Chapter 25 – Seven Strike Takedown

“Since the challenge has been accepted and Elder Zhou and I are already here today, we will serve as witnesses for you,” Sect Leader Ji informed them. He looked at Feng Ye in the audience: “If you lose the battle, leave through the mountain gate on your own. There is no turning back.”

“This disciple understands.” Feng Ye bowed again.

Then he turned around and walked toward the ring in the middle of the arena, following a one-person-wide path as everyone made way for him.

He didn’t walk fast, but each step was steady and firm. He seemed to be completely oblivious to the ridiculousness of his challenge.

He was clearly just a junior disciple at the third level of Qi Refining, and it was unknown where he got the confidence to challenge Lu Chengye, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Everyone thought this way. They looked at Feng Ye with bewilderment, contempt, and even mockery as if beholding a madman.

Amid all the looks of disdain, Hao Chen, Feng Ye’s perpetual tag-along, was an outlier.

There was only happiness in his eyes. He had been testing Feng Ye for so long, but not only had Feng Ye not revealed his fox tail, he hadn’t even lost a single fox hair.

But as the saying went, even a carefully bedded flower may not blossom, but a casually planted willow tree may bloom into a forest. Whenever he designed to lure Feng Ye into taking action, it was cleverly resolved by the other party. Yet when he did nothing, Feng Ye took the initiative.

If everyone thought Feng Ye would lose, then Hao Chen was the only one who firmly believed that he would win.

Even if it was as Feng Ye said, and he didn’t use spiritual power in this competition, Hao Chen was still convinced that Feng Ye would emerge victorious.

“Shixiong!”

Just as Feng Ye was about to step onto the platform, a breathless shout came from behind.

Fang Yang had remained in his room alone for a while after Feng Ye and Hao Chen left, and the more he thought, the more worried he became. In the end, he couldn’t help but run out after them. But when he rushed over breathlessly, he saw his Useless Shixiong about to climb up onto the platform.

And the other person in the ring was Lu Chengye, who had a look of ridicule on his face.

Although he didn’t know what was going on, Fang Yang realized that something wasn’t right and shouted out anxiously, wanting Feng Ye to stop.

With his level of cultivation, Useless Shixiong would definitely be beaten badly! This was Fang Yang’s belief, but even though he was somewhat in shock, he knew he couldn’t say it so bluntly. Therefore, he just called out “Shixiong” and swallowed the rest of the words back into his stomach.

He had already run to the front of the ring, only a few meters away from Feng Ye. When Feng Ye heard the word “Shixiong,” he paused for a moment.

Fang Yang was relieved when he saw this, and immediately tried to run a few steps forward and physically stop him.

But unexpectedly, an arm suddenly blocked his way.

Hao Chen stopped Fang Yang with one hand, holding his fan in the other. He placed the edge of his fan against his slightly raised lips, giving Fang Yang a soft, “Hush.”

Fang Yang didn’t understand. He subconsciously wanted to ask, but when he opened his mouth, he found that no sound would leave his throat.

Fang Yang touched his neck in a panic. He had lost his voice!

Hao Chen was no longer looking at Fang Yang. He just used his left hand to hold him firmly, focusing all of his attention on Feng Ye standing beneath the ring.

Fang Yang’s call had only made him pause for a moment.

He paid no attention to what was happening behind him, not even looking back. In the next moment, he grasped the hilt of his sword in his right hand.

The loose daoist robe clinging to his body revealed the outlines of his muscles. Exerting force with his right arm, he drew the sword out of its sheath with the sharp sound of sliding metal.

Then, he stepped forward into the ring.

He held the sword in his right hand and casually swung his left hand backwards, tossing the scabbard away.

He clearly wasn’t looking back, but the scabbard was thrown straight to Fang Yang.

Fang Yang had no voice and couldn’t move forward. Just as he was getting anxious, he saw the scabbard flying through the air and automatically reached out to catch it.

But if there was a first time, there would be a second time, and the arm that was holding him back stopped him again.

Hao Chen intercepted the scabbard halfway and caught it before Fang Yang could.

After snatching it, he held the scabbard and directed a proud smile at Fang Yang.

Fang Yang: “……”

This wasn’t a flower thrown by a bride. What was there to snatch, ah?

Fang Yang’s inner complaints nearly overflowed. But he was unable to make a sound, so he could only use his eyes to accuse Hao Chen of behaving childishly.

Unfortunately, his gaze was not enough to penetrate Hao Chen’s thick skin, which had been honed in the extreme cold.

Fang Yang’s abrupt entrance did not interrupt the competition. Although Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou on the viewing platform had noticed him, seeing as he hadn’t spoken since being stopped by Hao Chen, they thought he’d been persuaded and paid no more attention to him. 

They failed to notice that Fang Yang hadn’t shut up on his own volition, but had been intentionally silenced.

But it didn’t matter. There were more important things to pay attention to at present.

The challenger and the challenged both stood onstage. When the referee gave the command, the competition officially began.

Although the fight had commenced, neither of them were in a hurry to brandish their swords.

Lu Chengye looked Feng Ye up and down as if beholding a fish on a chopping board. He was thinking about where to start – should he cut off an arm or a leg?

Feng Ye, on the other hand, seemed a little careless. His sword-holding hand was placed at his side, leaving many openings.

He’s indeed a waste who can’t even hold a sword, Lu Chengye thought.

This was perfect. He could use this waste to highlight his valiance and make himself the center of attention.

