡¯t bother explaining himself. He barked out an order, ¡°Hurry up and open the door to her room! What are you waiting for?!¡± Qin Feng knew that something was up and he felt that time was slipping away. The more he delayed, the worse the situation would become. He ran towards Bai Luochu¡¯s room and shoved the door open. When Pei Rumo entered the room with Bai Luochu and settled down, he could no longer hold his curiosity in. He went up to Pei Rumo and asked, ¡°What is going on?!¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s eyes never left Bai Luochu and his heart was filled with concern for her. Without thinking too much about Qin Feng¡¯s attitude, he hastily replied, ¡°There was a hidden mechanism in the ruins and the poison mist entered her eyes. Her vision is affected right now and she won¡¯t be able to see properly. I have something I need to do right now and you must find someone to take care of her. If a single strand of her hair is missing when I get back, I¡¯ll hold you responsible.¡± The moment the words left his mouth, Pei Rumo stepped towards the entrance. He wanted to look for the Ghost Doctor whom he knew nothing about. After all, Pei Rumo heard of his existence after coming to the Desolate Region and felt that as long as he found the Ghost Doctor, he would be able to save Bai Luochu. ¡°Pei Rumo, stop right there!¡± Hearing that Pei Rumo was about to leave, Bai Luochu fumbled and got out of bed. She stepped Pei Rumo in his tracks. Seeing that she had gotten off the bed, Pei Rumo hastily ran to her side. After wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he said, ¡°Why are you moving about? You should be resting right now. What if you fall?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to look for the Ghost Doctor. My reactions were quick and I managed to close my eyes after a tiny bit of the poison entered my body. I am extremely clear about the condition of my body and the small amount of poison won¡¯t be able to harm me. I will be fine after seven days of rest.¡± Bai Luochu reassured Pei Rumo in case he did something stupid. ¡°Are you speaking the truth?!¡± Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t fully convinced. After all, one wouldn¡¯t be able to sit still when the woman they loved was harmed. He was afraid that Bai Luochu was stopping him as she didn¡¯t want him to endanger himself. ¡°Aren¡¯t you clear about my medical skills? I¡¯m the best in the world when it comes to poison. Moreover, there is something odd about this poison and normal physicians wouldn¡¯t be able to Pei Rumo nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I promise you. However, you need to give me your word that you will not try to do anything foolish during this period of time. That means taking a good rest, do you understand?¡± Bai Luochu helplessly nodded her head. ¡°Fine, fine, hurry up and leave.¡± When Bai Luochu could no longer feel Pei Rumo¡¯s presence, she started to speak to Qin Feng, ¡°Qin Feng, does Ying Lan know about my condition?¡± ¡°I had already sent a report to Commander Ying but he seems to be held up by something.¡± Qin Feng replied honestly. Bai Luochu sighed. A guess appeared in her head and it seemed as though she knew what Ying Lan was doing. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, Ying Lan should be trying to buy a servant girl to take care of Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu¡¯s guess was spot on. Ying Lan brought along someone when he came back and she was able to sense the presence of a stranger. ¡°Mistress, even though I know that the poison didn¡¯t affect you much, I couldn¡¯t sit by and do nothing. I brought along a servant girl to help you out with your daily activities.¡± He never expected Bai Luochu to reject his goodwill. ¡°I have no need for a servant girl. Send her back.¡± ¡°Why?! Mistress, you are currently injured and someone needs to take care of you. What if something happens to you? This subordinate won¡¯t be able to explain himself to the other members of the palace if anything untowards happens to Mistress.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just seven days! I¡¯ll be fine after seven days. Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill?¡± Bai Luochu was already feeling angsty as her temporary blindness was holding up the mission. Now that Ying Lan was nagging at her like an old grandmother, she became really annoyed. She raised her voice and screamed at him. Bai Luochu never yelled at her subordinates in both her lives. Now that Ying Lan was facing her wrath for the first time, he felt wronged. ¡°Mistress, I was just concerned for you¡­ If you have no need for her, just chase her away.¡± When he was done, he left the servant girl with her before leaving in a huff. Bai Luochu knew that she spoke too harshly but she didn¡¯t want to back down. As for Qin Feng, he was left in an extremely awkward situation. With the Palace Master and the true leader of the palace quarreling in front of him, he didn¡¯t know who to speak up for. In the end, he prepared to chase Ying Lan down. ¡°Qin Feng, bring Ying Lan back here. Tell him that I have something to say to him.¡± Bai Luochu knew that she was at fault and she should apologize to Ying Lan. Now that her vision was impaired, she could only ask Qin Feng to do her a favor. When Ying Lan came back, he greeted begrudgingly, ¡°Mistress.¡± Bai Luochu remained silent for a moment before finally speaking up, ¡°Ying Lan, I know that you are concerned for me. However, I do not like to be waited upon. If you are really insistent on leaving her here, we¡¯ll both take a step back. I¡¯ll call for her when I need help but I do not wish for her to stay together with me.¡± Ying Lan knew that this was already the furthest he could get Bai Luochu to compromise and he agreed. ¡°This subordinate understands.¡± Bai Luochu heaved a sigh of relief. The matter with the servant girl was finally settled. ¡°Then again, what happened to you? Why did you lose your sight all of a sudden? Even though the atmosphere between them was a little stale, Ying Lan was still extremely concerned about Bai Luochu. Now that the tension was gone, he became worried about his mistress¡¯ condition. ¡°There were too many mechanisms in the ruins. I thought we had broken through all of them when reality proved me wrong. I triggered the final one when dealing with the restriction on a door with a strange eight trigrams figure. The poison mist sprayed out when I was solving the last part of the restriction and I reacted quickly. Otherwise, seven days won¡¯t be enough for me to recover.¡± Bai Luochu summarised the situation for Ying Lan. ¡°Why is the First Prince fine?¡± Ying Lan was feeling indignant. Why is Mistress the one injured? Pei Rumo is sitting there without the slightest injury as if the campaign isn¡¯t related to him! Chapter 382: Anxiety ¡°I tried to show off¡± Now that Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes were injured, none of them were able to read her expression by looking into her eyes. However, they felt that she was speaking very calmly and it seemed as though she wasn¡¯t injured in the slightest. ¡°I volunteered to take the lead as I was confident in my ability to break the restriction on the strange door.¡± Bai Luochu cleared Pei Rumo¡¯s name. Ying Lan coldly harrumphed and he muttered to himself, ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, yet Mistress is starting to speak up for Pei Rumo¡­¡± ¡°Cough cough¡­¡± Bai Luochu coughed lightly. The corners of her mouth curled upwards slightly and she chided, ¡°My vision might be temporarily affected, but my ears are working perfectly fine. You can¡¯t vent your anger on him just because of a single incident¡­¡± Bai Luochu might be injured, but she was in a much better mood than Pei Rumo. In fact, Pei Rumo was feeling extremely miserable right now as the person he was supposed to protect was now blind because of him. Even though it was merely temporary blindness, Pei Rumo felt knives stabbing into his heart. Why did she injure herself because of me? Why didn¡¯t I take the initiative to trigger the trap?! Pei Rumo changed out of his clothes and he quickly made his way to Bai Luochu¡¯s room. When he arrived at the door, he realized that a mysterious person had pushed open the door and was leaving the room. He was stunned. Just as he was about to forcefully stop the person in front of him for interrogation, the mysterious man rolled his eyes at Pei Rumo. With a soft ¡®humph¡¯, he disappeared from Pei Rumo¡¯s sight. In the next moment, Qin Feng stepped out of the room. Seeing that Ying Lan and Pei Rumo had bumped into each other, he knew that he had to find an excuse to explain Ying Lan¡¯s appearance. ¡°Young Master, that was my older brother. He was out settling some problems and had only returned recently. I went out to buy a servant girl after learning of Divine Physician Bai¡¯s injury and incurred his wrath. I apologize for his rude behavior.¡± Pei Rumo raised his eyebrows in response. When Pei Rumo first met him, the innkeeper had a harsh and unkind personality. Seeing his ¡®brother¡¯ now, he felt that it was nothing strange for the two of them to have such similar personalities. ¡°If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave.¡± Qin Feng flung his sleeves and ran away. After all, Bai Luochu had instructed him to keep a close eye on Ying Lan. What if Commander Ying fails to control himself and flies into a fit of rage? What if he takes his anger out on the First Prince? Things will get messy then. Even though he was hesitating as to whether he should enter the room, Bai Luochu noticed his presence and gave him a reason to enter. ¡­ Bai Luochu felt that it wasn¡¯t too bad that she had lost her vision for the time being. Even though she wasn¡¯t used to the feeling of not being able to see, she realized that the way she looked at the world changed. Without her sense of sight, her other senses were heightened. When she released her spiritual energy, she was able to hear insects flapping their wings and the sound the wind made when it blew through the land. Not being able to see for some time might not be a bad thing. What secrets does the Desolate Region hold? How can there be so many different kinds of mechanisms in the ruins? Bai Luochu was shocked at the fact that even an expert like her would fall into a trap. She started to recall every detail of the ruins. From the ground to the grooves in the wall, she recalled every step she took. She even mapped out the entire ruins in her head. Grabbing a sheet of paper, she tried to draw out everything in her head. The moment she got off her bed, Bai Luochu felt uncomfortable. She forgot that she was in a state of temporary blindness and became at a loss of what to do. Crap¡­ No matter how dire the situation was, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t one to give up without a fight. She felt that if she wasn¡¯t able to overcome the problem now, her days in the future would only get worse. She groped around and slowly made her way around the room. As she waved her hand around the room, she slowly got a sense for moving about blind. She was successful until she arrived before the table. As the stools were all over the place, she tripped over one of them and fell face-first onto the ground. A loud crash echoed in the room and it was clear that it wasn¡¯t a light fall. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s body was still sore from the expedition in the morning and now that she fell down all of a sudden, she didn¡¯t feel too good. In the next instant, someone burst through the doors of her room. ¡°Luo Chu, is there a problem?!¡± Pei Rumo saw that she was sprawled on the ground when he entered the room and he quickly went forward to help her up. He slowly supported her to the bed again. Bai Luochu felt that her world was spinning and she didn¡¯t refuse Pei Rumo¡¯s assistance. She returned to her soft bed and Pei Rumo placed her down. ¡°Why did you come in?¡± Bai Luochu could recognize Pei Rumo¡¯s voice and didn¡¯t understand how he made his way over so quickly. Isn¡¯t he supposed to be in his room? Pei Rumo was a little uncomfortable when faced with her questioning. After all, it seemed a little suspicious for a grown man like him to wait in front of a lady¡¯s room. After a long time, Pei Rumo seemed to have thought of a reply. He stuttered, ¡°I¡­ I was about to check on you. Also, I wanted to ask you if you remember the structure of the ruins¡­¡± Bai Luochu smiled and replied, ¡°You came at the right time. I was about to draw out the map of the ruins but I fell down before arriving at the table. Since you¡¯re here, you can draw the map while I describe it.¡± Pei Rumo wanted to slap himself when he heard what she said. This damn mouth of mine¡­ Why did I choose this stupid excuse?! With no other choice, he agreed. In fact, he wasn¡¯t complaining about being made to draw the map in her stead. Instead, he was lamenting that she wasn¡¯t able to enjoy a proper rest. ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Pei Rumo walked towards the table and he thought about how he should cut their interaction short. He wanted to end this as quickly as possible so that Bai Luochu would be able to return to her rest. Before he could think of a reason, Bai Luochu¡¯s voice appeared in his ears. ¡°Why are you moving so slowly? Do you not have ink and paper? Hurry up! You should start drawing before I start forgetting the details.¡± Bai Luochu yelled. Chapter 383: Attentive Care When the last description left Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth, Pei Rumo completed the map of the ruins. After looking though it, he noticed that there were no discrepancies and he kept the map in his robe. After keeping the map, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t take his leave immediately. He opened his mouth as he stood before Bai Luochu¡¯s bed, but the words didn¡¯t leave it. Even though Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to see, she was able to feel his hurried breaths. Now that Pei Rumo was standing there like a block of wood, Bai Luochu became a little curious. ¡°Is there anything else? Why are you not leaving?¡± Peu Rumo stuttered for a long time and finally spat the words out of his mouth. ¡°Luo Chu, can I stay behind and take care of you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need people to take care of me.¡± The moment his voice fell, she rejected him without the slightest bit of hesitation. Pei Rumo fell silent after the rejection. After a short while, he spoke once again, ¡°Didn¡¯t you fall while trying to get to the table? How many times do you want to fall before you are satisfied? I know that you are uncomfortable with the idea of people taking care of you as you are unfamiliar with the servant girl at the entrance. However, I¡¯m no stranger. I¡¯ve been by your side from the time you left the Bestial Battle Arena. Our interaction should be long enough for us to no longer act like strangers around each other. Now that we are relying on each other for survival in the Desolate Region, why don¡¯t you trust me to take care of you?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth twitched. She wanted to say something but didn¡¯t manage to voice out her thoughts in the end. She simply brushed him off, ¡°I trust you.¡± Even though she admitted that her trust for Pei Rumo was real, she didn¡¯t allow him to take care of her. The room fell into silence at once. As the awkward atmosphere pervaded, Pei Rumo was the first to back down. ¡°I won¡¯t follow you around. I will set up a screen between us in order to avoid making things weird. You won¡¯t feel uncomfortable that way. If there is something I cannot help with, I will send for the servant girl. I understand that we are merely friends and I will not try to overstep my boundaries. Will you concede now?¡± There was a hint of pleading when Pei Rumo reached the end of his sentence. Bai Luochu sighed deeply and finally nodded her head. Seeing that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t refuse him, Pei Rumo excitedly exclaimed, ¡°Wait right here! I will return to my room to get some items. I¡¯ll be back in a flash.¡± He rushed out of the room and kicked up a trail of dust in his wake. Bai Luochu wanted to ask him a question, but he disappeared before she could. She helplessly lowered her head and muttered to herself, ¡°Why is he behaving less and less like the First Prince of the Cloud Water Nation?¡± Qin Feng didn¡¯t know what Pei Rumo was up to and he was shocked at the sudden request. ¡°What does Your First Highness want those items for? I might be able to make some suggestions if you tell me your intentions.¡± ¡°Luo Chu is temporarily blind and she doesn¡¯t want people to take care of her. I want to create a soft carpet so that she won¡¯t be hurt when she falls. As for the bells and bull tendons, I am going to surround her candles so that she doesn¡¯t burn herself when walking about. Money isn¡¯t a problem.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change and it seemed as though lying didn¡¯t affect him in the slightest. He did it as easily as breathing. Qin Feng saw that he was trying to take care of his mistress and he left to gather the items in an instant. He even instructed Ying Lan to avoid getting into a conflict with Pei Rumo before passing on the job of taking care of the inn to him. If Ying Lan hated Pei Rumo for scamming Bai Luochu to go on the campaign, his hatred decreased by a huge amount after hearing that he was trying to care for her. Even though he hated Pei Rumo a little less, he still felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Evening fell by the time Qin Feng returned with the goods. Pei Rumo pulled the servant girl and Qin Feng as they worked their hardest to fix up Pei Rumo¡¯s items. By the time they were done, night had already fallen. Seeing that it was already late, Qin Feng prepared dinner and personally brought it up for everyone. Pei Rumo helped Bai Luochu off the bed and when her feet touched the cotton-padded ground, she felt a little uncomfortable. She almost fell but luckily, Pei Rumo was standing beside her. He pulled her into his embrace before letting her walk on her own. After several tries, she finally managed to make her way to the table. Pei Rumo stood beside her silently as he prepared to catch her the moment she fell. After all, he couldn¡¯t hold on to her without letting go. With her stubborn and obstinate personality, she definitely wanted to rely on herself. This was the main reason he wanted to craft a cotton carpet for her. He didn¡¯t want her to fall on the cold hard ground. She would also be able to understand the concern he had for her. When she finally arrived at the table, she realized that the table and chairs were padded with cotton. She knew that Pei Rumo was definitely the person behind it. ¡°You did this?¡± Pei Rumo hesitated for a moment and finally replied, ¡°The innkeeper and the servant girl were the main workers. I¡¯m not used to doing such things and didn¡¯t help much.¡± Bai Luochu knew that Pei Rumo was the person who came up with all the ideas and he didn¡¯t want to claim all the credit for himself as he didn¡¯t want her impression of him to change. She couldn¡¯t deny that she wasn¡¯t moved by his actions. After all, this was probably the first time Pei Rumo thought of other people other than himself. ¡°Thanks.¡± Even though she couldn¡¯t see, she turned to face Pei Rumo and thanked him. Chapter 384: Thorough Protection Bai Luochu could hear the embarrassment in Pei Rumo¡¯s voice and she wanted to tease him about it. However, she decided against it. Now that he had already done so much for her, it wouldn¡¯t be nice for her to make fun of him. Despite being able to sit down with Bai Luochu for a proper meal, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t start eating straight away. He picked out her favorite dishes one by one and placed them into her bowl. He didn¡¯t stop until her bowl was filled. Bai Luochu picked up her bowl and realized it was full. She knew that Pei Rumo had been busy serving her and with his personality, he wouldn¡¯t eat until she started. ¡°You need to eat too. Stop giving me all the food.¡± Pei Rumo shook his head and chided, ¡°You suffered too much these few days and you need to replenish your strength. The soldiers might think that I¡¯ve mistreated you seeing as how you lost so much weight.¡± Hearing what Pei Rumo said, Bai Luochu burst out into giggles, ¡°Hahaha, what nonsense! If your soldiers think that I¡¯ve lost weight, they would think that I¡¯m being picky about the food in the Desolate Region. They wouldn¡¯t blame Your First Highness!¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say¡­¡± ¡°Why would you say that? Aren¡¯t I the outsider when it comes to your army?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t seem to care that she was the outcast. ¡°They treated you like an outsider initially but that¡¯s not the case now.¡± Pei Rumo placed his chopsticks down and continued to explain, ¡°The troops under me are straightforward men and they haven¡¯t seen much of the world other than the battlefield. They are a little slow when it comes to dealing with people and they never thought that a woman would be able to keep up with them on the battlefield. Moreover this is your first time joining the expedition and it¡¯s nothing strange for them to see you as an outsider. However, didn¡¯t you realize that the situation changed after you brought them out of the fog? They started to listen to your orders and they are even treating you as their superior.¡± ¡°They seem afraid of me more than anything else. They witnessed the scene where I used my spiritual energy to kill all the demonic beasts attacking us and it was a gory scene to behold. A normal lady wouldn¡¯t be able to do such things. However, it¡¯s nothing strange for them to be afraid of me. People will always fear the unknown¡­¡± This scene wasn¡¯t new to Bai Luochu. After all, her sect was annihilated due to the fact that the members cultivated much faster than disciples of other factions. It was the reason they were hailed as an evil sect and the so-called righteous sects killed them off in order to feel more at ease. Pei Rumo fell into silence after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation. He didn¡¯t know why, but Bai Luochu emitted a type of melancholic aura after she became blind. Her personality also experienced a huge change. After a short while, Pei Rumo spoke up again, ¡°That¡¯s fine. If they are afraid of you, they will not dare to bully you. After the campaign to conquer the Desolate Region you probably won¡¯t interact with them anyway.¡± Bai Luochu mused, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that they will start spreading news about me in the capital? Won¡¯t they say that Divine Physician Bai is a terrifying female witch? I might turn into an evil witch if the rumor spreads all over the city.¡± The same thing happened in her past life. She had outstanding strength when she was young and everyone gave her the name of the evil dao witch. It was human nature to label everyone stronger than them as a monster and work towards that goal. They wanted to stand on the peak of the world like those ¡®monsters¡¯ but they slander the ¡®monsters¡¯ every chance they get. It was all to keep their pathetic sense of pride or whatever they had left. Pei Rumo fell silent. When he saw that Bai Luochu¡¯s bowl was empty, he started picking out more dishes for her. ¡°Nonsense! I will ensure that they do no such thing. There is no way they will ruin your reputation after going back to the capital city.¡± ¡°What if they do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deal with them with martial law.¡± Pei Rumo placed the first bite of food in his mouth and he carelessly replied. Martial law? Bai Luochu smirked. Before she could ask, Pei Rumo started to explain himself. Pei Rumo glanced at Bai Luochu from the corner of his eye and said, ¡°The campaign is a secret mission to begin with. If they leak any information regarding our journey, they will be violating martial law. It¡¯s the same as committing treason¡­¡± Pei Rumo hesitated for a moment and he felt that if he didn¡¯t continue his explanation, Bai Luochu¡¯s impression of him would change. He was afraid she would see him as a vicious general. However, when he thought about it, his image in her mind was a prince who would use any means to get his way. Since he had already said it, he might as well reassure her. ¡°I¡¯ll execute those who spread rumors about you.¡± Pei Rumo spoke casually. It was as though executing his soldiers was nothing more than raising his hand. However, his words struck Bai Luochu heavily. How can he speak of killing them so casually? They are the brothers who braved life and death with him. ¡°Those are your trusted subordinates. You trained those soldiers up yourself.¡± Bai Luochu reminded him softly. ¡°If they refuse to listen to my orders, why does it matter if I kill them? Anyway, all the soldiers under me will definitely follow my orders. There is no way they will start to spread rumors about you. I merely wanted to reassure you that nothing will happen after we return to the capital city.¡± Pei Rumo didn¡¯t want to stress Bai Luochu out and he hastily explained himself. Bai Luochu laughed when she heard his explanation. ¡°I guess it¡¯s fine. Imagine the First Prince killing his loyal soldiers for a woman¡­ You¡¯ll be labeled with the title of a muddle-headed ruler blinded by beauty. A disaster will fall on my head if that happens.¡± Pei Rumo broke into laughter after Bai Luochu. ¡°Hahaha, I never thought that you would start making fun of me! It seems like this trip isn¡¯t a wasted one.¡± Perhaps it was because Pei Rumo knew that she wasn¡¯t able to see him, he looked at her with a tender expression he had never shown others before. He gave her his word, ¡°As long as I, Pei Rumo, am alive, I will hide the secrets you want to keep hidden.¡± Chapter 385: Looking for Medicinal Herbs Even after receiving Bai Luochu¡¯s gratitude, Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t able to cheer himself up. In the end, she was still treating him as an outsider. Pei Rumo sighed but he didn¡¯t harp on it. Now that she was able to speak to him on such friendly terms, it was a sign that their relationship had improved by leaps and bounds. At least they were friends now¡­ Bai Luochu finished the food in her bowl and was so stuffed she couldn¡¯t move. She felt that Pei Rumo gave her more than half the food on the table. Even though her movement was restricted due to her vision, she didn¡¯t feel like sleeping. She sent Pei Rumo out to fetch some items for her. ¡°Can Your First Highness do me a favor?¡± Bai Luochu tested the waters. Pei Rumo, who was about to return the food boxes, turned around and he said, ¡°Speak your mind. I¡¯ll help you as long as it¡¯s within my abilities. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t stand on ceremony. She directly listed out the things she needed, ¡°Can Your First Highness please look for some medicinal herbs before helping me to arrange an array?¡± Pei Rumo quickly fetched a sheet of paper and he brought along a brush and ink. When he got everything ready, he said, ¡°Tell me everything you need. I will make a list in case I miss out anything.¡± Bai Luochu snickered. She slowly listed out the items she wanted one by one and Pei Rumo noted them down on his list. After she was done, he repeated it to her and asked, ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± The herbs Bai Luochu requested for were ordinary ones and they wouldn¡¯t be hard to find even in the Desolate Region. Of course, if they were in the capital city, Pei Rumo merely had to raise a finger before gathering all of them. He didn¡¯t understand what Bai Luochu wanted to do with these herbs. She nodded her head and explained herself, ¡°These are ordinary herbs. It won¡¯t be difficult for you to gather them and I have my uses for them. If I ask you to look for precious medicinal herbs, I will be wasting your time and energy. Moreover, you won¡¯t be able to distinguish between them. If someone scammed you with random herbs, money would be the least of our problems. The array I¡¯m about to set up will be greatly affected and that won¡¯t be good. As such, these ordinary herbs are enough,¡± Pei Rumo contemplated for a moment and felt that she made sense. He wasn¡¯t knowledgeable when it came to medicinal herbs and he merely learned the basics when it came to differentiating between poisonous herbs. Moreover, he learned it because he had to avoid getting poisoned when out on military campaigns. Pei Rumo wanted to help Bai Luochu to her bed before going off to look for the herbs, but he was stopped by her. ¡°It¡¯s just going to the bed. I can find my way. I won¡¯t be hurt if I fall anyway thanks to your elaborate set up. Just go.¡± Bai Luochu pulled her arm away and she slowly groped around to find her way back to the bed. After Bai Luochu returned to her bed, Pei Rumo heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ll go look for the herbs now. If you need anything, call for the servant girl.¡± Bai Luochu nodded and she promised him. Pei Rumo finally left the room and he met Ying Lan when he arrived in the main hall. Seeing that Pei Rumo wanted to venture out so late into the night, Ying Lan became a little suspicious. ¡°It¡¯s so late¡­ where are you going?¡± Pei Rumo turned his head to look at this man who treated him like an enemy and felt that something was off. He never took the initiative to speak to me¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going to look for some herbs. Could it be that I can¡¯t buy herbs after night falls in the Desolate Region?¡± Ying Lan¡¯s brows jumped. He didn¡¯t dare to believe what he was seeing. ¡°That¡¯s not likely. However, there are very little people moving about in the dark. You¡¯re not familiar with the area and it won¡¯t be good if you lose your way. I¡¯ll bring you around.¡± Ying Lan felt a crushing weight pressing down on him before the words fully left his mouth. Even if he used his toes to think, he would be able to realize that Pei Rumo was the person stopping him from moving. It was too bad for Pei Rumo that Ying Lan¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t something he could hope to suppress. The crushing weight dissipated in an instant. Pei Rumo realized that he wasn¡¯t able to do anything to the mysterious man in front of him and question marks formed in his mind. What kind of innkeeper is so strong?! ¡°If you¡¯re not busy, please bring me around.¡± Pei Rumo turned and left the inn. Ying Lan stood up and ran after him. In fact, Ying Lan didn¡¯t care if Pei Rumo rejected his ¡®goodwill¡¯ after all, with his abilities, he would be able to follow behind Pei Rumo without him noticing. If a secret guard like him wasn¡¯t able to hide from someone like Pei Rumo, there would be no chance to protect his mistress from stronger adversaries from the sects. Since Pei Rumo agreed to bring him along, he didn¡¯t need to waste his efforts to follow him in the dark. As they left the inn to look for the medicinal herbs, their journey couldn¡¯t be said to be smooth. With the two of them suspecting the other party, none of them could shop in peace. Compared to the tense atmosphere between Ying Lan and Pei Rumo, Bai Luochu was experiencing unprecedented freedom as there was no one to pester her. She was so bored that she started to cultivate. They had been messing around in the Desolate Region for quite some time now and other than scouting the area in the day and making reports at night, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to look for time to do anything else. Now that she would take seven days to recover, she decided to make full use of it as it was a gift sent by the gods. She would use the seven days to improve her cultivation. The moment she immersed herself in cultivation, Bai Luochu realized the oddity in the Desolate Region. Chapter 386: Setting Up the Poison Array It just so happened that Pei Rumo had returned and there was a tail behind him. It was none other than Ying Lan who had shamelessly asked to bring Pei Rumo around. "There is no need to accompany me any longer..." Pei Rumo was about to enter Bai Luochu''s room but he saw that Ying Lan was still following him. He didn¡¯t want the stranger to get close to Bai Luochu. Pei Rumo had been gathering medicinal ingredients throughout the day and Ying Lan had seen everything he bought. He knew that Bai Luochu had requested for them as Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t someone who knew how to use these ingredients. He also knew that Bai Luochu was probably thinking of setting up a poison array around her room. After hearing that Pei Rumo was chasing him away, he simply turned and left after cupping his hands as a sign of farewell. When Pei Rumo entered the room, Bai Luochu completed her cultivation session. "I have brought back the things you wanted. What do I have to do next?" Pei Rumo saw that Bai Luochu wasn''t busy and he placed the ingredients into the cupboard beside her bed. Bai Luochu felt around for the medicinal herbs and took a whiff carefully. After making sure that there weren''t any problems, she handed the medicinal ingredients to Pei Rumo and said, "As I speak, place the ingredients according to my instructions.¡± When Pei Rmo completed the poison array, it was already late into the night. Bai Luochu wanted to chase him out but he asked out of curiosity, ¡°What are you doing?" Pei Rumo obviously didn''t understand the reason behind Bai Luochu setting up a poison array around her room. In Pei Rumo''s opinion, the only people who knew about the condition of her eyes were the people in the inn. Even if they took a step back and assumed that everyone else knew about her temporary blindness, they would be making a move on him, the Commander in Chief of the army. Bai Luochu laughed and explained, "The poison array is for personal assurance. Since I am currently blind, more protection won¡¯t hurt. I can¡¯t possibly ask for help all the time.¡± Pei Rumo laughed and said, "If you need anything, get someone to look for me. I will be returning to my room.¡± There were differences between men and women. Even though Pei Rumo could use the excuse of taking care of Bai Luochu to stay in her room, others would gossip behind their back. He decided that it was better for them if he returned to his room. Setting up the poison array for self-protection was just one of the reasons and it wasn''t the most important one. Bai Luochu''s true objective was to protect herself against Lu Wenshu. Based on Bai Luochu''s understanding of Lu Wenshu, if he truly wanted to follow her, he would send someone to spy on her even if she didn¡¯t want him to. She knew that he was already making his way to the inn. ... After getting rejected by Bai Luochu, Lu Wenshu carried a stomach full of anger back to the sect''s camp. He tried his best to play it off but realized that he couldn¡¯t let go. He quickly grabbed a junior and ordered him to follow Bai Luochu and Pei Rumo. "Someone wants to enter the ruins and we cannot allow them to do as they please. Keep an eye on them. Take extra care and pay more attention to the white-clothed person.¡± "Yes, this junior understands. Senior doesn''t have to worry, this junior will head for the ruins immediately." After getting the acknowledgement, Lu Wenshu waved his hand to dismiss his junior. Afterwards, Lu Wenshu finally calmed down and started to cultivate peacefully. After the junior acknowledged his orders, he headed straight for the ruins. It was clear that his abilities were superior to that of his fellow disciple whom Lu Wenshu sent previously. He wasn¡¯t discovered by either Pei Rumo or Bai Luochu along the way. He looked highly upon Bai Luochu as Lu Wenshu specifically pointed her out. He knew that she wasn¡¯t an easy target but the next scene shocked him senseless. The person that his senior asked him to observe had been blinded by the poison mist. After tailing them for a short distance, he quickly returned to make a report to Lu Wenshu. The instant he entered Lu Wenshu¡¯s room, he noticed a pool of fresh blood at the corner of the bed. Senior¡¯s life is more important than a stupid report! Moreover, fresh blood was still flowing from the corners of Lu Wenshu¡¯s mouth. ¡°Senior, what happened to you?!¡± "It doesn''t matter." Lu Wenshu waved his hand as an indication that he was fine. He then immediately asked, "Why are you back so quickly? Did something happen at the ruins?" After hearing Lu Wenshu''s question, his junior¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He stammered, "Senior, the white-clothed lady possesses amazing skill. She was able to decipher many of the mechanisms in the ruins. However¡­ she was..." "What happened to her?" Lu Wenshu''s right eyelid was jolting and he felt that something was off. "In the end, the white-clothed lady was blinded by the final mechanism''s poison mist." The junior immediately took a step back after speaking. He had a feeling that his senior was extremely concerned for the white-clothed lady. If Lu Wenshu was enraged, he would be on the receiving end of Lu Wenshu¡¯s anger. Lu Wenshu revealed a worried face as he slowly closed his eyes. It seemed as though he had expected such an outcome. Earlier on, when he was cultivating, he already felt ill at ease. Originally, he thought that he was merely angry because of Bai Luochu¡¯s interaction with Pei Rumo, however, it seemed like he was wrong. He was feeling uneasy because something happened to Bai Luochu. "No wonder..." Lu Wenshu muttered. No wonder I kept feeling that my qi was surging when I was cultivating. My qi nearly flowed in the opposite direction and I almost went berserk¡­ Even though I suppressed it forcefully, it was still injured. Luckily for me, I only vomited a few mouthfuls of blood. "Did you continue to follow them?" Lu Wenshu asked. The junior silently heaved a sigh of relief and thought he had some foresight as he had indeed followed them back to the inn. "Of course I did. After I tracked them back to an inn, this junior didn¡¯t continue so as to avoid detection.¡± "Which inn?" Chapter 387: Concocting the Antidote After getting the reply from his junior, Lu Wenshu wasn''t in a hurry to look for Bai Luochu. He endured the pain and pushed himself up from his bed and he wrote down the names of some medicinal ingredients on a piece of paper. He passed it to his junior and instructed, "Stop whatever you are doing right now and help me to look for these medicinal ingredients." When the junior saw the list, he asked doubtfully, "Senior, these ingredients don''t seem to be useful when curing internal injuries..." Even though he was showing concern for his senior, he seemed to be extremely afraid of angering the old ancestor before him. Despite his intentions, Lu Wenshu still scolded him, ¡°Are you my senior or am I your senior? Do you know more than me? Why are you teaching me how to concoct medicine? If I ask you to do something, just do it. The more you ask the more trouble you will get into. If you say the wrong thing, you might just lose your life. After all, there are things you are not supposed to know.¡± Lu Wenshu''s statement frightened his junior rather severely. Cupping his hands, Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior left the room. He was afraid that his head would no longer be attached to his shoulder if he were to dally around. When his junior finally left, Lu Wenshu felt as though his body was drained of energy as he fell on his bed. Lu Wenshu''s injuries were indeed serious and the blood on the ground wasn¡¯t even dry yet. He almost experienced cultivation deviation and he barely managed to suppress the blood surging around in his body. Even though his cultivation wasn¡¯t completely wasted, he was still severely injured. He was forcefully propping his body up when he spoke to his junior. The reason he chased his junior away was because he was no longer able to hold back his injuries. I can¡¯t show anyone my weakness. If I were to fall, no one would be able to protect Luochu! The more he thought, the faster he sat up. He took out the items he needed to concoct the cure from his spirit ring and laid them out. His body wasn''t going to recover so quickly and the important matter now was that Bai Luochu was blind! She was too weak to protect herself and with the unreliable Pei Rumo by her side, she would be in a lot of danger. The most important matter right now was for her to regain her sight. When Lu Wenshu laid out all the equipment he needed, he patiently waited for his junior¡¯s return. The junior entered and saw a scene. Lu Wenshu''s eyes were closed and his hand was supporting his head on the table. His presence was weak and his face was ash-colored. If not for Lu Wenshu¡¯s spirit sense, his junior would already assume that his senior had gone up to the heavens after attaining immortality. "Have you found everything?" Lu Wenshu¡¯s expression was indifferent but there was a sense of weakness behind his facade of strength. The junior was preparing to persuade Lu Wenshu to rest but he immediately recalled that Lu Wenshu had instructed him to mind his own business. "Yes senior, I have found them." The junior placed the medicinal ingredients on the table and stepped back quickly and lowered his head before waiting for Lu Wenshu''s next instructions. Lu Wenshu inspected the medicinal ingredients and when he noticed there were no problems, he immediately chased the junior out, "Alright, there is nothing else for you to do here. You can carry on doing whatever you need to do." Lu Wenshu''s intent to chase his junior out couldn''t be more obvious. His junior didn''t shoot his mouth off and immediately bowed before stepping out. Lu Wenshu measured the medicinal ingredients according to the prescription and separated them into portions before starting the concoction. After producing nothing but medicinal scraps after a few attempts, Lu Wenshu couldn''t help but shake his head. He mocked himself, "In the path of medicine concoction, I am ultimately inferior to you." Lu Wenshu finished his self-mockery and suddenly recalled the times he spent with Bai Luochu. In her previous life, he always failed in medicine concoction and over time, he lost interest in it. Back then, Bai Luochu would always be by his side as she patiently guided him through the process. He felt nothing in the past, but now that he thought about it again, it was one of the most beautiful moments he had with her. "This is the last set of medicinal ingredients. If I fail again, I will have to look for more sets... Whatever¡­ It¡¯s fine for me to be exhausted but your injury cannot worsen!" Lu Wenshu looked at the remaining medicinal ingredients and muttered to himself. Perhaps he was particularly cautious, Lu Wenshu took a very long time during the process of concoction. After repeatedly extracting the medicinal essence, he used the weakest fire he could to increase the concentration of them. He fused them all together at last and completed the process deep into the night. He finally entered the elixir forming phase. After another long period of time, the cauldron emitted a gentle buzzing sound and medicinal fragrance seeped out. The elixir was finally completed! Popping open the lid, Lu Wenshu grabbed the spirit medicine from within and bottled it up properly. When he left his room, he ran into his junior once again. Seeing that Lu Wenshu had exited his room, the junior bowed and backed off to the foot of the wall in order to hide his presence. He didn¡¯t want Lu Wenshu to target him. He might have openly avoided Lu Wenshu, but he was grumbling in his heart. My senior usually lives in seclusion and seldom ventures out. Why is he so active these few days?! He is even going out in the middle of the night. This is really strange. He didn¡¯t dare to continue his train of thoughts and neither did he dare to tell anyone. The entire sect knew that Lu Wenshu was someone they couldn¡¯t offend. Deep into the night, moonlight seeped into the room through the tiny cracks in the window. Bai Luochu was lying peacefully on her bed and it seemed as though she was sleeping soundly. In the next moment, the serenity was broken. A black shadow slowly approached her room and it entered in a flash. Just as the black shadow was about to arrive before her, he sensed something wrong. The black shadow rapidly withdrew from the range of the poison array but he couldn¡¯t escape the effects. He felt a little light-headed and barely managed to keep his footing. Chapter 388: Late Night Visi Lu Wenshu raised his head and saw that the ¡®sound asleep¡¯ Bai Luochu was sitting by her bed, tidying up her clothes. Even though her eyes weren''t focused, he knew that she was looking straight at him. "Why is Young Master Lu so late? I nearly fell asleep after waiting for half the night." Bai Luochu spoke indifferently. Had it not been for the timing, occasion, and the strange atmosphere between the two of them, Lu Wenshu would think that Bai Luochu was blaming him for being late for showing up after her reincarnation. Too bad that would never happen. Moreover, if he looked closely, he would notice the look of disdain on her face. Lu Wenshu sighed and asked, "Have... have you already guessed that I will visit today?" Bai Luochu heard the question and snorted, "Heh, Young Master Lu is exaggerating. I am not a fortune teller. Why will I be able to predict the time of your visit? I casually set up a poison array in order to protect myself. If Young Master Lu has been hurt by it, I hope for your forgiveness.¡± "You should know that I already know your true identity." Lu Wenshu knew that this topic wasn''t developing well, hence, he prepared to talk about something else to make Bai Luochu less vigilant towards him. Bai Luochu was startled when Lu Wenshu suddenly shifted the topic. She pretended to be muddle-headed and replied, "What is Young Master Lu talking about? Who else can I be? I am naturally the orphan child of the general''s residence, the only daughter of the Cloud Water Nation''s former military general, Luo Chu." "How long are you going to keep up your act? Your act might be able to fool the world, but you¡¯ll never be able to hide from me. Even though you are in Luo Chu¡¯s body, you are still the Holy Maiden of the Thousand Brilliance Temple. I understand you deeply and I know all of your preferences and habits.¡± Lu Wenshu spoke with sincerity as though he wanted to announce to the world that he was lovers with Bai Luochu in her previous life. "It is true that you understand me very thoroughly." Bai Luochu''s aura changed after speaking and Lu Wenshu trembled with fear before her. He felt as though he was facing the Bai Luochu of the past, the undefeatable evil dao witch. "If you don¡¯t have a good understanding of me, how are you going to scheme against the Thousand Brilliance Temple? How are you going to make me die a miserable death in front of the temple gates? Lu Wenshu, you have done a great job. You are really the person who understood me the most in my past life." Since Lu Wenshu had already taken the initiative to speak about the topic, Bai Luochu no longer tried to hide. She shredded away all pretense of cordiality and whatever barrier protecting them from each other crumbled. The pain stabbed into both their hearts. "If I ask you to pay me back with the life of your sect members, are you able to do so? If you are able to make the promise that your sect will endure the same fate as my temple, I will gladly chat merrily with Young Master Lu in the future. I will also burn some incense on your grave on your death anniversary." Bai Luochu heard Lu Wenshu''s opinionated tone and felt a surge of anger. Had it not been for her lack of strength, she would have turned Lu Wenshu into a corpse. Lu Wenshu stood still like a wooden statue in front of Bai Luochu and he didn¡¯t know what to do. He never expected her hatred to run so deep. After some thought, he realized that her hate was justified. She betrayed her temple for him while he destroyed her life in return. She was right when she said that I was the least qualified person to betray her... "Ah Chu, if you wish for my life, I can give it to you/ However, your temple¡¯s members¡­¡± Before Lu Wenshu could finish speaking, Bai Luochu immediately interrupted him. "Does Young Master Lu wish to say that the death of my temple members is due to the interference of the other sects? Are you trying to say that you can¡¯t be responsible for their death? Lu Wenshu, you¡¯re such a brilliant schemer. Why didn¡¯t I realize that in my previous life?" Bai Luochu snapped at him. "It isn''t like that... Listen to my explanation..." Lu Wenshu wanted to say something to justify himself, but Bai Luochu obviously wasn''t going to give him the chance. "When our views are different, it is a waste of time to continue the conversation. Will Young Master Lu please return? It is late at night and if the matter of Young Master Lu barging into a lady''s room is made known, it will not be beneficial for any of us." Bai Luochu swung her sleeve and went back onto her bed. She pulled the curtain and faced the wall. Lu Wenshu knew that this was a wasted trip. He originally wanted to leave the medicine behind but after some thought, if he didn''t explain the effects of the medicine, Bai Luochu would probably throw it away. Seeing that she was trying to avoid him, he turned to leave. On the way back, Lu Wenshu didn''t know if his body was too weak or that he had no energy because of Bai Luochu¡¯s opinion on him. He dragged his feet as he swayed in the wind. He was like a patient who had been bedridden for the longest time. Lu Wenshu walked while holding onto the jade bottle and mumbled to himself, "Ah Chu... this jade bottle is already warm after being held by me. What about your heart? When will you give me another chance? The current Lu Wenshu was like a lunatic who had lost his mind as he stumbled and crashed around while walking. After a moment later, Lu Wenshu let out a maniacal laugh, "Hahahaha, yes! I broke your heart! You gave me your heart but I shattered it! How am I able to warm it up again? Hahahaha, everything is my fault! A single wrong step led me down a path of no return!" By this time, Lu Wenshu had arrived back at his sect¡¯s camp. When his juniors heard the commotion, they ran far away to avoid the mentally unstable Lu Wenshu. Who would have thought that the messenger boy would run into this crazed lunatic? Chapter 389: Spirit Medicine Delivery When Lu Wenshu heard his junior, Hua Sen, yelling out, he immediately came back to his senses and asked seriously, "What are you yelling for? Does your master allow you to behave so inappropriately back at the sect?" Lu Wenshu returned to his normal behavior and the expression on his face became one of indifference. Hua Sen focused and noticed that Lu Wenshu was standing before him. He instantly cupped his hands and apologized, "Chief Senior, please forgive me. This junior was too exhausted and was in a daze. Due to my inattentiveness, I mistook Chief Senior for a ghost. Please issue me your punishment!¡± Originally, Lu Wenshu wanted to flare up but when he suddenly recalled that Bai Luochu mentioned he was an opinionated person, he felt that he had to change his personality. An imaginary halo appeared on his head and he softly reprimanded, "Do not behave so inappropriately in the future. I am just injured from my daytime cultivation and look a little pale. What if you encounter some mishap in the future? What are you going to do then?" Hua Sen was prepared to be berated by Lu Wenshu but instead, he received a treatment like never before. He was startled and felt Lu Wenshu was truly possessed by a ghost. It was too bad he couldn¡¯t voice the thought in his heart as it would get him into deep, deep trouble. When Hua Sen saw that Lu Wenshu was so gentle tonight, he asked with concern, "Is Senior feeling uncomfortable? If you are, please have a good rest. If you require some help from this junior, please inform me." "That isn''t necessary. I am tired and I am going to rest. You should rest early too." Lu Wenshu knew this was just civilities and simply waved his hand before heading towards his room. Hua Sen saw Lu Wenshu leave and he turned around to return to his room. Before he could take another step, Lu Wenshu called for him. "Wait, I do have something for you to do." ... Early the next morning, Hua Sen was standing in front of the inn where Bai Luochu was residing. He felt extremely apprehensive. He didn''t know why he had to run his mouth off yesterday. Wasn''t it great now? He was actually used as a manservant to run an errand and was even made a laughing stock by his fellow disciples. Just the thought of their mocking faces caused him to recall Lu Wenshu¡¯s instructions for him the day before. "This is for you. Tomorrow morning, you will deliver the medicine to the Pleasant Arrival Inn. Immediately report my name and indicate that you wish to see the Cloud Water Nation''s First Prince. Say that this medicine is for Divine Physician Bai and it can cure her eyes. He will definitely receive it." Lu Wenshu spoke while handing the medicine to Hua Sen. When Lu Wenshu heard the acknowledgment, he felt at ease. He might have gotten the guarantee from Hua Sen, but he still left behind a sentence to threaten him, "You better do it properly. If you aren''t able to finish this task, I shall hold you responsible." Hua Sen came back to his senses. This is the Chief Senior I know... He might be threatened, but he reacted even more calmly than before and returned to his room. Slowly pulling back from his thoughts, Hua Sen looked at the inn''s tightly shut doors and hesitated. He was a little regretful for giving his response so quickly yesterday. Was he going to knock on the door or not? Hua Sen walked forward and hesitated. Just as he made the decision to knock on the door, it flew open. Hua Sen didn''t control his strength and he hit the person behind the door. He wanted to apologize but the person behind the door spoke first. "Do you need anything from us? Why are you standing at the door?" "I am here on the orders of my Chief Senior to deliver the medicine. My Chief Senior said that this medicine must be personally handed over to the Cloud Water Nation''s First Prince. Will this brother please go in and inform him?" Hua Sen explained his purpose for visiting. After waiting for a long time, the person in front of him didn''t respond, causing him to feel a little impatient. He still had to return to report and couldn''t afford to waste any more time at the inn. "Will this brother please act quickly and help me out? If this brother doesn''t wish to go, please tell me where the First Prince is and I will personally speak to him." Who would have expected the wooden block-like person to suddenly reach out? A jade pendant was raised in front of Hua Sen, "There is no need for you to enter. I am the First Prince of the Cloud Water Nation. What else does your Chief Senior need? You can just tell me everything here." The person who opened the door was none other than Pei Rumo. He was originally preparing to go out to look for a physician and he never thought that he would run into the person delivering the cure. He wasn''t moving earlier because he couldn''t understand the purpose of Hua Sen¡¯s visit. Now that he knew that Hua Sen was holding the cure for Bai Luochu¡¯s blindness, his attitude changed. Pei Rumo felt that the ¡®Chief Senior¡¯ Hua Sen was referring to was Lu Wenshu as they were not acquainted with the other factions in the Desolate Region. He realized that this disciple was probably sent by Lu Wenshu to deliver the medicine for Bai Luochu''s eye treatment. As for the reason behind Lu Wenshu¡¯s knowledge of Bai Luochu¡¯s condition¡­ Pei Rumo already expected him to know. After all, the Desolate Region was massive and Lu Wenshu'' sect arrived earlier than them. He definitely had his informants all around. Chapter 390: Something Strange About the Spirit Medicine Pei Rumo looked at the jade medicine bottle. He did think about refusing to receive it as who knew what the shrewd fox, Lu Wenshu, was planning? But when he recalled the attitude Lu Wenshu treated Bai Luochu with, he hesitated and ultimately received the medicine bottle. He then questioned the person delivering the medicine, "Did your senior say anything else?" Hua Sen thought carefully before shaking his head, "He didn''t say anything else. He simply asked me to deliver the spirit medicine to Your First Highness and said it can treat your friend¡¯s eyes.¡± Hua Sen had a vague understanding of Divine Physician Bai¡¯s identity but he didn¡¯t dare to speak of it in front of Pei Rumo. He only knew of her because he had been stalking them. If he were to say it, it would be the same as inviting disaster onto himself. When Pei Rumo noticed that Hua Sen was trying to deceive him, he nodded and asked Hua Sen to leave, "When you report back to Lu Wenshu, remember to say that I accepted the medicine on behalf of Luo Chu. I cannot be certain if she will eat it. Your senior should know how stubborn she is." Pei Rumo turned around and headed towards Bai Luochu¡¯s room as he prepared to hand the medicine to her. Hua Sen watched as the door closed and was constantly complaining in his heart. He knew that if he were to report everything Pei Rumo said, a layer of his skin would be peeled off. After recalling how his fellow disciples mocked him the day before and thinking about the uncertain future, Hua Sen couldn¡¯t help but sigh, "Sigh, the Desolate Region is probably a cursed ground for me. After arriving in this place, nothing I did has been smooth. The heavens truly want me dead." Even if that was the case, he couldn''t just escape. He still had to return and report back to Lu Wenshu. In the end, Hua Sen let out a long sigh before heading towards the direction of the sect¡¯s camp. When Pei Rumo entered Bai Luochu''s room, he was puzzled as it was extremely quiet. He popped his head over the screen and realized that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t resting. Instead, she was cultivating diligently. He helplessly shook his head and thought. She truly is a cultivation maniac. Pei Rumo rubbed the jade medicine bottle in his hand and felt that it didn¡¯t matter when he gave her the medicine as he wasn¡¯t the one who concocted it anyway. As such, he wasn''t anxious and propped his head up before closing his eyes to relax. After arriving at the Desolate Region for such a long time, it was the first time he found time to rest. It just so happened that he could take the opportunity to have a break while Bai Luochu''s body wasn''t feeling too well. In any case, the investigation was already almost done, what was left was the blades and blood. Bai Luochu had been cultivating for almost two hours since she woke up in the morning. Coincidentally, Bai Luochu detected Pei Rumo''s presence and immediately withdrew her qi. She then asked, ¡°Is there some pressing matter such that you need to look for me so early in the morning?" Although he said that he was going to take care of her, Bai Luochu felt that it was too excessive for an imperial prince to appear in her room before she ate breakfast. Pei Rumo returned to his senses and he shook his head to clear his mind. He slowly narrated the events from before. "When I went out this morning, I happened to encounter a person delivering medicine for you. He said something about being Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior and he gave me a bottle of medicine meant to treat your eyes. He even passed the medicine to me personally.¡± Bai Luochu raised her brows in response. She felt a little curious as she had just given Lu Wenshu a stern scolding the day before. She couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind him sending her medicine early in the morning. He is probably too embarrassed to hand over the medicine to me personally. After all, if I refuse him again, it would be too much for him to handle. Bai Luochu became curious. Why is he so sure his medicine will help me? When she thought about this question, Bai Luochu asked Pei Rumo to come over, "Your First Highness, can you bring Lu Wenshu''s medicine over to me?" Pei Rumo might not want Bai Luochu to owe Lu Wenshu a favor, but he still brought the medicine over. After all, Bai Luochu''s well-being was of the utmost importance. Pei Rumo placed the medicine bottle on Bai Luochu''s palm before he turned around to pour a cup of water. But when Pei Rumo returned, he noticed that Bai Luochu didn''t consume the medicine immediately. Instead, she placed the medicine at her nose as she carefully smelled it as though she was trying to find out the ingredients used to make it. As time elapsed, Bai Luochu''s frown became deeper. She then placed the spirit medicine back into the bottle and asked Pei Rumo, "Do you think there is something strange about this matter?" Pei Rumo thought that Bai Luochu was finding it suspicious that Lu Wenshu asked someone to deliver the medicine to her. Hence, he explained, "After you refused Lu Wenshu yesterday, he must have sent people to observe us. After all, he has a better understanding of the Desolate Region compared to us. Furthermore..." Pei Rumo sensed the strange atmosphere between Lu Wenshu and Bai Luochu but he was afraid she might get angry, thus, he didn''t say it. He observed Bai Luochu''s expression carefully before continuing to speak, "Lu Wenshu seemed to treat you differently. It is reasonable for him to send someone to deliver some medicine after knowing that you have gone blind. Is there something wrong with the spirit medicine?¡± Bai Luochu shook her head in response and said, "There is nothing wrong with the medicine. It is the exact cure for the poison mist that affected my vision and that is the most suspicious point.¡± Chapter 391: Individual Analysis "Something is strange with Lu Wenshu¡¯s medicine. I had already expected him to get someone to tail us after my refusal to include him in our team. Even though he knows our every move, he shouldn¡¯t know the recipe of the antidote. Your First Highness might not know this, but the poison that blinded my eyes might look like a regular poison mist, but in fact, it is far from one. Even though the blindness will only last seven days, this poison mist is made from a kind of rare ingredient. Only the Gluttonous Pearl Herb is able to neutralize the poison. With Lu Wenshu¡¯s medical ability, it isn¡¯t likely for him to be able to come up with an antidote on the spot. The only way he can be confident that his medicine can cure me is because..." Bai Luochu spoke of the suspicion in her heart. Pei Rumo''s face suddenly turned cold as he was aware that this matter wasn''t as simple as he imagined. The more he thought about it, the more suspicious Lu Wenshu seemed. "After hearing what you said, I feel that Lu Wenshu is extremely suspicious. He approached us in the capital city and asked to follow us into the Desolate Region. He helped us out along the way and we even developed some sort of trust. However, he parted ways with us the moment we arrived and when he appeared again, he struck out at me without the slightest bit of mercy. Right now, he even asked his junior to deliver some sort of spirit medicine to express his goodwill. Lu Wenshu definitely has some sort of request. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t go out of his way to send us spirit medicine. "It seems like we need to be more careful when dealing with Lu Wenshu. The poison mist in the ruins can be put aside for now." Bai Luochu was rather vexed at the moment. Originally, she was attracted to the Field Pearl Flower. Pei Rumo had used the information to tempt her to come to the Desolate Region because he felt that it was a good chance to get closer to her. But what about Lu Wenshu? Three years was enough time for a person to change completely. Bai Luochu was no longer able to guess Lu Wenshu¡¯s thoughts and she didn¡¯t know his true intention of luring her to the Desolate Region. Does he want to kill me again? Bai Luochu felt that things were moving too quickly and she was slowly losing control over the situation. Pei Rumo felt that something was wrong with Bai Luochu and he quickly consoled her, "We will act accordingly to the situation. If something really happens, I will definitely protect you.¡± Bai Luochu knew that Pei Rumo was consoling her right now, but if Lu Wenshu truly wanted to make a move on her, Pei Rumo wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. It was also impossible to talk to Pei Rumo about the feud she had in her previous life as she would reveal her darkest secret. She could only endure the powerlessness as she pondered over Lu Wenshu¡¯s true intentions. "The information had already been delivered yesterday. If nothing is wrong, their reply should be on the way. I didn¡¯t send out the information about your injury as I am afraid it might demoralize the army." Pei Rumo noticed that they were back on track and he quickly summarised the report for Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu nodded in agreement, "It is a good thing you did so. During a war, it is best to avoid destabilizing the army. The two of us are still in the central zone of the Desolate Region, if they start to panic, it will be difficult for us to manage them. Battles are lost if the soldiers¡¯ will to fight is lost. It is better to hide the matter of my injury since I will recover in seven days.¡± On the other side, Hua Sen was currently waiting outside Lu Wenshu''s room. He was still thinking if he should tell his senior everything Pei Rumo said. Lu Wenshu had suffered a serious internal injury the day before but he didn¡¯t take the chance to rest. Instead, he worked extra hard to concoct the medicine for Bai Luochu. Right now, his body was no longer able to hold up. He sat in a lotus position and he circulated his spirit qi around his body. When he sensed that there was someone outside his room, he stood up and opened the door, "Has the medicine been delivered?" When Hua Sen saw that Lu Wenshu was standing before him, he quickly responded, "Of course. When this junior went to the Pleasant Arrival Inn today, I happened to encounter His First Highness. After verifying his identity, I handed it directly to him." "That will be good. If there is nothing else, you can be dismissed." Lu Wenshu turned around and prepared to continue his recovery. However, he was stopped by Hua Sen. "Senior, His First Highness asked me to relay a message. But, this junior doesn''t know if I should say it." Lu Wenshu raised his brows. He knew that whatever Pei Rumo said wasn¡¯t going to be nice but he ordered his junior to speak anyway. "Speak. Since Pei Rumo said it, I will not blame you.¡± After obtaining Lu Wenshu''s promise, Hua Sen instantly relaxed and repeated Pei Rumo¡¯s words, "His First Highness said that he has received the medicine but it is up to Divine Physician Bai if she eats it or not. He has no control over her actions." After he spoke, Hua Sen raised his head to look at Lu Wenshu¡¯s expression. When he noticed that Lu Wenshu was still staring at him with a look of indifference, he sighed with relief and asked to be dismissed. Lu Wenshu naturally understood Pei Rumo''s meaning. With Pei Rumo''s current position, Lu Wenshu was considered a love rival and it was evident that he didn''t want Bai Luochu to accept Lu Wenshu''s goodwill so easily. Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t afraid that Pei Rumo would hide the antidote as he knew that Pei Rumo was more worried for Bai Luochu than him. When Lu Wenshu''s thoughts reached this point, it sank a little. Lu Wenshu understood Bai Luochu''s temperament very well. She might just throw the medicine away after hearing that it came from him. He wasn¡¯t in a rush to verify the matter as he patiently waited for the day Bai Luochu forgave him. Chapter 392: Pei Qingfengs Thoughts Pei Qingfeng was currently staring blankly into space while seated in his Second Prince''s residence. He looked in the direction of the Desolate Region and spaced out. He didn¡¯t even react when Ling Xian¡¯er came to visit him. "It has been such a long time and he is still behaving like this?" Ling Xian''er looked towards Pei Qingfeng and pouted her lips before asking Pei Qingfeng''s personal guard. The personal guard let out a long sigh after hearing the question. He replied to Ling Xian¡¯er, "Young Lady Xian''er, His Second Highness has been like this since Young Lady Luo Chu departed. Whenever he has nothing to do, he will stare into space. There are times when he will lose focus when eating and he won¡¯t react even if I speak to him.¡± Ling Xian''er shook her head in response and lamented, "He is truly a fool." She then walked up and waved her hand in front of Pei Qingfeng''s face. Seeing that Pei Qingfeng started to notice her, she teased, "Aiyo, this is truly interesting. Our Second Prince who doesn¡¯t get close to women is spacing out because of one. What is going on? Big Brother Qingfeng, why won¡¯t you tell me about it?¡± Pei Qingfeng felt a little embarrassed after hearing Ling Xian¡¯er. He immediately retorted, "What are you talking about? You¡¯re a playful little brat. You sure know a lot of things at such a young age. In my opinion, you have been reading too many of your folk stories. One day, I will get Honored Tian Yun to burn all your books." Ling Xian''er became hopping mad and said, "Big Brother Qingfeng, why are you so unreasonable? I merely teased you a little! How dare you threaten me with my favorite books?" Pei Qingfeng saw Ling Xian''er''s fuming expression and felt it was rather hilarious. He then criticized Ling Xian''er, "How dare you bring up those books of yours?! Look at the sisters that live with you, are any of them like you? You are constantly hugging onto those books and god-knows what your little mind is thinking of. Right now, you are even teasing me. What else do you want to do next time? Are you preparing to leave the sect and be a folk story writer?!" "That is also possible..." Ling Xian''er muttered. When Pei Qingfeng heard the statement, he nearly exploded from rage, "What did you say?! Ling Xian''er, repeat that one more time!" Ling Xian''er instantly changed her tone and let out a flattering smile. She hugged Pei Qingfeng while acting coquettishly, "Aiyo, Big Brother Qingfeng dotes on Xian''er so much! Even if I don¡¯t behave properly and get reprimanded by Father, you will surely stand on my side, right?" Ling Xian''er even shook Pei Qingfeng''s arm in a cute manner while speaking. Pei Qingfeng tapped Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s head lightly with his fan before turning serious. ¡°Alright, speak. Why are you here?¡± Pei Qingfeng snorted. It was clear he didn¡¯t believe this mischievous imp, "Enough, you can stop your nonsense. The person preparing your meals is an imperial chef appointed by my Emperor Father. Even though the chef at my place isn¡¯t too bad, they prepare the meals according to my taste. How can such bland dishes appeal to a gluttonous kitten like you? Did Honored Tian Yun ask you to call for me?¡± When Ling Xian''er noticed that Pei Qingfeng already guessed the purpose of her visit, she felt rather embarrassed. She subtly rubbed her nose and exposed her thoughts, "Actually, you can¡¯t say that. Honored Tian Yun knows that Big Brother Qingfeng hasn''t been doing much recently but you haven¡¯t been visiting the residence either. He felt that things are rather strange and he asked me to look for you. He is inviting you for a meal at our residence tomorrow.¡± Pei Qingfeng listened and knew that Honored Tian Yun was up to no good. He sneered and said, "Heh, the capital city isn''t his territory and he is already trying to manage it. What else does he want? Since your group entered the capital city, he has been using various reasons to order me around. It was fine at the start as your group just arrived at the capital city. Right now, he is even thinking of monitoring my actions. Does he think that I am his dog? Does he know that working excessively hard is detrimental to the body?" Pei Qingfeng was obviously dissatisfied with Honored Tian Yun as the usually even-tempered Pei Qingfeng wouldn¡¯t rage unnecessarily. Ling Xian''er knew that Honored Tian Yun was indeed at fault. After all, whenever Pei Qingfeng could accompany them, he would be filled with smiles. Now that he was feeling a little concerned because his beloved person was out for a campaign, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with Honored Tian Yun and the others. "Big Brother Qingfeng, I too feel that Honored Tian Yun is meddling too much but you cannot reject him without reason. You still have to find a proper reason, otherwise, he might grow suspicious. Even if you can¡¯t be bothered with him, you need to take care of Young Lady Luo Chu¡¯s well-being, right?¡± Pei Qingfeng lapsed into silence as Ling Xian¡¯er was right. Honored Tian Yun couldn¡¯t do a thing to him but it was different for Bai Luochu. Nothing would happen if he was to act impudently in front of Honored Tian Yun. He had been complying with Honored Tian Yun recently because he didn''t want Honored Tian Yun to notice Bai Luochu''s existence. After a very long time, Pei Qingfeng felt he had suddenly lost all his energy as he lamented, "You are right. I will reconsider the dinner appointment tomorrow but don¡¯t get your hopes up. I have no idea why, but I am feeling ill at ease lately. Something is definitely up and if I decide to head to the Desolate Region, I will write a letter to you in advance. Since you are here, why not eat lunch before going back?¡± Ling Xian''er nodded. The chefs of the Second Prince''s Residence might cook bland food but the ingredients they used were of superior grade. It was a waste not to eat them. Chapter 393: Arrival of an Urgent Repor Inside the throne room, there was another incident that Pei Qingfeng might be interested in. "Your Majesty, this is an urgent report from the Desolate Region''s frontline. His First Highness ordered that this letter be passed to Your Majesty personally. Please..." Eunuch De Quan handed over the urgent report from the Desolate Region. He raised the report high over his head and waited for the old emperor''s order. The old emperor who was dozing off on the throne immediately opened his eyes after hearing the two words, ''Desolate Region''. A brilliant and sinister light flashed through his turbid eyes, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and present the urgent report! If Rumo says that I need to read it, as his Emperor Father, I have to!" The old emperor immediately reached out for the report with his withered hands. A single glance would be enough to know that it was the hand of an old man. De Quan took a step forward respectfully and handed the urgent report to the old emperor personally. He then stood by the side and waited for the old emperor''s next instruction. The old emperor opened the urgent report and read it. At the start, his expression was sombre and a frown slowly formed on his face. However, when he finished reading the report, his frown turned upside down and he laughed, "I didn''t know that Luo Chu had such an ability. She actually mesmerized my cold-blooded and killing-addicted son. Previously, he would kill his way over the moment he received my order. Right now, he is starting to consider the safety of others. From what I see, he is extremely worried for Luo Chu and that can be a good thing. This son of mine has been too involved in killings and wars. If he were to ascend to the throne, he wouldn¡¯t be able to protect the ancestor¡¯s foundations. He might be a war-monger and expand the lands of the Cloud Water Nation, but that will be it. I wonder if Luo Chu can be considered a femme fatale¡­¡± De Quan listened to the old emperor¡¯s thoughts and immediately commented, "Your Majesty, in this old servant''s humble opinion, Young Lady Luo Chu cannot be considered a femme fatale." "Oh? Why do you say so?" The old emperor wanted to listen to De Quan¡¯s view on the matter. After all, De Quan had been serving him for a long time but he never heard De Quan praising a lady before. It seemed like Luo Chu truly had a certain charm. "Your Majesty might not believe this old servant''s insight, but can you ignore His First Highness¡¯ foresight? There are plenty of people in the capital city who are able to use their maternal clan''s influence to assist the First Prince, however, has Your Majesty ever seen His First Highness bowing down to them?¡± De Quan was praising Bai Luochu because she was indeed an impressive young lady that was worth praising. It was also because he discovered that the old emperor was growing fond of this little lass. The emperor''s current attitude was no longer the same as before when he felt that Bai Luochu wasn''t worthy of his sons¡¯ attention. He was completely relaxed now and De Quan had a vague impression that it didn¡¯t matter who Bai Luochu married. As long as she married into the imperial clan, the old emperor would be satisfied. "You are right. Luo Chu is indeed much more firm and persistent than we imagined. But I do have a piece of bad news here. When she was scouting the Desolate Region with Rumo, her eyes became affected by a type of poison mist. Rumo says that she will only recover after seven days and the campaign will have to be delayed. He sent the urgent report merely to ask for my opinion, after all, I am the one who sent him on the campaign. He isn¡¯t able to make the decision to delay the mission¡­ How do you think I should reply?" The old emperor squinted his eyes as he wanted to hear De Quan¡¯s suggestion. When De Quan heard the question, he knelt down in reverence before the emperor, "Your Majesty, this old servant is terrified. This old servant is merely an inner court eunuch. How am I qualified to discuss the matters of the Desolate Region? This old servant is already quaking in my boots that Your Majesty is willing to discuss matters regarding the imperial clan. If Your Majesty is really asking for my opinion, this old servant will probably collapse." "Hahahaha, look at you! You have been serving me for a long time, how can you lack courage? You don¡¯t seem like someone who served beside the emperor for a long time. Enough, hurry up and stand, I am just asking for your opinion. You won¡¯t be able to sway my decision. This is the first time my eldest son is showing human-like emotions and I cannot allow him to throw this chance away. De Quan, bring me the brush and ink, I will write a reply right now." The old emperor placed Pei Rumo''s urgent report at the side and waited for De Quan to grind the ink for him before writing a reply. De Quan sneaked a glance and knew that the old emperor obviously didn''t wish for Bai Luochu to fall in the Desolate Region. It allowed De Quan to understand the emperor''s thoughts even more thoroughly. It seemed like he would need to curry favor with Luo Chu from the general''s residence in the future. She was a woman who was given an honorary position in the Imperial Physician Court and was a woman who was allowed to go on a campaign. She was truly not a person he could afford to offend. After the old emperor finished writing, he placed the letter in a special envelope and asked the messenger to deliver the message. When the messenger received the letter, he rode back to the relay station quickly to send the letter before heading back to the city. When the messenger headed back to the imperial palace, he passed by the Second Prince¡¯s residence and hesitated for a moment before entering through the back. Currently, Pei Qingfeng was eating lunch with Ling Xian''er. Without a choice, the messenger looked for Pei Qingfeng''s personal guard and said he had something urgent to report. Chapter 394: Urgent Repor "I would, but recently, His Second Highness sent me a message saying that if there is any information from the Desolate Region, I am to inform him immediately. I have just received an urgent report from the Desolate Region and I just delivered it to His Majesty. After hearing the contents of the urgent report, I sent out the reply message from His Majesty and hurried over here to inform His Second Highness." The messenger was obviously Pei Qingfeng¡¯s hidden messenger. This was the first time he arrived before the stipulated date to make a report and he aroused the suspicion of the guard commander. When the guard commander heard that the report was regarding the Desolate Region, he left in a hurry. "Wait here, I will inform Master." He then ran straight for the reception pavilion where Pei Qingfeng was having his lunch. "Master." The guard called out to Pei Qingfeng first and didn''t speak directly as Ling Xian''er was still around. He then leaned towards Pei Qingfeng''s ear and whispered, "Our informant at the relay station is here. He said that he had just received an urgent report from the Desolate Region. Right now, he is looking for you to deliver his report. I am worried that something might have happened to Young Lady Luo Chu, hence, I rushed over to inform you." "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and invite him to the study room." When Pei Qingfeng heard the words ''Luo Chu'', he disregarded everything and left Ling Xian''er behind. He left straight for the study room. "Big Brother Qingfeng, what is going on? We are in the midst of a meal, why are you leaving?" Ling Xian''er naturally didn''t know what was on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mind. Pei Qingfeng didn''t have time to explain and left a message drifting in the wind as he rushed off, "Just eat your meal peacefully, I have something to deal with ." ¡°Huh?!?!