Not long after the bedside alarm rang, Bo Yueming woke up easily and turned it off.

He frowned for four or five seconds, and after forcibly driving away his drowsiness, he reconfirmed the time on his phone—

Eight o’clock in the morning.

Bo Yueming exhaled lightly, turning his attention back to the warm quilt.

His lover was leaning into his arms as usual. Most of his face was buried in the thick quilt, with only a bit of curled hair exposed, uniquely cute.

“Kitten.”

Bo Yueming stroked his lover’s hair, doting on him with a smile. “Wake up.”

Pei Yi, who was half asleep and half awake due to the alarm clock, misunderstood. He turned his back immediately and murmured, begging for mercy, “Won’t come, won’t come……”

“I, I’m going to be crippled, I really can’t hold on……”

“…….”

Bo Yueming smiled helplessly, and drew closer to tease, “Let me see, where are you crippled?”

Pei Yi shrank back under the quilt, dodging even more intensely as he sleep-talked, “Crippled, crippled. You’re fierce, I can’t.”

Bo Yueming lifted the quilt slightly and kissed his lover’s red earlobe. “Hey, I’m not joking, it’s time to get up. Didn’t you say that today is the first day of work after the new year, and you have a meeting at the studio?”

This half-month of annual leave, regardless of the length, had caused Bo Yueming’s biological clock to mess up for the first time.

But he kept his lover’s words in mind, and set the alarm clock for eight o’clock last night before going to bed.

“M-meeting?”

Pei Yi’s “career DNA” lurking in his bones finally rebooted, and his reasoning returned.

He opened his eyes in a daze, confirmed the situation in front of him, and then moved back into Bo Yueming’s embrace. “It’s all your fault.”

Bo Yueming couldn’t restrain his smile. “Huh?”

Pei Yi felt sore all over, and complained in a low voice, “If you break it, will you pay for it? There’s no good place on my entire body.”

He had joked on the night of New Year’s Eve, but the other party had taken it seriously.

From the start those few days ago, the two of them could still exercise restraint. During the day, they would normally go downstairs to walk the cat and go to Old Mrs. Bo’s main house for a meal.

Until New Year’s Eve—

Pei Yi understood the profound meaning of “misfortune comes from the mouth” for the first time, but he indulged in the other party’s caresses again and again.

Every night, he begged for mercy with an empty head.

Bo Yueming disagreed with him for once. “Little Sir, which time didn’t you hear me saying you didn’t have to? Didn’t I give you time to rest these two days?”

After the bit of fuss the morning before, they went to bed like usual in the evening.

Pei Yi neither listened nor owned up to it. “In any case, it’s not my fault.”

Bo Yueming said, “Okay, it’s my fault.”

Pei Yi’s eyelids drooped, and he couldn’t open them. He said in a teasingly spoiled manner, “Mr. Bo, I don’t want to work hard anymore. You can make money to support me.”

“Okay, ah.” Bo Yueming knew he was joking, but responded cooperatively.

Pei Yi hummed happily. “What time is it?”

“Ten past eight.”

Bo Yueming patted his shoulder twice, and said patiently, “Kitten, it’s really time to get up. Otherwise, do you want me to call and ask for leave, and say the reason is that—”

“N-No leave!”

Pei Yi stubbornly sat up from under the quilt. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Inspector still sleeping comfortably in the cat nest, and suddenly slumped onto Bo Yueming’s body, unbalanced.

“Er-ge.”

Bo Yueming saw that he was having a hard time getting up, and still pampered him. “I’ll take you to wash up, okay? You’ll wake up more after.”

Pei Yi quickly nodded. “En.”

Before transmigrating, it was difficult for Pei Yi to get up easily during the day because he stayed up every night to create games. But every time he had a serious job during the day, he would still force himself to get up and take a shower.

Unexpectedly, after dating Bo Yueming for a few months, he had completely transformed into an early morning lazybones.

Pei Yi hooked his lover’s shoulders and suddenly remembered an insult he had seen on the internet before—

Being spoiled in love made a person armless and legless!

After Bo Yueming announced that he had recovered his eyesight, driver Lao Fu had more free time, for no other reason than that his boss liked to personally send his Little Sir to work.

The car stopped outside the main entrance of the building where the studio was located.

“Thank you for your hard work, Bo-shifu.”

Pei Yi smiled and unlatched his seatbelt, asking casually, “Er-ge, I think I need to hurry up and take the driver’s license test. What do you think?”

The original owner had been a fool for many years, and didn’t have many “skill certificates.” Even his education was bought for him with Old Mr. Pei’s money and contacts so that he wouldn’t lose face.

Pei Yi didn’t agree with this approach, of course, but fortunately his own knowledge reserves were still sufficient.

He really wanted to learn new things, and could also make the effort.

Bo Yueming replied, “It depends on what you want. Even if you find it troublesome and don’t want to take the test, that’s fine. I’ll take you wherever you want to go, and if I’m not able to, there is also Lao Fu.”

“Okay, let’s wait for a bit.” Pei Yi looked at the phone. It was 8:55. “I’ll go up first.”

In any case, it was the first workday of the year, so he couldn’t be late in front of his employees.

Bo Yueming quickly grabbed his hand, leaning over to kiss him gently. “Go, call me if you need anything.”

“En.”

Pei Yi got out of the car and hurried into the building.

The elevator went up and paused at the first floor, and as soon as the door opened, Pei Yi ran into Li Yuan.

They hadn’t seen each other for a while. Li Yuan obviously had a little more flesh on his cheeks, and the wolf tail that the other party had grown long years ago was also cut short, but the small puff looked as cute as ever.

Pei Yi exchanged smiles with his friend and walked in. “Little Mr. Li, why are you here at the last minute today?”

Li Yuan covered his lips in an odd way and explained vaguely, “There was a bit of a traffic jam.”

Pei Yi raised his eyebrows slightly, and his eyes unconsciously fell on the other’s right foot. “Is it better? Did you drive yourself this morning?”

“After a half month’s rest, it’s much better.”

Li Yuan only answered the first half of the sentence, then changed the subject deliberately and looked at himself in the elevator mirror. “Pei Yi, do you think I’m getting fatter?”

Pei Yi nodded cooperatively. “En, your cheeks have improved a bit. That’s pretty good.”

Li Yuan said half-truthfully, “During the holiday, Brother sent me soup and food every couple of days.”

Especially bone broth and pig trotter soup. There was a big pot of it every time, and he couldn’t exercise, so he gained a lot of weight in just half a month.

These remarks sounded indifferent on the surface, but there was closeless hidden within them.

Pei Yi joked, “What? Brother only brought food to you? I’ll send him a WeChat message now.”

As he spoke, he really opened Qin Yishun’s WeChat account without being polite at all, and tapped out a sentence—

“Brother, you’re biased, you only sent food to Pear Garden.”

Then, in front of Li Yuan, he sent the message.

Li Yuan smiled, and complained, “Childish.”

The elevator stopped at the floor of YWY Studios.

The two restrained their teasing and stepped into the studio one after another.

Xian Nancheng and Lou Yang, who they hadn’t seen in some time, were sharing materials. The latter saw the two titular “bosses” and greeted them with a smile.

“You’re finally here. Happy New Year.”

“Sister Yang, Brother Xiang, long time no see,” Pei Yi greeted. “Especially Brother Xiang, you worked hard on the New Year.”

Xiang Nansheng put on his black-rimmed glasses and said, “It wasn’t hard, it was as it should be.”

Li Yuan confirmed the time. “The team leads of all the departments are ready. We’ll have a meeting in half an hour.”

“Okay, Little Mister Li.”

They spoke in harmony.

Pei Yi sensed Li Yuan’s gradually growing confidence, and hooked his shoulders, responding, “Okay, Mr. Li.”

Li Yuan replied in the presence of all, “Mr. Yi, don’t be like this.”

Laughter came one after another. The atmosphere in the studio was very relaxed. Lou Yang and Xiang Nansheng looked at each other, and both had the same thought—

Compared to the kind of game studios where the top and bottom positions were obvious and the bosses were strict, this sort of atmosphere was better for the happiness of the employees.

. . . . . . .

Half an hour later, the meeting began.

The content of the first meeting of the year was very clear-cut. First, they summarized the holiday data of The Last Fog 1.0, and then clarified the monthly preparations for The Last Fog 2.0 mobile game version.

There were only four month before the mobile game launch that they had planned for June.

However, as early as when the studio had started version 1.0, Pei Yi and Lou Yang had simultaneously refined the NPC characters and story structure, so one-third of the project had been completed.

“I suggest that we recruit two or three more technical programmers as soon as possible to share the work pressure.”

As the technical director, Xiang Nansheng said bluntly, “In addition, the servers in the studio need to be greatly expanded.”

Compared to the stand-alone version 1.0, the mobile 2.0 version would greatly enhance the interactive experience, and data processing would be cumbersome and complicated.

The server expansion and increase was not only in preparation for the 2.0 mobile game, but also for the future 3.0 online game.

When Xiang Nansheng was still at Youming Studios, their most popular mobile game “Search for Another World” completely crashed because the server was out of operation, leading to problems such as large-scale disconnections and freezes among players.

It was because of this occurrence that Xiang Nansheng and Ke Ming had a falling out, and the former didn’t want to encounter such problems at his new job.

Pei Yi’s style was to always be serious during work meetings. “Director Xiang, don’t worry. Mr. Li and I will find people to implement these two points as soon as possible.”

He looked around. “If there are no problems, let’s end the meeting here. Everyone had worked hard.”

Before they knew it, they had already completed a two-hour meeting.

Li Yuan remembered something, and added, “The others can leave. Director Lou and Director Xiang, please stay for a while.”

In contrast, they were the real core components of the studio.

Soon, there were only the four of them left in the conference room.

Pei Yi looked at his friend beside him. “Pear Garden, what is it?”

“I have something I want to discuss with you—”

Li Yuan connected his computer to the projector screen and opened a saved page. “Here, take a look.”

Pei Yi concentrated on the large characters at the top of the homepage. “China Original Game Design Competition?”

Li Yuan nodded, explaining his thoughts, “Should we take The Last Fog 2.0 and participate in the competition?”

Pei Yi and Lou Yuang’s gazes happened to meet, and they saw the confusion in each other’s eyes.

One of them was a transmigrator, and the other had stayed overseas all year round, so they weren’t familiar with the competitions in the Chinese game circle.

Xiang Nansheng was the most familiar with this competition among them, and took the initiative to say, “This original game design competition has been going on for seven years. It’s the ultimate original game design award in the Chinese game circle, with three places to win each session.”

“Nearly all the hottest games on the market have participated and won awards, and there are free project funds and support afterward.”

High value, high player trust, and good benefits after winning the prize.

Two years ago, Xiang Nansheng and Ke Ming participated in the sixth selection with “Search for Another World,” but unfortunately lost in the final round amongst five entries.

Even so, Ke Ming took the title of “Top 5 Finalist in the Chinese Game Design Competition” and still launched the game “Search for Another World.”

It could be seen that even without an award, it was a good thing to be shortlisted until the last moment.

“If we participate in the competition and win a prize, we’ll be able to have extra publicity for The Last Fog project. Is that your intent, Pear Garden?”

There were no outsiders for the moment, and none of them were formal when addressing the others.

Li Yuan nodded. “That’s right, Brother Xiang!”

“After all, our studio is newly established and does not yet have a reputation inside or outside the circle. No matter how good The Last Fog 1.0 is, most players won’t remember our studio.”

Since their original game was not backed by a top company, they must find a way to create honors and achievements for themselves.

Li Yuan looked around, and finally locked eyes on his friend. “Our game can be exposed step by step after it goes online, but since we have the opportunity to create exposure in advance, why not give it a try?”

Pei Yi’s eyes flickered slightly. “Who says we won’t try? Haven’t I just heard about this? Since it’s a competition, isn’t there a registration process and deadline?”

“It’s ten days after tomorrow. Twenty participating games will be screened and accepted within a week, and an invitation letter will be sent to the producer.”

The location of the competition was set in Haishi every year. There would be a business conference first, then a screening, and finally, the winners would be announced and subsequent exposure and support would be provided.

Getting the general idea, Pei Yi was certain. “Then let’s hurry and sign up. When we’re shortlisted, Pear Garden and I will take a trip to Haishi.”

Lou Yang asked with a smile, “You’re so confident we’ll be shortlisted? Aren’t you afraid we’ll be eliminated in the first screening?”

Faced with this teasing, Pei Yi did not show any lack of confidence. “Sister Yang, we’re rushing to win the prize.”

They had worked hard for such a long time. If they were eliminated in the initial screening, then everyone in the studio would have to change careers.

What Lou Yang admired most was Pei Yi’s wild self-confidence. “En, we’re rushing to win the prize!”

Pei Yi heard movement outside the conference room, and at once changed his words to say cutely, “Okay, before we win the prize, let’s fill our stomachs first. I’m hungry.”

Li Yuan closed the computer and quickly said, “I agree.”

. . . . . . .

The information and certificates for YWY Studios were completed in their entirety, including the settings of the Last Fog game, so the registration process was very smooth.

Within a week, Pei Yi learned the news of their successful nomination from his friend.

Bo Yueming said next to him, “What are you smiling about? Is the pig trotter soup that Mr. Qin gave you so delicious?”

“Of course it’s delicious, try it—”

Pei Yi moved closer with the small bowl and took the initiative to feed his lover. “But I’m not smiling because of this.”

Bo Yueming drank the fresh soup. “Then what are you smiling about?”

Pei Yi briefly explained how the game was entered and shortlisted before mentioning the main point, “Li Yuan and I will go to Haishi in two days.”

Bo Yueming’s eyes shifted slightly, and he asked in detail, “When? How many day?”

“Um…..”

Pei Yi thought about the specific dates. “We’ll leave this Sunday and come back next Friday. It may take five to six days round-trip.”

“…….”

Bo Yueming went a bit silent upon hearing this timeframe.

Pei Yi put down the soup bowl and asked uncertainly, “Er-ge, do you not want me to go?”

“That’s not it, if you’re willing to pursue career advancement, of course I’ll support you.” Bo Yuemign feared that he would misunderstand, so he explained earnestly, “It’s just that I can’t go with you during this time.”

Old Mrs. Bo’s health was not as good as it was before her illness, and the main branch had just been uprooted, so the position of chairman had been temporarily handed over to Bo Yueming.

As for the position of general manager, it was completely handed over to Bo Jiao, and Bo Wang, who had just joined the group, changed his spoiled temperament and started as a project assistant.

Three new executives had taken office, and Bo Yueming was very busy during this time.

Pei Yi chuckled. “You have your career, and I have mine. There’s no need for you to accompany me.”

Bo Yueming spoke what was in his heart. “I’m afraid you’ll be in danger.”

He really didn’t want to experience the danger and fear of the past for a third time.

“Er-ge.” Pei Yi held Bo Yueming’s face and said word by word, “I’ll be there to participate in a game competition, not to fight for the assets of some wealthy family. How could it be so easy for me to get into trouble?”

“Pear Garden will be with me the whole time, and the organizers also have security measures in place.”

Bo Yueming knew this was the case, and said in a nearly inaudible voice, “En.”

Pei Yi saw that his lover still had doubts, so he took the initiative to raise his hand and say, “Er-ge, I will send you a message every morning, noon, and night to report that I’m safe.”

“This is a must.”

Bo Yueming pinched Pei Yi’s earlobe lightly and discussed with him, “Kitten, let me talk to Mr. Qin about the situation and ask the STS Haishi branch to send a couple of people to protect you secretly, okay?”

Pei Yi had originally wanted to say that it wasn’t necessary, but at Bo Yueming’s anxious and pleading look, he could only respond, “Okay.”

After saying so, he leaned closer and kissed the person in front of him. “Er-ge, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

“En.”

. . . . . . . .

The China Original Game Design Competition had received backing from the relevant departments to be held for the eighth time in a row.

This year’s organizers had increased their investment and directly contracted the airline tickets and hotel accommodation expenses for the various game producers.

The flight arrived at the Haishi airport at 8:30 in the evening.

Pei Yi donned his mask and peaked cap again, and walked through the airport with his friend.

While they walked, Pei Yi took advantage of this time to ask, “Li Yuan, while we’re in Haishi, keep calling me by my game ID.”

“The fewer people who know my real name, the better.”

Li Yuan responded with a smile, “I understand, didn’t you explain it to me a long time ago? I even used your English ID name on the form I submitted to the organizers.”

The Chinese game circle was all-encompassing, and many game masters used nicknames. The competition organizers had no restrictions in this area.

Li Yuan asked, “Why don’t you want to reveal your real name?”

Pei Yi replied, “No particular reason. It’s just that I’m used to using the Will ID to mix in the circle, and everyone might be relatively familiar with it.”

So far, the games developed by Pei Yi had filled in the production column of his ID, and there had previously been a small wave of popularity on Weibo and game forums.

In a conference event with gamers, it was more convenient to take out the ID.

Other than that, Pei Yi deliberately kept his secret because—

He and Bo Yueming were lovers, and the latter was temporarily the top executive chairman of Bo Group.

The status of such a “wealthy family” was too well-known, and he might be envied by others or plotted against by people with ambitions.

Since he worked hard for his career, in terms of family background, the less people knew, the better.

As soon as the two walked outside the pick-up gate, they caught sight of the staff sent by the organizer holding a sign to pick them up. The two sides briefly introduced themselves, and then headed to their reservation at the five-star hotel.

In the car, Pei Yi brought up business. “Xiao Chen, may I ask, is the list of the shortlisted games and producers out yet?”

“The organizers intend to officially reveal them at the opening ceremony tomorrow morning.”

The staff member Xiao Chen answered while driving, “But they aren’t deliberately hiding them—”

“Tomorrow morning is the opening ceremony, and other than those from Haishi, other game producers from abroad have already checked into the hotels arranged by us.”

“Teacher Will, Mr. Li, perhaps you will meet some game masters later whom you know or who are familiar with your ID.”

“En.”

Pei Yi and Li Yuan looked at each other, and saw the expectations in each other’s eyes.

In this sort of game competition, the first part was a learning exchange, and the second part was the competition and awards.