With this in mind, Lu Chengye sneered at Feng Ye: “Haha, I didn’t expect you to dare provoke me.”

Feng Ye smiled back: “Wrong.”

Lu Chengye was taken aback, and subconsciously asked: “What’s wrong?”

In an instant, Feng Ye’s voice turned cold and his smile vanished. The tip of his sword was pointed slightly upwards, and his eyebrows lowered as he said in a dark, cold tone: “You’re wrong. It should be…..”

Feng Ye raised his head slightly, his face filled with arrogance: “How dare you provoke me?”

In the audience, Hao Chen suddenly covered his chest. Feng Ye wasn’t smiling, but Hao Chen was, his eyes fixed on Feng Ye with an almost fanatical look.

He really couldn’t resist Feng Ye when he looked like this. That arrogant, disdainful look was like a fire, igniting his blood that had been frozen for thousands of years during his long, boring slumber in the North Sea. He didn’t know whether it was fighting spirit or elation beating wildly in his chest, but it was making him restless. In a trance, Hao Chen suddenly had the illusion that he was deeply attracted to this plain-looking fellow.

Contrary to Hao Chen’s complicated mood, Lu Chengye had only one reaction – fury. Absolute fury.

How dare such a waste provoke him like this!

He didn’t know what was good for him!

He immediately drew out his sword, the tip sliding out of its scabbard. The formidable spiritual power of someone at the seventh level of Qi Refining simultaneously poured into the body of the sword, making it the pinnacle of this competition in terms of speed and power.

His first move would be a killing move that decided victory or defeat. He would defeat the enemy in one blow.

Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou on the viewing platform watched intently. This sword…..was pretty good. No, among those at the seventh level of Qi Refining, it was quite good.

It seemed that Lu Chengye had not used his full strength in the final round, but due to Feng Ye’s provocation, he was now giving it his all.

The five senses of a Nascent Soul cultivator were superior to those of ordinary people, so they naturally heard the words spoken in the ring.

There was nothing wrong with young people being a little crazy. It was just a question of if they had the capital to back them up.

The two simultaneously turned their attention to Feng Ye. They wanted to see if this Feng Ye fellow was just an ignorant fool…..or if he had the ability to live up to his hubris.

Feng Ye’s casual posture changed slightly. He raised his left foot a bit, shifted his body weight to the right, and took a step back and to the side as Lu Chengye’s sword stabbed at his chest.

He dodged the attack in a dexterous, clever manner.

The tip of Lu Chengye’s sword passed by his side. Feng Ye turned his wrist, and the hilt of his sword flexibly followed it, stabbing backhand at Lu Chengye as he went past. 

Lu Chengye retracted his sword in time. With his left foot as the center point, he turned his body in half a circle and blocked Feng Ye’s strike.

With a clang, their swords collided.

On the road of cultivation, every stage was a watershed.

The difference between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment was not whether one could fly on a sword, but also whether one could use magic spells.

Only cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage could use a wide variety of spells of varying strength. And at the Qi Refining stage, one could only apply spiritual energy to one’s sword to enhance its strength and speed.

Therefore, Lu Chengye was only superior to Feng Ye in strength and speed, although this was an advantage that was almost impossible to overcome.

Lu Chengye was just about to exert his strength. With his great spiritual power, Feng Ye was far weaker than him, and would certainly lose when they clashed.

However, Feng Ye knew this as well. The tip of his sword only connected with Lu Chengye’s for a moment and, like a slippery fish, separated at a touch.

Lu Chengye raised his sword and slashed again, and Feng Ye adopted the same approach of not firmly blocking the opponent’s attack. He used the same method he’d taught Fang Yang when fighting the White-Nosed Demon Bear, exerting force in the wrist. The resulting crisp force acted on the body of the sword, allowing it to dissipate the impact of the collision through vibration.

Therefore, even though Lu Chengye’s strength was far greater than his, Feng Ye was not at a disadvantage for the time being.

“Tsk!” Lu Chengye surreptitiously gritted his teeth, finding no place to exert his strength. Feng Ye wasn’t even bothering to compete with him in power!

But what did it matter? In terms of speed, he, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, couldn’t lose!

Lu Chengye abruptly increased the speed of his sword and attacked Feng Ye like a violent storm.

Feng Ye was forced to retreat again and again. Although he was on the back foot in terms of strength and speed, he still managed to block every attack aimed at him.

Elder Zhou stroked his beard, watching the way Feng Ye drew his sword with some surprise. Feng Ye drew a circle with his blade, and the seemingly solid sword undulated as if it had transformed into a long, malleable snake. He used the toughness of the metal to forcibly entangle the opponent’s sword, thereby slowing down the opponent’s attack.

Because the majority of disciples were male, the swordsmanship of Lingxiao Sword Sect had always been vigorous and fierce. But this somewhat feminine sword technique was usually employed by female sword cultivators.

Yet Feng Ye was using it at the opportune time. After all, considering his all-round disadvantages, using softness to overcome hardness was the right choice.

This Feng Ye fellow is quite clever, Elder Zhou thought with some admiration.

“Elder Zhou…..” Sect Leader Ji called softly.

“En?” Elder Zhou looked over questioningly.

Sect Leader Ji stared at Feng Ye as Lu Chengye forced him to retreat, saying with a hint of uncertainty: “Is he even using spiritual power?”

“Huh?!” Upon hearing this, Elder Zhou looked back at Feng Ye and let out a sound of surprise and uncertainty.