¡± Ling Xian''er muttered. Even though she didn¡¯t understand why Pei Qingfeng ran off so quickly, she could feel that it had something to do with Bai Luochu. She lamented in her heart. What is love? It makes death a beauty, as long as you are with me. She then lowered her head again to eat her lunch happily. It doesn''t involve me anyway. If Pei Qingfeng really needs me, he will naturally come and look for me, right? "Hurry up and speak, what is going on?" When Pei Qingfeng entered the study room, he immediately started to question the messenger. "Your Second Highness, when I received the urgent report from the Desolate Region today, I wanted to inform Your Second Highness first. But His First Highness placed a seal on the urgent report. I had no choice but to deliver the report to His Majesty, otherwise, I will definitely lose my head. The urgent report states that... Divine Physician Bai''s eyes had been affected by poison mist and she is now blind." The messenger immediately got the point. "What else does the urgent report say?" Pei Qingfeng suppressed his anxiety as he asked again. He was almost unable to hold himself back and hoped he could grow a pair of wings to fly straight to the Desolate Region and bring Bai Luochu back. "I do not know the other contents of the letter. The urgent report has been kept by His Majesty. From what His Majesty says, it seems like Divine Physician Bai¡¯s eyes will heal after several days. His First Highness sent the urgent report to ask if he could delay the mission for a few days to wait for Divine Physician Bai¡¯s eyes to recover.¡± "What did Emperor Father say?!" Pei Qingfeng''s body leaned forward a little and started to grab at the messenger''s arm. If the messenger didn''t give Pei Qingfeng a reasonable answer, he might just be flung out by Pei Qingfeng. The messenger was obviously a little afraid of Pei Qingfeng''s current behavior. He trembled as he replied, "His Majesty naturally agreed..." "Heh, seems like they are finally doing something a human should do. Alright, you have reported the information in a timely fashion. Go and redeem a reward." Pei Qingfeng then headed out of the study room and walked towards the reception pavilion. Pei Qingfeng thought about how he should go about arranging the matters in the Second Prince¡¯s residence. "Commander, is Divine Physician Bai so important to His Second Highness? It is truly unbelievable that His Second Highness is so concerned for a lady. He is usually so composed..." The messenger probed with a question. "Do not ask things that you are not supposed to ask. You just need to go and redeem your reward. The more you say, the more errors you will make." The guard commander brought the messenger to redeem his reward before heading back to the reception pavilion. "Xian''er, I cannot attend the dinner tomorrow." When Pei Qingfeng returned to the reception pavilion, he immediately informed Ling Xian''er who was still eating her lunch. From his tone, it was clear that there was no room for negotiation. Ling Xian''er nearly choked on the food in her mouth as she knew that she would be in for a scolding if she failed to accomplish Honored Tian Yun¡¯s instructions. When Ling Xian''er recalled the Honored Sir''s garrulous expression, she immediately shivered and asked with reluctance, "Big Brother Qingfeng, can I ask for the reason?" Pei Qingfeng didn''t have the intention to conceal the reason from Ling Xian''er. He immediately replied, "Something happened to Luo Chu in the Desolate Region. I need to go and take care of her." Ling Xian''er immediately understood. According to Ling Xian¡¯er, taking care of the love of his life was a good enough reason. She could obviously see the feelings Pei Qingfeng had for Bai Luochu. Pei Qingfeng who originally waited for his arranged fate quietly was no longer willing to lower his head. Let alone something happening to Bai Luochu in the Desolate Region, if Bai Luochu was to knock against the wall or if she slipped and fell on the ground,Pei Qingfeng would simply tear down the wall or order people to smoothen the ground. Putting herself in Pei Qingfeng''s shoes, if someone she fancied was to encounter some mishaps in the Desolate Region, she probably wouldn''t have the appetite to eat anymore. "How are her injuries? Are they serious?" Ling Xian''er felt that this wasn''t the moment to continue eating as she showed her concern for Bai Luochu. Chapter 395: Useless Obstruction "Your Second Highness, you cannot go." The personal guard stood in front of Pei Qingfeng and stretched his hands out. He obviously wasn''t going to allow Pei Qingfeng to go. "You better give me a reasonable explanation or I will send you to the punishment hall." Pei Qingfeng would never expect that his personal guard would be the one to ruin his plan. He was so enraged that he almost sent his most loyal guard flying. Ling Xian''er watched from the side and knew that Pei Qingfeng wasn''t acting rationally and immediately persuaded, "Big Brother Qingfeng, don''t be so anxious. Let''s see what explanation he is going to offer. He has served you for a long time and even if he really infuriated you, you still need to be lenient." "Master, no matter how you punish me today, I will not let you take a step out of the residence." The personal guard didn''t take even half a step back after Pei Qingfeng¡¯s threat. He stood his ground and stopped Pei Qingfeng from going any further. "Your Second Highness, if this was a normal trip to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, you may go as you please. However, the Desolate Region is different. That is a battlefield set by His Majesty. You should know that if you secretly enter a battlefield, you will be committing a huge crime. Even if you are the Second Prince, you might be thrown into prison! If we take a step back and say that you will not be caught, how will you explain yourself to Honored Tian Yun?" The personal guard spoke of all the concerns in his heart. "I know what I have to do." Pei Qingfeng pushed his personal guard aside and prepared to venture out. "Your Second Highness, the most important thing right now is to remain calm!" Pei Qingfeng turned around in response and grabbed his personal guard by the collar. ¡°How am I supposed to stay calm?! The person I love is blind right now! She is trapped in the Desolate Region and there is no one there to take care of her! I am leaving right now and no one will be able to stop me!¡± Ling Xian''er didn''t want to let the situation deteriorate and she quickly said, "Big Brother Qingfeng, I have an idea. Wait for a moment and listen to what I have to say, okay?" When Pei Qingfeng saw that someone was finally standing on his side, he immediately replied, "Fine, I will listen to you." When Ling Xian''er saw that Pei Qingfeng was starting to calm down, she hurriedly stated her plan as she was afraid he would run off before she done speaking, "Big Brother Qingfeng is extremely strong and it won¡¯t be a problem to venture to the Desolate Region alone. However, we are worried for you as no preparations have been made yet. Now that I think about it, there are a few points we need to take note of.¡± "Secondly, we need to solve the issue of your identity. As an imperial prince, you cannot join a battlefield as you wish. However, this won¡¯t be a problem as you are usually absent from the imperial court assemblies. No one will notice your disappearance and if guests were to visit you, you can simply send them away by saying that you are sick. We only need someone who can pretend to be the ¡®sick Pei Qingfeng¡¯.¡± "Even if we can feign sickness, we will not be able to deceive the imperial physician..." The personal guard spoke of the flaw in the plan. Ling Xian''er laughed as she took out a medicine bottle, "Just use this and no one will be able to tell the difference. Whenever I don''t wish to go on a night hunt, I will use this. Turns out that this thing is pretty useful.¡± Ling Xian''er finished speaking and handed the medicine to the personal guard and said, "You ought to be the person that understands Big Brother Qingfeng the most. Since that is the case, you will pretend to be Big Brother Qingfeng." Ling Xian''er then took out two pieces of human skin mask and handed it to the duo. "Now everything is perfect." "Alright. I will wear the human skin mask and immediately depart. I never thought that your inappropriate toys would come in so useful when I needed it the most." Pei Qingfeng noticed that all the problems he was facing had been perfectly solved by Ling Xian''er. "Do not look down on my inappropriate items! I shall take my leave first. I will try my best to keep Honored Tian Yun in the dark. If I don¡¯t succeed, you can¡¯t blame me." Ling Xian''er prepared to leave after arranging everything. However, she didn¡¯t forget to leave a route of retreat for herself. In case anything happened to Bai Luochu, Pei Qingfeng wouldn¡¯t be able to blame her. "Don¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t bite the hand that helps me. Go back and think about how to keep this matter a secret from Honored Tian Yun. I still need to pack up some items before going to the Desolate Region." Pei Qingfeng immediately headed for his room and left Ling Xian''er and his personal guard behind in the reception pavilion to look at each other in dismay. "Young Lady Xian''er, why are you helping His Second Highness? You need to know that if something really happens, none of us will be able to answer to His Majesty!" The personal guard blamed Ling Xian¡¯er. Ling Xian''er completely ignored the guard¡¯s concerns. "I am helping myself by helping Big Brother Qingfeng. Anyway, as long as Honored Tian Yun is in the capital city, your Master won¡¯t be in any danger. You just need to relax and pretend to be Big Brother Qingfeng.¡± Ling Xian''er turned around and left after explaining. The personal guard knew his job and he also understood that he wasn¡¯t in a position to refuse the two little ancestors¡¯ plan. He prepared a horse for Pei Qingfeng and quietly waited at the back door. "Aren¡¯t you thinking of stopping me? Why are you helping me?" Pei Qingfeng became angry when he saw his personal guard again. He never thought that his loyal guard would try to obstruct him from going to the Desolate Region. "Since Your Second Highness has already made the decision, what else can I say? This is a long journey, please take care of yourself. I will stay in the capital city and pretend to be you.¡± Chapter 396: Plot Exposed After Pei Qingfeng exited the city gate, Ling Xian''er sneaked back to the residence. After all, she had been out for quite some time and even if she didn''t manage to keep the secret from Honored Tian Yun, she would be able to avoid him for the time being. While Ling Xian''er was thinking about hiding from Honored Tian Yun, she headed for the stargazing pavilion. She never expected to run into him the moment she entered. "Honored Sir, what are you doing here?" When Ling Xian''er saw Honored Tian Yun waiting for her, she panicked a little and asked carefully. Honored Tian Yun was able to sense her unease but he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to expose her. He felt that her flustered expression was rather hilarious and he wanted to see what kind of lie she was going to come up with. "Didn''t you go and look for Qingfeng? Did he agree to come for dinner?" Honored Tian Yun had already guessed Pei Qingfeng¡¯s answer but asked anyway. Ling Xian''er stuttered, "Big Brother Qingfeng still doesn''t know if he has anything important to do tomorrow. He will send a message before coming." Honored Tian Yun knew that he wasn''t going to get an answer from Ling Xian¡¯er and he quickly left. When she saw that he was finally leaving, he let out a long breath of relief. "Things are really not going according to plan. I haven''t thought of a plan yet and he immediately appeared. Seems like I need to make a lot of preparations for tomorrow..." Ling Xian''er commented and immediately headed upstairs. Excuses started swimming in her mind and she thought of how she could hoodwink Honored Tian Yun the next day. Time passed by quickly and it was time for the dinner appointment with Pei Qingfeng. Honored Tian Yun sat on the host''s seat and looked at the empty chair while thinking about something. At the side, Ling Xian''er was like a cat on a hot tin roof. She wasn''t able to sit still as she waited for the inevitable question. "Xian''er, didn''t you say that Qingfeng will deliver a message to us? Why isn''t there any news yet?" Honored Tian Yin raised his brows and quietly waited for Ling Xian''er''s reply. "Honored Sir, this... Big Brother Qingfeng might be busy. I will go and check on him." Ling Xian''er ran off as though there was oil smeared at the bottom of her feet. She was pulled back by Honored Tian Yun after taking a few steps. "Nevermind. I will personally head over. It is getting late and it is inappropriate for a young lady like you to look for a man at night.¡± Alarm bells went off in Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s head. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop Honored Tian Yun from heading to the Second Prince¡¯s residence and immediately asked to tag along. Ling Xian''er let out a breath of relief and quickly followed behind him. In her heart, she was praying that everything would go smoothly. If he discovered their plan, they would both be in deep trouble. Of course, everything that could go wrong would go wrong. The instant Honored Tian Yun entered the room, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s personal guard appeared before him as sick as could be. Everything went smoothly until Honored Tian Yun reached out to pull off the human skin mask before he left. When Ling Xian''er saw the human skin mask on Honored Tian Yun''s hand, her heart turned cold. She knew that she couldn¡¯t hide it any longer. "Xian''er, can you tell me what is going on? I think you are the only person that can make a human skin mask like this..." Tian Yun held the human skin mask in one hand and turned to look at Ling Xian¡¯er. Ling Xian''er stammered for a long time and she finally found the courage to speak up, "It is... Big Brother Qingfeng has something private to settle but he felt that someone had to oversee the Second Prince''s residence, hence, I thought up this idea..." Ling Xian''er voice became softer the more she spoke. Tian Yun sneered after listening to the explanation, "Heh, why don''t I tell you what is happening? Why don¡¯t I tell you what Qingfeng is going to do? You are really muddle-headed!¡± Tian Yun threw the human skin mask on the ground before criticizing Ling Xian''er, "Qingfeng is probably heading to the Desolate Region right now to take care of Divine Physician Bai or whatever you call her. Even though I don¡¯t know what happened to her, for Qingfeng to disregard everything to head to the Desolate Region, it has to be serious. Do you know that the Desolate Region is a battlefield right now? Even if Qingfeng is able to escape unscathed with his strength, he is an imperial prince! If he enters the battlefield secretly, he will be committing the same crime as colluding with the enemy to betray the nation! You¡¯re getting really bold! How dare you get someone to disguise as an imperial prince? Do you think that you are above the law in the Cloud Water Nation? Do you think that with my overwhelming strength, we will be able to avoid all punishment while living in the capital city?¡± Honored Tian Yun was getting more irritated as he spoke and his entire face was flushed red. It was obvious that he was truly infuriated. "I¡¯m doing it for Big Brother Qingfeng! It¡¯s for the person I love and even if I make a mistake that offends the entire world, I won¡¯t regret it! I am not in the wrong and neither is Big Brother Qingfeng! All of you are the ones at fault!" Something snapped in Ling Xian''er as she actually yelled back at Honored Tian Yun. "I think that you are thinking too highly of yourself. Love is important but so is responsibility! You cannot start to disregard everything just because of your so-called love. From today onwards, you shall be confined in the stargazing pavilion to reflect on your mistake. We will talk again when you have thought things through." After speaking, Honored Tian Yun restrained Ling Xian''er and headed back. "I merely spoke the truth! Why are you confining me? I am speaking up for Big Brother Qingfeng today, but I will be the next Big Brother Qingfeng!" If an outsider heard what Ling Xian''er said, they would be utterly confused. However, Honored Tian Yun wasn¡¯t an outsider and he knew exactly what Ling Xian¡¯er meant. "Are you not satisfied with the way you disgraced yourself in public? Hurry up and return with me!" Honored Tian Yun then forcefully pulled Ling Xian''er back. No one in the residence knew what was going on but Honored Tian Yun had a gloomy expression when he returned to his room. He didn¡¯t even eat dinner. Chapter 397: Using His Majesty as a Scapegoa Pei Qingfeng spurred the horse at full speed and he rode for three consecutive days without rest. Finally, on the morning of the third day, he arrived at the Desolate Region. In the central region, Pei Rumo prepared to bring Bai Luochu out for a stroll in the courtyard so that she could breath in some fresh air. "The weather is really nice today. Why don¡¯t we take a stroll around the inn? It isn¡¯t good for you to be cooped up in your room." Pei Rumo persuaded Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu nodded and agreed cheerfully, "Alright, I have been staying in the room for the past few days and my body feels like jelly. I might even be molding soon. It is a good thing to breathe in some fresh air." She stood up and walked out of her room. Pei Rumo followed closely behind Bai Luochu while protecting her carefully. After reaching the courtyard, he helped Bai Luochu to find a seat before talking about the problems the army is facing. "You don''t need to worry about the delay. I have already explained the situation to Emperor Father and he has already agreed. You can just rest at ease." Pei Rumo relayed the information he had received from the old emperor¡¯s reply letter. Bai Luochu nodded in response, "You have been busy lately. After explaining the situation to His Majesty, you still have to pacify the soldiers¡­ Moreover, you have been taking care of me all this while. You probably haven¡¯t slept well for the past few days.¡± When Pei Rumo heard that Bai Luochu was actually concerned for him, he felt a trace of warmth in his heart. "You flatter me. Allowing me to take care of you is a sign that you trust me. Back to the main topic, I slept really well the past few days. Because of this short break, I can take a rest and avoid thinking so much about the campaign. Life isn¡¯t too bad.¡± In fact, Pei Rumo did feel that his life was much easier compared to before. With his constant interaction with Bai Luochu, he could see that their relationship was getting better. He could even take it a step further and say that they are rather intimate with each other. Pei Rumo originally wanted to say something to Bai Luochu but he was suddenly interrupted by a messenger pigeon. "Wait for a moment, I will go and take a look at the information delivered from the border zone today." Pei Rumo immediately opened the letter in front of Bai Luochu. The more he read, the deeper his frown became. "Why? Did something happen to the soldiers at the border?" Bai Luochu realized that Pei Rumo had been silent for quite some time and she asked. "It isn¡¯t anything special. There is always someone asking about the mission..." Pei Rumo''s voice became softer as he carefully observed Bai Luochu¡¯s expression. He was afraid that she would be unhappy with the report. "It seems like you already have an idea. Why don¡¯t you tell me about it and I will reply accordingly?" When Pei Rumo heard what Bai Luochu said, he knew that she already had an idea in mind. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t intend to keep her thoughts to herself and she quickly suggested, "Push the blame to His Majesty. Tell the soldiers that we are waiting for His Majesty¡¯s reply. They won¡¯t be able to tell when His Majesty replies to us anyway and we can avoid all blame. Since His Majesty is in the capital city, he won¡¯t be able to know that we are throwing him under the bus. The soldiers won¡¯t have the courage to question us about the authenticity either as it involves the emperor himself.¡± After listening to Bai Luochu''s suggestion, Pei Rumo fell silent for a long time. After all, this matter involved his Emperor Father and it was better to be careful. Bai Luochu knew that Pei Rumo considering her solution and she added, "Your First Highness, there is no better method. We can¡¯t tell the soldiers the truth as their morale will be affected.¡± When Bai Luochu finished her statement, Pei Rumo had already made his decision. "Wait here. I will come back after sending the reply. Don''t move around carelessly as it won¡¯t be fun to run into a wall.¡± "Don''t be so long-winded and go!" Bai Luochu waved her hand and asked Pei Rumo to leave. When Pei Rumo walked far away, Bai Luochu raised her head to look at the sky. Even though she could only see black, she muttered to herself, "The capital city is truly a great place. If he knows that I am currently injured he will probably charge all the way here and bring me back, right?¡± The person she was thinking of was actually interrogating the tea stall¡¯s lady boss about her whereabouts right now. "Lady boss, have you seen a young lady in men''s attire? She always wears white and binds up her hair in a high ponytail. She doesn''t smile usually and she doesn¡¯t like to talk much.¡± He departed the city in a hurry and wasn¡¯t able to obtain intelligence on Bai Luochu along the way. As such, he could only play it by ear. The lady boss looked up and was shocked by Pei Qingfeng''s ghost-like appearance. The handsome Pei Qingfeng looked extremely haggard as he hadn¡¯t slept for three days. His eye bags were sagging to his chin and his eyes were completely bloodshot. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, they would even think that Pei Qingfeng was born with a pair of red eyes. His hair was disheveled and it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to call it a bird nest. "I think I have seen the person you described. She is staying at the Pleasant Arrival Inn at the junction ahead. Why don''t you try looking for her there?" When the lady boss saw how frightening Pei Qingfeng was, she didn''t dare to lie to him. Chapter 398: Meeting When the lady boss bit on the golden leaf that Pei Qingfeng gave her, she realized that it was made from genuine gold. She was amazed and muttered, "Oh my, what kind of people are here in the Desolate Region? Are they all so generous?" When Pei Qingfeng arrived at the Pleasant Arrival Inn, the one who welcomed him was the disguised Ying Lan. "This young master, are you staying at our inn or are you here to have a meal?" Ying Lan already guessed that Pei Qingfeng was here to look for her mistress. However, as the innkeeper, he couldn¡¯t expose his disguise immediately. "I am looking for someone." Pei Qingfeng immediately started to describe Bai Luochu''s facial features. After listening to the description, Ying Lan revealed an expression of sudden realization. "I see. What a coincidence! She is currently living here. Please follow me, I will bring you to her.¡± When Pei Qingfeng arrived, he was greeted by a peaceful scene. Bai Luochu was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard as she looked up into the sky. Her spirited eyes seemed dull and her pupils weren¡¯t focused. Perhaps she hadn¡¯t been out in the sun for some time, her skin was pale to the point it looked a little translucent. She was much skinnier than before and Pei Qingfeng naturally attributed it to the lack of delicious food in the Desolate Region. After all, she would be regularly treated to meals by the princes in the capital city. Pei Qingfeng could see nothing else but Bai Luochu. When he looked at her, his eyes revealed the pain in his heart and he wasn¡¯t willing to blink. He was afraid that if he blinked, Bai Luochu would disappear from his sight once again. Ying Lan was rather tactful as he immediately left after bringing Pei Qingfeng to Bai Luochu. It was unknown if Pei Qingfeng''s gaze was too passionate as Bai Luochu turned around to look at him. She stared quietly at Pei Qingfeng and a puzzled expression appeared on her face. "Strange¡­ Why can I feel Pei Qingfeng¡¯s presence here?" Bai Luochu muttered softly. She just thought of him and he appeared before her. "It seems like I am possessed." Bai Luochu thought it was her misconception and she turned back to face the sky. Pei Qingfeng had been looking at Bai Luochu, and with his acute senses, he was able to hear everything she said. He simply walked over and hugged Bai Luochu from behind. He whispered into her ear, "Luoluo, you are not hallucinating. Neither are you possessed. I am really here.¡± When Bai Luochu was hugged by Pei Qingfeng, her body froze. This was a presence that she was extremely familiar with as she had once carried him on her back from the Falling Cloud Mountain Range back to the capital city. It¡¯s him! He¡¯s here!!! "Why are you here..." Bai Luochu forcefully composed herself and tried her best not to let Pei Qingfeng hear the unsteadiness in her voice. When Bai Luochu heard Pei Qingfeng''s words, she felt like laughing. She couldn¡¯t help but tease him, "Aren¡¯t you here to kidnap me back to the capital city? Now that I can¡¯t see, you are really doing whatever you want with me¡­ It seems like you are a rather capable and reasonable prince¡­¡± "Hmph, even if I tie you up and bring you back, will you be willing? As long as your legs aren''t broken, you will surely run back here." Pei Qingfeng snorted and grumbled to Bai Luochu. In response, Bai Luochu let out a burst of unprecedented and hearty laughter, "Hahahaha, why didn¡¯t I realize that you are actually a clown? Tsk tsk, the great Second Prince of the Cloud Water Nation is grumbling like a woman. Tell me what is going on?" Pei Qingfeng naturally knew that Bai Luochu was making fun of him but he wasn''t angry at all. After all, if Bai Luochu could still laugh at him like this, her injuries shouldn''t be too much of a problem. "What do you think is the problem? Someone is behaving like a stubborn mule and I cannot pull her back. I have no choice but to follow along." Pei Qingfeng stated. Bai Luochu was startled for a moment before she thanked softly, "Many thanks." Thoughts immediately started forming in her mind. Why is he able to obtain the information about my eyes so quickly? Without bothering about his feelings, Bai Luochu asked, "How did you know I am blind? How did you come so quickly?" Pei Qingfeng suddenly realized that he had been on the move for three whole days and he quickly took several steps back. "Nothing much, I found out privately that your vision was affected and I rushed here without rest. A few of the horses were exhausted to death before I finally arrived at the Desolate Region. I didn''t know where you were staying and I asked all the shopkeepers I met along the way.¡± "It has been hard on you¡­ But if you are here, what about the situation in the capital city? I remember that His Majesty appointed you to receive the mysterious guests and if you leave like this, wouldn¡¯t there be any problems?" Bai Luochu was touched as Pei Qingfeng rushed all the way here after hearing what happened to her. However, she was still rational and she was worried about the situation in the capital city. Before Pei Qingfeng could reply, Pei Rumo''s voice echoed from behind, "Why are you here?" Pei Qingfeng turned around and retorted, "Why haven¡¯t you committed suicide after embarrassing yourself? Didn¡¯t you promise me to take good care of Luoluo?! Why is she blind?! I am here to settle the score with you, you war-monger...¡± "You came to the Desolate Region without approval. If Emperor Father finds out..." Pei Rumo originally wanted to speak of the punishment but after seeing Pei Qingfeng''s eye signal, he glanced at Bai Luochu. Seeing that she was still listening to their conversation, he quickly ended it before she started to worry. "...Your intentions will be exposed." Chapter 399: Qing He Siblings Whereabouts "First Brother, do you think that you can hide your thoughts from Emperor Father as well? We are both stuck in the same situation now. It¡¯s best for Your First Highness not to be the pot calling the kettle black." Pei Qingfeng noticed that Pei Rumo was trying to cover it up and he decided to use this chance to dispel Bai Luochu¡¯s suspicions. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t someone who could endure their antics. After all, she understood the feelings they had for her and she was merely pretending to be muddle headed so as to avoid the topic. Now that they had pointed it out for her, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t going to allow the situation to deteriorate any further. She quickly interrupted them, "Are you two enemies? Why are you quarreling as soon as you meet? I originally wanted to bask in the sun but the two of you are being too noisy! What a disappointment." After realizing that Bai Luochu was getting annoyed at them, they immediately fell silent. After all, her blindness was the most important thing they had to deal with. When it came time to help Bai Luochu back into her room, conflict broke out between the two of them again. In the end, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t bear to see them quarrel and she settled on them helping her on one side each. Bai Luochu felt that she wasn''t blind. Instead, she felt like a cripple. Of course, she couldn¡¯t actually voice her thoughts as one of them had taken care of her meticulously for the past few days and the other rushed over to the Desolate Region the moment he heard her condition. Even if she didn¡¯t have any interest in them, she couldn¡¯t be an ingrate. After settling Bai Luochu, the two princes left the room and their faces turned solemn. "It is good that you are here. Your strength is a valuable asset and the Desolate Region isn¡¯t as simple as it seems. Otherwise, Luo Chu wouldn¡¯t become blind..." Pei Rumo sighed after speaking. He had been fighting wars for a long time but this was the first time he felt powerless about the situation. Pei Qingfeng revealed a grave expression and asked, "What happened to Luoluo''s eyes? With her abilities, this shouldn¡¯t happen. "We found a ruins in the Desolate Region after some exploration and it was located within the region of the campaign. What is Emperor Father thinking?" Pei Rumo understood that the old emperor definitely had knowledge about the ruins. "We¡¯ll cross the bridge when we get there. If something really happens, the three of us will be able to figure something out.¡± Pei Qingfeng stated. On the other side, Ying Lan had been constantly inquiring about the Qing He siblings. "Storekeeper, have you seen this pair of siblings before?" Ying Lan was holding a portrait of the Qing He siblings as he went from store to store. After a long search, he finally found some information on them from a bun stall. Ying Lan wasn''t in a hurry. Since Bai Luochu had two people taking care of her now, it wouldn''t really matter if he returned a little later. He was wearing a human skin mask and no one would be able to recognize him. As he thought of the situation in the inn, he concealed himself in a corner. Sure enough Qing He appeared in front of the bun stall and Ying Lan took a long hard look to confirm his identity. After he was sure it was Qing He, Ying Lan followed behind him. Qing He was very cautious and took a lot of detours before returning to his residence. Along the way, he would frequently look back as though he was afraid someone might follow him. As Bai Luochu¡¯s secret guard, how could anyone notice him so easily? After Ying Lin discovered the location of Qing He and Qing Rong, he returned to make his report. Since the day Qing Rong saw the reincarnated Bai Luochu, she became rather absent-minded. She constantly thought of the reason behind Bai Luochu¡¯s refusal to acknowledge them. "Holy Maiden is so powerful but she isn¡¯t able to come back to life?" Qing Rong looked at the steaming bun and felt that it was truly dull in flavor. Qing He felt rather heart-broken as he looked at his sister. Bai Luochu was considered his junior sister and even though he was her senior, he had to admit defeat as she was simply too strong. His young sister doted on this junior sister of theirs the most and when Bai Luochu betrayed the temple, the person who was hurt the most was Qing Rong. She couldn''t understand why the junior that she doted on so much would betray them because of others. After she personally witnessed Bai Luochu''s miserable death, she became so upset she couldn¡¯t speak for several months. When she was finally able to speak, the first thing she said was, "Is Holy Maiden not going to return?" Since then, unless it was absolutely necessary, Qing He would never mention anything related to Bai Luochu to prevent his young sister from feeling upset. Everything changed when she met Bai Luochu at the tea stall a few days ago. When she saw that someone had striking resemblance to the Holy Maiden, Qing Rong fell into a state of disarray again and it was as though she was possessed. She kept asking herself if Bai Luochu was coming back. Qing He sighed and thought about the wonderful possibility that the lady was really Bai Luochu. If she was really the Holy Maiden, the rancor in his sister¡¯s heart might be solved. "Let''s eat first and we will discuss that matter again at night, okay? Even if we want to find the Holy Maiden, we need to take care of ourselves first, right?" Qing He persuaded. Qing Rong felt that her brother made sense. She started to eat the buns with big bites. On the other side, Ying Lan reported to Bai Luochu about his findings. "Qing He isn''t an overly suspicious person. They must be really concerned about leaking their whereabouts if he is behaving like this. Since that is the case, don¡¯t look for them during the day. Visit them at night and reveal your true appearance to them. If you don¡¯t they will surely teach you a lesson." Bai Luochu exhorted. "This subordinate understands¡­ However, if they ask about Mistress, what should I say?" Chapter 400: Night Conversation After a long time, Bai Luochu finally said to Ying Lan, "Tell them about my reincarnation. Since we are all on the same side, there is no need to hide anything from them. If they ask why don''t I visit them personally, then just think of an excuse for me." Ying Lan naturally understood that his mistress wasn''t ready to meet them. He immediately acknowledged his order and left. It was late at night and the entire Desolate Region was peaceful. There was a shadow that was rushing towards an unassuming small house in the Desolate Region. Inside the house, a pair of siblings were having a somewhat unhappy conversation. "It has been so long and you still believe the Holy Maiden will return?" The one speaking was Qing He and he was obviously a little helpless towards his young sister¡¯s obsession over the matter. The rim of Qing Rong''s eyes were red as she looked at her elder brother. She sobbed, "Why is it not possible? Holy Maiden is incredible and there must be a method to bring her back! Even if reincarnating into another body is a surreal subject, we can¡¯t give up, right?" When Qing He saw that his younger sister was on the verge of insanity, he had no choice but to console her, "Alright, alright, alright. I know that you treat the Holy Maiden like a sister. We have lots of time and we will look for her together.¡± After hearing the response, Qing Rong finally stabilized her emotion. However, she quickly raised a new question, "Do you feel that someone is making their way over to us?¡± Due to the sutra that Bai Luochu''s temple practiced, all the temple disciples'' spiritual energy were much superior to people of the same cultivation level. If Ying Lan was intentionally concealing his track and presence, it was impossible for the duo to detect him. But Ying Lan wasn¡¯t planning to hide himself. Qing He frowned. It seems like I was followed in the day... Qing He and Qing Rong looked at each other before picking up their swords. Just as Ying Lan entered the courtyard, Qing He and Qing Rong charged out. They placed their swords on Ying Lan¡¯s neck and immobilized him. "Who are you?!" Qing He asked and his sword inched closer to Ying Lan¡¯s neck. Ying Lan laughed lightly and he teased, "Ha, we haven''t met in a long time and this is how you two siblings treat me? Tsk tsk, this meeting gift is truly an original approach." Qing Rong felt this voice was rather familiar and immediately stopped her elder brother, "Stop! His voice sounds familiar..." Qing Rong then gathered a bundle of fire in her palm with spirit qi and used the light to observe Ying Lan¡¯s face. "Elder brother... he is... he is the Holy Maiden''s personal secret guard! Ying Lan!!" Qing Rong''s tears fell from her face as she spoke. Now that the Holy Maiden¡¯s secret guard was here, didn¡¯t it mean that the Holy Maiden was still... "Ying Lan? How are you still alive?! Why are you here?" Qing He quickly put away his sword. When Ying Lan noticed that there was no longer a knife at his neck, he cupped his hands and replied, "I am here on the order of my Mistress to contact the members of the Thousand Brilliance Temple.¡± "Who¡­ Who is this ¡®Mistress¡¯ you are talking about?" Qing He started breathing heavily and he seemed even more affected than Qing Rong. "The secret guard of the Thousand Brilliance Temple only has one mistress. She is the current Holy Maiden. Ying Lan is a secret guard of the Thousand Brilliance Temple and I too, only have one Mistress, Bai Luochu." Ying Lan declared and he raised his head to look at the teary eyes Qing Rong. Qing He held back his tears but his eyes were already red. If someone else saw the brother and sister duo, they would think the siblings were acting with too much exaggeration. It was merely the Holy Maiden of a faction, was there a need to be this emotional? But Ying Lan understood. The two of them grew up together and instead of saying they were fellow disciples, it was better to say that they were close relatives. Qing Rong had treated Bai Luochu dearly and doted on her. Back when Bai Luochu left with Lu Wenshu, she cried for several days straight. She was constantly thinking of bringing Bai Luochu back and Ying Lan didn¡¯t know how much Qing He and Qing Rong suffered. However, he could somewhat understand their pain after seeing their expressions. "Do you mean that the Holy Maiden... is still alive?" Qing He asked shakily. It was obvious that his emotions weren¡¯t stable at the moment. "Mistress indeed died in the Battle of Thousand Brilliance. However, she reincarnated into another body..." After the words left Ying Lan¡¯s mouth, Qing Rong¡¯s sobs became even louder. "Elder brother, what did I say? I knew that even if the Holy Maiden had to reincarnate into another body, she would definitely return. She is so incredible! She won¡¯t leave us behind!¡± When Qing He saw how his young sister was behaving, he quickly rubbed her back to soothe her feelings. He then turned to Ying Lan and asked, "The Holy Maiden can¡¯t possibly send you here for such a small matter. Why don¡¯t you come in for a chat? It is better to be on guard." Ying Lan naturally knew that Qing He and Qing Rong were living their life on the edge. He didn¡¯t refuse and he accepted their invitation. When they finally settled down, Qing He poured a cup of tea for Ying Lan and said, "I don''t have any good tea. There aren¡¯t any traders in the Desolate Region and the tea leaves are made with some random fragrant leaves.¡± Ying Lan didn''t mind and immediately drank the tea. After seeing Ying Lan drinking the tea, Qing He asked, "Before we have our conversation, I have to ask you a question as it involves our safety.¡± Chapter 401: The Story in the Nigh Qing He sighed, ¡°Maybe it is better this way. If not, I would have had to trouble you to find me a place to stay.¡± ¡°Rest assured. With both of your abilities, as long as it is not our secret guards, no one will be able to hide their presence from you. Now that that is solved, how about we move on to our next course of action?¡± Ying Lan felt the night was still young and when these two heard that their mistress was still alive, they became too excited to fall asleep. With nothing left to do, they decided to use the time to think of their next move. ¡°Let¡¯s finish up what we need to do. We are in no rush to reunite with Mistress.¡± Qing He hastily agreed. Qing Rong¡¯s mood took a turn for the better and she didn¡¯t feel sad anymore. When she heard that Bai Lucohu was still alive, she almost jumped in joy. She straightened her back as she wondered what Ying Lan was about to tell her next. ¡°Mistress saw you somewhere and she made me look for you. She wanted to ask if you were doing well and if you knew the whereabouts of the other members of the Thousand Brilliance Temple.¡± Ying Lan looked expectantly at the siblings as soon as he finished. The siblings exchanged a look before Qing He nodded, ¡°We are not exactly sure where the other members are but we can confirm that the remaining members have been sent to various remote areas by someone. That person secretly protected us after Mistress¡¯ death.¡± Ying Lan became curious. No matter how flourishing the sect was before the battle, the circumstance of Thousand Brilliance Temple would not change just because these people loved and respected it. As it was considered an evil cult, after the Battle of Thousand Brilliance, everyone despised it even more and they couldn¡¯t wait to step over their heads. Why would anyone still help us and secretly protect our disciples? ¡°We don¡¯t know who did it, but he seemed to possess some sort of influence among the other sects. Otherwise, it will be impossible to protect so many of us. Occasionally, that mysterious person would also send us some stuff.¡± Qing Rong immediately explained as she saw the incredulous look on Ying Lan¡¯s face. Ying Lan understood that these two people must have lived in fear all these years and he didn¡¯t try to press them for more information. Instead he consoled them, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it anymore. After all, being alive is the best outcome and nothing else matters. I will report this matter back to Mistress and I believe that she will be able to gain a rough understanding of the situation. If we are able to obtain more information, I will let you know.¡± Hearing this, Qing Rong immediately replied, ¡°I definitely believe in the Holy Maiden. As for the remaining members, we will be sure to keep a lookout for them, however...why doesn¡¯t the Holy Maiden want to recognize us? Is she afraid that we will embarrass her?¡± Ying Lan glanced at Qing He and realised that he had a similarly helpless look on his face. He quickly consoled them, ¡°How can that be?! Mistress is not the kind to look down on the weak. She hates those people who despise the weak and look up to the powerful.¡± ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t she come to see us? Doesn¡¯t she know that I have waited for three full years for her to appear before me? There isn¡¯t a single day that goes past without me thinking of her. Even my older brother thought that I went crazy! However I was sure that she wouldn''t leave us behind!¡± Qing Rong was slightly agitated as if she was blaming Bai Luochu for not acknowledging them. Ying Lan had no choice but to tell them the truth, ¡°Mistress felt that she had let you down in her past life. She is too embarrassed to meet all of you again. Moreover, Mistress reincarnated into the body of another individual and her status makes it inconvenient for her to meet you all. When Mistress reincarnated, she did so in the body of a wastrel who had broken meridians. She wasn¡¯t able to cultivate and even now, she can¡¯t hold her own against the great powers and it is better for her to hide her powers. When the time is right, I will bring Mistress here to meet you. Qing Rong calmed down after hearing Ying Lan¡¯s explanation. ¡°Other than this, do you have any other questions?¡± Qing He asked. After all, it was not easy to meet and it was better for them to settle everything at once. At least Ying Lan wouldn¡¯t have to make another trip to look for them. Ying Lan fell silent for a while as he thought about the things he wanted to ask the siblings. ¡°Do you all know about the ruins in the Desolate region? Previously, when Mistress went to check out the area, she realised something strange. Do you know of any strange happenings in the Desolate Region?¡± Qing He¡¯s face immediately turned serious. After a while, he let out a long sigh, ¡°Sigh, I know what you are talking about. I also went to check out that place a while back. However, there are too many traps in there. I only managed to get past a few before turning back. I hope nothing happened to the Holy Maiden. The traps in there are extremely complicated and sinister.¡± Ying Lan immediately shook his head and lied to the siblings, ¡°Mistress went in with other people and they protected Mistress very well.¡± What a joke, if he were to tell them what happened to Bai Luochu, Qing Rong would definitely make a move against him. She might even draw her sword and force him to bring her to Bai Luochu. Not wanting to be exposed, Ying Lan bade farewell to them as he did not want to stay any longer, ¡°If there is nothing else, I will be taking my leave. Even if you are looking for the remaining disciples, you must take care of your own safety. If there is anything else, I will come again.¡± Ying Lan turned and left as soon as he finished speaking. After Ying Lan left, Qing Rong remained silent for a long time. Her voice trembled lightly as she asked, ¡°Am I really not dreaming? The Holy Maiden is back, right¡­¡± Qing He patted his sister¡¯s shoulders and said to her, ¡°You are not dreaming, our Holy Maiden is really back.¡± Looking at Ying Lan¡¯s back, Qing He¡¯s thoughts started running wild. He had a premonition that the Thousand Brilliance Temple was about to rise again. ... Chapter 402: The Mysterious Man The next morning, the sun had just risen and Bai Luochu was about to conclude her morning cultivation session. Not only was Bai Luochu awake, Pei Qingfeng, Pei Rumo, and Ying Lan were all awake. Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo woke up early so that they could take care of Bai Luochu. As for Ying Lan, he wanted to look for Bai Luochu to tell her the news about the siblings. To Ying Lan¡¯s surprise, when he reached Bai Luochu¡¯s courtyard, Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo were already waiting outside. ¡°Your highness is really early. You are waiting outside a woman¡¯s house so early in the morning... aren¡¯t you afraid that others will start talking behind your back?¡± When Pei Qingfeng said this, he obviously didn¡¯t think about his status. He was also an imperial prince and he was similarly waiting outside Bai Luochu¡¯s room. Pei Rumo merely snorted, ¡°Ha, I am not as capable as Your Second Highness. You travelled all the way from the capital to the Desolate Region just to become a door guard for Divine Physician Bai. Your friendship is strong enough to move even the most heartless person in the world.¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s insult was so obvious it caused Pei Qingfeng to furrow his brows. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Ying Lan¡¯s neck shrunk as he prepared to leave quietly. He was fearless when it came to fights and if the three of them were to break out into blows, he was confident of holding his own. However, when it came to relationships, he was worse than Bai Luochu. Just as he was about to leave, Bai Luochu opened the door. Bai Luochu¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by the two birds chirping outside her room and their voices were akin to drum blasts in her head. Knowing that there was no point in trying to resume her cultivation session, Bai Luochu cleared her head and headed to the door. The second she opened the door, Pei Rumo and Pei Qingfeng fell silent. ¡°Why are the two of you being so quiet now? Aren¡¯t you quarreling with each other without a care for anyone else just a moment ago? You guys are even better than the Imperial Censor and the storytellers on the streets. Why did the two of you go mute all of a sudden?!¡± Bai Luochu immediately yelled at the two of them after leaving her room. Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo felt guilty and they remained silent like children who were caught doing something bad. ¡°Let me make a guess. The two of you are here so early in the morning as you want to take care of me. It¡¯s too bad I don¡¯t need any of your help, please leave.¡± After she finished her speech, she turned around to slam the door. Just before the door shut, she called out to Ying Lan, ¡°What are you standing there for? Enter from the back¡­¡± Ying Lan made his way around to the backyard and entered Bai Luochu¡¯s room. ¡°If you are not satisfied, I shall open the door right now to expose your presence...¡± Bai Luochu spoke monotonously, spitting out a clear threat at Ying Lan. He instantly fell silent. After a short while, Ying Lan started to ask for Bai Luochu¡¯s forgiveness. ¡°Mistress, please forgive me! I won¡¯t make fun of you anymore. I am here to report about my findings about the Qing siblings. Would you like to hear more about them?¡± ¡°Speak. I have already placed restrictions around my room and the two of them are no longer at the door. Even if they are, they won¡¯t be able to hear anything.¡± Bai Luochu waved her arm and signalled for him to carry on. ¡°When I asked them about the location of the other disciples, they said that many of the others are still alive. They were protected by a mysterious man¡­ Doesn¡¯t something seem strange here?¡± Bai Luochu kept her silence. It was indeed strange. Even though her fellow disciples were hidden somewhere in the continent, she knew that everyone wanted to get rid of them once and for all. After the Battle of Thousand brilliance, Bai Luochu thought that everyone was dead. She was shocked when she saw the Qing siblings and she wondered what kind of madman would try to save all the disciples of the Temple of Thousand Brilliance. ¡°What are their views on him?¡± Bai Luochu asked Ying Lan. She wanted to gain as much information on this ¡®mysterious man¡¯ as she could. Ying Lan initially shook his head but seemed to recall something, ¡°Qing Rong said that this person had some status in the martial world. Other than protecting them, he is able to send them some resources once in a while.¡± Bai Luochu frowned even harder. She never thought that there would be someone secretly helping her sect. A thought seemed to appear in Bai Luochu¡¯s mind. However, it was too fleeting that she failed to put her finger on it. ¡°Don¡¯t let the Qing siblings investigate this. Once we settle everything in the Desolate Region, I will investigate it myself. Just tell them to secretly track down the remaining disciples. I am afraid that investigating this will be dangerous...¡± Bai Luochu ordered Ying Lan to pass on her message to the Qing siblings. Ying Lan smiled, ¡°Mistress, you can rest assured. After hearing about the matter with the mysterious man, I already told them to lie low. You don¡¯t have to worry about it. The most important thing right now is your health. How are you feeling right now?¡± When she heard Ying Lan¡¯s question, Bai Luochu raised her brows. It was indeed weird for someone like Ying Lan to show her concern. However, she replied indifferently, ¡°The seventh day is about to pass and I didn¡¯t want to use Lu Wenshu¡¯s antidote as I felt that there was something fishy with it. Let¡¯s wait and see if my eyes heal by themselves.¡± Chapter 403: Arguing Ceaselessly ¡°You¡¯re right, now that the First Prince and Pei Qingfeng are here, even if Lu Wenshu wanted to make any moves, he won¡¯t have the opportunity to do so.¡± Bai Luochu looked down and said while tapping the table rhythmically as she reveled in her thoughts. After following Bai Luochu for so long, Ying Lan could be said to have a good understanding of Bai Luochu. Seeing her like this, he was sure that she was thinking about Lu Wenshu. He decided to take his leave as there were still two little ancestors somewhere in the inn. If they were to notice his presence, things might get troublesome. Just as Ying Lan was about to leave quietly, Bai Luochu called out to him. ¡°Hold up.¡± Bai Luochu stood up and walked towards the door. ¡°Before you leave, bring me to the courtyard, I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my day rotting in this room alone.¡± Ying Lan''s whole body trembled as he realised that his mistress was still holding a grudge against him. She was actually pushing him into the fire pit. But since she had already spoken, he had no choice but to obey and he braced himself as he supported her to the courtyard. The instant she sat down, she passed down her instructions. ¡°Don¡¯t be worried about matters here, I''m safe here with Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo. Qin Feng is taking good care of the inn as well. I need you to locate Qing He and look for the rest of the disciples from our temple. It it¡¯s possible, investigate the identity of the person who helped the disciples escape from the Three Great Immortal Sects. Remember to be discreet about it. Even if you can¡¯t find out his identity, it will be good to find out some clues about him.¡± Ying Lan nodded his head slightly and withdrew himself. ¡°Mistress, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± After Bai Luochu nodded her head, he immediately turned and left by climbing the walls. Just as Bai Luochu and Ying Lan were discussing matters, the two princes decided to settle down and still the drums. Instead of coming to blows, the two of them decided to play a game of chess instead. Pei Rumo made his move and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine that the Second Prince will appear so quickly! Did you finish everything you need to do in the imperial capital?!¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he replied with indifference, ¡°Your First Highness doesn¡¯t need to concern yourself with my matters. Even though there are rumors going around that you¡¯re a flawless prince, it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m inferior to you¡­¡± Pei Rumo fell deep into contemplation before placing down another piece. Seeing that Pei Rumo was keeping his silence, Pei Qingfeng kept his mouth closed as he turned his gaze to the chessboard. Only until the whole board was filled with the chess pieces did the two of them realize that there was no winner and that the game had ended up in a draw. Pei Qingfeng laughed and replied, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much into this. Even if you meet her every day, what¡¯s not yours will not be yours in the end. I¡¯ve spent a lot of time with her in the general¡¯s residence¡­ We even spent time together in the same room with only a thin screen separating us. Why do I need to worry?¡± Pei Rumo felt that he had been angered to the point where he felt like vomiting blood. Pei Rumo clenched his teeth and the ball of rage in his stomach ballooned to the point where he almost stopped breathing. If it wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to disturb Bai Luochu¡¯s rest, he would have already started fighting with Pei Qingfeng. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just the two of us here, there are definitely ears on the walls. If you want to make a move against me, you should at least give some face to Luo Chu. Even if she is Divine Physician Bai, everybody knows that she is the orphan of the former great general. Pei Qingfeng, aren¡¯t you acting a little too unbridled? You took advantage of Luo Chu¡¯s guilt to reach your goals.¡± Unlike Pei Qingfeng, Pei Rumo was the eldest Prince and valued respect and manners. Even though the Cloud Water Nation was slowly opening up to new practices, Pei Rumo had stuck to their traditions. Initially, Pei Rumo thought that Pei Qingfeng would start a verbal war with him, but surprisingly, Pei Qingfeng completely ignored him as he kept his gaze on the chessboard. After a long time, Pei Qingfeng finally spoke, ¡°You¡¯re right, I am really at fault for this matter.¡± Pei Rumo was startled, he didn¡¯t expect Pei Qingfeng to agree with him. Knowing his second brother¡¯s personality, he would rather die than admit his shameless behavior. What is going on? Why is he agreeing with me on this? Is this a trap? Pei Qingfeng raised his head and when he saw the complex emotion of his older brother¡¯s face, he instantly understood Pei Rumo¡¯s confusion. ¡°You must be surprised that I didn¡¯t disagree with you.¡± Pei Qingfeng asked as he removed the chess pieces from the chessboard. ¡°I failed to consider this issue thoroughly. Especially when it comes to Luoluo¡­ Taking a step back, she might not even choose me as her husband. It seems like I am being too rash¡­¡± Seeing the proud Pei Qingfeng doubt himself, Pei Rumo mocked his second brother in his heart. However, he knew that Pei Qingfeng was right. Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t someone they could see through as they wished Chapter 404: Watching Quietly ¡°For her, no matter how much turmoil she causes in this world, I¡¯m willing to protect her. All I want is for her to stay safe.¡± Pei Qingfeng explained. ¡°You seem to treasure her more than I thought you would...¡± Pei Rumo sighed regretfully. Who would have imagined that the Second Prince of the Cloud Water Nation would actually fall in love with an emotionless robot like Bai Luochu... Pei Qingfeng simply laughed it off and glanced at Pei Rumo, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same as me? This is the first time the First Prince of the Cloud Water Nation fell for a woman¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Pei Rumo laughed casually and lifted the heavy atmosphere between the two, ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ The both of us are stranded on the same island now. We thought we hid our feelings well but in reality, our feelings for her has already been revealed to the world. Only a fool would be unaware of our feelings for her. So...¡± Pei Rumo raised his eyebrow and continued, ¡°Are you able to protect Luo Chu well? Those people aren¡¯t easy to deal with.¡± Pei Qingfeng was startled. Even though he already knew who Pei Rumo was referring to, he was curious as he had never revealed their identities before. He didn¡¯t know how Pei Rumo learned about those people. It seemed as though his elder brother was clear about the relationship he had with them. The more he thought about it, the clearer the picture became. This makes sense¡­ Pei Rumo probably conducted a thorough investigation on me together with the other princes. ¡°Of course I will be able to protect her. Anyway, I will deal with those people personally. You don¡¯t need to bother with my affairs.¡± When Pei Qingfeng finished his last sentence, his tone dropped and his expression became unsightly. Being a tactful person and seeing that he had pissed off Pei Qingfeng, Pei Rumo quickly changed the topic. ¡°Before we arrived, we both agreed to have a fair competition and leave it up to Luo Chu. Now that we¡¯re here, we should let her choose her guardian, don¡¯t you think?¡± Pei Rumo quickly redirected Pei Qingfeng¡¯s attention onto Bai Luochu. From Pei Qingfeng¡¯s point of view, this was indeed an attractive proposal. Now that Bai Luochu was blind and it was inconvenient for her to move about, he would be able to interact with her even more closely than before. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyeball spun as he thought of a plan secretly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that I should be the one to take care of her? After all, you already had your chance¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng said as he ridiculed Pei Rumo for jumping into a hole he dug. Pei Rumo was shocked as he never expected that he would suffer a loss by randomly coming up with an idea. Before he could reply, Pei Qingfeng interrupted him. Pei Rumo felt a headache coming after shooting himself in the foot. A smile blossomed on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face and Pei Rumo quickly turned away as he felt an uncontrollable urge to punch his second brother¡¯s face well up in his heart. He waved his hand to chase Pei Qingfeng away. Of course, Pei Qingfeng was unwilling to spend more time arguing with Pei Rumo and he quickly turned to leave. After thinking about Pei Rumo¡¯s words, he felt that it wasn¡¯t wise to head over to Bai Luochu¡¯s courtyard. After all, they had probably angered her by quarrelling outside her room early in the morning and he might be adding fuel to the fire if he made his way there now. However, he threw caution to the wind and headed over anyway. Bai Luochu sat in her courtyard in a daze and thoughts spun around in her mind. Since the day she reincarnated, she had met with all sorts of problems. Other than cultivating, she was hardly able to find any time to rest. Now that she was temporarily blind, she was finally able to take some time off to organize her thoughts. Even though Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t see anything when she opened her eyes, the brilliant sunlight reflected off them. It seemed as though two dazzling gems were embedded on her face. Her hair glistened in the sun with a bright gold luster, and her clear skin seemed to emit a soft hue. Bai Luochu suddenly burst out laughing as though she had remembered something funny. At that instant, Bai Luochu was no longer able to hide her charm. The adorable and captivating young lady seemed to shine brighter than the sun. Her cold personality seemed to thaw and a gentle and sweet little girl took her place. When Pei Qingfeng arrived and witnessed this scene, he became completely dumbstruck. He stood silently in place and he didn¡¯t dare to breathe loudly. He was afraid that the slightest disturbance would destroy the beautiful scene before him. It was the first time Bai Luochu revealed this side of herself. In the past, she had always been busy and she went about with an air of indifference around her. Even if he tried, she wasn¡¯t willing to let him see this side of her. In Pei Qingfeng¡¯s memory, Bai Luochu had always been busy. From infiltrating the imperial palace, to examining her patients, to messing with the Phoenix King Valley and increasing her strength¡­ all the way till she established her footing in Pei Rumo¡¯s army in the Desolate Region. She was like a flower fluttering in the wind and he was like the butterfly chasing after the flower. No matter how hard he tried, the flower didn¡¯t stop for him. Staring at Bai Luochu, he wanted to carve this scene into his memory. He refused to ruin the atmosphere and he stood there like a wooden block, afraid that he would sully the mood. Memories of the times he spent with her started to slowly surface in his mind. During his first meeting with her, he felt that she was a swindler out to scam medicinal herbs from him. Only after being the target of her schemes did he start to feel that she was becoming increasingly adorable. Unknowingly, the lofty Second Prince of the Cloud Water Nation fell for such an interesting Young Lady. Chapter 405: Exposed What next? When he thought about the time she tried to sneak into the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet, he almost laughed out loud. She had just started her cultivation journey and she already set off for the imperial palace. Her fearlessness knew no bounds. If he wasn¡¯t there to cover for her, she would already have been executed by a palace guard. Back when he had asked her to ¡°treat his legs¡±, she even extorted a large amount of favors from him. Not to mention that he had even tried to invite her over for several meals. Furthermore, when she had been framed and blackmailed by others, he was also the one who cleared her name. It was as though she didn¡¯t learn her lesson as she continued to run around, treating other people. She didn¡¯t even bother spending time with the person who saved her life. Not to mention the incident at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. He already confessed his feelings to her and it was pretty obvious he was madly in love with her. He initially thought that he was merely interested in her. However, he only realized his true feelings when Lu Wenshu unleashed his strongest attack. He discovered that he was willing to give up his life to save her. It was a pity that she didn¡¯t get his meaning during his confession and he even wanted to open up her brain to see if she had something called ¡®feelings¡¯. After that incident, he failed to find another chance to confess to her and she started her plan to scheme against the Phoenix King Valley. To help her, he even made a move and invited the inner valley disciples for dinner. Too bad she had already shut out all her feelings for men. If not for Ling Xian¡¯er, he was afraid that she would bury her feelings for him deep in her heart. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had to thank that mischievous little monkey. Without her, god knew when he would be able to discover that she had feelings for him. Even if the two of them were separated by mountains of knives and rivers of lava, he would be more than willing to cross them all as long as she showed some interest in him. He didn¡¯t expect himself to sneak into the Desolate Region to look for her... He accidentally let out a laugh when he thought about his ridiculous actions. Thanks to that, he revealed himself. Before he knew it, Bai Luochu¡¯s poisoned needles were right in front of his face. Bai Luochu let down her guard as she thought that there wasn¡¯t anyone else in the inn. She didn¡¯t spread out her spiritual energy and she didn¡¯t notice Pei Qingfeng until the laugh left his lips. In a state of panic, she threw her poison needles towards him without bothering to find out his identity. ¡°Who''s there!¡± After a long while of silence, Pei Qingfeng started to tease her, ¡°Divine Physician Bai¡¯s poison is lethal indeed. If not for my quick reactions, I would be a corpse lying in your courtyard.¡± Only after hearing Pei Qingfeng¡¯s voice did Bai Luochu apologize, ¡° I¡¯m ashamed of myself. Now that my body¡¯s unwell, I almost brought harm to Your Second Highness...¡± Bai Luochu never expected him to appear in her courtyard. However, after slight considerations, he felt that it wasn¡¯t weird for him to be here. Based on her understanding, it would be weird if he avoided her after sneaking into the Desolate Region. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Bai Luochu asked immediately, afraid that he was here for official business. Pei Qingfeng had a sulky face and didn¡¯t reply to her. Instead, he walked forward slowly until he reached Bai Luochu¡¯s side before he sat down. ¡°What proper business can I be here for? You guys are the ones fighting the battle, not me. I am here to take care of you.¡± Pei Qingfeng casually commented, as if it was no big deal that he rushed here from the Cloud Water Nation. Bai Luochu was struck speechless by his reply. Is he crazy?! He traveled all this way¡­ to take care of me?! ¡°Please don¡¯t joke around.¡± Bai Luochu evaded the question, as if she had been trying to escape from reality. Pei Qingfeng knew that Bai Luochu did not want to acknowledge his feelings and changed the subject quickly. After all, he was going to be by her side for a long time and he didn¡¯t need to rush things. It wouldn¡¯t be worth it if he frightened her away by being too straightforward. Pei Qingfeng muttered to himself before flinging the blame to Pei Rumo, ¡°Pei Rumo sent a message back to the capital explaining the situation here. Thus, I decided to come over and help out our Cloud Water Nation¡¯s troops.¡± Bai Luochu thought for a long while before she realised that there was something wrong with his logic. ¡°Did you sneak into the Desolate Region without telling anyone? Did you keep it a secret from His Majesty?!¡± Pei Qingfeng shook his head helplessly. Even after dragging Pei Rumo into this, this little lass managed to find out the hidden meaning behind his words. He didn¡¯t know if he should be happy that she cared enough to listen to him, or sad that she was able to catch on so quickly. Chapter 406: Left With No Choice but to Agree Bai Luochu creased her eyebrow and asked, ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t get into trouble by coming here privately? His Majesty has ordered you to receive important guests in the capital. Now that you¡¯ve come over without informing anyone, it¡¯s only a matter of time before you draw other people¡¯s attention. When that happens, His Majesty will lose faith in you.¡± Even though Bai Luochu was secretly delighted that Pei Qingfeng was concerned for her, she knew that he should have thought his actions through before coming to the Desolate Region. There seemed to be an uncomfortable feeling in her heart as though she overlooked something. Pei Qingfeng paid no attention to her and explained, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. I naturally made some arrangements back in the capital before coming. Moreover, if something happens to me, you won¡¯t be held responsible for it, so just relax.¡± Pei Qingfeng explained as he mistakenly thought that Bai Luochu was worried about His Majesty blaming her. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of His Majesty taking out his anger on me, after all, I¡¯m the only person left in the general¡¯s residence. If he takes his anger out on all my relatives, that would be even better, I can drag them down together with me. However, what about you? How are you going to explain yourself when you get back? Do I look like a coward to you?¡± Bai Luochu finished speaking and let out a soft laughter, easing up the atmosphere quite a bit. ¡°Luoluo, then¡­ are you worried about me?¡± Pei Qingfeng raised his eyebrows and teased her playfully. Bai Luochu then let out two soft coughs, ¡°Ahem ahem. Why are you being so annoying?!¡± Bai Luochu said helplessly as she hit the table with frustration. When Pei Qingfeng saw Bai Luochu acting like this, he decided not to tease her any further and asked instead, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the main point. When will your eyes be cured? It has already been several days since you were poisoned.¡± ¡°A few more days and my eyes should be fully recovered. Don¡¯t worry too much, it¡¯s only a matter of time before it recovers. Furthermore, it¡¯s rare that I finally have the chance to rest, yet you guys are already trying to make me work...¡± Pei Qingfeng knew that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to talk about the details and he hastily changed the topic. ¡°Even though you can¡¯t see, it''s fine. After all, I came all the way here to take care of you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Bai Luochu widened her eyes in shock even though she couldn¡¯t see. She never expected him to explicitly spell it out and Bai Luochu nearly jumped up from her seat like a startled rabbit. When Pei Qingfeng saw Bai Luochu¡¯s startled expression, he couldn¡¯t help but burst out in laughter, ¡°Hahaha, look at your shocked expression! Are you touched?¡± Pei Qingfeng teased once again as he felt that Bai Luochu¡¯s current expression was simply too adorable. Pei Qingfeng frowned pretentiously and cried out, ¡°Ah, what did I do to deserve this! I rushed here for three days and three nights just to take care of you. Now, you¡¯re chasing me away! Where is your conscience?!¡± Bai Luochu hated this about Pei Qingfeng the most. As a prince, she couldn¡¯t understand how he could act like a spoiled child. Bai Luochu then opened her mouth and tried to send him away, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, but after the incident with my eyes, my temper became worse. I might start beating people up if you stay near me. I don¡¯t want to accidentally injure you.¡± How could Pei Qingfeng be threatened by Bai Luochu so easily? Moreover, he wasn¡¯t a pushover. In a sense, they were the same type of person. If he decided to do something, he wouldn¡¯t give up until he reached his goal. ¡°Why did you allow Pei Rumo to take care of you? What is the difference between the two of us?¡± Pei Qingfeng refuted as he obviously wasn¡¯t going to give up just like that. Even though women are the cause of all drama, Bai Luochu felt that Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo were enough to act out a play by themselves. She felt a headache coming as she coldly snorted, ¡°That¡¯s different, His First Highness merely stayed in the outer room. He only entered to help me when I fell.¡± Pei Qingfeng interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. ¡°Fine! If he can do it, so can I. Moreover, you took care of me when I nearly threw my life away at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. Now that you¡¯re the patient, it only makes sense if I repay the favor.¡± Bai Luochu was at a loss for words. She felt that Pei Qingfeng had already given himself enough reason to take care of her and it wouldn¡¯t matter even if she refused. She eventually accepted it. ¡°Fine! You¡¯ll take care of me until my eyes recover!¡± When she felt that Pei Qingfeng was silently laughing beside her, she continued, ¡°But we need to lay down some rules!¡± Chapter 407: Laying Down the Rules Pei Qingfeng was unhappy initially when he heard that Bai Luochu wanted to lay out the rules for him. However, after thinking about it for a bit, he felt that it wasn¡¯t too bad if it meant that he could take care of her everyday. So what if there were some rules? As long as the annoying Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t around, he didn¡¯t mind it. Pei Qingfeng agreed, ¡°Good, state your rules. I promise to follow them.¡± Bai Luochu thought that Pei Qingfeng would back off, but who would have thought that he would agree to it. Left with no choice, Bai Luochu could only put out some harsh rules to make things difficult for him. ¡°Firstly, I don¡¯t like other people touching me. You should only stand beside me when taking care of me. You are only allowed to touch me when I am about to fall. Otherwise, you are not to touch me.¡± ¡°Next, you can¡¯t move anything in the room. After His First Highness¡¯ meticulous arrangements, it wouldn¡¯t be good for you to waste his efforts. You can do whatever you want outside my room without taking a single step in. Unless I call for help, you are not allowed to enter my room.¡± ¡°Finally, you have to return to your room immediately after dinner. I have a maid beside me who can take care of me so you do not need to be worried about me. After all, we are of different genders and we shouldn¡¯t behave too intimately. If you agree with all my rules, you can stay. Otherwise, please return to where you came from. I hope you can understand that I have many things I need to worry about now that I can¡¯t see.¡± Pei Qingfeng nodded his head and suddenly recalled that she wasn¡¯t able to see. He quickly opened his mouth to reassure her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I will follow your rules to the letter. Trust that I will take care of you and you don¡¯t need to worry about anything other than eating and sleeping. Even if you wish to lie on your bed the entire day, I am more than willing to personally feed you breakfast, lunch, and dinner.¡±Pei Qingfeng smiled foolishly as he explained. Bai Luochu was struck speechless. However, she knew that it was too late to refuse Pei Qingfeng as she had already stated her conditions very clearly a moment ago. Pei Qingfeng was overjoyed when Bai Luochu nodded. He could finally ignore Pei Rumo¡¯s smug expression when he bragged about how he took care of Bai Luochu since the incident. Pei Qingfeng felt that his decision to leave the capital city secretly to take care of her in the Desolate Region was a stroke of genius. ¡°Do you need me to do anything for you right now?¡± In order to make sure that Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t try to push his luck, Bai Luochu quickly poured a bucket of cold water over him. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to do here. I¡¯m merely enjoying some quiet time in the sun after being cooped up in my room for the past few days. I will let you know when I¡¯m done. Just remain quiet if you want to stay here.¡± After finding a shady spot, Pei Qingfeng turned his gaze to look at her, only to see a tranquil expression on her face. On the other hand, Pei Rumo was discussing matters with the team of soldiers that came with them to the central region. ¡°Your First Highness, we are familiar with the ruins and isn¡¯t it about time for us to take action? Please relay the order to send for the troops at the border region!