It was almost ten o’clock when they arrived at the hotel and checked in.

“Teachers, I won’t follow you up. You should rest well tonight. If you need anything, you can contact me on WeChat at any time.”

Xiao Cheng’s footsteps paused at the elevator door as he recalled something. “By the way, there is a 24-hour buffet on the eighth floor of the hotel. You can enter by reporting your room number.”

Li Yuan nodded. “Thank you for your hard work.”

The double room in this hotel was quite spacious and tidy. Pei Yi put down his luggage and invited, “Pear Garden, want to go down and eat something?”

In any case, it wasn’t a familiar bed, so he wouldn’t be able to sleep right away tonight.

Li Yuan also felt hungry. “All right.”

Having reached an agreement, the two left the room.

Pei Yi picked up his cell phone as they walked. “I’ll call home to report my safety.”

Li Yuan feigned disgust. “Be careful where you’re going, don’t drop your phone.”

Pei Yi scoffed. His eyes remained on the phone, his fingers tapping quickly—

“Er-ge, I’ve arrived at the hotel and everything is going well. Now I’m going to eat some supper at the hotel restaurant with Pear Garden.”

“By the way, this is the address and room of the hotel. You’re welcome to send someone to do the guard rounds at any time.”

The return message on WeChat came very quickly. It seemed that Bo Yueming had been waiting for him to message—

“Don’t eat too much before bed, your stomach will be uncomfortable. If you can’t sleep, just take out my jacket.”

When Pei Yi saw the second sentence, his cheeks burned.

He glanced covertly at his friend, for fear of being caught by the other party.

It was always difficult for Pei Yi to fall asleep in a strange bed, but it would be too much to bring the quilt for a business trip that was less than a week—

So, when he was packing his luggage the night before, he secretly stuffed Bo Yueming’s coat in, thinking that he would put it next to the pillow or under the quilt as he slept, so that he could fall asleep with a familiar sense of stability.

The phone vibrated again. Bo Yueming on the other side had sent a picture of Inspector soundly asleep.

Ever since the two got together, Inspector could only sleep in the cat nest every night, but tonight was one of the rare times it could occupy the foot of the bed.

“Little Sir, Inspector misses you very much.”

Pei Yi looked at this silliness that had come immediately, and understood the deeper meaning behind it. A deep smile appeared in his eyes.

“Then tell Inspector for me that I miss him too.”

Ding—

The elevator door opened.

Li Yuan, who was standing in front, put his phone down first and reminded, “We’re here.”

“En.”

Pei Yi followed his friend out the door, and suddenly caught sight of a figure around the corner.

It was someone inexplicably familiar.

---

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Chapter Seventy-Seven <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Nine

The Dawn’s Gate Sect was neither big nor small in the Central Plains martial arts circle. The leader, Zhao Xiang, was well-known for having a loud voice, and could talk to everyone he saw like a brother, as if he had a friendship with everyone in the world. It was not surprising that such a person would be targeted by the Baifu Sect.

“Uncle Zhao.” Chang Xiaoqiu knocked on the door and asked politely, “May I come in?”

Zhao Xiang opened the door. At this time, there were no guests in the room, and there were only two hot cups of tea on the table. He asked: “What is it?”

“Just now, someone rushed to knock on my door, and then left in a hurry,” Chang Xiaoqiu said. “I was worried that something had happened, so I came over to check.”

“It’s alright, come in.” Zhao Xiang had no doubts about this explanation. He knew that with Chang Xiaoqiu’s martial arts, it was absolutely impossible for him to slip out of his window and return to the next room in such a short period of time, so he only judged the abnormal noise as some kind of animal.

The room door was closed.

In another room, Liu Xian’an asked: “Does the prince think that Chang Xiaoqiu can convince the other party?”

Liang Shu said: “It should be fine. It’s only a meal, and Chang Xiaoqiu can be regarded as a member of the Baifu Sect at present. If Zhao Xiang still wants to ask for money from Chang Wanli, it won’t be too unsightly on the surface.”

The two waited for a short period of time before Chang Xiaoqiu returned. Sure enough, Zhao Xiang did not refuse his request, but only said that he must obey the rules during the banquet and not talk or wander around.

His face was flushed, as if something major had been accomplished. He stood upright as if waiting for His Royal Highness Xiao Wang to assign him a new task, and actively asked: “Is there anything I should say at the banquet?”

“No need, so as not to alert the enemy,” Liang Shu said. “This lord will go with you.”

Chang Xiaoqiu became increasingly excited, so much so that Liu Xian’an wanted to give him two needles, so that the young man would not pass out due to excessive emotion. But Chang Xiaoqiu was not willing to have his attention diverted, and just continued to gaze at Liang Shu with blazing zeal. If not for the wrong timing and half-dead father back home wanting to cultivate to immortality, he wanted to talk endlessly about his grand dreams and immediately ride a fast horse to the Northwest and become a long sword piercing the clouds to guard the country’s border.

He was excited to this extent into the evening.

Liu Xian’an did not go along, but waited for the two of them at the inn. After a while, a guard of Xiao Wang Palace reported that a carriage had picked up Zhao Xiang and Chang Xiaoqiu and brought them to Yang Manor in the north of the city.

“Yang Manor?”

“Yes. After making some inquiries, we found that the owner of the manor is named Yang Yao, a well known jade merchant in the city. He goes to Cuili City to sell goods now and then, and his business is very big. Aside from Zhao Xiang, the guests attending the banquet tonight all drove carriages out from various inns, and the rough estimate is that there are about twenty to thirty people.”

Twenty or thirty people could already be regarded as a large banquet.

At this time, Yang Manor was already decorated with lamps and festoons, and there were many guests.

Chang Xiaoqiu followed Zhao Xiang inside. The banquet was not in the front hall, but down one corridor and then another, and then they entered a dark, empty room with no windows at all. The two came late, and when they were seated, there were already more than a dozen people at the banquet. However, they didn’t converse with one another, and only sat quietly, looking at people from the corners of their eyes and sizing them up.

Chang Xiaoqiu gazed around for a moment, and then quickly looked away. This room was tightly guarded, and he didn’t know if the prince could follow him in, but even if he couldn’t follow, this did not affect his brave and invincible image of His Royal Highness Xiao Wang. Chang Xiaoqiu sat with his back straight, with a sense of having a mission to accomplish, because if the prince didn’t follow him in, then the rest was up to him!

“Cough.” Someone coughed from the next chair, and the group immediately became quieter. At this time, an old man wearing brocade robes walked out slowly. It was Yang Yao, the owner of Yang Manor. It stood to reason that he was just a merchant, a lord who had no status no matter how rich he was. Presently, he looked as dignified as an emperor, and everyone had to stand up and salute him.

“Greeting Holy Envoy Yang!”

“Dispense with the courtesies, everyone, sit down.” Yang Yao raised his hand. “Since you were invited to come here, you must have contributed to the growth of my teachings. You are one of us, and you need not be restrained.”

Chang Xiaoqiu sat back down on his chair. The dishes were all well-prepared, with a rich and fragrant aroma, but few people ate and no one spoke. He thought to himself, what are you all doing here? Sitting here hurts my ass. “Holy Envoy Yang” at the head seat began to speak again, talking about the teachings of the Baifu Sect in a vain and boring way. After talking nonsense for a long time about sisters and brothers loving one another, he finally got to the point and asked everyone at the banquet to remove their disguises and show their true selves to the others.

As soon as these words were uttered, the scene immediately became a little more uneasy and oppressive. As Liu Xian’an had guessed before, since they chose to cover their faces, it meant that each was a person of status in the Central Plains. The Baifu Sect was presently classified as a cult by the Imperial court. If others knew who they were…..they were a little hesitant, and nobody wanted to go first.

 But Chang Xiaoqiu was very straightforward. He had long wanted to see what kinds of fools believed in that greedy and twisted holy lady. So he slapped the table and stood up, tore the mask from his face, and raised his arms with a shout of, “Baifu Buddha Mother, save the common people!” He was proactive and pious. Zhao Xiang couldn’t even stop him if he tried, and sat aside to stare angrily.

Yang Yao laughed and applauded: “Good, good, little brother, that’s very good! What is your name, which sect do you come from?”

“I am the young head of the Wanli Escort Bureau, Chang Xiaoqiu!”

“It turns out to be the young head of an escort bureau. Heroes truly do come from the youth, how refreshing!” Yang Yao glanced around the table. “What about the rest of you?”

“…….”

There was no way to hide. After a dead silence, a second person removed his mask. 

Then a third.

Then a fourth.

More and more faces appeared, and Chang Xiaoqiu looked at them one by one, inwardly surprised. He had originally thought that his father had been stimulated, and the Baifu Sect took advantage of that, but among the group of people attending the banquet tonight, there were many leaders of great sects. How had even these people lost their minds? They had entered the water and were willing to be commanded and controlled by this old man surnamed Yang. If he said to take off the mask, they would take off the mask……when it came to controlling people’s hearts, cults really had skill.

“Good, hahahaha!” Yang Yao laughed again. “After seeing one another’s true faces, you will truly be regarded as my Baifu disciples in the future! Come!”

As soon as he clapped his hands, one of his subordinates immediately brought a large jug of wine. After opening it, Yang Yao didn’t pour it for everyone, but took a dagger and cut his finger, sprinkling blood into the wine. “Now it is your turn.”

Starting from the first chair, the disciples held the wine and cut their hands to bleed. Chang Xiaoqiu did as commanded, with an ominous premonition in his heart. This stuff couldn’t be for drinking……right?

It really was for drinking.

After everyone had mixed in their blood, the light red wine was poured into each of their cups. The candlelight danced, making the shadows on the walls look like some kind of hideous beasts.

Chang Xiaoqiu picked up the wine cup. It was like holding a cup of thick syrup scooped up from hell, overwhelming his stomach, and he really wanted to run away on the spot.

His hands trembled slightly, and his fingers were pale.

“Baifu Buddha Mother, save the common people!”

His ears were full of people’s shouts.

. . . . . . 

The night was already very deep.

The brazier in the room was a bit hot, but Liu Xian’an didn’t feel sleepy, so he went out to get some fresh air. The entire back courtyard was surrounded by people from Xiao Wang Palace, so it was extremely quiet. He had just found a chair to sit in when two people suddenly dropped down from the wall. When one of them landed, he staggered to the corner of the wall and vomited desperately. Inside the room, A-Ning was shocked and ran out to see what had happened.

Liu Xian’an asked: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing happened, he just ate something unclean.” Liang Shu said, “Go and pour him something to wash his mouth.”

A-Ning made a sound of acknowledgement and hurriedly helped Chang Xiaoqiu to the room. Liu Xian’an asked further: “What did he eat? It looks as if there were poisonous insects at that banquet.”

“I’m afraid it wasn’t as good as poisonous insects.” Liang Shu gave him a rough summary of what had happened that night. “He just gritted his teeth and drank it, without letting the others see any abnormalities.”

“Who were the people at the banquet?”

“All of them were from the jianghu, similar to Zhao Xiang, and many were of higher status than him.”

Liang Shu said: “Before, you and I were still guessing why the Baifu Sect chose a lonely and dangerous peak as the location to worship the saint, but now we have our answer. It turns out that it is not just a test for believers. They bothered to win over such a large number of martial arts practitioners, and it is clear that their next step is to make trouble for the Imperial court.”

Once there was chaos in the Central Plains jianghu, it would obviously be more serious than chaos in a town or city. Liu Xian’an asked: “Then what is the prince’s next plan?”

Liang Shu said: “We’ll go and meet that holy Baifu maiden who confuses people’s hearts first.”

Liu Xian’an reminded: “But this time, if the prince still wants to follow in secret, I’m afraid it will be tricky.”

He tugged Liang Shu by the sleeve into the room, where there was a map spread out on the table. “Just now, I was studying the terrain of White Crown. It is a lone peak, like a writing brush stuck into the flat ground. There are only two climbing paths, and if the Baifu Sect people have the slightest bit of brains, they will have them guarded. The prince can only go up the mountain from here.”

Liang Shu asked: “Here won’t work?”

“It might, but it will be dangerous.” Liu Xian’an frowned. “The poisonous miasma and forest of thorns at the top of White Crown are all located at this area, and even animals find it extremely difficult to climb.”

Liang Shu pondered for a moment: “Actually, it may not be necessary to go up this way.”

Liu Xian’an looked at the map again: “But there is no other way.”

Liang Shu moved his face closer: “Give me a kiss, and afterward I’ll tell you where the path is.”

Second Young Master Liu was very unrestrained in this respect, because he himself wanted to kiss him very much and it could not be considered a disadvantage. Thus, he simply kissed him twice and asked: “Where is the path?”

Liang Shu, however, was tickled by this sensation of a dragonfly touching the water lightly, and grabbed this person to have him sit on his lap, needing to hold him before he could say anything. Liu Xian’an couldn’t sit still for a moment, and wrapped one arm around his shoulders and braced one hand against the table. He looked up just in time to see Chang Xiaoqiu come in, and asked him: “Young Head Escort Chang, are you feeling better?”

Chang Xiaoqiu had just been through a round of vomiting, and was very weak. His mind was not clear, and he just let out a flimsy “En” and moved a chair over to sit down, looking at the two cordially.

He didn’t see anything improper about the ambiguous sitting postures of His Royal Highness Xiao Wang and the miracle doctor.

---

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Chapter Seventy-Six << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Eight

The carriage went all the way south, and when it passed through the rugged mountainous area, a wheel couldn’t bear it, and broke.

Yan Mingting and Xiao Gao tried in vain to repair it.

Zhao Yelan looked at the rest of their luggage in the separate carriage. Fortunately, it was only half-full and could accommodate two people, so the broken carriage was abandoned, and the two of them huddled in the luggage carriage.

After traveling like this for a day, Yan Mingting could still bear it, but Zhao Yelan couldn’t stand the torment. There was no place to lie down, and even sitting was uncomfortable. The mountain road was extremely bumpy, and he couldn’t sleep all night, so the two just huddled in the narrow space and talked.

When it was finally dawn, he asked Xiao Gao if there were any towns nearby where they could buy a carriage. Xiao Gao said with embarrassment that there were mountains all around, and it might take a day or two to reach the nearest town.

Zhao Yelan gave a sigh of despair. Never mind if there was no town. He just wanted to eat hot food and drink water.

Fortunately, no place was completely cut off from people. At this moment, he saw smoke rising nearby, and said: “Let’s go over there and have a look.”

Along the way, apart from staying at inns, they also often stayed at ordinary people’s homes. They met all sorts of people, which was also entertaining.

There were few people around here, and when they finally saw cooking smoke, they naturally had to rest for a while.

After about a stick of incense, the carriage finally stopped. Zhou Yelan and Yan Mingting got out of the carriage and looked around. There was only a simple house in this mountain field, built with earthen walls and a thatched roof. It seemed that if there was a heavy rain, the house would collapse.

“What do you think?” Yan Mingting asked for Zhao Yelan’s opinion.

Zhao Yelan hesitated for a long moment, but decided to rest for a while. He was thirsty and sleepy now, so he wasn’t too bothered.

Xiao Gao first went to check the nearby terrain, and Yan Mingting took Zhao Yelan to knock on the courtyard door: “Excuse me, is anyone home?”

“Who is it, ah?” A crisp voice sounded from inside.The person seemed young.

“We’re passing by and would like to ask for a drink of water,” Yan Mingting said.

“What are you doing passing through this wilderness?” There was still some vigilance hidden in the young man’s voice.

Yan Mingting smiled a little: “We got lost. We’re not wicked people, and only came here by accident.”

No one answered from inside, but Yan Mingting heard small movements to the side. A young man poked his head over the courtyard wall and looked at them, then came over to open the door with a stick of firewood in his hand: “You really came to ask for water?”

“Yes,” Yan Mingting said with a smile.

Zhao Yelan stared at the young man silently for a long moment. He didn’t expect that there would be such a good-looking person hidden in the wilderness. The other party’s eyes were bright, and he couldn’t stop looking at him and Yan Mingting.

At this time, there was another voice from inside: “Xiao Wu, who’s here?” Immediately after, another gentleman came out.

The young man immediately lost his guarded expression, turning his head to smile at the man as he said: “Passers-by, asking for a drink of water.”

“Then come in, have you two eaten yet? We’re about to have breakfast. If you don’t mind, let’s eat together,” the man said.

The two of them had been waiting for just such a thing, and after saying “excuse us,” they went into the house together.

At the dining table, the two and the young man faced each other in silence, each with their own thoughts.

Both of them thought that these two young men were a bit unusual. The person in front of them had an excellent appearance, with clever, deer-like eyes and delicate, fair skin. It could be seen that he had not been exposed to the sun for a long time, but his hands had a few blisters, as if he had done a lot of work in a short period.

And the young man who was serving porridge in the kitchen had an indescribable feeling around him. He had black hair and black eyes, was personable, and behaved in a dignified manner, not like an ordinary farmer at all.

It was a bit intriguing that these two people had appeared here at the same time.

“Who are you?” The young man asked suddenly.

Zhao Yelan said: “Just people passing by.”

The young man’s gaze fell to his attire: “Seeing how wealthy you are, could it be that you’re traveling for leisure?”

“Exactly.”

The young man breathed a sigh of relief, and asked again: “Why are you two out for leisure? Where are your wives and family members?”

Yan Mingting said: “We are a family, and he is my wife.”

The young man’s eyes widened immediately, and he looked at them in disbelief: “Really?!”

“No lie.” Yan Mingting looked at Zhao Yelan with a smile. “Isn’t that right, wife?”

Zhao Yelan ignored him. He picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip, and his expression turned bitter. The tea actually had sediment in it!

He was about to spit it out, but the young man suddenly held his hand and called excitedly: “Brother!”

Zhao Yelan was startled, and swallowed the tea: “…….”

“Hey, what are you doing, kid?” Yan Mingting hurriedly slapped his hand away, but the other party turned around and took his hand too, calling him brother.

“What are you shouting ‘brother’ for, don’t you know how much older we are than you?”

“Older? I think you must be thirty at most, right? I call you brother out of respect,” said the young man.