Feng Ye really wasn’t using spiritual power. There was a gap in strength between the third and seventh levels of Qi Refining, and he didn’t dare to confront the opponent head-on. From beginning to end, each time their swords collided, it was only for an instant.

It turned out that Feng Ye wasn’t just being cautious – he was fully aware that he couldn’t square off with the other person directly.

He was basically challenging Lu Chengye, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, as an ordinary person with no spiritual power! 

This fact was so shocking that Sect Leader Ji didn’t dare believe it, and instead asked Elder Zhou, whose tone made everything clear to him. 

This challenge was indeed like striking a rock with an egg, yet Feng Ye actually took the initiative to make it more difficult for himself. He wasn’t just striking a rock with an egg – he was using a cracked egg to strike a hard, jagged rock.

Had he been kicked in the head by a donkey?

How was this different from suicide?

If they had known before the match that Feng Ye wasn’t going to use spiritual power, they would have had these thoughts. But though the match had begun and Feng Ye still hadn’t used any spiritual power, although he was losing ground, he hadn’t lost yet.

The two stopped conversing and simply focused their attention on the fight. They wanted to see if Feng Ye could…..make the impossible possible.

Some traces of spiritual power would inevitably leak out when it was being used, and at the same time Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou noticed he wasn’t using any, others noticed as well.

They were all equally flabbergasted, so much so that they didn’t have words to describe such behavior.

In the end, they could only settle on one descriptor – crazy.

“Shixiong…..” Fang Yang murmured. He was a little slow, but he discovered Feng Ye’s lack of spiritual power use because of the words his shixiong had said to him before leaving: “Even without using spiritual power, I will win.”

And just as he’d said, he wasn’t using a lick of spiritual power. 

Fang Yang pursed his lips tightly, unaware that he had the ability to speak once more. His attention was focused on Feng Ye.

Although Useless Shixiong’s cultivation was very much useless, he was trying to show Fang Yang through his actions that cultivation wasn’t everything.

Regardless of the final result, Fang Yang immediately felt somewhat ashamed of his cowardice. He should have been the one to compete.

Even though by the time he explained everything to Feng Ye at noon, it was half an incense stick past the time he should have participated in the competition.

Feng Ye hadn’t actually wanted Fang Yang to participate. He had just wanted him to pick up the sword, to show some resolve.

Unfortunately, Fang Yang had been unable to do so, and Useless Shixiong was forced to resort to such extreme methods.

The tears that had just stopped now showed signs of falling again. Fang Yang quickly rubbed his eyes.

Hao Chen sent Fang Yang a glance, then turned his gaze back toward Feng Ye in the ring.

Feng Ye was at a disadvantage. He fought with Lu Chengye for nearly a hundred rounds, and other than the first time he drew his sword, he was on the defensive the rest of the time.

It was a passive defense.

Lu Chengye’s rapid attacks afforded him no room to breathe, and he was only able to defend himself.

He was forced to the edge of the ring.

There were two criteria for judging victory or defeat: One was to voluntarily admit defeat or be incapable of continuing, and the other was to fall off the stage.

When Lu Chengye saw that Feng Ye had followed the calculated route and was in danger of falling, a victorious smile appeared at the corners of his lips.

Feng Ye, this useless fellow at the third level of Qi Refining, was obviously inferior to him in all aspects, yet dared to challenge him?

That would have been fine, but this waste wasn’t even using spiritual power? 

As the one fighting Feng Ye head-on, Lu Chengye had been the first to discover this.

Such knowledge made him even angrier, and he wanted to slice Feng Ye to pieces. 

This was simply naked contempt. A waste at the third level of Qi Refining was looking down on him, a seventh level of Qi Refining cultivator. How dare he!

Lu Chengye pushed Feng Ye to the edge of the ring, but not for the purpose of making him fall off. Wouldn’t that be going too easy on this waste? 

He intended to make Feng Ye lose his balance, and the moment he stepped onto thin air, Lu Chengye would disable his right arm while pretending to disarm him, turning him into a genuine waste.

Although disciples should know when to stop in a fight, it was easy for accidents to happen, and no one could fault Lu Chengye. 

As the fight continued, the smile on Lu Chengye’s face continued to grow. Finally, Feng Ye stepped half a foot off the stage. He was about to fall.

The junior disciples watching in the audience held their breaths. Atop the viewing stand, Cao Zirui’s perpetually icy expression also changed slightly.

He was probably the most focused person in the entire audience. Whether it was Hao Chen or the two Nascent Soul masters Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou, they had all been distracted at some point – but not Cao Zirui.

Although he possessed great talent, without corresponding effort, he wouldn’t have been able to advance to Foundation Establishment in one year. Unlike Fang Yang’s hellish work-rest schedule, Cao Zirui paid more attention to efficiency. He devoted all of his energy to everything he did, and never got distracted.

He was fully focused when cultivating, and the same was true as he watched this battle.

Therefore, he discovered something that the others had not: This junior disciple named Feng Ye, he…..

Feng Ye’s body swayed slightly. Lu Chengye was overjoyed. He was about to achieve victory.

Pretending not to notice his opponent’s loss of balance, he proceeded to aim his sword directly at Feng Ye’s right arm.

While everyone was thinking that Feng Ye was going to lose, Hao Chen intermittently tapped the palm of his hand with his fan, paying close attention to this moment that would decide the outcome of the battle. Even though Feng Ye had fallen into an almost irreparable disadvantage, he still didn’t believe that Feng Ye would lose.