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to hurry. There is something strange about the ruins and we need to thoroughly investigate it before bringing in the army. The only people who can deal with the traps inside are cultivators like Divine Physician Bai and myself. Even if all the soldiers were to head over, they won¡¯t be able to help much.¡± Pei Rumo gave a half-hearted explanation and brushed them off. All of them knew that Pei Rumo was waiting for Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes to recover before making his next move and they hastily persuaded him, ¡°Your First Highness, we know that Divine Physician Bai lost her vision in the ruins but we can¡¯t delay the mission for his. His Majesty is the one who sent us on this expedition and we won¡¯t be able to shoulder the blame if he questions us. Moreover, now that His Second Highness is here, you can allow him to take care of Divine Physician Bai while we check out the ruins.¡± ¡°I think you have oversimplified this matter.¡± Pei Rumo revealed an annoyed expression and continued, ¡°This matter is not as simple as you think it is. If it were that simple, based on Luo Chu¡¯s ability, she wouldn¡¯t have gone blind. Why did you think I haven¡¯t brought you guys into the ruins yet? Only cultivators who are at a certain level will be able to enter! Do you think that I am oblivious to the fact that delaying the expedition will cause our heads to roll?! Do you think that I am a selfish prince who doesn¡¯t care about the lives of my subordinates?!¡± All of them fell to their knees when they realized that they had misunderstood Pei Rumo¡¯s intentions. ¡°This subordinate doesn¡¯t dare!¡± ¡°As for why I have yet to inform the soldiers at the border about Divine Physician Bai¡¯s blindness, is because I am trying to avoid damaging the morale of the army. Divine Physician Bai is equivalent to my deputy right now and if someone like her were to fall, everyone would start to panic. We can explain the situation to them after the expedition is over. Right now, you should take the chance to rest up. Let the troops at the border region get used to the terrain before doing anything else. After all, it is always better to have back up when we charge into the frontlines, right?!¡± Chapter 408: A Competitor has Arrived Bai Luochu initially wanted to test Pei Qingfeng¡¯s patience and make him leave. But unexpectedly, Pei Qingfeng sat there quietly and looked at her instead. Bai Luochu was unable to endure the silence any longer and said, ¡°Enough, enough, enough. Let¡¯s go back inside.¡± Bai Luochu turned around and walked towards her room. Pei Qingfeng quickly followed behind her, afraid that she would fall down while walking. By the time Pei Rumo entered the courtyard, he saw Bai Luochu returning to her room with Pei Qingfeng following closely behind. Even though they weren¡¯t hugging each other, Pei Rumo felt a sense of irritation deep in his heart. He quickly walked forward to insert himself between them before saying, ¡°Luo Chu, let me send you back to your room.¡± Pei Qingfeng almost threw Pei Rumo out when he appeared but he managed to swallow his indignation when he thought about how she would be unhappy if the two of them fought with each other again. ¡°Pei Rumo, Luoluo has already agreed to let me take care of her. You should trust me and return to your room...¡± Pei Qingfeng said as he stopped Pei Rumo from following them. Of course, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t expect Bai Luochu to agree with Pei Qingfeng so easily and he immediately revealed a doubtful expression, ¡°Luo Chu, did you really agree to let him take care of you? Did he threaten you or something?!¡± But before she could reply, Pei Qingfeng answered in her stead. ¡°Hey, what are you talking about? How can I possibly threaten Luoluo? Even if you¡¯re not clear about my personality, you should be familiar with Luo Chu¡¯s temper. If she doesn¡¯t want to do something, no one can force her to do it!¡± Pei Rumo remained in denial and continued, ¡°I would like to hear the answer from Luo Chu. You can keep quiet now.¡± When Bai Luochu saw the two princes quarrelling again, she started to feel her head throb. ¡°Shut up and listen to my explanation!¡± After the words left her mouth, the two of them recalled that she was standing beside them. It would be a whole lot worse if she had thrown them both out and they quickly fell silent. Pei Rumo replied, ¡°Of course we¡¯ll listen to you. Did we annoy you by speaking too loudly to each other?¡± After thinking for a little, Bai Luochu muttered, ¡°I¡¯m touched by Your First Highness¡¯ care during the past few days. I feel quite embarrassed for causing so much inconvenience. As the Commander in Chief of the army, I am sure you are an extremely busy individual and have lots of things to take care of. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s feasible for you to stay here to take care of me. It¡¯s better to allow Pei Qingfeng to take care of me so that you can free up some time to deal with the soldiers.¡± ¡°Is this the reason you are going to give me?¡± Pei Rumo''s eyes were obscure and it concealed his thoughts. It was evident he was trying to hide his heartbroken feelings. Bai Luochu evidently didn¡¯t want to yield and Pei Rumo could only compromise, ¡°There¡¯s indeed no reason for me to reject this. I shall do as Divine Physician Bai wishes. If Pei Qingfeng neglects you in any way, you can look for me.¡± After Pei Rumo was done, he didn¡¯t give Bai Luochu a chance to reply before he left. Bai Luochu opened her mouth, but the words that she wanted to say didn¡¯t come out. Only after a short while did she finally tell Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Pei Qingfeng hurriedly followed behind, afraid that he would lose his ¡°job¡± due to his inattentiveness. Bai Luochu¡¯s had indeed made her decision after much consideration. After all, as a general, Pei Rumo couldn¡¯t possibly worry about her the whole time. Furthermore, they were sent on this expedition to conquer the ruins in the Desolate Region. If Pei Rumo did nothing but care about her all day, he would be too irresponsible as the Commander in Chief of the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s army. When she thought up to this point, Bai Luochu nodded her head subtly. In her past life, all she wanted was a pure relationship with the man she loved the most. Lu Wenshu appeared in her life and made it a living hell, but just as she decided to detach herself from her feelings, so many suitors showed up. All of them were great guys and she was afraid of hurting their feelings. She was ignorant when it came to relationships and she was afraid they would suffer from a terrible heartbreak if they were to approach her. She acted stupid and pretended as though she couldn¡¯t notice their feelings. At the same time, her heart was in a turmoil. She helplessly sighed, ¡°Is the heavens messing with me?¡± Pei Qingfeng heard it unintentionally and asked, ¡°What about the heavens messing with you? Luoluo, what are you saying?¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t realise she wasn¡¯t alone until Pei Qingfeng spoke up. She hastily tried to explain herself, ¡°It¡¯s nothing! I¡¯m just talking to myself. If there¡¯s nothing else, you can go rest now, don¡¯t stay here any longer.¡± After she finished speaking, she chased Pei Qingfeng away. Chapter 409: Secretly Hur After Pei Rumo was chased away, he jumped onto his horse and went straight for the lakeside he brought her to before they left for the ruins. When he arrived, Pei Rumo stood there silently as he stared into space. It was as though he turned into part of the scenery as a desolate back stood silently in the middle of the Desolate Region. If not for his eye-catching black clothes being in contrast with the dull yellow sand in the Desolate Region, no one would think that he came from outside the region. Even though Pei Rumo looked calm on the surface, waves as high as the heavens were raging about in his heart. ¡°Is there really no place for me in her heart?¡± Pei Rumo closed his eyes, concealing the pain welling up inside of him. It was clear that he was devastated when he heard that Bai Luochu chose Pei Qingfeng over him. However, he knew that they both couldn¡¯t be blamed for her actions. Back then, he was adamant about using her as a weapon to deal with Pei Wuchen. To achieve his goal, he ignored her feelings and their relationship became one built on mutual benefits. Afterwards, he unknowingly fell in love with Bai Luochu. No matter who it was, it would be difficult for them to accept such a drastic change in treatment. Of course, the once hurt Bai Luochu would never believe that Pei Rumo was treating her nicely out of true love. It was already incredible that she didn¡¯t distance herself from him. ¡°Luo Chu, I regret my actions... I regret it so much. I regret making use of you at the start to achieve my goal. If I could go back in time¡­ none of them will get the chance to confess to you before me¡­ ¡± Pei Rumo mumbled to himself as he looked at the scenery in front of him. Alas, not even the unrivaled Divine Physician Bai could refine a pill for regret. It was impossible for time to rewind for him either. Taking a step back, if Pei Rumo didn¡¯t harbor the intentions of making use of her, Pei Qingfeng wouldn¡¯t have found the chance to step in. After all, he was the first one to save her from the Bestial Battle Arena. Am I really inferior to Pei Qingfeng?! He indeed possessed a colder personality when compared to Pei Qingfeng. However, it was because he had yet to realize his feelings for her. Now that he had discovered his love for her, his personality underwent a great change. Was it because of his appearance? The Cloud Water Nation¡¯s Third Prince, Pei Wuchen, treated girls gently. With his identity as an imperial prince and the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Master, he gained the adoration of many young ladies in the capital. As for Pei Qingfeng, he had outstanding looks. He treated everyone with respect and he had been the dream lover of many young ladies in the capital city. Pei Rumo let out a deep sigh. He was sure that out of the three of them, he was the person who had the least chance of success. Even though Bai Luochu was betrothed to Pei Wuchen, no one knew if he would develop feelings for her one day. Pei Rumo arrived before the lake and looked at his reflection in it. If not for the scar on his face, his appearance wouldn¡¯t lose out to his brothers in the slightest. He started to mumble softly, ¡°Are looks so important?¡± Previously, Pei Rumo felt proud of the battlescar on his face. Now, he was starting to doubt himself. He wondered if he should apply some scar removing elixir on his face. Pei Rumo shook his head and lightly laughed, ¡°I must be going crazy¡­ Why am I thinking about using those goods only imperial concubines would use? Forget it. If she doesn¡¯t choose me in the end, there is nothing I can do. I shouldn¡¯t change myself and hide my true personality.¡± If she wasn¡¯t able to accept this part of him, their relationship was bound to fail in the long run. ... Bai Luochu continued to cultivate when Pei Rumo had left. She was consolidating her cultivation base to ensure the stability of her foundation. She improved too rapidly in the past few months and even though she wasn¡¯t considered a genius in this life, it was undeniable that she only started cultivating recently. Her cultivation reached such a level after a few months of training and many people were definitely waiting to see her embarrass herself. The only thing she could do was to become strong enough to slap those people in the face. Pei Qingfeng was starting to get bored and he reached over to start making a list of things he should do. Chapter 410: Care With All His Hear When Bai Luochu heard nothing after leaving her room, she had still thought that something happened to Pei Qingfeng, hence she worriedly asked, ¡°Pei Qingfeng? Are you still there?¡± When Pei Qingfeng heard Bai Luochu called out his name, he immediately jumped out from his chair. He had wanted to enter the inner room, but stopped himself when he remembered Bai Luochu telling him he could only enter with her permission. Hence, he replied from outside, ¡° I¡¯m here, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± When Bai Luochu heard his reply, she felt like a huge rock was lifted off her shoulders. Afterall, it was weird that Pei Qingfeng was so quiet and if it was really as she thought then there it would be extremely troublesome. At the end of the day Pei Qingfeng was still a prince of the Cloud Water Nation and if anything had happened to him, none of them would be able to avoid the old emperor¡¯s wrath. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I thought you had left...¡± Bai Luochu then stood up and prepared to leave. Pei Qingfeng stretched his head out and prepared to charge over the moment Bai Luochu showed signs of falling. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted some peace and quiet?¡± Bai Luochu felt her face growing hot when she heard him as she had indeed told him that she wanted some peace and quiet before she started cultivating. She never thought that she would become worried that Pei Qingfeng would take his leave without telling her. ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯m at fault here, sorry.¡± As it wasn¡¯t convenient for her to move, Bai Luochu gave him a simple apology. Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t someone who cared about formalities and he merely puckered his lips to accept her apology. Making her way to the table before her, the smell of freshly ground ink assaulted her nose and question marks appeared in Bai Luochu¡¯s head. I don¡¯t remember writing anything down? An idea of what Pei Qingfeng had been doing surfaced in her mind and thoughts started forming in her head. ¡°Your Second Highness, are you busy with something right now?¡± Pei Qingfeng glanced at her and discovered that her nose was almost directly above his note. Not wanting her to worry, Pei Qingfeng blurted out the first excuse that came to mind. ¡°It¡¯s nothing too important. I can make use of the time when you cultivate to settle my matters. Don¡¯t worry too much about it. I can¡¯t possibly annoy you all the time, right?¡± Bai Luochu nodded her head and the doubts in her head disappeared. A sigh of relief escaped Pei Qingfeng¡¯s lips and he made a mental note to tidy up the place before Bai Luochu ended her cultivation session. Moreover, he felt that he definitely had to hide his list from Pei Rumo in case his older brother decided to mess up his plans. ¡°What time is it?¡± Bai Luochu asked. Bai Luochu shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. Time seems to fly when I¡¯m cultivating. Even if you request for the innkeeper to bring some food over now, it will take some time. Let¡¯s just wait for dinner time. There is no need to rush to eat.¡± Bai Luochu tapped her fingers on the table casually and dismissed the issue. When Qin Feng arrived with dinner, he fell into a daze when he saw Pei Qingfeng in the room with Bai Luochu. After recalling Ying Lan¡¯s introduction, the name ¡®Pei Qingfeng¡¯ appeared in his mind. He knew that this mysterious man in the room with his mistress had to be the Second Prince of the Cloud Water Nation and he meant no harm. After a brief scare, Qin Feng started to arrange the table with dishes he prepared personally. After taking out all the food, he added, ¡°Please enjoy your meal.¡± He turned to look at Bai Luochu before leaving in case she had any other instructions for him. ¡°What are you staring at? You better watch where you¡¯re looking at.¡± Pei Qingfeng warned. Even though he seemed rude, he couldn¡¯t be blamed for that as the innkeeper¡¯s disguise Qin Feng was wearing was too ugly. No matter how politely Qin Feng acted, he would be taken to be the bad guy. The more Pei Qingfeng looked at him, the more he felt like Qin Feng was a toad lusting after the beautiful Bai Luochu. Even though Qin Feng felt wronged in his heart, he could only push all the blame to the ugly innkeeper. He apologized repeatedly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I am at fault here., I shall take my leave immediately.¡± After Qin Feng left the room, Pei Qingfeng glanced at the dishes on the table. ¡°Luoluo, do you feel like eating anything special today?¡± An expression of disinterest formed on Bai Luochu¡¯s face. There were only so many ingredients and seasonings they could find in the Desolate Region. None of the dishes prepared would ever suit her taste. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Just grab me some of everything.¡± Pei Qingfeng shook his head helplessly as he knew that Bai Luochu was a picky eater. This little glutton loves flavorful food the most. How can the food in the Desolate Region live up to her expectations? Whatever the case, Bai Luochu had to eat. Pei Qingfeng quickly picked out all the bones in the fish before placing some meat in Bai Luochu¡¯s bowl. He removed the skin as well as he was afraid that the fishy smell would affect her appetite. After dealing with the fish, Pei Qingfeng picked out other dishes for her. ¡°Eat as much as you like. I separated the bone from the chicken in case you choke on it.¡± Chapter 411: By Any Means Possible Her actions meant something else in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes. When he noticed that she hadn¡¯t started to eat, he said, ¡±Luoluo, do you need somebody to feed you? I¡¯ll hurry up then¡­¡± His hands sped up after the words left his mouth. Bai Luochu¡¯s face flushed red. She didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as she complained, ¡°I¡¯m not a kid¡­ Why do I need people to feed me? I won¡¯t shove the food in my nose and I won¡¯t make a mess¡­ I¡¯m merely waiting for you to finish so that we can eat together! I just feel like being polite. Looking at you now, people might even think that I¡¯m bullying you.¡± When he heard that she wanted to wait for him so that they could eat together, his hands moved even faster. ¡°Luoluo, wait for a moment. I¡¯ll be done soon.¡± Bai Luochu sat there calmly and when Pei Qingfeng was finally done, her bowl was filled to the brim. WIth no other choice, he picked up a small plate and placed it beside her bowl. ¡°Luoluo, if it¡¯s not convenient for you, please let me know. I will grab the dishes for you.¡± Bai Luochu nodded her head slightly and she reached out with her chopsticks. ¡°Alright, alright. Hurry up and eat before the dishes get cold.¡± A harmonious atmosphere filled the room as the two of them enjoyed dinner together. Even after finishing their dinner, Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t want to leave. Feeling a little helpless, Bai Luochu felt that she couldn¡¯t allow him to do as he pleased any longer. He was someone great at taking advantage of the situation and now that she was injured, he turned into a shameless rascal who wouldn¡¯t leave her alone. ¡°Pei Qingfeng, if you insist on staying, I¡¯m going to chase you out. Not just out of my room, but the Desolate Region itself. Make your choice.¡± Pei Qingfeng ignored her threat and firmly rejected her, ¡°Impossible. I¡¯m not going anywhere. Look at yourself! You were fine during dinner, why are you so angry now?¡± Pei Qingfeng was comparable to a young lady in love and Bai Luochu was the heartless rat chasing him out after she had her fill. Bai Luochu hated Pei Qingfeng¡¯s shameless acting and she snapped, ¡°If you are really going to act like this, I will kick you out of the Desolate Region.¡± Seeing that Bai Luochu was really going to blow, Pei Qingfeng could only leave the room obediently. As for Pei Rumo, he was holed up in his room and was feeling depressed. He was thinking of a plan to return to Bai Luochu¡¯s side. Never in his wildest imaginations would he expect Pei Qingfeng to appear before him as he was racking his brains for an idea. Pei Rumo ground his teeth so hard they nearly shattered into pieces. After taking a few deep breaths to calm down, he unhurriedly proclaimed, ¡°I¡¯m different from you! As the First Prince of the Cloud Water Nation, I have many things to attend to. How can I copy the behavior of the amazing Second Prince? I can¡¯t shamelessly bug a woman for the entire day.¡± Pei Rumo failed to trigger Pei Qingfeng with his words and instead, he loaded Pei Qingfeng¡¯s bow with an arrow to be shot at himself. A delighted expression appeared on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face and he said, ¡°That¡¯s right! As you know, I am not an ambitious person. The only thing I wish to do is to protect the person I love.¡± ¡°YOU!!¡± Pei Rumo was struck speechless. He had never once gained the upper hand when quarrelling with his second brother and before he could think of a reply, Pei Qingfeng fired another shot at him. ¡°I thought that the food in the Desolate Region was trash. However, after having dinner with Luo Chu, I feel that the dishes here have a certain appeal to my tastebuds.¡± Every one of his words stuck a blow at Pei Rumo¡¯s heart. In a fit of rage, he nearly ran up to choke Pei Qingfeng to death. ¡°If Your Second Highness has nothing else, please leave. I still have many things to take care of. Please see yourself out.¡± Pei Rumo was utterly enraged by Pei Qingfeng¡¯s antics. He couldn¡¯t do anything but to chase him out. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t want to stay as he had already accomplished his goal. He wanted to show off in front of Pei Rumo and casually add some fuel to the fire. Since he had done all that he wanted to do, there was no point in staying. Fine, I¡¯ll leave. Staying here with this barbarian isn¡¯t really enjoyable anyway. ¡°Your younger brother shall take his leave¡­¡± After a casual bow, Pei Qingfeng turned to leave the room. However, he heard Pei Rumo¡¯s final sentence before he walked too far away. ¡°Pei Qingfeng, don¡¯t be too happy. The winner has yet to be decided. The greater your hopes, the harder your fall. Just wait and see.¡± Pei Qingfeng felt that his elder brother was speaking a bunch of bullsh*t and he simply turned to leave. ... It was too bad for Pei Qingfeng that Pei Rumo¡¯s words came true really quickly. What in the world¡­ What is going on? Why is Pei Rumo standing outside Luo Chu¡¯s room so early in the morning?! When Pei Qingfeng arrived at Bai Luochu¡¯s room in the morning, he saw Pei Rumo standing outside with a tray of breakfast. He woke up early with the intention of bringing breakfast to Bai Luochu. Could it be that Pei Rumo hadn¡¯t slept?! ¡°Good morning, Your First Highness¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng knew that he couldn¡¯t avoid greeting Pei Rumo now that they ran into each other. Glancing at Pei Qingfeng, he remained silent. After all, Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t worthy of his attention. Without waiting for Pei Rumo¡¯s reply, Pei Qingfeng opened the door and entered the room. Too bad for him, he was stopped by Pei Rumo. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Luo Chu isn¡¯t awake yet. It¡¯s inappropriate for you to enter her room now.¡± Pei Qingfeng raised his brows and snickered, ¡°Are you trying to say that I have bad intentions? Look at yourself. This is really the case of the pot calling the kettle black. You¡¯ve been standing here for the whole morning¡­ Where in the world did you find the courage to blame others for having designs on Luo Chu?¡± Pei Qingfeng pushed the door and entered Bai Luochu¡¯s room the moment he finished speaking. He turned around and closed the door before Pei Rumo could enter, preventing him from waking her up. Chapter 412: Anxious He thought of speaking to Bai Luochu when she came out of her room to breathe some fresh air. However, she didn¡¯t appear even after the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. In fact, it wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to meet him. Instead, Pei Qingfeng had already expected him to guard outside her door for the entire day. Instead of wasting time arguing with Pei Rumo, Pei Qingfeng brought Bai Luochu out from the back. Just like that, Pei Rumo wasted his entire day. In the next two days, Pei Rumo tried his best to find time to interact with Bai Luochu as Pei Qingfeng used all his efforts to obstruct him. Seeing that he wasn¡¯t able to win with his meagre abilities, Pei Rumo decided to use his ultimate attack. He shifted Pei Qingfeng¡¯s attention to Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes and successfully ended the conflict between the both of them. After all, curing her eyes was of utmost priority. ¡°Didn¡¯t she say that her eyes will recover after seven days? How many days has it been? Even if her vision hasn¡¯t fully recovered, she should at least be able to make out some distinct figures¡­Why does it seem like her condition isn¡¯t improving at all?¡± Pei Qingfeng arrived at the Desolate Region after Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes were damaged. He could only bug Pei Rumo for an explanation. Pei Rumo started to panic as well, ¡°I have no idea what is going on. She guaranteed that her eyes would recover after seven days. I thought that with her outstanding medical skills, she would be certain of the recovery time. I didn¡¯t think too much about it.¡± ¡°What else do you know? You seem to be clueless about everything! Why are you even competing with me to take care of Luoluo, you incompetent fool?!¡± The more Pei Rumo expressed his confusion, the angrier Pei Qingfeng became. ¡°Why are you so anxious? I¡¯m sure there is a way to cure her eyes. Right now, we have to cure Luo Chu¡¯s eyes at all costs. We will gain nothing from quarrelling with each other here.¡± Pei Rumo said calmly. ¡°Look like you have already thought of a plan. Hurry up and spill it. As long as it works, I will follow your instructions.¡± Seeing as Pei Rumo was extremely confident in himself, Pei Qingfeng thought that he had a solution to their problem. ¡°It¡¯s very simple. We can try Lu Wenshu¡¯s antidote. Her eyes were affected by the poison mist and Lu Wenshu said that this is the antidote for the poison. As long as she eats the medicine, she should be cured. However, Luo Chu refuses to eat it. Why don¡¯t we try to persuade her to eat it?¡± ¡°Easy for you to say¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng disagreed with his plan. After thinking for some time, he said, ¡°Since Luoluo isn¡¯t willing to eat the antidote, there is definitely something wrong with it. What if there is something wrong with the ¡®antidote¡¯? You can¡¯t ask her to consume some unknown pill even if you are anxious for her well-being. If something happens to her, will you take responsibility?¡± ¡°What are you waiting for?! Let¡¯s go and persuade her to eat it!¡± Pei Qingfeng dragged Pei Rumo along as he made his way to Bai Luochu¡¯s room. Bai Luochu had barely opened her eyes from her morning cultivation session when she started growing doubtful. The two stone lions guarding her door weren''t present. Are they finally gone for good? Just as she was about to exhale a sigh of relief, Pei Qingfeng barged through the door with Pei Rumo in tow. ¡°Luoluo, how are your eyes? Can you see?¡± Pei Qingfeng saw the dull look in her eyes and he was sure of his conjecture. As much as he didn¡¯t want to believe it, she was still blind. ¡°I can¡¯t see. What is the problem? Are there any movements in the ruins?¡± Bai Luochu felt that something was up when the two of them charged into her room, guns blazing. She never expected for everything to be fine. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything wrong with the ruins. You¡¯re the only problem we have right now. Didn¡¯t you say that you will recover after seven days? Even if you can¡¯t see clearly, you should be slowly regaining your vision, right?¡± Bai Luochu knew that the two of them were worried for her but she couldn¡¯t help but grow annoyed at them. She was very clear on the condition of her body. She didn¡¯t need the two of them to barge into her room early in the morning to interrogate her on her injury. Even though she was getting a little impatient, she still explained herself to them, ¡°My eyes will definitely heal. I won¡¯t be a liability to the both of you and if you are tired of taking care of me, go back and do your own stuff.¡± Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo turned to look at each other after hearing what she said. They saw the helpless look in each other¡¯s eyes and they knew that they had successfully angered Bai Luochu. After a long time, Pei Rumo decided to speak first. ¡°Luo Chu, we aren¡¯t blaming you for holding us back. However, there is a saying that goes, ¡®A physician can¡¯t cure himself¡¯. We are worried about the condition of your eyes. If your diagnosis is wrong, things might go south really quickly¡­ We were thinking¡­¡± Before Pei Rumo could finish his sentence, Bai Luochu interrupted him, ¡°What? What are your thoughts? Why not tell me about them? If they are reasonable, I might just accept¡­¡± ¡°We were thinking that you should consume Lu Wenshu¡¯s antidote. The earlier your eyes heal, the better. We won¡¯t need to worry about you all the time. Being blind all the time isn¡¯t good for you anyway.¡± Pei Rumo continued. Chapter 413: Freedom Brings Joy Once the words left Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth, the entire room fell silent. It was so quiet one could hear their breaths and the chirping of birds outside the room. After a long time, Pei Qingfeng finally broke the silence. His words were not directed at Bai Luochu, and instead, he chided Pei Rumo. ¡°What were we thinking? Why did we think we would be able to convince her to eat the antidote?¡± Pei Rumo started to laugh as well, ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true. We forgot that she is someone who doesn¡¯t change her mind after making a decision.¡± Bai Luochu heard the two of them playing the same tune and she was shocked speechless. Her obstinate personality hadn¡¯t changed since a long time ago. Since there was no one able to stop her, she didn¡¯t bother changing it. Even though Bai Luochu felt that recovering without the use of Lu Wenshu¡¯s antidote was the safest way, it was obvious that the two princes didn¡¯t think so. She felt that she had to find a way to convince them. ¡°Why don¡¯t the two of you listen to what I have to say?¡± They were originally optimistic about solving the issue with Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes. However, they never expected her to be so adamant about not using Lu Wenshu¡¯s antidote. They could only allow her to explain herself. Seeing that the both of them were willing to listen to her explanation, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t waste any more time. ¡°Even though you feel that we are wasting time and delaying the journey, in my opinion, this is the best course of action.¡± ¡°There are too many things we are unsure about in the Desolate Region. It won¡¯t benefit us if we are to kill our way over recklessly. Taking a step back, we should slowly consider our options. If I¡¯m correct, we have only explored a small part of the ruins. Even if we are able to avoid the traps, the huge army behind us won¡¯t be able to. Moreover, cultivators like us should be standing on the frontlines if we are to do battle with the other factions in the Desolate Region. The only thing the army can do is to cower behind us. As such, we are not the ones slowing them down.¡± ¡°This is also a one in a million chance for myself. Ever since I¡¯ve left the Bestial Battle Arena, I have been moving about alone. My relatives plotted against me in the general¡¯s residence and the Phoenix King Valley had their eyes on me the moment I left the residence. I had to face their attacks head-on and never had the time to rest. In my opinion, I should slow down the pace now since I am blind. I can use the time to consolidate my spirit energy and calm my mind. This is a good thing¡­¡± The room fell into silence after the words left Bai Luochu¡¯s mouth. After all, Bai Luochu spoke of the true thoughts in her heart and the two princes couldn¡¯t find fault in her words. Pei Rumo¡¯s eyes widened when he heard what Pei Qingfeng said. ¡°She¡¯s messing about and you¡¯re going along with it?!¡± He felt that his second brother was a little too tactless. Why is he agreeing with her? ¡°What can we do about it? Should we knock her unconscious and force the antidote down her throat? Instead of using a method that will cause us both to feel uncomfortable, we should let her do whatever she likes. There isn¡¯t much going on in the Desolate Region these few days anyway.¡± Pei Qingfeng casually said. Pei Rumo turned to look at Bai Luochu before looking at Pei Qingfeng. He felt that the two of them were pretty similar when it came to their tactics of enraging him. He felt that with a little more practice, the two of them could probably anger him to death. It was too bad he didn¡¯t know how to deal with them. He could only agree. He shook his head silently, ¡°Emperor Father has already given me his reply. He said that we can decide after Luo Chu¡¯s eyes heal. The only thing left to do is to hide the matter from the troops. However, it won¡¯t be easy. Since you have already decided, I can¡¯t change your mind. I¡¯ll think of a way to pacify the soldiers at the border region. If I can¡¯t think of a way to calm them down, you can¡¯t blame me. If they come knocking on our door, don¡¯t think of throwing all the blame to me.¡± ¡°Of course. Your First Highness can relax. We are not ungrateful beings. I am already very happy that you are keeping my injury a secret from the soldiers. However¡­¡± Even though it seemed like she was very thankful to Pei Rumo, she appeared to be hesitant about something. ¡°Just speak your mind. I have already consented to your willful behavior. As long as your request isn¡¯t too excessive, I will accept it.¡± Bai Luochu no longer stood on ceremony. ¡°Please send a message to the troops at the border region. ¡®There are many other factions other than us in the Desolate Region. In order to keep the morale of the army stable, please do not believe any reports unless they are sent by me¡¯.¡± Even though it was a simple matter for Pei Rumo to send out her message to the troops, he became a little doubtful about the meaning behind her words. Instead of keeping his questions bottled up, he simply asked Bai Luochu, ¡°Why do we need to tell them that? I can do as you say, but I don¡¯t understand the meaning behind your words.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s eyebrows jumped. However, she quickly came up with a random reason. ¡°We have to be prepared in case anything happens. After all, keeping the morale of the troops high is the most important factor.¡± Pei Rumo slowly nodded and he got ready to relay her message to the troops. Before leaving, he said, ¡°I still have to mix around with my soldiers and generals. I won¡¯t be able to look after you for the time being. If there is anything you need, get Pei Qingfeng to do it.¡± Even though Pei Rumo was reluctant to let Pei Qingfeng take care of Bai Luochu, he came to a compromise. Helping her keep her condition a secret from the army was the best thing he could do for her now. ¡°I thank Your First Highness for the concern.¡± Chapter 414: Ying Lan’s Suspicion Pei Rumo and Pei Qingfeng were not the only people worried for Bai Luochu. Ying Lan had been busy running about in the Desolate Region and the first thing he did when he came back was to ask Qin Feng, ¡°Is Mistress¡¯ eyes healed?¡± Qin Feng knew that he couldn¡¯t lie and he told Ying Lan everything that happened. ¡°Not yet. When you were gone, His First Highness and His Second Highness went to look for Mistress. They wanted to persuade her to consume Lu Wenshu¡¯s antidote but failed to convince her. I don¡¯t know what happened after that and I didn¡¯t dare to ask. It might be better if Commander Ying asks Mistress about it.¡± Ying Lan thought about it for a moment before nodding his head, ¡°Did anything happen when I was away?¡± Qin Feng racked his brains as he tried to recall the events that happened the past few days. ¡°Nothing much¡­ Other than the two princes nearly coming to blows with each other, nothing really happened. Some soldiers living here tried to make things difficult for His First Highness but he stopped all of them and protected Mistress.¡± ¡°Alright. If there is nothing left to do, go and take a break. I¡¯ll look for Mistress in a bit.¡± Ying Lan turned and walked towards Bai Luochu¡¯s room the moment he was done speaking. Qin Feng followed Ying Lan¡¯s instructions and went back to his room. Bai Luochu already expected for Ying Lan to question Qin Feng about the events that went down these few days the moment he got back. She knew that he would be looking for her and she patiently waited in her room. Before she could finish thinking about what she was going to say to Ying Lan, his figure appeared in the room. ¡°This subordinate greets Mistress. Are you doing well?¡± Ying Lan asked with concern. She replied indifferently, ¡°Of course, how can I not be doing well? Hurry up and get up. If you want to ask me anything, go ahead.¡± After getting her permission to ask anything he wanted, Ying Lan no longer held back. ¡°Mistress, what in the world happened to your eyes? What if¡­ what if you never recover?¡± Ying Lan spoke extremely slowly, with a voice slightly louder than a mosquito¡¯s hum. He was afraid he might enrage Bai Luochu by being so direct. Instead of getting angry, Bai Luochu laughed, ¡°Nonsense! Why are all of you afraid that I will remain blind for the rest of my life? I¡¯m not afraid¡­ Why are all of you so scared for me? Relax. My eyes will heal soon. If you guys panic too much, I might feel a little uncomfortable¡­¡± Ying Lan calmed down after hearing Bai Luochu¡¯s assurance. After all, everything else didn¡¯t matter to him. The only thing he cared about was Bai Luochu¡¯s safety. ¡°Mistress, everything else doesn¡¯t matter as long as you are fine. Leave the rest to me, you don¡¯t need to worry yourself. However, there is one thing I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡°In the past, you would be extremely anxious if your vision was affected. After the antidote arrived, you became extremely calm. Can you tell me the reason you are unwilling to use the antidote to treat your eyes?¡± After the question left Ying Lan¡¯s mouth, he felt like a giant rock was lifted off his shoulders. Bai Luochu laughed. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing special. I¡¯m taking this time to enjoy a good rest. I haven¡¯t been able to relax after coming out of the Bestial Battle Arena and this is the best chance for me to take a break. Moreover, the antidote was concocted by Lu Wenshu. Even though it seems harmless, his intentions are unclear. It makes sense not to use the medicine he made.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that Mistress takes a break. I used to feel a little heartbroken when I saw how hard Mistress was working.¡± After all, Ying Lan was by her side the entire time. Even though he was responsible for many things, he couldn¡¯t deny that Bai Luochu had never really taken a break. Seeing that there was finally someone who understood her intentions, she felt extremely gratified. Since Ying Lan is here, why don¡¯t I ask him his views on this matter? ¡°Ying Lan, do you think that there is something suspicious about the ruins?¡± ¡°Mistress¡­ do you think that there is something wrong with the ruins?¡± He knew that something was wrong when Bai Luochu asked him that question. Instead of saying anything, Bai Luochu nodded her head. Ying Lan quickly organized his thoughts before saying, ¡°There is indeed something fishy about the ruins. There aren¡¯t many things in the Desolate Region that can raise such huge waves. For something like that to appear¡­ I feel that someone is messing about behind the scenes. There might even be someone controlling the ruins¡­¡± Ying Lan quickly spoke of his conjecture and he turned to look at Bai Luochu¡¯s response. The only reply he received was a nod. After a short moment, Bai Luochu started to speak again, ¡°I think so too. It doesn¡¯t make sense that a random ruins will pop up in a place like the Desolate Region.¡± A troubled expression appeared on her face once again. When Ying Lan noticed that something was bothering her, he asked again, ¡°Mistress, since you brought it up, do you have a guess in mind?¡± ¡°Pretty good. You¡¯re right, I do have a guess in mind. However, I can¡¯t verify it right now. I have no idea how he did something earth-shaking like this¡­¡± Ying Lan seemed to know the person Bai Luochu was thinking of. However, since Bai Luochu didn¡¯t wish to tell him, he wouldn¡¯t ask. If it was really the person he was thinking of, it wouldn¡¯t be too late for him to make a move after the dust settled. As for the suspect¡­ He was waiting in his room for his junior brother to make his report. The suspect was none other than Lu Wenshu. He was thinking long and hard in his room about how Bai Luochu was still blind even though he had already delivered the spirit medicine a long time ago. Even the movements around the ruins disappeared. Chapter 415: Putting on a Show ¡°Senior Brother, I went to check up on the ruins and didn¡¯t notice anyone in the vicinity. The ongoing sandstorm is getting heavier and the tracks left behind have already been covered up.¡± ¡°No one has been snooping around the ruins? What is going on? Even those people from the Cloud Water Nation didn¡¯t approach the ruins?¡± Lu Wenshu felt that the news was pretty incredible. His junior brother braced himself for a scolding and said, ¡°That¡­ that is indeed the case. I will never dare to slack off when Senior Brother has given the order. I carried out your instructions with utmost care and if I lied to you, you may punish me as you deem fit.¡± Lu Wenshu had always trusted this junior brother of his. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t hand over so many important tasks for him to handle. Ignoring the report for now, Lu Wenshu felt a headache coming because of another matter. He couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind Bai Luochu¡¯s indifference to the whole matter. If it was the Bai Luochu of the past, she would have leveled the ruins after suffering a tiny setback from it. Of course, with her current abilities, she didn¡¯t have the power to level the ruins. At the very least, she should be investigating the ruins, right?! Why are there no movements on their side? Could it be¡­ could it be that she didn¡¯t take the antidote? Li Wenshu couldn¡¯t help but panic slightly, ¡°Let me ask you another question. It¡¯s about someone called Luo Chu in the Cloud Water Nation group. Did she meet with any accidents these few days?¡± According to Lu Wenshu¡¯s understanding of Bai Luochu, she should feel extremely grateful for the timely delivery of medicine and she would consume it immediately. It didn¡¯t make sense for her to not make a move¡­ The junior was stunned for a second. After racking his brains, he recalled the person Lu Wenshu was asking about. He quickly started to explain, ¡°Senior Brother, are you talking about Divine Physician Bai whom I delivered medicine to?¡± It was Lu Wenshu¡¯s turn to be stunned. After all, he was afraid they would become suspicious that he was showing so much concern for a random person he had only recently been acquainted with. If they dug up everything about her, he was afraid they might find out about her reincarnation. However, his desire to know Bai Luochu¡¯s condition outweighed everything and he quickly regained his senses. ¡°Yes, is there any news about her?¡± His junior brother¡¯s expression became a little ugly and Lu Wenshu instantly guessed the outcome. He wasn¡¯t willing to accept it and he continued asking, ¡°Just tell me everything you know. As long as there is any news about her, let me know immediately. I won¡¯t take my anger out on you as long as you report truthfully.¡± Lu Wenshu fell backwards into his chair as his legs lost all strength. He mumbled to himself, ¡°She still hates me¡­ She hates me for betraying her¡­¡± When his junior brother heard him, thoughts ran wild in his heart. Who is he talking about? Did Senior Brother get together with another woman after the evil dao witch¡¯s death? If that is the case, his weird behavior and care for her is totally reasonable. However, before his thoughts ran completely wild, Lu Wenshu¡¯s next sentence dragged him back to reality. ¡°Immediately head over to the inn now. If there are any movements on their side, head back and inform me. Do you understand?¡± Lu Wenshu never felt so helpless in his life. As for his junior brother, he disappeared in a flash. He left Lu Wenshu alone in the room to drown in his sorrows. Just like that, Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior brother spent the entire night looking at Bai Luochu¡¯s room. When day finally broke, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s figure slowly appeared at the door. ¡°This is weird. I haven¡¯t seen anyone like him in the Desolate Region before. He seems to be very familiar with Divine Physician Bai...:¡± As he wasn¡¯t familiar with Pei Qingfeng, he could only continue to observe from a distance. After a short while, Pei Qingfeng entered Bai Luochu¡¯s room. Sounds of conversation slowly drifted out of the room. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Pei Qingfeng asked with concern. Bai Luochu nodded her head and softly replied, ¡°Much better. It must have been tiring for you to take care of me for the past few days. Thank you¡­.¡± Pei Qingfeng noticed that something was different about the way she spoke to him but he didn¡¯t read too much into it. He merely carried on the conversation. ¡°Our relationship is formed after going through life and death situations together. In the past, you took care of me when I was heavily wounded in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, I¡¯m just returning the favor now.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s logic was infallible and Bai Luochu thought that he made sense. She didn¡¯t think too much about it but the same couldn¡¯t be said for Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior brother. The words seemed to have another meaning when he heard it. ¡°Oh god! She took care of a man even though they are not husband and wife¡­ Right now, their places are swapped and he is taking care of her! This seems a little off¡­¡± I have to tell my Senior Brother about this! I cannot allow him to sink deeper into this fox¡¯s clutches! Bai Luochu¡¯s voice suddenly became tender and charming as she said, ¡°You can¡¯t say that¡­ In any case, it¡¯s my duty to take care of you. After all, we endured the storms of life together¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng instantly felt goosebumps all over his body. What is wrong with her? She is acting so weird today¡­ He quickly opened his mouth to interject, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today? Why are you acting like this?¡± Bai Luochu rolled her eyes at Pei Qingfeng and felt a little relieved that the person observing her in the dark had already been scared away by her previous performance. If he heard what Pei Qingfeng said, all her efforts would have gone down the drain. ¡°What do you want?! Do you have a problem with me when I speak nicely to you? Your taste is really unique¡­ You really like me to scream and shout at you, don¡¯t you? Weirdo¡­¡± Chapter 416: Lu Wenshu Can’t Sit Still ¡°Nevermind. I was just chasing the spy away. I won¡¯t speak like that again.¡± Seeing that the person observing them in the dark was already gone, Bai Luochu¡¯s attitude returned to normal. Pei Qingfeng seemed a little disappointed but he didn¡¯t say anything else. He felt that it wasn¡¯t time to force her in case she became uncomfortable around him. As for Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior brother, he flew at back top speed to make a report. ¡°Senior Brother, I am back.¡± He stood outside the door and greeted Lu Wenshu, waiting for the order to enter the room. Lu Wenshu had just completed his cultivation session. After all, his injury after almost experiencing cultivation deviation wasn¡¯t something he could recover from in a day or two. He naturally had to use all the time he could to cultivate. ¡°Come in.¡± Lu Wenshu arranged his clothes and became anxious to listen to his junior brother¡¯s report. ¡°Senior Brother, you might get angry at what I am about to say next, but you must mind your health. If you suffer a hidden injury because of what I say, it won¡¯t be worth it.¡± Lu Wenshu merely nodded to indicate his understanding. ¡°This disciple managed to find out that Divine Physician Bai didn¡¯t consume your antidote. Not just that, there is a man taking good care of her. He seems very close to her and he even said something about toeing the line of life and death together. Something about how taking care of her is his duty.¡± Lu Wenshu fell deep into thoughts after hearing his junior¡¯s report. According to what he said, the man was definitely Pei Qingfeng. However, shouldn¡¯t Pei Qingfeng be entertaining the mysterious group of people in the imperial capital? Why did he appear in the Desolate Region? The Desolate Region isn¡¯t a place he can come and go as he please. Today, the Desolate Region has already been demarcated as a battlefield and if I remember correctly, an imperial prince will be sentenced to death if he is found meddling in someone else¡¯s battlefield¡­ As he thought about the consequences of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s actions, he laughed. ¡°I was racking my brains so hard to find a way to deal with you. Now that you are here, you are delivering yourself to the gates of hell.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s decision to sneak into the battlefield and Pei Rumo¡¯s intention to conceal his presence was now a trump card he could use against them. However, it seemed as though Pei Rumo had hidden Pei Qingfeng¡¯s existence really well. How am I supposed to expose him? Lu Wenshu deliberated for a long time and finally relayed an order to his junior brother, ¡°Go and do something for me. We¡¯ll add some fuel to the fire and burn the two princes of the Cloud Water Nation while we¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°Send a report to the soldiers of the Cloud Water Nation at the borders. I will personally write the report and you only need to hand it over to them. However, you need to keep in mind that the troops are all insidious and crafty beings. You need to place the report in the commander¡¯s tent and avoid detection. Are you sure you are able to do it? If you are, I will allow you to go alone. If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll get someone else to do it for you.¡± His junior brother was afraid that Lu Wenshu would no longer trust him if he backed down and he hastily assured Lu Wenshu, ¡°Of course I am able to do it. I have been following Senior Brother for such a long time and you should be aware of my prowess.¡± Lu Wenshu nodded in delight. He quickly went over to the desk and wrote out his fake report for the army. When the ink finally dried out, he passed the report to his junior brother, ¡°Here. You have to deliver it to the commander¡¯s tent. If you mess up, you can forget about living a comfortable life in the sect.¡± ¡°Yes, this disciple understands.¡± After he received the report, he turned to leave the room. However, he seemed to have thought of something and returned to the room. Lu Wenshu thought that his junior brother was regretting his decision and he said with indifference, ¡°What? Are you chickening out now? If you are, leave the report and get out.¡± After he spoke, he raised his hand to grab the report. ¡°That¡¯s not it. However, this disciple has something I don¡¯t know if I should say.¡± After bracing himself, Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior brother replied. Lu Wenshu¡¯s eyebrows jumped. He mused, ¡°If I tell you to shut up, are you going to keep quiet and leave? If you have something to tell me, just speak. Stop beating about the bush.¡± He even compared his junior brother to Bai Luochu. Bai Luochu never hesitated when it came to something she wanted to say. She would speak her mind even if it meant offending some people. She never bothered with all those useless etiquette or other nonsense. Seems like none of them can compare to Bai Luochu¡­ Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior brother was shocked. He never thought that Lu Wenshu would be so direct. However, it was too late to back down and he could only brace himself as he told Lu Wenshu whatever he wanted to say. ¡°This disciple thinks that Divine Physician Bai¡¯s behavior is unacceptable. As a lady, she doesn¡¯t keep herself in check. She interacts with so many men and it is obvious she isn¡¯t a virtuous young lady. She even seems a little fickle. Senior Brother, please do not fall for a woman like this.¡± The instant the words left his mouth, Lu Wenshu¡¯s expression changed. Even the air around him seemed to dip below freezing point. A deep voice reverberated in his junior brother¡¯s mind, ¡°What did you just say? What do you mean fickle?¡± A black light flashed through Lu Wenshu¡¯s eyes and his face was as black as a thundercloud. Even the blind would be able to discern that Lu Wenshu was extremely enraged. Lu Wenshu waved his arm and the doors to his room slammed shut. He reached out and grabbed his junior brother by the throat. Unable to speak. His junior brother revealed an agonized expression. Lu Wenshu slowly raised his hand as his junior brother got dragged higher and higher into the air. When he saw that his junior brother¡¯s head had turned completely red, Lu Wenshu gritted his teeth and said, ¡°What the f*ck did you just say? Why don¡¯t you repeat yourself?¡± Chapter 417: Exposed Because of the lack of oxygen, Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior brother¡¯s face was flushed red. Blue veins were bulging on his forehead and he begged for forgiveness with his eyes. Seeing as his junior disciple was begging for forgiveness, Lu Wenshu knew that he couldn¡¯t take things too far. He slowly lowered his junior disciple and sternly warned him, ¡°Listen up. There are some things you cannot say. Keep that in mind. Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m not allowed to do anything excessive because I¡¯m your senior brother. Taking into account all the help you provided me, I shall spare your life. If you speak out of turn again, your life might just be forfeit.¡± ¡°This disciple understands. I won¡¯t do it again. I shall head out immediately to deliver the message, and I will remember to keep my mouth shut.¡± As soon as he spoke, he disappeared from Lu Wenshu¡¯s sight. Seeing that his junior brother was gone, Lu Wenshu slumped back into his chair and a complicated expression formed on his face. No one knew what he was thinking of. Early the next day, the hundred-men captain who was ready to take over the morning shift entered the tent. He seemed to have knocked something over in his hurry and a note fell onto the ground. Picking up the note, he wondered if he should open it. It didn''t matter if he kept the report away and pretended as though nothing happened. He had to open it and after he read, it was as though he was struck by a bolt of lightning. His soul nearly flew away. Dashing out of the commander tent, the hundred-men captain rushed towards the tents of the other captains. He dragged each and every one of them into the commander tent in a matter of minutes. ¡°Pass this note around. If this is real, I¡¯m afraid things will get really troublesome.¡± There were only a few sentences written on the note. ¡°Divine Physician Bai met with an accident while exploring the ruins. She is now blind. In order to take care of her, His Second Highness sneaked into the battlefield from the capital city.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t prove the authenticity of the note, but I know that His First Highness definitely didn¡¯t send it. I¡¯m not going to confirm the rumor in the note, but I wish to ask everyone present a question. What are we going to do now? If we don¡¯t clarify things with His First Highness, we won¡¯t feel at ease.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t His First Highness tell us to not believe any reports other than those sent by him? There are definitely people out there trying to disrupt the army¡¯s morale by sending fake reports¡­¡± After a long time, someone stood out and said, ¡°Let me go and ask His First Highness about the note¡­¡± Seeing as someone was willing to bite the bullet, everyone raised their heads in shock. They stared wide-eyed at the commander who stood out. He was precisely one of the commanders who fell sick during their journey to the Desolate Region. He fell ill in the dense fog and Bai Luochu saved his life. Now that everyone was looking at him, he felt a little embarrassed and he said, ¡°Divine Physician Bai saved my life¡­ If His First Highness questions me, I can use the excuse of caring for my benefactor to avoid punishment. I can also use the chance to ask His First Highness about the authenticity of the note. I will have a reason to head over there and I will bear all the responsibility myself. Don¡¯t worry, I will not rat you guys out.¡± They felt that what he said was a little unreasonable, especially when he talked about how he would be able to avoid punishment by showing his care of his benefactor. However, his insistence made them rethink their decision to send him over. Seeing that he was adamant about going, all of them nodded their heads. This was the best method they could think of and even if they refused to allow him to head over, they wouldn¡¯t be able to think of a better idea to verify the news. In the dead of night, a lone soldier brought along enough supplies to last him the journey to the central region and he rushed towards the Pleasant Arrival Inn. There were currently three people in the inn but none of them felt any premonition for the storm that was coming. ¡°Luoluo, do you feel like eating anything special today? I¡¯ll get the innkeeper to prepare it.¡± Pei Qingfeng took the initiative to speak to Bai Luochu. Raising her head to stare in the general direction of Pei Qingfeng, Bai Luochu complained, ¡°I want to eat something with strong flavor. All we have here are bland tasting foods. They seem so unappetizing¡­¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know what came over her. After all, she was fine with all sorts of food before Pei Qingfeng¡¯s arrival. When he finally appeared in front of her again, everything she placed in her mouth seemed to lose their flavor.¡± Pei Qingfeng felt a headache coming. Bai Luochu¡¯s request was a little too bold. However, he couldn¡¯t back down now. He could only grind his teeth and promise her, ¡°Alright, I will let the innkeeper know. Hopefully he tries his best and whips up something you like.¡± After he spoke, he quickly went to look for the disguised Qin Feng. Bai Luochu was left in her room but she didn¡¯t idle around. Her mind was working on overdrive and according to her calculations, Lu Wenshu would be aware of all their movements in the past few days. He should be taking action any time now. However, he remained eerily quiet. ¡°Strange¡­ Lu Wenshu is becoming more and more unfathomable.¡± Pei Rumo was also feeling pretty uncomfortable. He even managed to zone out when speaking to his troops. ¡°Your Highness! Is something wrong?¡± His soldiers were extremely shocked as Pei Rumo had never once lost his focus when speaking to them. They became extremely concerned about him. After being pulled back to reality by his troops, Pei Rumo revealed an apologetic expression as he explained himself, ¡°Sorry. I thought of something and zoned out for a second. Where were we?¡± Chapter 418: Anonymous Note Pei Rumo hurriedly agreed as he was feeling rather jumpy at the moment. Seeing that their Commander in Chief had nodded his head, the troops rushed out of the room. ¡°Ai¡­ What in the world is going on? Our Master has never been distracted when talking about work related matters before. What happened to him?¡± The moment they left the room, one of them asked. Everyone else shook their head helplessly. ¡°He is probably distracted as none of us thinks like him. After all, he usually consults his two deputy generals and his military advisor when out on missions. Now that there is only the blind Divine Physician Bai as his deputy general, he can only rely on himself. After all, she hasn''t recovered yet. No matter how good his brain is, he can¡¯t do the work of four people by himself. It¡¯s no wonder he is tired.¡± One of them felt a little resentful and he quipped, ¡°I told you bringing a woman to the army will drag us down. None of you believed me at the time.¡± ¡°Stop. Now that we are already halfway through the mission, there is no need to speak of such things. If not for Divine Physician Bai, the person lying on the bed could be His First Highness. Everyone makes mistakes. Since Divine Physician Bai is sent by His Majesty, she definitely has her strong points.¡± As they chatted on, they eventually arrived at their rooms. Just like that, the voices disappeared and a quiet night passed. When dawn broke, the commander whom Bai Luochu saved finally arrived at the Pleasant Arrival Inn. After pacing around for quite some time, he couldn¡¯t decide if he wanted to go in or not. He didn¡¯t make his decision until the sun rose high into the sky. He tightened his grip on the note and creases formed on the paper. Finally, he mustered his courage and knocked on the doors. ¡°Knock knock.¡± The loud knocks broke the silence of the inn and attracted everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Who is it?¡± Qin Feng¡¯s lazy voice resounded through the air as he slowly opened the door. Seeing the person standing in front of him, Qin Feng was stunned. ¡°Who are you and what are you here for? Are you looking for someone? This inn is already full. If you are here to look for a place to stay, please look for somewhere else.¡± As soon as the final words left his mouth, Qin Feng prepared to slam the door shut. The commander reached out and stopped Qin Feng from closing the door. ¡°Please wait. I am here to look for someone. Is there a young man wearing luxurious black robes staying in this inn? Can brother please look for him and tell him that his subordinate is here to meet him?¡± Pei Rumo was in a dilemma at the moment. Based on Bai Luochu¡¯s medical experience, her eyes should be healed by now. Just as he was thinking of what to do next, Qin Feng rushed into his room. ¡°Your First Highness, someone came to the inn saying that he is your subordinate. He is apparently in a rush to report to you. His clothes seem pretty similar to yours and I allowed him to wait in the front of the inn. Please let me know if you wish to meet him. If you don¡¯t, I shall pass on your message so that he doesn¡¯t need to wait in vain.¡± A frown formed on Pei Rumo¡¯s face. Why is someone looking for me now? Did something happen at the border region? A trace of anxiety appeared at the bottom of his heart. If his worst fears were to come true, he would be faced with a complete sh*tstorm. He didn¡¯t even settle the matter with Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes and the main body of his army was facing trouble¡­ ¡°Innkeeper, you¡¯ve worked hard. I shall head out to meet my subordinate.¡± Pei Rumo left the room immediately after speaking. Qin Feng hastily tried to keep up with Pei Rumo thinking that he could be of some use if the First Prince ran into some problems. When he arrived at the front of the inn, Pei Rumo was stunned for a moment. He never expected to meet one of the commanders under him. Without thinking too much about it, he immediately questioned, ¡°Did something happen at the border region? Why are you here?!¡± Seeing the anxious Pei Rumo, the commander shook his head. ¡°Nothing happened at the border region. However¡­ We received an anonymous note saying something about how Divine Physician Bai is now blind. Moreover¡­ His Second Highness sneaked into the Desolate Region without letting His Majesty know. This subordinate is here to verify the validity of the news. Your First Highness can rest assured. Only the hundred-men commanders know of this matter. None of the soldiers got wind of this information yet. The morale of the army won¡¯t be affected¡­¡± What¡¯s the difference?! Pei Rumo felt a headache coming. He originally thought that he would be able to hide Bai Luochu¡¯s injury and Pei Qingfeng¡¯s appearance from everyone. Who would have thought that someone would send an anonymous letter to his troops, exposing his secrets? Without a choice, he could only bring the commander to meet with Bai Luochu. He wanted her to personally tell him the truth. In her room, Bai Luochu had just woken up. Thinking about how she managed to catch a glimpse of moonlight the night before, Bai Luochu felt that her vision was returning. She wanted to wake up early to confirm her guess. Before her excitement of regaining her sight could fade, Pei Rumo appeared. ¡°Your First Highness¡­ What are you doing here so early in the morning?¡± Seeing that Pei Rumo was charging over with such urgency, Bai Luochu couldn''t help but ask. Turning to face Bai Luochu, Pei Rumo even thought that she had felt his presence by using her spiritual energy. However, when he realized that she was staring at him with her huge round eyes, his heart jumped. ¡°You can see again?¡± Bai Luochu nodded her head. ¡°Of course I can. I got back a little of my vision last night. When I woke up this morning, I was completely healed. It¡¯s about time anyway. Why are you in such a rush?¡± ¡°Someone wrote an anonymous letter to the troops at the border region saying something about how you went blind and Pei Qingfeng sneaked into the battlefield without permission. Only the commanders saw it and they were able to keep it from the rest of the soldiers. Now that your eyes are fine, help me reassure them.¡± Chapter 419: Pei Rumo’s Move ¡°May Your First Highness please wait outside... I¡¯ll look for you after freshening up.¡± Bai Luochu knew that the matter about her recovery was a pressing one and she immediately started to ready herself for the day. He knew that it was somewhat inconvenient for him to remain in her room and he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush. I brought him to the courtyard and you can look for us once you are done.¡± Even though she received Pei Rumo¡¯s reassurance, Bai Luochu¡¯s speed didn¡¯t decrease in the slightest. The matter with the soldiers wasn¡¯t a small one and if she went late, she didn¡¯t know what might happen. In just a short while, Bai Luochu left her room and immediately ran into the commander. ¡°Why are you here?!¡± Bai Luochu asked in shock. When he heard her question, the commander knew that the anonymous note was fake. She was obviously able to see him, how could she be blind? ¡°Were you the one who said that I went blind?¡± Bai Luochu mused and she stared at him with her eyes shining brighter than stars. It was obvious that she wasn¡¯t blind. ¡°This¡­ We are at fault for believing random rumors! Luckily for us, we didn¡¯t notify the soldiers under us. It would be an unpardonable crime if we affected the morale of the army¡­¡± After he spoke, the commander seemed to shake his head in embarrassment. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t bother with him. Instead, she turned to look at Pei Rumo. As though he realized her intentions, he spoke up. ¡°Alright. You don¡¯t need to explain further. If this news were to start spreading, our Cloud Water Nation is going to turn into a world-class joke.¡± ¡°Yes yes yes. This subordinate understands. I will never act so rashly again in the future.¡± Hearing that Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t going to punish him, he quickly got ready to return. Looking into each other¡¯s eyes, Pei Rumo and Bai Luochu sighed with relief. However, their relief didn¡¯t last for long. ¡°Luoluo, why are you awake so early? What do you feel like eating for lunch?¡± Just as the commander was about to leave, he ran into Pei Qingfeng. How would Pei Qingfeng recognize a random commander in Pei Rumo¡¯s army? He ignored the unfamiliar face before him and entered Bai Luochu¡¯s courtyard without a second thought. As for the commander, how could he fail to recognize the Second Prince?! ¡°Your Second Highness?! Why are you here?!¡± Unable to conceal his shock, the commander yelled. Looking into each other¡¯s eyes again, Pei Rumo and Bai Luochu saw the despair the other party felt. Sh*t¡­ Now we are screwed. We won¡¯t be able to hide the truth anymore. This Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t have chosen a better time to appear¡­ ¡°Who are you? How do you know my identity?¡± Pei Qingfeng shifted his gaze to look at the commander who yelled out his title. After all, not many people knew of his identity as the Cloud Water Nation¡¯s Second Prince. ¡°If you¡¯re here to confirm something, just do it with Pei Rumo. Why are you staring at me?! Are you crazy?¡± Pei Qingfeng ignored the soldier and continued walking towards Bai Luochu. He couldn¡¯t be bothered with anything else but her. However, he never expected the soldier to pour a bucket of cold water over him. ¡°Does Your Second Highness know that the Desolate Region is a battlefield set by His Majesty? Sneaking into the battlefield without His Majesty¡¯s permission will land you a death sentence.¡± Pei Qingfeng was stunned. The smile on his face faded and he appeared before the commander in a flash. ¡°Oh? What rights do you have to criticize me? You dare to sentence me to a crime the moment you see me? You¡¯re a commander because your Master thinks highly of you. That doesn¡¯t mean that you can shoot your mouth off in front of me! If anyone is to pin a crime on my head, your Master should be the one to do so!¡± In that instant, Bai Luochu realized that the man who was always messing about and acting like a child in front of her was still the Second Prince of the Cloud Water Nation. If someone really pissed him off, he wasn¡¯t going to take it lying down. However, the only thing she took away from their conversation was Pei Qingfeng¡¯s crime for sneaking onto the battlefield. Isn¡¯t the death sentence a little heavy? ¡°Since His Second Highness has admitted to it, will Your First Highness please decide on his punishment?¡± The commander wasn¡¯t fazed in the slightest as he turned to Pei Rumo. Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t afraid in the slightest as to what Pei Rumo would do to him. After thinking about it for a moment, Pei Rumo turned to Bai Luochu. He could see a hint of worry in her eyes as she looked at Pei Qingfeng. A sense of realization struck him. I really can¡¯t bear to see her scowl¡­ The outcome was decided before Pei Qingfeng entered the courtyard. Pei Rumo immediately turned to his commander and he said, ¡°You are to keep your mouth shut after returning to the camp. No one is to learn about this matter, even the other commanders. The information recorded on the note is fake. Divine Physician Bai is not blind and my second brother isn¡¯t here at the Desolate Region. Do you understand? Everything is to carry on as per normal.¡± The commander was dumbstruck. He asked incredulously, ¡°Your First Highness, why are you doing this? You said that we had to be strict and unbiased in all that we do. Why are you covering for His Second Highness now?!¡± ¡°We need to follow the rules, but you need to follow my orders. If you really wish to defy my orders, be prepared to receive military punishment.¡± Now that Pei Rumo had already decided on something, he could only follow through with his words. How could Pei Rumo¡¯s subordinate not know that his Master¡¯s orders were not to be defied? He didn¡¯t dare to continue arguing and he hurriedly agreed, ¡°Yes! This subordinate understands. I will tell everyone that the note is fake when I get back.¡± Chapter 420: Bai Luochu’s Questioning The commander felt that Pei Rumo made sense and he immediately replied, ¡°This subordinate understands. I will be careful with my report after I return. They won¡¯t be able notice anything wrong.¡± He turned to leave after speaking. After seeing that the commander had left, Pei Rumo let out a sigh of relief. He turned and glared at Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done! I had to lie to my soldier to cover up for you. Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?¡± In fact, Pei Qingfeng was shocked at the sudden appearance of Pei Rumo¡¯s soldier. He never thought that Pei Rumo would cover up for him and he felt a little curious. ¡°Why did you help me? I even thought you would use the chance to get rid of me. Wasn¡¯t I an obstacle in your way?¡± Pei Rumo glanced at Bai Luochu from the corner of his eye and he said, ¡°Why are you asking so many questions? I don¡¯t wish for Luo Chu to worry for you.¡± After hearing what Pei Rumo said, Pei Qingfeng started to laugh, ¡°I knew it! This is a great move by Your First Highness¡­¡± He seemed to have thought of something and he continued, ¡°Then again, I need to thank you. If not for your timely interference, I might not be able to remain here in one piece.¡± After he spoke, he bowed to Pei Rumo respectfully. As his first brother, Pei Rumo shamelessly accepted the bow. Even though he didn¡¯t wish for Bai Luochu to be sad, he put in too much effort to cover for Pei Qingfeng. ¡°You should be more careful in the Desolate Region. If anyone wants to make things difficult for you, you¡¯ll be in trouble.¡± ¡°I thank Your First Highness for your concern. I will keep your advice in mind.¡± ¡°Are you two done? Why don¡¯t you answer my question instead? What is this about the death sentence for sneaking onto a battlefield?!¡± Bai Luochu snapped when she saw that the two of them were done acting. Pei Qingfeng felt a headache coming. He couldn¡¯t possibly come clean with her, right? He started to stutter, ¡°Um¡­ Luoluo, I heard the innkeeper say something about hunting some wild animals for lunch. Would you like to try some?¡± ¡°Less nonsense! Since you¡¯re willing to say it, I shall ask Pei Rumo instead. Your First Highness, tell me everything.¡± Bai Luochu was obviously anxious and she hastily turned to Pei Rumo for an explanation. ¡°WHAT?! The two of you are really capable aren¡¯t you?! If not for me learning this information by chance, are you going to hide it from me forever? Are you planning to hide this from me until Pei Qingfeng is sentenced to death? Since you know about the punishment, shouldn¡¯t you stop him?! Even if he comes to the Desolate Region, you should¡¯ve sent him back!¡± Bai Luochu felt that the two of them were really messing around. Are they treating this as a game?! ¡°I didn¡¯t stop him as I felt that it would be better if there was another person to take care of you.¡± As he tried to explain himself, Pei Rumo looked at Pei Qingfeng, as though he was waiting for his brother to speak up for him. Since Pei Rumo helped him to lie to his soldiers, Pei Qingfeng felt that he would be letting his conscience down if he threw Pei Rumo under the bus. As such, he started to explain to Bai Luochu, ¡°I told him to keep my presence a secret¡­ If you really want to blame someone, blame me. It¡¯s not Pei Rumo¡¯s fault.¡± Seeing them still trying to cover up for each other, Bai Luchu felt a ball of anger welling up in her heart. ¡°What great coordination between the two of you! Why didn¡¯t I realize the GREAT relationship between the two of you in the past?! Both princes lowered their head like a naughty child in front of their parents. ¡°Enough.¡± Seeing as the two of them were no longer speaking, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t wish to embarrass them. ¡°Let¡¯s settle the matter with the Desolate Region before thinking of anything else. As for the matter with Pei Qingfeng sneaking onto the battlefield, we¡¯ll hide it the best we can. If we can¡¯t, we should start thinking of an explanation to placate His Majesty.¡± Turning to face each other, Pei Rumo and Pei Qingfeng felt that they could only do as she said and they nodded their heads. ¡­ On the other hand, Lu Wenshu¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. ¡°What did you say?! The soldier left after listening to Pei Rumo¡¯s order?! He even promised to hide the truth from the rest of the soldiers?!¡± Lu Wenshu slammed the table and stood up. It was obvious he was shocked that the play wasn¡¯t going according to his plan. This doesn¡¯t make sense. Pei Rumo and Pei Qingfeng shouldn''t see eye to eye. Pei Rumo¡¯s ambitions are huge and he is definitely eyeing the throne. He should be happy to get rid of an obstacle in his path. He had a perfect excuse to get rid of Pei Qingfeng and he didn¡¯t take it?! ¡°Not just that, the First Prince was defending the Second Prince the best he could. He never raised his voice at his subordinates before. However, he jumped in rage and snapped at the commander who went to find him. This is extremely confusing¡­¡± Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior brother started to add fuel to the fire. Lu Wenshu raised his hand and felt the spirit qi in his body running wild. After calming himself down, he said in a low voice, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Even if this fails to ruffle their feathers, there is definitely a way to make them leave Bai Luochu¡¯s side.¡± Chapter 421: Lu Wenshu’s Delusion Lu Wenshu looked up at his junior with gloomy eyes and spoke with a pensive tone, "I remembered that I have mentioned that you shouldn''t ask about things that you are not supposed to know. Just do what you are required to. Master has already asked me to handle the matters in the Desolate Region and you do not need to worry." Hua Sen wished he could slap himself twice while he thought about why he was actually not learning from his mistakes. I am always speaking out of turn¡­ Moreover, I¡¯m always doing so when Senior Brother isn¡¯t in a good mood. "Senior, please forgive me. This junior had forgotten about it, I shall leave now." Hua Sen vaguely understood what Lu Wenshu was going to do but this was truly a serious matter and he didn''t know if he should secretly report it to his master. "Just wait, soon enough, I will move all of you away from Ah Chu''s side." Lu Wenshu looked into the distance and revealed an eerie smile. After speaking, he immediately headed to the distant ruins. At this moment, Bai Luochu, Pei Rumo, and Pei Qingfeng were still discussing what they should do next. "Now that my eyes have recovered. If something really happens, I will also be able to offer some assistance. Hence, I am thinking of scouting out the ruins in order to prepare for the campaign.¡± Pei Rumo and Pei Qingfeng nodded repeatedly in response and felt that what Bai Luochu said was very reasonable. But before the duo could continue the discussion, they felt an intense vibration on the ground. Even the decorations in Bai Luochu''s room shattered. After several seconds, the world seemed to return to normal as all the shaking stopped suddenly. "What is going on?" Bai Luochu asked. In regards to this sudden vibration, the duo also had a suspicious expression plastered on their face. But in just a short moment, Pei Rumo''s subordinate came over to report. "Your First Highness, things aren¡¯t good. There is a commotion over at the ruins, all of the factions are gathering there right now. There are some evil factions and righteous factions in the mix¡­ Will we be heading there as well?