“You have a good eye.” Yan Mingting held his hand. “Little brother, my half-brother from a different mother.”

Zhao Yelan: “…….”

The young man asked curiously: “How long have you been married?”

“Fifteen years,” Yan Mingting said.

“Wow!” The young man immediately rushed into the kitchen. “Did you hear that? They’ve been together for fifteen years. Look how loving they are, ah, we can do it too!”

Hearing this, the man turned his head and glanced at them, then smiled and said to the young man: “I know. Let’s bring the porridge over first.”

“Okay.” The young man placed the porridge in front of them. “Taste my future wife’s cooking. He’ll be the number one scholar in the future, so I call this porridge number one scholar porridge!”

The two of them looked down, and saw that the porridge was unappetizing and practically dry. Zhao Yelan asked: “Are you sure this porridge can be eaten?”

“Of course, millet tastes the best, rich young masters like you wouldn’t understand.” The young man retched quietly while eating the porridge, then said with a smile: “It’s delicious, you eat some too!”

The two people: “…….”

Zhao Yelan almost suspected that he was an assassin who was trying to kill them.

“I’m sorry, there isn’t much food around here, so we can only cook it a little dry to fill our stomachs.”

The man brought out two more bowls of porridge and a plate of side dishes.

It would be fine if the porridge was just dry, but Zhao Yelan could see crispy pieces of grain in it. He picked up one of the side dishes and asked: “Is this a local specialty? Why is it black?”

The man said shyly: “These are green vegetables.”

Zhao Yelan: “……”

But the young man proceeded to quickly swallow the side dishes and porridge almost without chewing.

Yan Mingting said with emotion: “It’s clear that you truly love each other.”

The young man smiled and said: “Wow, brother, you are really discerning!”

The man glanced at the young man and smiled softly. He grabbed his sleeve to take a look at it and said: “There’s a hole here, I’ll sew it up for you later.”

“Okay, you’re really capable!” The young man praised.

It was the first time that Zhao Yelan was fed such a lovey-dovey scene. It was quite novel, and he couldn’t help but think of his friends and wonder if they had the same feeling when he was with Yan Mingting.

Zhao Yelan barely ate a few mouthfuls, but Yan Mingting marched ahead and fought well. He had already finished one bowl, and went to the kitchen to prepare another, only to find that the pot was empty. The two of them must be truly struggling.

The man turned his head and said: “I’m sorry, I only cooked for two people, so there isn’t enough.”

“We are the ones who have troubled you, and even ate your breakfast,” Yan Mingting said.

But the young man comforted the other man, saying: “Look, I told you that the food you cook is delicious, he wants to eat a second bowl. You need to have more confidence in yourself.”

“Okay, I will.”

After eating, the young man went to wash the dishes, and the man took out a needle and thread to sew his clothes for him.

Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting were quietly discussing how much food money they would leave for them when they heard a crash in the kitchen. The young man came out with a broken bowl and said with a mournful face: “I broke another one.”

“It doesn’t matter, that’s better than smashing eight at once,” the man said encouragingly.

The two people: “……”

Zhao Yelan looked at the man and saw that he was threading the needle clumsily, like an old woman. It took him a long time to get it in, then he sewed with trembling hands, and his finger bled after poking it a few times.

The two people: “……”

It was truly not easy for these two people to survive. After thinking about it, they should leave more life-saving money for them.

When the two got up, the young man felt that he and Yan Mingting had hit it off right away, and insisted on dragging him aside to chat. 

And Zhao Yelan was also drawn over by the man, who asked cautiously: “Daring to ask, is your surname Zhao?”

Zhao Yelan was taken aback, and looked at him in surprise. “You know me?”

“I just guessed. The two of you are not ordinary, and it is clear that you are either wealthy or noble. Although marrying a man as a proper wife isn’t rare nowadays, it was a marriage fifteen years ago that caused a sensation all over the country and broke the taboo.” The man cupped his hands and bowed. “Zhao-daren, I have admired your name for a long time. It is an honor to meet you here.”

Zhao Yelan narrowed his eyes slightly: “And you are?”

“My father’s surname is Shen. He is currently working in the Imperial Academy.”

The current head of the Imperial Academy was surnamed Shen. He had two sons. The eldest had already married and established a family, and he had heard that the second son had a marriage contract with someone in his early years.

“Why are you here? Aren’t you getting married soon? Your father even handed me a wedding invitation a while ago,” Zhao Yelan said curiously.

The man sighed: “It’s a long story. I’ve already written an annulment letter to the Liu family, and I am in love with Xiao Wu. I hope Zhao-daren will not tell my father. When the time is right, I will return to Beijing to plead guilty.”

After bidding farewell to these two people, Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting got back on the road, but Yan Mingting took out a jade pendant and said: “I thought that kid was unusual, and sure enough, he said he was from the Liu family in Jiangnan. He asked me to take this jade pendant to the Liu family and ask for money so that he can buy bowls, clothes, and a big house for his future wife.”

Zhao Yelan paused: “Wait, who did you say he is?”

“From the Liu family in Jiangnan.”

Zhao Yelan laughed suddenly: “Coincidentally, his lover is from the Shen family.”

“What?!”

Zhao Yelan told him the story, and Yan Mingting laughed, saying: “Then should we go back and tell them?”

“Forget it, we’ve traveled too far. Depending on their own good fortune, maybe they’ll wait until the novelty wears off and forget about living out here.” Zhao Yelan said with a smile: “I want to see how far they can go.”

A month later, the two came to Jiangnan again. They first stayed in Zhizhou for a few days. Magistrate Sun was still healthy and strong, but would soon take his wife to the capital to accompany his daughter and grandson.

Magistrate Sun also prepared several pots of lotus wine for them. Yan Mingting had missed the taste of it very much.

Zhao Yelan couldn’t help but think of the last time he drank lotus wine here. So many years had passed in the blink of an eye, but the emotions of that time were still fresh even now. As long as he thought about it, his heartbeat would speed up and his blood would boil.

Yan Mingting carried him to bed. Both of them smelled like wine, as if they had fallen into the depths of a lotus pond, staggering and dizzy.

When the two passed through Zhihuai and Huaizhou, they were recognized by many people and received a warm welcome. The local common people had always respected them, and their folk customs were more open.

With Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting being in love, the common people seemed to have seen their example, and were open to the matter of men marrying men. Some people even went to the old Guoshi to have their fortunes read and see if they could find the person they were destined for. The old Guoshi never expected that he would become a master of marriage.

“It seems that the relationship between the two of us will never be broken. The common people will not allow it,” Yan Mingting said confidently.

Zhao Yelan: “Do you think I care what the common people think?”

“Then you care about me.”

Zhao Yelan laughed and grasped his chin, leaning forward to kiss him. The wind blew the curtain of the carriage, and the people passing by saw the love between Zhao-daren and General Yan, who they held in the highest esteem. They were relieved, and at the same time, somewhat envious.

When they arrived in Quzhou, it was Wang Guisheng who came to receive them. He had been the magistrate for several years. When he saw them, he still couldn’t help but feel that the years had been very kind to them.

They showed signs of aging after so many years, but they were still the same as before, standing side by side, bright and luxurious. Their demeanors had not diminished, and there was a bit of additional calmness.

When these two stood together in the past, they always faced ridicule and abuse behind their backs, but now they had become a good story for people all over the country.

Just when he was about to sigh with emotion, he saw Yan Mingting at the dinner table holding up the wine bowl. He was about to drink heavily, but Zhao Yelan gave him a sideways look: “How much have you had to drink tonight?”

“Aiya, it’s rare to get together with Wang Guisheng. The friendship of more than ten years is in this bowl of wine!” Yan Mingting said.

“How did I not know that you’ve had a friendship with him for more than ten years?” Zhao Yelan said quietly.

Wang Guisheng quickly clarified: “The General and I have never been familiar.”

Yan Mingting choked, then turned to look at Zhao Yelan: “Just one bowl. It’s really the last bowl.”

Zhao Yelan: “That’s what you said just now.”

“It’s really the last bowl.” Yan Mingting tugged his sleeve under the table, looking at him with aggrieved eyes. “The wine here isn’t too strong.”

Zhao Yelan looked at him for a moment, and finally let him have it.

Yan Mingting was happy. Only, he drank too much and had to be helped back to the room. As soon as he was put on the bed, he hooked the other’s waist and said drunkenly: “Mengting, sleep, sleep.”

Zhao Yelan waited for a while, seeing that he was about to fall asleep in a daze. Then he carefully took his hands away and walked out of the room lightly, returning to the table.

“I’ve kept you waiting.”

“It’s no problem,” Wang Guisheng said with a smile.

“Tell me more about the canal.”

“All right.”

The canal was a measure that Zhao Yelan vigorously promoted six years ago. It required a lot of manpower and material resources. From the perspective of time, it was a waste of money and people. At that time, it was opposed by many people and drew a lot of criticism. However, he resisted all opinions and insisted on building the canal. Fortunately, the Jiangnan people responded in support, allowing it to begin smoothly.

On the Jiangnan side, it was actually Wang Guisheng who led the way. He and Wang Guisheng exchanged letters and discussed for a long time before Wang Guisheng decided to lobby the common people.

The project was completed the year before last. The two of them discussed the current situation for nearly an hour before stopping. Zhao Yelan asked: “It’s so late, why don’t you go back?”

“It’s rare to see each other, I want to chat with you for a while,” Wang Guisheng said with a smile.

This was the largest inn in the city. Wang Guisheng had originally wanted to invite them to stay at his home, but Zhao Yelan thought that it would be inconvenient to stay with his family, so he chose the inn.

The two chatted about what they had seen and heard over the years, and time passed quickly. Just as he was talking about the stupid things Yan Mingting had done, and Wang Guisheng was laughing out loud, Yan Mingting appeared behind them.

“Why haven’t you gone to sleep?” Yan Mingting asked in a deep voice.

Wang Guisheng knew that this was aimed at him, and shook his head with a laugh. He didn’t expect that after so many years, the General would still be an old vinegar jar.

After inviting them over to the house for dinner the next day, Wang Guisheng took advantage of the opportunity to say goodbye.

“Weren’t you sleeping? Why are you up again?” Zhao Yelan stood up.

“If I didn’t get up, were you planning to chat with him all night, ah?” Yan Mingting said.

“I see you still haven’t sobered up.”

“I woke up and found that you weren’t there, and sobered up in fright.” Yan Mingting walked behind him and hugged him, lowering his head to smell him. Still a little drunk, he kept calling his name in a low voice, “Mengting, Mengting.”

Zhao Yelan leaned into his arms habitually. The corners of his mouth curled up in spite of himself, and he looked down at the bustling scene on the street. The common people were all smiling, carrying lanterns with joy and laughter. Today was the Lantern Festival.

“Those lanterns are beautiful,” Zhao Yelan said casually, pointing to the opposite building.

Unexpectedly, Yan Mingting jumped out at once, going to the opposite side to steal two big lanterns before coming back: “For you.”

“Be careful not to get arrested as a thief.” Zhao Yelan took the lanterns and studied the paintings on them.

A warm yellow halo shone on his face, as beautiful as a person in a painting.

Yan Mingting was fascinated by the sight. He lowered his head and kissed him on the forehead: “Why don’t you make a wish?”

“What wish?”

“Wish that you will love Fangli forever,” Yan Mingting hinted very clearly.

“Why not wish that you will love Zhao Mengting forever?”

“It seems that this fake wish-making ceremony can be dispensed with. What is the point of wishing for things that will definitely come true?” Yan Mingting suddenly laughed.

“Yes, ah.”

The two hung up the lanterns and watched the light of the festival together, the children on the streets laughing and cheering, and the fiery trees and silver flowers bursting in the sky.

Seeing that the land was safe, and that the one they loved was always by their side.

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T/N: I finally got around to doing the rest of the extras! The final ones are a six-part “what if” series, and I’ll post them soon.

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Extra 6 <<Table of Contents >> Extra 8: Faking Death (1)

Liu Xian’an was unable to get any rose wine cakes, so he went to eat a bowl of rice noodles with chicken soup. Halfway through the meal, he saw that other diners were adding spice to their bowls, so he curiously asked the boss for a small spoonful. However, after taking a sip of the soup, it was so hot that he crouched on the ground and coughed for a long time, his ears sore and buzzing.

Liang Shu got up and went to buy fresh flower soup for him. When he brought it back, the proprietress was complaining about the boss, saying, the city has been full of foreign guests recently, how many of them can stand your ancestral spicy oil? He also hadn’t warned the guests, and put the jar away quickly.

The boss was quick to curry favor. Liu Xian’an dizzily drank the sweet soup, not caring to listen to what the people next to him were saying. When he finally recovered, Liang Shu had already paid for the meal, and took him by the wrist to walk to the opposite side of the street: “Do you want to eat iced fruit?”

“Don’t want to.” Liu Xian’an said, “Just now, I seemed to hear the proprietress talk about Nanyang?”

“She said that Raven City was also lively in previous years, but most of them were merchants from Nanyang. This year, there are many people from the Central Plains.” Liang Shu said, “They are the same as us, claiming to be going to Cuili City to view the jade.”

“The Central Plains are thousands of li away, and it is almost the first month of the new year, which is a time for family reunions, but there is such a large number of believers in the city.” Liu Xian’an said, “It seems that the scale of this pilgrimage is not small.”

While talking, the two walked into a teahouse, which was the best place to inquire about news. It was very lively, and even a table had to be fought for. It was just that the group of guests who sat down earlier clearly didn’t welcome Liang Shu and Liu Xian’an. They put their legs sideways on the empty stools and continued to eat melon seeds with their heads down.

“Guests, this…..” The attendant rubbed his hands with a troubled expression. 

Liang Shu glanced at the people at the table, but didn’t care, and said to Liu Xian’an: “Let’s go over there and see if there are any more vacant tables.”

After speaking, and without waiting for the attendant to reply, he strode toward the window. Liu Xian’an jogged to keep up. The two asked around at every table, but they couldn’t find a place and only received blank stares. At such a time, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang showed an unprecedented good temper. Even when he was driven away, he did not get angry, and even had a half-smile on his face.

And this half-smile didn’t disappear until the two of them left the teahouse and entered a deserted alley, where it was replaced by the gloom of coming rain. Although Liu Xian’an was clever and insightful, he didn’t understand what his intentions were this time, so he carefully asked: “What is it, is there something wrong with that teahouse?”

“There’s nothing wrong with the teahouse, it’s the people inside the teahouse who are the problem.” Liang Shu said, “Most of them were wearing masks.”

Liu Xian’an was surprised to hear this: “Those were their faces after putting on a disguise?”

Liang Shu nodded: “Yes.”

Liu Xian’an felt a bit of a chill down his spine. The human skin masks were not frightening. What was frightening was the conspiracy behind the masks. There was only one reason to cover the face, and that was to avoid being recognized by others. Ordinary people in the surrounding villages and towns obviously didn’t have such a need, and even if they did, it was difficult to find such realistic masks.

This meant that the believers who came to Raven City were not ordinary people. They at least already had a certain status or reputation, or else there would be no need to go to such trouble.

The tentacles of the Baifu Sect were not only touching the border of the north, but were also touching the upper layers. Liang Shu waved his hand to summon a group of guards, and ordered them to go into the city to collect information. Everyone took their orders and left, and only one remained where he was to say: “Your Highness, just now on the street, I seemed to see an acquaintance of ours. Although he was also wearing a mask, his voice was very distinguishable.”

Liang Shu asked: “Who?”

. . . . . .

The teenager tossed two cheap walnuts in his hands, rising and falling as he juggled. Little children followed behind him in a long line, clapping and cheering unceasingly, which made the boy feel proud. He turned his head and grinned, but he looked so strange and stiff that the onlookers ran away in fright, thinking that he was an evil, soulless boy — there were often such legends in these parts.

The boy didn’t care about being rejected, and continued to toss walnuts and hum all the way back to the inn, but he refused to rest honestly. As soon as he tore the mask from his face, this person immediately jumped out the window like a monkey, tumbled over, and swish, leaped up. Clinging to the wooden beams with his hands and swinging slightly, he stuffed himself into a narrow corner at the end that connected two guest rooms.

This action was done in one movement, without attracting anyone’s attention. He carefully put his ear close to the wall, attempting to eavesdrop on the people in the room, but could only capture a few extremely vague words. In order to hear more clearly, he continued to press against the wall, but he miscalculated slightly with his hands and grasped two bamboo slats on the wall with a click, which immediately aroused the vigilance of the people in the room.

“Who is it!”

The young man tried to run in a panic, but before he could use his qinggong martial arts and escape on light feet, an external force grasped his neckline and he flew up into the building – into his own room.

Knock-knock-knock! The door was knocked hard three times. “Young Master Chang, are you in the room?”

“……Yes, cough, I’m here.” Chang Xiaoqiu was still in shock, and swallowed dryly before saying louder, “I’m sleeping, what is it?”

“It’s nothing.” The footsteps at the door quickly vanished.

Liu Xian’an poured a cup of tea and handed it to Chang Xiaoqiu: “Drink?”

Chang Xiaoqiu looked at the gleaming dagger at his neck. Do you think I can drink?

He didn’t recognize Liang Shu and Liu Xian’an. Still panicking, he pretended to be calm and said in a low voice: “Can you put the knife down first?”

“No,” Liang Shu said. “Tell me, what are you doing in Raven City?”

Chang Xiaoqiu said without hesitation: “Buying jade.”

Liang Shu laughed with a pfft: “We’re already using this excuse. Why don’t you think up a new one?”

Chang Xiaoqiu said stubbornly: “I’m here to buy jade, what, is this not allowed? Who are you guys!”

“When buying jade, why bother to listen in someone else’s corner like a thief?” Liang Shu said, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll send you to the officials.”

“You have no evidence, I won’t admit anything!” As Chang Xiaoqiu said this, his body suddenly slid down like a loach, but he still couldn’t escape. He was swept over by Liang Shu’s leg so hard that he fell down face first.

Liu Xian’an urgently reminded: “His leg is still injured!”

Liang Shu carried him back again: “Sit down!”