Atop the viewing platform, Elder Zhou let out a faint sigh. Although the courage of Feng Ye’s challenge had made an impression, it was ultimately difficult to change an established outcome.

Someone at the third level of Qi Refining could not defeat someone at the seventh level, let alone an ordinary person without spiritual power.

“Wrong!” Cao Zirui heard his sigh and abruptly spoke.

His precious, indifferent disciple had actually spoken of his own initiative, and Sect Leader Ji looked over in surprise along with Elder Zhou.

Sect Leader Ji was shocked to find that his precious little iceberg had not only spoken up – his expression had also changed. Cao Zirui frowned, his gaze still fixed on Feng Ye.

After repeated confirmation, he sucked in a breath and spoke this unbelievable fact: “Each time he strikes with his sword, he strikes the same place!”

Each strike hit the same place?

Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou both stared blankly.

What sort of notion was this? They were both Nascent Soul cultivators who specialized in the way of the sword, but even they were unable to control a sword so accurately.

It was already difficult to hit the same spot with every strike when practicing swordplay against a stationary wooden stake, let alone in actual combat, where the opponent’s moves were unpredictable and attacks could come from any angle at any time.

This was practically impossible!

No, it’s not impossible, Sect Leader Ji thought suddenly. He once knew someone who might have been able to do it…..

But that person was dead…..without even bones or ashes remaining…..

At this thought, Sect Leader Ji closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, beyond everyone’s expectations, the tables had turned in the ring.

Lu Chengye pretended not to notice Feng Ye’s swaying body and stabbed at his right arm regardless. But while he was pretending, Feng Ye was also pretending. 

Lu Chengye believed that everything was going as planned, unaware that this was also part of Feng Ye’s plan.

Feng Ye feigned stepping into thin air and swayed for a moment, but when Lu Chengye stabbed out, he ducked down and dodged the attack. At the same time, he slashed forward with his sword and struck the same spot again.

The lower middle body of the sword.

All in all, they had fought nearly a hundred rounds and he had hit this spot nearly a hundred times. The iron swords of Lingxiao Sword Sect were of high quality, but at last, under such blows, a tiny crack appeared on the body of the sword, which was unable to bear the pressure.

Hao Chen opened his fan with a swish, fanning himself to suppress his rising body temperature.

He was excited. Uncontrollably excited – because he had finally discovered Feng Ye’s plan. The tiny crack was inconspicuous, and even the sound of it splintering was drowned out by the crisp collision of the swords.

But Hao Chen still heard it where he was standing beneath the ring. He couldn’t help but laugh. Feng Ye…..really hadn’t disappointed him.

But Lu Chengye had yet to notice this, even with his sword in contact with Feng Ye’s. The crack was too small, and his sword was still solid.

He just felt a little regretful that his previous attack had failed, and intended to continue his offensive. But unexpectedly, Feng Ye suddenly changed his sword style.

The sword techniques he used previously were rather feminine and passively defensive. He didn’t take the initiative to attack, and the rhythm of the battle was completely controlled by Lu Chengye.

Now, he changed from the feminine sword style to one that was fierce and extremely oppressive.

He switched between two completely different sword styles without pause, thrusting the sword out in smooth movements.

He held the sword in his right hand, and the muscles on the exposed half of his arm were tense as he slashed across his body with the sword.

Lu Chengye was caught off guard by the sudden change, and subconsciously blocked Feng Ye’s strike.

“Seven,” Feng Ye said out of nowhere.

Lu Chengye didn’t understand why he suddenly said this.

But he had no time to think, because Feng Ye’s next attack came right after.

This time, the force was even greater. With a deafening clang, Lu Chengye was forced to take a step backward.

As Feng Ye brandished his sword, he said again: “Six.”

This guy was counting?! What was he counting at a time like this?! Lu Chengye was going crazy inside, unable to understand this person’s strange behavior.

“Five.”

Feng Ye spoke a word each time he swung his sword, and Lu Chengye took a corresponding step back. 

He was originally the one to force Feng Ye to the edge of the ring, but now, the situation was completely reversed. Step by step, he was being forced toward the edge of the ring by Feng Ye.

He wanted to interrupt his opponent’s offensive and re-establish his rhythm. However, each of Feng Ye’s attacks was stronger and faster than the previous one. He barely had time to defend himself, much less gather the strength to counterattack. 

“Four.”

With that spoken “four,” Lu Chengye realized that something was wrong. He caught sight of the inconspicuous crack in his sword.

The crack was already a cun long, like an ugly scar crawling up his sword.

“Three.”

What in the world was this counting?! 

Lu Chengye was anxious and angry. Whether it was the numbers coming from Feng Ye’s mouth that sounded like a countdown to his death, or the crack in his sword, it all had him utterly bewildered.

Feng Ye pressed forward step by step, and Lu Chengye drew closer to the edge of the ring.

But in the midst of his panic, Lu Chengye also kept one thing in mind – Feng Ye’s swift offensive couldn’t last long. Each of his strikes must be faster and stronger than the previous one, otherwise Lu Chengye would be able to accumulate strength and counterattack.

However, Feng Ye’s strength and speed had an upper limit, and his sword had already reached it. He would be unable to swing any faster or stronger than that.

Just as Lu Chengye was thinking this, he once again heard that cold, emotionless voice.

“Two.”