¡± Pei Rumo took a glance at Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu. Looking at the serious expression on their face, Pei Rumo passed down his order, "Qingfeng will follow me, Luo Chu will stay and wait here." Pei Rumo had asked for Bai Luochu to remain here for a reason. Bai Luochu''s eyes had just recovered and if she encountered another accident, be it him or Pei Qingfeng, none of them would be able to accept it. Bai Luochu actually agreed and wasn''t as stubborn as she would be normally. Pei Rumo thought that Bai Luochu finally knew to cherish her life. But in fact, Bai Luochu had already guessed that this was Lu Wenshu''s plot and she was planning to wait for Lu Wenshu here. Lu Wenshu stood at the side of the ruins and made use of the broken walls of the ruins to conceal himself. Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo had also arrived and when Lu Wenshu saw them, his eyes lit up as he was thinking about the great chance he would get to meet with Bai Luochu privately. Too bad for him, he eventually noticed that Bai Luochu wasn''t here. As such, Lu Wenshu made another move and created another commotion at the ruins before heading for the Pleasant Arrival Inn. As for Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo, they were preparing to conduct a detailed investigation. "We will split up. It will be a little faster." Pei Qingfeng was preparing to leave right after making his suggestion. Pei Rumo didn''t agree with Pei Qingfeng''s method and immediately refused, "No, this place is filled with dangers. Previously, if it wasn''t for Luo Chu''s knowledge of the arrays and mechanisms, I would have died here. You don¡¯t even know the area¡­ How can I allow you to run about yourself?¡± "Pei Rumo, when have you concerned yourself about my well-being? Did the sun rise from the west today?" Pei Qingfeng heard Pei Rumo''s response and snapped with dissatisfaction. "Because I don''t wish to see Luo Chu sad." Pei Rumo was unwilling to admit it but did it in the end. "Do you understand? I refuse to allow something to happen to you as it will make Luo Chu sad! If not for her, I would rather you die right this moment¡­¡± "Fine¡­ However I have no idea what gave you the idea that Luoluo would become sad if I were to meet with an accident." Pei Qingfeng revealed a blank expression and he was clearly oblivious to the fact that Bai Luochu had feelings for him. Unable to hold himself back, Pei Rumo snapped at him. "Don¡¯t you realize that Luo Chu treats you differently from the other princes?! If it¡¯s possible, I rather be the target of her affection¡­¡± Pei Rumo noticed the clueless look on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face after his explanation and decided to ignore him. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between the two of you and two wooden blocks?! Whatever, I¡¯m no longer going to speak to you about Luo Chu¡¯s feelings. Follow me to investigate the ruins.¡± In the Pleasant Arrival Inn, Bai Luochu sat calmly in her room as she waited for Lu Wenshu¡¯s arrival. As a gust of wind blew through her hair, she noticed another presence behind her. "I didn''t know that Young Master Lu was coming and failed to give you a proper welcome. Will Young Master Lu please forgive me?" Bai Luochu was obviously not interested in Lu Wenshu¡¯s arrival as she sat lazily in her room without turning around. Without a doubt, she already knew that he was coming. When Lu Wenshu saw Bai Luochu''s expression, he knew that she had already been waiting for a long time. He immediately spoke and exposed Bai Luochu''s cheap trick, "Haven¡¯t you been waiting for some time already?¡± After hearing Lu Wenshu''s response, Bai Luochu opened her eyes. Even though they seemed to sparkle like stars, the look in them was unfathomable. Chapter 422: Alone Bai Luochu''s tone changed and the aura she emitted seemed to freeze the room. Even the haughty Lu Wenshu seemed a little dispirited when facing her. "Ah Chu, what do you want from me? I¡¯m at fault for betraying you in the past. However, I know my mistakes! Didn¡¯t I say that I will compensate you for all the wrong I did to you? Why are you still pushing me away? I will treat you well and give you everything you want!" Bai Luochu immediately replied, "What do I want? How about you tell me what you want?! Let¡¯s put the matter about us aside for now. Didn¡¯t you send an anonymous letter to the troops at the border region? Why would you do something like that? Do you want me to lose my reputation in front of all the soldiers or do you want Pei Qingfeng to be sentenced to death by the old emperor?¡± "I just didn¡¯t want Pei Qingfeng to remain by your side! Ah Chu, you are mine! I don''t wish to see any other men by your side." Lu Wenshu was rather agitated when he was speaking and he grabbed Bai Luochu¡¯s wrist before pulling her into his embrace. How was it possible for her to allow him to do as he wished? She stabbed out with her poison needles and warned, ¡°Young Master Lu, you had better think before you act. This is the Three Day Intoxication, the fastest-acting poison I have in my arsenal. If Young Master Lu doesn''t wish to develop hallucinations and live in a lifetime of illusions, you better force the poison out of your body.¡± Bai Luochu used the time when Lu Wenshu was forcing out the poison to break free from Lu Wenshu''s grasp. Even though he forced the poison out as quickly as he could, a trace of it remained in his body and he could feel his world spinning slightly. Lu Wenshu shook his head and tried his hardest to remain sober. ¡°Ah Chu, you weren¡¯t like this in the past¡­¡± "Everyone will change. In my previous life, I betrayed my temple for you. All my brothers and sisters in the temple suffered because of me! What did I get in exchange? You betrayed me! Everyone in this world can hate me and betray me, anyone but you. You dealt the final blow and stabbed the sword through my chest. You caused the destruction of the Thousand Brilliance Temple and the death of all my fellow disciples! Even if I am the evil dao witch hated by all, I suffered retribution in my previous life! If you¡¯re not satisfied with that, go and question the heavens! Don¡¯t pretend that your feelings for me still exist¡­ We all know you¡¯re going to betray me again. Let me tell you right now, your appearance disgusts me. In this world, I will no longer believe in love!¡± Two drops of tears rolled down her cheeks and eventually dripped onto the ground. Lu Wenshu took a step forward and reached out to wipe the tear stains off her cheeks. However, Bai Luochu turned away before he could do so. Lu Wenshu heard Bai Luochu''s words and immediately said, "Luochu, I really want to return back to the time we were in love..." Turning to look at her, Lu Wenshu discovered that her face remained emotionless and he finally turned to leave. ... Ying Lan originally wanted to report something to Bai Luochu, but when he reached the entrance, he heard the commotion inside. He instantly concealed his presence and stood by the side. Now that Lu Wenshu had left, he entered the room only to be met with a distraught Bai Luochu. Her eyes were red and tears seemed to be rolling about in them. Without a second thought, Ying Lan blew up as he thought that Lu Wenshu had bullied her. His face distorted and he wanted to charge out to settle the score with Lu Wenshu. "Come back." Bai Luochu saw Ying Lan''s fuming expression and understood that Ying Lan was definitely going to pick a fight with Lu Wenshu, "Are you people going to stop? Can you calm down for a moment? He didn''t do anything to me, I merely recalled the foolish things I did in my past life¡­¡± Bai Luochu wasn''t a person who cried easily. It seemed like she minded her previous life experiences a lot... Ying Lan quickly gave up on looking for Lu Wenshu and he asked, "What was he here for? He¡¯s behaving like a resentful spirit that doesn¡¯t want to leave you¡­¡± With the intense hatred he had for Lu Wenshu, he felt that he was becoming more annoying by the second. "Who knows? He wanted to continue the relationship we had in my past life but he is probably doing it after being ordered to by his sect." Bai Luochu''s mouth twitched and spoke with disdain. "Mistress, I have information related to the ruins. Are you interested in listening to it? You probably guessed it already but I¡¯m here to verify your thoughts." Ying Lan reported. "Is the commotion at the ruins related to Lu Wenshu?" Bai Luochu asked in return. Ying Lan wasn''t surprised and a smile appeared on his face, ¡°Nothing can escape Mistress¡¯ eye. He must be a retard to think his plan will succeed¡­¡± "I¡¯m sure Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo will be returning at any moment. You should leave in case they notice anything strange¡­¡± In response, Ying Lan immediately returned to his room. She was right. Soon after Ying Lan left, Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo returned to the inn. When Pei Qingfeng stepped into her room, he sniffed the air like a curious hound. "What¡¯s with the smell? Luoluo, did you use a different type of incense today?¡± Bai Luochu was shocked by Pei Qingfeng''s question. She didn''t think that Pei Qingfeng would be able to notice anything wrong. After all, Lu Wenshu had only been there for a short moment. ¡°Why don¡¯t I smell anything? Did someone smash your nose in when we were out scouting earlier?!¡± Chapter 423: Life Is Like a Dream "I think so too. Alright, stop bothering with the smell. Hurry up and tell me about the situation at the ruins." Bai Luochu made use of Pei Rumo to change the topic back to the ruins. On the other side, Lu Wenshu had just arrived back in his campsite and the effects of the Three Day Intoxication had yet to fade. Slumping into his bed, Lu Wenshu fell into a deep slumber. The time he spent with Bai Luochu flashed through his mind and he swam about in his happy memories. "Master, what is the meaning of this? Why do I need to approach the evil dao witch? If we wish to kill her, we can just send out all our elites to hunt her down. Why do I have to do it?" Back then, Lu Wenshu was young and impetuous. He felt that killing Bai Luochu after gaining her trust was a waste of time and more importantly, he felt that his master was pimping him off. "Hahaha, Wenshu, don''t be anxious. If you think about it carefully, you will be able to understand that your position of the Chief Disciple will be unshakable the moment you accomplish this task. Furthermore, you are merely faking your feelings for her. There isn¡¯t much for you to lose out on anyway¡­ I heard that the evil dao witch is a little beauty.¡± After the carrot came the stick. Lu Wenshu¡¯s master decided to lay out the threats before promising him some benefits in order to bait him into accepting the mission. ¡°If you¡¯re successful, you can have half of the temple¡¯s inheritance. If you¡¯re still unwilling¡­ think of the beautiful female disciples we just recruited. Maybe they can be of use¡­¡± Lu Wenshu¡¯s heart shook for a second and he finally agreed. Skip to the time Lu Wenshu met Bai Luochu for the first time... At that time, Bai Luochu was comprehending the dao on the back mountain of the Thousand Brilliance Temple. She failed to sense that Lu Wenshu was approaching her and he managed to hide himself in the bushes nearby. ¡®Blockhead Beauty¡¯, that was the name Lu Wenshu gave Bai Luochu before they even met. It was unknown if Bai Luochu had succeeded in the comprehension of dao or if she had sensed Lu Wenshu''s presence. Her eyes snapped open and they seemed like stars, sparkling in the night sky. Lu Wenshu felt as though a seed was breaking out of the soil in his heart. "I see..." The young Bai Luochu smiled and revealed a look of enlightenment. Lu Wenshu was still having a headache on how to start a conversation with Bai Luoshu, but she gave him an opportunity. "Those who can¡¯t see the path have clouded minds. Those who assume, are not perfect. The people who don¡¯t fall, are those who contributed. Those who boast, are those who have the last¡­¡± Before Bai Luochu finished her statement, another voice appeared. "Only men who don''t contend, are the ones that can contest for the world." Lu Wenshu spoke and walked out from behind a tree. Lu Wenshu noticed that Bai Luochu was interested in him and immediately replied, "Of course. How can someone who is comprehending the dao be ignorant about it? That¡¯s not all I know. If you want, I can tell you everything I know.¡± In the past, Bai Luochu was a fool who only knew to cultivate and comprehend the dao. After hearing what Lu Wenshu suggested, she immediately nodded and agreed. After listening for an afternoon, Lu Wenshu felt that his mouth was so dry his tongue was about to crack. When he asked for a drink, Bai Luochu handed him a flask of liquor. "Pfff! What is this? It burns!" Lu Wenshu had never drank liquor before and he immediately spat everything out. When Bai Luochu saw Lu Wenshu spat out her treasure, she felt heartbroken and hugged her liquor flash. "Don''t be so ignorant! This is the peach blossom brew that I personally made! How can you hate on something so delicious?! What a waste..." Bai Luochu took a swig and let out a satisfied sigh. Lu Wenshu never thought that the young beauty before him was an alcoholic. She drank liquor as if it was water. Lu Wenshu was so thirsty he quickly bade farewell to Bai Luochu, "I shall take my leave. If I don''t return after coming out for a long time, I will be scolded by my Master." "Are you going to come here again? I enjoy comprehending the dao with you." Bai Luochu looked at Lu Wenshu with eyes filled with sincerity. "If I am free, I will naturally come again. However, you have to prepare some tea for me when I return. Otherwise, I won¡¯t come back." Lu Wenshu spoke seriously. Bai Luochu nodded, "Alright, I will prepare all the tea in the world. The only thing you need to do is to come back." After setting the date for their next meeting, the two of them parted ways. The thoughts of a young man and a young woman were too difficult to control and they were like yin and yang, attracting each other the moment they met. ... "I am actually... the evil dao witch¡­ Doesn¡¯t this affect the way you see me?" Bai Luochu couldn''t help but say to Lu Wenshu. She was afraid that their relationship would change if he knew her true identity. Instead of having him leave when he found out about her true identity in the future, Bai Luochu would rather come clean at the very start of their relationship. "I know." Lu Wenshu replied and held Bai Luochu''s hand. "I always knew you were the evil dao witch. So what? We will definitely be able to stand against the world. Ah Chu, are you willing to trust me?¡± That single statement of his caused the barrier around Bai Luochu¡¯s heart to crumble. Even though he approached her due to his master¡¯s order, he threw everything to the back of his mind as his feelings for her became real. But when Lu Wenshu finally brought her back to his sect, everything changed. The conviction she had that they would be able to overcome all obstacles to be together shattered. "How dare an evil dao witch covet my disciple? Without your evil techniques to rapidly gain strength, you¡¯re not worthy of being my disciple¡¯s wife!¡± At that very moment, Bai Luochu realized the barriers she had to face. It was also the first time she found out that Lu Wenshu was the chief disciple of one of the Three Great Immortal Sects. Even though they were attracted to each other, they resembled yin and yang. She was the darkness, and he was the light. Chapter 424: Awakening From the Pipe Dream "Ah Chu, you have to trust me. I will always be by your side and I will do my best to wipe away your name as the evil dao witch! Please give me some information about your sect so I can help you...I" Lu Wenshu asked Bai Luochu patiently. Bai Luochu had long been protected from the outside world by her senior brothers and sisters. She would spend all her time cultivating or comprehending the dao. How would she be able to defend herself against Lu Wenshu¡¯s assault with her innocent mind? Bai Luochu eventually spilled all the secrets of the Thousand Brilliance Temple. After all, she was the Holy Maiden and other than some secrets kept by the temple master, she knew the temple like the back of her hand. During the time they spent together, Lu Wenshu slowly developed feelings for Bai Luochu. Other than comprehending the dao with her, he would bring back some interesting and novel items for her whenever he was sent out on missions. It was the happiest part of his life and thoughts of spending the rest of his life with her started to form in his mind. It was a pity that good things didn''t last long. Soon enough, Lu Wenshu caught wind of the plan to wipe out the Thousand Brilliance Temple. "According to Lu Wenshu''s information, we should make our move on the 15th of this month. We will be able to catch them all off guard and wipe their evil sect off the face of the earth.¡± "She doesn¡¯t know that her feelings were placed in the wrong place. But then again, she has overestimated herself. How dare she think she can be worthy of Lu Wenshu with the strength she gained through her unorthodox methods?¡± One of the elders commented before everyone roared with laughter. How is she not worthy?! When Lu Wenshu heard the comment, he tightened his grip and ripped out a part of the tree he was hiding behind. ¡°SNAP!¡± "Who''s there?!" One of the elders yelled out and sent out a hasty attack. Lu Wenshu was no weakling and he quickly dodged it. When he revealed himself, he realized that all the elders in the courtyard were looking at him. For a moment, his mind blanked out. A moment later, Lu Wenshu¡¯s master took the initiative to break the awkward silence. "Wenshu, you must have heard everything earlier. You should be able to make the right decision.¡± "Yes, this disciple understands." Lu Wenshu nodded. Despite his ¡®obedient¡¯ response, he wasn¡¯t able to hide his emotions completely and a look of rage flashed through his eyes. No one there was an ignorant fool. All the elders had tons of experience and they wouldn¡¯t allow the slightest detail to escape their eye. They could see that the feelings between Lu Wenshu and Bai Luochu were no longer as simple as they thought and they prepared to knock some sense into him. In the end, the naive Lu Wenshu agreed with the elders. However, no matter how hard he tried to suppress his feelings, his heart seemed to be torn apart. Deep down, he didn¡¯t want Bai Luochu to suffer because of a decision made by the elders. When he finally arrived before her, he wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind. He failed to reply to her when she asked him many questions related to cultivation. "Wenshu? What happened to you? Why are you so preoccupied today?" Bai Luochu asked with concern. Lu Wenshu didn''t say anything and he raised his head to look at Bai Luochu. He remained silent and stared at her, like when they first met. She was still as beautiful as before but her personality had undergone a drastic change. She was a gentle and demure woman, unlike the evil dao witch of the past. At that very moment, Lu Wenshu made his decision. Even if his sect was going to gather others and raid the temple, he was going to protect her and remain by her side for the rest of her life. He believed that with his identity as the Chief Disciple, he would be able to influence his elders¡¯ decision of executing her. With the information she provided, they were able to destroy the Thousand Brilliance Temple and that should be reason enough to allow her to live. Lu Wenshu considered everything but failed to take into account Bai Luochu¡¯s personality. She wasn¡¯t a Chinese Trumpet Vine who relied on other people to survive. Neither was she a household pet that grew up under someone¡¯s care. She was a snow lotus that survived in the harshest conditions. She was proud and aloof and nothing would ever change her true personality. "Is this the surprise you wanted to give me?!" Bai Luochu as the soil beneath the temple was painted scarlet red with the blood of her fellow disciples. Her eyes were bright red and a ferocious expression was plastered on her face. "Ah Chu, listen to my explanation..." Lu Wenshu looked at Bai Luochu who was no longer the happy and carefree young lady she was when interacting with him in the past. Is this the end of our relationship? Instead of giving a proper reply, Bai Luochu broke into maniacal laughter, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡­ Young Master Lu is truly a great schemer! In order to destroy my temple, you sold yourself out! I am truly honored!" The stench of blood was getting unbearable and every single word coming out of Lu Wenshu¡¯s mouth was starting to disgust her. "Evil witch, time to die!" Taking the opportunity where she was distracted, one of the elders launched a deadly attack at Bai Luochu. "Pfff..." Bai Luochu immediately vomited a mouthful of fresh blood. It splattered all over Lu Wenshu and his clothes were dyed red. "Ah Chu!" Lu Wenshu was only startled for a moment before he went forward to catch Bai Luochu. Avoiding Lu Wenshu, Bai Luochu clenched her teeth and blood seeped through the gaps in them. ¡°Lu Wenshu, even if the whole world betrays me, I never thought that you would¡­¡± As the last word left her lips, she turned around and started a bloodbath. Before long, the entrance of the temple was filled with the blood of the disciples of the Three Great Immortal Sects. Lu Wenshu¡¯s eyes snapped open and he realized that the sun wasn¡¯t up. Three Day Intoxication... The final scene stabbed deep into Lu Wenshu¡¯s heart. Even though he lived through the happiest part of his memories with Bai Luochu, he experienced the sharpest pain after that¡­ Even though three years seemed like a lifetime ago, Lu Wenshu knew that his feelings for her had yet to fade. Chapter 425: Whatever the Cos A bold plan formed in his heart when he thought up to this point. Luckily for him, he was able to carry out his plan the very next day. If he really wanted her to return to his side, he would have to carry out his plan flawlessly. No matter how strong he was, he wasn¡¯t able to carry out the plan himself. Regardless of how perfectly he executed it, he had to ensure that the elders in his sect wouldn¡¯t find out about Bai Luochu¡¯s existence. After running through the simulation in his head several times, Lu Wenshu left his room to look for Hua Sen. When Hua Sen heard that Lu Wenshu was looking for him, he nearly slid off his chair. The casual atmosphere immediately turned stale as Hua Sen looked at Lu Wenshu. "Se... Senior, what is the new plan?" The junior was obviously frightened by Lu Wenshu¡¯s actions the day before. He wasn¡¯t able to speak properly and his gaze lingered at the door. He was prepared to make a run for it as soon as Lu Wenshu tried to grab him again. Lu Wenshu slightly raised his brows and didn¡¯t know why Hua Sen was so afraid of him. When his gaze landed on the bruise under Hua Sen¡¯s collar, it was as though a lightbulb appeared in his head. Cupping his hands together, he apologized, ¡°I have been rude to you in the past. Please forgive me. I was at fault and lost control of my emotions.¡± When Hua Sen saw that Lu Wenshu was apologizing, his heart started pounding. It was an understatement to say that Hua Sen became even more terrified. "Senior, if... if you have any instructions, please do not hesitate to let me know." Lu Wenshu looked up and saw that there was an audience. As he narrowed his eyes, all the disciples felt their breaths quicken. They were preparing to take their leave but Lu Wenshu spoke first. "It isn''t necessary. You shall follow me to my room." Lu Wenshu left after speaking. When Hua Sen turned around and looked at his fellow disciples, he realized that all of them were looking at him with a look of pity. His heart skipped a beat and he almost cried out loud/ Sigh, only I can save myself now. Since I¡¯m going to die anyway, it was worth it to see Lu Wenshu acting humble for once in his life. Even though his thoughts were running wild, Hua Sen didn¡¯t dare to make Lu Wenshu wait. He nearly broke out into a run as he followed behind his senior brother. When they finally arrived at Lu Wenshu¡¯s room, he said, "The situation is urgent, hence, I shall make this as short as possible. I will be going into seclusion for the next few days. If there is nothing exceptionally important, do not allow anyone to disturb me. You have been helping me out for some time now and you should know what to do.¡± Lu Wenshu shook his head and refused, "That will not be needed. My internal injury has already recovered. I am cultivating because there might be a major incident happening a few days later. If I don''t have enough spirit qi, I might fall in the Desolate Region." Major incident?! Hua Sen became suspicious after hearing what Lu Wenshu said. However, he didn¡¯t wish for a replay for the scene a few days ago. "This junior understands. Since that is the case, senior can cultivate at ease. This junior will comply with senior''s arrangement. I will definitely handle everything in your absence." Lu Wenshu suddenly felt guilty when he saw how terrified Hua Sen was. "I was at fault for losing my cool. Please forgive me. I hope you never experience what I went through." Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t wish to explain himself too clearly as the matter with Bai Luochu shouldn¡¯t be revealed. He didn¡¯t want anyone to cause trouble for her before she was strong enough. Even though Hua Sen was confused, he nodded in acknowledgement. As he left the room, curiosity got the better of him and he turned around to ask, "Senior, what major incident are you referring to? We should remain prepared to deal with anything that comes our way, right?¡± How would the old fox, Lu Wenshu, be unaware as to what Hua Sen¡¯s goal was? Even though it wasn¡¯t a secret, Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t want to reveal too much. "You don¡¯t need to bother about this. If my master asks about me, tell him that I¡¯m entering seclusion to stabilize my cultivation base.¡± Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t make himself too clear as the more he revealed, the more likely it was for him to make a mistake. Hua Sen knew what he had to do and he left the room. After taking two steps, something clicked in his mind and Hua Sen¡¯s eyes widened to the size of saucepans. He looked back with an alarmed expression on his face, Senior Lu wouldn''t be... thinking to activate the ruins, right?! "He is mad, he is really mad!" Hua Sen fell into extreme shock but it was too late to do anything. Lu Wenshu¡¯s door was slammed shut and he knew that there was no turning back. ¡°Hahaha, fine! It¡¯s better to be mad than to be stupid!¡± "The sky is probably going to change.¡± Chapter 426: Feeling Ill at Ease Lu Wenshu had finished giving his instructions, but Bai Luochu was still busy dealing with the two troublesome individuals, Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo. "Enough. If there is nothing else, hurry up and return to your room! Both of you are irksome presences here!" Bai Luochu didn¡¯t want to risk Pei Qingfeng finding out more. Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo exchanged looks and felt that Bai Luochu truly didn''t wish to see the both of them. Instead of annoying her, it was best if they took their leave. Bai Luochu had been feeling rather ill at ease after Lu Wenshu left and she had a feeling that he was coming up with another insidious plan after the effects of her Three Day Intoxication wore off. Now that she had chased the two princes away, it was time to prepare herself to deal with Lu Wenshu. The more she thought about the possibilities, the more she realized that she needed the help of the two princes. She got off her bed and decided to look for them. After all, Lu Wenshu was able to cause such a huge commotion at the ruins in order to draw them both away. If he was really determined, wouldn¡¯t he be able to flip the entire ruins upside down?! Since she had nothing else to do, it was better to make preparations in advance. Just as Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo entered their room, Bai Luochu prepared to look for them once again. Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo were rather sulky after getting chased away. However, they knew that the most important thing they had to do was to settle the problem with the ruins. "Say, there was originally a huge commotion, but it vanished all of a sudden. I even thought that some treasure was about to emerge..." Pei Qingfeng saw that he had taken a trip in vain, thus, he started to jest around with Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo rolled his eyes and said, "Do you think treasures born from the world are cabbages you can pick up at the side of the street? Something seems suspicious about this¡­ It¡¯s like someone made the commotion to attract everyone to the ruins¡­¡± After the words left Pei Rumo¡¯s lips, the two of them fell silent. A terrifying thought flashed through their minds at the same time and they stared at each other with a ferocious expression in their eyes. "Not good!" Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo yelled out at the same time and they dashed out of the room. They finally figured out the uneasy feeling they had in their heart. Even after the huge commotion at the ruins, nothing happened. What else could it be other than a scheme to lure them both away. With how active Lu Wenshu and his sect was in the Desolate Region, he was probably trying to lure them both away before making his move on Bai Luochu! The smell in her room wasn¡¯t something Pei Qingfeng imagined. There had to be someone there who was threatening her safety! Never in their wildest imagination would they expect to meet Bai Luochu on the way there. "Why are the two of you running around like a headless chicken? Are you two possessed by ghosts?!" Bai Luochu''s brows arched towards the sky and she was obviously confused by their behavior. Pei Qingfeng didn''t pay attention to Bai Luochu''s question and immediately stepped forward to pinch her cheeks. "Huff... you''re the real thing. I guess there¡¯s no problem now..." Pei Qingfeng patted his chest and heaved a sigh of relief. Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes spun around and she became even more suspicious of the two of them. "What do you think you¡¯re doing?! Did the both of you go crazy at the same time?!¡± When Pei Rumo saw that Bai Luochu was fine, he definitely wasn¡¯t going to tell her about how they were worried about Lu Wenshu kidnapping her while they were gone. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We forgot something important we had to discuss with you. We had to make sure we were talking to you and not some imposter¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng quickly nodded at the side. He didn¡¯t want Bai Luochu to laugh at him together with Pei Rumo. After all, she would tease him for a long time about it if she found out about their false assumption. After Bai Luochu heard Pei Rumo''s far-fetched reason, she stared at the two of them and shifted her gaze back and forth between them. When she was satisfied that they weren¡¯t messing with her, she decided to drop the matter. "Let¡¯s head over to your room to talk about the incident at the ruins." Bai Luochu headed straight towards their room after she spoke. In any case, she didn¡¯t want the two of them to look for Lu Wenshu to stir things up as that would only ruin her plan. "What happened over at the ruins earlier?" Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo exchanged looks before shaking their heads. "There was a huge commotion at the beginning but after a short while, nothing else happened. We waited there for several minutes and there was still nothing. It seemed more like an intentional attempt to lure all of us to the ruins¡­¡± After Pei Qingfeng finished, he lowered his head. Pei Rumo copied his actions as they felt a little embarrassed with their random assumption earlier. As the two of them continued to stare at their feet, they failed to notice the uncomfortable expression on Bai Luochu¡¯s face. Bai Luochu was silently alarmed that the duo were able to associate it with Lu Wenshu¡¯s scheme. She heaved a silent sigh of relief that she decided to look for them as they would definitely notice the abnormality once they entered her room again. "The commotion at the ruins definitely isn''t as simple as we imagine. This might be a huge warning for us. We can only prepare ourselves to deal with anything that might come our way..." She knew that Lu Wenshu was preparing to make his move after their brief meeting the day before.. Pei Rumo nodded in response. "You are right. I am afraid that only cultivators like us will be able to enter the ruins. The soldiers will probably have to wait till the dust settles before they will be able to make their move. Do you have any other opinions on the matter?¡± A solemn expression appeared on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be smart for us to summon all the soldiers at the border region. In my opinion, they should preserve their strength to strike out at the last moment when our enemies are at their weakest. We¡¯ll kill those turtles who are trying to crawl away!¡± Chapter 427: She Knows Him Bes "No one else is going to hear what I say. There are only three of us here." Pei Qingfeng still maintained his nonchalant expression as he declared haughtily. When Bai Luochu saw Pei Qingfeng''s childish behavior, she laughed helplessly and said, "You... If an outsider saw you in this state, the Cloud Water Nation''s Second Prince''s reputation will be going down the drain¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng moved his face closer to hers and when their noses were touching, he said, ¡°The only people in this room is my First Brother, and you. Luoluo, I have never treated you like an outside and I never will¡­¡± When Pei Qingfeng spoke, his warm breath caressed Bai Luochu¡¯s face and her cheeks flushed red instantly. Her face became red all the way to her ears. "Your Second Highness, please conduct yourself with dignity." Bai Luochu took several steps back and lightly pushed Pei Qingfeng away. Instead of feeling sad that she was avoiding him, Pei Qingfeng nearly laughed out loud as it was rare to see her blush. The bystander at the side, Pei Rumo, had a face as black as thunderclouds as he stared at the two of them. "Cough cough. This room is small and it feels rather cramped. The weather is really warm and it¡¯s making me feel rather uncomfortable. If Divine Physician Bai has nothing else to talk about, please leave.¡± Bai Luochu ran off like a frightened rabbit as soon as the words left Pei Rumo¡¯s mouth. In her past life, she never had such intimate contact with Lu Wenshu. After all, their relationship developed due to their love of cultivation. They rarely even held hands. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s advance was enough to embarrass Bai Luochu hundreds of times over. When none of them could hear her footsteps, Pei Qingfeng turned to Pei Rumo and teased, ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t like seeing me acting all intimate with Luoluo huh¡­¡± Pei Rumo''s thoughts were like an open book to Pei Qingfeng. Instead of trying to hide his feelings, he snapped, ¡°What do you think? Stop trying to play the fool here.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes betrayed his joy and he laughed, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to rely on ourselves to win her heart? Why are you feeling all salty? Are you sad that she prefers me over you?¡± Pei Qingfeng was seriously getting on his nerves and Pei Rumo broke out with threats, "Are you not afraid of me sending an urgent report to Emperor Father than you sneaked into the Desolate Region? Just keep running your mouth off and see what I do to you¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng snickered and looked at Pei Rumo as though he was looking at a retard, "Do you think Emperor Father is a fool? He probably already knows. If he didn¡¯t want me to come over, I wouldn¡¯t be able to take a single step out of the capital city.¡± Pei Qingfeng had guessed it correctly. The moment he left the capital city, the old emperor already received the news that he was heading to the Desolate Region. Instead of being anxious, the old emperor was as calm as could be. Instead, De Quan was hopping about like an anxious cat. Out of all the princes, Pei Qingfeng could be said to be the most honest. He wasn¡¯t a hypocrite and the way he treated his servants was much better than the others. Now that he had violated the law, there were definitely many people looking to drag his reputation through the mud. Moveover, he had never interfered with politics and there was no one to defend him if his crimes were to be reported to the old emperor. De Quan asked, "Your Majesty, the Second Prince is currently away from the capital city. He sneaked into the Desolate Region without your approval! What are we going to do?!¡± The old emperor was originally dozing off and his eyes snapped open after hearing De Quan¡¯s question. "I don¡¯t seem to remember you taking the initiative to give me ideas in the past¡­ Why are you acting like it¡¯s a huge problem?¡± De Quan immediately knelt down and a loud ¡®plop¡¯ could be heard when his knees slammed into the ground. "What are you doing? It seems like your brain is deteriorating as you get older. In the past, you were able to hold casual conversations with me. Nowadays, you¡¯re kneeling every now and then. Do you think your old bones will be able to endure the impact ever so often? Do you think you¡¯re still in the prime of your life?" When De Quan realized that the old emperor was joking around with him, he knew that his head wasn¡¯t going to roll. He quickly stood up and bowed, "Your Majesty is teasing this old servant again. How can this servant be so bold? When a person grows old, it is natural to become more timid. I would never think of acting out of turn...¡± The old emperor squinted his eyes in response and understood De Quan''s meaning. The old eunuch was trying to say that he had never meddled in political affairs in the past and he wouldn¡¯t try to do so in the future. "Since he is already there, am I supposed to head over there personally to bring him back? His legs are fine and if he wants to go, who am I to stop him? The situation in the Desolate Region seems much more complicated than I thought it would be. With his strength, he will be able to assist Rumo and that Luo Chu girl¡­ If any court officials dares to complain about Pei Qingfeng, heh¡­ Are they the Emperor of the Cloud Water Nation or am I the Emperor of the Cloud Water Nation? Are they Pei Qingfeng¡¯s father? If I say that I sent Pei Qingfeng out on a mission, who are they to question me?¡± When De Quan heard the old emperor''s reply, he immediately relaxed. When he thought about the mysterious group of people, he suddenly became worried again. ¡°What¡­ what about those people?¡± After hearing De Quan¡¯s concern, the old emperor closed his eyes again. Before he dozed off, he smirked, ¡°Honored Tian Yun treats Qingfeng better than us. You don¡¯t need to worry about them. If there are any court officials who hope to make use of this chance to deal with Qingfeng, Tian Yun will probably wipe out their entire family. Instead of worrying about this, why not think about new dishes the imperial kitchen can prepare for this emperor¡¯s next meal? It¡¯s always the same few dishes¡­ I¡¯m starting to get sick of them.¡± De Quan finally felt at ease. ¡°This old servant understands. I will inform the imperial kitchen immediately!¡± After De Quan left, the old emperor''s turbid eyes snapped open and the once prominent light that held the aura of an emperor flashed bright in them. Even De Quan is biased towards Qingfeng¡­ The old man who places his safety above all else is willing to question me about Qingfeng¡¯s well-being. If not for Qingfeng¡¯s other identity, he should be the one to inherit the throne... Chapter 428: The Reason for the Confinemen The old emperor knew that Pei Qingfeng had gone to the Desolate Region but he wasn¡¯t about to announce it to the entire world. There were already some who caught on but the old emperor wasn¡¯t going to explain himself to them. As for the imperial censor, he was on Pei Rumo¡¯s side. Despite the fact that he should be denouncing the other princes the moment they committed a mistake, Pei Rumo had not passed down any instructions and he wasn¡¯t able to run rampant. After his long service in the imperial court, the imperial censor felt that the old emperor¡¯s thought process was extremely complicated and he wasn¡¯t willing to make any reckless moves. The imperial censor might seem to be sullen and incompetent, but he was still able to continue holding his post. As for Honored Tian Yun, he took drastically different actions. In order to prevent the fact that Pei Qingfeng had sneaked into the Desolate Region, he confined Ling Xian¡¯er in the Stargazing Pavilion. He wouldn¡¯t leave his room if he could and he pretended to be stuck in secluded meditation. Every time a carriage passed on the outside, he would perk up his ears and listen closely, hoping that it wasn¡¯t the old emperor who paid him a visit. He, who originally had a well-built body, was now looking a little haggard. How could he not be worried? He was so worried someone would find out about this little ¡®secret¡¯ and he was hopping about like a startled rabbit. "Sigh." The disciple by the side raised his head slightly and his finger twitched. It was as though he was counting the number of sighs Honored Tian Yun let out the entire time. No longer able to control himself, he said, "Honored Sir, you have sighed 38 times today and it isn''t even noon yet. If you are feeling sorry for Young Lady Xian''er, why not just let her out of confinement?¡± "What do you know?!" Honored Tian Yun turned around and yelled at the disciple before turning back to sigh again, "I am doing this to protect her! She messed up real bad and now, she thinks that I¡¯m trying to punish her! I watched her grow up! Why will I want any harm to befall her? I¡¯m blaming myself for spoiling her and allowing her to do anything she wants! I hope this will be a lesson for her¡­¡± As Honored Tian Yun spoke of his thoughts out loud, the disciple by his side was dumbstruck. He was right. Ling Xian¡¯er was like a little princess and everyone in their faction had pampered her. None of them ever saw Honored Tian Yun so angry before and they knew that she messed up really badly. Sigh¡­ I wonder when Junior Sister can be released... Ling Xian''er was hopping mad. She never expected that Honored Tian Yun, who doted on her more than her biological father, to give her such a harsh punishment. "That''s right, Honored Tian Yun dotes on you the most. It is just an apology, right?¡± Ling Xian¡¯er was too angry to listen to any advice and she snapped, "I didn''t do anything wrong, why should I apologize? He can punish me all he wants!!!" The two of them shook their heads helplessly. A moment later, one of them spoke up again, "Xian''er, why don''t you tell me what you did to anger Honored Tian Yun?¡± Just as Ling Xian¡¯er was about to tell her the entire story, she realized that the lesser people who knew about it the better. She clamped her mouth shut and refused to say anything. When the two of them saw that they weren¡¯t about to persuade her, they gave up and decided to allow her to calm herself down. As the two of them left, Ling Xian¡¯er was left alone in the massive Stargazing Pavilion. Since she had nothing better to do, she took out her newly bought folk stories and started to flip through them. "Hmph, I asked you to reflect yourself but here you are reading your books again." Honored Tian Yun finally couldn''t bear the guilt and he came over to look for Ling Xian¡¯er. He never expected her to be enjoying herself instead of reflecting on her actions. "Life still goes on. I cannot possibly stop living just because of a setback. Honored Tian Yun must be really free to look for me now..." A tinge of dissatisfaction could be heard in her voice when she spoke to Honored Tian Yun. Tian Yun nearly choked. After calming himself, he asked, "Do you still think you have done nothing wrong?" After hearing his question, Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s blood started to boil again. She tossed away the book in her hand and she sat up straight and glared at Honored Tian Yun, "What did I do?!¡± When he saw that Ling Xian¡¯er was still extremely unapologetic, Honored Tian Yun started to laugh. "Fine, fine, fine, let me tell you your mistake." "I am all ears." "Firstly, you talked back to me. That isn¡¯t really a reason to punish you since I can¡¯t be bothered with that. The reason I punished you is because you came up with a plan with Qingfeng without consulting me. I am very disappointed in the two of you. Next¡­¡± Before he could continue, a disappointed look flashed in his eyes as he turned to face Ling Xian¡¯er. ¡°Do you know that a prince will be sentenced to death for sneaking into a battlefield determined by the emperor? Even if I can stop the old emperor from executing Qingfeng, can I cover up the mouths of everyone in the imperial court?!¡± Ling Xian''er felt that something was off and a hint of regret appeared in her heart. ¡°What¡­ what?¡± "Pei Qingfeng will become a traitor of the nation! Can you imagine the shame he will feel?!¡± Despite Honored Tian Yun¡¯s casual remark, the words ¡®traitor of the nation¡¯ seemed to echo repeatedly in Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s heart. "Honored Sir, what... did you say?" Ling Xian''er turned pale and her lips trembled. "That¡¯s right..." Tian Yun looked at Ling Xian¡¯er in the eye. ¡°This is why I¡¯m angry with you! If something really happens to the two of you, tell me about it! Why do you have to take matters into your own hands? Are you two able to create a flawless plan to hide Pei Qingfeng¡¯s actions from the world?!¡± Ling Xian¡¯er knew that she messed up. ¡°What should we do now?! Why don¡¯t I go and bring Big Brother Qingfeng back?¡± "You better calm down. The imperial court has been extremely quiet lately. The old emperor either has no idea that Pei Qingfeng is gone, or he has already accepted it. We have to remain calm and deal with anything that comes our way. Ling Xian''er nodded and she apologized, "Xian''er is willing to receive punishment." Chapter 429: Bai Luochus Plan After Honored Tian Yun came over to discuss things over with Ling Xian''er, her bellyful of grievances dissipated. Too bad that a man-made storm was about to rip into the Desolate Region despite its calm and peaceful exterior. Bai Luochu felt that it was better for her to make preparations in advance. The current Lu Wenshu was just like an unreasonable maniac who wouldn¡¯t stop at anything to achieve his goals. It was better for them to be prepared for anything that might come their way. As soon as her eyes recovered, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t stop concocting elixirs. She never slowed down her cultivation progress either. At nightfall, a shadow suddenly flashed into Bai Luochu''s room. Sensing that it was someone she knew, Bai Luochu¡¯s heart seemed to calm down. She circulated the spirit qi in her body and slowly opened her eyes. "You are truly getting increasingly bold. Can¡¯t you let me know in advance before jumping out to scare me in the middle of the night?" Even though she seemed a little angry, a smile broke out on her face as she addressed the mysterious presence. The visitor scratched his head in embarrassment as he spoke, "I didn¡¯t have the time to inform Mistress in advance. Please forgive me." The mysterious presence was none other than Ying Lan. When she realized that there might be an urgent report, a serious expression appeared on her face. Bai Luochu sat upright and waited for Ying Lan to start speaking. "Mistress, I heard your discussion with the Second Prince and the First Prince. It seems like the battle is about to start soon. Is Mistress really planning to go?" Ying Lan''s tone didn''t change and his expression didn¡¯t falter. He already knew her decision and he was merely here to go through the formalities before starting to plan his next course of action. Bai Luochu¡¯s eyebrows arched upwards and she asked, "You don''t want me to go?" Ying Lan suddenly cupped his hand and lowered his head, "This subordinate doesn''t dare to. I merely wish to hear Mistress'' plan." "Alright. Tell me what you will do if I refuse to head over to the ruins." Bai Luochu leaned forward and used her hand to support her chin as she stared at Ying Lan with an amused smirk. Ying Lan immediately straightened his back and said, "If Mistress doesn¡¯t wish to go, I will stay here and protect you at all costs. If you wish to head over to the ruins, this subordinate will carry out the original plan of contacting the Qing siblings and gathering as many of the remaining members of the temple as possible." "Who do you want to protect me from if I fail to head over?" Bai Luochu wished to know if Ying Lan was guarding against the same person as she was. "Mistress must be jesting. The greatest threat to Mistress in the Desolate Region is definitely Lu Wenshu." Ying Lan spoke indifferently. "Therefore, I need to make sure that his actions won¡¯t be able to harm Mistress." Bai Luochu let out a gratified smile and said, "Don''t worry, he isn''t able to touch me now. Even if my strength isn¡¯t at its peak, Pei Qingfeng and His First Highness are here to protect me. I¡¯m more concerned over his objective. After the commotions over at the ruins the other day, I can confirm that Lu Wenshu has lost his mind.¡± After she spoke, Bai Luochu let out a helpless sigh. "Mistress, you haven¡¯t answered my question. Will you be going to the ruins?" Ying Lan wasn¡¯t going to give up. "What do you think?" Bai Luochu looked at Ying Lan with an amused expression. "I am determined to obtain the treasure in the ruins. Since I¡¯m already here, I have to obtain the Field Pearl Flower! Otherwise, all the pain and danger I experienced along the way would be in vain.¡± "Mistress is right. This subordinate understands. Since Lu Wenshu has taken the risk to visit you, he should be ready to spring into action. It will be great if we can complete our preparations right now to prevent ourselves from being caught unprepared.¡± "I have already thought of these things. Since I am pretty free at the moment, I will start to cultivate after concocting the last batch of medicine." Bai Luochu replied before pointing to the empty bottles on the table. Ying Lan turned and shook his head in defeat. "I was worried for nothing. Mistress is always one step ahead of me.¡± "What are you saying?" Bai Luochu obviously didn''t approve of Ying Lan''s words, "You are my secret guard and there is no need for you to think so much about it. If you¡¯re worried, it¡¯s going to be because of your concern for me. I am very grateful that I have people like you by my side!¡± "This is all due to Mistress¡¯ actions. You never treated us badly and you respected us as though we were close friends. Apart from completing the tasks given to us, none of us wants to see you getting hurt.¡± Ying Lan was speaking the truth. Most people would order their secret guards around as though they were dogs. Compared to those people, Bai Luochu was tens to hundreds of times better! After looking at each other silently for a moment, Ying Lan broke the silence. "Even though Mistress is prepared, this subordinate still has some things to say. I hope you can listen to my rambling¡­¡± "Fine, fine. Speak your mind." Bai Luochu waved her sleeve and indicated for Ying Lan to continue talking. "There are still plenty of unknowns within the ruins and if Mistress encounters any problem, please do not act recklessly. Mistress is no longer the undefeatable evil dao witch. Despite His Second Highness¡¯ impish personality, he will definitely protect you if anything were to happen. Mistress should stay near him during the expedition and remain alert. Also, I¡¯ve already done some investigation and I¡¯m pretty sure there will be other people heading over to the ruins as well. It will be better for Mistress to keep a low profile. If a battle really breaks out, let the others fight.¡± After Bai Luochu heard Ying Lan''s advice, she laughed out loud. Ying Lan was stunned by Bai Luochu''s sudden laughter. "Mistress, why are you laughing?" Chapter 430: Finally Coming Out of Seclusion Ying Lan chuckled abashedly , ¡°Mistress please don¡¯t tease me, I had to be careful.¡± ¡°I understand that you mean well and I already feel very lucky to be able to reincarnate. Even if I meet any obstacles along the way, I will clear them all.¡± Bai Luochu muttered as she noticed Ying Lan¡¯s embarrassment. Ying Lan respectfully said, ¡°If there are no more instructions, I will take my leave.¡± After speaking, he made an obeisant, turned around and left. Bai Luochu wordlessly waited for Ying Lan to leave before lying on the bed. She recalled the time she spent in the ruins and felt that she merely scraped the tip of the iceberg. If her guess was right, it would truly be a terrifying fact. A simple trip into the ruins caused her to go blind for several days, how was she going to face the rest of the dangers and hidden traps within? However, after thinking about it, she felt that it was reasonable for the ruins to possess such powerful defence. How could a precious herb like the Field Pearl Flower be left undefended? That being said, the thing that Bai Luochu despised most about the ruins, was that someone was always watching her every move. How many more tricks does Lu Wenshu have up his sleeves? This was a question that Bai Luochu struggled to answer. Getting bored of her thoughts, Bai Luochu shook her head and decided not to think about them any longer. She emptied her mind and got ready for bed. As the thoughts in her mind started to settle down, Bai Luochu slipped into a slumber. After a while, she awoke up revitalized and told herself that it was time to start training. The days eventually passed and the day where Lu Wenshu emerged from seclusion arrived. Even though there were some people who thought that he was going to come out with a bang, reality proved otherwise. After a day of waiting, the door finally squeaked open. The moment the doors opened, Lu Wenshu met with his junior brother. ¡°Welcome back.¡± Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior brother said as he bowed. ¡°No need for formalities.¡± Lu Wenshu waved his junior brother away, ¡°It must have been tough for you all this while. Anyway, are there any matters that require my attention?¡± "Thanks to your blessings, there were no major issues. There were only minor scuffles where the fellow disciples gained some experience on the battlefield." Lu Wenshu nodded and prepared to leave. However, before he left, his junior brother unexpectedly called out to him. ¡°Senior brother! Can I ask you something? It has been bothering me for quite some time now.¡± Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior brother cried out with trepidation in his voice. Lu Wenshu¡¯s secluded cultivation session allowed him to achieve inner peace and he calmly awaited his junior brother¡¯s question. ¡°Just speak your mind.¡± Lu Wenshu replied, with an expression that was serene and calm, like the water in an old well. Though the words were spoken softly, it felt as though a knife had stabbed into Lu Wenshu. Lu Wenshu asked himself if Bai Luochu actually appeared in front of him again, could he give up everything for her? He asked himself this question in her previous life, but he didn¡¯t manage to find an answer even when the disciples of the Thousand Brilliance Temple left. It seems like I got my answer when I saw her in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. In the instant he looked into her eyes, he realized that he was willing to give up anything to be by her side. He didn¡¯t care if she had a different face. All he cared about was her. Instead of replying the question, Lu Wenshu asked one of his own. "Do you know the pain of heartache?" The disciple was stunned first, but replied, "I imagine that the pain would be unbearable." "Have you ever experienced it before?" It seems like nothing else matters to Senior Brother. Lu Wenshu¡¯s heart seemed to have opened up after speaking to his junior brother about his secret "It really hurts. I tried to fill this hole in my heart for several years but it seems like even the passing of time can¡¯t heal my wound. If there is an elixir that can repair my heart, I will use all my effort to look for it.¡± The disciple fell silent after hearing what Lu Wenshu said. He never thought that his arrogant senior brother would be hiding his true feelings under a mask of gentle kindness. This was the first time he saw such a complicated look in his senior brother¡¯s eyes. It was a look filled with pain and affection. Although Lu Wenshu had violated the sect rules, he felt a deep sense of respect for his senior brother. "Senior brother, rest assured, I am still here. I will gather some disciples and we shall head to the ruins together. The rest of them can stay here to prepare for the battle. You just do what you need to. I shall take care of all the miscellaneous matters." He reassured Lu Wenshu. Chapter 431: Another Tremor ¡°Yes, this disciple will do as you say, if you have no other orders for me, I will go and gather the rest.¡± Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior brother said as he turned around to leave. Lu Wenshu nodded and began his journey towards the Ruins. When he finally arrived, Lu Wenshu scanned his surroundings and when he confirmed that there were no other people around, he prepared to scout the area to prepare for any contingencies. Lu Wenshu struck the ground with his palm, and as luck would have it, his spirit qi traced along the cracks in the dry land and formed a weird path connecting him to the ruins. As the cracks were spread out like spiderwebs, Lu Wenshu¡¯s spirit qi quickly surrounded the structure. As soon as they were connected, the ruins seemed to turn into a beast with unquenchable thirst as it sucked Lu Wenshu¡¯s spirit qi dry. After what seemed like an eternity, the ruins let out a resounding boom that caused the ground to quake and Lu Wenshu lost his footing. Bai Luochu was still resting at the inn when she heard the deafening boom. Her table rattled and it dawned upon her that Lu Wenshu was finally unable to control himself. After waiting for a short while for the tremors to subside, Bai Luochu grabbed her sword and her belongings that she had packed earlier and walked out the door. As she walked out the door, she coincidentally met with Pei Rumo and Pei Qingfeng who were leaving as well. Pei Qingfeng was stunned when he noticed how prepared for battle Bai Luochu was and he said, ¡°This could be a bait, why don¡¯t you wait here while I go and check it out for you.¡± ¡°This time, it¡¯s definitely real.¡± Bai Luochu seemed somewhat annoyed that they were doubting her judgement. Based on Bai Luochu¡¯s understanding of Lu Wenshu, he wouldn¡¯t give up easily. The only reason he has been silent for so long was because he was preparing to do something big. Likewise, Lu Wenshu understood Bai Luochu well. He knew that she would only appear when a matter of grave importance arose. Judging Lu Wenshu based on his temper, she knew that he was trying to lure her out. ¡°Besides, if you wait until the ruins fully activate, it will be too late to return to inform me.¡± Bai Luochu sneered at Pei Qingfeng as she shot him a look of disdain. Pei Rumo realised that there was no time to delay and he decided to mediate the situation, ¡°Let¡¯s not get tangled up in this, I¡¯m sure that Luo Chu knows what she is doing.¡± Pei Rumo scrutinized Bai Luochu as he finished speaking, but she had already left. Her sole focus was on the ruins and she paid no attention to whatever Pei Rumo said. An unshakeable feeling appeared in his heart as Pei Rumo felt that Bai Luochu and Lu Wenshu seemed to share an unspeakable bond. However, he quickly gave up on that notion as he turned his focus onto the ruins. As soon as she reached the ruins, Bai Luochu¡¯s first task was to look for Lu Wenshu. She found him talking and laughing with someone. Lu Wenshu initially thought that Bai Luochu would be the first to arrive, however, she was nowhere to be seen even after the members of other factions arrived. Whatever the case, meeting her was his main goal. Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t mind having some downtime. He knew that even though she might be clear of his intentions, the two princes wouldn¡¯t know any better. ¡°Hahaha I never expected you to be the first one here! Seems to me like you youths are much speedier than us old folk.¡± One of the elders of another sect said as he greeted Lu Wenshu. Lu Wenshu smiled as he replied, ¡°You¡¯re not old! I just happen to live nearer to the ruins. You are still in the prime of your life.¡± He seemed pleased with Lu Wenshu¡¯s praise and gave a hearty laugh as he modestly replied, ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s not true, you young ones are the hope of our continent. Where are the other brothers from your sect? Why haven¡¯t they arrived?¡± ¡°They will arrive shortly. As their senior brother, I decided to lead the way in case anything happened.¡± Lu Wenshu said. ¡°What a responsible chief disciple! No wonder your master constantly praises you. To be honest, I envy your master for having such a good disciple. You¡¯re not only able to uphold the reputation of your sect, you are also its pride and joy. In the future, you will definitely lead your sect to glory.¡± Just as he was about to reply, he caught a glimpse of Bai Luochu¡¯s figure from the corner of his eye. He hastily said his farewells. ¡°Senior brother, a friend that I haven¡¯t met in a long time has arrived. Please allow me to greet my friend. I will gladly come and visit you another day.¡± Lu Wenshu said. Among the sect brothers, he was known to be moody, however, to an outsider, he was a courteous gentleman. As he didn¡¯t want to incur Lu Wenshu¡¯s wrath, he quickly said his farewells. On the other side, Bai Luochu could be seen whispering to Pei Qingfeng with a look of disdain on her face. ¡°Look at all these people, if we had listened to the Second Prince, we would have been left with nothing!¡± Bai Luochu curtly said. She did not mind that her words were sharp. If she was unable to obtain the Field Pearl Flower, she would have had to wait for a very long time for it to appear again. Chapter 432: Feigning Civility Bai Luochu rolled her eyes at Pei Qingfeng and felt that he was pretty hilarious. Seeing how quickly he pushed the blame to others, his princely image in Bai Luochu¡¯s heart started to diminish. When Pei Rumo looked at the interaction between the two of them, he hastily tried to stop them. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Someone is coming over to look for trouble.¡± He raised his chin and gestured towards the incoming Lu Wenshu. Initially, Lu Wenshu was thinking that he should approach the three of them as naturally as he could. Now that they had discovered his presence, he couldn¡¯t be bothered hiding any longer. ¡°Have you been well? Is Divine Physician Bai¡¯s eyes healed?¡± There was no way for any of them to find fault with his words. His greeting wasn¡¯t overly warm but it allowed him to pull his distance closer to them. Bai Luochu laughed coldly in her heart after hearing his ¡®greeting¡¯. Seeing that Lu Wenshu was showing concern for her eyes the moment they met, Bai Luochu almost spat in his face. If not for the unique smelling incense in her room and Ying Lan¡¯s questioning, she might even think that she was hallucinating when Lu Wenshu broke into her room. However, she couldn¡¯t expose him in front of Pei Rumo and Pei Qingfeng as she was afraid they would immediately fight him to the death over the incident. She could only feign civility as she returned Lu Wenshu¡¯s greeting, ¡°I thank Young Master Lu for the concern. My eyes are fine now.¡± When Pei Qingfeng saw how Lu Wenshu was trying to get Bai Luochu¡¯s attention, he cautiously made his way in between them. After blocking Lu Wenshu¡¯s vision, he spoke up, ¡°Young Master Lu can rest assured. You don¡¯t need to bother about Luoluo¡¯s injury. Even if she can¡¯t see, I will take good care of her.¡± His intentions were clear. My Luoluo is perfectly fine without you by her side, f*ck off. Lu Wenshu could only laugh awkwardly. The perfect image he tried to build cracked. Even though Pei Rumo wanted to continue embarrassing Lu Wenshu, his personality wasn¡¯t as unrestrained as Pei Qingfeng. His words weren¡¯t as sharp and his mind didn¡¯t move as quickly. In the end, he thought for half a day before uttering out a casual greeting. ¡°This little one is doing very well. Please do not worry about my well-being.¡± Lu Wenshu discovered that there was no point in continuing the conversation and he quickly found an excuse to leave. He decided to activate the ruins after arriving at some deserted location. ¡°There are still some sect members absent¡­ Let me go and welcome them.¡± Lu Wenshu snickered as he got ready to leave. No one expected Bai Luochu to break the awkward silence after Lu Wenshu¡¯s announcement. ¡°Young Master Lu, please be on your way.¡± She gestured for him to leave and she raised her head to reveal a knowing smile. She didn¡¯t break eye contact as she stared at Lu Wenshu the entire time. Speaking of uncomfortable, Pei Qingfeng was feeling even worse when he looked at the two of them staring at each other. When Lu Wenshu finally left, he couldn¡¯t hold himself back as he grumbled in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s there to look at? Are you not afraid of hurting your eyes?¡± ¡°Are you talking about me?!¡± Bai Luochu turned to Pei Qingfeng and asked with an incredulous expression on her face. ¡°No! Of course not! Why will I yell at you?¡± He adamantly refused but his denial seemed to turn him into a child throwing a tantrum. If he admitted to it, he knew that she would not be happy. Now that he denied everything, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to find fault with him. After all, she would rather use her energy to defend against Lu Wenshu¡¯s actions in the dark. Seeing as no one was paying attention to him other than Bai Luochu, Lu Wenshu quickly found a spot where no one would be able to notice him. After making sure that no one would be able to interrupt him, he started to activate the ruins. No one knew what he was doing other than Bai Luochu. His hand formed various symbols as he gathered spirit qi between his palms. The ball of spirit qi slowly became bigger and bigger, but just as he was about to lose control over it, it started to shrink. If anyone else were to notice what happened to the ball of spirit qi, they would definitely think that Lu Wenshu¡¯s cultivation level wasn¡¯t strong enough to sustain his spirit qi consumption. However, Bai Luochu would know that even though the ball of spirit qi shrunk, the power became much purer than before. Now that the ball of spirit qi in Lu Wenshu¡¯s hand had reached the size of an egg, it emitted a milky white radiance. It was at this point that Bai Luochu realized the reason behind Lu Wenshu¡¯s lack of action for the past few days. It was obvious that he went into secluded cultivation as no one else would be able to replicate what he was doing. Despite his constant cultivation, Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t find activating the ruins easy. His face was pale and his body started to shake. He seemed like he was going to faint any minute now. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t pity him in the slightest. After all, the pain he was feeling now was nothing compared to the pain she felt in her previous life when he betrayed her. Bai Luochu looked at him as though she was watching a monkey perform in a circus. She was really interested to see if he could really open the ruins. In the next second, Bai Luochu realized that the ball of spirit qi in his hand shrunk into the size of a chess piece. The color of his spirit qi was pure white and it was emitting a faintly discernible golden glow. It¡¯s happening¡­ She was right. As soon as the thought appeared in her head, Lu Wenshu shot the ball of spirit qi towards the ruins. ¡°What is that?!¡± The elder who spoke to Lu Wenshu previously was the first to notice the abnormality. After all, it was stupid to assume that a ball of spirit qi emitting golden light would go unnoticed. Chapter 433: At Long Last, The Ruins Appear A portion of the ruins sank into the ground! The constant tremors caused those who were close to the ruins to lose their balance and fall to the ground. As for those who were more prepared, they used their spirit qi to stabilize themselves. However, even those who used their spirit qi to prevent themselves from falling were too naive and they overestimated their own power. The tremors caused by the ruins were too powerful for them to handle and they too, succumbed to their fate of falling over. Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo seemed unaffected due to their high level of cultivation, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for Bai Luochu. When the two of them noticed that she was struggling to stay standing, they extended a hand to grab her. Bai Luochu firmly grabbed onto both of their sleeves. If I just grab onto one, one of them might fall over due to overexhaustion¡­ When they finally transferred their spirit qi to her, she finally managed to gain a firm footing on the ground. The unfolding scene was painful for Lu Wenshu to watch. He told himself that he should be the one that Bai Luochu relied on! It was too bad that activating the ruins had sapped his spirit qi to the point where he needed to hold onto a rock to support himself. Although his heart was dying to help Bai Luochu, his body was unable to do so. People started falling one after another, but the onslaught of tremors never seemed to end. Everyone who was struggling to stand questioned their fate. They felt as though they were chess pieces scattered around the ruins, unsure of what their next move would be. After what seemed like an eternity, the ruins finished its rearrangement with a resounding boom. A ear splitting, dragon-like roar emanated from the depths of the ruins. ¡°What¡¯s with the roar?¡± Bai Luochu asked as she released her grip on their sleeves. Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo seemed to be intimidated by the loud roar as it didn¡¯t occur to them how terrifyingly powerful the being hidden in the ruins was. Crap... ¡°I thought dragons were just a myth?¡± Pei Qingfeng said as he rubbed his chin. Pei Rumo nodded in agreement and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Even though we refer to His Majesty as ¡®Dragon Emperor¡¯, it is only to instill a sense of awe and wonder among the people. If dragons really exist in the ruins¡­ the whole continent will be in danger!¡± Bai Luochu learned of dragons through myths. However, after hearing Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo¡¯s discussion and seeing the nervous whispers of the people from other factions, she began to wonder if the roar really came from a dragon. Lu Wenshu nodded with a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s going according to plan. However, I overestimated myself. Although I had enough spirit qi, I was unable to control it properly.¡± Looking at Bai Luochu who was leaning on the shoulders of two other men, Lu Wenshu¡¯s junior brother felt a burst of dissatisfaction in his heart. After all, Lu Wenshu did everything for her. ¡°Hua Sen, stop looking at her. I still have orders for you to carry out.¡± Lu Wenshu said as he noticed the dissatisfaction on his junior brother¡¯s face and he felt that he had to quickly make a move. Otherwise, his junior brother might waste all his years of hard work. Although observing the actions of one¡¯s ¡°enemies¡± was important, listening to the orders of his senior brother was of greater importance¡­ Hua Sen turned and looked away. ¡°When they finally figure out how to open the entrance to the ruins, do not be the first to charge in. Follow behind them and conserve your energy. And...¡± Lu Wenshu paused and fell into silence, only continuing his speech after thinking of a plan. He ordered, ¡°We are not here to grab as much treasure as we can. In places like these, your greed will cause your demise! Remember, your purpose is to get to the main hall as fast as you can. Understood?¡± Chapter 434: Forcing Their Way In Lu Wenshu might seem relaxed, but Hua Sen was worried that Lu Wenshu was not in his peak condition and suggested, ¡°Senior Brother, why don¡¯t you take a break outside? The rest of us will sneak in undetected, what do you think?¡± Lu Wenshu quietly nodded as he began to meditate. Hua Sen motioned for the rest of the disciples to shield Lu Wenshu from the view of the other factions as he realised that Lu Wenshu meditating would arouse suspicions. After assuring himself that no one was able to notice the abnormality, he calmed himself down. However, unbeknownst to them, Bai Luochu was watching Lu Wenshu intently. She wanted to see if he would reveal the locations of the precious hidden treasures and her heart sank when she noticed that even a powerhouse like Lu Wenshu became drained when he activated the ruins. She knew that she had to be more cautious as the ruins wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. Bai Luochu unconsciously furrowed her brows and shook her head as she reflected on the situation. Pei Qingfeng noticed her weird actions and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something wrong with your eyes? If you¡¯re feeling weak, you can return to the inn. I will gather the precious treasures for you.¡± Bai Luochu furiously shook her head and replied, ¡°It is better to rely on myself. I was merely shocked for a moment as I didn¡¯t know how to navigate the massive ruins.¡± Pei Qingfeng laughed helplessly. How could I forget? She¡¯s not one to give up easily! ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s heart fluttered slightly as she quietly observed the situation that unfolded before her. As they were talking, the people who had fallen over were gradually beginning to stand up. Pei Rumo scanned the surroundings and said in a hushed voice, ¡°People from different sects and countries are present¡­ This isn¡¯t going to be easy¡­¡± ¡°As the saying goes, ¡®The fisherman benefits the most when the clam and piper fights¡¯. We¡¯ll wait here patiently and let the others fight amongst themselves. We should stay away from the battle if no one provokes us.¡± This was the first time Bai Luochu had shown her ambition and ingenuity to the both of them. Although Pei Qingfeng and the others were secretly shocked, they did not question her. After all, her father was the previous great general. It was natural for his daughter to possess such strength and composure. Lu Wenshu¡¯s fellow disciples protected him as he continued to meditate. Bai Luochu¡¯s intentions were clear. Since the ruins had just been activated, she wouldn¡¯t charge in blindly. She would only reap the benefits after everyone was tired after fighting with each other. The battle was already starting... The cacophony eventually died down. Despite the fact that the elder was from another sect, everyone present didn¡¯t mind listening to what he had to say. The elder nodded his head before continuing, ¡°Fighting amongst each other is useless! Why don¡¯t we all work together?¡± ¡°If we do what you say, how do you suggest we split the benefits?¡± One of the disciples from another faction asked. Everyone present was waiting for the elder¡¯s reply as no one wanted to be cannon fodder for the others. After living for so many years, the elder could be considered to be an old fox. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to convince them without benefits and he quickly replied, ¡°The ruins is a mysterious place. We can¡¯t open the entrance using brute force. We should all condense our spirit qi before throwing out our most powerful attack at the entrance. If that doesn¡¯t work, we can combine our power and strike as one.¡± Everyone present thought that the elder¡¯s words made sense and one of them spoke up, ¡°I shall make the first strike." The man focused his spirit qi and struck the entrance. A loud ¡®clang¡¯ rang out and the dust on the ground scattered all around. After the dust settled, he realised that he didn¡¯t even make a dent. Upon seeing this, everyone decided to give it a try. ¡°Let¡¯s strike the entrance together! It will definitely open!¡± As soon as the clamor died down, everyone started to gather their spirit qi. The blast caused a resounding explosion, but the entrance didn¡¯t even budge. It seemed like the ruins wasn¡¯t somewhere they could enter as they pleased. Chapter 435: Hidden Undercurrents However, upon making contact with it, his spirit qi seemed to be absorbed by the entrance, with no explosion or noise. A smug smile formed on the elder¡¯''s face as he thought that he had succeeded. However, his smile soon vanished. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it open?¡± Seemingly replying to the elder¡¯s question, a loud roar emanated from the entrance. A spirit qi wave sent everyone flying away. It was lucky that Pei Qingfeng was standing at the perimeter of the ruins as he managed to avoid the wave of spirit qi. ¡°A bunch of fools!¡± Lu Wenshu cried out as the wave of spirit qi subsided. ¡°Senior brother, are you feeling better now?¡± Hua Sen asked Lu Wenshu as he helped him to his feet. Lu Wenshu merely nodded his head and said, ¡°They¡¯re causing so much noise that even a dead man would sit up from his grave! It¡¯s already been so long, yet no one has managed to open the entrance?¡± His junior brother looked at him helplessly. The disciples in his sect were skilled, but the people from other factions were too weak to figure out the secret of the ruins. They could only wait patiently for help to arrive. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Senior Brother, you should take this time to regain your strength. Even though they aren¡¯t strong enough, they can be of some use to us!¡± Hua Sen said in an attempt to placate the displeased looking Lu Wenshu. Lu Wenshu glanced at Hua Sen and said, ¡°What you¡¯ve said makes sense, but we can¡¯t let them continue to waste their strength. Even if they were to continue trying till night fell, they wouldn¡¯t be able to open the ruins!¡± Lu Wenshu dusted his sleeves as he got ready to make a move. However, Hua Sen stopped him. "Senior brother, you should wait a moment. All of them still think that they will be able to open the ruins with their strength. Moreover, you should regulate the spirit qi in your body before trying anything else.