Chang Xiaoqiu was stunned for a moment. There were not many people who knew that his leg had been injured, and he quickly ran through the list in his mind. First, he stared at Liu Xian’an to identify him carefully, then turned his head abruptly and held his breath as he stared at Liang Shu. His face flushed red, and he uttered a hesitant sentence after a long moment: “……Y-Your Highness?”

Liang Shu raised his eyebrows slightly.

“Your Highness!” Chang Xiaoqiu was overjoyed to meet the number one hero in his heart in this dilapidated place. He was so excited that he couldn’t speak, and didn’t care about etiquette. His eyes widened and he moved closer. “Is it really you?” Before Liang Shu could respond, tears welled up in the other’s eyes, and he hiccuped in his excitement.

Liu Xian’an: “…….”

Liang Shu said: “Now let’s talk, ba. Why are you here?”

“If I didn’t come, my father would.” Chang Xiaoqiu said, “It’s a bit complicated to talk about.”

In short, after being betrayed by He Rao, Chang Wanli was devastated and depressed. He didn’t even care much about the business of the Escort Bureau, and spent all day long tinkering with something. Chang Xiaoqiu didn’t take it to heart at first, but one time, he inadvertently discovered that a strange-looking statue was enshrined in their Buddhist hall.

“My father…..he is not a Buddhist.” Chang Xiaoqiu didn’t finish his sentence. He felt that his father previously was almost entirely interested in money and desire, but now he knocked on temple blocks and chanted scriptures in such a strange way, and there were gradually problems with the Escort Bureau’s accounts. Money had disappeared. He didn’t know where it went, and didn’t ask. 

“It’s like he’s been possessed by an evil spirit.” Chang Xiaoqiu said, “I went to investigate secretly with Uncle Chang, and finally discovered that he had been lured by others to believe in some rubbish. Not only does he offer money and incense on time, but he also offers a cup of his own blood every now and then.”

Liang Shu: “Since you discovered this, why didn’t you report it to the officials?”

“Because my dad couldn’t stop bleeding and knocked himself out.” Chang Xiaoqiu said, “He’s so ill, and his mind isn’t clear. I’m afraid that if he is taken to prison, he’ll die. Just when I was losing my temper, the liar who dragged my father into the cult coaxed him by saying that he could see the Holy Maiden of Baifu as long as he donated a pot of gold.”

“Your father agreed?”

“He agreed. He struggled to set out on the road and couldn’t be stopped, so I gave him a bit of weakening powder,” Chang Xiaoqiu said.

Chang Wanli was paralyzed in bed, unable to get up for some time. No matter how unwilling he was, he could only agree for his son to go to Raven City and meet the saint in his stead. Chang Xiaoqiu pretended to be well-behaved and honest. His father just nodded to everything he said, and left all the affairs of the Escort Bureau to Chang Xiaohan. Chang Xiaoqiu followed the cultists all the way south, planning to get in with this big group.

Liang Shu asked: “How big is it?”

Chang Xiaoqiu was full of youthful enthusiasm: “Big enough to die with that fucking saint!”

Liang Shu said: “Based on your skills, I fear you will give away your head for nothing.”

Chang Xiaoqiu blushed: “Then I must understand clearly what sort of tricks they are playing.”

“Who is the person who brought you south?”

“The head of Dawn’s Gate, Zhao Xiang. My father was brought into the Baifu Sect by him.” Chang Xiaoqiu said, “He is very suspicious and shrewd, so he never trusted me. Even if I acted the whole time, drew blood like my dad, and chanted mantras for a long time, he didn’t intend to lead me to the saint at all, and just told me to wait at the inn. I suspect that the reason this person agreed to take me south was all for the pot of gold.”

“You just went to listen in his corner?”

“Yes,” Chang Xiaoqiu said. “After that surnamed Zhang arrived in Raven City, he secretly met with many people. His status in the Baifu Sect is really not low, and people visit him all day long. It seems he is going out to a banquet tonight.”

Liang Shu smiled: “If he can’t let you meet the Holy Baifu Maiden, he’ll have to bring you to one dinner, right? Otherwise that pot of gold would be for nothing.”

“…….” Chang Xiaoqiu was silent for a moment. In fact, he felt that according to the extent of his unpopularity along the journey, he might not even be able to make it to this meal, but now that these words were spoken by His Royal Highness Xiao Wang, could he disappoint him?

Impossible!

So Cheng Xiaoqiu clenched his fists fiercely: “Okay, I’ll try!”

---

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Chapter Seventy-Five << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Seven

After Lucas went to the military academy at the age of thirteen, he made amazing achievements there that couldn’t be matched by his seniors. He even directly tackled the task of enlisting in the army and cleared customs at an SSS level, showing the Empire his strength as a 3S Alpha, and forcing Alton to accept this young lion cub.

Since then, Lucas had been staying at Alton’s side on the battlefield, and almost never returned to the capital. Of course, Lucas had no desire to return to that home.

Only — the second time he returned, it was because Alton was injured and needed to receive treatment in the capital.

Lucas and Zhou Mingkai, both of them young boys, hid beside the pillars of the capital elementary school gate, looking inside furtively.

The security guard saw the two of them, recognized the military school uniform on Zhou Mingkai’s body, and didn’t think anything of it.

“See?” Lucas pointed at the silver-haired kid who was being led out by a man.

Lucas thought, that silver hair is really easy to recognize.

“I see him.” Zhou Mingkai was so curious that he poked his head up and continued to observe. He really wanted to know what it took for someone like Lucas to come here on purpose to look like a pervert.

The little boy was led by his father, carrying a small school bag as he kept up in an unbalanced manner. He made intermittent and unskilled attempts to talk to his father and share what he had seen that day.

After returning to the capital, it took a long time for little Luo Ran to learn how to speak and live like other people with the help of his counselors. It was only that he still didn’t know much about the world, so when he went to middle school, the children started to rebel, and he was bullied when he started to stand out.

After all, his personality was strange, his hair was strange, and there was also the Viscount.

“Wow……” Zhou Mingkai opened his mouth wide and said, “Is that your child bride?”

“Bah!” Lucas smacked Zhou Mingkai’s head fiercely and said, “That’s my son!”

It was the little one he rescued from the cave.

Lucas stuck his chest out proudly.

The two of them climbed the wall, and those who didn’t know better would think that they were two bad students who had skipped class to go make trouble at a different school.

. . . . . . .

And when Lucas returned to the capital again, it was time for him to inherit Alton’s army and reputation, and officially become the Admiral of the Empire after Alton’s death.

The adjutants had been selected one by one, and only a secretary was missing.

But everyone said that with a character like Lucas’s, how could it be possible for there to be a secretary who followed him closely and communicated with him about everything?

“I said, I don’t need a secretary or any assistants!”

Lucas threw the document on the table, pa!, and said with impatient fury: “Get lost!”

The head of the department trembled when he was yelled at, and wanted to cry but had no tears. He said: “But Admiral……you really need a personal secretary to help with your official duties. We chose Betas with honest personalities and common backgrounds, so we promise they won’t cause you any trouble!”

The department head went for broke.

This time when they were filtering and selecting applicants, Shen Xiluo happened to come over and pick up a document, and said that if it was this person, the Admiral might accept them.

Thus, the department head took courage and, as if about to die, stuffed the file into Lucas’s hands.

“He’s really excellent! Really, truly suitable for you, Admiral!”

Job vacancies were too troublesome for the operation of the office.

And no one wanted to deal with Lucas at work every day, which was really too miserable.

Lucas was about to curse, when he caught a glimpse of silver hair from the corner of his eye.

Silver?

Lucas picked up the file and looked at it.

The department head stared at Lucas hopefully, rubbing his hands together anxiously.

Pa!

Lucas tossed the file away and said: “Whatever.”

“Yes!”

. . . . . . . . 

Early in the morning, sunlight shone through the wisteria flowers in the floor-to-ceiling office window.

“Wu……”

Luo Ran opened his eyes, feeling that the effect of the jacket and the bed was too potent. The pheromones were so strong that he had no dreams last night, and he was no longer in so much pain that he couldn’t sleep.

“Wake up, Ranran.”

There was a familiar and gentle voice, a little bit hoarse.

“En.”

“…….”

There seemed to be something wrong.

Luo Ran turned his head, and his eyes widened in shock.

“Admir—”

“Mmph.”

Lucas held Luo Ran’s face and kissed him.

The kiss was not deep, and only rubbed across his lips. Although less passionate, it was a little more charming.

“Admiral……” Luo Ran looked at Lucas who was lying on top of him, and his tone trembled a little.

He was, he was back.

“You…..why didn’t you tell me?” Luo Ran asked in a daze. “When?”

In fact, he had been notified, but Luo Ran was in a coma at the time.

Lucas smiled and said: “If I told you, I wouldn’t have known you were like this in private.”

Lucas pointed to the jacket he was holding, and then at the bed beneath them.

Luo Ran’s face immediately flushed red.

“I……”

“You what?” Lucas raised an eyebrow and said: “You secretly love me so, so, so much, right?”

“Don’t you really like my pheromones?”

Lucas leaned over and hugged Luo Ran, letting him nestle into him, encircling this person with his jacket and arms. He said: “Do you like them or not?”

There was a strong smell of tobacco at the tip of his nose. It was an earthy scent.

Luo Ran wrapped his arms around Lucas’s waist and said nothing.

Lucas chuckled.

“Ranran.”

“En?”

“Did you miss me these few days?”

Luo Ran paused and said: “Admiral, you know I missed you very much.”

“Tsk…..” Lucas put his head on Luo Ran’s shoulder. “I know.”

The two simply embraced each other without speaking.

After a while, Luo Ran spoke: “Admiral, is the battle on Luobing over?”

“No, it’s only ended temporarily. Mu Yuan can hold on for the time being.” Lucas said: “I’ll be leaving after a while.”

Luo Ran frowned and said: “Admiral, I’m really okay. No matter what happens, I can take care of myself. You don’t have to…..”

Lucas interrupted: “I came back to have a look and decided to take you with me.”

“Ah…..?”

Lucas said: “Would you like to go to the front lines with me? It may be more dangerous, but I want to be selfish for a while. I promise to do my best to protect you.”

He didn’t feel anything before, but now that their relationship was confirmed, Lucas was very uncomfortable without Luo Ran by his side, and it was difficult for him to settle down.

There were naturally no distractions on the battlefield, but off the battlefield, he was always concerned.

He didn’t want to be separated.

But he didn’t want to use video, and most of the time he didn’t have time for video.

He wanted to hug Luo Ran to sleep.

Luo Ran stared blankly at Lucas.

After a moment’s pause, Luo Ran said: “Then let me be selfish for a while too.”

They couldn’t go on like this forever.

It might be bearable if they were Betas, but they were an Alpha and an Omega, both sensitive 3S’s, and Lucas spent most of the year on the battlefield. It was a precarious state.

Going to the battlefield with Lucas was the best solution.

Lucas was a little happy, kissing and biting Luo Ran messily from the start.

The water in the office had gone cold overnight. Lucas got up and said: “I’ll pour warm water for you to take medicine.”

“Okay.”

Lucas went out, and bumped into the captain of the investigation team.

Lucas stopped the captain and said with a raised eyebrow: “I’m back now, and no longer on the battlefield. I don’t need to concentrate so fully anymore, so you can tell me everything, right?”

The captain paused, then said: “Yes.”

Not daring to say anything, the captain directly handed the document in his hand to Lucas.

Lucas took it.

Luo Ran seemed to have sensed something, and also noticed the gradually disordered pheromones in the air, so he walked out of the office wearing Lucas’s jacket. 

“Admiral…..”

Lucas held the file, saying nothing.

After a moment, Lucas said expressionlessly: “We’re going to Cyril’s manor.”

Luo Ran paused, then put on his shoes and followed.

. . . . . . . 

Cyril’s manor could be considered the most luxurious in the Aldor family, at least a little better than the main house.

Knowing that Lucas had taken a small team to Cyril’s manor, the marshal and his wife hurried over.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” The marshal’s wife clutched Luo Ran anxiously.

Although Lucas hated his brother, he wouldn’t lead troops to barge in like this. After all, no matter how reckless Lucas was, he would also consider the direction of the future Aldor patriarch, and would not do anything to draw the ridicule of outsiders.

Luo Ran lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Lucas directly kicked open the gate, and the people he brought suppressed the manor guards.

“You…..what are you doing?”

Cyril went downstairs, and was shocked to see the battle in front of him.

Lucas strode forward, grabbed Cyril by the collar, and bam, smashed him against the wall.

Cyril’s head was instantly bloodied. The blood flowed down his forehead, and Lucas’s strength was clear in the way the other’s face went completely dazed.

“Lucas…..!” The marshal’s wife’s voice changed. This was her flesh and blood, after all, and she stepped forward to put a stop to this.

Then the team brought by Lucas immediately came forward and held her back from the left and right.

“One hundred and eighty five.” Lucas panted heavily. “One hundred, eighty-five.”

Cyril stared blankly at Lucas, still somewhat mystified.

“A total of one hundred and eighty-five people died in the Border Ravine, including Admiral Alton!” 

Lucas’s eyes were red, his chest heaving violently.

“A total of one hundred and eighty-five people, understand?!”

There were many Imperial soldiers, and this number was actually not much to the royal family or the council, who had never been on the battlefield. It was only a number, not to mention it wasn’t four digits or even two hundred.

But for Lucas, every one of them had a name. They were all comrades-in-arms. They were all people.

Only now did Cyril understand, and his face went pale.

“You piece of shit! That was your uncle!” Lucas wasn’t good with words, and even though his mind was a mess right now, he didn’t know how to rebuke him.

He just couldn’t understand.

He couldn’t understand it at all.

Why?

How could someone who was clearly a citizen of the Empire and a member of the Aldor family do something like tipping off the enemy?

What was the reason?

Why would he do this?

Lucas kicked Cyril and pushed him to the ground. “You are a citizen of the Empire! You’re not a star pirate!”

He really couldn’t understand why Cyril would do this.

“You are the eldest son of the Aldor family! Your surname is Aldor and you grew up in the capital!”

“Are you a star pirate?! No, you are clearly the descendant of a military family!”

Lucas shouted: “Even an Aldor dog knows not to bite its master!”

Lucas’s voice seemed to penetrate the roof, and his Alpha pheromones made everyone in the hall almost breathless.

Lucas’s uncontrollable fury and emotion filled his pheromones with aggression, and even Luo Ran felt that his breathing was shaky, as if there was something pressing down on his shoulders.

For every word Lucas spoke, he kicked Cyril, who was lying on the ground, gasping for breath and spitting up blood. His kneecaps were deformed, and he was crying out in pain.

The marshal’s wife and the marshal naturally tried to stop it.

“What is the problem, speak clearly!”

“Your brother is going to die!”

Lu Cheng, who had followed along, played the personal communicator on the spot.

The marshal and his wife were stunned at once.

The marshal’s wife froze in place, and then began to tremble.

Her fingertips shook.

The marshal turned his back, and no one could see his expression.

“One hundred and eighty-five!” Lucas gripped Cyril’s head and hit it continuously against the floor.

“Those one hundred and eighty-five people were soldiers, including your uncle, who was protecting you cowering, scheming bastards!”

“Why should they protect you and die for you?!”

Lucas was short-tempered, but never so out of control.

“Mom, Mom……help me, cough……help me……” Cyril struggled, reaching out a hand to the marshal and his wife.

The marshal’s wife knelt down and covered her tearful face.

After a moment, the marshal said: “As of today, Cyril will be removed from the Aldor family. He is no longer an Aldor.”

His back was facing everyone, so there was no way to know what his expression looked like, but his voice was as cold as ever.

“Mom…..Mom……” Cyril’s face was pale, and he was in disbelief.

The marshal’s wife shook her head with her face covered, crying so hard that she couldn’t breathe. 

Wrong, it was all wrong.

“Help……me……” Cyril had wounds all over his body, and his blood was all over the tiles.

“What are you afraid of, you won’t die.” Lucas panted. “You won’t die in your lifetime.”

Death was too easy.

There were so many tortures in this world, and Cyril was an Alpha with spiritual power. It was better to keep him alive.

“You……!” Cyril’s eyes widened in disbelief. “D-dead people…..can’t……be reborn. There’s no m-meaning……in torturing me……it’s just for……yourself……”

“Just for myself.” Lucas said with reddened eyes: “What kind of person do you think I am?”

“Cough……”

Cyril was taken away. In the future, his case would be heard in court.

That was why the marshall had announced his expulsion, so that it was Cyril who would be humiliated, and not the Aldor family.

The marshall’s wife couldn’t bear it anymore. She fainted, and was taken away by the marshall.

Lu Cheng tactfully led everyone away.

Only Lucas and Luo Ran remained in the hall.

Luo Ran stepped forward at once and hugged Lucas.

Lucas buried his head in Luo Ran’s shoulder and didn’t speak.

Luo Ran gently stroked the back of Lucas’s head.

Still silent, Lucas leaned against him.

Luo Ran released his own pheromones, gently dispelling the chaotic tobacco scent in the air.

“Ranran.”

Lucas’s voice was hoarse.

“En, Admiral.” Luo Ran hugged Lucas and said: “Admiral, listen to me.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s really not your fault.”

“En.” Lucas put his arms around Luo Ran’s back.

---

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Chapter Seventy-Seven << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Nine

If he was “very impressive,” then there must be some other rewards. So Liu Xian’an loosened his shoulders, neck, and back for him again, and this time his technique was much more gentle and considerate. Liang Shu felt that the fatigue he had accumulated in recent days seemed to be relieved altogether. He reached out and pulled the man into his arms: “Shall I massage you too?”

“Okay.” Liu Xian’an lowered his head and pointed at the back of his neck. “Here.”

The shoulders wrapped in pajamas were white and thin. The poems said that a beauty was like a plum blossom frozen in spring snow. If this was true, then Liang Shu was not willing to touch this thin body made of ice and snow too hard, and only massaged his muscles lightly, asking: “You eat and sleep all day long, so why haven’t I seen you grow more flesh?”

“I don’t eat much.” Liu Xian’an drew in a breath. “Go to the left.”