After striking, Feng Ye suddenly spun around. Using the acceleration created by the rotation, he swung out with a penultimate strike that exceeded his own limitations.

Like a spiderweb, the crack in the sword spread in all directions.

And Lu Chengye was forced to retreat to the edge of the ring. He realized that the boundary was behind him. He had no way to retreat.

“One.”

Feng Ye uttered the last word coldly.

This was the final strike!

Lu Chengye realized this fact. As long as…..as long as he could block it…..he still had a chance!

He took his sword with both hands and held it vertically in front of him, trying to use the broad blade to intercept the last strike heading toward his throat.

However, Feng Ye’s control over the sword’s movement and the sword itself had reached a terrifying level of precision. Just as Cao Zirui had said, each of his strikes hit the same spot.

He calculated the force and angle of each sword strike, and the last one was equally accurate…..

Seven Strike Takedown!

He didn’t use any spiritual power, but his last strike carried an icy killing intent that made the people nearby shudder.

This killing intent was practically corporeal. Those nearby were clearly not up against Feng Ye, but they couldn’t help taking a step back when they sensed it.

That fear didn’t need any sort of medium. Just those not-so-loud words and a biting cold ray of light had already pierced into everyone’s hearts.

Even Fang Yang, who had always been close to his Useless Shixiong, took an involuntary step back when Feng Ye launched his final strike.

Was this murderous…..terrifying person in front of him…..really Useless Shixiong?

On the viewing platform, Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou couldn’t help but stand to their feet. This was only a competition, and there was no need to fight to the death. But Feng Ye’s sword had already struck, and they…..were powerless to stop him.

The unstoppable momentum of this strike called to mind Pangu, the legendary creator of the world who could even split heaven and earth!

What’s more, the iron in front of him was already full of cracks.

Unsurprisingly, although Lu Chengye made one final effort…..it was a decisive move that left the opponent with no openings.

When the tip of Feng Ye’s sword hit the cracked body of the other, there was no pause at all as the blade continued to move forward, and the enormous force sent broken pieces of iron scattering all around.

Hao Chen lightly waved his fan to block the iron pieces flying toward him.

He was the only one not horrified by such killing intent. He only felt exhilaration, an exhilaration he had never felt before!

Feng Ye…..this person…..had really surprised him……

Hao Chen smiled behind his fan, waiting for Feng Ye to pierce Lu Chengye’s throat.

He had no doubt that even Feng Ye would be unable to rein in such strong killing intent.

But just as he thought, Feng Ye…..always surprised him…..

When the sword was only a hair’s breadth away from Lu Chengye’s throat, it came to an abrupt stop.

The killing intent that made people break out into a cold sweat vanished in an instant, as if everyone had imagined it.

But a small, bloody wound still appeared on Lu Chengye’s throat. Although the tip of the sword hadn’t touched his skin, the strong wind created by the blade stabbing forward was sharp enough to cut flesh.

The fear on Lu Chengye’s face had yet to completely subside. At that moment, he truly thought he was dead.

The tip of Feng Ye’s sword was still hovering at his throat. Not to mention moving, he didn’t even dare to breathe. Only the jut of his throat bobbed up and down, revealing the deep fear and anxiety within him.

Feng Ye maintained his posture, motionless. In the midst of the stalemate, neither Lu Chengye nor the people in the audience dared to move, fearing that if they did so, this familiar yet unfamiliar fellow disciple would twitch and slit Lu Chengye’s throat.

Even though Feng Ye had completely retracted his killing intent, he hadn’t exactly returned to his normal state. His eyes were still cold, without a trace of human warmth, pity, or empathy. All of these things that should be included in human nature were absent from his gaze.

This tense, torturous atmosphere stretched out until Feng Ye at last withdrew his sword. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. 

Lu Chengye also took a breath, but it wasn’t an even one.

Feng Ye, with his sword behind his back, suddenly lifted his foot and kicked Lu Chengye in the abdomen, launching him out of the ring in an extremely embarrassing posture.

There was complete silence.

Within that silence, Feng Ye leaped down from the stage. He returned to his normal friendly self, as if he wasn’t the one who had just frightened everyone to the bone.

Fang Yang stood there dumbly as Feng Ye walked toward him to return his sword.

Still in a daze, Fang Yang didn’t take it. Hao Chen solicitously came forward and used the scabbard he had snatched to catch the sword in Feng Ye’s hand. The two became one, and their hands also came together.

Most people would separate immediately when their skin touched, but Hao Chen intended to do no such thing. Instead, he kept his hand close to Feng Ye’s and gave him an ambiguous smile.

Feng Ye: “……”

He retracted his hand as if he’d received an electric shock.

He hadn’t flinched at all when faced with a seemingly impossible challenge, but he seemed to be at a loss when it came to Hao Chen.

Feng Ye sent Hao Chen a doubtful look. He’d needed his full concentration during the match, so he hadn’t been paying attention to what Hao Chen was doing off stage. It felt like after this competition, the way Hao Chen looked at him was…..a little bit wrong…..

“Shixiong!” A shout from Fang Yang interrupted Feng Ye’s musing.

Fang Yang had been in a trance for a long time before coming to his senses. He looked his so-called Useless Shixiong up and down with an incredulous expression.

He had only discovered today that his Useless Shixiong was only useless when it came to his cultivation. In the way of the sword, perhaps among all the junior disciples of their generation, there was nobody a fraction as good as him.

Feng Ye gave Fang Yang his usual smile – harmless, easy-going, and easy to push around.