¡± Hua Sen firmly stood in front of Lu Wenshu, with no intention of backing down. Lu Wenshu had no choice but to compromise. After all, the precious treasure wouldn¡¯t run away and it didn¡¯t hurt to wait a little more. Lu Wenshu listened to Hua Sen''s advice and waited quietly. As soon as he turned his back, Hua Sen¡¯s expression changed. The look of sincerity disappeared and he turned his gaze to Bai Luochu. She isn¡¯t as simple as she looks, perhaps she will be the one to open the entrance to the ruins. If she opens the entrance, Senior Brother will be able to save some energy¡­ That can be considered repaying Senior Brother¡¯s favor... Bai Luochu felt that someone was staring at her from behind and whipped her head around. Too bad Hua Sen¡¯s reaction was quick as he spun around to avoid Bai Luochu¡¯s gaze. ¡°Are you trying to say something?¡± A confused Junior Brother asked as he saw Hua Sen¡¯s mouth hanging open before him. Hua Sen looked around and heaved a sigh of relief. He said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. She isn¡¯t someone we can mess with. She is extremely alert and we should be careful around her.¡± ¡°Just how long will these damn people take to open the entrance?¡± Pei Qingfeng was starting to get annoyed. He was getting restless as all the disciples from the other factions were trying their best to break the entrance. Also, he didn¡¯t want to let Bai Luochu wait. ¡°No need to worry, we¡¯ll let them tire themselves out before making a move.¡± Pei Rumo comforted his second brother as though he didn¡¯t care whether or not they would be able to open the ruins. Bai Luochu placed all her attention on the ruins and after her thorough analysis, she realized that there were several intricate patterns and designs on the surface of the entrance. As everyone started to get impatient, they gathered their spirit qi for a final strike. Too bad for them, their attack rebounded and they were sent flying again. Some of them were unable to withstand the backlash and vomited a mouthful of blood. If Pei Qingfeng had not embraced Bai Luochu in his arms and shielded her from the backlash of the spirit qi, she would have suffered a serious injury as they were standing in the radius of the blast. Chapter 436: The Strange Door Pei Qingfeng felt elated from Bai Luochu¡¯s gesture of concern and he felt that all his sacrifices were worth it. However, he realized that there was no time to celebrate and he merely shook his head in reply. Lu Wenshu and Pei Rumo were speechless at what they saw. After all, neither of them had the right to criticize Pei Qingfeng. Bai Luochu quietly slipped out of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s arms and took a few steps after regaining her composure. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look. If we were to wait for these goons to open the door, we¡¯ll die of old age before they accomplish anything!¡± Bai Luochu emanated a cool vibe around her as she unhurriedly walked towards the entrance of the ruins. Despite her being smaller in stature, she carried herself with an air of confidence and strength comparable to the experts from the other factions. Not to mention, she also had the suave Pei Qingfeng following behind her. Everyone who was blown away looked at the two of them in awe, as though it was a great accomplishment to be able to walk to the door. Bai Luochu felt around the grooves that formed the pattern on the door. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that they will figure out what you are trying to do?¡± Pei Qingfeng whispered to her. Bai Luochu replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to worry about that! Do you think that I¡¯m willing to reveal all my cards now? I have no choice! These weak fools are completely useless and we won¡¯t be able to enter the ruins even if we waste the entire day. There has to be some secret we haven¡¯t discovered yet!¡± Pei Qingfeng could feel a sense of resentment in Bai Luochu¡¯s voice and he helplessly shook his head. He told himself that she definitely had her reasons and the only thing he could do was to protect her silently. He quietly retreated behind Bai Luochu and stood guard. There really seems to be a pattern on the door... The door was caked with years of mud and rust, but after wiping it away with her sleeves, Bai Luochu was finally able to roughly see a pattern on the door. Despite her efforts, her sleeves turned completely black and only managed to reveal a small portion of the pattern. Pei Qingfeng could no longer stand the sight of Bai Luochu working so hard and he quickly circulated his spirit qi to unleash a blast of purifying magic at the door. Bai Luochu was shocked and she spun her head around to look at Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng nodded his head at her. Those who were watching quickly started to mock her. ¡°Is she retarded? Does she think that the door will open itself just because she knocked on it?!¡± ¡°To think that she seemed so confident when she walked towards the door¡­ Seems like she was just putting on airs!¡± However, the elder remained silent and he decided to cautiously observe her every move. She isn¡¯t as simple as she seems... Even Hua Sen could not comprehend Bai Luochu¡¯s actions¡­ Was he wrong to think that she would be able to open the door? Pei Qingfeng wanted to put a stop to the relentless chatter, but before he could do anything, Bai Luochu stopped him. ¡°Who cares about those annoying flies. Just ignore them for now. The most important thing right now is to open the entrance to the ruins. After knocking on the door, I managed to figure out the reason behind its ability to deflect spirit qi!¡± Bai Luochu said to Pei Qingfeng as she tugged on his sleeves. ¡°It seems a little strange to me¡­ What did you find out about it?¡± Pei Qingfeng revealed a curious expression as he waited for Bai Luochu¡¯s explanation. Bai Luochu furrowed her brows, barely listening to the endless chatter behind her. She even drowned out Pei Qingfeng¡¯s voice. Chapter 437: Soaring Dragon Diagram Bai Luochu nodded her head in agreement and sighed as she looked at the door, ¡°That¡¯s right, the material takes tens of thousands of years to form deep underground and yet the person who created this damn door was crazy and wealthy enough to make it entirely out of Mystical Frost Iron!¡± Pei Qingfeng thought that the explanation couldn''t be that simple and furrowed his brows as he said, ¡°But even if the door was made out of Mystical Frost Iron, it doesn¡¯t explain why it could withstand all the spirit qi attacks!¡± ¡°Of course the material had a part to play, however, the crafting process is just as important. The story is a gruesome and bloody one¡­ are you sure you want to hear it?¡± Bai Luochu asked. Her eyes glistened with excitement as she was eager to see the frightened expressions on the faces of the men from other factions. Initially, Pei Qingfeng was unwilling to listen to the story. However, when he saw the excited expression on her face, he didn¡¯t wish to disappoint her. He knew that she was dying to tell her story and he decided to give her a slight nod. ¡°Human sacrifice.¡± Bai Luochu said matter of factly and her words lingered in the air like a toxic fog. Pei Qingfeng felt a cold shiver down his spine as he heard those words. After a short while, he composed himself and asked, ¡°What do you mean by human sacrifice?¡± His throat had turned dry from fear and shock. ¡°It¡¯s an ancient method. Legend has it that if a person were to willingly jump into the vat of molten iron just as before it is cast, the iron would be infused with the soul of the human sacrifice. This would make the iron as strong as the will of the person who sacrificed himself.¡± Bai Luochu explained as she continued to mess with the door. Although Pei Qingfeng had used his purifying magic to cleanse the door, there were still parts of it that had rusted beyond repair. Bai Luochu was trying her best to make out the pattern on the door. ¡°Won¡¯t the blacksmith face a huge backlash for killing someone to smelt iron?¡± Pei Qingfeng asked as he tried to keep the fear from showing in his voice. ¡°That I do not know. However, I am extremely sure that this method of casting iron is no longer in practice. The person who created this method was burned at the stake as punishment for his sins. We can only learn about this practice by reading the ancient texts.¡± Bai Luochu said. Pei Qingfeng let out a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Luckily this method is not in practice anymore. If not, many more innocent lives would have to be taken.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not as heartless as i thought¡­¡± ¡°If someone is willing to risk his life and reputation to craft this door, there are definitely precious items inside worth protecting...¡± Bai Luochu quickly reassured Pei Qingfeng. Am I standing too close to the door? Maybe I need to stand further away to see the pattern on the door. Bai Luochu thought to herself. When someone saw her taking a step back, they quickly assumed that she was giving up. He started to mock her, ¡°To think that we initially thought that you were some all powerful being! Hahaha! As it turns out, you¡¯re just a fool!¡± The person seemed to possess a high status in his faction as many people started to agree with him. Instead of lashing out at them, Pei Qingfeng fixed his gaze on Bai Luochu as he thought to himself, Laugh while you still can. Once we enter the ruins, a retard like you will probably be the first to die. Bai Luochu ignored the fact that Pei Qingfeng was slowly getting more and more worked up as she focused on deciphering the pattern on the door. Taking a step back allowed her to gain a fresh perspective and she finally saw the pattern on the entrance. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the pattern looks like a dragon?¡± Bai Luochu asked. Pei Qingfeng looked up and analyzed the pattern to see if Bai Luochu was right. It struck him in an instant. Chapter 438: A Change of Strategy After suppressing her anxiety, Bai Luochu turned to face Pei Qingfeng and asked, ¡°So, do you know anything about dragons?¡± She seemed a little surprised when she saw the agitated expression on his face. Even though he felt unsure of the myth he heard, he decided to tell her everything he knew. ¡°The pattern on the door does vaguely look like a dragon, but I do not know if they look like the dragons that I have heard of from myths and legends. Those dragons are shrouded in mystery and not much is known about them. It is possible that the dragon pattern on the entrance is a totem used to bless the Desolate Region with rain. However, I doubt that the totem is useful, seeing the cracks in the land of the Desolate Region¡­¡± Bai Luochu nodded silently and sat in front of the door as she fell deep in thought. The dragon that Bai Luochu heard of was different from the one in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s story. During her time at the Thousand Brilliance Temple, she found an ancient book in the library archives. The cover of the book was decorated with legendary beasts and one of them was a dragon. In the book, it was said that there once lived a man with overwhelming strength. He managed to form a pact with a dragon and took it in as a pet. What if dragons really existed¡­ Bai Luochu chuckled to herself as she shook her head. It didn¡¯t matter if dragons really existed. With her current level of cultivation, she wasn¡¯t strong enough to form a pact with a baby dragon even if she tried. Whatever the case, I should remain hopeful. Everyone can have dreams, right? ¡°What does the myth have to do with opening the door to the ruins?¡± Pei Qingfeng asked out of curiosity. Bai Luochu remained silent for a moment and stared at the diagram of the dragon on the door. She suddenly cried out, ¡°I think I know how to open the door!¡± Because the door is a spiritual artifact, we need to open it by infusing spirit qi! However, which part of the door do we need to inject our spirit qi into? As she ran her hands over the life-like dragon pattern on the surface of the entrance, Bai Luochu came to a sudden realization. This has to be it! As soon as the thought appeared in her mind, she felt a slight indentation on the door. What¡¯s this?! She thought to herself, but the answer soon presented itself. The part where the door sunk in was precisely where the eye of the dragon was located. Pei Qingfeng carefully stared at the spot Bai Luochu¡¯s hand was on and he quickly reached over to feel it. ¡°You¡¯re right! There is something missing here!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Luochu asked as a crafty light flashed through her eyes. ¡°Normally, craftsmen would be very cautious when working on the eyes of a dragon painting or carving. The eyes of a dragon can be said to be the essence and source of its power. They might even use precious gems in place of stone to fill in the eyes in order to give the carving ¡®power¡¯. How is it possible for a master craftsman who is able to smelt Mystical Frosted Iron to be so careless when crafting the door? This makes no sense¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Bai Luochu said as she rubbed her chin. She finally understood the weird feeling she felt when looking at the door. Pei Qingfeng was unaware that his grumbling helped Bai Luochu to figure out a way to open the door. ¡°Your Second Highness, please step back.¡± Bai Luochu warned. She knew that if she used her spirit qi to strike the door, she would face an intense backlash. She didn¡¯t want Pei Qingfeng to get hurt and she quickly chased him away. If anything were to happen to her, he wouldn¡¯t be caught up in it. Pei Qingfeng obediently obliged and stepped back. Bai Luochu prepared to take a strike after making sure that no one was around her. Fearing that her spirit qi would rebound in a shockwave, she gathered some in her hand before slowly bringing it to the eye of the dragon. Something strange happened and the eye did not seem to absorb her spirit qi no matter how hard she tried. Is my spirit qi not strong enough?! I guess there is only one way to find out. Bai Luochu no longer thought about the consequences and she increased the circulation of her spirit qi. Despite her best efforts, nothing happened... ¡°Could I be wrong?¡± she muttered to herself as the door didn¡¯t even budge. In the next second, the sky changed. Dark clouds gathered and blotted out the sun, as though wanting to prove Bai Luochu wrong. Chapter 439: The Changes in Heavens and Earth Pei Qingfeng was only a few paces away from Bai Luochu and he was being ravaged by the gale-like winds and sandstorm. However, weirdly enough, although the sand and dirt in the ruins were easily carried away by the wind, the sand surrounding Bai Luochu settled on the ground, unaffected by the whirlwind that swirled around her. Bai Luochu seemed to be enveloped by an enchanted sphere that allowed her to remain unaffected by the surrounding chaos. Without warning, streaks of lightning lit up the dark sky and the blasts of thunder could be heard. As if the sky opened up, rain covered the earth. The members of the other factions started to use their spirit qi to create a protective barrier to shield themselves from the ferocious downpour. The relentless rain coupled with the clamor behind her caused Bai Luochu to turn her head. She was taken aback by the sight that greeted her, but she quickly regained her composure as she told herself that she had no time or energy to deal with the chaos. Suddenly, she felt the eye of the dragon beginning to absorb her spirit qi. She slowly began to understand what was going on, recalling what she had read from an ancient text. She once read about the type of dragon that was carved into the door and it was a type of water dragon that lived in the deep sea. This type of dragon could control not only fire and water, but was also able to command the wind and rain. Looking at the state of the scorched earth in the Desolate Region, Bai Luochu thought to herself, even the most powerful water dragon will not be able to revitalize the grounds surrounding the ruins. Much less a mere carving of a water dragon after absorbing some spirit qi. But, it soon dawned upon her that the relentless rain and gale-like winds were summoned by the carvings, causing her to feel a spark of joy. It seemed as though she was getting close to the precious treasure behind the entrance of the ruins. However, the joy she felt was soon replaced by a jolt of pain. The rate at which the dragon eye absorbed her spirit qi had increased exponentially. Initially, the spirit qi it sucked could be compared to that of a tiny trickle. Now, it was sucking in her spirit qi like a black hole. However, the door still failed to open and despite her best attempts, Bai Luochu failed to unlock the entrance of the ruins.. Impossible! Bai Luochu had a special way of circulating her spirit qi and it was impossible for anyone or anything to absorb her spirit qi. It didn¡¯t matter if the other party was a cultivator several times more powerful than her, or a spiritual artifact born from the world. She always thought that her spirit qi was always under her control. However, she failed to take into account that a spell had been cast on the door and it would absorb her spirit qi, whether she liked it or not. Pei Qingfeng noticed that Bai Luochu was struggling and was ready to go to her aid. He wanted to take her place to supply the door with spirit qi, but he realized that his path was blocked by an invisible barrier. Pei Qingfeng wanted to break his way through but he felt like he was punching a ball of cotton as he struck the barrier. Pei Qingfeng helplessly pounded at the barrier and shouted, ¡°Luoluo! Are you alright!? Your face looks pale and weak! Just stop if you can¡¯t take it!¡± Seeing that all colour had been drained from Bai Luochu¡¯s face, Pei Qingfeng felt a burst of pain in his heart. ¡°I can¡¯t stop!¡± Bai Luochu replied to him, clenching her jaw as she spoke. Pei Qingfeng pounded harder at the barrier, thinking that Bai Luochu was putting on a strong front in order to keep him away. ¡°Please lower the barrier around you! Even if you don¡¯t want to give up, let me transfer some of my spirit qi to you! You can¡¯t do it all by yourself!¡± Pei Qingfeng screamed anxiously. Bai Luochu already gave up resisting the suction of the door and she helplessly shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t put up the barrier... Once the door starts absorbing my spirit qi, it won¡¯t stop. It seems like I have failed. The only thing I can do now is to allow it to suck me dry. As soon as I am out of spirit qi, the barrier should disappear. I might need to trouble you to support me when that happens. Even though Pei Rumo was standing quite a distance away from the two of them, he was able to see that Bai Luochu was struggling. He decided to brave the rain as he ran towards her, but he was stopped by the barrier as well. ¡°What the hell is going on here?! I thought we had it under control!!¡± Pei Rumo yelled. When it came to stuff in the cultivation world, Pei Qingfeng knew more than him. Seeing as even his Second Brother was helpless before the barrier, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Chapter 440: Out of Spirit Qi The both of them were not the only ones feeling restless. Though Lu Wenshu was quietly observing from the side, the uneasiness in his heart grew every second. Initially, his plan was to observe Bai Luochu from the sidelines and only swoop in to grab the precious treasure once the men from other factions were tired from fighting amongst themselves. To him, everyone else was as good as cannon fodder! The only thing that was important to him was being able to stay by Bai Luochu¡¯s side. In his plan, Lu Wenshu had already calculated that Bai Luochu would step forward to try and open the door. He knew that she would be unable to stop herself after realizing that everyone else is unable to do so. Of course, she wasn¡¯t doing it to help the rest.t Instead, she wanted to obtain the Field Pearl Flower in the ruins. Bai Luochu is a cultivation maniac. If she is able to hold herself back from opening the entrance to the ruins, she won¡¯t be the Bai Luochu in my memories. Since Lu Wenshu felt that everything was going according to his plan, he did not bother about Pei Qingfeng who was beside her the whole time. The only surprise he got was when Pei Rumo tried to force his way through the barrier. Lu Wenshu heard rumours about Pei Rumo before. He was the First Prince of the Cloud Water Nation and a person who could remain calm under any sort of pressure. Even if the skies were to come crashing down on him, he would still be able to maintain his cool composure and act as if everything was under his control. Looking at the current Pei Rumo who wanted to disregard everything and rush over to her side, Lu Wenshu felt that something was wrong. Something is definitely wrong¡­ Why are they so anxious? Did something happen to her?! Lu Wenshu knew that if he went to check up on Bai Luochu, he would be injecting an element of chaos to his plans. However, nothing mattered more to him than her well-being. However, just as he took a step towards her, he was intercepted by Hua Sen. Hua Sen used his hand to block Lu Wenshu and said, ¡°Senior Brother, you have used up too much of your spirit qi! Moreover, you were disrupted by those meddlesome b*stards when trying to meditate. As your Junior Brother, I hope that you will rest up before jumping into the fray.¡± ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± Lu Wenshu said in a grave tone as he prepared to shove Hua Sen away. Hua Sen had no intentions of allowing Lu Wenshu to do as he wished and he grabbed Lu Wenshu by the wrist. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you!? What audacity! How dare you try and stop me?!¡± Lu Wenshu cried out in confusion as Hua Sen had never defied him before. ¡°I won¡¯t punish you. Just let go of me!¡± There were only two reasons preventing Lu Wenshu from slapping Hua Sen away. Firstly, he didn¡¯t want to throw his reputation away in front of so many other factions. Secondly, he was trying to save his energy to protect Bai Luochu in case she met with danger after they entered the ruins. Of course, Hua Sen had already guessed Lu Wenshu¡¯s thoughts and knew that he would be safe after holding his senior brother back. ¡°We¡¯re still unclear about the situation at the entrance! It will be foolish of you to jump in right now! Look at the two idiots! They have already tried and it won¡¯t be wise for you to join them!¡± Hua Sen pleaded with Lu Wenshu as he knew the true reason behind Lu Wenshu¡¯s anxiety. Luckily, he didn¡¯t wish to expose the fact in front of all the other members of his sect. ¡°So you really have no intention of letting me go?¡± Lu Wenshu said as he sneered with displeasure. Hua Sen continued to cling onto him without saying a word. Lu Wenshu sighed as he resigned to his fate. At that moment, Lu Wenshu realized that he had miscalculated. He underestimated the power of the ruins and did not factor in the fact that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t at the same level of cultivation as her past self. At the entrance, Bai Luochu could feel the suction rapidly weakening. She didn¡¯t know if her senses were failing her because she was running out of spirit qi. ¡°Hehehe, I nearly lost my life trying to obtain the Field Pearl Flower. Is it even worth it? If Pei Qingfeng learns about this, he will probably nag at me for the rest of my life!¡± Because of the howling winds and relentless rain, Pei Qingfeng and Pei Rumo only saw her lips moving. They were unable to make out her voice. ¡°What are you trying to tell us? Luoluo, you need to speak up!¡± Pei Qingfeng screamed. Pei Qingfeng is so annoying! He doesn''t know when to shut up! Just as she was about to snap at him, a voice behind her woke her up from the trance. ¡°Look guys, the sky is beginning to clear up! Look at the rainbow!!¡± Someone in the crowd yelled in excitement. The incessant chatter made it seem as though they had never seen a rainbow before. At that moment, Bai Luochu discovered that the door was no longer absorbing her spirit qi. Quickly pulling her hand away from the eye of the dragon, she discovered that she was almost completely out of spirit qi. As a sense of weakness assaulted her, her legs turned soft and she crumpled to the ground. Luckily, Pei Qingfeng had quick reflexes and managed to grab her before she fell. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you okay?¡± Pei Qingfeng started to panic when he couldn¡¯t feel the slightest trace of spirit qi in her body. Chapter 441: Open at Las Just as Pei Qingfeng was preparing to ask a question, he realized the dragon''s eye had moved. With the dragon''s eye as the core, a golden light constantly extended along the dragon totem''s pattern. In just a flash the entire dragon had been revealed. At the same moment, a dragon''s roar echoed again. The upper portion of the ruins appeared with the divine dragon''s shadow. If people who didn''t know what was happening was here, they would definitely think that a divine dragon had appeared. "It is actually a dragon!" The first to exclaim was the knowledgeable elder earlier. After all, he was already old and it was truly a blessing for him to see a dragon when he was still alive. He felt that even if he died right now, he would have no regrets. It was better not to mention the other young fellows who were acting as though they have never seen the outside world. They were staring at the shadow of the divine dragon as they stood rooted to their spots. They stared at it unblinkingly and one wouldn¡¯t be able to associate these country-bumpkin looking brats to members of prestigious sects. In fact, even the princes seemed like wooden chicken as they stared at the entrance of the ruins. Despite that, Pei QIngfeng and Pei Rumo snapped out of it quickly. They knew that there was something more important for them to do. Bai Luochu was ready to enter the ruins at any time and they no longer had the luxury of time on their side. "Are you ready? The entrance is about to open. Now that I am in a weakened state, you will need to carry me in." Bai Luochu turned to the side and said to Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng widened his eyes and looked at her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you! Look at the state you¡¯re in! Why don¡¯t you give up? No matter how many treasures there are inside, your body is the most important treasure!¡± Bai Luochu responded with light laughter, "What is the problem? We are already at the crossroads of fate and there is no harm going all out! Even if there are many treasures in the ruins, we won¡¯t be gunning for any of them. I only want the Field Pearl Flower and nothing else matters. Do you understand? If your Second Highness wants to fight with everyone else for the other treasures, we will walk our separate ways.¡± Pei Qingfeng knew that there wasn¡¯t a chance of changing her mind now that she was determined to enter the ruins. Even if he used all his might to stop her from entering, she would probably find a way to sneak past him. However, he also learned one thing from this brief exchange. She trusted him more than anything¡­ Seeing that there was no chance of stopping his senior brother, Hua Sen had no choice but to stop down. He brought along the rest of the disciples and followed behind Lu Wenshu. "Where did martial nephew Lu go previously? I didn¡¯t see you and the members of your sect..." The elder who spoke to him before eyed him with suspicion. Lu Wenshu bowed slightly and replied, "Recently, I have been feeling ill at ease during my cultivation sessions and nearly experienced cultivation deviation. I secluded myself in order to find inner peace and I barely managed to escape from a sorry fate. Due to the delay, I wasn¡¯t able to work together with everyone. I, Lu Wenshu, am at fault and I sincerely apologize.¡± Lu Wenshu''s explanation didn¡¯t give anyone leverage against him but according to the elder, Lu Wenshu probably had something to do with the dragon appearing in the air above them. It was fortunate that the elder didn''t allow Bai Luochu to know his thoughts, otherwise, with Bai Luochu''s temper, she would probably erupt with anger. After all, she had gone through all the trouble and sacrificed all her spirit qi that she had accumulated with difficulty, only to open something Lu Wenshu planted. Speaking of which, Lu Wenshu was someone she hated to the bones and it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that Bai Luochu would slap them both into nothingness. Luckily for them, she was no longer the evil dao witch with overwhelming strength. "It has been too long since the dragon made its appearance. Why isn¡¯t anything else happening? How long do we have to wait? The longer we wait, the lesser our advantage!" Pei Qingfeng looked at the unmoving divine dragon''s shadow and muttered to himself. Bai Luochu didn''t know what was going on and could only shake her head in confusion. They couldn¡¯t do anything but wait silently. No one knew if Pei Qingfeng¡¯s grumbling woke the dragon, but it started to move after the complaints left his lips. The divine dragon''s shadow that was originally hovering in the sky dove downwards and circled the ruins. A clear roar emerged from its mouth, shattering whatever semblance of serenity in the atmosphere. "Creak." No one expected the door to open all of a sudden and they weren¡¯t able to react immediately. Too bad for them, Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng were prepared to move in at the slightest notice. The second a crack opened in the entrance, Bai Luochu grabbed Pei Qingfeng¡¯s sleeves tightly and whispered in his ear, ¡°Go!¡± Pei Qingfeng wasted no time and he grabbed Bai Luochu before rushing into the ruins. The instant Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng entered the ruins, Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu barged their way in. After seeing the four of them entering the ruins, everyone came to their senses and rushing into the ruins like water out of a broken dam. Bai Luochu¡¯s prediction was spot on. There were countless treasures lying on the path but they didn¡¯t stop to pick up anything. Instead, Pei Qingfeng charged through the ruins with Bai Luochu in his arms. Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu weren''t so lucky. Despite the fact that they weren¡¯t aiming for the treasures, the people behind weren¡¯t willing to listen to reason and they fired off attacks without end. Even though all they wanted to do was to protect Bai Luochu, the angry mob behind them didn¡¯t allow them to do as they wished. In the end, they had no choice but to turn and fight. Chapter 442: Taking a Short Break Bai Luochu was naturally able to feel that Pei Qingfeng was exhausted after pushing himself to the limit and she apologized in embarrassment, "I am sorry for dragging you down with me. You can rest here for a moment. As for the people behind us, you don¡¯t need to worry about them for the time being. I activated several mechanisms as we were passing through the long passageway and the traps will definitely cause them a huge headache. Even if they charged all the way through without stopping for anything, they will be held back by the traps for quite some time. If they stopped for some treasures¡­ hehehe.¡± Bai Luochu laughed casually. Even though she managed to sabotage everyone behind her, she described it as though it wasn¡¯t anything special. How is it possible for those people to be able to resist the temptation of those treasures?! In fact, Bai Luochu¡¯s actions of delaying them had already caused many of them to be buried in the ruins. Soon enough, Pei Qingfeng noticed something wrong. ¡°Wait a minute. Pei Rumo isn¡¯t here!¡± Even though Pei Qingfeng never liked his older brother, his opinion of him changed after their interaction in the Desolate Region. If Pei Rumo really dies here¡­ Unacceptable! Bai Luochu was stunned silly. She almost slapped herself for being too careless. She assumed that Pei Rumo would follow closely behind them and she didn¡¯t factor him into her schemes. Looking at the empty space behind them, guilt welled up in her heart. Bai Luochu didn''t have a choice. A moment later, she tried consoling herself, "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem. SInce Pei Rumo isn¡¯t a greedy person, he should be able to focus on avoiding the traps. He is the First Prince of the Cloud Water Nation after all. He isn¡¯t some pushover¡­ We shouldn¡¯t be too worried for him.¡± Pei Qingfeng knew that she was trying to console him as they portrayed a deep brotherly bond with each other in front of her. Despite that, he did feel a little better after Bai Luochu¡¯s consolation. Whether Pei Rumo could turn things around would be all up to luck. All he wanted to do was to catch up with the duo ahead, but he never felt that a game of catch-up would pose such difficulty. Waves after waves of people rushed at him like zombies, as though he was the one who didn''t allow them to obtain the treasures. Pei Rumo felt he was like a mute who had eaten bitter goldthread - he could only suffer in silence. Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t having a good time either as he suffered the same fate as Pei Rumo. From the looks of it, Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng were the true winners. ... "Then again. Your Second Highness is really able to keep your composure. After seeing so many treasures, you didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit tempted. You are truly a person of noble character and unquestionable integrity." Bai Luochu felt that since she was stuck doing nothing, she could try soothing the tense atmosphere in the air. She quickly found something to poke fun at. Pei Qingfeng raised his brows in response. He didn¡¯t understand why Bai Luochu was making fun of him when she never liked to talk. After failing to think of a reason, Pei Qingfeng no longer bothered about the reason. He might be able to act like a noble and lofty prince in front of others, but he was like a little child before Bai Luochu. He immediately shot back, "Luoluo, that¡¯s not very nice¡­ You were the one who reminded me not to bother about treasures along the way! You are even making fun of me after getting so far¡­¡± Bai Luochu was struck speechless and she knew that it was a mistake to open this can of worms with Pei Qingfeng. She had never been able to outtalk Pei Qingfeng but she was no longer able to find a counter to him. She felt that it was better to just keep her mouth shut around him. Pei Qingfeng felt it was rather amusing to see a speechless Bai Luochu but he was afraid he would take things too far. "Alright, I am just teasing you. What treasures do I lack in my Second Prince''s residence? Those treasures along the way are like dirt to me. If you really regret not grabbing them, I can help you out. Even though I might not be strong enough to kill my way back to obtain those treasures, I am able to transport all the treasures in my residence to yours. How about it? Just take it as my betrothal gift!¡± It was exactly as she expected. Pei Qingfeng was someone who didn¡¯t bother about decorum in front of her. "I thank Your Second Highness for your goodwill. However, Your Second Highness should know that I am an out-and-out medicine maniac. If you are really sending betrothal gifts, you should send me a spirit mountain with an unending supply of medicinal ingredients." Pei Qingfeng almost choked when he heard her request., "Luoluo, you changed..." In the past, Bai Luochu would never be able to make Pei Qingfeng speechless. However, she was starting to behave cheekily in front of him now. Bai Luochu finally felt better about herself now that Pei Qingfeng was struck speechless. However, she didn¡¯t display her joy on her face. "We are both the same type of people. There is a good saying, ¡®Those who handle cinnabar are stained red while those who work with ink are stained black¡¯." Bai Luochu was obviously mocking Pei Qingfeng for acting out of line around her. Chapter 443: No Way to Survive There were a total of 16 doors and there was a part of the eight divinatory trigrams on each door. However, Bai Luochu felt that something was off. There were only a total of eight divinatory trigrams¡­ Why would there be 16 doors? How were they going to choose? "Take a look at these doors¡­ Given a choice, which would you pick?" Bai Luochu pointed at the doors and asked for Pei Qingfeng''s opinion. "There are eight divinatory trigrams and 16 doors. Each divinatory trigram should correspond with two doors. In my opinion, the same doors should appear beside each other. If we really want to choose, there are plenty of things related to the eight trigrams we can consider." Pei Qingfeng frowned after giving his opinion and obviously didn''t know how he should choose. Bai Luochu''s expression turned even more serious after hearing his opinion. She actually had her own method, but she didn''t wish to expose it in front of others. Hence, she was seeing if there were any other methods. But from the looks of it, there were probably no other methods apart from the one she knew. "There should be an array core in the eight trigrams. Now that we can¡¯t find the array core, we can¡¯t do anything... Take a look at the arrangement of the eight trigrams, there are no patterns to follow and it¡¯s impossible to use knowledge about the eight trigrams to solve it." Before Bai Luochu could say anything, Pei Qingfeng made his stance clear. Bai Luochu''s face didn''t change as she understood Pei Qingfeng''s point of view. When she heard the sounds of battle getting closer, she no longer tried to hide her secret. ¡°I might have a method.¡± There was indeed a method for them to proceed. It was for her to act as the core of the array so that she would be able to check all the paths at the same time. Bai Luochu looked around and focused on the center of the room. Making her way there, her hand formed seals as she started to check the paths before her. Pei Qingfeng had never seen such a method before and was stunned for a moment. He stared at her as she did her thing, and noticed that there wasn¡¯t any spirit qi leaking out of her body when she used her technique. Pei Qingfeng felt that something was strange as all techniques involved the use of spirit qi, just like when he used the cleansing technique on her at the entrance of the ruins. Looking more intently, Pei Qingfeng finally realized that extremely profound spiritual energy was pouring out of her body when she formed her seals¡­ Bai Luochu who was currently scouting ahead didn''t know that Pei Qingfeng¡¯s imaginations were running wild. In his eyes, she was learning how to cultivate from some old man with a bearded face. Soon enough, he snapped out of it as Bai Luochu turned to look at him with a deathly pale face. Pei Qingfeng thought that Bai Luochu suffered some sort of backlash and he quickly went over to ask with concern, "What happened? Are you injured?" Bai Luochu shook her head but an unpleasant expression hung on her face. ¡°Every single one of these paths are filled with traps. There¡¯s something blocking me from seeing further and I have no idea which is the right path.¡± "This is impossible. There are a total of 16 doors and they hinted at the eight trigrams. At least half of them should be doors of life. How can there not be a single correct path?" Pei Qingfeng was shocked at her discovery. It seemed as though the person who designed this place didn¡¯t want anyone to return alive... "Pei Qingfeng, we are now locusts on the same rope. Why will I come up with a lie at this point in time?! There is no correct way and the only difference is the time we die. The owner of the ruins probably wanted all the invaders to be buried here!¡± "Then what should we do? Are we going to go back?" "If the ruins wanted to swallow all of us, the entrance would have shut itself once everyone entered. There has to be something here! I¡¯m not going back¡­ however, if you were to stay with me..." Bai Luochu stated. Pei Qingfeng shook his head after hearing how polite Bai Luochu was acting. "There¡¯s nothing to worry about. I am willing to live and die together with you. Now that I think about it, it is actually a good thing. Just choose a path. We don''t have much time left and they will be rushing over soon. Choose a path that you think we will be able to go through." When Bai Luochu saw how much Pei Qingfeng trusted her, she felt that she couldn¡¯t let him down. She pointed at one of the doors and said, "That. We¡¯ll go through that path." When Pei Qingfeng looked at the path Bai Luochu pointed to, he noticed it was the trigram ''Leave''. Without thinking about it any longer, the two of them charged into it. Just as Pei Qingfeng expected, immediately after they entered the path, a huge wave of people rushed over. The first to enter were Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu. Looking at the 16 doors around them, all of them were stunned silly. ¡°There are so many doors! Where did they go?!¡± Chapter 444: Splitting Up When Pei Rumo heard Lu Wenshu''s plan, he widened his eyes and asked with a face of disbelief, "I didn''t know that Young Master Lu is actually an expert at biting the hand that feeds you! Earlier in the passageway, you wanted to team up to fight against the others! Aren¡¯t you pretty quick at ditching your allies?¡± Pei Rumo was somewhat enraged. It was true that Pei Rumo almost suffered from a sneak attack from a foreign prince and Lu Wenshu rushed over to end the prince¡¯s life. ... Pei Rumo was sure that Lu Wenshu had an ulterior motive. The first thing he asked Pei Rumo was, "Where is Luo Chu? Why don''t I see her?" Pei Rumo naturally understood what Lu Wenshu meant and immediately replied, "They rushed inside too quickly just now and I wasn''t able to catch up to them. I was forced to deal with all these people and traps in the ruins. Isn¡¯t Young Master Lu very capable? Why are you left behind?¡± When Lu Wenshu heard Pei Rumo''s reply, his face had changed. It wasn¡¯t because of Pei Rumo¡¯s mocking, but it was because he had lost track of Bai Luochu. If this was anywhere else, it wouldn¡¯t be an issue. However, this wasn¡¯t any ordinary ruins. Even he wasn¡¯t sure if he could escape unscathed, let alone Bai Luochu who was already drained of her spirit qi! "Don''t worry. Pei Qingfeng is following her and should be able to protect her." Pei Rumo spoke while ending another person''s life. Lu Wenshu had never felt so grateful for Pei Qingfeng''s existence until now. But he had to quickly catch up to them and he quickly thought of another proposal. "Let''s work together and kill our way out. The earlier we do so, the safer Luo Chu will be." Lu Wenshu said this entirely to express his sincerity. He faced the other direction and killed everyone trying to push their way further into the ruins. Pei Rumo didn''t want to be outdone and immediately vented his anger on the people in front of him. Soon enough, the densely packed hallway turned empty. The duo didn''t hesitate and rushed out of the encirclement and into that empty space. ... Lu Wenshu felt that Pei Rumo was messing about and he immediately retorted, "Did you think it through? There are a total of 16 doors here and if we take the same path, it will be harder for either of us to find Luo Chu! You should know that she is after an extraordinary treasure and her chances of obtaining it alone is slim to none!¡± Pei Rumo fell into silence after the reply. Lu Wenshu was right, he acted rather rudely, "I didn''t consider it thoroughly and was rude to Young Master Lu. I even disregarded Young Master Lu''s kindness, please forgive me." Spiritual energy was related to the soul. Bai Luochu''s soul was tough and her spiritual energy scaled accordingly. As for Lu Wenshu, his spiritual energy was lacking compared to hers. He was aware of this ever since he met her in the past. He knew that his spiritual energy and understanding of the Book of Changes would never catch up to her no matter how hard he tried. Since he wasn¡¯t able to scout out the paths ahead, he wouldn¡¯t be able to guess the path she took. In the end, Lu Wenshu couldn¡¯t do anything. Without a choice, Lu Wenshu said to Pei Rumo, "If Your First Highness doesn''t mind, please pick a path. I will choose another path to look for Luo Chu. If you¡¯re afraid I will go back on my word, we can change the order. I¡¯ll pick the path and you can choose next. After all, we probably won¡¯t be able to change our choice after we enter the door.¡± Seeing no problems with it, Pei Rumo agreed. He turned to pick a path and Lu Wenshu chose a different one before heading down it. As the others entered the room one after another, they made their decision before pushing their movement skills to the limit. As for Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng, they were slowly advancing down their path. They walked slowly and had stuck their backs together. Since they knew that danger was everywhere, none of them dared to relax. From the time they entered, a narrow and unending path appeared before them. They had no choice but to walk in a single file. Only after walking down a hundred steps did the path start to widen. "Wait a moment." Bai Luochu turned and said to Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng was afraid that something happened to her and he quickly stopped. He appeared beside her and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?" When he realized that she wasn¡¯t in trouble, a lightbulb lit up in his mind. This lass is probably scheming against those people behind us... "Look here! The path widens out and since there are no traps behind us, those people at the back will definitely charge their way through! Since there are so many treasures ahead of us, this is the perfect place to set up an ambush.¡± Pei Qingfeng slowly examined the path and he realized that it was really as she described. He quickly nodded his head. "I didn''t think that the honorable Divine Physician Bai would act so ruthlessly against her enemies¡­ I find myself developing a newfound respect for you¡­¡± Bai Luochu had no idea if Pei Qingfeng was being sarcastic and she didn¡¯t bother replying. She wasn¡¯t someone good with words anyway. The more she said, the more mistakes she would make. Right now, nothing else mattered other than the ambush. Chapter 445: Great Schemer Bai Luochu frowned in response. It was obvious that she didn''t think Pei Qingfeng would act so cautiously. In her eyes, Pei Qingfeng was just a mischievous brat, It slipped her mind that even the old fox, Pei Rumo, had always been guarding against Pei Qingfeng. When it came down to it, be it schemes, plots, or even strategies, Pei Qingfeng was definitely on par with Pei Rumo. In fact, it was even possible that he was a level higher... After thinking about it, Bai Luochu decided to listen to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s suggestion. She wasted a lot of strength when opening the entrance and now that Pei Qingfeng was here, it was a wise move for her to rely on him. "Since Your Second Highness has said so. I am all ears." Pei Qingfeng felt pretty amused when he heard what Bai Luochu said. "Luoluo, you have always been a decisive person. Why are you asking for my opinion all of a sudden?" Pei Qingfeng spoke truthfully. He had been interacting with Bai Luochu for a long time and there were times he needed to act shamelessly to follow behind her. She rarely listened to him and despite being too hard-headed, she had never been wrong. He had to admit that as an orphan of the general¡¯s residence, Bai Luochu''s vision and foresight wasn''t inferior to anyone else. She made it impossible for him to interfere with her affairs and when she asked for his opinion all of a sudden, he felt a little shocked. When Pei Qingfeng replied to her with a question of his own, she felt shocked for a second. After all, she had never accepted suggestions when deciding on anything. Even if Ying Lan or the others had ideas, she would only listen to what they had to say if it was in line with her plan. It was indeed rare for her to listen to others. Forget it, I¡¯m probably too tired¡­ I can¡¯t even think straight now. But in Pei Qingfeng''s mind, her words had another meaning. Does this mean that Luo Chu is willing to start trusting me? But before Bai Luochu could hear Pei Qingfeng''s answer and before Pei Qingfeng could figure out Bai Luochu''s thoughts, sounds of chattering broke out behind them. "Big Brother, are you sure that pretty boy who opened the door earlier picked this path? Why is this path empty? It seems a little weird..." Bai Luochu heard the voice and found it familiar. It was too bad she couldn¡¯t put a face to the voice. "Of course I¡¯m sure. I scattered some tracking powder on him and released those little bugs. He is definitely somewhere here. He looks rather strong as well and it shouldn¡¯t be wrong for us to follow him.¡± "Is he reliable? I have never seen him before and he might just have gotten lucky." When Bai Luochu heard the duo''s conversation, she immediately looked around. It was no wonder¡­ Everyone at the back should be killing each other for treasures. Even if they had to choose a path, they wouldn¡¯t be quick enough to catch up with her. She didn¡¯t think that her actions would cause them to set their sights on her. As she squinted her eyes, a terrifying amount of murderous aura surged out of her body. Pei Qingfeng looked at Bai Luochu anxiously. It was clear he didn¡¯t know what was going on. "Luoluo, what¡¯s wrong?" Pei Qingfeng never felt such strong killing intent coming from her before. It wasn¡¯t something a young lady from a noble clan in the capital would emit. He felt that he wasn¡¯t staring at Bai Luochu. Instead, he felt like there was a demon who killed millions standing before him. The pressure that she emitted was even stronger than Pei Rumo, who was a general who swept through the battlefields. After hearing Pei Qingfeng''s question, Bai Luochu suddenly recalled that the person beside her wasn¡¯t Ying Lan. If it was, he would have already drawn his sword and prepared for battle. Bai Luochu quickly retracted her killing aura and she replied to Pei Qingfeng, "It¡¯s nothing. I didn¡¯t expect for someone to sprinkle tracking powder on me. I hate being spied on..." Despite the lack of killing intent, Pei Qingfeng knew that Bai Luochu was enraged right now. He didn¡¯t wish for her to rage and he quickly leaned towards her ears to whisper, "Since they are bold enough to scheme against us, they no longer deserve to live." He turned to stare at her with his crystal clear eyes and a slight smile formed on his face. Bai Luochu knew that he was trying to console her and the rage in her heart seemed to die down when she saw the confident expression on his face. Since Pei Qingfeng had already decided to eliminate the both of them, she felt that there was no longer a need to feel irritated. Since they dared to scheme against her, she would dig a huge pit for them to jump into. The two of them didn¡¯t know that they were walking closer and closer to the gates of hell. Instead, they were starting to rejoice at the fact that they were following the right path. They advanced fearlessly, thinking of the riches they would be able to obtain. It was too bad for them that they were heading towards the Grim Reaper¡¯s scythe. It was exactly as Bai Luochu expected. The moment the two of them emerged from the narrow path, they were greeted with two shining silver swords instead of dazzling treasures. Chapter 446: Lava Bai Luochu sneered, "From the looks of it, it seems like you¡¯re asking me to thank you for admiring my abilities¡­¡± "No, of course not." The two of them trembled uncontrollably after hearing what Bai Luochu said. When Pei Qingfeng looked at them, a sudden urge to mock them appeared in his heart. "We can¡¯t overlook this. Since I¡¯m in a good mood, I¡¯ll give you a chance. How do you think we should deal with people like you?¡± The moment Pei Qingfeng gave his suggestion, the two of them looked at each other and heaved a sigh of relief. It seems like we¡¯ll be able to live after all¡­ Bai Luochu turned to glare at Pei Qingfeng. She was the one they tracked! Why was he deciding on things on his own without any consideration for her?! She was the victim here! When Bai Luochu finally noticed the playful glint in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s eyes, he winked at her as though telling her something. She immediately calmed down and thought about the two of them before her. They are definitely coming up with some plan right now¡­ After thinking things through, she pretended to relax and withdrew her sword. Pei Qingfeng seemed to understand that Bai Luochu was playing along and he lowered the sword in his hand in accordance with her. Then they saw that the swords were no longer resting on their necks, a wave of relief swept across them. "Two heroes, why don''t we be your hired fighters?" An expression of flattery appeared on their faces and Bai Luochu felt like puking when she looked at them. "Why should we believe you?" Pei Qingfeng was someone who could keep his cool and even though he was more disgusted than Bai Luochu, his expression showed otherwise. "This..." One of them stammered. When they were thinking of ways to preserve their lives, Bai Luochu detected several presences coming from behind. She raised her sword once again and said coldly, "From the moment you tried to track me, your fate has been decided. If the two of you showed some backbone, I would have given you the respect you deserved. You would have gotten the chance to fight for a chance to live with those people who just entered this path. However, you guys are obviously whimps and there isn¡¯t a need for you to live any longer.¡± The duo wanted to beg for their lives but before they could speak, Bai Luochu made her move. Her sword sliced into the throat of the man before her and fresh blood sprayed out of his wound. Her clothes were dyed red the next moment. Bai Luochu glanced at the person before Pei Qingfeng and chuckled, "Your Second Highness moves pretty quickly as well. You managed to eliminate him the moment I sliced through his neck.¡± Noticing that Bai Luochu¡¯s anger had somewhat subsided, he laughed, "Hahaha. Are you feeling better now? Why are you praising me when you managed to kill him before he could react?¡± Bai Luochu coughed lightly and said, "Cough, cough. The people at the back are catching up and we should prepare ourselves for a fight.¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s expression turned grave and he thought of the worst case scenario. He knew that she wouldn¡¯t be so serious if the enemies were few in number. Since that was the case, he knew that he had to prepare himself. Even if he couldn¡¯t kill them all and seize the treasures, he had to protect Bai Luochu. He raised his sword and stood between Bai Luochu and the people who were approaching. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t refuse and she merely took a step forward to stand beside him. It was clear that she wanted to fight alongside him. Pei Qingfengd didn¡¯t try to stop her and he raised his other hand. He reached for her palm and held it tightly, "Okay, we will do this together." Bai Luochu didn''t act like before and she didn¡¯t shake him off. In just a moment, those people at the back charged through the narrow path and appeared before them. Even though the number of people was just a fraction of what remained, they were extremely aggressive. They had no intentions to allow Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng to live and all their moves were filled with killing intent. It was obvious that they wanted to kill and loot the treasures on Bai Luochu¡¯s body. Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t hold back and unleashed everything they got. Every move they made had a purpose and they managed to slowly retreat deeper into the path while killing their enemies. When there was less than 30% of the original number of enemies, Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu suddenly realized that there was nowhere else to retreat to. There was only a pool of lava waiting for them. "We cannot retreat anymore." Bai Luochu yelled and stopped Pei Qingfeng who was about to take a step back. Kicking a massive rock into the pool of lava, she watched as it disappeared without a trace. Instead of sinking like rocks usually did, the rock instantly melted and fused together with part of the lava. "Look, the lava managed to melt such a huge boulder with ease! If we fell into it, we would turn into nothingness!¡± Pei Qingfeng stopped dead in his tracks. "They are not going to leave us alone anyway. Regardless of what we say, they will never believe us!¡± Bai Luochu''s expression turned ugly as Pei Qingfeng was right. No one was going to believe that they didn¡¯t stop to grab some treasures along the way. Moreover, they were the first to enter and should have taken the most valuable treasures. Am I really going to have to use that?! As long as she used her hidden trump card, all her enemies would be defeated! However, she didn¡¯t know how to explain her method to Pei Qingfeng after. Chapter 447: Clash of the Princes "What poison did you temper your silver needles with?" Pei Qingfeng turned to look at Bai Luochu''s palm and saw several silver needles glowing with a bright luster. It was different to all the poison needles he had seen in his life. Bai Luochu looked at Pei Qingfeng and noticed that the look in his eyes wasn¡¯t one of suspicion and she gave him a causal explanation. "This poison is called the ¡®Puppet Beckon¡¯. Those struck by the needles will turn into puppets and will listen to all my orders. The poison will work for four hours, and long term use of the poison would turn the victims into walking corpses. This poison is used by influential clans or sects to train sacrificial warriors. If they didn¡¯t force me into a corner, I never would have used such a sinister method.¡± No one knew why she explained herself in the end. In fact, Bai Luochu seemed extremely concerned about Pei Qingfeng¡¯s opinion about her. She was a little worried that Pei Qingfeng would find her methods to be too ruthless and sinister. "They deserve it indeed." Pei Qingfeng didn''t feel that there was anything off with her method and he nodded his head. Bai Luochu raised her head in shock as she never expected that Pei Qingfeng would empathise with her methods. Seeing that there were no longer any enemies before them, an urge to tease Bai Luochu appeared in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mind. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think that I am too handsome? Or is my ability to understand others outside of your expectations?" Bai Luochu turned away uncomfortably and her ears turned red. No one knew if she was tired from the battle earlier or if she was feeling shy due to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s teasing. After she calmed herself down, she turned back and said, "When can Your Second Highness behave appropriately? Why are you making fun of me when we barely escaped death?¡± Even though Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t used to it, she no longer found Pei Qingfeng as annoying as she once did. "Are we going to wait here? Even though all the paths will not allow us to turn back, there is no longer a way for us to move forward. It¡¯s clear that there is nothing else here. Why don¡¯t we loot the bodies while making our way back?" When Pei Qingfeng spoke about robbing the dead bodies, he seemed less like an imperial prince and more like a bandit who raided travellers for a living. Pei Qingfeng sensed something off with Bai Luochu and asked carefully, "What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling down because the Field Pearl Flower isn¡¯t here?¡± Pei Qingfeng immediately exposed Bai Luochu''s thoughts and she didn¡¯t bother hiding it any longer. "Not just that. I didn¡¯t notice the Field Pearl Flower anywhere in the ruins." "Don''t be impatient. There is a chance that the time isn¡¯t ripe yet. If it appears, you will definitely be able to sense it. With our speed, it won¡¯t be difficult for us to head over to grab it.¡± He knew how important the Field Pearl Flower was to Bai Luochu and he quickly consoled her. Bai Luochu nodded slightly and said, "I know. The Field Pearl Flower will only appear once the fated person to obtain it appears.¡± Pei Qingfeng heaved a sigh of relief as it seemed as though Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t as disappointed as he thought she would be. Similar to Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng, Pei Rumo and Lu Wenshu were also facing a mountain load of trouble. The path that Pei Rumo chose just so happened to be the same as that of a prince from a hostile nation. "How is the First Prince of the Cloud Water Nation sent to the front lines?!¡± When the other prince noticed Pei Rumo¡¯s presence, he no longer bothered about the treasures along the way. Pei Rumo felt a headache coming. Firstly, he failed to find Bai Luochu. Next, a troublesome enemy appeared before him. Even if he used his toes to think about it, he knew that they were definitely going to fight. Whatever the case, Pei Rumo was still the Commander in Chief of the Cloud Water Nation and he wasn¡¯t some sick cat willing to compromise with his opponents the moment they appeared. Without giving a reply, he made his move. With his cultivation, he was able to launch a sneak attack on the enemy prince. His opponent barely managed to dodge and his sleeves were shredded by Pei Rumo¡¯s sudden attack. "Prince Mu Shen should know that blades are blind on the battlefield. Even if you die here today, no one will be able to blame me.¡± The princes from both nations weren''t on friendly terms and Prince Mu Shen didn''t hold himself back. He immediately ordered his subordinates, "Everyone attack! I don¡¯t care if you die, take him down! As long as you take the First Prince of the Cloud Water Nation down, I will directly promote you to a Middle Official General!¡± With a reward they couldn¡¯t refuse, all of them charged at Pei Rumo. As he was the only one who made it this far, Pei Rumo was alone. He fell to a disadvantageous position in an instant. As he retreated, he managed to activate a trap in the passage and metal spikes rained down on the troops charging towards him. In an instant, his enemies turned into porcupines and there were even some who were pinned to the ground by the metal spikes. After the rain of death stopped, Pei Rumo looked at the ground full of corpses and stared at Mu Shen. ¡°It seems like all your Middle Official General candidates are all dead.¡± Mu Shen¡¯s face turned deathly pale as he wasn¡¯t as strong as Pei Rumo. He kicked the dead body closest to him and cursed, "A bunch of useless trash!" Chapter 448: Certain Death Now that all of Mu Shen¡¯s subordinates were gone, he started to panic. Looking at Pei Rumo standing before him without any major injuries, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to beat the First Price of the Cloud Water Nation in a fight. "What do you wish to do? If something happens to me, my Emperor Father and Empress Mother will never let you off!¡± Truly a paper tiger... Pei Rumo felt a wave of disdain sweep across his heart when he heard what Mu Shen said. He was the prince of a nation and was entrusted with the responsibility of taking up the front lines. However, he was acting like a huge coward when facing an enemy from another nation. "What is Your Highness afraid of? Seeing that there is no one else to protect you, I wish to invite you to continue our treasure hunting journey." Pei Rumo sounded so friendly that no one would ever think that he was speaking to his enemy. As for Mu Shen, he knew that something was definitely off. Too bad for him, he didn¡¯t have a choice. Instead of dying like a nobody along the way, he felt that it would be better to follow Pei Rumo to explore the ruins. After all, he would be able to keep his life for a little longer. When Mu Shen nodded, Pei Rumo felt rather surprised. He initially thought that Mu Shen would run away with his tail tucked between his legs. Instead, Mu Shen proved him wrong. After thinking about it, Pei Rumo realized the true reason Mu Shen was willing to agree. He just doesn¡¯t wish to die here¡­ If he follows me, he will be able to keep his life for now... As such, the princes from two hostile nations started to work together as they explored the ruins riddled with danger. If anyone were to see such a scene they would definitely sigh with amazement. "In this wide and extensive world, there is truly nothing too bizarre." After Pei Rumo set off the trap that caused metal spikes to rain down from the ceiling, no one knew where the next trap would be. In fact, Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t confident in his own abilities at all. He didn¡¯t study much about traps and mechanisms as he had always been fighting large scale wars on the battlefields. He didn¡¯t have the time to look at those ¡®useless¡¯ knowledge and much less study the Book of Changes. Like a blind rat, Pei Rumo groped at the air and slowly made his way forward. This was also the reason he allowed Mu Shen to live. After all, it would always be convenient to have a meat shield around. Too bad she wasn¡¯t. When he thought about her again, the light in his eyes dimmed a little. Even now, he didn¡¯t know if she was in any danger. Pei Qingfeng might be strong, but Pei Rumo still felt that he wasn¡¯t good enough to take proper care of her. In the next instant, her pale face after all her spirit qi was exhausted appeared in his mind. In order to look for her, Pei Rumo quickened his exploration of the path. When Mu Shen saw Pei Rumo charging through all the obstacles, he felt so frightened that his soul was about to leave his body. "What are you walking so fast for?! There are traps here! If you accidentally activate one of them, we¡¯ll both be dead!¡± Pei Rumo turned back and rolled his eyes before moving forward. He felt like if he was a little late, Bai Luochu would encounter more mishaps. As for Mu Shen, Pei Rumo had already intended to turn him into a mearshield. Why would he care about someone whose purpose was to die? When Mu Shen noticed that Pei Rumo was ignoring him, he recalled that he was merely following behind Pei Rumo in order to keep his life. His life had no value to Pei Rumo and no one would ever take his suggestions seriously. No longer trying to convince Pei Rumo to slow down, Mu Shen hastily followed behind him. Pei Rumo''s ears had always been alert as he thought about how the trap activated all of a sudden without prior warning. He initially thought that he had missed the sound of the trap activation due to the noisy soldiers, but he realized that that wasn¡¯t the case. Most of the traps in the ruins would activate without any warning and if he failed to dodge in time, his life would be forfeit. Pei Rumo turned his head and looked straight at Mu Shen. He was obviously calculating how close Mu Shen had to be to him in order to use Mu Shen as a shield in time. Traveling with Pei Rumo was akin to traveling with a tiger. He would eventually learn that agreeing to travel with Pei Rumo was the worst decision in his life. After careful calculation, Pei Rumo instructed Mu Shen, "You, walk in front of me." Mu Shen kept his eyes glued onto the ground as he was afraid that he would step onto some random mechanism, triggering the traps around them. When Mu Shen heard Pei Rumo calling out to him, he thought that Pei Rumo had found his conscience and wanted to better protect him. He never thought that this was the biggest mistake in his life. The further they walked, the narrower the path became. As the path became darker the deeper they went, Pei Rumo felt that something was off. Something is definitely going to happen if we continue down this path. Was he going to give up everything and leave? It was impossible for him to retreat without gaining anything! This was a campaign the old emperor sent him on and if he failed to show any results he wouldn¡¯t be let off lightly! It didn¡¯t matter if he was the only one who got scolded by his Emperor Father, but his subordinates would be the ones to suffer. They suffered too much hardship on the journey and going back empty handed would be a waste of their efforts! If that were to happen, his prestige would suffer a great hit! The support he had in the imperial court will start to waver for sure. Most importantly, Pei Rumo believed that Bai Luochu was waiting ahead for him to convene with her. They still had to look for the Field Pearl Flower! Pei Rumo was lost in thoughts and he failed to notice that he had activated one of the traps ahead of him. The only thing he heard was a soft ¡®swish¡¯ and by the time he reacted, Mu Shen was already dead. Mu Shen had no idea what happened as everything happened too quickly. One moment he was breathing and the next, he was dead. However, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t feel anything now that Mu Shen was dead. In his eyes, someone who treated their subordinates like trash didn¡¯t deserve to live. They risked their lives for him, but he kicked their cold, dead corpse after their death and cursed at them. Chapter 449: Making a Move The two of them never really got along. As the chief disciple of one of the Three Great Immortal Sects, he was naturally a target of praise for the other immortal sects. Some of them yearned for his strength and cultivation, but some of them bore grudges against him. It just so happened that this particular elder was one of those people who bore grudges against him. When the elder was young, he was also an outstanding talent in his immortal sect. No one knew why, but he was suppressed by all of the disciples around him. He, who was about to become the chief disciple of his sect, amounted to nothing at the end of the day. Since then, a knot formed in his heart and his thoughts began to twist in all sorts of directions. In front of ordinary disciples, he was still the kind and benevolent elder. When he saw the chief disciple in his sect whose strength was incomparable to his younger self, he would give them the cold shoulder. If he encountered disciples that were outstanding in everything, like Lu Wenshu, he might exchange some conventional greetings. However, it was to disguise the fact that he wanted to look for the opportunity to eliminate them. Lu Wenshu understood the way the elder thought and no matter how friendly the elder acted with him, Lu Wenshu never took it to heart. What sort of reasoning was he using to comfort himself? He was suppressing the disciples who were able to achieve the things he couldn¡¯t¡­ It was fortunate that someone with such a twisted personality didn¡¯t make it far in the cultivation world. If someone like him were to obtain authority in the cultivation world, the entire martial world would be filled with trouble. Even though those were the true thoughts in his heart, Lu Wenshu couldn¡¯t possibly remain silent with the elder standing before him. He immediately bowed with cupped fists towards the elder and greeted, "Elder, we are truly fated. There are so many paths but we have chosen to walk down the same¡­¡± As Lu Wenshu bowed when greeting him, the elder felt extremely delighted. A bright smile appeared on his face and he replied, "Martial Nephew is too polite. We are truly fated..." From what Lu Wenshu saw, the elder was extremely happy as a chief disciple of another sect was greeting him with respect. "Is elder here for the treasures too?" Lu Wenshu didn¡¯t want anything to do with the elder but he felt as though it wouldn¡¯t be good if he ignored the elder completely. The look in the elder¡¯s eyes changed and he looked at Lu Wenshu with a complicated gaze. Because of what he experienced in the past, he felt extremely biased against all the chief disciples from every sect. After hearing Lu Wenshu''s question, the elder felt that something was off. He initially thought that Lu Wenshu was the person who caused the commotion at the ruins. But looking at things now, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. The elder raised his head to look at Lu Wenshu. When he saw a look of sincerity in his eyes, the elder felt that Lu Wenshu was really not eyeing any treasures in the ruins. Are there really people who are able to resist the temptation of those treasures? Even if there are, they should be retards who haven''t seen much of the world. Therefore, the elder''s intuition told him that Lu Wenshu was here for some other objective. There was indeed another objective and it was pretty straightforward. It was all for Bai Luochu. The only thing Lu Wenshu wanted was to stay by Bai Luochu¡¯s side. He wanted to help her obtain the Field Pearl Flower but now that she wasn¡¯t by his side, all the treasures were nothing more than glittering dirt. "What are you saying? Is there anyone who isn¡¯t here for the treasures?" The elder couldn''t figure out Lu Wenshu''s objective and he changed his approach when replying to him. Of course Lu Wenshu could feel that the elder was probing him. Too bad for the elder, Lu Wenshu wasn¡¯t afraid of him at all. The only thing he was afraid of was losing Bai Luochu. Why isn¡¯t he reacting?! The elder couldn¡¯t help but shudder in his heart. He never thought that Lu Wenshu¡¯s schemes would run so deep. If he were to allow Lu Wenshu to continue growing, no one would be a match for an old fox with otherworldly martial skills... He was wrong. In fact, there was someone stronger than Lu Wenshu and the only person in this world more outstanding than him was Bai Luochu. It was a pity that if anyone were to make a move on her, Lu Wenshu would be there to stop them. Lu Wenshu wouldn''t even be merciful to his own juniors, much less strangers he didn¡¯t care about. As if the elder could read his thoughts, he started talking about her. "Nevertheless, the young and pale-looking fellow managed to open the entrance to the ruins¡­ If she¡¯s so proficient with mechanisms, she definitely managed to obtain plenty of treasures.¡± "She isn¡¯t even too strong to begin with. The only person with passable strength protecting her is the green-robed man beside her. Whatever. I¡¯ll just eliminate them at the end and rob them of all the treasures they obtained.¡± Lu Wenshu was in high spirits when the elder started off by praising Bai Luochu''s proficiency with mechanisms. However, his face changed when he spoke of his plan to plunder her treasures. The elder was looking at the treasures surrounding him and he didn¡¯t bother about Lu Wenshu. It was unfortunate for him¡­ His words had set his fate and the killing intent in Lu Wenshu¡¯s heart exploded the moment he mentioned killing and robbing Bai Luochu. ¡®Pfff¡¯... The sound of metal piercing into flesh echoed through the room. A large red flower bloomed on the elder¡¯s robes but despite the amount of blood, the elder failed to feel any pain. "Why..." The elder slowly turned his head and saw that Lu Wenshu was holding onto the sword that stabbed into his chest. An unwilling look appeared on his face as he never thought that Lu Wenshu would be despicable enough to backstab him. Chapter 450: Difficult Decisions "What exactly... is your relationship with that... young and pale individual?" Due to the constant loss of blood, the elder stammered as he spoke. Lu Wenshu shot the elder a cold glance and he decided to explain himself. "Her name is Luo Chu." The moment he was done speaking, he turned to leave. Luo Chu? Why does this name sound so familiar? Where did I hear it before? Feeling the blood dragon from his body, his thoughts seemed to come to a standstill. After some time, a face flashed through his mind and he felt that his mind was struck by a bolt of lightning. The evil dao witch... Everyone knew that Lu Wenshu went crazy after her death. He even kicked disciples from his own sect out of the ruins of the Thousand Brilliance Temple when the Three Great Immortal Sects were present. Sentimental people never seemed to have good endings... The words of a man on his deathbed definitely came from his heart. The elder managed to force his final words out of his mouth, "Wenshu... Listen to me. If people like us are too emotional, we will only cause harm to others and ourselves." Lu Wenshu had already started to leave but a frown formed on his face when he heard what the elder said. "What do you mean?" As the elder¡¯s life flashed before him, he thought about the time when he failed to obtain the title of chief disciple of his sect. It was all because he fell in love with a young lady without spirit roots. Just as the name implied, a person without spirit roots wouldn''t be able to cultivate. His relationship was something his sect would never allow to happen. How could an outstanding person on the path of cultivation be allowed to mix around with such an ordinary person? He heard something about a spirit medicine that could help someone grow a set of spirit roots, and he managed to obtain a portion of the medicine for her. He never thought that it would be a trap set up by his master, and the ¡®medicine¡¯ was nothing more than a deadly poison for mortals. Her end could be imagined as she died after ingesting the spirit medicine he fed her. As he stole the ¡®medicine¡¯ from the hall, he was imprisoned in the commandment hall for ten years by his sect and he lost himself. The elder slowly narrated his life story to Lu Wenshu. Lu Wenshu never imagined that the elder suffered so much in the past. The sword in Lu Wenshu''s hand shook a little and he continued to walk away without saying anything. "Wenshu, listen to me..." The advice didn''t finish but the elder had already taken his last breath. Why did it become hard to breathe? Is the ruins closing? The more he thought about it, the more curious he became. After all, he was already at a dead end. After exiting the passage, Lu Wenshu returned to the room with the doors. To his surprise, Pei Rumo was already standing there. The duo looked at each other and saw the suspicion in each other''s eyes. They immediately return to the entrance. Just as they suspected, the ruins was about to collapse. "What should we do? Luo Chu might still be inside..." Pei Rumo¡¯s expression was gloomy and he felt that something was wrong. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen! Lu Wenshu was rather frustrated as well. If only I didn¡¯t activate the ruins... Without any choice, Lu Wenshu compromised with Pei Rumo. "You shall guard the entrance. If anyone discovers any abnormality and wishes to leave, let them leave. If they wish to guard the entrance to take advantage of others leaving the ruins, kill them all. I will return to wait for Luo Chu.¡± Lu Wenshu turned around and was about to leave. However, Pei Rumo felt that Lu Wenshu was trying to fight with him for merits and he called for him to stop. He stared at Lu Wenshu in dissatisfaction. Lu Wenshu knew the look in Pei Rumo¡¯s eyes. If he were the other party, he would also feel that it was unfair. After all, their intentions were obvious and if something were to happen, they hoped that they could be there for Bai Luochu. "You are the first prince of the Cloud Water Nation, nothing must happen to you. Even if Luo Chu cannot escape, you have to leave. As for me, no one cares about me. If Luo Chu doesn¡¯t plan on coming out, I will accompany her in the ruins forever.