Liang Shu did as he said and bent his index finger, and within a few strokes, the person in his arms shrank into a ball. He struggled to run, but Liang Shu refused to let him go, grabbing his arm with one hand and his ankle with another. “Be obedient, don’t move.”

It was impossible not to move. Liu Xian’an was so grieved that tears were about to flow out, and his pajamas were rubbed so that the belt was loose. Liang Shu’s gaze slipped down the open neckline and thoroughly appreciated the light pink cherry blossoms. His grip became lighter, embracing that slender waist, and he lowered his head to kiss his cheek.

The promised massage turned into a pair of young lovers rubbing each other’s ears and temples. Liu Xian’an wrapped his arms around his shoulders and lay on the bed with a smile, the tips of their noses rubbing against each other. They kissed intimately for a while, and in the gaps between kisses, Liu Xian’an didn’t know what went through his mind, but he tilted his head with a laugh again, and couldn’t stop. He laughed so much that Liang Shu also became amused and hugged him tightly, asking: “What are you so happy about? Tell me.”

“It’s nothing,” Liu Xian’an said. “I just feel that this is very good.”

Liang Shu pressed the other’s moist lower lip with his thumb and rubbed it for a moment. He also felt that this was very good. In the past, his entire body was engulfed by the thirty thousand-li long desert wind, and the moon shone down on the powerful army in Liangzhou. He had thought he would be lonely and cold forever, and never thought that such a lazy sleeping immortal would be waiting at this corner of his life. He smiled and squeezed him, then kissed him lovingly and affectionately. The kiss caused Liu Xian’an to start to hide again, and only then did he calm down. The two fell asleep together.

A-Ning in the next room craned his neck to look two or three times. He didn’t wait for the young master to come back, but waited until the lights in His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s room were all extinguished, then sighed deeply and worriedly. Alas, such a lack of etiquette.

But Second Young Master Liu didn’t care about etiquette or impoliteness. He felt that he had never slept on such a soft and comfortable bed, so he stayed there until noon the next day as a matter of course, and was finally woken up by A-Ning’s forceful push.

“Young Master!” He said, “You’ve overslept!”

Liu Xian’an was forcefully pulled up by him. He yawned for a moment, then looked around and asked: “The prince has left?”

“His Highness left early in the morning. Everyone should be in the study right now.” A-Ning shook his clothes out. “Stretch out your hands.”

Liu Xian’an reluctantly put on his clothes, but after putting them on, he fell straight back and persevered in not moving, too lazy to wash up. A-Ning had a lot of experience at this point. He folded his arms and stood beside the bed, saying: “The prince said that he would wait for the young master to have a meal together.”

“……” Sure enough, Liu Xian’an immediately sat up. “Where?”

The dining area in the front courtyard.

It was rare to have such a sunny day in winter, so Liang Shu instructed someone to set up a dining table in the courtyard along with a steaming hot pot of cured pork with sweet glutinous rice and fresh, sweet mushrooms dried in summer. Gao Lin took a sip of the soup and said to Ku You: “Hey, this tastes really fresh, what a good thing. Pack a bag for me when I go.”

“They’re just ordinary mushrooms,” Ku You said. “They are sold everywhere in the Southwest. If you want them, let alone a bag, a cartload would not cost you much. But don’t buy them yourself, I’ll do it. Otherwise, if you meet a profiteer, they will mix in poisonous mushrooms and sell them as good mushrooms, and I fear you will eat them and then have to search for the villain everywhere.”

Gao Lin was caught off guard, and almost choked on his soup. Liu Xian’an patted his back twice and said: “I’ve read records of these in books. In the early years, many wizards used poisonous mushrooms to extract toxins and used them to pretend to be gods and ghosts to entrap people. Are there still such incidents now?”

“There are, but most of them happen in remote villages and towns. In slightly more prosperous places, people no longer believe in these things.” Ku You said, “The government’s years of hard work are still evident, but the hateful cult is pervasive. Often, when one hole is filled in, they start causing trouble in other places.”

For example, the so-called “Baifu Buddha Mother” was just a stone statue, but now she had been reborn into this world as a girl. Ku You continued to speak to everyone about the cult. Liang Shu took a pork rib that was cooked until it was crispy, removed the hard bone, and left the meat in the bowl. After letting it cool down, he pushed the bowl in front of Liu Xian’an: “Don’t focus on these stories, eat.”

Ku You was shocked by this set of smooth, caring movements. He hadn’t become accustomed to this sort of big scene yet. Gao Lin just patted his shoulder with the attitude of someone who had seen the world. This is nothing, really. There will be more such behavior from the prince in the future, and you will get used to it gradually.

. . . . . .

In the afternoon, the scoundrel named Wang Quan from the neighboring village was brought back to Garrison City. Seeing the soldiers with long swords all over the city, he was so frightened that he wet his pants first, and before being interrogated, he took the initiative to speak up and reveal everything about the Baifu Sect. He raised his head and swore: “My lord, I don’t believe in this stuff, not even half of it!”

Ku You said: “But how did I hear that you are running all over the place, being extremely diligent in developing your recruitment business?”

Wang Quan admitted with a bitter expression: “Yes, that is because there is money to be made, and it is settled on a per capita basis.” And the salary was not low. So this scoundrel pretended to believe wholeheartedly, seemingly pious, but it was all for business behind the scenes.

“Who is your superior?”

“Zhang Magan, but he died of illness a while ago. When he was dying, I went to collect my debts.”

“What debts?”

“I have recruited many people to join the congregation, and according to the agreement, he had to pay me, ah. But I went late, and when I got to the door, I found out that he was dying, unable to speak. His family was clamoring to report to the government authorities, so I had no choice but to leave.”

Wang Quan didn’t know who Zhang Magan’s superior was. Like Qiu Cheng, he could only speak of Raven City and a jade business. However, he provided a new clue that Qiu Cheng hadn’t known. This time, the place where the believers would pay homage was on a dangerous peak called White Crown.

Liu Xian’an had also heard about this mountain. It was one of the highest mountains in the Southwest, and was also one of the few mountaintops that had snow in winter. When the sun shone, the entire mountain looked pure and radiant, which was really suitable for someone pretending to be a god. But there were almost no access paths, and even martial arts masters needed to exert effort to climb the mountain. It would be very difficult for ordinary people to manage it.

“It’s still horrible weather right now,” Gao Lin said. “Even if you are tired from climbing, you can’t rest. If you sit for a while, you will likely be stiffened by the cold mountain wind.”

“This is the way the Baifu Sect accurately screens out everyone but fools,” Liang Shu said. “Otherwise, if the location was set at a restaurant in the city, everyone could join the fun and have a drink, so how could it highlight their fanaticism and loyalty to the saint? In my estimation, it is for the same reason that they change the set time back and forth and play around with the believers. They screen out those with brains and good dispositions, and the ones left behind are the puppets they want most of all.”

“The White Crown is near Raven City.” Liu Xian’an asked, “Shall we go as well?”

“We’ll go.” Liang Shu said, “Let’s go meet that Holy Maiden of the Baifu Sect.”

. . . . . .

Raven City was farther south than Garrison City, and the weather was naturally warmer. Liu Xian’an didn’t even need to wrap up in a fur cloak, and had also lost his cotton coat. He sat in the carriage with a heater in his hands, watching the bustling crowds outside the window.

In the twelfth lunar month, the spirit of the New Year was already very strong. Unlike Baihe City with its white walls and black tiles, the New Year here was much more colorful. From time to time, a stall owner sang a few lines of folk songs, and the proprietress at the inn also stood at the door to join in. But she stopped singing midway and wiped her hands on her apron, going forward to welcome the guests: “Will these masters be staying at the inn?”

“Yes.” Gao Lin tossed her a piece of silver. “My young master prefers quiet, so he’ll take the whole establishment.”

“Ah, then there is nothing that can be done.” The proprietress was apologetic. “My inn is nearly full, and it’s even a squeeze to get an upper room.”

Gao Lin asked: “Then where else is there?”

“It’s the same for other establishments, I don’t talk nonsense about business.” The proprietress said, “There have been more people in Raven City recently, so there are more customers.”

“Why are there so many people?” Gao Lin pretended to be puzzled. “It’s almost New Year’s Eve. We are Northerners and can’t make it back. Could that be the case for the other guests as well?”

“Who knows, it’s hard to say.” The proprietress said, “Are you still unwilling to stay here? My shop is the cleanest and most comfortable in the city.”

“We’ll stay.” Gao Lin smiled. “We’ll take the rest of the guest rooms.”

Everyone had changed their appearances before entering the city. Even A-Ning had a pinched pair of droopy eyes, and if  the First Young Master and Third Young Lady saw him, they wouldn’t be able to recognize him. Liu Xian’an sat in the guest room and carefully looked himself over in the mirror. “This time the face isn’t too bad.”

Liang Shu was amused: “Listen to what you’re saying. You sound like an evil spirit who came out of the mountains and stole someone’s good-looking face.”

“If the evil spirit had the prince’s disguise technique, I fear there would be no need to snatch one.” Liu Xian’an set down the mirror. “Come on, let’s go for a stroll.”

“Are you hungry or what? You’re so diligent.” Liang Shu staggered as he was dragged out by him. The two of them walked down the street. It was past lunchtime, and only a few stalls hadn’t closed yet.

“Do you want to eat rose wine cake?”

“Yes.”

The boss was watching the fire in the stove. When he saw two more customers standing in front of the stall, he quickly stood up and waved his hands, saying: “Not selling, not selling, this is the last pot.”

Liang Shu asked: “Why aren’t you selling the last pot?”

“It was ordered by the customers at the tea house, and they said they will come down to pick it up once it is steamed.”

Liang Shu followed the direction he was pointing and turned around. He saw a table of people sitting at a table on the second floor of the teahouse, and they were also looking this way.

“Never mind, let’s go eat something else.” Liu Xian’an grabbed Liang Shu’s sleeve and walked to the other side of the alley.

In the teahouse, a maid said bitterly: “Looking at their backs, they seem like such handsome and unrestrained young masters. I never thought that when they turned around, their faces would be so ordinary.”

Wumeng Yunle set down the teacup in her hand. She was also wearing a disguise mask, and asked: “Are they here to see me too?”

“Coming to Raven City at this time, there are nine out of ten chances that they are.” The maid said, “If the Miss is curious, I will go back and check the list.”

---

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Chapter Seventy-Four << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Six

After Alton picked up the little one from the cave and went back, he began to worry.

There was naturally no food in the cave, and it was impossible for the little one to hunt, so with Pure City having been destroyed half a year ago, what had he been eating for the past six months?

Alton took the doctor’s advice and had the kitchen boil eggs before mashing them up.

Holding the bowl in his hand, Alton looked at the little one lying on Lucas, and was dumbfounded. He stepped forward and said: “Aiya, come down, little one.”

“Yiya…..” Little Luo Ran grabbed Lucas’s neck and refused to let go.

Lucas was strangled by the neck, and wondered: “Why is he sticking to me?”

“He’s attached like a baby bird.” Alton smiled and shook the eggs in front of Luo Ran.

Luo Ran blinked, then turned his head to stare blankly.

Alton carefully fed Luo Ran small bites, and the big, tall man felt helpless against such a soft dumpling.

After the child had eaten a bowl of eggs, Alton finally succeeded in abducting him into his arms.

Holding Luo Ran, Alton grinned at Lucas and said: “Aiyo, he’s so soft, completely the opposite of you, you stiff little brat.”

“There’s no telling what this little guy will differentiate into when he grows up. A Beta is okay, but if he’s an Alpha or Omega, that would be incredible. After all, he’s a child of Pure City.”

Some people like Lucas were differentiated from birth, but others had to wait until adulthood.

Lucas looked at the child who had his face buried in Altons neck and said: “He has no parents, and they can’t be found. Then in the future……”

After a doctor examined him, it was confirmed that Luo Ran had lost his memory. He had aphasia and lesser cognitive function after living in a cave for half a year, and even the functions of his body had changed a lot.

By the time the patrol reached his cave, the stones and the insect had vanished. They didn’t know what was going on, and only thought this was because he had been disconnected from the outside world for so long. After all, it was a miracle in itself that the child had survived.

“Naturally, he’ll live a good life in the capital in the future. We’ll have to send him back to receive rehabilitation and formal education. Look at him, he can’t even speak now. He needs a teacher to show him how to live in human society again. How could he go with us everywhere for battle?” Alton raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Why? You’re reluctant to part with him and want to keep him? How about we adopt him into the family as your future spouse?”

“No!” Lucas’s face reddened, and he glared angrily. “Absolute nonsense, how old is he?”

“Hahaha……” Alton loved to tease Lucas the most. He kicked Lucas on the ass and said: “Silly bastard, what kind of spouse do you want? Go train!”

“Wu…..” Little Luo Ran bit Alton’s shoulder quite aggrievedly when the big one drove the little one away.

“Hungry again?” Alton deliberately teased. “He picked a small leaf from the potted plant on the desk and held it up to tickle Luo Ran’s nose and ears.

“Ao-wu!”

However, little Luo Ran lifted his head to vigorously bite the leaf, as if extremely hungry.

Alton frowned slightly. The child had looked puzzled at the eggs, but treated the leaf as if it was food. Could it be possible……that this kid used to eat vegetation in the cave?

“Poor little thing, I’ll make you more eggs.” Alton carried little Luo Ran to the kitchen.

. . . . . . .

Luo Ran remembered.

He was once carried by Alton, Lucas’s uncle and true family, his father, who was once the hero embraced by the Empire.

It was Alton who sent him back to the Capital orphanage, arranged a doctor and a counselor for him, and in order to protect him from outsiders and star pirates, concealed his identity as a descendant of Pure City.

And after he went back for rehabilitation, his body that had been empty of food for half a year was properly treated, and finally broke down. He became seriously ill with a fever, and was muddleheaded for half a year, even losing his memory after he recovered.

Luo Ran slowly opened his eyes.

“You’re awake.” Xia Zhi was sitting to the side, reading a book. Upon seeing that Luo Ran had woken up, he poured him water.

Luo Ran stared blankly at Xia Zhi.

“You’ve been transported back from the mountain.” Xia Zhi rubbed Luo Ran’s hair and and said. “You were injured again. You really are……”

“I didn’t expect this either.” Luo Ran smiled and said in a hoarse voice, “It happened so suddenly.”

Luo Ran supported himself on the bed and sat up to take the water, his head still buzzing. He drank the water, then pressed his temples and kneaded them gently. 

Xia Zhi sighed and said: “You originally had a bad spiritual injury. The combination of UNK and the mecha wasn’t good before, and now you’ve been injured again. I’ve already injected you with a lot of sedatives and painkillers, and it will be bad for your health if you have more. You can only wait for the Admiral to come back or take care of it yourself.”

“It’s all right.” Luo Ran adjusted his breathing and said: “The pain isn’t unbearable, just a little uncomfortable.”

Like someone holding a needle and poking it into him every now and then.

“En, if you really can’t stand it, let me know.” Xia Zhi gently rubbed Luo Ran’s shoulder. “I was really afraid for you. Next time you have something to do, don’t go out, just let the people below you do it. You are a target of the star pirates.”

Luo Ran nodded: “I’ll be careful next time.”

It was truly difficult for him to run around outside anymore. Even if the team he led was powerful and elite, accidents could still happen.

It wasn’t that Luo Ran was afraid of accidents. He just didn’t want to put himself in danger, lest Lucas worry about him while on the battlefield.

“What happened?” Luo Ran asked. “Why was I spiritually attacked out of nowhere?”

“Ah…..”

In order to facilitate the treatment, Xia Zhi had also learned about the situation from Lu Cheng and the research institute, and explained to Lu Ran about the giant insect that had been detected.

“But we can’t determine the insect’s true appearance, and there is only an infrared picture.”

“Can I take a look?” Luo Ran frowned slightly. Could it be……

Xia Zhi showed Luo Ran the picture on his terminal, and Luo Ran immediately had a subtle feeling.

Upon seeing its square head, Luo Ran recognized it. It was indeed the insect he had met in the cave as a child, but it hadn’t been this big back then.

“Maybe…..it didn’t come to attack me.” Luo Ran frowned slightly.

He had lived in the cave for half a year without the insect attacking him. On the contrary, perhaps it was due to the insect’s energy that he was able to survive.

“It’s hard to say. We don’t know what it is. But you’ve been unconscious for a day and a half, and the research institute has already made a preliminary judgment.” Xia Zhi took an apple and peeled it for Luo Ran, telling him about the research institute’s discovery that day.

“First of all, we know that ice mines are produced due to the energy of geological processes. There are countless movements, changes, and creatures underground. The environment is not suitable for us when the ground reaches a certain level, and drones will also be shot down by unknown creatures, so this has always been an unknown field.”

After the creation of the universe, people had discovered countless unknown areas, but each group kept to themselves. 

Xia Zhi continued: “Experts calculated the energy and strength of the insect. They have inferred that it came from that unknown underground area, and the lines on its back are likely underground magma.”

Luo Ran said with a frown: “Then why did it come up…..?”

“It should be because it came from the ground in East Luobing. Not only is the largest primary ice mine located there, but also countless other large and small mines. The excavation projects there are so frequent and deep that they even changed the geology, and the east is also connected to the ocean and seabeds. Perhaps the insect came up when it felt the fluctuations in the ground……”

“I understand.”

“The research institute has also speculated and determined the species.” Xia Zhi showed Luo Ran the photos on the database. “The code for this kind of insect is EX1. They are originally small in size, but will absorb the energy of the land and the movement of the planet’s crust to make a hard shell to protect themselves. Radiant energy is released during the construction process, just like humans breathe oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Now there is UNK in the present world, so we can make the connection and deduce that the unknown energy source is likely what allows the ice mines to evolve into UNK. After all, wherever UNK appears, the insect’s energy traces are also there.”

Luo Ran’s chaotic brain struggled to absorb this.

“You mean that the insect that suddenly appeared came up from the ground due to excessive excavation, and because of the construction process of its hard shell, it released energy that caused the stone to evolve into UNK?”

“Yes, but nobody has actually seen the insect thus far, so it is uncertain if it is EX1. And even if it is, nobody has really encountered it, so the descriptions in databases and textbooks might not be accurate. Everything is just guesswork.”