But it was likely that nobody, including Lu Chengye, had the courage to squeeze this persimmon.

This persimmon was only soft on the surface, but there was a durian hidden inside, ah!

“Shixiong, why didn’t you tell me you’re so capable?” Although Fang Yang had been frightened by Feng Ye’s killing intent, he had already recovered. Useless Shixiong was still his Useless Shixiong.

Feng Ye touched his head and said with his gaze averted: “Shixiong isn’t that great. He’s just an ordinary junior disciple. Being able to win this time…..it’s just a coincidence, haha…..it’s all a coincidence!”

Nobody would believe that! Thought all of the junior disciples watching the match, including Fang Yang.

“It really is a coincidence. Lu Chengye’s sword was just too fragile,” Feng Ye shamelessly lied.

The naive boy thought about this seriously and actually believed it.

In addition to Fang Yang, the onlookers also donned looks of sudden realization. Feng Ye’s words actually made sense. Why was that last strike able to shatter Lu Chengye’s sword?

Feng Ye was just using the iron sword possessed by every member of the sect, not some magical weapon that could cut through iron like mud. How could one of two identical iron swords cut through the other?

They didn’t have Cao Zirui’s eyesight, and naturally hadn’t noticed that it was because Feng Ye hit the same place every time.

They had seen Lu Chengye’s sword crack inexplicably, which gave Feng Ye the opportunity to win. This could indeed be called a coincidence.

Thinking about it this way, Feng Ye wasn’t very impressive, just lucky.

Numerous people breathed sighs of relief. This outcome put them more at ease.

“This kid’s swordsmanship is first-rate, and his ability to lie…..is also first-rate.” Feng Ye’s words had deceived the group of young and inexperienced junior disciples in the audience, but the two Nascent Soul masters atop the viewing platform were not fooled.

Although the competition was over, Elder Zhou continued to observe Feng Ye below the stage. When he heard the excuse Feng Ye made up, he couldn’t help but heckle him good-naturedly.

However, he didn’t expose Feng Ye. He was impudent when he should be impudent, and low-key when he should be low-key. Elder Zhou really admired him more and more.

It was just a pity…..

“Level three of Qi Refining…..why does he have to only be at level three…..” Elder Zhou patted his thigh with regret. “If his talent was a little better, I would accept him as my disciple whether he had single or double spiritual roots, or even triple.”

Although cultivation wasn’t everything, it was the most important factor when it came to things like power and status.

What if Feng Ye had challenged a Foundation Establishment cultivator today? No matter what the opponent threw at him, Feng Ye would have been unable to fight back.

One person’s strength could defeat the skills of ten others. This saying applied everywhere.

The more Elder Zhou thought, the more regretful he became. This was as regrettable as losing a hundred years of his life savings. He lamented for a long while before discovering that the people beside him weren’t commiserating.

Never mind Cao Zirui. Sect Leader Ji’s young disciple was always like this. He wouldn’t speak if he didn’t have to, as if each word cost him money.

But although Cao Zirui didn’t speak, his eyes were fixed on Feng Ye, who was chatting and laughing with everyone in the audience.

No matter how good a person thought they were, there was always someone better. 

This statement had never been true for Cao Zirui, because he was already the best in all aspects. To him, there was nobody better.

But today, he realized that he still had a long way to go before he could be considered a person who stood above all others. He was unable to do what Feng Ye had done today with his near-limitless control over his swordsmanship.

Feng Ye had not only taught Fang Yang a lesson, but Cao Zirui as well.

Elder Zhou glanced at Sect Leader Ji beside him. It was normal for Cao Zirui to remain silent, but it was out of the ordinary for Sect Leader Ji to do the same.

Sect Leader Ji had always been a person who valued talent. How could he not harbor regrets that such a promising disciple had been born at such a disadvantage?

When he turned his head, he saw that the sect leader looked out-of-sorts, his head in the clouds.

“Sect Leader Ji?” Elder Zhou called out. There was no response.

“Sect Leader Ji!” Elder Zhou called out again, but there was still no response.

“Ji Chengyue!” Elder Zhou projected his voice by focusing energy into his dantian, and called out the sect leader’s full name.

This thunderous shout finally brought Sect Leader Ji back to his senses.

Taking in Elder Zhou’s quizzical gaze, he stared blankly for a moment before realizing he’d been distracted for too long. He promptly asked: “What were you saying?”

Elder Zhou stroked his beard and didn’t answer. Instead, he asked: “What were you thinking about? You looked distracted.”

“Nothing…..” Sect Leader Ji’s denial only made him more conspicuous.

Elder Zhou didn’t believe him. He leveled a stare at the sect leader, vowing to get to the bottom of this.

After the brief standoff, Sect Leader Ji looked around to find that there was nobody else beside him except Cao Zirui.

He needed an outlet for his turbulent thoughts, and Elder Zhou was the most suitable candidate.

Thinking of this, Sect Leader Ji stammeringly explained the whole story: “It’s really nothing…..”

Without waiting for another look of disbelief from Elder Zhou, he continued: “I just…..just…..think he’s a bit like that person…..”

His words didn’t make sense. Who was ‘he’? And who was that person?

Before Elder Zhou could figure it out, Sect Leader Ji turned his attention toward Feng Ye below the stage. Despite looking at Feng Ye, his eyes were somewhat vacant, as if he was looking through his figure at an old friend deep in his memories: “They’re not really the same. The way they draw and wield a sword is different. But…..”