¡± Lu Wenshu¡¯s explanation was extremely reasonable. When he spoke, Pei Rumo could feel the sincerity in his voice. Pei Rumo was startled as he didn''t think that Lu Wenshu had considered it so thoroughly. He never thought about his status of whether or not he would be able to accomplish his task of protecting her. When he thought about how the Cloud Water Nation would fall into the hands of Pei Wuchen if he failed to return, he shuddered. Ultimately, Pei Rumo lowered his arm and allowed Lu Wenshu to re-enter the ruins. Lu Wenshu didn''t say anything else and walked back inside. It was obvious that he had made the decision to accompany Bai Luochu no matter what happened. The two of them never expected that they would have chosen the easiest route out. Compared to Bai Luochu who was still in the ruins, it could be said that their chances of dying were negligible compared to her. Bai Luochu extended her spiritual energy to the limits and was trying to scout for as much information as possible. It was obvious that she was still trying to find the location of the Field Pearl Flower. Too bad it was impossible no matter how hard she tried. She scanned all 16 paths but none of them gave her the information she wanted. She couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected. Fortune didn''t come in pairs, while misfortune never traveled alone. It was fine even if she couldn''t find the Field Pearl Flower, but she actually detected someone walking approaching them. "Be careful, more people are coming." Bai Luochu turned her head slightly and warned Pei Qingfeng with a whisper. Pei Qingfeng never expected to run into more people than traps along their way. Chapter 451: Controlled Pei Qingfeng took a look at the surrounding terrain and discovered that what Bai Luo had said was indeed true. Now that they were on top of a cliff with surging lava beneath them, if they were to fall down, there would be no saving them. The only good thing was that there was actually a way out behind them. Will one of us actually fall in today¡­ A bad premonition swept through Pei Qingfeng¡¯s mind but he eventually placed the idea aside. When Pei Qingfeng was distracted, those people arrived. ¡°Ah, isn¡¯t she that pretty boy? Aiyo it seems that you are trapped here! Tsk tsk, why don¡¯t you come over and lick my shoes for me? Maybe if you make me happy enough, I can bring you across.¡± The person who spoke was the person who was humiliated when he predicted that she would be unable to open the entrance of the entrance earlier. Seeing that Bai Luochu was stuck in a difficult position, he couldn¡¯t help but mock her. Bai Luochu frowned and her whole body started to tremble. It was clear that she was at her boiling point. Pei Qingfeng stared attentively at these people and realized that he recognized their faces. Weren¡¯t those people the ones he wanted to deal with? Now that they were here, he couldn¡¯t let them off easily. Looking at Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu before them who didn¡¯t make a move, the two of them became even more arrogant and taunted, ¡°Weren¡¯t you so full of yourself earlier? Why are you acting like turtles now? If you kneel down and beg me, I might consider bringing you two across.¡± The other guy started to make jeering sounds at them and Bai Luochu felt a headache coming. In order to soothe her headache, Bai Luochu charged towards them.. Since she wasn¡¯t able to stop the lava from annoying her, she decided to stop them from annoying her. Seeing Bai Luochu jump into battle, Pei Qingfeng quickly followed behind. As there were a large number of enemies, Bai Luochu could only immobilize them with her silver needles before killing them all. After all, her spirit qi couldn¡¯t sustain her in a battle with so many people. Pei Qingfeng¡¯s efficiency was higher than her by several folds. His sword chopped down as though he was chopping vegetables and the soil beneath their feet became dyed red with blood. Just as Pei Qingfeng was killing enthusiastically, he heard laughter burst out from afar. ¡°Hahaha, you better stop now. Your little lover is in my hand.¡± Tears streamed from his face and washed away the trail of blood on it. His heart shattered at that sight. ¡°Let her go.¡± Pei Qinfeng¡¯s voice was hoarse as he yelled towards Bai Luochu¡¯s captor. Pei Rumo was right, he wasn¡¯t qualified to take care of her. After looking at the state Bai Luochu was in, he fell into a cycle of self-blame. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me and be careful of your back!¡± Even though Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t feel her hands anymore, she was even more worried about Pei Qingfeng. It was too late by the time Pei Qingfeng heard her reminder as numerous swords were already pointing at his neck. ¡°Humph, how dare you talk back to me with your pitiful strength?¡± The man said proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you guys to beg for forgiveness, but there¡¯s nothing I can do if you refuse to listen.¡± Bai Luochu felt that there was something different about Pei Qingfeng. The murderous aura surrounding him was rising to an astounding level. Even though a vicious light flashed through his eyes, she wasn¡¯t able to tell as she was too far away. And before she could figure it out, Pei Qingfeng suddenly moved. ¡°Hah!¡± Pei Qingfeng yelled as the aura around him exploded. Everyone who had their swords pointed at him exploded in a rain of blood. The person stepping on Bai Luochu¡¯s hand suddenly grew afraid, ¡°You...you.. you, don''t come near me! If you come any closer, I¡¯ll throw her down.¡± ¡°If she dies, I¡¯ll make sure that you accompany her. If you let go of her now, I might still spare your lowly life.¡± Pei Qingfeng now no longer looked like the elegant Prince he was. Instead, he looked like a judge from the netherworld, sentencing them to their deaths. The rule of the world had always been ¡®the harder fist wins¡¯. The man who was stepping on Bai Luochu¡¯s hand leaped up and fled the second the words left Pei Qingfeng¡¯s lips. How would Pei Qingfeng allow him to leave after hurting the woman he loved? The sword in his hand shot towards the man and it nailed him to the wall. A loud cry echoed through the cavern but the two pretended as though it was nothing more than a breeze. Pei Qingfeng went over to Bai Luochu and blew on her hands softly. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I should¡¯ve paid more attention to you.¡± Pei Qingfeng glanced at her bloodied hand and he felt as though a thousand knives were stabbing at his heart. When Bai Luochu saw the depressed Pei Qingfeng, she started to comfort him, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I was trying to be brave¡­ You tried your best!¡± Pei Qingfeng could finally put his heart at rest when he saw that Bai Luochu was safe and sound. He turned his head and looked at the man pinned to the wall. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time we settle our debts with him?¡± Chapter 452: Coming Back from Death’s Door Pei Qingfeng walked forward and retrieved his sword from the man¡¯s shoulders. Without anything to pin him to the wall, the man collapsed to the ground. The guy had lost all his earlier arrogance and was now kneeling on the ground and begging for forgiveness, ¡°Spare me please! I have eyes but failed to recognize Mt. Tai. My subordinates are all dead! Please, please let me live!¡± Pei Qingfeng silently looked at Bai Luochu. Afterall, she was the biggest victim in this battle. When Pei Qingfeng looked at her, she knew that he was waiting for her to make a decision. If it had been another young lady, she might have chosen to spare him. Unfortunately, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t a normal young lady. ¡°If we spare him, there will be no end to our troubles.¡± Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t dally around and with a few slashes, he took care of everything. Only after everything had settled down did Bai Luochu recall the scene during the battle. ¡°What happened to you earlier? You seemed to have turned into another person altogether...¡± Though Bai Luochu felt that her thinking was a little weird, she felt that she had no choice but to clarify the matter with Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng felt uneasy after hearing Bai Luochu''s question. Even though the aura he emitted previously was terrifyingly strong, he had no choice but to use that power. It was the only shot he had at saving her. ¡°Did I scare you?¡± Pei Qingfeng felt wronged and he was certain that Bai Luochu was frightened by him. Bai Luochu felt guilty as she looked at the tall and strong Pei Qingfeng acting like a coward around her all the time. ¡°I wasn¡¯t scared at all¡­ However, I feel a little guilty for making you turn into a monster¡­¡± After hearing what Bai Luochu said, a smile broke out on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face. He never thought that Bai Luochu would show so much concern for him! ¡°If anything happens in the future, I don¡¯t want you to bear the burden alone. We should face the problem together...¡± Bai Luochu felt that she should make her stand clear. Even though they were not together yet, it couldn¡¯t be denied that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t touched by his actions. Pei Qingfeng nodded his head happily. Turning around, Bai Luochu prepared to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I can¡¯t stand the stench of blood in here any longer. The path ahead should no longer be accessible, let¡¯s just take the treasure in front of us and prepare to leave this place.¡± On the other hand, Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t able to comprehend the reason behind Bai Luochu giving up on the search for the Field Pearl Flower. Wasn¡¯t that her reason for coming here? Sensing that Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t moving, Bai Luochu turned her head towards him. That was when she realized the reason behind his hesitation. Instead of explaining her actions, she simply said, ¡°It¡¯s up to fate.¡± Raising her feet, she started walking towards the treasure. Despite cracking his head, Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t understand the reason why she was unwilling to continue looking for the Field Pearl Flower. However, seeing as she had no intentions to stop, Pei Qingfeng hastily followed behind her. After all, her safety was more important to him. Only after some time passed did he suddenly understand the true meaning behind her words. Bai Luochu had mentioned earlier that heavenly treasures would only appear for those fated to obtain it. Since it hadn¡¯t shown itself, it could only mean that they were not the fated ones. Bai Luochu didn¡¯t stand on ceremony any longer and directly took all the treasures present in the passageway and stuffed it into the spiritual ring she had prepared. Looking at the spiritual ring on Bai Luochu¡¯s finger, Pei Qingfeng felt that he had seen it somewhere before. It was too bad he couldn¡¯t think of where he saw it before. ¡°This spiritual ring looks familiar.¡± Bai Luochu''s hands froze as she didn¡¯t know how to explain herself. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you stole this spiritual ring from the Green Flame Eagle...¡± Bai Luochu heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Pei Qingfeng¡¯s guess. This was a spirit ring she owned in her past life and she was afraid he would recognize it. ¡°Nonsense! I only managed to buy this ring after saving up for a long time. I wanted to buy some medicinal ingredients with the money I saved but this ring caught my eye.¡± As for the matter of her stealing from the Green Flame Eagle, Bai Luochu neither denied nor confirmed it. Everyone probably had an idea of what happened and she couldn¡¯t be bothered enough to clarify their doubts. Since she stepped into the ruins, she felt that something was off. No matter how she racked her brains, she wasn¡¯t able to put her finger on it. She only realized what it was when she left the passageway and saw Lu Wenshu. Chapter 453: Irrational Never in her wildest imagination would she have guessed that the bad feelings she had earlier was because the ruins was closing. However, it was to be expected as this place was a grave and they were stealing from it. How was it possible to escape unscathed after taking all the treasures? It seemed like collecting all the treasures earlier hastened the closing of the ruins... Seemingly able to sense something wrong, everyone started emerging from the passage they had chosen as they rushed towards the exit. After Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng glanced at each other, they didn¡¯t delay any further and left immediately. They nodded at Lu Wenshu and ran towards the entrance. When they arrived at the entrance, Pei Rumo was already there waiting for them. However, Bai Luochu suddenly stopped dead in her tracks when she sensed that a spiritual herb was appearing. After painstakingly searching for the Field Pearl Flower for such a long time, it appeared right before they were about to leave! There were only two choices she could make right now. She could either leave safely, or she could try to obtain the spiritual herb that she had desired for so long. The Field Pearl Flower was right there, inside a hidden chamber located beside the entrance. In her haste, she charged deep into the ruins and ignored the possibility of the Field Pearl Flower being hidden in the most obvious spot. She assumed that the most valuable treasures would be located deep within the ruins. After looking at the hidden chamber for a little while, Bai Luochu seemed to sense that something was wrong with it. It was also entirely possible that the Field Pearl Flower was¡¯t here from the start. When the entrance to the ruins opened, there had to be a special mechanism hiding the secret chamber deep underground. The hidden chamber probably opened when the ruins started to close. That was also the reason why she was only able to sense the presence of the Field Pearl Flower when she tried to leave. Bai Luochu took a look at Pei Qingfeng and at that moment, she realized that she was treating him differently from before. She wasn¡¯t as indifferent to him as she thought she was. The feelings she had for him deep in her heart were starting to surface, but due to Lu Wenshu¡¯s betrayal, she didn¡¯t dare to admit her feelings for him. Was it time to make a choice? Bai Luochu felt that the choice she had to make wasn¡¯t between living or obtaining the Field Pearl Flower, instead it was choosing between Pei Qingfeng and her cultivation. However, Bai Luochu didn¡¯t have the courage to gamble. She was afraid, afraid of being betrayed once again. Throwing off Pei Qingfeng¡¯s hand at the very last moment, she charged into the hidden chamber alone. In order to ensure that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t left behind, he dragged her all the way back when she stopped moving. Never in his wildest imaginations did he expect for her to let go of his hand right before they left the ruins With no time to ponder about his actions, Pei Qingfeng turned around and flew into the hidden chamber behind her. ¡°Kacha¡±, the entrance to the ruins slammed shut and a piece of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s shirt fluttered in the wind. Lu Wenshu stared blankly at that torn fabric. After a long time, he managed to force a question out of his mouth and he choked with emotions, ¡°Where are they?¡± Even though he clearly knew the answer, he didn¡¯t want to admit it. He had lost her again. He lost her three years ago, and she disappeared right before his eyes once again. Lu Wenshu felt an explosion going off in his head and he blanked out. Pei Rumo stood there foolishly as though his soul had left his body. ¡°Hua Sen! Hua Sen, open the entrance right now! She¡¯s still inside, let me go and save her! She¡¯s going to die! She¡¯s going to die, do you understand? Lu Wenshu screamed crazily. There was nothing more blissful than regaining something you lost, but losing it again was enough to make anyone go crazy. Hua Sen couldn¡¯t bear seeing his own senior brother going hysterical and he consoled, ¡°Senior Brother, you know that I won¡¯t be able to open this door even if I exhausted all my spirit qi. You should know that we will only be able to open the entrance every few years¡­ By that time¡­¡± In the end, Hua Sen was unable to finish his sentence. By the time the entrance opened again, even if Lu Wenshu were to kill his way into the ruins to save them, there would be nothing left but bones. Lu Wenshu fell to the ground and started wailing. Once again, he caused her death. Without my interference in her life, will she be able to live happily? Did I cause all this by overestimating myself?! Lu Wenshu charged towards the door with a fanatic gaze in his eyes. He slammed into it with all his might but Pei Rumo saved his life by covering the entrance with his spirit qi before Lu Wenshu smashed into it. He might have saved Lu Wenshu¡¯s life, but he wasn¡¯t able to prevent Lu Wenshu from fainting after the collision. ¡°Senior Brother!¡± Hua Sen charged forward and caught Lu Wenshu before he hit the ground. After examining Lu Wenshu¡¯s pulse and realising that there wasn¡¯t anything wrong, he went forward and thanked Pei Rumo, ¡°I thank Your First Highness for your help. My Senior Brother embarrassed himself¡­¡± Pei Rumo merely waved his hands to signal for Hua Sen to say anything else and merely waved his hands to signal to Hua Sen to leave. There was nothing much to say. Even someone like Pei Rumo was putting up a strong front. Only the heavens knew how much he desired to smash open the entrance to save Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng. Unfortunately, the entrance wouldn¡¯t open no matter what he did. Suddenly, the sound of horse hoofs hitting the ground could be heard behind him and Pei Rumo spun around. ¡°Your Highness, this subordinate came too late, I beg to be forgiven...¡± When the general saw the condition Pei Rumo was in, he fell to his knees and begged to be pardoned. Chapter 454: Can’t Bear to Par The soldiers who didn¡¯t know what was going on almost fell over in fright. They were shocked that Pei Rumo would sentence all of them to death the instant they appeared. ¡°Your Highness, this subordinate knows that we were negligent and we are willing to accept any punishment.¡± The deputy general continued kneeling down and pleaded with sincerity. Pei Rumo frowned and stared at them with a puzzled expression on his face. Only after he saw the look on their faces did he realize that they had misunderstood him. ¡°I¡¯m not referring to you guys.¡± The deputy general saw that Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t in a good mood and hence didn¡¯t pry further. Instead, he turned around and asked, ¡°Your Highness, what should we do next?¡± Pei Rumo then tossed a spiritual ring into the deputy general''s hands. ¡°Assign a large part of our force to escort this spiritual ring back to the capital city. Leave several elite squads here with me. I still have things to do here.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t understand what Pei Rumo¡¯s intention was, he knew that as a subordinate he only needed to follow his orders. Compared to the deathly stillness outside, the atmosphere inside the ruins was much better. Not long after Bai Luochu entered the hidden chamber, she heard footsteps sounding out behind her. She raised her sword and prepared to kill the person following her, but before she could slash out, she heard a soft sigh from a familiar voice. ¡°Sigh, Luoluo, don¡¯t you think you are lacking a bit of conscience? In order to protect you, I ended up like this, yet you are planning to abandon me now.¡± When Bai Luochu heard his voice, tears welled up in her eyes and her vision became blurry. He gave up his chance of escaping to follow me in! ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave?¡± Bai Luochu asked with an expression of disbelief. Pei Qingfeng let out a soft chuckle after he heard the worry in Bai Luochu¡¯s voice. ¡°Because I can¡¯t bear to leave you.¡± Even though his tone wasn¡¯t all that serious, she knew that he wasn¡¯t lying. A sigh and a chuckle sounded at the same time. The person who sighed was Pei Qingfeng as he never expected that out of all the beauties he knew, he would fall for this blockhead. After realizing his feelings for her, he also realized that he was willing to trade his life for the opportunity to follow her wherever she went. After all, to him, life was merely something that lasted for tens of years. The only thing that mattered was the joy he felt during the time of his existence. The person who had chuckled was Bai Luochu as she didn¡¯t expect that Pei QIngfeng and Lu Wenshu would act so differently at the crossroads of life. Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest when he chose to die with her. This time, it was different. When she laughed, she felt as though a mini sun was shining its rays on her whole body, allowing her to feel warm and comfortable. She discovered that she was still capable of feeling joy. Even though she was delighted on the inside, she suppressed her joy in front of Pei Qinfeng and replied calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t use your flowery speech and try to confuse me. I¡¯m no three year old kid. If you¡¯re really sincere, prove it through your actions.¡± Pei Qingfeng understood Bai Luochu very well. He knew that Bai Luochu was probably embarrassed and he quickly decided against teasing her any further. ¡°Luoluo, there¡¯s something I have been waiting to tell you¡­ Can you listen to what I have to say?¡± Even though Bai Luochu could roughly guess what Pei Qingfeng wanted to say, she still nodded her head. She really wanted to know when he started to develop his feelings for her. Seeing her nod her head, Pei Qingfeng heaved a sigh of relief. He was glad that she was giving him a chance to explain himself. ¡°Initially, I was merely interested in you as a person. On the outside you looked like a young lady. However, you seemed too mature for your age. I felt delighted when I messed with you till you were flustered. It was also then that I started to develop feelings for you.¡± ¡°Unknowingly, the more I looked at you, the deeper I fell in love with you. You may think that I am being too hasty when I talk about this, but I still want to tell you that no matter how much you changed, I will be able to accept you. No matter how many secrets you have that I¡¯m unaware of, I will definitely be able to accept them.¡± ¡°The only thing that I can¡¯t accept is that you will no longer stay by my side. That is also the reason I am willing to risk my life to run all the way to the Desolate Region in order to look for you. Giving up my only chance to escape just so I can be with you is probably the last thing I¡¯ll be able to do, but it¡¯s all for the sake of being with you.¡± ¡°Luoluo. I really, really, really like you!¡± For love, he was unafraid of life and death. Bai Luochu never got to learn about Pei Qingfeng¡¯s feelings for her and when she heard his speech, she twisted her head so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see the expression on her face. She didn¡¯t want him to see her losing control of her emotions. She forced several words out of her throat, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go and find the Field Pearl Flower first. Once I have regained my strength, we might even be able to escape.¡± She then charged forward without waiting for Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng decided to treat it as Bai Luochu being embarrassed and didn¡¯t say anything else. He quickly followed behind her in order to protect her from any unexpected dangers. She had clearly sensed that the Field Pearl Flower was in the hidden chamber they were in. However, no matter how hard she tried to look for it, she failed to locate the flower. ¡°Is it possible that there¡¯s another hidden chamber within this hidden chamber?¡± Seeing Bai Luochu worry helplessly, Pei Qinfeng brought up a possible suggestion and groped the walls of the hidden chamber. Pei Qingfeng''s hard work paid off when he noticed that there was something wrong with one section on the wall. He immediately removed the stone brick and discovered a mechanism. As he wasn¡¯t an expert in these, he quickly called Bai Luochu over to take a look, ¡°Luoluo, come quick, there¡¯s a mechanism here!¡± Chapter 455: The Field Pearl Flower Appears As the mechanism was pretty high on the wall, Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t able to reach it with her height. Left with no choice, Bai Luochu could only ask Pei Qingfeng to carry her up to take a good look at it. There was a painting hidden in the middle of the mechanism, and there was a picture of a stone platform with a variety of minerals on top of it. The more she looked at the minerals, the more familiar she found them to be. It looked like those junk pieces that Bai Luochu was searching through previously. Where is the stone platform? Bai Luochu looked at the floor and discovered that it matched with the dimensions of the stone platform. The only reason she wasn¡¯t able to recognize it at first glance was because the layer of dust covering it was too thick. ¡°Let me down, I know what I have to do.¡± When Pei Qingfeng placed her down on the ground, she ran over to the stone platform and wiped the dust off with her sleeves. Once she was done, she discovered that there was a hidden gap on the stone platform. In a single glance, she knew that her guess was spot on. Bai Luochu turned around and urged him, ¡°Tell me what you see inside the painting.¡± Pei Qingfeng knew that it had something to do with the mechanism and he quickly recited the things he saw in the painting. Bai Luochu made her way to the pile of junk and grabbed those Pei Qingfeng named. Before long, she arranged them in order on the stone platform. The moment she completed the arrangement, a soft clicking sound could be heard. It was as though a lock was opened. Afraid that Bai Luochu might be harmed by something unexpected, Pei Qingfeng turned around and grabbed her into his arms. The room slowly started to change. The scene in front of them stunned them both. The wall inside the hidden room suddenly separated from the middle and turned backwards. After half a round, it stopped turning and revealed a bookshelf covered in dust. After taking a closer look, Bai Luochu discovered that they were rare books that had already been lost in the annals of time. Where is the Field Pearl Flower?! No matter how she looked at it, the bookshelves didn¡¯t contain the flower. The only thing that told her that she was getting closer was the increasingly strong scent emitted by it. ¡°Take a look.¡± Pei Qingfeng then pointed towards the original stone platform The stone platform reappeared and the materials on it were replaced by the Field Pearl Flower. Bai Luochu went forward without hesitation and reached her hands out towards the Field Pearl Flower. Before she could touch it, Pei Qingfeng stopped her. Bai Luochu felt that since she had trusted him once, there wasn¡¯t any harm in trusting him again. Hence, Bai Luochu stood still as she waited for Pei Qingfeng to bring her the flower. Pei Qingfeng acted with caution as this was no small matter. Firstly, the Field Pearl Flower was the reason Bai Luochu set off on the expedition. Next, he knew that if anything happened to him, god knew how long Bai Luochu would have to wait before she was able to leave. Thus, even the fearless Pei Qingfeng felt a trace of trepidation in his heart. As soon as someone found their weak spot, they would no longer be the fearless individual they once were. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t as dangerous as Pei Qingfeng had thought. The only troublesome thing was plucking the plant out as the roots were too sturdy. Even though the blood on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s body had yet to dry, his clothes were stained brown with dirt and dust. No matter how dirty his clothes became, Pei Qingfeng felt that it was worth it. After all, the Field Pearl Flower was the thing Bai Luochu desired the most. Bai Luochu received the Field Pearl Flower and immediately placed it to her nose. She wanted to ensure that it was the real deal. However, Bai Luochu suddenly started to hesitate as she wasn¡¯t sure whether she should consume it. After all, the effects of the Pearl Field Flower had only been mentioned in the legends. No one could confirm if the legends were true. Furthermore, there was something else that Bai Luochu was worried about. She didn¡¯t know if her current body was able to withstand the large amount of medicinal efficacy that resided in this Field Pearl Flower. Although she was sure her soul would be able to withstand it, if her physical body failed her, it would be extremely likely she would be buried in the secret chamber of the ruins. She took a look at Pei Qingfeng in front of her. He had followed her and even helped to pluck the Field Pearl Flower. If she was still the heartless evil dao witch of the past, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest. However, the feelings she had for him had already germinated into a large flourishing tree in her heart! How could she act without thinking about the consequences? Pei Qingfeng saw the change in Bai Luochu¡¯s expression and knew the conflict in her heart. He comforted, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if your strength will surpass mine. Why will I care?¡± A deafening silence descended between the two of them as soon as he spoke. All of a sudden, the words became stuck in her throat. She didn¡¯t know how to bring herself to explain herself. Should she confess that she couldn¡¯t bear to leave him alone? She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say that¡­ She was also afraid of telling him her considerations as she was afraid she would throw the Field Pearl Flower away. Bai Luochu opened her mouth after a long while, ¡°You need to know that whatever I do, I want to be able to stand by your side without regrets. I want to raise my chin high when I¡¯m beside you.¡± Chapter 456: Conclusion? Death. When she thought about others'' opinions of her, she swallowed the Field Pearl Flower in her hand without the slightest hesitation. When she sensed the strength surging through her body, she started to feel her meridians ache. Bai Luochu sat down and crossed her legs, as she started meditating in hopes that she would be able to guide the energy evenly throughout her body. Pei Qingfeng became extremely nervous when he saw her acting so seriously. However, Bai Luochu clearly didn¡¯t want Pei Qingfeng to interfere. After all, she was only able to rely on herself if she wanted to completely absorb the spiritual energy in the Field Pearl Flower. ¡°Don¡¯t come over.¡± Taking advantage of the end of the first wave of spiritual energy outburst, Bai Luochu hurriedly stopped him, ¡°If you really want to help me, then just watch quietly from the side and don¡¯t disturb me.¡± Knowing that Bai Luochu¡¯s cultivation method was unorthodox, he decided not to do anything. He simply retreated to the side and observed her. Bai Luochu quickly shut her eyes when she felt the next wave of spiritual energy surging towards her and she focused on absorbing it. The peace in the hidden chamber was restored once again. Even though everything seemed tranquil in the ruins, it was utter chaos on the outside. When Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t back even after the sun dipped under the horizon, Ying Lan started to panic. He instructed Qin Feng to close the inn before rushing to the ruins. When he arrived near the ruins, he saw Pei Qingfeng sitting dejectedly at the entrance of it. Ying Lan felt his heart skip a beat and he became afraid that something had happened to his mistress. ¡°Your Highness, forgive me for my rudeness, but may I know where Divine Physician Bai is? When Pei Rumo heard the familiar voice, he raised his head abruptly and discovered that the person speaking to him was one of the innkeepers. Not thinking much of it, he snorted in irritation, ¡°You better leave now, nobody knows when Divine Physician Bai will be back.¡± After he spoke, he turned back to the ruins and ignored Ying Lan. Unable to hold back his anger and anxiousness, he grabbed Pei Rumo by his collar. ¡°You better explain clearly! What do you mean by nobody knows when she will be back?!¡± In his moment of rage, Ying Lan completely forgot that he was still in disguise. ¡°Who do you think you are? Who are you to question me about Luochu¡¯s safety?!¡± Pei Rumo yelled as he had no idea what the person before him wanted. Ying Lan was startled at first, but regained his composure soon when he realized that he was wearing another person¡¯s face right now. He ripped the mask off his face and threw it to Pei Rumo¡¯s feet. ¡°Look carefully at who I am! Divine Physician Bai is from our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, don¡¯t you think I have the right to ask about her safety?¡± Ying Lan¡¯s expression was a little deranged as he glared at Pei Rumo before him. Pei Rumo glanced at him and felt that he was hallucinating. How could the weird innkeeper turn out to be the Hall Master of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence?! ¡°You followed us from the start?¡± Pei Rumo asked after he had accepted Ying Lan¡¯s identity. It was indeed a bad feeling to be watched by others. When Pei Rumo recalled how his every action and move in the past few days had been under the scrutiny of Ying Lan, he felt as though thousands of ants were crawling on his body. ¡°You can¡¯t put it that way.¡± Since he had already exposed himself, there was no longer any reason to hide the truth. He might as well reveal everything. ¡°When Divine Physician Bai arrived, she discovered that there were many things amiss. Hence, she sent a letter asking me to come over to help. You already know everything that happened after my arrival.¡± ¡°Is the other innkeeper also a part of your palace?¡± When Pei Rumo thought about how he had been monitored from the start and a trace of irritation appeared in his heart. Ying Lan felt embarrassed and lightly coughed twice, before admitting to it, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s also one of my men. When Divine Physician Bai decided to go to the Desolate Region, I sent him over to wait for her arrival. She would at the very least be able to rest comfortably without worrying over her safety.¡± ¡°Ah, she was indeed thorough in her preparations.¡± Pei Rumo finally understood that his worries were like a clown¡¯s act in front of her. No wonder she didn¡¯t panic even after losing her sight. It seemed as though she had already made her preparations before setting off... Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, Ying Lan finally broke the silence and asked, ¡°Now that I have completely explained my side of the story, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time for you to tell me about her whereabouts?¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s body froze. He knew that he was no longer able to conceal the truth and the explanation slowly left his lips. ¡°She¡¯s currently trapped inside and I don¡¯t have any way to get her out.¡± For a split second, Ying Lan considered punching Pei Rumo¡¯s face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guarantee her safety before leaving the capital city?! What in the world if going on now?! She¡¯s trapped inside the ruins with god knows how many traps surrounding her and we don¡¯t even know whether she¡¯s dead or alive. Why the hell are you still sitting here and weeping instead of finding a solution?¡± The rage in Ying Lan¡¯s heart nearly covered his sense of reasoning. If not for the fact that he couldn¡¯t kill Pei Rumo as he wished, he would have already torn Pei Rumo¡¯s body to shreds. He suddenly thought about the Qing siblings once again and he realized that they were going to be separated from Bai Luochu before even speaking to her. It was still possible to talk it out with Qing He, but he¡¯s afraid that Qing Rong would only stop searching for Bai Luochu after flipping over the entire Desolate Region. ¡°Is there really no way to save her?¡± Ying Lan quickly asked after he had regained his sense of reasoning. Chapter 457: Returning Helplessly He only came back to his senses after Qin Feng called him out a few times. ¡°Pack your stuff and return to the capital at once. Contact Guan Yue and Meng Luoping and inform them about everything that happened here. Shouldn¡¯t you let them decide on their next course of action?¡± Qin Feng knew that no simple matter would cause Ying Lan to panic. Qin Feng was roughly able to guess that something happened to Bai Luochu and he asked, ¡°Commander Ying, did something happen to Divine Physician Bai?¡± Ying Lan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It seemed that as long as he was dealing with anything that involved Bai Luochu, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay calm. That was the only way Qin Feng would be able to pick up on it. Since Qin Feng had already guessed it, Ying Lan no longer tried to conceal the matter. ¡°Maybe, but anything can happen. I need you to head back right now to inform them so that they can prepare themselves for what is to come.¡± Ying Lan had yet to give up. Wasn¡¯t it just a damn ruins? When his own mistress died three years ago, he still managed to look for her after traveling across the world. She would definitely be able to escape from the ruins safely! The only thing he could do was to pray for her safe return as he wasn¡¯t able to take action personally. As for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, he could only hand it over to Guan Yue and the others for now. As Qin Feng was clear about the severity of the situation, he rushed into the inn and packed his belongings without the slightest delay. On Ying Lan¡¯s side, he didn¡¯t dally. He took a sheet of paper and picked up a brush as his side. He wrote a detailed report for Guan Yue and the rest before passing it to Qin Feng. ¡°Be careful on your way back.¡± Ying Lan patted his shoulder before continuing, ¡°This letter is very important as it concerns the future of our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, you must ensure that you pass this letter to the both of them personally. There is no room for error here. I hope you don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Qin Feng nodded his head and rode his horse straight back to the capital city. The next morning, Pei Rumo¡¯s soldier discovered that he was still sitting before the entrance of the ruins, motionless. They asked in concern, ¡°Your Highness, is there a reason you¡¯re still sitting here? If you catch a cold, it will affect your journey back to the capital. We still have a long way to go and you need to take care of yourself.¡± Pei Rumo turned around and stared at his deputy general with a blank look on his face. As though his soul had already left his body, he asked in a zombie-like manner, ¡°Has the door opened yet?¡± ¡°Has the door opened yet?¡± No one knew how many times he asked that question but the deputy general finally realized that Pei Rumo was asking about the ruins. However, it was impossible. The girl who massacred devil beasts heroically to save their lives, the lady who disregarded their impudence and treated their illness with all her medical skills was never going to emerge from the ruins... Even Pei Rumo¡¯s deputy general felt that his master had aged a lot in the span of one night. ¡°Your Highness, I think it¡¯s time to give up and return home. All of us here can testify for her and persuade His Majesty to confer Young Lady Luo Chu a posthumous title. There¡¯s no point in waiting here anymore, Young Lady Luo Chu won¡¯t be coming out!¡± A man who wouldn¡¯t shed tears at the sign of blood, a battle-hardened veteran who survived many battles alongside Pei Rumo who toed the lines of life and death regularly started sobbing after he said those words. No one knew if he cried because of the state Pei Rumo was in, or because he felt pity for Bai Luochu. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little more. I¡¯m sure she will be coming out soon!¡± This wait lasted for seven days before he collapsed due to fatigue. Even though these soldiers didn¡¯t hope for Bai Luochu¡¯s death, they couldn¡¯t bear to see Pei Rumo in this state. They took advantage of the fact that he was no longer conscious to send him back in a carriage. When Pei Rumo woke up once again, two days had already passed. ¡°Where am I?¡± He woke up in the carriage, puzzled. Shouldn¡¯t he be in front of the ruins in the Desolate Region? Why was he in a carriage?! ¡°Your Highness, when you fainted, we had no choice but to put you into the carriage to send you out of the Desolate Region.¡± ¡°How far have we traveled?¡± Pei Rumo was more concerned about whether he could return to the Desolate Region than he was about his body. The soldier sitting in the carriage with Pei Rumo was clearly a newcomer. Under Pei Rumo¡¯s questioning, he didn¡¯t know how to convince Pei Rumo that they were worried for him. The deputy general quickly came in to explain when he heard the commotion happening inside the carriage. ¡°Replying to Your Highness, it has already been two days since we left the Desolate Region, and we are already one third of the way back to the capital city.¡± When he heard what his deputy general said, Pei Rumo¡¯s aura suddenly changed. Had it already been so long since they left the Desolate Region?! It was impossible for him to return now! He was in no condition to head back, and his soldiers would definitely be keeping a close watch on him. The deputy general hastily dismissed the soldier beside Pei Rumo. ¡°Your Highness, we know that you value your friendships a lot, but at this point, there¡¯s nothing we can do but to return and fight Divine Physician Bai¡¯s prestige.¡± Even though the deputy general felt that there was something wrong with Pei Rumo, he didn¡¯t plan on giving way and allowing Pei Rumo to return. Hence, he could only comfort him in hopes that Pei Rumo would agree with him. After a long time, Pei Rumo finally nodded his head unwillingly and agreed. After four days, Pei Rumo finally brought his troops back to the capital city. As there was no sight of Bai Luochu anywhere, many of the citizens started to discuss animatedly. ¡°Hey, do you see Divine Physician Bai anywhere? There¡¯s something wrong.¡± ¡°Yeah, why is he the only one who came back?¡± When Pei Rumo heard their questions, his chest tightened and he felt a sharp pain piercing into his heart. He became unable to breath for a moment. Chapter 458: Two Imperial Edicts ¡°I pay respect to Your Majesty.¡± Pei Rumo sounded extremely calm when he gave his greetings. His Majesty looked for Bai Luochu¡¯s figure for quite a long time, and felt that she had been too tired from the journey to enter the palace immediately after their return. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Divine Physician Bai come over together with you?¡± Pei Rumo tightly pursed his lips, and refused to say anything regarding Bai Luochu. When he saw Pei Rumo shut his mouth, the old emperor felt that his son was afraid of him blaming Bai Luochu. A forced laughter filled the hall, ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not trying to blame her or anything. The journey back was long and arduous, and as a girl it must have been a tiring journey. If she wants to rest before coming over to report to me, I won¡¯t blame her...¡± But before he could finish his sentence, Pei Rumo interrupted him. ¡°At the last juncture in the Desolate Region, both Divine Physician Bai and His Second Highness failed to escape from the ruins. Even after waiting for seven days, I was still unable to rescue the two of them.¡± His words were like a clap of thunder that sundered the old emperor¡¯s brain. Only after a long while did he regain his composure. ¡°Wha¡­ What?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that both Divine Physician Bai and Pei Qingfeng are still trapped in the ruins. They are most likely dead.¡± The old emperor fell into a daze and he nearly fainted. No¡­ He actually collapsed. When De Quan saw this, he quickly went over to support the old emperor. As he wasn¡¯t able to support the old emperor¡¯s weight, he fell to the ground with him. ¡°Ouch!¡± De Quan unconsciously let out a shout when he fell. He fumed with anger when he saw that Pei Rumo was still standing there without plans of helping. ¡°Your Highness, why are you still standing there and not moving? Can¡¯t you see that His Majesty has already fainted? Hurry up and go call the imperial physician!¡± However, Pei Rumo remained still and didn¡¯t bother moving. De Quan had no choice but to place the old emperor to the side and call for the imperial physician himself. The imperial physician took a look at the old emperor and came up with a diagnosis. Since the old emperor fainted from shock, he would be fine after a short rest. To stay filial, Pei Rumo could only stay and wait. De Quan felt a headache coming when he looked at the two of them. One was in a coma now and the other was not far off from being in a coma. Nobody knew how the news had spread to Ling Xian¡¯er and Honored Tian Yun. When she had heard the news, Ling Xian¡¯er broke her restriction orders and went crying to Honored Tian Yun. Honored Tian Yun initially wanted to scold Ling Xian¡¯er, but he decided against it after he saw that she was about to go crazy. He took a long sigh before deciding to tell Ling Xian¡¯er his decision. ¡°I¡¯ll discuss this matter with the sect master. If you¡¯re free, go over to the Desolate Region. Rather than going back to the sect for punishment, you should head over to the Desolate Region to salvage whatever you can.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er spun around and left to pack her luggage. As soon as she packed, she bade farewell to Honored Tian Yun. ¡°Honored Sir, Xian¡¯er knows her mistake. Once I find Brother Qingfeng, I would definitely return to recieve my punishment. You don''t have to worry about that.¡± Ling Xian¡¯er waited obediently for Honored Tian Yun to allow her to leave. In the end, Tian Yun didn¡¯t say anything else and simply waved his hand to let her go. ... Evening had already fallen by the time the old emperor woke up. ¡°Is what you say true?¡± He asked impatiently. Pei Rumo nodded stiffly. Soon after, the two of them fell into a long period of silence. ¡°What do you think I should do?¡± His Majesty seemed to have no idea what to do and asked Pei Rumo for his opinion. The moment he had waited for finally arrived. When Pei Rumo heard the question, he was finally able to bring up the words that he had prepared earlier. ¡°In my opinion, Luochu should be conferred the title of a lord. Furthermore, her father had been a loyal general that died in battle.¡± ¡°Then what about Qingfeng?¡± The old emperor felt that compared to himself, this child of his was a million times smarter. In reality, Pei Rumo had no desire to fight for Pei Qingfeng¡¯s benefits. However, when he recalled how Pei Qingfeng gave up the chance to leave by following her into the ruins, he felt that he couldn¡¯t put down everything Pei Qingfeng did. ¡°Even though he had gone in secret, we can always say that he was sent there on a secret mission. As for what title to confer, I¡¯m sure Your Majesty is clearer than me on what to do.¡± The old emperor looked as if he had aged by a decade after hearing Pei Rumo¡¯s suggestion. He silently nodded his head to show that he would do as Pei Rumo had suggested. The next day, the imperial decree was posted on all corners of the capital. ¡°During the trip to the Desolate Region, Second Prince Pei Qingfeng and Luo Chu from the general¡¯s residence met with some mishap. For their loyalty towards the Cloud Water Nation, I have decided to confer the title of King Ling to the Second Prince and the title of Yongjia Lord to Luo Chu.¡± A huge uproar broke out amongst the citizens as they never would have guessed that their two most beloved officials would have lost their lives in the Desolate Region. On the other hand, Pei Rumo had already gone over to the general¡¯s residence to pass them a secret degree. ¡°By honor of His Majesty, the general¡¯s residence shall be renamed the Lady¡¯s residence from this day forth. Other than the Lady herself, no one is allowed to remain in the manor. His Majesty would like to offer his condolences and since there are no male offspring in the Lin family, Lin Qianqian shall be ordered to mourn the death of the Lady for the next three years. End of edict.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± Lin Qianqian stood up and refused to accept the decree. ¡°I¡¯ve waited a whole three years! I¡¯m already at the age of marriage! If I were to wait for another three years, who would want to marry me?!¡± Chapter 459: A Maiden’s Thoughts After talking, she pulled Lin Qianqian and hinted for her to kneel before Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo felt even more disgusted when he looked at this family. ¡°I have already conveyed this imperial edict to you, you must accept it even if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Pei Rumo turned around and prepared to leave, but he suddenly remembered something and added, ¡°However, you guys better watch yourself. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m kidding around. Also, in the near future, there will be a wet nurse coming over to teach you how to mourn for someone. Let me warn you first, if you don¡¯t do a good job, she won¡¯t let you off.¡± Pei Rumo felt free from worry when he finally saw the changes in their expression. After Pei Rumo had left for quite some time, Lin Qianqian then threw the imperial edict that was on her hand onto the floor. ¡°That damned woman is already dead yet they refuse to let me off! I was already living under her shadow when she was alive, but they actually want me to mourn for her after she died?¡± Lin Yangshi¡¯s expression changed and she sighed when she noticed that Pei Rumo had left. ¡°Pui, what a shameless pair. He was obviously here to take revenge for that slut, how dare he act so dignified¡± When Bai Luochu¡¯s uncle saw the mother and daughter pair acting like this, he felt that their fates were sealed. Even though it was heart wrenching to see his daughter mourn for others, what made him more worried was that he might no longer be able to live in this residence anymore. ¡°That¡¯s enough. The important thing is figuring out where we are going to move to. Didn¡¯t you hear the First Prince say that this residence will be renamed to the Lady¡¯s residence and other than her, nobody else will be able to remain here?¡± ¡°What?¡± The mother and daughter combo screamed in indignation. When Pei Rumo arrived back at his residence, he shut himself inside his study room and refused to come out. When the guards saw their mastern acting this way, none of them dared to disturb him. On the other side, the old emperor sat alone inside the Throne Room and he reflected upon himself. Originally, he had planned to confer a title onto Bai Luochu so that she would be able to marry into the imperial family with a status befitting of a consort. He was even prepared to let her choose the prince she wanted to marry. No one knew that she would fall in the Desolate Region. Even though she was still conferred a title, the old emperor was brooding over the fact that his wishful thinking had failed. ¡°De Quan, bring me the ink and brush. I want to write a letter to the Phoenix King Valley to express my sincerity in forming a relationship with them through marriage.¡± Both the ink and brush were on the desk and what De Quan needed to do was simply press the paper for the old emperor. After that, he just needed to grind the ink. The Valley Master of Phoenix King Valley was enraged when he received the letter. ¡°Who does the Water Cloud Nation think they are?! What do they treat our Phoenix King Valley as? They expect us to agree when they want a marriage but brush us off if they don¡¯t want to?¡± Due to the previous incident that happened between the Phoenix King Valley and the Cloud Water Nation, tension was high between them. If the Cloud Water Nation didn¡¯t have the letter, it was fine if nobody brought the matter up. No one would have thought that the old emperor would do something so shameless to secure his position in the Cloud Water Nation. ¡°How about we ask Wan¡¯er for her opinion?¡± The elder who had led the group previously suggested. The Valley Master of the Phoenix King Valley contemplated for a moment before finally deciding to call her over. ¡°Father, why are you looking for me?¡± After Feng Wan¡¯er had suffered losses in Water Cloud Nation, she became well-behaved in the valley and had treated her fellow disciples with respect and courtesy. All the elders even thought that she had grown up and matured. But the truth was that Feng Wan¡¯er didn¡¯t want Pei Wuchen to dislike her because of her domineering and bossy temper. Looking at the well-behaved daughter in front of him, the Valley Master suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. She wasn¡¯t as bad as everyone thought she was. In fact, she was loved by everyone in the valley. The only reason she lashed out at Bai Luochu was because of her jealousy. He had even wondered if that brat, Pei Wuchen, was blind. Feng Wan¡¯er had treated him so well, but he remained indifferent to her. What made him really angry was when Pei Wuchen gave up his daughter for the throne. ¡°Take a look at the letter that the Water Cloud Nation sent over.¡± When Feng Wan¡¯er heard that it was a letter from Water Cloud Nation, she immediately read the contents. After she was done, she ran over to her father like a happy child getting candy. ¡°Father, the contents of this letter says that they want me to marry Pei Wu Chen! Shouldn¡¯t we head over to Water Cloud Nation now?¡± When the Valley Master saw that his own daughter was so eager to marry Pei Wuchen, he revealed a resentful expression. It seemed as though the elder knew his daughter better than him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush, let me write a letter and reply to them first. Once we receive news from their side, it won¡¯t be too late to bring you over. Since the other party has already brought up the topic of marriage, you might even need to embroider your own wedding dress now. You should make use of this time and improve your embroidery skills.¡± The Valley Master explained as he found a reason to drive her away. Chapter 460: Secretly Lost in Thoughts ¡°Sigh.¡± The old Valley Master let out a sigh and turned around to look at the rest of the elders for their thoughts on the matter. If the marriage would cause the Phoenix King Valley¡¯s destruction, the elders would be able to interfere in it. However, when it all came down to the marriage between Feng Wan¡¯er and Pei Wuchen, it was merely a matter of pride. In the end, the elders felt that it wasn¡¯t suitable for them to butt into the family matters of the Valley Master. However, since the Valley Master asked for their opinion, they couldn¡¯t keep quiet any longer. They looked at each other in dismay and someone spoke up only after a long time. ¡°If this is what Feng¡¯er wants, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it either.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t explicitly state his stand, it was clear that he supported the marriage. The old Valley Master could only sigh in his heart. They were right. As long as Feng Wan¡¯er didn¡¯t wish to marry into the royal family of the Cloud Water Nation, they would support her with all their might. Even if it meant waging a war with the Cloud Water Nation, they wouldn¡¯t bat an eyelid before sending out their disciples. However, the problem was that Feng¡¯er was more than willing to marry Pei Wuchen! The only thing the old Valley Master didn¡¯t like about Pei Wuchen was that he was nothing more than a puppet for the old emperor. He was afraid that she would feel wronged when she realized that Pei Wuchen didn¡¯t love her as much as she had imagined. However, looking at how happy she was now, he really couldn¡¯t bear to reject the marriage. ¡°Forget it, the matters of the younger generation should be left to themselves. If she likes it, let her do what she wants.¡± The Valley Master started writing a letter to the old emperor as soon as he returned to his study room. Seeing that their Valley Master had already made his decision, all of the elders no longer bothered him. When he received the reply from the Phoenix King Valley, the old emperor ordered De Quan to summon Pei Wuchen into the palace. ¡°Third Prince, there¡¯s good news for you. His Majesty tasked this servant to invite you into the palace!¡± When De Quan had arrived at the Third Prince residence, he went straight to Pei Wuchen to report the news. Before the Third Prince could figure out what was happening, De Quan was already dragging him towards the imperial palace. ¡°De Quan, why are you in such a hurry?¡± Pei Wuchen was curious as it had been long since he had been called into the palace. Marriage? Pei Wuchen became even more confused. Wasn¡¯t he already engaged to Luo Chu? Since she was dead, it would be impossible for him to marry a dead person. Could it be that his Emperor Father wanted him to marry her even after her death?! When he finally arrived at the palace, His Majesty declared with impatience, ¡°Now that we lost Luo Chu in the Desolate Region, you shouldn¡¯t keep delaying your marriage with Feng Wan¡¯er. Since the two of you like each other, it won¡¯t be appropriate for me to stop you from getting together.¡± Pei Wuchen felt nothing but question marks in his head. The old emperor was the person who rejected the marriage with Feng Wan¡¯er. However, he changed his mind all of a sudden. His Majesty sensed Pei Wuchen¡¯s doubts and said with unease, ¡°Ahem, ahem. The reason I didn¡¯t agree back then was because of all the negative rumors surrounding Feng Wan¡¯er. If I agreed to the marriage back then, your reputation in the capital city would be destroyed! I rejected the marriage for your own good.¡± At that point, Pei Wuchen wasn¡¯t able to tell the truth from the lies any longer. The only thing he could be sure of was that the old emperor wanted him the marry Feng Wan¡¯er. Was he supposed to accept it? He didn¡¯t know why, but a blurry face surfaced inside his head at that moment. The face got increasingly clearer as Pei Wuchen saw Bai Luochu¡¯s face in his mind. It was funny now that he thought about it. His father had chosen his childhood friend as his wife, but he was currently thinking of another woman. Before she was thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena, he had met her once. He saw the gentle look in her eyes, the opposite of the sharp gaze lingering in her eyes all the time right now. Her eyes back then had been full of expectations as she stared at him. He returned her pleading gaze with a disgusted expression. She wasn¡¯t a beauty, and even her nails were filled with dirt. She was nothing more than a wastrel who couldn¡¯t cultivate. He didn¡¯t know how improvished she was and he felt nothing but disgust towards her. When he learned of what had really happened, it was already too late. When he thought about her again, he ran to the general¡¯s residence and spouted some hurtful words at her. It was also where her poor impression of him dropped even further. He finally learned of her unshakable resolve when His Majesty sent her off to the Desolate Region. He initially planned to make up for his past behavior after she returned from the Desolate Region, and he was ready to send dowry that could fill enough carriages to stretch ten miles down the road. However, none of that mattered now. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better if she doesn¡¯t return.¡± The capital city was currently in a mess and he felt that it would be better for her not to return. Pei Wuchen¡¯s lips quivered and he let out a sound as soft as a mosquito. Unable to hear him clearly, the old emperor asked again, ¡°What did you say?¡± Chapter 461: The Favor ¡°Hahaha excellent! I will give a reply to the Valley Master and ask him to bring Feng Wan''er to the capital as soon as he can! You¡¯ll get married right away as soon as the seer matches your birth characters with each other! The sooner the better!¡± The old emperor gave a hearty laugh as he replied to Pei Wuchen. The Cloud Water Nation will finally be able to obtain the support of the Phoenix King Valley! ... ¡°WHAT?!?! That good-for-nothing Pei Wuchen actually agreed to get engaged to Feng Wan''er?¡± Pei Rumo straightened up in his seat when he heard the news. I thought that I was the Prince who was the most similar to the old emperor. As it turns out, Pei Wuchen shares more similarities with him... Both of them are equally cold and heartless. Nothing matters to them more than benefits... ¡°Actually Pei Wuchen is the true definition of emotionless and uncaring.¡± Pei Rumo snorted. He stood up and made his way to the door after speaking. ¡°Your First Highness, where are you headed to? Do you need me to prepare a horse for your trip?¡± His bodyguard hurriedly asked. Pei Rumo seemed to have lost all the energy in him after returning from the Desolate Region. He hardly ventured out of his study, and it looked like his soul had already left his body. He had become a shell of his former self, only leaving his study for meals and to sleep. ¡°Prepare the horse carriage for me and be quick! I am going to the palace.¡± Pei Rumo barked out his order. It was not the role of the bodyguard to question his intention of going to the palace, however, he felt glad that Pei Rumo was finally willing to leave his study for once. Pei Rumo thought, if I can¡¯t be together with Bai Luochu, I will just have to find another way for us to be together, by hook or by crook! He felt as if he was going insane! To think that he would even dare to come up with such a crazy plan! What if someone finds out? Is it even worth it!? These were the thoughts that raced through his mind. Pei Rumo was questioning himself whether it was worth it to destroy his reputation, forsake his future, just to be with Bai Luochu. But he had already chosen his answer the moment he stepped out of his study. It was worth it. Just like how Pei QIngfeng willingly accompanied Bai Luochu in the ruins to wait for aeons to pass, he could also sacrifice everything just to give her a place to belong to, when she returned from the ruins. Upon reaching the Palace Gates, he handed over his waist token and raced to the Throne Room. ¡°Your Majesty, His First Highness is coming to see you to discuss some important matters.¡± De Quan relayed the news to the old emperor. Upon hearing that Pei Rumo had come to see him, the old emperor furrowed his brows and a weary look formed on his face. What is he here for... I already have a big headache from figuring out how to bury the hatchet with the Phoenix King Valley, and now he wants to add to my stress?! After being in deep thought for a long while, the old emperor nodded his head to allow Pei Rumo to enter. He told himself, if Pei Rumo¡¯s purpose of coming here was to report an unforeseen event or a military plan gone wrong, it would be worth my while to have a proper discussion with him. Maybe he could even help me solve a problem or two! However, it didn¡¯t occur to him that Pei Rumo would be the problem itself. ¡°Long live Your Majesty!¡± Pei Rumo greeted. Why is he acting so respectful right now? Is he trying to soften the blow of some devastating news? The old emperor thought to himself. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest. According to what he knew, Pei Rumo never treated him so formally. Although the First Prince always abided by the formalities, he had never spoken to him with such thorough ceremonial greetings before. The old emperor instantly knew that Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t there to deliver good news. ¡°It has only been a few days since I sent for you to rest and recuperate, why are you here? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re that eager to take my place as the Emperor?¡± The old emperor quipped. He felt that he would be too blunt if he directly questions Pei Rumo¡¯s intention of showing up. Pei Rumo looked up and glared at his Emperor Father. The tension in the atmosphere was becoming unbearable and De Quan broke the silence by saying, ¡°First Prince, please speak up if you have any matters to report. His Majesty is getting tired!¡± Pei Rumo said, ¡°Emperor Father, I humbly request a favour from you. Please agree to my request.¡± There was no immediate reply and silence hung in the air for a long time. The old emperor narrowed his eyes and a frown formed on his face. What on earth are you going to ask me to do? I have already rewarded you well enough... Are you going to ask for the throne?! However, he realised that Pei Rumo was not a person who would go after the throne while he was still alive. After considering it for a moment, the old emperor replied, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me your request first? I can¡¯t agree to something that will harm my Cloud Water Nation!¡± Pei Rumo chuckled to himself as he knew what was going on in the old emperor¡¯s mind. He knew that if he told the old emperor what he truly wanted to say, he would no longer receive his Emperor Father¡¯s favor. However, there was no point delaying the inevitable. ¡°I heard about Pei Wuchen¡¯s engagement to Feng Wan¡¯er. Since I am your eldest son, you can¡¯t leave me behind. I hope you can agree for me to take Luo Chu as my consort.¡± It seemed like a reasonable request when it came out of Pei Rumo¡¯s mouth. However, it seemed as though a bomb went off in De Quan¡¯s head and the old emperor remained rooted to his seat. ¡°Your First Highness! How dare you bring that up?!¡± De Quan chided. He did not account for the fact that Pei Rumo was a terrifying beast in hibernation right now. When Pei Rumo flared up, his anger was enough to flip the heavens. The old emperor was shocked beyond comprehension. He raised his eyebrow in disbelief and asked, ¡°What did you just say? Who did you request to be your consort?¡± Chapter 462: An Absurd Reques Seeing that Pei Rumo had no intention of backing down or withdrawing his request, the old emperor felt a sense of unease. Did he knock his head in the ruins?! ¡°I want Luo Chu as my consort.¡± Pei Rumo repeated his words. ¡°That¡¯s absurd!¡± As soon as Pei Rumo repeated what he said, the old emperor flung an inkstone at him in a fit of rage. The inkstone smashed against Pei Rumo¡¯s head with a loud ¡°Crack!¡± A streak of red spurted from his forehead and onto the carpet in an arc of blood. His blood blended in with the patterns on the carpet. De Quan scurried out of the door and rushed to get an imperial physician to look at Pei Rumo¡¯s wound. Pei Rumo had already expected his father to throw something at him in anger. When he repeated what he said, he had already enveloped himself in spirit qi in preparation. He only allowed the ink stone to graze himself in order to invoke a sense of pity in the old emperor¡¯s heart. The old emperor was shocked to the core. Why did his son not dodge and allow himself to get hit? Why was he so worked up then his son brought up the name of a woman who was supposed to be dead? Thoughts raced through his mind as he struggled to regain his composure. When De Quan brought the Imperial Physician in, he saw that neither of them had moved an inch. Pei Rumo was staring wordlessly at his Emperor Father as the blood dripped down his forehead and blurred his vision. The old emperor was standing before the Dragon Throne, with arms clasped behind his back, as if observing Pei Rumo. Upon seeing this sight, the Imperial Physician immediately knelt down in an act of obeisance ¡°Your Majesty, your Highness.¡± His words echoed through the Throne Room. No one motioned for him to stand up or to start treating Pei Rumo¡¯s wounds. The Imperial Physician felt extremely tense and anxious, as if he were kneeling upon a bed of hot coals. The old emperor spoke up, breaking the silence, ¡°Go and bandage the First Prince¡¯s injury.¡± The Imperial Physician felt a sense of relief wash over him as he rushed to Pei Rumo¡¯s side and prepared to treat him. To his surprise, Pei Rumo stopped him from doing so. The blood on his forehead was nearly dry and his gaze didn¡¯t waver as he stared at the old emperor. ¡°I am still waiting for your reply, father.¡± The old emperor seemed to have lost all his willpower and strength as he collapsed back onto his chair. He pointed a trembling finger at Pei Rumo and said, ¡°When will you stop?! Will you only stop when you anger me to death?!¡± He might be the First Prince, but to the old emperor, he was merely a pawn in the game of chess. When his father told him that he had to achieve accolades in the battlefield, he listened and went to battle, sustaining injuries as a result. When his father told him that he had to be at the top of his field, he even went to make an enemy out of his younger brother, just to appease his father! If he hadn¡¯t requested to make Luo Chu his consort, he knew that sooner or later, his father would force him to marry a woman that he did not love. After all, the stability of the court and political gain was the most important in the royal family. He was sick and tired of taking orders his whole life. Just this once, he wanted to do something for himself. Something that he truly wanted to do. He didn''t think that his request was bordering on impossible. ¡°I do not dare to disobey your orders. However, if you disagree, I will kneel outside of the throne room until you agree to my request! Even if you hit me till I¡¯m covered in blood, I will not care!¡± Pei Rumo said as he staggered out of the Throne Room. ¡°Are you threatening me?!¡± ¡°I do not dare to do so, father.¡± Pei Rumo stopped in his tracks to reply to the old emperor before continuing to make his way to the door. ¡°You don¡¯t dare? You dare to say that you don¡¯t dare when you have the cheek to ask for a dead woman to be your consort when you don¡¯t even have a wife yet?!¡± Pei Rumo refused to reply as he left the Throne Room. He closed the door behind him, ignoring the raging emperor. The old emperor felt his blood boil in anger, and he grabbed anything he could get his hands on and flung it on the ground. The Throne Room soon turned into a mess. De Quan shot the Imperial Physician a look and he immediately took his leave. The Imperial Physician was an intelligent man and knew that he would be dead if he were to stay in there any longer. The old emperor looked as if he had aged ten years, as he sank back into his chair after venting his anger. When Bai Luochu left, he had merely lost a helping hand. If Pei Rumo were to leave, he would lose the most obedient son he had. How can he do something so foolish for a damn woman like her?! The old emperor thought to himself. ¡°De Quan, where did I go wrong?¡± The old emperor asked with a dazed look on his face. He looked like a wronged child who was caught doing someone bad. De Quan remained silent. After so many years of serving the royal family, he knew exactly what Pei Rumo was like. He even knew the sides to Pei Rumo¡¯s character that Pei Rumo had hidden from his own father. Just like how Pei Qingfeng had a hidden stubborn side to his otherwise laidback disposition, Pei Rumo was hiding part of his personality. On the outside, he looked like a polite gentleman. However, he was also a meticulous and shrewd tactician when no one was looking. Although Pei Rumo was an obedient Prince, he was a stubborn one. No one had replied to the old emperor, even after the incense stick had burned out. He sighed and relented. ¡°Call him in, I have a few words to say to him.¡± When Pei Rumo entered the Throne Room, he noticed the sullen look on his father¡¯s face. It made him wonder whether he had been too rash and whether or not he had done the right thing. But after thinking about it, he steeled his resolve. He knew that if he didn¡¯t fight for what he wanted, he might not have the chance to do so ever again. It was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the old emperor¡¯s guilt and use it to get what he wanted. Chapter 463: The Two Decrees Pei Rumo nodded his head without a hint of hesitation. ¡°Do you even comprehend the implications of choosing a dead woman as your consort?!¡± The old emperor scolded Pei Rumo, in the hopes that he would come to his senses. Pei Rumo merely nodded to express his confirmation. Of course he knew what implications were in store for him. His actions would prove that she would be the only lover he had in this lifetime. He did not care whether she was dead or not and he wanted to give her the title of being a consort. However, Bai Luochu was the fiancee of his brother, which would definitely be a cause of gossip. He also considered the fact that if he were to take a dead woman as his consort, no other minister would dare to marry their daughter over to him. Thus, there would be no way to use the familial relations with the other ministers to gain power in the court. He also knew that in doing so, he would effectively be reducing his chance of taking over the throne. But all these didn¡¯t matter to Pei Rumo. To him, the only reason that he was able to be the man he was today, was because of his birthright and the fact that he had been living in the shadows of his Emperor Father and Empress Mother. ¡°Since you¡¯re so insistent on it, I have no choice but to give in to your demands. However, I will only do so on one condition.¡± The old emperor sighed in defeat. What else could he do? After all, Pei Rumo was his own son! How could he not agree to what his son wanted, after seeing him on the brink of madness? ¡°Emperor Father, please tell me the condition.¡± Pei Rumo said. He felt a huge burden lifted off his chest. He felt that as long as the request was something that he could do, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to agree. ¡°If any other prestigious family of equal standing were to request for you to marry their daughter, you cannot refuse their offer. That is my only request. One more thing. Even if I agree to your request, your Empress mother would not.¡± That was the final concession that the old emperor was willing to make, if Pei Rumo were to disagree, there would be no room for further discussion. Pei Rumo nodded his head in agreement. To ensure that the old emperor kept to his promise, he requested, ¡°Please write it down in an imperial edict.¡± Once the imperial edict was issued, he would no longer be afraid of the old emperor going back on his word. ¡°You are a smart boy.¡± the old emperor snorted. It was a mere verbal agreement, but his son was impatient to make it contractual. Pei Rumo took his leave without saying a word. He knew that once his father gave his word, his promise would not be broken. As the old emperor watched the First Prince take his leave, he continued to remain in a trance-like state. He thought to himself, when I first became the emperor, my father was suspicious of my every action. I¡¯m treating them the way my father treated me... As princes, they were used to getting what they wanted. HIs eldest son making a big commotion to get what he wanted came as no surprise to him. ¡°De Quan, go and fetch the Grand Master. I want him to write out an imperial decree.¡± the old emperor declared. De Quan stood rooted to the ground, with a troubled look on his face. ¡°Your Majesty, do you really intend to allow Luo Chu to be the First Prince¡¯s consort?¡± The old emperor furrowed his brows and a look of doubt formed on his face. De Quan was never the sort of person who would dare to question my orders...The old emperor thought to himself De Quan noticed that the old emperor was staring at him with a doubtful look on his face and he knew that he had to explain himself. ¡°I just feel that even though Luo Chu used to be the pride of the capital, It does not hide the fact that she is dead. If the First Prince were to take her as a consort, it would create obstacles for the royal family.¡± The old emperor thought to himself, I was bold enough to allow Pei Wuchen and Feng Wan¡¯er to get married. If I allowed Pei Rumoo to choose Luo Chu as his consort, the commoners will definitely gossip! ¡°I have already accounted for that. Just do as I ordered.¡± The old emperor said as he sent De Quan off. Afterwhich, he slumped back onto his Dragon Throne and closed his eyes. ¡°Yes, your Majesty, I shouldn''t have spoken out of line. I will go and fetch the Grand Master now.¡± De Quan replied. The old emperor wasn¡¯t a simpleton. He had weighed the advantages and disadvantages of Pei Rumo¡¯s request and the only reason that he agreed to it was because it would be beneficial to his plans in the long run. If it wasn¡¯t beneficial, he would have never agreed to Pei Rumo¡¯s request, even if he were to act pitiful. A royal marriage was not a small affair, much less a marriage between a bride from the Phoenix King Valley of the Three Great Immortal Sects. The capital was plastered with news of the union. The notices that were written were full of praises for the union between Pei Wuchen and Feng Wan¡¯er. However, the news did not come as a surprise to the subjects in the capital. They already had a feeling that there would be a union between Pei Wuchen and Feng Wan¡¯er when the Phoenix King Valley came to attend the empress¡¯ longevity banquet. However, the news that the First Prince would be taking Luo Chu as his consort came as a shock to them. ¡°What on earth is going on? Isn¡¯t Luo Chu already dead!?¡± None of them understood the meaning between the second news. ¡°That being said, even if it was being done to make up to her, Luo Chu was supposed to be the fiancee of the Third Prince! Why is the First Prince getting married to her?¡± The gossip between the people of the capital started. The news spread like wildfire. People in inns and tea houses were adding their own interpretation to the story. They made it seem as if the happenings in the palace were the result of love and revenge between the princes. In the morning, Pei Wuchen had gone to a temple on the outskirts of the capital to receive some blessings. He only heard the gossip in the evening, when he arrived back in the capital. He jostled through the crowds to see what was written on the noticeboards. ¡°Your Highness, on top of spreading the news of your union with Feng Wan¡¯er. the old emperor has decreed that the First Prince will be taking Luo Chu as his consort.¡± A servant announced to Pei Wuchen. His eyes widened in shock as he thought to himself, what the hell is going on?! Emperor Father would never allow such a thing to happen! It is absurd for him to make such a request! Hasn¡¯t he always been the obedient one?! How can he ask for such a ridiculous request?! Pei Wuchen thought to himself. ¡°They¡¯re all going crazy!¡± Pei Wuchen muttered as he ordered his carriage driver, ¡°Change of destination! We are going to the First Prince¡¯s residence!