Luo Ran lowered his eyes, thinking silently.

He thought this information should be correct, and if it was correct, then by inference, he should have met the insect in the cave before, absorbed the energy it released, and evolved with the other stones so that he didn’t die.

And when he was an adult, he evolved into a 3S Omega.

But human beings were not stones. All those Omegas, including him, had side effects after being exposed to UNK.

Then why did he absorb the energy for half a year and turn out fine?

Luo Ran took the apple Xia Zhi handed to him and absently took a bite.

Why were there no side effects? What made him different from the others? It couldn’t be because he was from Pure City. In the end, Pure City only had a little higher spiritual power, so his outbursts were not as serious as others.

“Xiaxia.”

“En?”

“Since the government and the research institute know about the insect, what are they going to do?”

As soon as he mentioned this, Xia Zhi got a headache: “Aiya, don’t talk about it, history is repeating itself. The First Prince and the Second Prince just had that fight over the use of UNK, and now this insect has started it up again.”

The First Prince advocated capturing it and making the insect create new UNK and energy for them, while the Second Prince’s side hoped that the military could find and kill the insect in order to avoid trouble in the future.

When Luo Ran finished eating the apple, Xia Zhi thoughtfully handed him a tissue. 

Luo Ran asked while wiping his hands: “Then what do you think?”

“Me…..? I don’t know……” Xia Zhi scratched his head and said: “I just think that all things grow together and balance each other, and since UNK is a product of nature, there must be something balancing it. Otherwise, that big insect wouldn’t be able to survive by itself, would it? The animals and plants near UNK wouldn’t be able to survive, right? It’s just that none of us know what that thing is.”

If it could be found, there would be no need to bother with the insect, and UNK could be refined and used while eliminating the aftereffects.

“Never mind, let’s not talk about it. Don’t worry about the outside world, first take care of your body and your spiritual state.” Xia Zhi got up and said: “I’ll turn out the light. You have a good rest first.”

“Wait.” Luo Ran stopped Xia Zhi and said with a bit of embarrassment. “That…..”

“Huh?”

“Tomorrow, I want to be discharged from the hospital so that I can go back to the office to recuperate.”

“Are you crazy?!” Xia Zhi stared. “You still want to go to work?! What, the Empire will perish without you tomorrow, is that it!? Your body still needs……”

“Xiaxia……!” Luo Ran interrupted Xia Zhi’s wild commentary and said with some shame, “I’m not going to work when I go back.”

“Then what the hell are you going to do when you go back, ah!”

Xia Zhi, a gentle physician, was forced into swearing by Luo Ran.

Luo Ran had no choice but to tell the truth: “The Admiral’s room is at the office……”

Xia Zhi was taken aback.

He scratched his chin. “Fine.”

. . . . . . . .

The next day, Luo Ran finished his final checkup and returned to the office with his medications.

Back in the familiar office, Luo Ran glanced at the jacket hanging on the office chair.

Although its owner had been away for a long time, it was worn often, after all, and still carried a trace of pheromones.

Luo Ran lay down on Lucas’s bed with the jacket in his arms.

It truly felt a lot more comfortable.

Luo Ran wrapped himself in the jacket, burrowed into the bed that Lucas had used for several years, and a residual tobacco scent stirred up.

Looking at the dense wisteria flowers in the window, Luo Ran’s thoughts began to go wild.

His mind lingered at the moment Lucas found him at the mouth of the cave.

He couldn’t remember it clearly after so many years, and there was only a vague outline and an impression of someone good-looking.

That was the first person he saw after losing contact with the outside world.

Did Lucas still remember?

Luo Ran suddenly remembered what the First Prince had inadvertently said at a banquet before. At that time, he had applied for the position of Lucas’s secretary. There were people from the Royal Academy competing with him, but he was hired in the end.

Could it be…..

As Luo Ran contemplated, he felt more and more uncomfortable as his thoughts moved. He swallowed a mouthful of medicine and fell asleep in a daze.

. . . . . . . .

Comfortable.

Luo Ran slept from the afternoon to the middle of the night, and woke up feeling comfortable.

The scent of tobacco was very strong. He felt that he was being gently embraced, warm and comfortable, and the pain in his head was reduced by a lot.

Luo Ran opened his eyes and saw Lucas’s hale and hearty features.

“Wu……” 

Luo Ran stretched out his hand to Lucas in a daze.

Lucas held it.

Luo Ran blinked.

Was he dreaming……?

Luo Ran grinned and grasped Lucas’s face, saying arrogantly: “Hold on tighter.”

“Okay.” Lucas nodded, and indeed held him tighter.

Luo Ran fell asleep again in Lucas’s arms.

Lucas gazed fixedly at Luo Ran, and said in a whisper: “Silly Ranran.”

After the battle finally came to an end, he had tried his utmost to rush back as soon as possible.

Then as soon as he returned, he saw Luo Ran wrapped up in his jacket, curled up in his bed and sleeping senselessly. 

This was something that Lucas had never seen before, as it was impossible for Luo Ran to act so dependent in front of him.

Lucas hugged him.

Then, Luo Ran woke up and reached out to him like he had done in the cave many years ago.

“Good night.” Lucas held the man and released his pheromones gently.

---

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Chapter Seventy-Six << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Eight

The originally small living room was packed with people.

Shu Wan was still thinking about dinner, and ran back to the kitchen without a word, leaving room for the young people to talk.

Pei Yi glanced at Li Yuan, whose foot was injured somehow, and then secretly at Yan Cen, completely seized by curiosity.

“Pear Garden, why don’t you come sit in my bedroom for a while.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of Bo Yueming, Qin Yishun, and the others all turned away.

As a first-time guest, Li Yuan was restrained. “Huh?”

“I want to ask you something about work.”

Pei Yi gave a suitable reason and gently supported his friend. “Let’s go to my room for a moment.”

Pei Yuan looked at the two of them, and her belated ‘sister instincts’ broke out. “You two go in, just remember to come out for dinner later.”

Pei Yi responded with a light smile, “Sister, you’re busy, I’ll come out and help later.”

As he spoke, he gave Bo Yueming a veiled look.

Behave well, don’t be nervous—

Bo Yueming understood the hint in his lover’s eyes, and nodded imperceptibly.

The bedroom door shut again.

Isolating the four figures in the living room and also blocking Li Yuan’s inner anxiety and awkwardness.

Li Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, and the coldness at the corners of his eyes eased a little.

Pei Yi had his friend sit on a wooden chair, and sat on the bed facing him. “Weren’t you uncomfortable? It’s just the two of us here now, is it better?”

“It’s fine. I’m a little slow to warm up to the outside world.”

In the past, when he was the young master of a wealthy family, he could use cold arrogance to hide his reticent character. Later, he had to go all out for work.

Pei Yi understood. He picked up the thermos on the bedside table and poured a sweet pear soup from it. “Come on, have a taste?”

“My mom made it early in the morning and hid it here. I’ll secretly share half with you.”

Li Yuan took the warm sugar water, and the faintly rising heat carried a sweet scent that he liked very much. “Auntie seems very kind.” 

Although the two were cousins by blood, Shu Wan should be called “Aunt” according to seniority.^[1]

But he didn’t want anything to do with the Pei family, and always felt more at ease addressing her as Auntie.

Pei Yi pretty much understood what his friend was thinking. He didn’t care about the rules of these titles and just acknowledged, “En, she’s a very tough but gentle person. You’ll know after you meet her a few more times.”

He didn’t want to repeatedly emphasize the fact that “Shu Wan and Qin Yishun were good people” with his friend. He knew—

People with soft hearts could recognize each other through contact, not through verbal explanations.

Li Yuan took a sip of sweet pear soup and felt a lot more at ease. “Pei Yi, what work did you want to talk to me about?”

Pei Yi’s eyes flickered to his left foot. “Tell me first, how did you hurt your foot? Is it serious?”

“……”

Li Yuan was silent for a second or two, then admitted truthfully, “Didn’t I go to GM for the project summary meeting today?”

Pei Yi nodded. “En, then what?”

Li Yuan hid a little bit of the truth, and only said, “In the end, I couldn’t hold back my craving for cigarettes, so I hid in an access corridor and secretly took two smokes. I don’t know how Mr. Yan found me in the end…..”

He had initially wanted to be alone and hide away his worries, so Li Yuan smoked while pacing up and down the stairs.

He had only smoked half a cigarette when he heard the swish of the access door opening—

The moment he turned his head and saw Yan Cen’s figure, Li Yuan inexplicably panicked. His foot slipped, he stepped on air, and he fell down. 

Thinking of his unfortunate and embarrassing behavior not long ago, Li Yuan wished he could find a hole in the ground and crawl into it!

“It hurts a little bit, but the injury isn’t serious. It’ll probably be healed in ten to fifteen days. The doctor said to avoid running and intensive movement for a month.”

“It takes a hundred days for a bone to knit and tendons to heal. You need to be more careful.”

Pei Yi remembered that common saying. He said, “It’s just a few days off, so you should just stay at home and avoid going out. If Brother Xiang and the studio have any problems, I’ll go over, don’t worry about it.”

The two had always worked together with a division of labor, but they could also bolster each other when things went wrong.

Li Yuan broke out in his first smile of the day. “En.”

Pei Yi seized the opportunity to ask, “Then tell me, what’s going on with you and Yan Cen?”

Li Yuan looked away from his friend’s gossipy line of sight. “What do you mean what’s going on?”

“It was Yan Cen who took you to the hospital, then took you downstairs, and even carried you to the fourth floor, right?”

Pei Yi had seen through everything a long time ago, and clicked his tongue in wonder. “The dignified Executive Director of GM, why is he willing to spend this time and effort on you?”

Li Yuan suppressed his embarrassment. “I’m still a legal shareholder of YWY, and a partner in his investment project.”

Pei Yi raised his eyebrows. “Stop using this routine on me again.”

He still remembered “Yan Cen’s” description in the original text—

Although he was refined in appearance and gentle toward others, his gentleness was measured and he would not easily cross the line.

Lay aside those things before. If he was just an ordinary friend and partner, Yan Cen could easily arrange an assistant to help, and there was no need to do everything himself.

Li Yuan was blocked, and couldn’t speak. His heart was still a mess.

Pei Yi noticed his furrowed brow and asked uncertainly, “Pear Garden, what are you worried about? If Yan Cen has other thoughts about you, isn’t that good? You……”

In the middle of speaking, Pei Yi stopped and said, “I’m sorry, I’m being too nosy.”

Li Yuan looked at his good friend and shook his head. “It’s okay, I knew you had noticed it a long time ago, and you kept silent to give me face.”

“I just wasn’t sure what Yan Cen’s attitude was toward you, so I didn’t want to say anything.” Pei Yi simply asked, “Pear Garden, why don’t you dare to let him try?”

“Try what? Should I say that I had a crush on him, a senior, since university?” Li Yuan gave a complicated laugh, expressing his thoughts—

“Pei Yi, I don’t want to use these kinds of feelings to snatch him.”

If Yan Cen desired him or had a crush, then fine, that was all his business.

Li Yuan felt that he himself should not, and was also not qualified to speak out about these years of feelings, to forcibly place them in front of the other party and demand that he give him the response he wanted.

Pei Yi remained silent.

He knew that everyone had their own way of dealing with feelings.

Li Yuan calmed himself down. “In the past six months, we’ve had occasional contact at work. He’s taken good care of me, but I can’t let it go wrong.”

Li Yuan believed that he and Yan Cen were not close enough to discuss personal feelings, and what he didn’t tell Pei Yi was that—

Yan Cen was the only child in the family.

Even though same-sex marriage was commonplace now, he was born in a decent wealthy family and in the future, he should find a girl from a reputable family to marry.

If the two really dated, his gender and family background would not be recognized by the other’s family.

“…….”

Li Yuan thought about it for a moment, and when his focus returned, he laughed bitterly—

It was really getting more and more outrageous!

How could he imagine what would happen next?

It had been a long time since Pei Yi had seen his friend look so lonely. “Pear Garden?”

“It’s nothing.”

Li Yuan clenched his cup tightly, and drank two more sips of sweet pear soup in order to suppress the bitterness that had not filled his heart for a long time.

Pei Yi thought for a moment, then said, “Yuan, I should have told you more than once—”

“What?”

“You are excellent.” Pei Yi straightforwardly gave him credit. “You deserve all the good things!”

“I understand, you have been around excellent people since you were young, so you will inevitably feel a gap after encountering setbacks.”

Just like Li Yuan, whose family went bankrupt, Pei Huan after he learned the truth, and Bo Guancheng who was now in custody.

“But you must know that the standards of this world should never be measured by family background.”

“Most people are born in ordinary families, and some are abandoned as orphans at birth.”

Pei Yi was aware that he had experienced hard times, and also enjoyed a short life of a rich young master, and then eventually became an ordinary person. 

So what?

He relied on his own efforts to get what he wanted step by step!

If Pei Yi could do it, then so could Li Yuan.

Perhaps in matters of love, Pei Yi, who was in the exploratory period, could not give his friend much help or advice. But in other respects, he didn’t want Li Yuan to lack the most basic self-confidence.

Hearing Pei Yi’s remarks, a glimmer of light flickered in Li Yuan’s eyes. “Pei Yi.”

“En?”

Li Yuan said truthfully, “Sometimes when I look at you, I feel like you shouldn’t talk like this at your age, and that your mental age is much more mature than mine.”

Pei Yi didn’t deny this.

The more things a person experienced, the more they would understand.

“Don’t worry, I know what you mean. Right now, I just want to do well in my career.”

Li Yuan confessed his thoughts, “I abandoned my family background as my solid ground, so now I have to be my own backer.”

“Maybe one day, with my career as my most solid trump card, I can also face the love that I want.”

Pei Yi detected the sincerity and motivation in his friend’s words, and responded with a smile, “Isn’t it just business, ah? I’ll accompany you.”

Li Yuan raised the sweet pear soup in his hands. “Then cheers.”

Pei Yi picked up the remaining half bowl. “Cheers!”

. . . . . . .

On the sofa in the living room, Bo Yueming and Yan Cen glanced at the bedroom door from time to time.

Qin Yishun, on the other hand, quietly observed them. Especially Yan Cen, who had suddenly entered the door with “impudence.”

Pei Yuan came out of the kitchen with some uncooked ingredients, and was surprised after seeing the situation. “Brother, what are you guys doing in here? Are you not going to talk?”

Qin Yishun had no such feelings. “En, we’re not familiar.”

“……”

“……”

Bo Yueming and Yan Cen exchanged glances, feeling as if they had been blacklisted.

Qin Yishun looked at the bag of food in Pei Yuan’s hand. “Do you need help?”

“En.”

Pei Yuan knew Qin Yishun’s cold on the outside but warm on the inside personality, and wasn’t afraid of him at all. “There is one bag of small potatoes and one bag of beans. The potatoes need to be peeled, and the beans should be cut into small pieces.”

“I wasted a little time just now, so I need to hurry up.”

Pei Yuan couldn’t trouble Bo Yueming and Yan Cen, who were considered “guests,” so she could only command her cousin. “Brother, will you help me?”

Qin Yishun nodded and took the bag, saying, “Go back to the kitchen and help Auntie. We’ll handle these few things.”

“Ah?”

Pei Yuan glanced at Bo Yueming and Yan Cen uncertainly. These two looked like pampered wealthy young masters who never got their hands dirty. Could they do such a thing?

“Ah, what?” Qin Yishun was nonchalant, looking at Bo Yueming and Yan Cen next to him with a hint of scrutiny. “Is there a problem?”

Bo Yueming remembered the expression in Pei Yi’s eyes before he entered the room. “There’s no problem.”

Yan Cen reached up to push up his lenses, covering up the gleam in his eyes. “I came here brazenly to eat, so of course I’ll help with this small thing.”

Qin Yishun scoffed unobtrusively. “Okay, you two take care of this bag.”

As he spoke, he handed the bag of dirty potatoes to Bo Yueming and Yan Cen.

“……”

“……”

Seeing this, the two who had been straightforward just now simultaneously fell into an awkward silence.

Pei Yuan suppressed a smile. “Wait a moment, I’ll teach you.”

Soon after, she went back to the kitchen and fetched a basin of clear water and two small steel spoons, then taught them how to do it by hand. “This kind of small potato is easy to peel. When it gets wet, you can scrape it off with the edge of the spoon.”

Bo Yueming and Yan Cen watched carefully, and got started at once.

The more Pei Yuan watched, the more she felt like the two of them were pretty good. She glanced at the closed door and couldn’t help but quietly ask, “You’ve been around Xiao Yi and Xiao Li a lot. What do you think of them?”

When thinking of his lover, Bo Yueming had no shortage of compliments. “In fact, Pei Yi is excellent and very smart. He’s also very cute when he occasionally gets a temper.”

Yan Cen answered unconsciously, “Mr. Li as well.”

As soon as his voice fell, everyone heard a crisp crack.

Qin Yishun, who was sitting on the sofa, forcibly broke in half the long beans in his hand.

He pretended to be calm and threw the beans into the basket. “Xiao Yuan, you go to the kitchen, we can handle things here.”

Pei Yuan stopped chatting. “I’ll trouble you, then. Quickly, please!”

Bo Yueming and Yan Cen exchanged glances, and continued to peel potato skins.

The door to the room, which had been closed for a long time, finally opened less than a minute later.

Pei Yi helped Li Yuan out with his injured foot, and had just stepped out when he saw the “fantastical” situation in the living room—

Bo Yueming and Yan Cen, who could easily boast of investment projects worth tens or hundreds of millions, were now peeling potatoes.

Qin Yishun, who was used to holding weapons in actual combat, was now cracking beans.

These people who were nearly the same height nestled on the sofa, heads lowered as they focused on the work at hand. It seemed they were doing their utmost to see who could perform better.

Pei Yi couldn’t hold back, and snickered. “What are you doing?”

Bo Yueming looked at his lover. “You’re finished talking?”

Yan Cen’s attention was still on Li Yuan. “Mr. Li, your foot is hurt, come sit here. Don’t stand up for so long.”