Sect Leader Ji recalled the extraordinary swordsmanship Feng Ye had exhibited during the fight and his final seven-strike takedown. Such indomitable, overwhelming momentum…..

It overlapped faintly with the figure in his memory.

Although Elder Zhou had figured out who ‘he’ was, he still didn’t know which other person Sect Leader Ji was referring to.

There was a sudden hint of sorrow in Sect Leader Ji’s eyes.

He didn’t say anything, but his reaction said it all.

“It’s…..” Elder Zhou’s expression turned apprehensive. He’d finally realized who Sect Leader Ji was talking about.

Just when the name was about to escape his mouth, he stopped as if skidding to the edge of a cliff.

Because that name could not be spoken.

That person couldn’t even be mentioned…..

That person…..

Was condemned by history.

---

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Chapter 24 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 26

Xi En was temporarily out of danger, but he was unable to leave the intensive care unit.

No one but the medical staff was allowed to enter, so Xi Lei could only remain outside.

A figure in a white uniform flashed by not far away. Xi Lei thought it was his father’s attending physician, so he hastened over to ask about Xi En’s condition.

But it wasn’t until he got a clear glimpse of the man’s face that he realized he had the wrong person. He was about to turn around and leave when he heard a familiar name come from the doctor’s mouth.

“Ling Yi’s surgery is being rushed. I’ve performed more than a dozen simulated surgeries to increase my chances of success. Why should I let that guy be the lead surgeon? If the surgery fails, who will be held responsible?”

“If you ask His Highness Oser to postpone the surgery because preoperative examination indicators don’t meet the requirements, do you think he’ll agree, Doctor Pat?”

Only then did Xi Lei notice the young nurse beside the doctor named Pat.

Pat shook his head fretfully: “There is absolutely no way to stop His Highness Oser. He wishes he could send Ling Yi to the operating table right this instant.”

Nan Ting: “I’ve never heard of an operation that transforms an Alpha into an Omega, let alone anyone attempting it. Is your research truly scientific? It’s still not too late to go to His Highness Oser and say it’s a mistake.”

“He’ll kill me!”

“You’ll kill Ling Yi!”

The voices of the two gradually faded away. Xi Lei had vaguely heard sixty to seventy percent of it, and that amount of information was sufficient to shock him.

Ling Yi was going to undergo surgery?

What did they mean about an Alpha transforming into an Omega?

What would happen if the surgery failed?

He recalled the suggestive atmosphere between Ling Yi and His Highness Oser, the hand on Ling Yi’s leg, and his quick glimpse at the inside of the vehicle.

He thought back in shock to the conversation they’d had when rescuing his father, when he thought Ling Yi was talking nonsense.

—What can you do for your sponsor?

—Sleep with him!

Xi Lei shuddered, his ignorance transforming into understanding.

Before his brain could provide any instructions, his legs were already moving.

For safety reasons, Oser had moved Xi En and his son to the underground level. Xi Lei knew roughly which direction Ling Yi’s room lay in, but he’d just thought that Ling Yi was provided that space to rest, and didn’t think about it deeply at all.

“Student Xi Lei!” someone called to him from behind.

Xi Lei stopped: “…..Captain Tang De?”

Tang De approached with a friendly smile: “I was just looking for you. Where are you going?”

“I…..” Xi Lei calmed himself down. “I’m going to find Ling Yi.”

“That’s perfect. Ling Yi has been busy lately and might not have time to see you, so His Highness Oser asked me to give you this.”

Xi Lei took a folder from Tang De and opened it to reveal a sheet of paper and a check.

“I did some research and found out that Ling Yi was adopted by your father when he was six years old. Listed here are the basic expenses of raising someone from six to twenty-three years old, including living expenses, child support, and education.”

“The amount on the check should be enough to cover the entirety of the Xi family’s expenses while raising him. Of course, there is also a labor fee as a thank-you to your father for taking care of him for so many years.”

“You won’t need to worry about the cost of your father’s treatment. He can enjoy the best medical resources here until he makes a full recovery.”

Xi Lei picked up the check, and his hands began to tremble when he saw the amount on it.

“If you’re not satisfied with the amount, it can be increased. His Highness Oser intends to try his best to meet all of your requirements.”

“His Highness Oser wants us to accept this check and sell Ling Yi. Is that what you mean?”

“How can you say that? Human trafficking is illegal. You can take it as a thank-you for raising Ling Yi. His Highness Oser hopes that with the receipt of this gift, you will not interfere in Ling Yi’s private affairs. This is the ideal outcome.”

“Captain Tang De!” Xi Lei could no longer control his emotions. “My father raised Ling Yi for over ten years and never thought about asking for anything in return. If my dad knew that I took this money, even if he’s unconscious, he would unplug the ventilator and get up to beat me!”

“It’s true that Ling Yi and I don’t get along. I’ve disliked him since we were kids. But no matter how bad our relationship is, we’re still family. Would Captain Tang De sell his family for money?”

Xi Lei tore the check to pieces in front of Tang De.

Tang De looked with regret at the torn scraps of paper on the floor.

“Student Xi Lei, your ambition after graduation is to join His Highness Oser’s guards, right?”

“That’s right. His Highness Oser is my idol. Ever since I was old enough to understand, my life goal has been to join the guard and loyally serve His Highness Oser.”