¡± ... Chapter 464: It’s Differen Evidently, Pei Wuchen was not as calm and composed as Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo had already anticipated this reaction from him and he casually ordered his guards to direct Pei Wuchen to the Flower Pavillion. The moment Pei Rumo sat down, Pei Wuchen rushed to his side and started to scream, ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± Pei Rumo shot him an innocent look and replied, ¡°Third brother, what do you mean by that? I was just doing some work in my study when I heard that you have come to visit me. I immediately put down my brush and rushed to meet you, only to be met with accusation!¡± With that statement, Pei Rumo managed to turn the tables and blame Pei Wuchen for being rude and informal. Pei Wuchen knew that he was no match for his brother in an argument and he decided to ignore his comment. ¡°You obviously know that Emperor Father had already decreed that I am going to be engaged to Feng Wan¡¯er, so why did you choose this time to request to be in a union with Luo Chu?! You know well enough that choosing a dead woman as a consort is a grave mistake! Are you doing this to spite me?¡± Pei Rumo raised his eyebrow and looked at Pei Wuchen with contempt in his eyes and sneered, ¡°I think you¡¯re thinking too highly of yourself, my dear Third Prince.¡± Pei Rumo thought to himself, I really don¡¯t know what he is thinking of inside that thick skull of his! He always thinks that the world revolves around him... I did that not to spite him, but to fulfill my own desire and also to make sure that Luo Chu will not be forgotten, even after her death. Spite him? I think he better take a good look at himself before he accuses me of doing so! He¡¯s not worthy! Can¡¯t even beat me in a fight after all these years and now he wants to rush in and challenge me... Pei Rumo felt a trace of rage forming in his heart. Pei Rumo recalled how much time he had wasted during the period where he regarded Pei Wuchen as a competitor. Pei Wuchen understood the subtle message in Pei Rumo¡¯s words. He knew that Pei Rumo wanted to say that he was not worth the time. However, a thought surfaced in his mind. When he rescued Luo Chu, didn¡¯t he mess up his future for her? ¡°Did you forget why you wanted to rescue Luo Chu from the Bestial Battle Arena?¡± Pei Wuchen asked. Pei Rumo had already expected the question and he had long prepared his response. ¡°Men do foolish things when they are young. Even a person like me is not spared from committing such foolish acts. That is why I am seeking your forgiveness and understanding now.¡± He told himself that he would not forgive Pei Wuchen easily. He wanted the Third Prince to suffer for what he had done. He wanted to anger his third brother to the point of spitting out blood. As Pei Rumo had expected, Pei Wuchen¡¯s face turned red with anger and he was close to spitting out blood. To avoid having an outburst, he turned and left. How could Pei Rumo let him off that easily? He called out to Pei Wuchen, ¡°Third brother, don¡¯t leave just yet!¡± Pei Wuchen stopped in his tracks. Pei Rumo decided that he did not want to be wrongfully accused by Pei Wuchen. Even if he wanted Pei Wuchen to suffer, he decided that he needed to let him know the real reason behind his intentions. ¡°I know that you won¡¯t believe any explanation that I give you. But I did not make my request to Emperor Father to spite you. If I really wanted to hinder your path, I would have asked Emperor Father to arrange a marriage with the prime minister¡¯s daughter. My request was merely to fulfil my personal desires and not for any other reason.¡± Pei Rumo explained. Pei Wuchen was speechless for a long time. He thought to himself, what he said makes sense, if he really wants to scheme against me, he would have requested to marry a woman with an equal status. He did something no other prince would have dared to do¡­ He asked for a dead woman to be his consort... Pei Rumo could see that Pei Wuchen was finally calming down and he no longer felt like fighting with him. ¡°Each of us has the right to our own choices. Luo Chu had a miserable life. Even after her death, her soul is unable to get the proper rest it deserves. I must put a stop to it! You don¡¯t know how much she means to me!¡± After he spoke, he removed the bandages on his head and showed his wound to Pei Wuchen. ¡°I even wagered my own life to make that request!¡± Pei Wuchen thought to himself, Pei Rumo must be telling the truth! He constantly refers to his union with Luo Chu as a favour and he even went to such lengths for her! He really cherishes her more than I do. Pei Wuchen chuckled as he replied, ¡°Yes indeed, you do treasure her much more than I do. She wasn¡¯t even that important to me!¡± She means so much more to Pei Rumo than to me¡­ And just like that, Pei Rumo planted a seed of guilt in Pei Wuchen¡¯s mind. The seed in Pei Wuchen¡¯s heart would only start to grow into a flourishing tree as Feng Wan¡¯er showered him with more love. He would feel more and more guilty, and his guilt would create a rift in the relationship between him and Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°Your Highness, what is your purpose of telling the Third Prince all these when you know that he is someone who only cares about benefits?¡± Ming Lu asked Pei Rumo. ¡°It was never my intention to let him understand what I was going through.¡± Pei Rumo explained. His gaze was deep and it seemed as though he had already planned out his next step. His true intention was to create a rift between Pei Wuchen and Feng Wan¡¯er by making him feel guilty. ¡°He is really nothing but a fool!¡± Pei Rumo said as he shook his head and walked back to his study. He couldn¡¯t waste his time on such trivial things when he had a ton of work that was yet to be completed. Deep down in his heart, Pei Rumo knew that his Emperor Father had already weighed the consequences of his actions. Now that he has gotten what he requested for, he was worried as to what was in store for him. Chapter 465: Restored Vitality The Field Pearl Flower was able to increase a person¡¯s level of cultivation to the highest possible level, however, that was dependent on the amount of spirit qi they had in their body. As of now, Bai Luochu felt that she only had very minute amounts of spirit qi left in her body. Whatever spirit qi was left in her body turned into maniacal dragons as they smashed about inside her body. The feeling it gave her was as though all her bones and meridian pathways were being reconstructed. Pei Qingfeng felt his heart shatter to pieces when he saw Bai Luochu in pain. Since she had only been recently reincarnated into her new body, the meridian pathways in her new body were not built to withstand such high levels of spirit qi flowing through them. However, the Field Pearl Flower that she had consumed allowed her to transform her body into one that was able to endure higher levels of spirit qi without self destructing. However, the transformation process was not as easy as it seemed. As the power of the Field Pearl Flower coursed through her veins, it purged all the impurities in it. Her meridians were forcefully cleansed. In order to enlarge the meridians, the Field Pearl Flower created several tiny spheres to push their way through her them. They tore and reformed whatever meridian they traveled through in order to make them more resilient. The transformation process caused Bai Luochu to feel excruciating pain. Although she didn¡¯t scream out loud, her face was devoid of blood and her clothes were drenched in cold sweat. Suddenly, her face turned bright red, as the spheres of Field Pearl Flower unlocked her spirit qi pathways. Blood rushed to her face and it turned into a bright red tomato. Pei Qingfeng felt his heart leaping to his throat. The Bai Luochu before him looked as though she had been possessed by her desire for cultivation. From time to time, Pei Qingfeng could see the massive amounts of spirit qi coursing through her veins. Her limbs and face would twist in pain as spirit qi escaped from the pores of her skin. The passage of time continued to flow, and it was hard to tell whether it was day or night. As tiny specks of light glittered like stars in the night sky, Pei Qingfeng had no idea how long had passed since Bai Luochus started to absorb the energy contained within the Field Pearl Flower. After a long time, Bai Luochu¡¯s breathing finally started to stabilize and color returned to her face. It seemed as though she had finally completed her absorption of the Field Pearl Flower... Pei Qingfeng raised his brows as he felt that it was strange for her to be able to break through so quickly. Bai Luochu¡¯s eyes snapped open and she felt her powerful spirit qi surging through her body again. Without even circulating her spirit qi to get used to her newfound strength, she knew that she had succeeded. She turned to look at Pei Qingfeng and he had a quizzical look upon his face as he felt that she looked different from before. She was different indeed. Although she looked the same, her eyes were clearer and her skin was pale to the point where it was nearly transparent! If she stood under the sun, the blood vessels under her skin would be exposed to the world. Also, because she had a higher level of cultivation, her high level of spirit qi could not be detected by Pei Qingfeng unless she decided to reveal it herself. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Pei Qingfeng cried out in surprise. Since their relationship had progressed to the point where they no longer hid secrets from one another, he felt as though he needed to know what was going on. Bai Luochu kept her head lowered even though she had heard what he said. She did not know how to explain to Pei Qingfeng what was going on. She was unsure whether she should reveal her true identity to him, even though she knew that he wouldn¡¯t leave her no matter what. Of course, the experiences she had in her past life played a huge part to contribute to her confusion. Pei Qingfeng could see that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t know what to do and he slowly walked up to her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! You don¡¯t need to explain anything to me if you don¡¯t want to! I know that you will never hurt me, and that is enough.¡± A long silence filled the room. Even though Bai Luochu tried her best to keep calm, there was a battle raging within her. Finally, Bai Luochu broke the silence with her trembling voice, ¡°I want to tell you a secret that I have kept hidden for a long time. After hearing my secret, you can choose to stay with me or to leave me¡­¡± Pei Qingfeng was stunned silly as he looked at her. He thought to himself, Since it¡¯s a secret, she can choose not to tell me about it! Why is she so afraid I will choose to leave her? Pei Qingfeng nodded quietly, showing that he agreed to what she said. ¡°Right now, I am standing before you in Luo Chu¡¯s body. However, Luo Chu has already left the world to be in a better place. I am Bai Luochu, and my spirit took over her body.¡± Pei Qingfeng furrowed his brows as he struggled to recall the name ¡®Bai Luochu¡¯. It sounded familiar yet foreign at the same time. Looking at the frown on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face, Bai Luochu felt as though he was flustered after finding out her true identity. ¡°That¡¯s right, I am that evil dao witch and I have reincarnated into the body of Luo Chu! If you are afraid of me, you can leave right now!¡± Bai Luochu cried out. Quick! Get lost and run away from here, before I change my mind and decide to keep you by my side! Bai Luochu thought to herself. Pei Qingfeng finally recalled where he had heard her name and it was as though the cloud in his mind had dispersed. He regained his calm and as he turned round to face her, he noticed that her eyes were red and brimming with tears. He rushed to her side and kneeled beside her, as he thought that her body was unable to take the strain of her own spirit qi. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I have told you many times before! Don¡¯t be too anxious to improve your cultivation! I can still protect you if we meet with any danger, why are you so impatient?! Do you feel uncomfortable?¡± Bai Luochu flung his arm off her and yelled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of me? I am an evil dao witch who kills without batting an eyelid!¡± Chapter 466: Taking Revenge on Her Behalf He could tell from her tone of voice that she had endured accusations for a long time. Her eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion and she was tired of all the criticisms she had received over the years. Since they were the only ones left in the ruins, Pei Qingfeng was not afraid to show his affection for her. He was unable to put into words about how he felt towards her, thus, he decided to give her a hug instead. He whispered in her ear, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re Luochu or Bai Luochu! To me, you¡¯ll always be my Luoluo!¡± He smiled as he tapped her on the nose and joked, ¡°I always knew that you were a little weird! I never expected you to be the evil dao witch.¡± Pei Qingfeng thought to himself, ideally, Bai Luochu would be extremely touched by what I said. She will probably snuggle her head into my bosom as we share and express our happiness to have each other in our lives! But unexpectedly, Bai Luochu pushed him away with a cold look on her face and spat, ¡°You¡¯re just giving an excuse!¡± Pei Qingfeng was shocked speechless. Women really are creatures that are hard to understand¡­ He didn¡¯t have the intention of patronizing her, yet she returned his kind words of concern with such a cold and cruel attitude. Feeling as though his heart had shattered into a thousand pieces, he allowed himself to be pushed away. ¡°Are you really not afraid of me?¡± Bai Luochu asked warily. Because of her identity in her past life, she had faced lots of challenges and there were many people carrying out sneak attacks on her. Even though she was stronger than all of them and barely got hurt, she felt extreme pain in her heart when she learned that all they wanted was her to die. She was shocked that Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t reacting like them when she revealed her true identity. Bai Luochu stood up and walked towards the scriptures. She seemed to be avoiding something, perhaps she was afraid of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s reply. But Pei Qingfeng was vastly different from Lu Wenshu. Pei Qingfeng would never treat Bai Luochu cruelly as he cared about her feelings, unlike the scumbag, Lu Wenshu. Pei Qingfeng walked up to Bai Luochu, hugged her from behind and said, ¡°Luoluo, I¡¯m not sure how you ended up in the state you are in today, but I know that you have endured a lot of pain and sadness in your past life. But it¡¯s alright. I am here with you now and I always will be. I am willing to stay by your side and wait for the day you open your heart to me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know the horrible things that I have been through? I shall tell you all about it¡­¡± Bai Luochu felt a seed of warmth spouting in her heart and she turned to face Pei Qingfeng. ¡°How did it end up like this?¡± he muttered. He finally understood why Bai Luochu was so cautious and afraid. After years of being betrayed, she had put up walls around herself, as she was afraid of getting hurt again. Bai Luochu was already numb to the pain to the point that there was even a smile on her face when she was recalling the miserable tale of her painful past. She said to Pei Qingfeng, ¡°That¡¯s all that I can recall from my previous life. I think you can finally understand why I don¡¯t trust other people easily.¡± After telling her story, Bai Luochu sat quietly in a corner. The tale that she had told seemed foreign to her, as if it were someone else¡¯s experience and not her own. Pei Qingfeng was deeply affected by what she had told him. His eyes were red and brimming with tears. He thought to himself, so that was how she died in her past life... If I can leave this ruins right now, I will hunt Lu Wenshu down and give him the beating he deserves! Bai Luochu glanced at him and noticed that he was emotionally unstable. She grabbed his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, what has happened was in the past, it¡¯s time to forgive and forget.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as forgive and forget.¡± Pei Qingfeng growled as he clenched his fists and unbridled rage appeared in his eyes. How do I forgive and forget when I know that my Luoluo went through so much pain, suffering, and humiliation in her past life?! The horrors that she had to go through in her past life scarred her so much that it affected her after her reincarnation! All her past problems and emotional baggage caused her much anguish in this life! Pei Qingfeng thought as he felt that his heart was wrenched out of his chest. Despite Pei Qingfeng¡¯s anger, Bai Luochu felt as though she had released all her anger and indignation at that moment. She couldn¡¯t recall when she started to let go of the past. It might be when Pei Qingfeng used his body as a shield to protect her from Lu Wenshu¡¯s attack in the Falling Cloud Mountain Range... Time and time again, Pei Qingfeng tore down the walls she had built around her heart. Rushing back to remain with her in the ruins was the ultimate move that caused Bai Luochu to open her heart to him. She thought to herself, since I have been blessed with the chance to be reincarnated, I should take this chance to let love again¡­ Marriage might not be so far after all¡­ After all, Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t Lu Wenshu who betrayed her when she needed him the most. ¡°Honestly, the past is in the past. I will not allow the past to affect me any longer.¡± Bai Luochu declared with confidence. Raising his head to look at her, Pei Qingfeng realized that Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t lying to him. ¡°I understand that you have let go of those unhappy memories. From now on, there would be no more problems between us or your cultivation. But¡­¡± ¡°Maybe you are able to forgive and forget, but I¡¯m not able to. Don¡¯t you want to take revenge on those fools who wronged and betrayed you?! Even if you place down your hatred, I can be the one who carries out your revenge! It¡¯s not worth it to dirty your hands with the blood of these unworthy fools!¡± Pei Qingfeng had already decided that he would not allow any of them to get away. Reaching out and grabbing Bai Luochu¡¯s hand, he said, ¡°No matter what, I will protect you. They will face punishment no matter what and if you want, we can join hands to deal with all of them.¡± A simple nod conveyed her meaning. Pei Qingfeng was delighted when he saw that Bai Luochu had decided to tear down the walls to her heart and fully trust in him. This heartwarming scene between the two lovebirds was a stark contrast as to what was happening back in the capital city of the Cloud Water Nation. Chapter 467: Escalating Conflic He was one of the few people who tried to stop Bai Luochu from going to the ruins, however, his advice fell on deaf ears. Everything went south, just like his predictions. A burst of fury filled his heart. Everything could have been avoided as long as they listened to him! Guan Yue glanced at the furious Meng Luoping with a disproving look on his face as he chided, ¡°What has been done cannot be undone, there¡¯s no use in complaining and whining! We might as well come up with a solution!¡± Evidently, Guan Yue and Meng Luoping did not have a harmonious relationship. The only reason the both of them were able to get along in the past, was because Ying Lan and Bai Luochu were always there to act as mediators and stop the both of them from constantly fighting. However, with one of them being trapped in the ruins and the other on the brink of insanity, there was no one to stop them from bickering. ¡°You¡¯re such a skilful man! Even during a time like this, you can still find the time to be sarcastic to me as you¡¯re coming up with a plan!¡± Meng Luoping said as he rolled his eyes. Meng Luoping hated to admit it, but he knew that Guan Yue was as good a leader and tactician as Bai Luochu and Ying Lan. Despite his skill, Meng Luoping hated the fact that Guan Yue was always putting on airs. The reason he hated Guan Yue was because Meng Luoping wasn¡¯t born into a noble family and he could never be as refined a man as Guan Yue was. Guan Yue could not stand Meng Luoping as well. He knew that even if he was poor in name, his family still had riches that they accumulated. Thus, he was greatly angered by Meng Luoping¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re quite skilful as well! I only made a casual remark, yet you took the chance to flame and ridicule me! I¡¯m impressed that you even have the time to find joy in ridiculing me, given such dire circumstances!¡± Guan Yue remarked. The endless bickering scared Qin Feng to the point where he didn¡¯t dare to utter a single word. Finally, Qin Feng had had enough. He slammed his teacup into the ground and the sound of shattering ground their argument to a halt. ¡°Would you two please come up with a plan instead of bickering? Commander Ying is waiting for your reply.¡± Qin Feng said in frustration. Qin Feng was stunned by the argument he had witnessed. He had always thought that the both of them were calm and composed men and his image of them shattered into pieces. After hearing what Qin Feng said, Guan Yue and Meng Luoping calmed down. The both of them got back on track and went back to discussing their countermeasures. Guilt filled their mind when they thought about how they were bickering during such a critical juncture and they became ashamed of their actions. The both of them were stunned by Meng Luoping¡¯s ability to come up with a plan so quickly. Initially, Guan Yue was taken aback by his suggestion, but after some consideration, he realised that whatever Meng Luoping said made sense. Despite that, Guan Yue decided that he wasn¡¯t going to forgive Meng Luoping so easily after what he said during their argument. ¡°Alright, I agree with what you suggested. I will settle all the matters at the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, but you have to report what happened here when you arrive back at the palace.¡± Guan Yue instructed. Meng Luoping thought to himself, He¡¯s just trying to take charge of the situation¡­ Am I his dog?! Stupid of him to overcomplicate such a simple matter! However, Meng Luoping knew that it was too late to withdraw his words and he told Qin Feng, ¡°Why are you still standing around?! We have already come up with a plan! What are you waiting for, go and inform Commander Ying!¡± Qin Feng was momentarily stunned by their sloppy plan. But he knew that there was nothing he could do about it as he was just a small fry that no one would listen to. It was his fate to be pushed around. With that, Qin Feng quietly retreated to deliver the news to Ying Lan. As he walked away, he glanced at Guan Yue and Meng Luoping before shaking his head. Another argument was brewing. ¡°Look at the time! The Silk Flower Pavilion is going to open soon, what else do you want from me?!¡± Meng Luoping snapped. However Guan Yue did not seem to notice his sarcastic tone as he looked him in the eye and replied, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so dissatisfied with me...¡± Meng Luoping was surprised that Guan Yue did not lash out at him even after he had been so rude. ¡°Hahaha...¡± Meng Luoping forced out a laugh and he refused to speak. I¡¯m not dissatisfied¡­ We¡¯re just too different to be working closely together. They were destined to be different from birth. One of them belonged to an upper class family, while the other was born to a merchant in the city slums. Guan Yue gathered that Meng Luoping was unwilling to explain himself, and he didn¡¯t push it. He stared at Meng Luoping for a long time and he finally broke the silence. ¡°I understand. Perhaps many people feel that I am a person who puts on airs, but it is my family that makes me act this way. They want nothing more than a decent descendant to carry on the family line. Even if I want to change, I can¡¯t do it overnight.¡± Meng Luoping was touched by the fact that Guan Yue was willing to put his guard down and share his personal story with him. It was too bad that he didn¡¯t wish to embarrass himself further as he remained completely silent. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Divine Physician Bai is dead. We should do our best and protect the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to await her return.¡± Guan Yue continued. Chapter 468: Deliberating the Wedding Although the wedding was rushed, the customary ceremonial tasks still had to be observed. The old emperor knew that the Cloud Water Nation was located far away from the Phoenix King Valley and a lot of time would be wasted if Feng Wan¡¯er were to constantly travel between the two places. He had already prepared a courtyard for her, so that she wouldn¡¯t need to travel back and forth. Everything could be conducted there, such as the ceremonial activities and it was also the place he would be sending the dowry. Before long, Feng Wan¡¯er set off for the Cloud Water Nation with everything packed into several carriages behind her. Since the day of the wedding ceremony was drawing closer, it was customary for the bride and groom not to see each other. Thus, Pei Rumo was dispatched to escort Feng Wan¡¯er to the Cloud Water Nation. ¡°Valley Master, is it alright for me to come in?¡± Pei Rumo asked. Although he did not like Feng Wan¡¯er because of her history with Bai Luochu, he still forced himself to remain courteous. Because the elder of the Phoenix King Valley did not have a close relationship with Pei Rumo, he was slightly taken aback when the First Prince bowed to him. However, he recovered in an instant and he led Pei Rumo into the courtyard. ¡°You can make yourself comfortable here. As for matters related to the wedding, someone will escort you to the palace to discuss the details with Emperor Father.¡± Pei Rumo said. After he spoke, he turned around to leave without looking back. The Valley Master had a puzzled look on his face as he watched Pei Rumo storm off. He felt that it was strange. Everyone would be tripping over themselves to obtain his favor. However, Pei Rumo showed such indifference to him and the only reason he could think of was that Pei Rumo had an argument with Pei Wuchen. In actual fact, the Valley Master was thinking too highly of himself! Pei Rumo¡¯s treatment was because of Bai Luochu. Who cares about his identity? Even commoners can¡¯t stand the sight of him suppressing all the other powerhouses in the world¡­ I¡¯m the First Prince of the Cloud Water Nation, why do I need to lower myself in front of you? Before long, a servant appeared in the courtyard to lead the Valley Master to the palace. ¡°Although the marriage was decided in a rush, rest assured that we will not mistreat your darling Wan¡¯er.¡± The old emperor told the Valley Master. The Valley Master had a displeased look on his face when he went to see the old emperor and the old emperor knew that he could only tread lightly so as not to upset the Valley Master. He even lowered his status when speaking to the Valley Master. He looked up at the old emperor who was about to become his in-law. As the parent of the princess-to-be, the Valley Master would be able to obtain a high position in the Cloud Water Nation. After all, the old emperor messed up in the past and rejected the marriage when they brought it up. The Valley Master still held some grudges in his heart and he wanted to guilt trip the old emperor into giving him some more benefits. Even though he was just marrying off his daughter, the Valley Master thought that he would be able to gain a higher status in the Phoenix King Valley if he also managed to obtain a position in the royal family of the Cloud Water Nation. The smile on the old emperor¡¯s face started to fade. He remembered how he had previously broken an agreement with the Valley Master and realized that his past actions had come back to haunt him. However, he did not expect that the other party would be almost impossible to please. With a long sigh, the old emperor accepted his fate. ¡°This should be a good time to bring up my true feelings. The highest position in the royal family should always be held by us men, am I right?¡± Since we¡¯re about to become in-laws, listening to his suggestion won¡¯t hurt, right? The Valley Master nodded his head with content and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I thank you deeply. I have no more regrets in this life as my only daughter is going to marry into a good family! My only concern is with the wedding, as for the rest of the matters, I have no other suggestions.¡± He already got what he wanted and requesting for more would be pushing it. He knew that the old emperor wasn¡¯t one to agree to all of his terms. After all, he was the ruler of the Cloud Water Nation! He wasn¡¯t some random guy on the street willing to be bullied by the Valley Master of the Phoenix King Valley. Pushing for more would be playing with fire and the Valley Master refused to take the chance. ¡°Your Majesty, the people of the Phoenix King Valley have already arrived in the capital. Feng Wan¡¯er is here as well! Why don¡¯t you pay her a visit?¡± Pei Wuchen¡¯s bodyguard reported to the old emperor as soon as he saw the Valley Master take his leave. From the bodyguard¡¯s point of view, he felt that the old emperor would be eager to finally be able to see Feng Wan¡¯er after her long and arduous journey. He was wrong. The only reason Pei Wuchen sent him to deliver the news about the arrival was because he wanted to see if the Valley Master had paid a visit to the old emperor. He felt that the Valley Master was someone who wouldn¡¯t take the humiliation of the past rejection well. He was shocked when the Valley Master accepted the wedding immediately and personally visited the Cloud Water Nation. The one thing that Pei Wuchen failed to take into consideration was the love Feng Wan¡¯er had for him. She loved him more than he thought. Pei Wuchen failed to understand everything that was going on and he wasn¡¯t happy with her sudden arrival. He didn¡¯t even have the mood to talk to her. He eventually realised that there was no running away from it and he sent her a letter. The reason for his apparent ¡®coldness¡¯ towards her was because he felt that it was inauspicious for him to meet her before the wedding. He even sprinkled in some romantic phrases to humor her. Once he was done, he called for his servant to send the letter to Feng Wan¡¯er. Chapter 469: The Prosperous Marriage If Pei Wuchen was really in love with Feng Wan¡¯er, he wouldn¡¯t allow the customs to stop him from sneaking a peak at her. Not to mention the fact that Feng Wan¡¯er chose a courtyard far away from the palace just so that he wouldn¡¯t be caught if he came over to meet with her. Is he really just following the customs? Does he really love my daughter? If he doesn¡¯t and I still allow the both of them to get married, won¡¯t I be throwing my daughter into a pit of fire?! The feeling of unease grew in the Valley Master¡¯s heart. ¡°Fetch Wan¡¯er here, I have something to ask her.¡± The Valley Master ordered. He felt that it was his duty to give his daughter a word of warning as he didn¡¯t want his daughter to suffer a loss by marrying Pei Wuchen. If his daughter wanted to change her mind after hearing what he had to say, he told himself that no matter how many people tried to stop them, he would kill his way out of the Cloud Water Nation. ¡°Father, you called for me?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er appeared before him with a confused expression on his face. Why does my father want to speak to me? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong did I? Feng Wan¡¯er asked herself. The Valley Master was surprised by her quick arrival and he sighed, ¡°Wan¡¯er, there is something I want to ask you.¡± He paused, as if in deep thought, before continuing, ¡°I know that you truly love Pei Wuchen, but are you certain that he really loves you with all his heart?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er was taken aback. She realized that she didn¡¯t know him well enough to understand his thought process. She knew that he had always treated her better than other girls, but she could never tell his true thoughts. Feng Wan¡¯er hesitated for a moment but she nodded her head in the end. Even if he didn¡¯t love me at the start, given the status of my family and my looks, he would definitely have fallen for me! ¡°Father, do you have so little confidence in me? You don¡¯t need to worry about our feelings! Pei Wuchen and I grew up together and we have feelings for each other!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er spoke with confidence, however, deep down in her heart, a seed of doubt had been planted. She could lie to others, but she couldn¡¯t lie to herself. The wedding carried on as planned. On the day of the wedding, to show how much he valued his relations with the Phoenix King Valley, the old emperor covered the capital with red silk and even granted amnesty to all the prisoners. Even the sedan that was carrying Feng Wan¡¯er was decorated to the nines. Feng Wan¡¯er was feeling as happy as a lark while she sat in her sedan. From the moment she laid her eyes onto Pei Wuchen, she had fully devoted herself to him. Marrying him was everything she wanted. Pei Wuchen was riding on his steed at the front of the procession, with an entourage of bridesmaids handing out red packets and scattering flower petals. Although he was participating in his own wedding ceremony, Pei Wuchen felt as if he was a reanimated carcass, aimlessly being controlled like a puppet to complete the ceremony. Pei Rumo was observing Pei Wuchen from the sidelines. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of pity as he realized that Pei Wuchen wasn¡¯t truly in love with Feng Wan¡¯er. The only thing Pei Wuchen loved was the feeling of being sought after by many women. It was ironic that everyone else was feeling happy and in a mood of celebration, with the exception of the groom himself. Pei Rumo eventually threw the thought to the back of his mind and he set off to make preparations for his own wedding ceremony. Pei Wuchen didn¡¯t even know what temple he was carrying out his wedding ceremony in! He felt as if he was a puppet on a string, bowing three times and carrying out his ceremonial duties. The next thing he remembered was the exchanging of gifts in the bridal chamber and being pulled off to drink afterwards. He had no idea how much he drank, or what he was even drinking. After a night of drinking, he stumbled back into the bridal chamber. The only thing he knew about the other person in the bridal chamber was that she cared about him. ¡°How are you feeling Wuchen? Those people are unbelievable! How can they make you drink so much on your wedding day?¡± Feng Wan¡¯er complained as she asked the maid to fetch her some water for her to help Pei Wuchen freshen up. ¡°Who are you? Are you my wife?¡± Pei Wuchen mumbled. He had mistaken Feng Wan¡¯er for Bai Luochu. Luckily, Feng Wan¡¯er did not think that he was referring to anyone else. She thought that he was referring to her before they got married and she replied in haste, ¡°What are you talking about? Of course I¡¯m your wife now!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er smiled with a hint of embarrassment and blushed like a teenage girl. Pei Wuchen blinked his eyes, as if trying to get a better look at her. It was too bad that he failed to clear his mind as he rolled over and fell asleep. As he slept, he chuckled to himself, as if he was dreaming about something pleasant. Feng Wan¡¯er sighed as she realised that she was not able to consummate her marriage that night. Lying down beside him, she eventually managed to coax herself to sleep. ... ¡°Pass me the dowry list, I want to have a look.¡± Pei Rumo was back in his old residence and he was preparing to go through Bai Luochu¡¯s dowry. Even though he was marrying a dead woman, he still had to follow the customs. Chapter 470: Sending the Betrothal Gifts Pei Rumo glanced up at Ming Lu and immediately returned to checking the dowry list. Zi Su tugged at Ming Lu¡¯s sleeve, as if asking him not to run his mouth. Zi Su shook her head in disappointment as she looked at the state Pei Rumo was in. She blamed herself as she felt that everything could have been avoided had she warned him about Bai Luochu earlier. Sadly, what has been done, cannot be undone. Nothing could change the fact that Pei Rumo would sink deep into the quicksand of his obsession with Bai Luochu. ¡°Remember to bring the dowry gifts tomorrow.¡± Pei Rumo ordered Zi Su as soon as he ensured that everything on the list was correct. Pei Rumo understood that Ming Lu was still young and inexperienced and he would not be able to understand the feeling in his heart. As such, he ordered Zi Su to carry out his orders instead. He knew that Ming Lu might just disobey him considering the fact that he was acting unlike his usual self. When he gave his orders, Zi Su gave her acknowledgement while Ming Lu widened his eyes in disbelief. In that instant, he knew that he had made the correct decision by entrusting the task to Zi Su. Pei Rumo closed his eyes and Zi Su took the chance to pull Ming Lu out of the room. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t pulled you away, who knows what other nonsense you would have said!¡± Zi Su chided Ming Lu who had a confused and dazed look on his face. Ming Lu felt wrongly accused and he bit back. ¡°I just feel worried for His First Highness! Bai Luochu is already dead! Is it worth it to put in so much effort for a dead woman!?¡± ¡°Shhhh!¡± Zi Su put her finger to her lips and asked him to speak softly. She really felt like sewing his mouth shut! It was lucky that Ming Lu was favoured by Pei Rumo. If he wasn¡¯t the grass on his grave would already be several meters tall¡­ As servants, they should respect the fact that Pei Rumo had already made his decision! ¡°You better not poke your nose into Young Masters affairs, it is just an act of friendship on his part! It¡¯s not like it would cause any harm to him, so you better shut up!¡± Zi Su snapped. She realized that Ming Lu wasn¡¯t going to listen to reason anyway. Ming Lu unhappily shut his mouth and it was clear that he was hurt by her words. Initially, Zi Su wanted to offer some words of comfort to Ming Lu as she realised that she had hurt his feelings. However, she stopped herself from doing so when she realised that it was best for him to learn to not run his mouth off. She was about to drift off into sleep when a loud sound outside her door jolted her awake. Lin Qianqian wanted to look for something to throw in a fit of rage, but realised that she had already thrown everything in sight. She ordered her maid to investigate the cause of the noise and she screamed, ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡± She had been angered by the fact that her sleep had been disturbed. As the maid was afraid that Lin Qianqian would take her anger out on her, she quickly rushed out to investigate. Before long, she returned. ¡°My mistress, His First Highness is here to send Bai Luochu her betrothal gifts!¡± The maid replied. ¡°What did you just say?!¡± Lin Qianqian yelled as she shot out of bed. She changed out of her sleeping attire and ran to the door. She was feeling spiteful that she wasn¡¯t the one receiving the gifts. When she saw the jovial looking Pei Rumo, she thought to herself, the world is going crazy! Why is he acting like marrying a dead woman is a normal thing to do! ¡°Why haven¡¯t you moved out yet, Mistress Lin? Also, you are supposed to be in mourning! Why are you wearing green?!¡± Zi Su cried out. Before Pei Rumo could speak, Zi Su cut in on his behalf. Their purpose of coming to find Bai Luochu¡¯s cousin was to chase them out of the general''s residence. Zi Su hoped that her words would anger Lin Qianqian so that Pei Rumo could find a way to punish her. ¡°Why is the servant running her mouth off before the master says anything?¡± Lin Qianqian cursed. Everything was just like Zi Su predicted. She was also lucky that Pei Rumo was present as she knew that Lin Qianqian would have said much nastier things if the prince wasn¡¯t present. Pei Rumo narrowed his eyes, showing his displeasure. Zi Su had been with his family since he was a young boy and he treated her as part of his family. The rage in his heart that emerged due to Lin Qianqian¡¯s disrespect was something she couldn¡¯t imagine. It seemed as though she hadn¡¯t learned her lesson. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave the residence? Are my orders just dog fart to you?I¡± Pei Rumo growled. The Lin couple could hear the commotion outside, thus, they rushed out to invite Pei Rumo in. ¡°Your First Highness, we have yet to find another suitable accommodation! Once we do so, we will definitely move out!¡± The Lin couple felt that it would be best if they could muddle their way along. Chapter 471: Hua Sen’s Stand The Lin couple looked at each other and thought Pei Rumo was going to treat them leniently because of Bai Luochu and was immediately about to thank him. Even Lin Qianqian felt that things were taking a turn for the better. They fell from heaven to hell in a single second. "The Lin Family''s master and madam colluded with outsiders to frame a descendant of a loyal subject. According to the law, the entire family shall be executed. Seeing that it is your first offense, the entire family shall be banished into the northwest Barrens, you shall start moving today." Once Pei Rumo finished his statement, numerous imperial soldiers marched in and surrounded them. It was obvious that there was no room for negotiations. The trio were shocked by the sudden change in events as they were immediately banished without any chance to struggle. Pei Rumo watched as they were being taken into custody and felt that it was meaningless as the Lin Family didn''t have any moral integrity at all. After keeping the betrothal gifts, Pei Rumo was preparing to leave but didn''t expect someone to actually call out to him. "Your First Highness, do you also think that my Mistress will never return?" The person who spoke up was none other than Cai Ling who was tasked with taking care of the residence. Pei Rumo was shocked when he saw Cai Ling again. He thought that the general¡¯s residence was empty but someone was actually left inside. "I have no idea as well. However, I shall clean the residence so that if she returns, she will have a place to stay." Pei Rumo left without turning back after leaving his explanation. ... Back at Lu Wenshu¡¯s side, Hua Sen sealed his acupoints and dragged him back to the sect. Despite returning to their sect, no one cared about Lu Wenshu¡¯s wellbeing. Instead, Hua Sen was dragged before the elders and questions about the treasures in the ruins rained down on him. Hua Sen refused to say anything. He simply removed his spirit ring before throwing it at the elders. Hua Sen was enraged when he learned that everyone was fixated on the treasures rather than Lu Wenshu¡¯s injuries. "Is none of you worried about what happened to Senior Lu Wenshu?" Hua Sen''s voice wasn''t loud but every single word echoed through the hall clearly. "Your senior should be fine, after all, he¡¯s strong enough to endure those injuries. He¡¯s fine.¡± After the reply, they treated as though Hua Sen didn''t exist and continued to study the treasures. A chill crawled up Hua Sen¡¯s heart. He didn''t think that his senior who had lost almost everything because of the sect, ended up abandoned for several treasures¡­ Are they all heartless creature Silence filled the hall and everyone stared at the enraged Hua Sen. After a moment, the Sect Patriarch finally asked, "Wenshu went crazy¡­ are you following in his footsteps?¡± Hua Sen was struck silly by the heartless response. He didn''t think that everyone would actually look down on his most respected senior. From the start, they had treated him as a lunatic ready to be forsaken for the sect¡¯s gains. Feeling the sorrow in his heart, Hua Sen¡¯s personality changed. "Crazy? What rights do you have to say that we have gone crazy?! You turned senior into bait to destroy the Thousand Brilliance Temple, but promised him to spare Bai Luochu¡¯s life. What happened to her?! You killed her anyway!¡± In the end, it was Lu Wenshu''s master who personally killed Bai Luochu without the slightest bit of hesitation, breaking his promise to Lu Wenshu. From that moment on, Lu Wenshu turned his back on the sect and turned into the lunatic they were talking about. "For the sake of the sect, he lost the person he loved, carried infamy, only for you to look down on him. Who are you to criticize him?!¡± Hua Sen truly felt sorry for Lu Wenshu. He knew that he was offending the entire sect by doing so, but he no longer cared about his future. He no longer wanted to be the coward who listened to everything the sect said. He didn¡¯t care if he was expelled from the sect or imprisoned for speaking his mind. The only thing he cared about was not becoming like Lu Wenshu, forsaken by the sect after giving his all for them. Everyone¡¯s eyes landed on him as he raged on. A long moment later, they realized that Hua Sen was simply venting the grievance in his heart and the commandment hall¡¯s elder laid down the order. "Hua Sen, I originally thought you are a person who will achieve great things in the future. I never expected for you to be as disappointing as your senior. It seems like you have lost your way, just like your senior. You shall go to the Reflection Cliff to think things through thoroughly. Once you realize your mistake, we shall allow you to return to the sect.¡± Hua Sen felt the presence of the disciples of the commandment hall and he was immediately taken into custody. He had already expected everything that would happen as he was clear about the way the elders dealt with things. They would simply suppress and punish any disciples who didn''t listen to their orders. After the punishment, disciples would no longer dare to go against the elders... As for the other disciples, some felt sorry for Hua Sen who had been sent to the Reflection Cliff right after he had returned from the Desolate Region. Some were rejoicing in Hua Sen''s misfortunate. After all, in the eyes of some disciples, Hua Sen was simply a dog that was nurtured by Lu Wenshu. No one understood the true meaning behind Lu Wenshu¡¯s treatment of Hua Sen. Despite Lu Wenshu threatening to kill him, Hua Sen remained by Lu Wenshu¡¯s side till the very end. He knew that he was the same person as Lu Wenshu, just luckier. If someone was to ask Hua Sen if he regretted saying all those words in front of the elders, Hua Sen would definitely reply, "No." Chapter 472: Helpless Confession Outside of Ying Lan''s expectation, before Bai Luochu could return, an uninvited guest turned up... From the moment Ling Xian¡¯er realized that Pei Qingfeng was trapped in the ruins, she packed her luggage and rushed to the Desolate Region without rest. She never expected that she would need to travel for a long time before finding a reasonably built inn for her to stay. Without the slightest hesitation, she entered the inn. "Waiter, staying in." Ling Xian''er was wearing a veil and when she arrived at the main hall of the inn, Ying Lan had his head lowered as he read the report sent by Qin Feng. When he heard Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s voice, a trace of shock appeared in his heart as he slowly raised his head. The ruins was no more and he never expected anyone to visit the Desolate Ruins. However, he didn¡¯t think too much about it and he gave her a set of keys to a room. It was natural that Ying Lan didn¡¯t recognize Ling Xian¡¯er as she was hiding her appearance behind her veil. It wasn¡¯t the case the other way round though¡­ Ying Lan wasn¡¯t wearing his human skin mask and Ling Xian¡¯er found him extremely familiar. Despite the vague recollection of Ying Lan, Ling Xian¡¯er failed to recall where she had seen him before. After a deep search of her memories while he led her to her room did she remember Ying Lan¡¯s identity. "Why are you here?!" Ling Xian''er was pleasantly surprised to see Ying Lan. It was clear that she never expected to see anyone she knew in the Desolate Region. Ying Lan looked at her with question marks filling his face. He even thought that she was pretending to recognize him so that he wouldn¡¯t charge her an exorbitant amount of money to stay for a night. Just as Ying Lan was preparing to explain that he wasn¡¯t concerned about the money, Ling Xian¡¯er removed her veil and stared straight into Ying Lan¡¯s eyes. "Aren''t you the person who tried to spy on me? Why are you here?¡± Ying Lan finally recognized her and his expression changed. He expected the little demoness who had made fun of him shamelessly in the past to actually appear before him in the Desolate Region once again. Did I offend someone I shouldn¡¯t have?! What is this?! But after seeing the excited expression on Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s face, Ying Lan felt that he couldn¡¯t disappoint her. He started to explain everything, from the start to the end. Ling Xian¡¯er no longer hid her identity and she treated Ying Lan as someone on her side. She told him everything about her identity and objective. After Ling Xian''er left to settle down in her room, Ying Lan sank deep into his thoughts. Now that Qin Feng had made his report and someone from the capital city had already come over, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide the news from Qing He and Qing Rong any longer. No matter what, he felt that it would be wrong to lie to them. After all, Qing He had already requested to meet with Bai Luochu¡­ ... "Ying Lan, it has already been so many days. Can you please bring us to the Holy Maiden? We can¡¯t rest easy if we don¡¯t see her with our own eyes." The alarm in Ying Lan''s head rang loudly and he had never been a good liar. Sighing in his heart, he prepared to confess the truth. "Mistress went to the ruins in the Desolate Region and she failed to return before it collapsed..." Ying Lan''s voice became softer the more he spoke as he was afraid Qing He would do something stupid after learning the truth. Ying Lan didn''t expect for Qing He to remain silent for a moment before making a logical reply. "I believe what you said. The Holy Maiden has always been passionate about such things. Even if we want to stop her, we will not be able to do so. The plan for now is to hide it from Qing Rong." "What are the two of you trying to hide from me?" Qing Rong was trailing behind Qing He when he departed earlier. There was no way she would allow the two of them to cook up some scheme behind her back. The change in situation was too quick and before Ying Lan and Qing He could think of a good excuse, Ling Xian''er spilled the beans. "Wooden block, are you still going to the ruins today? My Big Brother and your Mistress are still stuck there! If you are going, remember to bring me along." Ling Xian''er had just tidied her room and she wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu. She was too distracted to see that there were other people in the room. Ying Lan and Qing He felt the blood drain from their face. Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s timing was too good and the two of them were placed in a difficult spot. "Something happened to the Holy Maiden?" Qing Rong didn''t say much and was much more composed than what they had imagined. Ying Lan realized that it was impossible to continue lying and he nodded in affirmation. Silence filled the inn and Ling Xian''er noticed that she had messed up after looking at the tense atmosphere in the room. She sealed her lips and looked at the three people before her with a cautious expression on her face. Before anyone else could say anything, Qing He declared, "Since the Holy Maiden is able to enter, she will definitely be able to leave. It¡¯s just a matter of time. I shall wait for her return.¡± No one expected for the usually emotional Qing Rong to remain composed... In order to distract his sister''s attention, Qing He said, "We will continue to look for the rest of the temple disciples. There is a chance that the Holy Maiden will be out by the time we have found them all.¡± After Qing He and Qing Rong spoke, they left without turning back. Ying Lan respectfully sent the two of them off and turned around to glare at Ling Xian¡¯er. Since she knew that she was the one who had messed up, she stuck out her tongue and pouted at Ying Lan before returning to her room. She was experienced in this aspect. She knew that she should behave herself after causing so much trouble. No one expected Qing Rong¡¯s words to be true. As they waited and waited for a miracle to happen¡­ Chapter 473: Divine Tribulation As such, Bai Luochu proposed an idea to cultivate to the Inaction Realm. Breaking into the Inaction Realm meant that they would be close to becoming a deity. Lightning tribulation would definitely descend, and that would be the best chance to destroy the ruins. In order to ensure that the ruins would be completely destroyed, Bai Luochu felt that their best bet would be breaking through to the Inaction Realm at the same time. Before they could break through, Bai Luochu knew that there was something more important she had to take care of. She knew that she had to take care of the poison array in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s body. "Are you ready?" Bai Luochu wasn''t especially confident about this poison array. After all, she had only heard of it before. Now that she was going to make a move, she couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. In the past, Pei Qingfeng was nothing more than a stranger to her and there was no pressure even if she failed. The Pei Qingfeng before her right now already had a special place in her heart and she was no longer as relaxed as she was. Pei Qingfeng felt the struggle in Bai Luochu¡¯t heart, and he grabbed her hand before whispering in her ear. "It doesn''t matter, just relax. It doesn''t matter if you fail. It has already been in my body for a long time and you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Despite his reassurance, Bai Luochu knew that she couldn¡¯t fail. Bai Luochu closed her eyes and felt her spirit qi flow through Pei Qingfeng''s meridians. She had already examined it in the past, and now that their cultivations were at the same level, she was able to do as she pleased. She quickly located the poison array and made preparations to use her spirit qi to support the effects of the medicine to remove it from Pei Qingfeng''s body. "Take this medicine." Bai Luochu felt that the timing was about right and quickly passed Pei Qingfeng the antidote she had refined. The medicinal ingredients she used were found in the ruins and they were superior to the medicinal ingredients found anywhere else in the world. The medicine was the one thing Bai Luochu had the most confidence in. The poison array seemed to be even more tyrannical than when she examined it two years ago. She merely probed it with her spirit qi and she experienced a huge backlash. A muffled groan escaped Pei Qingfeng¡¯s lips. At almost the same moment, Bai Luochu gathered all her spirit qi before wrapping it around the poison array. It tried to struggle, but Bai Luochu trapped it tightly. As the poison array was stabilized by the medicine Pei Qingfeng consumed, she shattered it at the most opportune moment. Pei Qingfeng vomited a mouthful of black blood, and unknown shards came out along with it. Pei Qingfeng wiped off the blood at the corner of his lips and a smile broke out on his face. He raised his hands slowly to rub Bai Luochu¡¯s head. "My Luoluo is truly incredible." Originally, Pei Qingfeng thought that the poison array was destined to follow him for the rest of his life. He never thought that he would actually be able to find someone who could neutralize it. Despite Bai Luochu saying that it was heaven¡¯s grace that he was cured, he felt that being able to obtain her trust and love was what the heavens truly gave him. "It is fortunate that I didn''t humiliate myself." When Bai Luochu was treating Pei Qingfeng, she removed all distracting thoughts. When she finally saw that he was cured, she felt a heavy stone lifted off her chest. Moreover, she managed to prove herself as the best physician in the world. "So what do you plan to do next?" Now that the greatest hidden danger had been eliminated, it was naturally time to plan for the next step. They had already lived in the ruins for two years, and they couldn¡¯t possibly live out the rest of their days in despair... Bai Luochu examined Pei Rumo and noticed that apart from the mouthful of black blood that he vomited, there was no other side effect. As such, she quickly formulated her plan. "Unless we destroy the ruins from the outside, there is no other way to leave. We should cultivate to the Inaction realm and attract lightning tribulation. The moment it appears, we might be able to destroy the ruins. As for the lightning tribulation itself, we¡¯ll get there when we get there.¡± Pei Qingfeng nodded in response as he knew that Bai Luochu was right. If they wanted to leave, they would have to borrow external strength. "We only have a few more manuals that we have yet to cultivate." It was really too boring in the ruins. They had only spent two years there, but they had already cultivated most of the manuals lying around. There were only a few left, and they decided to read everything before trying to break through to the Inaction Realm. Of course, if anyone else knew what they were thinking of, they would feel that these two had gone completely bonkers. They actually dared to make use of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder to break the ruins. Three days later, a patch of dark cloud rose in the sky above the ruins. The Desolate Region that had regained its serenity flared up again. "Ying Lan, hurry up and take a look. There seems to be some commotion at the ruins." Ling Xian''er felt that the sky had turned darker and she started to panic. Could it be that the ruins were about to open?! Chapter 474: Finally Reunited Tumbling dark clouds covered the sky above the entire ruins, and Ying Lan had no idea what was happening. He ran over as soon as he received the news. Ying Lan might have been overly anxious and when Ling Xian''er saw how big of a rush Ying Lan was in, she followed behind him. The moment they arrived, the lightning had already descended. Ling Xian''er wasn¡¯t able to sit still, and she wanted to rush towards the lightning. It was fortunate that Ying Lan had quick reactions as he grabbed her before she could do anything stupid. "Are you crazy? That isn''t regular lighting! That¡¯s lightning tribulation from the Nine Heavens! If you¡¯re not at the Inaction Realm, rushing into the lightning is the same as giving your life away! I have seen fearless people, but I haven¡¯t seen anyone as fearless and crazy as you!¡± Ying Lan felt that he had a rash personality, but it seemed as though the little lass before him was even worse! Tears were falling from Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s face and she cried out loud, "What are we supposed to do?! Are we going to do nothing?! Big brother Qingfeng is inside the ruins and so is your mistress! Are you going to watch them die?!¡± This statement jabbed at Ying Lan''s sore spot. No one knew if she was still alive. Before she screamed at him, Ying Lan felt that the lightning tribulation had something to do with Bai Luochu¡¯s cultivation. However, what if it wasn¡¯t? Ying Lan remained silent and he stared at the ruins without moving a single muscle. Thoughts ran through his mind non-stop. "Just wait a little more, just wait a little more..." Compared to the anxious pair waiting outside, Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng were extremely relaxed. They were basking in the laws of heaven and earth as they waited for the lightning tribulation to split the ruins open. Despite waiting for a long time, nothing happened. Bai Luochu even suspected if her plan was off. ¡°It¡¯s not possible for the ruins to stop the lightning tribulations, right? If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯re in trouble!¡± Bai Luochu''s worries were justified, If the lightning tribulation from their progression to the Inaction Realm failed to split open the ruins, it would be nigh impossible for them to leave. The moment the words left her lips, a frown formed on Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face. However, he started to console her in order not to affect her mood during the progression. "Don''t worry, everything will be fine. We will definitely make it out. Trust me and trust yourself." A crack eventually formed from the bombardment of the lightning tribulation. After the crack appeared, the rest of the thunderbolts found their target and desperately tried to slam into Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng. The merciless lightning crashed into the crack again and again, and the ruins started to collapse. Fortunately for them, they had covered themselves in spirit qi. Otherwise, the falling rocks would have caused them some trouble. The ruins started to crumble at a speed visible to the naked eye, and when they finally saw the sky above them, the tribulation clouds had already dispersed. They turned to smile at each other as they soared through the sky above the ruins. Their hands were locked tightly together, and they landed on the ground outside. They were immediately spotted by Ying Lan and a tremor ran through his heart. Even though their appearance didn¡¯t change, Ying Lan could feel that the air around them was different. Right now, their current qi field was much more reserved as compared to two years ago. People who didn¡¯t know them might not even know that they were cultivators! Even someone like Ying Lan wasn¡¯t able to detect their spirit qi! The spirit qi he had was nothing more than a tiny pebble when compared to the sea of spirit qi in their bodies. No matter how he tried to probe them, he failed to obtain any results. As the golden rays of the sun landed on them, they looked as though they had descended from the high heavens. After reaching the Inaction Realm, Bai Luochu''s spiritual energy reached a terrifying new height. The moment she left the ruins, she detected Ying Lan and Ling Xian¡¯er¡¯s presence, She waved hre arm and sent a wave of spirit qi flying towards them. Of course, she held back and with Ying Lan¡¯s quick reactions, he grabbed Ling Xian¡¯er and dodged Bai Luochu¡¯s attack. When they dodged, their figures were immediately exposed to Bai Luochu. It was obvious Bai Luochu didn¡¯t expect Ying Lan to be waiting for her. "Why are you here? What about the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence? If I remain in the ruins forever, are you going to wait here till the day you die?¡± Bai Luochu felt a trace of warmth in her heart when she saw that Ying Lan was waiting for her, but she felt a trace of rage as well. She was angry at the fact that he was ready to sacrifice his great future in order to wait for her. It was too bad Ying Lan felt that everything was worth it. Whatever the case, wasn¡¯t she out? Not only had Bai Luochu emerged from the ruins, she had even reached the Inaction Realm! Her cultivation was finally at the half-deity state and he felt extremely happy for her. Completely different from the reaction Ying Lan had, Ling Xian¡¯er lunged into his embrace the moment he appeared. "Big Brother Qingfeng, you are finally out! Xian''er had waited a long time for you." Pei Qingfeng wanted to rub Ling Xian''er''s head to console her, but he felt a chill running down his spine the moment he started to raise his arms. Two light coughs resounded through the air and he pulled Ling Xian¡¯er off him. "Xian''er, you¡¯re acting like a spoiled brat. How can a young lady like you jump on a man?¡± Bai Luochu finally withdrew her dangerous qi presence. However, Ling Xian¡¯er didn¡¯t care about all that. Ling Xian''er looked at Pei Qingfeng desperately winking at her and instantly understood what he meant. In order not to cause her elder brother¡¯s hard earned wife leave in a fit of rage, she knew that she had to say something. "Sister-in-law, it has been hard on you for the last two years. Let''s return to the inn." Chapter 475: Meeting Lu Wenshu Again Pei Qingfeng felt that if Ling Xian''er wasn''t his sister related to him by blood, he would have already strangled her to death. After saying so much nonsense, she placed him in an extremely difficult situation. "Cough cough. This is a long story. Let''s settle the matter with our revenge before talking about it." Bai Luochu might still be suspicious, but since Pei Qingfeng had already said so, she wouldn¡¯t continue to ask. The priority they had was to kill all the enemies that threatened her safety. Bai Luochu turned to Ying Lan and said, "Bring Qing He and Qing Rong back to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Qingfeng and I still have important matters to attend to. After we finish what we need to do, we will return to the palace." Ying Lan nodded in response and left. Pei Qingfeng knew what Bai Luochu was planning to do and he quickly chased Ling Xian¡¯er away. "I have important matters to attend to. You better return to the sect and wait. After I finish what I need to do, I will look for you." Before Ling Xian''er could ask, Pei Qingfeng flew off with Bai Luochu. When Ling Xian¡¯er looked at their departing back view, she muttered curses under her breath. "After getting a wife, he forgot about his own family. Sigh, forget it. It is hard for this old iron tree to finally blossom. I shall let him off this time." After Lu Wenshu woke up, he found out that Hua Sen had been imprisoned in the Reflection Cliff. Ever since then, he brought Hua Sen food everyday. The only thing he could do was to allow Hua Sen to suffer a little less. But then again, among all the disciples in the sect, Hua Sen was truly an out-and-out stubborn mule. Normal disciples would immediately yield after a few days when they couldn''t endure the life of boredom. Even some of the persistent disciples were only able to endure for a few months. As for Hua Sen, he didn¡¯t mutter a single word in complaint even after two whole years. Lu Wenshu didn''t know if part of the reason was because of his daily visits. Of course, he had no idea Bai Luochu was currently charging towards their sect and he was conversing leisurely with Hua Sen. "Look at you, you are even more stubborn than me. Can''t you just yield?" Lu Wenshu didn''t feel that he could continue helping Hua Sen and he hoped that Hua Sen would just listen to the elders so that he could lessen his suffering. Hua Sen refused to reply and continued to meditate. ... "Is this the place?" Pei Qingfeng looked down at the monastery below and felt rather curious as he didn''t think that Lu Wenshu''s sect would look like this. As such, Bai Luochu made a detour with Pei Qingfeng to enter from the rear of the mountain. The moment they landed, they saw Lu Wenshu. Bai Luochu sneered and felt that everything was falling perfectly in place. She encountered her greatest enemy the moment she landed. However, the person that really wanted to kill him wasn¡¯t Bai Luochu. She had already placed down her past but the same couldn¡¯t be said for Pei Qingfeng. Lu Wenshu caused her so much pain and Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t going to let him off. "Young Master Lu, I trust you have been well." Bai Luochu saw that Lu Wenshu had yet to notice the two of them and she broke the silence. When Lu Wenshu heard the voice, his body froze. This voice... Why does it sound like Luo Chu? He turned around and realized that the person he had been thinking of day and night had suddenly appeared in front of him. He immediately walked over and grabbed Bai Luochu''s hand, "Ah Chu, you have finally returned, I knew you will return alive!" Compared to two years ago, she looked even more charming and beautiful. Lu Wenshu looked at Bai Luochu''s face and couldn''t help but feel a trace of delight in his heart when he discovered that she was still alive. Even if she hated him to the end of the earth, the only thing that mattered was that she was alive. When Pei Qingfeng saw Lu Wenshu holding onto Bai Luochu''s hand, fire emerged from his eyes. He drew his sword and slashed out towards Lu Wenshu¡¯s hand. Had he not dodged in time, Lu Wenshu would have to live out the rest of his days with one hand. "Will Young Master Lu please conduct yourself with dignity? Luoluo is now my fianc¨¦e, you better stop touching her." Pei Qingfeng looked at Lu Wenshu with provocation as he threatened. When Lu Wenshu saw the intimacy between the two, he finally understood that he had lost his place in her heart. His expression dimmed. Bai Luochu glared at Pei Qingfeng and felt that he was being too much. She pinched his arm silently and a small pout formed on her face. They were here to take revenge, not to put on a show for Lu Wenshu. "Young Master Lu, I said that I would have my revenge. Now that I am no longer the weakling of the past, you should know the reason behind my appearance.¡± Lu Wenshu was rejoicing in the fact that she was still alive, but a single statement from her caused him to plunge into the depths of hell. How could he have forgotten that Bai Luochu wasn''t a person who could forget about revenge? Lu Wenshu had never expected Bai Luochu to let him off, and the only thing he could do was to dissuade her from killing Hua Sen and the other disciples. "I know that I disappointed you in the past. I will not be coming up with any excuse, but I know everything about the remaining disciples of your temple. I would like to use that information to make a trade with you.¡± Lu Wenshu knew that the day would come, and he had already practiced this speech several thousand times. Chapter 476: Smiling in Death "I will tell you your temple disciples'' information in exchange for my sect disciples'' lives. After all, they aren''t really involved in this matter. The only ones involved are those who discussed the plans. Furthermore, I have never expected you to spare me and the elders." Bai Luochu nodded with satisfaction. After all, everything happened because those old men were insensitive and unfeeling. They were the cause of the destruction of the Thousand Brilliance Temple. "After you passed away in your previous life, the Three Great Immortal Sects wanted to split the cultivation resources of the Thousand Brilliance Temple and even wanted to kill all of the temple disciples to prevent any trouble from arising in the future. But due to the inappropriate distribution of the resources, there wasn''t any conclusion. I made use of the time to secretly transfer everything away. But in order to pull the wool over their eyes, I had to send the temple disciples to remote regions. There are some within the Desolate Region and I think you have already encountered some of them." Lu Wenshu glanced at Bai Luochu''s expression and didn''t notice any change. He immediately understood that she had definitely seen some of her fellow disciples already.= "As for the temple''s inheritance, I have sealed it up with the method that you taught me. Those people failed to unseal it, allowing the inheritance to be preserved. If you wish to rebuild the Thousand Brilliance Temple again, you can just return to the original location. I have asked people to renovate the place and they have been keeping it clean ever since.¡± Bai Luochu felt rather moved as she never expected him to think so far ahead. She became rather hesitant and couldn¡¯t decide if she wanted to kill him. Of course, Pei Qingfeng noticed something wrong with Bai Luochu and he felt that u Wenshu wasn¡¯t as hopeless as he had thought. He immediately proposed, "If you cannot bear to kill him, just cripple his cultivation and get this over with." Pei Qingfeng spoke in an extremely soft voice and if Bai Luochu didn''t pay attention to him, she wouldn''t have heard what he had proposed. Bai Luochu was ultimately unable to kill Lu Wenshu, After all, Lu Wenshu merely ruined her love life. The people that destroyed her future were those insatiable elders from the Three Great Immortal Sects. As such, Bai Luochu merely lifted her hand and shot a silver needle at Lu Wenshu. When the silver needle entered his body, Lu Wenshu''s spirit sea''s acupoint became sealed. He felt that his spirit qi was destroyed and he was no more than a mortal. Bai Luochu was a person with clear distinction for vengeance and favor. She would spare those who really wanted her dead. As for Lu Wenshu, the best method she could think of was to waste his cultivation. Now that his ability to remain proud had been shattered, he had already received his retribution. But Lu Wenshu obviously didn''t think the same way. Just when Bai Luochu turned around and prepared to leave, Lu Wenshu took out the dagger he had hidden and he buried it into his chest. The entire process was silent and if Hua Sen didn''t scream out in response, Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t even have realized that he had ended his life. The blood flower blossomed on Lu Wenshu''s chest like a resplendent and elegant peony. When Bai Luochu turned around, the only scene that greeted her was the blood red stain on Lu Wenshu¡¯s chest. She didn''t think that Lu Wenshu was so determined to severe everything. "Ah Chu, I still owe you a life. Didn¡¯t I say that I would return you everything I owed you?" Bai Luochu finally recalled that Lu Wenshu had indeed mentioned it before. In the past, she merely thought that he was trying to pacify her and she ignored whatever he said. From what she could see, she knew that Lu Wenshu meant what he said. He insisted for her to leave his fellow disciples alone as he had already created a path of retreat for all the remaining members of the Thousand Brilliance Temple. Lu Wenshu never thought that he could continue living peacefully after seeing Bai Luochu again. After his constant pining for her, he finally decided to compensate her with his life. The scene of whatever memories he had with her flashed through his eyes and he knew that those would be the last time he would be able to think of the wonderful time he spent with her. A smile appeared on his face, and it was warm enough to melt the toughest snow. The scene where he first met her replayed again and again in his eyes and he no longer chose to hide his feelings. Darkness slowly filled his vision, and he fell onto the ground. "He planned everything before killing himself..." If Lu Wenshu had used the dagger to stab himself when he first met her, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to kill himself. Since he knew that Bai Luochu would only cripple his cultivation after learning about the news of her fellow disciples, he knew that the moment to take his own life had arrived. There was nothing more to say about a complete lunatic like Lu Wenshu. As for Hua Sen, he didn¡¯t feel as emotional and sad as he thought he would have felt. He knew that his senior brother was finally freed from his difficult predicament. Even though it wasn¡¯t a good ending, it was an ending his senior brother really wanted. Hua Sen looked at Bai Luochu and noticed that the expression on her face thawed. The look of dissatisfaction on his face slowly started to disappear, and he felt that he managed to learn some of the pain she felt in her past life when Lu Wenshu betrayed her. Senior... Senior probably wouldn''t wish to see Bai Luochu blaming herself. Hua Sen opened his mouth and said, "Young Lady Bai doesn''t need to blame yourself. Senior no longer wished to live in this world and his heart died in the Desolate Region. It was you who allowed him to hang on to his life, and now that you have returned safely, it¡¯s time for him to leave this world¡­¡± Chapter 477: Killed in an Illusion Realm "Don''t you hate me? Don''t you feel that I am the one that caused your senior¡¯s death?" Bai Luochu was rather astonished by Hua Sen''s composure. Hate? It wasn''t possible as it was too difficult to hate a person. Hua Sen had resided in the Reflection Cliff for a whole two years. He comprehended the meaning of life and death and realized that it was pointless to hate a person. After all, he shouldn''t be blaming Bai Luochu as everything that happened was the fault of the greedy elders in his sect... "Will Young Lady Bai please give me some time... After I arrange the burial of my senior, I will follow you to eliminate the sect elders." Hua Sen didn''t answer Bai Luochu''s question and used his actions to express his feelings. Bai Luochu was also startled as she didn''t think that Hua Sen would actually choose to help her. She glanced at Pei Qingfeng and realized that he was also looking at her with a confused expression. Hua Sen saw their interaction and he said, "I only blame the elders in the sect. Because of their greed, Senior wasted his entire life and died with regrets. They need to learn their lesson.¡± Because of their age, the elders were obstinate and self-opinionated. That was something that Hua Sen hated the most. The elders made use of the disciples in the sect as tools and it caused Hua Sen to feel endless disgust. Bai Luochu never thought that Hua Sen was able to see through the state of his sect. She nodded with approval and swung her hand to remove the restriction on Hua Sen. "Your restriction in the Reflection Cliff has been removed. You can just relax and bury your senior." Bai Luochu waved her hand and instructed Hua Sen to do whatever he wanted. Hua Sen carried Lu Wenshu''s corpse and bowed deeply before saying to Bai Luochu, "Many thanks." he refused to say anything else and he left with the corpse over his shoulder. Pei Qingfeng saw how Bai Luochu removed the restriction on Hua Sen in such a straightforward manner and felt ill at ease. What if Hua Sen suddenly turned on us? Just as Pei Qingfeng wanted to ask, Bai Luochu spoke first, "He won''t." As though they were able to reach each other¡¯s thoughts, Bai Luochu replied Pei Qingfeng before the question could leave his mouth. After fully experiencing the feelings people held for her for two lives, she understood that everything other than love and hate could be concealed from the other party. No matter what happened, the eyes were the windows to the soul. Hua Sen looked at the two of them with indifference. However, the hatred in his eyes couldn¡¯t be concealed when he spoke about the elders. Just as Bai Luochu expected, after Hua Sen buried Lu Wenshu, he returned to the Reflection Cliff. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng were both present. "This isn¡¯t a good time to make a move. If we are planning to move against them, we need to wait for the elders to enter a state of cultivation. They usually cultivate in the night, and that would be the best time to take them down." Hua Sen had followed Lu Wenshu for a period of time and when he saw that someone was willing to exact revenge for his senior, he spilled everything he knew about the elders. Bai Luochu nodded and didn''t say much. A plan had already been formulated in her heart and she wouldn¡¯t allow the elders to die a meaningless death. Nighttime finally fell, and the sect fell into complete silence. Lu Wenshu''s sect was rather special and everyone cultivated through the night. Now that it was time, they naturally started their meditation. Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng sneaked in quietly and prepared to assassinate the elders without leaving a trace. Just as Hua Sen and Pei Qingfeng were preparing to enter and kill, they were stopped by Bai Luochu. "There is no need to hurry. They ought to have a taste of the suffering I felt in the past." After speaking, Bai Luochu blew a puff of sleep incense into each of the elder''s rooms. The incense wasn¡¯t a normal one and those who breathed in even the slightest amount would lose their minds. "What is that?" Hua Sen took two big breaths as he wanted to know what it was. Bai Luochu immediately handed an antidote to Hua Sen and said, "This isn''t an ordinary sleeping incense. Are you crazy? Are you planning to kill yourself?¡± How could Hua Sen know that such a pleasant-smelling thing would actually be fatal? He wasn¡¯t willing to die before the old fogies in the sect. As such, Hua Sen didn¡¯t hesitate and he swallowed the antidote. Bai Luochu had given the elders the Three Day Intoxication that was laced with additional ingredients. After considering the elders'' strength, Bai Luochu had refined the elixir with some other ideas in mind. The medicine included Jimsonweed that didn''t just increase the toxicity. Due to the dark and moist location the plant bloomed, the worst memory of the victim would be brought out. Bai Luochu wanted the elders to die from the most painful death possible. "Is that the Three Day Intoxication?" Pei Qingfeng naturally knew the kind of poison Bai Luochu had been concocting, Bai Luochu didn''t say anything and nodded silently. Hua Sen was rather surprised. He already knew that the evil dao witch was eccentric, but he never expected her to be able to think of such a formless way to eliminate all her opponents. When she felt a change in the aura the elders emitted, Bai Luochu knew that her poison had taken effect. She turned around and walked to the Reflection Cliff. "Where are you going?" When Hua Sen saw them leaving, a wave of confusion washed over him. The elders seemed fine, and he didn¡¯t understand why they were leaving. Bai Luochu looked at Hua Sen. He seemed rather quick-witted earlier, but he¡¯s acting brainless now... Chapter 478: Supporting the Ascension After thinking through it, he followed Bai Luochu back to the Reflection Cliff and allowed Bai Luochu to replace the restriction on him. Pei Qingfeng saw that the matter was done, and he wanted to leave. He never expected for her to refuse to leave. "What is wrong? Do you have something else you want to do?" Pei Qingfeng thought that Bai Luochu wanted to make a move on Hua Sen. Although he felt that it wasn''t proper, if it was Bai Luochu''s decision, no matter how improper it was, Pei Qingfeng wouldn''t stop her. "What are you thinking?" Bai Luochu noticed Pei Qingfeng''s gaze flittering between her and Hua Sen. She instantly understood what Pei Qingfeng was thinking. Without a choice, she explained herself, "I do have something to do but it is definitely not what you are thinking." Her plan was actually to meddle in someone else''s business. In order to prevent Pei Qingfeng from stopping her, Bai Luochu could only reply vaguely. Hua Sen saw how the two of them were talking in riddles and he failed to catch anything. But seeing the atmosphere between them, he felt that he wouldn''t interfere as an outsider. He was able to talk in front of Lu Wenshu, but when in the presence of others, he would love to be a mute. Bai Luochu had indeed planned something. Hua Sen''s moral conduct and upright behavior was rather pure among the immortal sects'' disciples. As such, Bai Luochu wanted to personally push Hua Sen to sit on the position of the patriarch of the sect. If her plan were to succeed, she would sign an alliance contract with him to purge the entire cultivation world. After all, the Phoenix King Valley and the other immortal sect had been pressuring the other factions for too long. Instead of hoping for the problem to solve itself, Bai Luochu felt that taking the initiative to suppress them was the way to go. If someone else was to hear of this idea, they would definitely think it was a fantasy story. This era where the strong ruled over the weak had gone on for a long time. The only way for Bai Luochu to achieve her goals would be for her to eliminate both the other immortal sects. Only then would she be able to return peace and tranquility into the cultivation world. In order to prevent Lu Wenshu¡¯s reputation, Hua Sen made it look as though Lu Wenshu had already left the sect on his own accord. Without a choice, they could only go to the Reflection Cliff to look for Hua Sen. "Senior Hua Sen, not good. The Patriarch and the elders... something happened to them!" Hua Sen revealed a frightened expression on his face as he struggled to remove the restriction placed on his body. When Bai Luochu saw Hua Sen''s performance, she felt it was rather funny as she never imagined that Hua Sen would possess such great acting skills. Bai Luochu actually felt that she was withholding his talent by pushing him to be the patriarch of his sect. Just as Bai Luochu predicted, after the incident, a huge gap in power filled the sect. Hua Sen had no choice but to step up as he didn¡¯t want to waste Lu Wenshu¡¯s hard work. Initially, there was some resistance by many of the disciples. However, they finally changed their mind and agreed for Hua Sen to succeed the position of the patriarch. Before Hua Sen could react, he had already ascended to become the highest position of power in the sect. He had no idea what they were thinking as he never really interacted with the rest of the disciples before. After the matter, many people felt that something strange was going on. They didn¡¯t understand the reason behind changing their decision at the last moment, but it was too late. None of those nitty gritty details mattered anymore. Hua Sen was the patriarch of the sect and they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Even though everyone felt that something strange was going on, Hua Sen already found the answer to most of their questions. "It seems like Divine Physician Bai made a move..." When Bai Luochu walked over with the silver needles in her hand, all the doubts in Hua Sen¡¯s mind disappeared. However, he wasn¡¯t too shocked as he knew that she was the only person around who could control so many people at the same time. "I am here to discuss a collaboration with you." Bai Luochu didn¡¯t beat about the bush and she quickly stated the reason behind her appearance. Hua Sen had no idea what was going on. No matter what, they were enemies. Why is she trying to work with us? "The cultivation world''s unhealthy trend has been going on for far too long. If this carries on, something bad is bound to happen. Instead of waiting for things to go out of control, why don''t we eliminate the problem?" "What are you talking about?" Hua Sen knew that the Three Great Immortal Sects had been bullying the smaller factions, but there was no way they could change the behaviors of the biggest superpowers in the world with just words alone. "We will form an alliance. When I reassemble all my fellow disciples, we will exterminate the Phoenix King Valley and the Battle Devil Sect.¡± Hua Sen¡¯s mind cleared up all of a sudden and he realized the meaning behind her actions. She would be able to take revenge for herself, and she would be able to purge the malignant tumor of the cultivation world in one fell swoop. He couldn¡¯t help but admit that Bai Luochu was far more terrifying than he had thought. Of course, as the patriarch of his sect, Hua Sen had to think for the sect. He turned around and asked, "How can this even benefit me?" In fact, Hua Sen understood that Bai Luochu wouldn¡¯t ask him to be a free laborer. However, he knew that he had to probe at Bai Luochu¡¯s bottom line before agreeing to anything. Bai Luochu raised her brows in response and ignored Hua Sen¡¯s question completely. Instead, she started to explain the effects of the poison coating the silver needle in her hand. Chapter 479: Forming the Alliance On the first day that he ascended his position, he announced an alliance with the evil sect that everyone wanted to exterminate. Since they were done, Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng decided to return to the capital city. As for Qing He and Qing Rong, Ying Lan had already tracked them down and brought them back to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. "Are we not going to complete your revenge?" When Pei Qingfeng saw that they were already at the capital city of the Cloud Water Nation, he felt a little curious. Since they had already taken care of one of the three immortal sects, Pei Qingfeng felt that they should continue to make use of the momentum they had. "How can we rush things? Do you think I¡¯m like you?" Bai Luochu found Pei Qingfeng¡¯s attitude rather amusing. She was the one gunning for revenge, but he was even more anxious than her when it came to it. Those who didn¡¯t know might think that Pei Qingfeng was the one who had a grudge against them. "I can''t possibly let Hua Sen do everything, right? Won¡¯t I be seen as a bully if that happens?¡± In fact, Bai Luochu felt rather guilty towards Hua Sen. Especially when she allowed Hua Sen to witness Lu Wenshu¡¯s death. She felt that as Hua Sen¡¯s senior, in both the soul and cultivation, she had to help him out. Since she wanted nothing more than to gather her fellow disciples from the temple, she could make use of the alliance to pull them all back to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Their safe return was all that she cared about. "Xiao Chu, it really is you!" When Qing Rong saw Bai Luochu''s figure, she immediately ran over and hugged her. "Previously at the tea stall, I knew that I had seen you! You refused to acknowledge us and got yourself trapped in the Desolate Region for two whole years..." Before Qing Rong finished talking, she was pulled away by her elder brother. "Holy Maiden, we have waited for you for a long time. Will you please enter the hall?" Qing He immediately invited Bai Luochu into the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence before turning around to scold Qing Rong. "Do you know what the meaning of behaving appropriately is? The important matters have yet to be dealt with, why are you holding the Holy Maiden back? Do you think you have nothing else to do?" Qing Rong instantly felt wronged. How can these grown men know the meticulous thoughts of women? They only know how to kill and fight¡­ Humph! "I already know the locations of our temple''s disciples. They are scattered around the world, and I might need you to spend some time looking for them¡­¡± Bai Luochu spilled everything Lu Wenshu told her. "This subordinate will go and arrange some people to make the search right now! I will definitely bring everyone back." Ying Lan was also looking forward to the day that the Thousand Brilliance Temple made a comeback. He didn¡¯t hesitate before sending down the orders. After Guan Yue and Meng Luoping went through the two years of ¡®cultivation¡¯, the attitude they had was a million times better than before. They no longer bickered the moment they saw each other. "We already have enough subordinates and the business in the capital city is on track. There isn''t a need for us to remain here. We should participate in the search as well..." Bai Luochu nodded with approval. Bai Luochu knew that Guan Yue and Meng Luoping were at loggerheads before she had left for the Desolate Region. Their change surprised her. A feeling of relief washed over her as they were both her subordinates and she wanted nothing more than for them to live in harmony. Bai Luochu noticed Pei Qingfeng''s astonished expression and unconsciously coughed twice to cover up the awkward feeling in his heart, "Cough, cough. Since that is the case, Ying Lan, you will make arrangements quickly. I hope I don¡¯t have to wait for too long..." After everyone had left, Bai Luochu asked Pei Qingfeng, "What¡¯s wrong? Are you surprised?" Pei Qingfeng nodded and he stared at her with a dazed expression. He knew that she was capable, but he never expected her to be in charge of such a massive faction! She was even operating openly in the capital city! "There are many more things for you to be surprised about. I hope your heart can take it." Bai Luochu felt that she had to warn him in advance in case his frail heart stopped beating over a few shocks. Ying Lan moved extremely quickly, and he gathered everyone in a mere ten days. Of course, a lot of it had to do with the help from the other members of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. When Pei Qingfeng saw how everyone greeted Bai Luochu with their ''Greetings to Holy Maiden'', he was truly shocked. Before he could react, all of them had already departed for the Phoenix King Valley and Battle Devil Sect. After meeting up with Hua Sen, the two massive factions charged towards the Phoenix King Valley. With their ferocity, anyone along the road knew that they were out for blood. In the Phoenix King Valley, none of them knew that a great catastrophe was about to land on their heads. "Valley Master, things are getting out of hand! A group of people rushed through the mountain gate''s restriction and are fighting their way up." An outer valley disciple staggered into the hall and reported. At the end of the day, he was merely an outer valley disciple and he had inferior movement skills compared to Bai Luochu¡¯s group. By the time he made the report, they had already arrived in the main hall. "Old Valley Master. It has been many years, I trust you have been doing well." Bai Luochu swept her gaze across everyone with a carefree expression. Her relaxed face was a stark contrast to the looks of panic she received. The Valley Master had no idea what was happening, but when he saw a stranger show up at the entrance of the main hall, he swept his spiritual energy towards her. Judging from her appearance, he knew that he had never seen her before. When he felt her qi presence, a strange look appeared in his eyes. He felt that he had seen her before, but when he thought about where he had seen her before, he failed to recall anything. Chapter 480: Sect Destruction Bai Luochu looked at the Phoenix King Valley Master''s surprised expression and sneered, "Heh, do you feel that it is unbelievable? The heavens aren''t blind and didn''t allow me to die. I reincarnated into another body. I¡¯m sure you know what I¡¯m here for..." Before the Valley Master could say anything else, Bai Luochu flickered a silver needle at his head. No one had time to react when their valley master was killed. As for the rest of the disciples in the Phoenix King Valley, she left it to her other temple members. After all, all these people were all fools that wished to suppress others. There was no need for her to spare them. The same thing happened as Bai Luochu led their ¡®army¡¯ towards the Battle Devil Sect. In a single day, two of the immortal sects were destroyed while the remaining immortal sect experienced a change in ruling. A rumor of them colluding with an evil sect also emerged. In the span of a single day, every single faction felt as though misfortune was about to descend on them. A surprising announcement destroyed the complicated feeling they were holding in their heart. The Palace of Brilliance Resurgence issued a peace notice to the other factions and stated that they wouldn¡¯t be using the model of the Three Great Immortal Sects to govern the lands. In the future, all cultivation resources were to be shared freely and no one had to forcefully hand over their gains! Since there were a few factions who had visited the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence in the past, they quickly sent out scouts to verify the information. No one knew how, but they managed to confirm the validity of the news in a single day. There was a saying that went ''good things don''t make it out of the door''. However, this was an exception. The reputation of the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence also took a turn for the better. When Pei Qingfeng saw what had happened, he pulled her arm as he made a decision in his heart. "Come, I shall tell you the secret I have been hiding in my heart." Before Bai Luochu could refuse, he had already soared high in the sky with her. ... On the day the Phoenix King Valley was destroyed, Feng Wan¡¯er couldn¡¯t conceal her ambition any longer and she convinced Pei Wuchen to conspire for the throne. Since Feng Wan''er married into the Third Prince''s residence, she didn''t obtain Pei Wuchen''s love and had to watch as Pei Wuchen constantly brought in multiple concubines. Initially, she consoled herself by telling herself that a prince without other consorts would be ridiculed by the others. Even their seduction methods were nonexistent. To put it bluntly, they were nothing more than wooden blocks. Initially, Feng Wan¡¯er felt that they looked rather familiar and she snapped when she realized that Pei Wuchen was bringing all the women who resembled Luo Chu back. She barged into Pei Wuchen¡¯s study and started a massive argument with him. When Pei Wuchen noticed Feng Wan''er''s behavior, a frown formed on his face. "Why are you here? This is the study room! There are plenty of secrets here! How can you barge in without warning?!¡± "I am not someone from an enemy nation, and I am your first wife! Why are you guarding against me?! Is there something you¡¯re hiding from me?!¡± Feng Wan''er felt that she was no longer able to hold back the rage in her heart. Even though she had been married to Pei Wuchen for such a long time, she would be summoned by Pei Wuchen¡¯s mother into the palace every few days and questioned about the fact that she wasn¡¯t pregnant yet. It wasn¡¯t because Feng Wan¡¯er didn¡¯t want it! Instead, Pei Wuchen seemed to have turned into a monk that would devote himself to everyone but her! Apart from dealing with the so-called political affairs in his study room, he would visit those concubines'' rooms to speak with them. "I am not here today to quarrel with you." Feng Wan''er ambition that had been silent for a long time exploded all of a sudden. Since Pei Wuchen wasn''t giving her the love she wanted, she would just have to strive for authority instead. Pei Wuchen tilted his face and realized that Feng Wan¡¯er was no longer the old Feng Wan¡¯er he had married two years ago. The vitality in her eyes was no longer present. But he didn''t care. What happened to Feng Wan''er wasn''t important at all. After knowing that Feng Wan''er was a person with a vicious and scheming heart, he didn''t wish to take an extra look at her. He married her in order to gain the support of the Phoenix King Valley, nothing more. "His Majesty is getting increasingly muddled and incompetent. All the princes are getting restless. Instead of waiting for them to rise to the throne, why don¡¯t we make the first move?¡± Feng Wan''er wanted the position of empress, and she knew that it wasn¡¯t going to be worse than her original position. Instead of being mediocre for life, why shouldn''t she take a risk and see if she could open up a future for herself? "Are you insane? This is a rebellion you¡¯re talking about! If it doesn''t succeed, the entire Phoenix King Valley will be destroyed!" Pei Wuchen¡¯s face turned serious. He knew that when a nation was formed, they would train a very formidable group of sacrificial warriors in case a day the kingdom faced the risk of annihilation. If his Emperor Father mobilized them, even an existence like the Phoenix King Valley wouldn¡¯t be able to survive. Feng Wan''er naturally knew about it, but she had her plans. She would request for backup from the Phoenix King Valley in order to catch the old emperor off guard. If she won, she would be the greatest contributor. Even if Pei Wuchen didn''t love her, he would still need to give her the recognition she wanted. If she lost... she had already made plans for it. She had already decided to sacrifice everyone in case anything went wrong and let Pei Wuchen take the fall for her. Since he didn¡¯t love her, he couldn¡¯t blame her for what she was about to do. "I will ask my father to mobilize some troops. The Phoenix King Valley might not be good at war, but we are forcing the emperor to abdicate. The people in the palace aren''t strong enough to stop us. As long as we succeed, you will be the only person above the masses. Think about it carefully. There will no longer be a chance like this in the future.¡± Once Feng Wan''er finished her statement, she stood quietly by the side. She waited for Pei Wuchen¡¯s reply patiently. Pei Wuchen felt his mind go blank. The conditions stated by Feng Wan¡¯er was extremely tempting. He knew that if he missed this chance, he would no longer be able to fight for the throne with Pei Rumo. All he needed to do was to catch Pei Rumo off guard. Since Pei Rumo hadn¡¯t made any preparations, it would be the best time for him to strike. If his first brother started to guard against him, there was no way he would be able to succeed. Chapter 481: Failure At the bottom of it all, Feng Wan¡¯er was also a foolish girl. Even though she knew that Pei Wuchen no longer loved her, she still insisted on being his lawful wife. ¡°Alright. I promise you.¡± Since she was so insistent about it and it didn¡¯t matter who took the position of the Empress, he agreed. Early next morning. Pei Wuchen colluded with General Lin and under the banner of righteousness to protect the king¡¯s rule, they rounded up all the officials. They then forced the old emperor to sign an edict to abdicate the throne. ¡°You unfilial son¡­¡± The old emperor ran out of breath before he could complete his sentence. When Pei Rumo looked at the Pei Wuchen, he shook his head helplessly. Why was he so impatient? If he could have waited for a few more days, the throne would still be his. But now that he had angered his father to death, he wouldn¡¯t have the legitimacy of inheriting the throne anymore. Pei Wuchen looked at the imperial seal in his hand and couldn¡¯t believe that he was able to become the emperor so easily. Not only did Pei Wuchen gain control of all the powerful ministers, he also controlled the lives of all their relatives in the capital. In that instant, everyone in the capital felt fear grip their heart as they did not know whether or not they would be executed once the new emperor ascended the throne. However, before Pei Wuchen could celebrate, a group of men clad in black suddenly appeared and tried to assassinate him. ¡°Stay your hands!¡± As Pei Rumo knew where those people came from, he hurriedly asked them to stop. Even though they stopped, they pointed their swords at Pei Wuchen, showing everyone that they had no intention of backing down. ¡°Third Prince, do you still not know your mistakes?¡± Even though Pei Rumo hated the way the old emperor did things, he knew that the man was still his father. Pei Rumo couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill his old man for the throne. As for Pei Wuchen, he did it without hesitation. Truthfully, Pei Rumo felt that it was a pity indeed. He had planned to compete with Pei Wuchen openly, but he never thought that his third brother would use such underhanded means to usurp the throne. Now that things had progress to this point, Pei Rumo could only summon his death warriors that he had carefully raised a long time ago. Even though it was impossible to revive the old emperor, he felt that Pei Wuchen should at least admit his mistake. The spectators who were unaware of the background of these assassins felt even more terrified. After all, they were just people seeking to progress their career in the imperial court, and weren¡¯t ready to die for the cause. It was too bad there had been a hiccup on Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s side. No matter how many letters she sent out, no one replied. If the reinforcements from the Phoenix King Valley failed to reply, they would be in deep trouble. Having said that, no one felt that it was a surprise that their plot had failed. It was a last minute idea, and they hadn¡¯t prepared any countermeasures in case anything went wrong. In the throne room, a stalemate formed as Pei Rumo had control of the death warriors and Pei Wuchen held the imperial seal in his hand. If Pei Rumo wanted to get rid of Pei Wuchen, it would be as easy as snapping his fingers. However, he wanted to preserve Pei Wuchen¡¯s reputation. Pei Rumo felt that his brother was muddled and only participated in the plot because someone deliberately fanned the flames. As long as Pei Wuchen admitted his mistakes, Pei Rumo was willing to spare his life. Pei Wuchen was full of confidence, but he slowly started to panic as the people from the Phoenix King Valley showed no signs of appearing. He had already discussed this with Feng Wan¡¯er earlier and he didn¡¯t understand how his backup hadn¡¯t arrived. Seeing that he still had no intention to repent, Pei Rumo finally gave a command to execute Pei Wuchen. ¡°Please stay your hands!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er voice resounded from the main hall. When she saw that her reinforcements from the Phoenix King Valley had yet to arrive, she knew that things were going south. Though she had planned to escape by herself, she wasn¡¯t able to abandon Pei Wuchen in the end. ¡°I was the one who instigated the rebellion. I am willing to bear the punishment in his stead!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er hardened her resolve as she took one last look at him. However, Pei Rumo knew that Pei Wuchen wasn¡¯t as innocent as she had claimed. If those thoughts didn¡¯t appear in his mind, he wouldn¡¯t have followed through with her plan. He knew that Feng Wan¡¯er was trying to take the fall for him. As for Pei Wuchen, he didn¡¯t know what to say. Even though the plot had already failed, Feng Wan¡¯er was still willing to take the fall for him. A trace of guilt appeared in his heart. Before they ended up in the state they were in today, there had been a time where the two of them had been innocent playmates. ¡°I cannot escape from what has to come. If the intention of usurping the throne didn¡¯t exist in my mind, things won¡¯t degenerate to this state.¡± When he angered his father to death, Pei Wuchen had already started to regret his actions. However, he knew that there was no pill for regret in this world. Now that Feng Wan¡¯er had pleaded guilty, he felt that it wouldn¡¯t be too bad if he managed to lessen her punishment. ¡°Third Prince''s action of killing his father for the throne will be charged under treason. Feng Wan¡¯er will be charged under the same crime for instigating the rebellion. Lock them in the prison. Without my order, no one is allowed to visit them.¡± The chaos that had lasted an entire day, had finally reached a conclusion. While the Cloud Water Nation was in chaos, Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng enjoyed the scenery around them as they walked towards the place Pei Qingfeng wanted to bring her. Chapter 482: Meeting the In-Laws ¡°Brother Qingfeng, sister-in-law, you two are finally here! The elders have waited a long time for the two of you. Hurry up and enter now!¡± Ling Xian¡¯er then dragged the two of them inside into the sect before Bai Luochu could say anything. When she arrived at the main hall, Bai Luochu discovered that Honored Tian Yun was amongst the people sitting before them. She turned to Pei Qingfeng and waited for an explanation. However, before he could explain to her about the situation they were in, the elders had already asked the servant to bring him away. ¡°Qingfeng, since it has been quite some time since you returned to the sect, you should probably go and visit Ao Xue first.¡± Left alone, Bai Luochu raised her guard as she felt that they were holding malicious intentions towards her. She then started to secretly measure the strength of these people and discovered that their cultivation base was indeed unfathomable. Even with her current level of cultivation, she still had to spend a great deal of effort before she could determine their strength. After they surrounded her as though they were about to interrogate a criminal, Bai Luochu raised the guard in her mind to the maximum before greeting them politely. ¡°Hello everyone, I am Bai Luochu from the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Please guide me.¡± Even though Bai Luochu had been polite with her words, she didn¡¯t seem the least bit courteous. After she had finished speaking, she plopped down on a chair, not losing out on her imposing manner. However, instead of being offended by her actions, all of them felt as though she was an interesting little lass. In front of all these elders, most people would be scared speechless, but Bai Luochu managed to remain composed before successfully repelling the pressure they had placed on her. Looks like that brat picked up a treasure. No matter how great their impression of her was, they knew that as elders, they had to maintain their image. They took their seats around her and prepared to question her regarding some matters. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that not only are you an orphan, but you¡¯re also a trash that can¡¯t cultivate. How are you a fit for our Qingfeng?¡± ¡°Furthermore, it seems like you¡¯re also related to that evil sect... Who gave you the courage to step through our doors like that? Aren¡¯t you afraid we¡¯ll directly cripple your cultivation and leave you to die?¡± ¡°Even though Qingfeng said that you were somewhat capable, I can¡¯t see what¡¯s so good about you¡­¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t an easy person to deal with, especially after she had resolved her grudges. Not to mention the fact that she had learned a lot of Pei Qingfeng¡¯s bullsh*t after staying with him in the ruins for two whole years. She decided to teach these arrogant elders a lesson by firing her poisoned needles at them. Panic broke out in the hall as Bai Luochu stayed unflustered in her seat. Only after the elders have finished dissipating the poison did Bai Luocho speak up, ¡°I¡¯m sure all the elders here understand what I am capable of now. I have no problems answering all your questions, but you might not want to listen to me drone on and on¡­¡± A terrifying smile appeared on her face and she continued, ¡° It¡¯s true that I am related to the evil sect. In fact, I was the evil dao witch, Bai Luochu. After my death five years ago, I was reborn into the body of a wastrel that couldn¡¯t cultivate. Luckily, I was able to open my own meridians.¡± Bai Luochu revealed a playful smile. She wanted to show them some respect, but they started it by trying to climb over her head. She celebrated secretly when she saw that the elders¡¯ jaws were nearly hitting the ground. As Ling Xian¡¯er was unable to watch the farce play out, she secretly signalled to Honored Tian Yun to help ease the atmosphere. It was too bad he would be of no use as his mind was blank. He never knew that the girl Qingfeng had wanted to bring back was actually so capable. If he had known that, he would have destroyed Qingfeng¡¯s prior engagement a long time ago! Seeing that there was no one else she could rely on, she could do it herself. ¡°Excuse me! I think we have seen enough of Sister Luochu¡¯s skills for today. It is about time that Brother Qingfeng has finished catching up with Ao Xue, I¡¯ll bring her to find him right now! Bye!¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Before she could even take two steps, someone stopped her. ¡°May I ask what your level of cultivation is now?¡± The person who had spoken was the head of the sect. He had been probing her since the start, but he failed to determine her cultivation realm. Bai Luochu felt that the old man had been extremely annoying the moment she stepped in, and she no longer tried to suppress herself. She released her aura without holding back, and a wave of pressure descended on him. The faces of everyone in the hall changed. After glancing at them, Bai Luochu ignored them after seeing all of them nod their head in acknowledgement. Seeing that there was no longer a need to show off, she left the hall with Ling Xian¡¯er. ¡°To be able to step into the Inaction Realm at the young age of 18 years old... It¡¯s indeed inconceivable.¡± The sect master fell back into his chair and sighed. Chapter 483: Ao Xue Bai Luochu looked at Ling Xian¡¯er and felt envious of her. It was obvious that she had been pampered since a young age. She didn¡¯t target Ling Xian¡¯er when she released her aura earlier as she knew that Ling Xian¡¯er would be dead if she did. ¡°Let¡¯s go find Qingfeng now.¡± Now that she had made sure that the elders no longer had any objections, it was time to look at whether or not Qingfeng had settled the problem on his side. After all, even she had to be mindful of the person called Ao Xue. Their names are really compatible with each other¡­ If Pei Qingfeng were to get together with her, Bai Luochu was almost sure her emotions would run wild and she would overturn the entire sect. ¡°Qingfeng, have you come to find me today to withdraw from our marriage?¡± Bai Luochu could only see the back of the girl, but she could feel that she was a gentle and outstanding beauty. Pei Qingfeng took a few steps back to maintain a safe distance from her before replying, ¡°Miss Ao Xue, please conduct yourself with dignity. Even though I wasn¡¯t clear enough in the past, I have always treated you as my younger sister. Now that I have found the person I love, it¡¯s about time that I clear this up with you once and for all. Otherwise, it will be irresponsible of me towards the both of you¡± She let out a sigh after a long while. ¡°I still thought that I was a good match for you. All these years you didn¡¯t show interest in other girls¡­ You should have told me earlier if you weren¡¯t interested in me. If you did, at least I wouldn¡¯t have waited foolishly for you. I can¡¯t believe that you are such an irresponsible person! The lady who has fallen in love with you is probably blind¡­¡± When Bai Luochu saw this unfold in front of her, she understood that this lady was most likely just following her family¡¯s instructions. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for her to give up so easily. She felt that there was no need for her to hide anymore, and she revealed herself. ¡°Thank you for your well wishes.¡± Bai Luochu said as she walked towards Ao Xue. The person standing before her was prettier than she had imagined. Her jet-black eyebrows were perfect and her long eyelashes accentuated the beauty of her crystal clear eyes. She gave people a sense of familiarity and her cherry-like lips added the final touch of beauty onto her face. She¡¯s so pretty! Bai Luochu felt that it was strange that Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t moved by the beauty in front of her. Bai Luochu looked into Ao Xue¡¯s eyes and immediately came to an understanding. ¡°It looks like Miss Ao Xue indeed has no feelings for him.¡± Ao Xue¡¯s eyebrows jumped and she giggled, ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t just expose my feelings like this!¡± Pei Qingfeng fell into a state of shock and he wasn¡¯t able to force the words out of his mouth. Before he could organize his thoughts, Ao Xue interrupted him. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve agreed to withdraw from this marriage, I must return and inform my parents about this. Alright, I shan¡¯t disturb you any longer. Xian¡¯er, let¡¯s go.¡± Ao Xue then forcefully pulled Ling Xian''er and flew away with her in tow. ¡°Sigh, even I am impressed by her beauty. Qingfeng, are you sure you are not moved by her looks?¡± Pei Qingfeng shook his head and denied, ¡°No matter how pretty she is, I can only see her as my younger sister. It¡¯s impossible for any other type of relationship to happen between us.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk.¡± Bai Luochu clicked her tongue and was amazed at how good Pei Qingfeng was at taking nonsense. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time for you to tell me your identity?¡± Bai Luochu felt that it was time for Pei Qingfeng to confess his secrets to her now that things had settled down. After Bai Luochu had pointed it out, Pei Qingfeng felt extremely embarrassed. After all, he had hid it from her for quite some time, ¡°I am actually not the old emperor¡¯s son. The Second Prince of the Cloud Water Nation is only one of the many identities I have. My real identity is the eldest son of the Ling Yun Sect. You may not have heard of this name before, but I¡¯m sure that you have heard about a big secret residing within the lake south east of the Cloud Water Nation. The Ling Yun Sect is that secret.¡± Bai Luochu finally understood the reason behind the sense of familiarity. ¡°Then how did you end up becoming the Second Prince of Cloud Water Nation? This¡­ this doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°When I was young, I was poisoned by someone else. To save me, my father had no choice but to send me to Water Cloud Nation to slow down the growth of my cultivation. Otherwise, the poison array would flare up sooner than I expected. I managed to hold on for many years, until the day I met you.¡± Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t imagine that even the happy and lively Pei Qingfeng would have such a sad past. ¡°However, everything is in the past. Now that the poison in my body is cured, the only thing we need to do is to discuss our marriage.¡± Pei Qingfeng patted Bai Luochu¡¯s head lovingly. Chapter 484: Entering Secretly Since she wasn¡¯t as good as Pei Qingfeng when it came to taking crap, she could only promise him for now. Anyway, she still had a lot of time left to decide on what to do. Now that they settled their matters in the Ling Yun Sect, they returned to the Cloud Water Nation. They had no idea the state of chaos the Cloud Water Nation was in... When Pei Wuchen was placed under house arrest, Pei Rumo turned into the biggest candidate for the throne. Even though many of his subordinates had urged him to ascend the throne quickly, he refused. Instead, he found excuses to reject them as he felt that he would be no different from Pei Wuchen if he were to ascend the throne immediately. However, many of the senior officials obviously didn¡¯t think of it the same way he did. In their eyes, a nation couldn¡¯t be without a ruler and they begged him to ascend as soon as possible. Pei Rumo eventually gave in under the pressure and picked a date to crown himself as the emperor. However, Pei Rumo had planned to crown Bai Luochu as the empress when he ascended the throne. But how could anyone agree to that? Back when Bai Luochu had died, it was already absurd to bestow her a position as his consort. Now, instead of marrying the daughter of a high ranking official, he wanted to crown a dead person as his empress. The ensuing argument shook the imperial court and both sides had to take a step back. Even though Bai Luochu¡¯s title didn¡¯t change, Pei Rumo had to take the Su Clan¡¯s daughter as his concubine in order to stabilize the kingdom. When the edict was announced, everyone felt confused. Wasn¡¯t the daughter of the Su Clan in love with the Second Prince? Why is she getting married to the First Prince?! However, these discussions only happened privately. After all, they didn¡¯t wish to incur the wrath of their newly appointed emperor. When Bai Luochu arrived back at the capital, Pei Rumo was already undergoing his coronation ceremony. The senior officials standing under the stone steps twisted their face when they saw a servant walking forward with a plaque. Originally, they had decided to support him due to his ability to lead. However, after seeing how stubborn he was, they were having second thoughts. ¡°Mistress, it¡¯s going to get exciting today. The First Prince is holding onto a plaque. He¡¯s planning to announce the identity of the new empress!¡± The moment Bai Luochu arrived at the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, Ying Lan reported the events that happened in the past few days. However, Bai Luochu had a nagging feeling that she was related to this matter. ¡°This¡­¡± Ying Lan looked at the two of them awkwardly and didn¡¯t know how he should explain this matter to them. However, Bai Luochu could more or less guess it from his reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Pei Rumo wrote my name on the plaque?¡± When Bai Luochu thought of such a possibility, she immediately blurted it out. Ying Lan could only nod his head and admit it. ¡°It¡¯s indeed as you have guessed. Back then when I was still at the Desolate Region, I didn¡¯t know that he made you his consort. Because of this, he had been criticized heavily by others. This time round, in order to crown you as empress, he went against the wishes of the senior ministers. They only agreed because he took a step back by agreeing to marry the daughter of the Su Clan.¡± Bai Luochu nearly fainted from shock when she heard the news. She couldn¡¯t imagine the firm and steady Pei Rumo arguing with the ministers to name a dead person his wife. However, she could tell that he really cared for her... ¡°Is there any way for you to sneak us into the palace?¡± Bai Luochu turned to ask Pei Qingfeng for his suggestion. Pei Qingfeng intended on stopping her as she knew what she was planning to do, ¡°You can¡¯t go. What if Pei Rumo discovers that you¡¯re alive and detains you? What am I supposed to do?¡± If Pei Rumo wanted to hide her deep inside the palace, he was afraid he wouldn''t be able to find her even if he turned the whole palace inside out. ¡°I know what you are worried about. We shall enter together.¡± In fact, Bai Luochu knew that it was extremely likely for Pei Rumo to keep her in the palace once he found out that she was alive. However, after considering how he had taken care of her in the past, she couldn¡¯t bear to stand by the side and not help him. In the end, Pei Qingfeng decided to find a way for Bai Luochu to sneak into the palace. He knew that she wasn¡¯t one to watch as one of her friends suffered. ¡°I know of a hidden tunnel that can bring us directly into the throne room. However, I expect you to stay beside me at all times.¡± After seeing Bai Luochu nodding her head solemnly, he brought them to a courtyard. ¡°This courtyard was designed as an escape route for the Emperor in the face of danger. No one ever thought that someone would use this passage to enter the palace¡­¡± He could feel the smile on the Jade Emperor¡¯s face in the ninth heaven. They were truly being messed with... Bai Luochu smiled helplessly and comforted Pei Qingfeng, ¡°There¡¯s no choice. Aren¡¯t we supposed to be dead?¡± She \ held Pei Qingfeng¡¯s hands and jumped into the hidden tunnel. Chapter 485: A Smile to Dissolve All Grudges The moment Pei Qingfeng told her that there were no more traps, she withdrew her hand and followed him deeper into the tunnel. When they neared the palace, Pei Rumo¡¯s crowning ceremony had just ended. He was currently lost in his own thoughts when he realized that there were some movements coming from under him. He drew his sword in case anything happened. However, his worries were unfounded. When he saw the people who caused the disturbance, a look of joy appeared on his face. ¡°Pei Qingfeng? Luo Chu? It¡¯s actually the two of you!¡± Pei Rumo was pleasantly surprised. Back when they had been trapped in the Desolate Region, he had faith that they would return safely. However, as the time passed, he started losing faith and gave up waiting. Who would have thought that he would reunite with them on this very day. A brilliant smile lit up his face. ¡°I never expected to see the two of you! Let¡¯s talk somewhere else instead.¡± Pei Rumo led them to the side hall before continuing his conversation with the two of them. He then started to recount his experience after leaving the Desolate Region. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that Your Highness cherishes your relationship with Luo Chu, but can you explain to me why you have crowned my fiancee the empress of the Cloud Water Nation?¡± Pei Qingfeng wasn¡¯t really interested in hearing what Pei Rumo had been up to in the past two years. The only thing he cared about was the reason behind Pei Rumo¡¯s actions. Seeing that Bai Luochu didn¡¯t deny what Pei Qingfeng said, he knew that they were already a couple. ¡°So you choose him in the end...¡± Pei Rumo said as a forced smile appeared on his face. Bai Luochu shook her head and smiled, ¡°Rather than saying it was me who chose him, he was the one who chose me. If it weren¡¯t for him, I¡¯m afraid that I wouldn''t be able to walk out of the Desolate Region alive.¡± Pei Rumo realized that there was no way for him to feel better about himself. After a long while, he pleaded with Pei Qingfeng and humbly requested, ¡°Can you let me spend this afternoon with Luo Chu? Consider it my way of ending things with her.¡± Pei Qingfeng felt alarm bells go off in his head as he was afraid that Pei Rumo would go back on his words by snatching her away. Knowing his worries, Bai Luochu rested her hand on his shoulders and reassured him, ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine. Even if he wants to snatch me away, he wouldn¡¯t have done it so openly. Don¡¯t worry, everything will be fine.¡± Pei Qingfeng took a last look at her and grumbled softly before leaving the two of them alone. After Pei Qingfeng had left, Pei Rumo didn¡¯t rush to talk to Bai Luochu. Instead, he merely stared at her in silence. It was time for him to let go and move on. ¡°When you are together with him, are you happy?¡± Even though he already knew the answer to his question, he wanted to hear her say it for herself. Bai Luochu neither denied nor admitted. Instead, she gave an answer that he wasn¡¯t able to make any sense of. ¡°I feel comfortable when I¡¯m with him. I can finally be myself.¡± Maybe that was the difference between him and Pei Qingfeng. Pei Qingfeng was willing to give up everything for Bai Luochu, but he couldn¡¯t. He suddenly felt that maybe it wasn¡¯t so bad even if he didn¡¯t end up together with her. After all, she would have to live out her life shackled down if she got together with him. ¡°I had to make you my consort in order not to turn you into the laughing stock of the capital after returning from the Desolate Region. As for crowning you as the empress, it was due to my selfish desires.¡± His plan was to marry her, and satisfy his selfish desire to possess her. However, he knew that it was impossible for him to accomplish his goal as he couldn¡¯t bring her back to life. He could only use this method in order to fulfill his inner desire. ¡°I will find a way to undo this. You do not need to worry about that.¡± When he considered that Bai Luochu would still have to marry Pei Qingfeng in the future, he knew that it was impossible for him to hold on to her any longer. ¡°As long as you provide me with an identity that allows me to openly marry Pei Qingfeng, I won¡¯t have much objection to anything else you want to do.¡± Even though she had originally wanted to cut off his longing for her, she knew that it was enough as long as she could marry Pei Qingfeng. Nothing else really mattered. Pei Rumo¡¯s eyes sparkled as he had thought that she would have asked him to give up on her. Who would have thought that things would take a turn for the better? Pei Rumo agreed before she could change her mind, ¡°There¡¯s no problem with issuing you a new identity. The minister in charge of it is my subordinate and he has tight lips. No one will know about it.¡± Bai Luochu then nodded her head after receiving his reaffirmation. Not long after, silence descended between the two of them. Just as she was able to break the awkward silence and leave, Pei Rumo said hesitantly, ¡°Luo Chu ¡­ ¡° Only after a long time did he complete his sentence, ¡°I wish you all the best and happiness in everything you do.¡± His final blessing for her left his lips. When Pei Qingfeng failed to hear anything coming from inside the room, he prepared to rush in. Too bad Pei Rumo had already anticipated his move and he opened the door only to cause Pei Qingfeng to trip over his own feet. ¡°You can¡¯t even wait for a little while?¡± Pei Rumo narrowed his eyes and mocked. Chapter 486: Feng Wan’er’s Miserable End Naturally, the wolf he was referring to was Pei Rumo. Pei Rumo suddenly broke into laughter. ¡°I thought that you would have at least toned down your temper after being in the Desolate Region for so long. Seems like Luo Chu led you astray.¡± ¡°Having said that, now that Luoluo is the empress in name, how is she supposed to marry me in the future?¡± When he saw that Pei Rumo didn¡¯t have any ill intentions on Bai Luochu, he started to tease him. ¡°I can¡¯t simply just revoke her status as my consort. Neither the rules nor the public¡¯s opinion will allow me to do so. Instead, I will ask the minister in charge to register a new identity for Luo Chu. You don¡¯t have to worry, she¡¯ll be able to marry you.¡± Pei Qingfeng nodded his head in satisfaction. The matter of their marriage would finally be settled. Pei Rumo added, ¡°However, you better listen up closely to what I¡¯m going to say. I will always reserve the general¡¯s residence and the title of empress for her. If you ever treat her badly in the future, I¡¯ll take her away from you.¡± The words went in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s left ear and came out on the right. He ignored whatever Pei Rumo said. There was no way he would mistreat her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t get a chance to do so. Even if there comes a day where Luoluo doesn¡¯t need me anymore, I still won¡¯t mistreat her.¡± Looking at the deep feelings they had for each other, Pei Rumo felt a little something easing up in his heart. Maybe it isn¡¯t such a bad thing for her to be with Pei Qingfeng... ¡°Pei Wuchen committed treason and angered the former emperor to death. As I couldn¡¯t bear to kill my own brother, I threw him and Feng Wan¡¯er into the prison in the palace. Since you have some history with her, now is a good time to settle the grudges between the two of you.¡± Bai Luochu nodded her head. She could easily hear the hidden meaning behind his words. The moment the two of them left the side hall, they headed straight towards the prison. ¡°Even though I knew that brat, Pei Wuchen, wasn¡¯t a good person, I would never have imagined that he would kill his own father for the throne.¡± Pei Qingfeng sighed as he stood outside the doors of the prison. Even a person like Bai Luochu who didn¡¯t like the old emperor hated the way Pei Wuchen handled the matter. ¡°You are right, the old emperor dotes on Pei Wuchen the most. Who would have thought that the son he loved the most would scheme against him?¡± Since Pei Rumo had given his permission, they were naturally able to pass through the prison gates. No one even tried to get in their way. ¡°How are you here? Didn¡¯t you die in the Desolate Region?¡± Pei Wuchen couldn¡¯t get his head around the fact that she was alive. Bai Luochu smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you very surprised? Do you feel that I should have died there? Unfortunately for you, my life is very tough and even King Yama doesn¡¯t want me there. Sorry to disappoint you.¡± Even though Pei Wuchen¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t too huge, it was another story for Feng Wan¡¯er. ¡°You slut! Why are you still not dead?! You managed to survive by the skin of your teeth in the Bestial Battle Arena, but how can you do the same in the Desolate Region?!¡± Feng Wan¡¯er had already gone crazy from staying in this prison for too long. Now that she saw Bai Luochu standing in front of her, she wasn¡¯t able to hold herself back. Bai Luochu coldly snorted and sneered at her, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re finally willing to admit your wrongdoings. If you confessed and apologized before I exposed you, I might have let you off with a warning. It¡¯s too late now. The only thing I am here for today is your life.¡± The way she spoke made it seem as though taking Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s life was as easy as drinking porridge. No longer able to suppress her rage, Feng Wan¡¯er reached out and grabbed Bai Luochu. Her muddy hands formed a stark contrast with Bai Luochu¡¯s white and flawless face. Feng Wan''er heart was full of hatred! Bai Luochu was the reason she lost the one she loved! She was jealous, jealous of the lady standing before her! She¡¯s the reason I¡¯m in this state today! Never had she stopped to think that if not for her selfish behavior, her hatred for Bai Luochu would have long dissipated. Taking advantage of the gap in Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s action, Bai Luochu transmitted the scenes of the day she had exterminated the Phoenix King Valley into Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s mind. The bloody scenes flashed through Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s mind continuously and when she discovered that the people being massacred were the people from the sect, she went completely insane. ¡°What have you done to me?! What are all these images in my head?! You slut! Why are you still torturing me?!¡± Bai Luochu felt that Feng Wan¡¯er was laughable indeed. Just a second ago, she swore to kill Bai Luochu. Right now, she was asking Bai Luochu to spare her... ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s heaven¡¯s fate indeed. The day you conspired against the king was the day I killed my way into the Phoenix King Valley. Feng Wan¡¯er ah Feng Wan¡¯er, if this is not retribution, then I don¡¯t know what is.¡± Bai Luochu didn¡¯t let go of the opportunity to strike Feng Wan¡¯er when she was down. She wanted to add more fuel to the fire before sending Feng Wan¡¯er down to meet with King Yama. As expected, Feng Wan¡¯er felt as though flames were frying the insides of her body. Her seniors, her parents, and her fellow disciples died right before her very eyes. It was at that moment that Feng Wan¡¯er realized that karma truly existed. ¡°Bang¡± Feng Wan¡¯er smashed her head into the wall and breathed her last. When Pei Wuchen saw what she had done, a trace of shock filled his heart. He never expected her to kill herself. He crawled towards Feng Wan''er and tried to hold her in his arms. When he finally wrapped his arms around her for the first time in two years, he realized that her body was already going cold. Chapter 487: Su Luoqing’s Transformation He was someone who couldn¡¯t be satisfied no matter what. It could even be said that Pei Wuchen could never be content with what he had. In Bai Luochu¡¯s opinion, this was the best punishment for people with endless greed. Watching them lose everything they were about to obtain before their very eyes could be considered divine retribution. She felt that they should live out the rest of their life alone without anyone to care for them. Loneliness¡­ This was the greatest torture the heavens had for anyone. ¡°Luo Chu, do you think¡­ Do you think that my life would be any different if I had accepted you as my wife in the past?¡± The rim of Pei Wuchen¡¯s eyes were red as he gazed at Bai Luochu¡¯s face with regret in his eyes. The messy stubble on his face emphasised his desperation as he tried all he could to salvage the situation. Shaking her head slowly, Bai Luochu ignored Pei Wuchen¡¯s attempted repentance. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you to turn back time and there isn¡¯t an elixir for regret. There is no point regretting your actions now. Moreover, even if you manage to turn back time, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make the same decision as you did before.¡± After the words left her mouth, Bai Luochu left without turning back. Pei Qingfeng felt that she was feeling extremely down when she had left and he decided to bring her around for a stroll before returning to the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. ¡°Was I being too cruel? Did I do the right thing by pushing the matter all the way through?¡± Bai Luochu felt a tinge of regret when she saw Feng Wan¡¯er¡¯s gruesome end. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself. Her greed knows no bounds and you merely stopped her from going overboard.¡± She merely got what she deserved. There is no need for you to feel sad for her¡­ Despite Pei Qingfeng¡¯s best efforts to reassure her, Bai Luochu found it impossible to let go of the incident. Before she could continue, someone bumped into the both of them. ¡°Your Second Highness?¡± Pei Qingfeng¡¯s body froze up when he heard the voice. After all, no one called him ¡®Your Second HIghness¡¯ for a long time now. Someone who could recognize him by looking at his back was definitely someone extremely familiar with him. Bai Luochu¡¯s reactions were faster than Pei Qingfeng and she turned around to look at the newcomer. When the familiar face entered her sight, Bai Luochu was startled. ¡°Why¡­ why are you here?¡± Su Luoqing¡¯s attention was placed solely on Pei Qingfeng and she didn¡¯t notice Bai Luochu¡¯s presence. When she heard a feminine voice speaking to her, she snapped back to attention and looked at Bai Luochu. A feeling of anger rose in her heart and she snapped, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you dead? Looks like your life is really tough¡­¡± Even though her words were a little jarring to the ears, Bai Luochu couldn¡¯t feel any enmity coming from her. Her expression seemed tranquil and she wasn¡¯t the Su Luoqing of the past. ¡°What a coincidence, King Yama doesn¡¯t want to claim my life and the heavens insists on bringing me back. Anyway, it seems like you¡¯re here to talk to Pei Qingfeng. Do you need me to leave you two alone?¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s trust in Pei Qingfeng was already unshakable and she wouldn¡¯t be afraid that he would be seduced by Su Luoqing or anyone else for that matter. Instead of chasing her away, Su Luoqing shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just looking for him for a quick chat. If I were to harbor any other intentions, I¡¯m afraid that the elders in the palace would nag at me till my ears start to bleed.¡± Thinking about Su Luoqing¡¯s current identity, Bai Luochu knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to go overboard and simply agreed to it. ¡°Long time no see, are you still doing well?¡± Su Luoqing¡¯s haughty personality had already disappeared and the way she treated Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu was completely different from before. Seeing as Bai Luochu was standing beside him, Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t dare to act out of line. ¡°We managed to escape from the Desolate Region and are currently preparing for our wedding. There is nothing noteworthy of our experience.¡± When the words left his mouth, Bai Luochu revealed an expression of shock. What is he talking about?! I didn¡¯t even promise to marry him!!! She stared at him like a wooden chicken and her jaws nearly dropped to the ground. Humph! He¡¯s being shameless again! Of course, seeing as Bai Luochu didn¡¯t unleash her rage on him, Pei Qingfeng knew that his plan had succeeded. There was no way he would take back his words now and she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. She merely nodded her head, silently agreeing with Pei Qingfeng. When Su Luoqing looked at the two of them, she revealed a desolate smile as a complicated light flashed through her eyes. She was both envious and disappointed at the same time. ¡°That¡¯s great! At least you¡¯ll be able to conduct a large ceremony, unlike me¡­ I was brought into the palace without any fanfare¡­¡± Bai Luochu looked at Su Luoqing and a look of pity flashed past her eyes. Not only did she fail to marry the person she loved, she didn¡¯t even get to hold a wedding ceremony. However, Su Luoqing quickly regained her look of indifference. ¡°Luo Chu, don¡¯t get cocky. I am an imperial concubine right now and you should be greeting me with respect.¡± After being stunned for a second, Bai Luochu knew that Su Luoqing was merely looking for a way to back down without being embarrassed. Letting out a soft chuckle, Bai Luochu decided to fulfill Su Luoqing¡¯s wish. She felt a little guilty about her actions in the past few days and right now, she only had one last wish. ¡°This humble servant greets Your Imperial Highness¡­ I wish for your good health.¡± ¡°That''s where you¡¯re wrong. You should address yourself as ¡®Lady¡¯. Didn¡¯t His Majesty tell you about what happened after he returned from the Desolate Region? You were conferred the title of Lady and His Second Highness was conferred the title of the Ling King. His Majesty personally gave out the rewards, rewarding you for your bravery and loyalty...¡± Seeing the stunned faces before her, Su Luoqing realized that Pei Rumo never told the both of them anything. In the end, she shook her head helplessly. ¡°Our Emperor is really a cheeky one. He doesn¡¯t like to tell people about the stuff he does for them. The only thing filling the streets are rumors about the bad stuff he did. No one ever learns about the stuff he did for them¡­¡± Bai Luochu¡¯s eyebrows jumped when she saw Su Luoqing¡¯s attitude towards Pei Rumo. A smile finally broke out on her face as she teased, ¡°It seems like your Impression of our then First Prince is really great¡­¡± As the sun started to dip below the horizon, the friendly banter of the three people had to come to an end. Pei Qingfeng couldn¡¯t stand the awkward atmosphere and he quickly grabbed Bai Luochu¡¯s arm as he dragged her away. ¡°If you really can¡¯t bear to stay, you can take your leave. I have something I need to say to her!¡± Bai Luochu knew that there were some things Su Luoqing couldn¡¯t say in front of Pei Qingfeng and she quickly chased him away. Only after seeing that he was gone did the two of them start to chat with each other. Su Luoqing raised her chin up high and pretended to snort, ¡°If you¡¯re here to strut your victory over me, you can save it for yourself!¡± Chapter 488: The Future is in My Hands! Bai Luochu saw the expression on his face and she couldn¡¯t control her laughter, ¡°Pffft, why are you making that face? Are you jealous that I went to talk to another woman behind your back?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Pei Qingfeng turned his gaze and stared into the distance as though she had caught him doing something bad. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Raising her foot, Bai Luochu started to walk away. Pei Qingfeng followed behind her and the image of a refined prince disappeared as though it was never there to begin with. ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s go back and set a date for the marriage!¡± ¡°What are you talking about! I didn¡¯t even promise to be your wife! Are you so sure I will accept your marriage proposal?¡± Bai Luochu felt a little helpless. As soon as I give him an inch, he will reach for a yard¡­ Humph! ¡°Whatever¡­ Even if I don¡¯t say it, our relationship won¡¯t change. I already rejected all sorts of marriage proposals for you. Even the one with Ao Xue! My father and the elders in the sect already accepted you as my wife. Even if you want to run, you won¡¯t be able to!¡± ¡°Are you so sure? Do you think that I won¡¯t be able to vanish in a puff of smoke and disappear before your eyes?¡± Pei Qingfeng became flustered when he heard her subtle threat. ¡°Luoluo, if you¡¯re not willing to get married now, we can always wait. I¡¯m not in a rush. Please don¡¯t do anything silly¡­¡± If she were to really disappear from the face of the earth, Pei Qingfeng wouldn¡¯t know what to do. If she really didn¡¯t want to get married to him, he would at least be able to see her everyday. Bai Luochu started to giggle but it became a full blown laughter in a matter of seconds, ¡°HAHAHA! Look at you! You really think that I¡¯m going to leave you? Aren¡¯t you going back to write a letter to invite your father here for the proposal? What are you waiting for? If all the messenger pigeons lose their way in the dark, are you going to be responsible for it?¡± Bai Luochu quickly ran towards the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence after speaking, leaving Pei Qingfeng behind. After a long while, Pei Qingfeng snapped back to his senses and realized that she was merely making fun of him. He quickly chased behind her and lightly tapped her head. ¡°Luoluo, why are you getting more and more playful?¡± Bai Luochu wasn¡¯t willing to let him do as he wished and quickly fought back with her words. ¡°Ling King, there is a saying that goes, ¡®Those who handle cinnabar have their hands stained red and those who work with ink have their hands stained black¡¯. I¡¯m who I am now because I interact closely with a hooligan everyday. Furthermore, you should be extremely clear about his identity¡­¡± ¡­ On the other hand, Su Luoqing had already returned to the inner palace. She was thinking about Bai Luochu¡¯s advice as she couldn¡¯t understand what she was talking about. ¡°What does she mean by cherishing the people around me?¡± Su Luoqing looked at the almost ancient jewelry on her table and stared at it for a moment. After snapping out of it, she decided to bury it somewhere. After all, it was time for her to move on in life. She recalled that the piece was given to her by the then Empress Dowager when she was still a child. She developed a certain fondness for the pretty little piece and she ran around the entire garden while holding onto it. Because of a slight moment of carelessness, she fell and scraped her knee. As she sat on the ground crying, no one came to help her. She wasn¡¯t allowed to bring her own maids into the palace and the palace maids didn¡¯t know who this little girl was and refused to help her. No one came forward to help her no matter how loudly she cried. All of a sudden, Pei Qingfeng appeared before her and he helped her up. It was as though she met her prince charming and he spoke to her in an extremely gentle voice, ¡°Are you alright?¡± It was this sentence of his that caused her to develop her feelings for him. Because of this, Su Luoqing wasted many years pining for the unattainable Second Prince of the Cloud Water Nation. After so many years, she finally managed to untie the knot in her heart. ¡°Why is my imperial concubine in such a good mood today? Can¡¯t you get the servants to do such chores for you?¡± Pei Rumo noticed Su Luoqing digging a pit in the imperial garden and felt the urge to tease her. He found the sight a little interesting as an elegant imperial concubine was on the ground, shovelling dirt with a tiny spoon. Seeing that Pei Rumo had appeared, Su Luoqing quickly stood up and shook the dust off her clothes. She bowed respectfully and greeted, ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you replied me? What¡¯s the point of digging dirt in the imperial garden? Won¡¯t you get your hands dirty?¡± Pei Rumo noticed the jewelry box beside her and felt a little puzzled. He once urged her to throw the old box away but she seemed adamant about keeping it. What¡¯s got into her? ¡°Replying to Your Majesty, I¡¯m just burying my past¡­ A past that no longer belongs to me.¡± This was the only way she could focus on what was to come. Looking at Pei Rumo, she suddenly realized that her past was no longer important. She wanted to cherish this person in front of her. Seeing that the way Su Luoqing looked at him changed, Pei Rumo wanted to scratch his head and question her about it. However, he decided against it as he only married her in order to stabilize his rule. ¡°How was your chat with them in the afternoon?¡± Pei Rumo¡¯s control over the imperial palace was absolute and nothing could escape his sight. He was naturally aware that she had spoken to Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu in the afternoon. Su Luoqing wasn¡¯t surprised and a soft smile blossomed on her face as she looked at Pei Rumo. She finally opened her mouth and she said, ¡°News sure travels fast. Your Majesty can rest assured that I will not step out of line.¡± Hearing what she said, Pei Rumo widened his eyes in shock. He never thought that she would be okay with him spying on her and he even felt that he had turned into a narrow minded ruler for a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to suspect you of anything. I was merely curious. You could put down your pride and speak to the two of them and you even allowed Pei Qingfeng to walk away without sparing him another glance. I felt a little surprised¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t keep holding onto our past. We should let go when it¡¯s time to let go. Tightly holding onto things will only cause us more pain. They seem like a match made in heaven and even though I thought that I would feel jealous after seeing the two of them together, that wasn¡¯t the case. I only felt envy when I looked at the both of them.¡± She was envious that they had the freedom to love each other, to be together with the person they loved. She was envious that they had the freedom to do whatever they wanted. She was envious that they had the chance to celebrate the wedding with a grand celebration. In the end, all she could do was to be envious of the both of them¡­ As Pei Rumo and Su Luoqing looked at each other silently, Su Luoqing was the first to break the silence. ¡°Your Majesty, the two of them are going to get married soon. Have you prepared your gift for them yet?¡± Pei Rumo snapped back to his senses and recalled that he hadn¡¯t prepared anything. He almost slapped himself for forgetting to do such an important task. ¡°Do you have any suggestions?¡± He felt that giving the two of them rare treasures was a little tacky and with their abilities, what kind of special treasure could he take out for the both of them? In the end, he simply threw the ball into Su Luoqing¡¯s court. After all, ladies were more thoughtful when picking out gifts. Su Luoqing never thought that she would be shooting herself in the foot when she asked a casual question. Now, she had to rack her brains to think of the perfect wedding gift for the both of them¡­ Chapter 489: Heavens’ Blessing Compared to Pei Rumo, there were way more people looking forward to Pei Qingfeng¡¯s wedding with Bai Luochu. The elders in Pei Qingfeng¡¯s sect were about to go crazy from waiting. They had a lot of customs and a lot of ceremonies they had to carry out. The sooner they could get ready, the better. Just as all of them felt like their hair was going to drop dead from waiting, Pei Qingfeng¡¯s letter arrived. Jumping into the air, all of them rode their swords and charged straight for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. They rushed through the night without rest and arrived at the start of the next day. When Bai Luochu arrived at the main hall, she was shocked to see so many elders waiting for her. Her jaws dropped and she stood there like a wooden chicken. ¡°Ahem¡­ Young Lady, even though your relatives are no longer in this world, we won¡¯t treat you unfairly. We will definitely give you all the betrothal gifts you deserve.¡± ¡°Father, if any one of you dares to mess with her, I will definitely leave the sect!¡± Thinking that they were threatening Bai Luochu, Pei Qingfeng quickly spoke up for her. Seeing that his son was yelling at him in front of so many people, Sect Leader Ling¡¯s face flushed red. However, it seemed to be a little black as well and he chided Pei Qingfeng, ¡°You heartless brat! People usually get married before siding with their other half. You¡¯re an amazing child! You¡¯re not even married and you are already trying to anger your father to death!¡± Staring at Sect Leader Ling with a look of indifference on his face, Pei Qingfeng didn¡¯t seem to care about his scolding. ¡°Let the elders judge your actions. If you chase Bai Luochu away, are you going to look for another amazing daughter-in-law? I doubt you can find someone like her¡­¡± Sect Leader Ling was stunned and couldn¡¯t utter a word in response. His son was right. If he were to chase Bai Luochu away, he was afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to find another daughter-in-law that satisfied his requirements. Despite there being no objection from Bai Luochu and Pei Qingfeng, the talks seemed to have reached a dead end. They didn¡¯t know of anyone suitable to help Bai Luochu with her make up and dressing. They couldn¡¯t even decide if the marriage would end up with Bai Luochu entering their household as there was no one to make the decision for her. Just as everyone was stuck in a deadlock, Pei Rumo appeared and thawed the frozen atmosphere. ¡°Why is it so lively here?¡± When he entered, Pei Rumo wasn¡¯t wearing his dragon robes. He dressed like he did when he was still the First Prince and Su Luoqing followed behind him, dressed in a similarly casual fashion. Shaking his head, Pei Rumo laughed at Pei Qingfeng¡¯s cautious behavior. Feeling somewhat playful, he started to tease Pei Qingfeng, ¡°Keep that annoying expression off your face. No one is here to steal your wife. It slipped my mind that there were bound to be complications in your marriage discussion because of Luo Chu¡¯s family background. If not for Luoqing¡¯s reminder, I wouldn¡¯t be able to recall such a crucial matter. Anyway, I¡¯m not afraid of her getting the short end of the stick but the matter with her family is definitely putting you guys in a pickle. Initially, I exiled all of them in order to help her release some anger. Now, I am not even clear if they are dead or alive. Luckily for us, Luoqing managed to think of a solution to all our problems.¡± He took a step back and lightly pushed Su Luoqing forward, allowing her to speak of her solution. ¡°Luo Chu¡¯s family is completely unreliable and we can only look for someone in the palace to help her settle her make up and dressing. Moreover, we can only choose a married woman to take up the task. What a coincidence! I am a married woman as well. I shall take on the task and get Luo Chu ready for the wedding. As for the dowry¡­¡± ¡°In order not to let her laugh at me, I already moved thirty six carts of betrothal gifts into the general¡¯s residence. Just use those as the dowry.¡± Pei Rumo felt that it was more appropriate if he was the one speaking about this. He would be able to show everyone that he had nothing to hide. If he didn¡¯t clear up the misunderstanding, Bai Luochu might face some misunderstandings in the future. Of course, even a wooden block like Bai Luochu was touched when she saw how much the two of them did for her. ¡°Alright! Problem solved! Let¡¯s set a date for the wedding!¡± Sect Leader Ling saw that there were no other problems and wanted to immediately set a date for the wedding. Su Luoqing and Pei Rumo looked at each other and laughed in their hearts. ¡°We already asked the seer to choose an appropriate date. The twenty third of this month is an auspicious date for the two of them to conduct the ceremony.¡± ¡­ There was nothing more to be said and the wedding was held on the twenty third of the month. The wedding was so grand that the entire capital city was covered in red. Even the citizens didn¡¯t know what kind of grand occasion they were celebrating and the only thing they knew was that a sea of red filled their eyes the moment they woke up in the morning. They only recalled seeing such a scene when Pei Wuchen got married in the past. What in the world is going on? Why are there such grandiose decorations? This was the thought that ran through the minds of countless people living in the capital city. Bai Luochu sat in her chamber in the general¡¯s residence as Su Luoqing prepared her for the day ahead. ¡°It is a good thing that you¡¯re the one marrying His Second Highness. If it was anyone else, I would definitely escape from the imperial palace¡­¡± Su Luoqing tried to liven up the mood by teasing Bai Luochu. ¡°Who would have thought¡­ we couldn¡¯t stand the sight of each other in the past and we even came to blows¡­ Now, you¡¯re getting me ready for my wedding ceremony. Isn¡¯t life unpredictable?¡± Bai Luochu realized that fate was really a wonderful thing. Walking out of the gates of the general¡¯s residence, she boarded a carriage towards the imperial palace. As the sound of drumbeats and firecrackers popping filled the sky, a fantastic wedding ceremony began. Bai Luochu¡¯s family wasn¡¯t present and the only one sitting at the front of the ceremony was Sect Leader Ling. However, he didn¡¯t mistreat Bai Luochu at all and he gave her a huge red packet when it came time for the newlyweds to conduct the tea ceremony to pay respects to their elders. As for Pei Qingfeng, he had something else in mind. Recalling the time when his son childed him for talking to Bai Luochu, a smug smile appeared on his face as he gave Pei Qingfeng a red packet with one bronze coin. It was too bad it was their wedding ceremony. Otherwise, Sect Leader Ling would definitely laugh out loud. After Pei Qingfeng and Bai Luochu made the last bow and completed the ceremony, Bai Luochu was immediately sent into the bridal chamber. According to customs, Bai Luochu needed to stay in the room by herself while Pei Qingfeng was required to entertain the guests. Afraid that Bai Luochu would feel hungry, Pei Qingfeng sneaked her a handful of nuts and said, ¡°Don¡¯t starve yourself. I won¡¯t drink too much and you should wait for me to get back.¡± Bai Luochu slightly nodded her head and she obediently sat in the room to wait for Pei Qingfeng¡¯s return. Deep into the night, Pei Qingfeng finally appeared at the door reeking of alcohol. Despite drinking a ton, his steps were steady. ¡°Why is there such a strong stench of alcohol?!¡± Bai Luochu quickly rushed towards him as she was afraid he would fall. Grabbing his waist, Bai Luochu brought him into the room. ¡°Luoluo¡­ we¡¯re actually married now¡­¡± Looking at Pei Qingfeng¡¯s face, Bai Luochu felt that he was really drunk. Of course we¡¯re married! What are you talking about? We conducted such a lengthy celebration in the morning! You¡¯re definitely drunk¡­ Just as she was about to help him to the bed, she felt her world flipping upside down. In the next moment, she realized that she was the person lying on the bed. ¡°You pretended to be drunk!¡± Bai Luochu made a beautiful counterattack and swapped places with Pei Qingfeng with a shake of her body. He was pressed down onto the bed instead and she bound his hands with silk ribbons. ¡°What a shame. You shouldn¡¯t have drank¡­ Right now, you, Ling King, are not my opponent. It seems like you have lost to me this time!¡± Bai Luochu knew that Pei Qingfeng¡¯s cultivation didn¡¯t lose out to her in the slightest but she knew that he was drunk. In his current state, there was no way he could defeat her. Turning to walk away, she suddenly heard the sound of silk tearing behind her. Pei Qingfeng grabbed Bai Luochu and pressed her down on the bed once again. ¡°Lost? Sorry¡­ in bed, this daddy had yet to lose a battle!¡± As their figures intertwined on the bed, the candle flickered in the wind. With passionate moans and Bai Luochu¡¯s occasional grumbling escaping the room, the color of spring covered their faces.