Qin Yishun got up with the beans he had already cracked, smoothly protecting his cabbage. “Xiao Yi, you help Xiao Li and sit here.”

Pei Yi didn’t care about who sat where at this time. He turned his head and called toward the kitchen, “Mom, Sister, do you need anything? I can help too.”

“Don’t you two little brothers worry about it. Just sit and chat, rest, and wait for the meal.”

Qin Yishun carried his double-standard brother-protection to the end, and his eyes swung toward Bo Yueming and Yan Cen again. “Hurry up!”

These two were clearly impractical people who didn’t know how to cook.

If it took them so much time to peel potatoes, how could they take good care of others in the future?

Bo Yueming and Yan Cen didn’t speak. They both increased the speed of their hands—

Brother-in-law, future brother-in-law was not easy to mess with!

Seeing their uniform movements, Pei Yi and Li Yuan looked at each other, struggling to hold in their laughter.

Although they smiled, the two still went to help.

Everyone rushed to make a table of hot dishes before seven o’clock, and sat around the makeshift meal.

Shu Wan’s heart moved as she looked at the young people around the table.

After more than twenty years, she finally realized the meaning of liveliness again. “Everyone eat more, don’t hold back.”

Pei Yi was particularly supportive. “Mom, don’t worry, we’ll definitely eat up tonight. Right?”

Qin Yishun and Bo Yueming nodded one after another, as well as Li Yuan and Yan Cen, who were relative strangers.

Pei Yi took the initiative to stir up the atmosphere as an intermediary, asking and answering questions, and everyone also joined in to talk.

After the meal, the subtle sense of unfamiliarity had disappeared.

Shu Wan went back to her room before dinner was over, and when she came out again, there was a stack of heavy red envelopes in her hand.

She distributed them to the children one by one. “Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yi, Yishun, and Xiao Li, here are your New Year red envelopes.”

Pei Yuan was appropriately the most unrestrained. “Thank you, Mom!”

Even when it was only the mother and daughter, Shu Wan would always give her a red envelope for the New Year. This year’s red envelope had come early, but she still accepted it and gave thanks.

Pei Yi felt the thickness of the red envelope and was about to say something, when Shu Wan urged, “Take it!”

Shu Wan’s dream was for her youngest son to be healthy and by her side. This red envelope had been prepared every year, and was finally handed over this year.

Pei Yi changed his words. “Thank you, Mom. I’ll take it.”

Shu Wan smiled, and handed a red envelope to Qin Yishun and Li Yuan respectively.

“You two children can’t refuse. Just treat it as a gift from me and your uncle, this red envelope is for a peaceful new year.”

“I…..” Li Yuan hesitated.

Qin Yishun thought for a moment, then took the red envelope on Li Yuan’s behalf and stuffed it into the other party’s hands. “Why haven’t you said thank you yet?”

Li Yuan’s fingers tightened slightly on the red envelope, and he said sincerely, “Thank you….Auntie.”

Pei Yi saw his good friend slowly accepting his family, and smiled. “Mom, there are still people at this table who are jealous.”

Shu Wan heard him joke and said, “Silly child, don’t you see that I still have red envelopes in my hand?”

Having said this, she handed the remaining two red envelopes to Bo Yueming and Yan Cen. “Come, take them.”

This was the first time Bo Yueming had received a New Year’s red envelope. He looked over uncertainly at his lover, and accepted it after seeing him nod silently.

Yan Cen was surprised to also get one. “Auntie, are you sure it’s for me?”

“Giving out red envelopes during the New Year is for the liveliness!”

Shu Wan was in a good mood today, and stuffed it directly into his hands. “It’s not much money. You children who grew up in wealthy families, don’t hold it against me.”

Yan Cen maintained his gentle courtesy. “Of course we won’t hold it against you. Your kindness is the most important thing. This is the first time we’ve received such official New Year’s red envelopes.”

Bo Yueming nodded at his friend’s words.

The family backgrounds of the two were considered to be top-notch in the Imperial capital, but they seldom followed such traditional customs on the holidays. At most, there would be an extra sum of money in their bank card from time to time.

Cold as ice, not with the human warmth at this moment.

Pei Yi and the others took their red envelopes and conscientiously helped Shu Wan clean up the dining table.

It wasn’t until the clock on the wall moved to nearly ten o’clock that they thought of leaving.

Pei Yi considered the number of steps on these four floors, and recalled his friend’s foot. “Pear Garden, have someone carry you down. Don’t step on your foot and get hurt again.”

Yan Cen nodded. “I……”

Qin Yishun’s radar activated, and he answered the call first. “I’ll do it.”

He quickly walked up to Li Yuan and bent down slightly. “Xiao An, get on.”

Li Yuan declined. “I can do it myself, I won’t trouble you.”

“Where’s the trouble when a big brother carries his little brother?” Qin Yishun looked at Pei Yi. “When Xiao Yi was injured, I carried him on my back.”

Pei Yi received his older brother’s look and hastily nodded. “Pear Garden, get on quickly! Or do you want someone else to carry you?”

Li Yuan heard the second half of the sentence and said, “I don’t!”

After speaking, he climbed onto Qin Yishun’s back.

Yan Cen raised his hand slightly to support him, as if he was afraid that he would lose his balance and fall.

Pei Yi saw through him, but didn’t say anything. He took the initiative to hold Bo Yueming’s hand. “Mom, we’re leaving. I’ll see you again in two days.”

“Ai, be careful on the road!”

Shu Wan deliberately didn’t ask her son to stay overnight. Her heart was very content.

Pei Yi gathered up his coat, the curiosity of a younger brother hidden deep in his bones. “Mom, I’m going downstairs to see them off, I’ll be back later!”

. . . . . . .

The group of people went to the bottom of the residential building.

Pei Yi and Bo Yueming were going back to Bo Manor. Qin Yishun knew that he had no reason to stop him, so he could only ask another nominal little brother.

“Xiao An, how did you get here?”

Yan Cen answered instead. “He came in my car.”

Li Yuan nodded, adding, “I hurt my foot this afternoon, so Mr. Yan helped drive me.”

Pei Yi’s eyes flickered slightly, and he created an opportunity. “Everyone is coming and going. Brother, where you live is the opposite direction from us. Don’t send people back, go home and rest early.”

“…….”

Qin Yishun was easily blocked by his little brother’s words.

Everyone bid farewell to each other and got into their vehicles.

Pei Yuan had followed them downstairs, and saw this scene just as she wished. She smiled with joy on her face. “Brother, you said they’re a pair, and they look like a good match. Don’t you think so?”

Qin Yishun frowned slightly when he heard his cousin’s words—

Match?

This pair looked very annoying!

. . . . . . .

Time moved unknowingly to eleven o’clock.

Bo Yueming had just come out of the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe when Pei Yi, who was lurking outside the door, hung onto his body with his arms and legs.

“Er-ge!”

Bo Yueming quickly embraced him. “What are you waiting here for? Isn’t it cold?”

“The heater is on, how can it be cold?”

Pei Yi kissed the remaining drops of water on his lover’s Adam’s apple, and hooked him in. “Er-ge, I have something for you. Touch my pajama pocket.”

Bo Yueming’s breathing went tight, and he easily carried Pei Yi with one arm, leaving the other hand free to touch. “What is it?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he took out a red envelope from his lover’s pajama pocket.

Bo Yueming stared slightly, with a trace of surprise. “You prepared this for me?”

“En!”

Pei Yi explained, “I prepared it a long time ago. I wanted to wait for New Year’s to give it to you, but I didn’t expect that my mom would make one tonight. But it doesn’t matter—’

“It’s for you, and must be given to you sooner or later.”

Pei Yi looked into Bo Yueming’s eyes, and wished softly and earnestly, “I wish my Er-ge a happy and healthy New Year.”

Bo Yueming smiled softly and kissed his lover’s lips. “Thank you, kitten.”

After saying so, he carried Pei Yi and walked to the wine wall, gesturing to it.

“Open the second cabinet.”

“Ah?”

Pei Yi suddenly realized something, and opened it—

In the second cabinet were countless bottle openers, and also a thick red envelope lying there alone.

The upward arc of Pei Yi’s mouth widened slightly. “Er-ge, you prepared one too?”

Bo Yueming also didn’t deny it. “I initially wanted to wait for you to find it yourself when drinking on New Year’s Eve, but I didn’t expect you to give me a red envelope earlier. If I didn’t reciprocate the gift now, I would lose.”

Pei Yi burst out laughing and deliberately weighed the red envelope. “You didn’t lose, it’s quite a lot. What about the blessings?”

Bo Yueming set him on the bar and sincerely wished, “I also wish my little husband a happy and healthy New Year, with no fear, worry, or loneliness.”

Pei Yi’s heart beat intensely, and he leaned forward for a kiss. “With you here, I’m not afraid, worried, or lonely.”

Bo Yueming did as he wished, and kissed him gently. “It’s a holiday, you’re not going to work?”

Pei Yi heard the deep meaning in his words, and said boastfully, “En, if you have the ability, I can stay in bed for ten days!”

“…….”

Bo Yueming’s words overflowed with subtlety. “Is that so? Then Little Sir will have to hold on.”

---

[1] The formal address would be 婶婶, or ‘the wife of the father’s brother,’ but Li Yuan uses 阿姨, which is more informal and affectionate. ⮐

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Chapter Seventy-Six <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Eight

Seeing Liu Xian’an acquiesce, Qiu Cheng was overjoyed. Uncaring of the fact that he was still unable to move, he dragged his injured leg and was about to get out of bed, but grimaced from the pain and almost fell to the ground. He slapped himself angrily and stammered, “This…..Young Master, I can’t move, ah.”

“If you can’t move, then don’t go yet.” Liu Xian’an moved a chair over and sat down. “I heard that you plan to find the saint alone?”

“Yes, that liar Wang Quan took my money but refused to take me with him, so I planned to follow him secretly,” Qiu Cheng said. “He’s just an old rascal. He has a wife at home and a concubine outside, and wants to marry the Holy Maiden. Maybe the date set has been postponed again because the Holy Maiden thinks he’s dirty. Bah!”

“Yes.” Liu Xian’an nodded. “Then you tell me everything about Wang Quan, about joining the religion, and your plans and arrangements for the future. Tell me all about it, and just let me listen. After listening, I will judge whether you are qualified to see the saint this time.”

There were still many people standing outside in the courtyard at this time, listening to their conversation. Once people who had been brainwashed by the cult embarked on that wild goose chase, it was very difficult to get out again. Qiu Cheng believed that this fairy-like young master had the same status as the Baifu saint, and was filled with the spirit of “sacrifice and dedication.” Without any doubts, he immediately began to speak without asking the other party anything.

Qiu Cheng was just the lowest level of believer, and that old rascal Wang Chuan was his “guide.” As for Wang Chuan’s guide, Qiu Cheng didn’t know his name, but only knew that he was a merchant from Raven City who ran a jade business, had high status, and had seen the saint with his own eyes.

There was a wide road connecting Raven City and Cuili City, and the latter was the city with the most jade mines in the Southwest. Nearly every household in Raven City had something to do with the jade business. After Qiu Cheng racked his brain and finished speaking, he asked anxiously: “I can’t walk now, will the Holy Maiden be angry?”

“I don’t know.” Liu Xian’an shook his head. “I’m unfamiliar with her.”

Qiu Cheng’s eyes widened: “Unfamiliar?”

Liu Xian’an stood up and said: “The Baifu Sect has done much evil. There is no cure for it, but you should still be saved and rest at ease to recuperate.”

The Baifu Sect has done much evil. Qiu Cheng had been hearing such words over and over again recently. Father always said it, and Mother always said it. His ears had already grown callouses, but he refused to believe even half a word and remained dismissive, thinking that the reason others thought so was that they probably didn’t have spiritual roots. But now, the same words being said by this immortal jade-like man in front of him seemed to have some credibility. In any case, Qiu Cheng had never seen such a fairy-like appearance in the past twenty years, so he judged that the other party must not be mortal.

“Who is this young master?”

“A doctor.”

Qiu Cheng patted the edge of the bed: “Immortal Doctor!”

Anyway, no matter what, he had to be somewhat related to an immortal.

Liu Xian’an made no further rebuttals. He had already asked what needed to be asked, so he could be an immortal as long as this person didn’t run away from home to seek death again. And when he turned to leave, Qiu Cheng’s gaze was still very eager, and he felt that he had become a person chosen by two factions at the same time. No matter which was the real one…..in any case, he would be part of one faction, right? Shouldn’t he have no worries about not being rich in the future?

Everyone left the small courtyard, and Ku You said: “This Qiu Cheng is a hothead with no brains. He’s not a bad person, but has the stubborn personality of a bull. I brought him back from the mountains a while ago. Lao Qiu beat and scolded him, and asked him about the cult, but he stiffened his neck and didn’t say a word. I didn’t expect that when he saw Second Young Master Liu, he would come clean like spilling beans out of a bamboo tube.”

“He thought I was the companion of the Baifu Holy Maiden,” Liu Xian’an said. “About eighty percent of the merchants in Raven City are in the jade business. Will Commander Ku be able to send someone to find him?”

“The Wang Quan he was talking about is a ruffian from the next village, so it won’t be difficult to find him.” Ku You said, “I’ll send people to do this right now.”

. . . . . . 

Wumeng Yunle liked her swing very much, and spent most of her day sitting on it.

After Liu Hengchang finished his consultation with Feng Xiaojin, he went out to meet her and saluted with a bow: “Yunle-guniang.”

He had originally called her “Holy Maiden” like the rest of the congregation, but Feng Xiaojin didn’t like this title very much, and Wumeng Yunle always listened to this uncle, so Liu Hengchang was allowed to call her by her own name when they were in private.

“Help me take a look.” Wumeng Yunle stretched out her hand. “How am I doing recently?”

Liu Hengchang set down the tray in his hands and stepped forward to check her pulse, saying after a moment: “Miss should go into the Gu room less in the future. Otherwise, no much how much medicine you take, it will be difficult to recover fully.”

“But the other doctors said I was fine, and so did my brother.”

“Everyone has their own way of making a diagnosis.” Liu Hengchang insisted, “Perhaps the Southwest witch doctors think it is nothing, but in the eyes of a Central Plains doctor, poison is poison.”

Wumeng Yunle leaned on the swing, looked down at her blue nails for a moment, and suddenly raised her head to ask: “I heard that you were once a disciple of Baihe Mountain Village?”

Liu Hengchang nodded: “Yes.”

“Then you should have seen that Third Young Lady Liu.” Wumeng Yunle asked, “How beautiful is she?”

Liu Hengchang said: “I worked in the pharmacy for a while, so I saw the Third Young Lady every day, but in Baihe Mountain Village, no one actually paid too much attention to how beautiful she was. When the Third Young Lady was at home, she didn’t dress up much, because she was busy treating illnesses and saving lives. So like us, she often wore coarse clothing that was convenient for working, and her hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin. She looked like an ordinary medical student girl.”

“A coarse dress and a wooden hairpin, and she can still be regarded as Dayan’s number one beauty. It seems she is truly beautiful.” Wumeng Yunle swung happily on the swing, wearing a dazzling array of exquisite accessories. “I want to see her.”

“The Third Young Lady spends most of her time in Baihe City, and rarely travels far,” Liu Hengchang said. “Yunle-guniang is also a beauty, why bother to travel thousands of miles to see another? It’s windy, Miss should go back to her room to rest. Don’t catch a cold, and try not to go into the Gu room again.”

Although he was Liang Shu’s undercover agent, he didn’t think that everyone here deserved to die, at least not the girl in front of him. Wumeng Yunle had been raised in the Baifu Sect since she was a child, and had never been in contact with the outside world, so she couldn’t distinguish between good and evil. Killing, blood, and the lives of others were meaningless to her. Such a cold and naive little girl may seem evil and cruel, but her existence itself was nothing but a tragedy.

Wumeng Yunle didn’t enter the house, and continued to sit on the swing. She didn’t heed Liu Hengchang’s advice, whether it was to not stay in the cold wind or to stop going to the Gu room.

. . . . . . 

The night was deep.

After bathing, Liu Xian’an soaked his feet in a wooden barrel with A-Ning. They spoke one moment and were quiet the next, each of them becoming drowsy. As they were yawning, there was a knock on the door.

A-Ning was startled: “Who is it?”

Liang Shu aske: “Are you sleeping?”

Liu Xian’an didn’t want to move, continuing to doze off comfortably. A-Ning hurried to open the door. A gust of cold wind blew in, and the Sleeping Immortal managed to open his eyes halfway to look at the person in front of him: “Your Highness.”

Liang Shu had also finished bathing, and waited for half an hour afterward, but didn’t hear movement next door, so he simply came over to give him a reminder in person. He grabbed the slight bit of flesh on Liu Xian’an’s cheek and said with dissatisfaction: “Wasn’t it agreed that my breathing is disordered, so you will massage me well tonight?”

Liu Xian’an wanted to be lazy. He didn’t want to massage him, and just tried to be perfunctory. It’s not that bad, there’s no need to grip so tight…..aiya!

A-Ning stood by the door, completely stunned. He watched helplessly as the prince picked his young master off the bed and carried him away without even letting him dry his feet. They just dripped water, dangling in the cool night wind.

With a bang, the door of the main residence also closed.

A-Ning: Such a lack of etiquette, I need to call for help.

Liu Xian’an: “Achoo!”

Liang Shu set the man on his bed: “Where will you start the massage?”

Liu Xian’an looked around: “Why is the prince’s bed so big?”

Liang Shu replied logically: “So that it is convenient for you to come and sleep.”

Liu Xian’an thought that was fine, because this bed seemed softer and more comfortable than his own. He crawled to the head of the bed and sat down, indicating that Liang Shu should lay down on his stomach first: “Some places may be a little painful when massaged, but will be very comfortable afterward. If you really can’t bear it, let me know.”

Liang Shu had already been poked by his fingers during the day, so he had made some mental preparations: “All right.”

Liu Xian’an rolled up his sleeves and pressed a point with his fingers: “Does it hurt?”

Liang Shu said: “No pain.”

“What about here?”

“It doesn’t hurt either.”

“Here?”

“A little sore.”

Liu Xian’an pressed another place: “How about—”

Before he could ask, Liang Shu had already gasped out: “Stop!”

Liu Xian’an paused for a moment, then looked at him sideways: “It really hurt?”

Liang Shu nodded darkly.

Liu Xian’an said: “A kidney deficiency?”

Liang Shu: “…….”

There was no reason for this, so it should be impossible. His Royal Highness Xiao Wang made a decisive decision. Then I probably felt wrong, you can press it again.

Liu Xian’an straddled him once again.

Liang Shu buried his head deeply into the pillow, feeling that he was about to be sent to see the old, white-bearded men.

“Is there pain?”

“No pain.”

Everything was pleasant, and his voice didn’t change. Mount Tai could collapse before his eyes, but his color would remain the same. During the period of the Three Kingdoms, Guan Yun had poisoned blood drained from his arm until it filled a plate, and was still able to drink wine while talking and laughing freely, so there was no reason why Liang Shu shouldn’t even be able to have an acupuncture point pressed.

Liang Shu let out a slow breath. He summarized his life or death moments throughout his military career, gritted his teeth, and insisted on laying on his stomach without moving a bit. He took this ambiguous moment of skin-to-skin contact with his sweetheart and lay out with a staunch and unyielding attitude……it could grudgingly be regarded as skin to skin, ba, because there really was skin, and after Second Young Master Liu finished massaging, he did take the initiative to bow his head and kiss him.

Liang Shu exhausted all his strength: “Done massaging?”

“It’s done for today.” Liu Xian’an got out of bed and washed the massage oil off his hands. “We’ll continue tomorrow.”

Liang Shu’s ears rang on the spot, and he didn’t want to move anymore.

Liu Xian’an returned to the bed and lazily lay atop his body: “Did it really not hurt?”

Liang Shu squeezed out a noble and masculine “en.” It didn’t hurt. If I say it didn’t hurt, then it didn’t hurt.

Liu Xian’an hugged his shoulders for a while, and then suddenly laughed.

Liang Shu turned around and asked: “What are you happy about?”

“I’m not happy about something,” Liu Xian’an said. “I just think the prince is very impressive.”

He was also very obedient, and could be coaxed with nonsense to cooperate with his treatment and lie still for half an hour.

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Chapter Seventy-Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Five

Hundreds of years ago, the Aldor and Gelan families followed the Zhou family onto the battlefield, establishing an empire and ushering in a new era.

It was only that the patriarch of the Gelan family was cruel and greedy by nature, and always resorted to extreme measures in war regarding strategies and captives. After the establishment of the Empire, they went the wrong way and even tried to swallow up the other two dominant families, and plundered them repeatedly, so they were exiled by the Aldors.

After being exiled from the country, the Gelan family recruited soldiers and warships, becoming bullies in the interstellar world, and constantly used their own troops to try to take back the Empire.

This was the origin of the star pirates.

Therefore, the star pirates always thought that the capital that was robbed from them should return to their hands, and had been plundering and killing on the Empire’s territory for generations. Their goal had not changed from beginning to end — to take back the Empire.

And the Aldors had been the Empire’s shield for generations.

Every Aldor patriarch had gone to the battlefield to defend the Empire, with the family either serving in the army or engaging in trade.

And even in trade, the Aldor family didn’t make any big profits, with most of the income used to subsidize their own army, weapons manufacturing, and military operations. Which of those did not require money? In this way, even if something happened to the Empire, the military department would never fall, and it would always maintain strong operations.

Lucas’s father, the Marshal, had also been on the battlefield. But when he came back, he fell ill and had a strange and indifferent demeanor.

He wasn’t a good father, but he was a good soldier.

Due to this, Luo Ran was dumbfounded after hearing the recording on the communicator.

The snowy mountain was already freezing, but now Luo Ran was so cold that he couldn’t move his fingers.

Impossible.

No matter how bad he was, how jealous and resentful, it was impossible…..

This was the eldest son of the Aldor family.

Kleiman also looked at Luo Ran cautiously: “W-what is it?”

“I’m really sorry.” Luo Ran took a deep breath and said: “Can I leave first? I need…..to be alone for a while to calm down and think.”

“Right, right!” Kleiman stood up, saying: “Secretary Luo, don’t worry about me!”

The aircraft was right next to the tent. Luo Ran strode into it and then sat down as if exhausted.

After a while, he contacted the captain of the investigation team.

“Secretary Luo?”

Luo Ran took a deep breath to quickly calm down his mind: “Captain, between me and the Admiral, who do you listen to?”

“You.”

Luo Ran was taken aback for a moment, a little surprised. He had originally prepared some lines to persuade him.

The captain added: “I obey the Admiral, but the Admiral told us to listen to you before he left.”

After his initial surprise, Luo Ran said with a smile: “Good, then I want you to help me investigate the battle where Admiral Alton died in action. I need you to keep it secret for the time being and not let the Admiral know.”

Luo Ran said: “Of course, I won’t hide it from him forever. It’s just that the Admiral is still on the battlefield, and he shouldn’t be influenced by this. You can tell him the results of the investigation when he returns.”

“Yes!”

After explaining everything, Luo Ran took a deep breath and clicked on the content of the communicator again—

“Target is heading north, coordinates y8e6……”

Boom—

At this moment, there were dull bursts of sound outside, like thunder rolling in the sky.

Lu Cheng rushed in and said: “Secretary Luo! We need to evacuate. Avalanche!”

“Okay.” Luo Ran put the communicator in his pocket and got up, going to the main control room.

Kleiman also began to pack up. Luo Ran could already see the snow rolling down not far away, as if it was going to swallow everything.

But at this moment, the alarms of all the warships and aircraft in the team sounded sharply.

“Look out!”

“It’s an enemy attack!”

Luo Ran frowned slightly, and carefully observed the battleships that suddenly appeared outside and frantically focused fire on them.

There were no signals or formations, nor regular troops or ranks.

After observing for a moment, Luo Ran judged that these people were mercenaries.

They were underground killers who could be hired for the right price.

Luo Ran recalled what Kleiman had said about assassins, and understood why the man had insisted on asking him to come here to talk.

—Kleiman was worried that he would not be able to leave.

That was why he pulled Luo Ran over, intending to make use of Lucas’s military power to save his own life.

Luo Ran lightly tapped the main control panel with his fingers, and said to Lu Cheng: “Don’t try to continue fighting, protect His Highness Kleiman and retreat together.”

“Yes!”

Lu Cheng led the troops to protect Luo Ran’s aircraft at the front. The team was well-trained, and their formation was strong, and the battleships and mechas cooperated to repel the enemies one by one.

It was just that it was taking a bit more time to get away. The avalanche was almost upon them, and the ground began to shake violently, the sound becoming louder and louder.

Lu Cheng piloted his mecha and shouted: “Rear wing team, take Secretary Luo to retreat first!”

Boom—

Boom—

The avalanche caught up with the troops. This was not the same as an enemy that could be defeated with weapons, but a force of nature. There was no way to resist. They could only run away.

At the same time, Luo Ran felt his aircraft shake violently, and there was the sound of an explosion from the rear cabin.

With a guess in mind, he strode toward the back.

Sure enough, there was a big hole.

The rear cabin was blown apart, revealing a big gap. No matter how fast Luo Ran ran to catch up, he could only watch as a figure with a parachute leaped out.

The other people in the aircraft were also missing.

Luo Ran speculated that someone had blown up the aircraft from the inside, and then took down those other people. It was inevitable that after ruling each other out, that person’s identity was discovered, and he simply pushed the others down before escaping alone.

Luo Ran’s gaze froze slightly.

To be able to do such things, one must have the trust of the others in order to make a move silently and unexpectedly. It was not an external enemy, but an internal traitor.

But this aircraft was carefully selected by Lu Cheng, full of a small number of elites who had been by his side for a long time.

However, now was not the time to struggle over the identity of the undercover agent. Half of the aircraft had been blasted apart, and it had lost its ability to fly. At this moment, under the blizzard and avalanche, it gradually drifted off course.

Luo Ran had to firmly cling to the things next to him so as not to fall. Everything in the aircraft shook and fell, creating a mess.

The autopilot function was broken. Luo Ran stabilized himself and then returned to the main control room, manipulating the controls to steady the aircraft and prevent it from falling.

Bang—

The scene outside the window was suddenly covered in snow as the avalanche chasing after it covered the falling aircraft.

Luo Ran could see the troops trying their best to break through the enemy’s obstruction and catch up to him.

He thought to himself, they might have thought that the communicator was still with Kleiman, so the purpose of this operation was likely to capture Kleiman alive. And as for Luo Ran, it was natural to kill him.

Luo Ran sneered. He turned on the emergency function of the aircraft and made a direct spiritual connection.

Ordinary people may not be able to do so, but Luo Ran was a 3S Omega, and could quickly and easily connect to the complicated and damaged steering system in this critical situation.

The machine was broken and unable to fly, so Luo Ran could only try to use spiritual power to pilot it.

“Whoosh—” The aircraft suddenly turned 180 degrees from its original fall and then soared upwards.

Luo Ran concentrated on the controls, and drove the aircraft toward a cave marked on the map with the fastest speed and horsepower.

Finally, before the aircraft could be completely submerged in the falling snow, he successfully found the entrance in the mountain wall and crashed into the cave.

At the same time, snow completely covered the entrance.

The cave was now separated from the outside world by a thick layer of snow.

Luo Ran breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as he wasn’t buried in snow, his situation was not the worst, and he could wait for rescue here.

The team was so strong that they wouldn’t fail to deal with the enemy, nor would they be unable to dig through the snow outside.

With the aircraft landed in the cave, Luo Ran collapsed on the main control screen with cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

It was his first time connecting spiritually to the control system, so he was naturally uncomfortable.

What’s more, Luo Ran’s spiritual force had a big wound, and he indeed managed it with difficulty.

Luo Ran rested his head on his arms, panting slightly.

Pheromones……

He had never craved Lucas’s pheromones more than at this moment.

It was colder inside the cave than outside. Luo Ran tightened his clothing, took a deep breath to adjust his state, and looked around.

The cave was nothing special, all dark stone walls. Because of the cold, many icicles and ice slag had formed, but a lot of other caves had formed all around. They led to other places, and the sound of water came from several of them.

However, Luo Ran was not interested in exploring. He turned to the already dilapidated aircraft after ensuring that his surroundings were safe, and turned the dial up on the temperature control system.

Luo Ran looked at the data and saw that the temperature control system would only last for one day.

It was enough.

Luo Ran checked the communication system again.

“Beepbeep…..”

“Beep……”

“Secretary Luo? Secretary Luo!”

It was Lu Cheng’s voice. Although it was unclear and mixed with many noises, Luo Ran was relieved. He grasped the microphone and said: “En, I’m okay, no injuries.”

“Good! Good! Zii….Wait for us….ziiiziii….we’ve located your….ziii….come right away!”

“Okay.”

Luo Ran turned on the aircraft’s radio locator, making it easier for Lu Cheng and the others to find.

Boom—

After the locator was turned on, the ground suddenly shook again.

Luo Ran felt something rushing toward him, not like a physical thing, but like an air current.

The flow was aggressive.

Luo Ran grabbed his head, his mind almost torn apart by the impact of this messy external spiritual force.

In a daze, Luo Ran saw that the scene before him had changed.

The original dull stone wall in front of him was suddenly covered with dense silver stones. The stones were covered in red lines and emitted a strang light, illuminating the entire entrance of the cave.

It was stone from an ice mine, UNK.

This was a hallucination.

And the hallucination overlapped with Luo Ran’s memories.

“Oh my god…..ziii…..”

“Secretary Luo! Turn off the radio, shut off the electricity…..ziii…..”

“Shut…..ziziii……”

Luo Ran remembered.

. . . . . . .

“What?”

Lucas had just left the battlefield, and after returning to the main control room, Lu Cheng connected with him.

After hearing what Lu Cheng said, Lucas’s entire body felt cold, and the hot blood and hostility that had not dissipated from his body also overflowed.

“Admiral, don’t worry, we subdued all the assassins as quickly as possible and dug through the snow to rescue Secretary Luo,” Lu Cheng said. “Secretary Luo has no major problems other than the cold and a spiritual injury! He has now been transferred to the best hospital in the capital, and Dr. Xia is treating him.”

Shen Xiluo had followed Lucas to the battlefield, and Luo Ran was in a special situation. He couldn’t let others know his gender, lest they covet him, so Lu Cheng and the others specially invited Xia Zhi.

“Spiritual injury?” Lucas frowned, clutching the terminal tightly.

“Yes! This…..it’s a long story.” Lu Cheng paused, as if organizing his words.

After all, he had only just learned from Xia Zhi that Luo Ran was an Omega, and a 3S, so he was inevitably shocked.

“First of all, Secretary Luo was injured while establishing a connection with the aircraft, and his pheromones are a bit unstable. Then, in order to facilitate our locating of him, he turned on the aircraft’s radio waves.”

“Then…..something happened that made all of us almost think we were hallucinating. Our detectors discovered that there was a giant creature not far from the bottom of the cave where Secretary Luo was.”

Lucas was taken aback.

“What?”

“The cave is connected to the largest underground opening in the frontier. Perhaps it was attracted by the radio waves? It suddenly came over…..we don’t know what it was or what it looked like, and only using the thermal energy profile shown on the detector, it could be inferred to be a giant insect…..”

“The giant insect seemed to have terrifying spiritual power, and Secretary Luo was injured due to this attack. However, its speed of movement in the underground cave was very slow. The experts in the team speculated that it may have been because it was too large to pass through the small tunnels. So before it could move to the cave where Secretary Luo was, we brought him out.”

Lu Cheng still felt lingering fear as he said this.

The moment they discovered the giant creature, his blood ran cold, and he couldn’t speak clearly. It was a race against time.

“How is this possible?” Lucas snapped: “There are so many excavation and construction projects on the frontier. With all those thermal energy detectors, why didn’t they detect the existence of such a creature?”

Why did appear when Luo Ran fell into the cave?

“We don’t know…..perhaps we should wait for the experts in the capital to find out why.”

After hanging up the call, Lucas violently threw the terminal away.

Luo Ran’s spiritual force was injured, and he needed pheromones.

Lucas let out an angry breath and strode to the deck.

Faster.

He needed to be faster.

. . . . . . .

On the other side, Luo Ran had been transferred back to the best ward in the capital, but he had yet to wake up.

Luo Ran had a very long dream.

He remembered.

. . . . . . .

More than twenty years ago, there was a small city on the border of where Luobing and the Empire joined. 

This city was named Pure City, perhaps because it had nothing to do with the outside world. The people in the small city lived by a glacier and drank the purest water, and ate the cleanest natural food that they grew themselves. But the location was awkward and remote, and there was still a towering and precarious snowy mountain between it and the outside world, which made it difficult for even aircraft to find a suitable route to enter. Thus, their technology was not as advanced as that of the outside world, but the spiritual power of the people there was very high, all of them at S or A-level. The levels were so high that they were even comparable to the people of ancient earth, who had not been exposed to a large amount of radiation and Imperial technology.

The Imperial government intended to excavate these treasured talents, and repeatedly sent envoys to talk to them, asking them to move to the capital.

However, the Empire had their eyes on it, and the star parents naturally knew this too.

So the city was inevitably attacked and occupied by the star pirates.

The city was set alight, and little Luo Ran, who was less than ten years old, was protected by his family with their lives and crawled out a small hole in the city wall.

After crawling out, there was only endless ice and snow.

It was a vast expanse of white, with occasional gusts of snow. Luo Ran walked unconsciously, not knowing how long he walked and in what direction, and finally came to a cave.

It was too cold, so Luo Ran hid in the cave.

So pretty……

As soon as the boy walked in, he froze.

The stone walls were covered in gleaming stones, brightly illuminating the entire cave.

Luo Ran also saw an insect with red stripes on its back in the corner. The six-legged, square-headed insect was huge, stuck motionlessly to the stone wall as if in a deep sleep.

With the insect as the center, the stones near it had turned silver with red streaks. The ones farther away were gradually changing color, slowly transforming from ordinary stones to silver ones, as if they were evolving.

Luo Ran thought, this bug can do magic.

He felt so warm as soon as he came here, his whole body heating up.

Luo Ran was still young, so he naturally didn’t know that this was actually a sign of impending death. His body began to feel warm, and he felt very sleepy.

The child had no concept of death, and was not afraid of the insect, so he just curled up beside it and fell asleep.

But he didn’t die.

Luo Ran woke up again after sleeping for a day, and the tail ends of his hair had begun to turn silver.

Luo Ran was unaware of the change to his hair, and just counted which stones changed color, and how much they changed during the day.

He didn’t know how long he stayed in the cave. He only drank water from the underground river and survived without food.

Perhaps it was a month, or a year, but Luo Ran stayed there until he forgot how to speak, along with all his memories of the past.

The size of the insect increased day by day, and then it sank into the ground. Luo Ran didn’t know where it went. He was weak from not eating, so he could only lie down and not move much in order to conserve his energy.

Until one day, a little boy appeared at the mouth of the cave.

The snowstorms had stopped that day, and it was even a rare sunny day out.

The boy who stood there was clearly only a few years older than him, but his facial features were full of vigor and fierceness.

“Uncle, there’s someone here.”

This was the first face Luo Ran had seen since being isolated from the world.

But Luo Ran was mentally weak and couldn’t remember much.

A tall man walked in, frowning slightly. “A survivor of Pure City…..?”

The man was in disbelief. Looking at the sole survivor of the disaster in front of him, he thought to himself, how did this child survive in the cave by himself for so long?

“Wu……”

Luo Ran subconsciously reached out to the boy.

The boy stepped forward and held Luo Ran’s hand, comforting him somewhat bluntly: “Don’t be afraid, we’ll take you back to the capital.”

The man seemed to find this very interesting. He glanced at the boy who was carefully picking him up, and said with a smile: “Let’s go, Lucas. This patrol ends here, we’ll take him back to the capital first.”

“Okay.”

The boy carried Luo Ran, who was curled into a little ball, and followed in stride.

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Chapter Seventy-Five << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Seven