“You are very ambitious, and also quite competent. I’ve checked the internal selection results, and yours are very promising. Barring anything unexpected, you’ll soon receive an admission notice. This is a critical period in your assessment, so I hope you won’t make a mistake on matters of principle.”

Tang De patted his shoulder and said: “That’s all I have to say. Think on it carefully.”

. . . . . . 

Ling Yi had just put a dot down on paper when the door was kicked open.

“Don’t sign it!”

Ling Yi looked at Xi Lei in astonishment: “Why are you here?”

Tang De arrived right after him and met the eyes of Oser, who wore a grim expression.

A good thing had been ruined at the last moment. He spoke in an unkind tone: “You can’t even keep an eye on one student.”

Tang De quickly bowed his head and apologized. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. This person suddenly rushed in here like crazy. I really couldn’t stop him.”

Xi Lei took a couple of steps forward, and said angrily when he saw the writing under Ling Yi’s pen: “Do you know what this is?”

Ling Yi gave him a strange look: “Of course.”

“And you’ll still sign it knowing that?”

“What else?”

Xi Lei was flabbergasted at this question. After a moment, he turned to ask the person next to him: “Your Highness, you are someone I admire. I’m very grateful that you saved Ling Yi and my father, but aren’t you exploiting someone now? This is not the Crown Prince I know!”

Oser leaned back in his chair with his arms spread, crossing his long left leg over his right as if stretching.

Only Tang De, who knew Oser best, recognized this as a sign of his receding patience, and quickly grabbed Xi Lei.

“Don’t disturb His Highness right now. Let’s talk about it outside.”

Xi Lei broke free from his hand, and Tang De clamped down on his other arm. Neither of them noticed the unconsciously rising concentration of pheromones in the room.

A hand touched Oser’s chest, and the pheromones quickly reaching a critical point slowed down.

“Your Highness, I’d like to say a few words to this idiot alone.”

Oser’s gaze fell back to the person at his side.

Ling Yi stroked his chest softly, with an air of intimacy.

“After all, he’s my adoptive father’s son and my nominal brother. He has a misunderstanding about Your Highness, so I’ll persuade him.”

Xi Lei kicking in the door had made quite a racket, and Pat also ran over when he heard the noise, finding Oser alone in the room.

“What’s going on? Where’s Ling Yi?”

“He went up to the rooftop with his good brother,” Oser replied disdainfully.

“The rooftop?” Pat was surprised. “How could you let him go to a place like that? What if someone sees him?”

“Tang De is there. He’ll handle it.”

He seemed calm, but Pat could sense the resentment he was forcibly suppressing. Afraid of bursting the balloon, he proceeded cautiously.

“That’s good. I trust Captain Tang De’s work.”

His eyes then swept across the informed consent form on the table, and he picked it up to take a look.

“Ling Yi probably hasn’t signed it yet. There happen to be some clauses in it that I want to change—”

Oser saw him fall abruptly silent, and glanced over knowingly.

Pat stared blankly at the signature on the last page. After a long moment, he timidly turned it over to show Oser.

“He signed it.”

. . . . . .

On the rooftop of the Royal Medical College, Captain Tang De tactfully ordered all of the guards to keep their distance, leaving space for the two brothers to talk privately.

Ling Yi lay over the wall so that the upper half of his body swayed back and forth in the air.

“The moon is so beautiful tonight. I can’t remember the last time I saw it.”

Xi Lei was preoccupied, and had no time to appreciate the moon.

“Did you know the surgery will transform you into an Omega? You won’t be an Alpha anymore afterwards. Did His Highness Oser force you into this? Is that why he saved Dad?”

Ling Yi listened to his rapid-fire questions and turned around.

“Do you smoke?”

Xi Lei stared in surprise as he pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket: “…..Where did you get these?”

“I stole them from His Highness Oser’s pocket just now.”

“…..” Xi Lei was speechless. “Why are you always like this…..forget it.”

“Oh, I forgot. You’re a model student who would never violate school rules.”

Ling Yi took out a cigarette and lit it smoothly, tossing the rest onto the ledge.

“If the military academy wasn’t so strict, I would have wanted to try it a long time ago. Today I finally got my wish.”

He took a deep drag, imitating Oser as he let the smoke diffuse into his lungs before letting it out slowly.

At last, he felt the comfort of being surrounded by his own pheromones. They had been stifled by Oser’s for so long that he’d almost forgotten what his pheromones smelled like. 

“No wonder the instructors always smoke in secret together. Is this the joy of being an adult Alpha?”

Xi Lei found it unbelievable that Ling Yi could remain calm in such a situation.

“Ling Yi, if this is involuntary, we can escape. When Dad wakes up, we can all flee abroad, or…..to another planet.”

Ling Yi rudely blew a mouthful of white smoke into his face.

“Another planet? Which one, ah?”

“Tianxiu!” Xi Lei said without hesitation. “Dad has already made all of the arrangements. We were initially planning to rescue you at the execution grounds and take an interstellar pirate ship to sneak you into Tianxiu. No matter how long Lu Hulun’s reach is, he wouldn’t dare send people to capture you on Tianxiu!”

Ling Yi laughed speechlessly: “Tianxiu is a planet ruled by war machines. Avoiding danger by taking refuge in the most dangerous place in the entire galaxy? Is Lu Hulun as terrifying as the people of Tianxiu?”

“The most dangerous place can also be the safest place. Apart from Tianxiu, is there any place that could strike fear into the heart of surnamed Lu?”

Ling Yi said half-jokingly: “Of course there is. Such as…..the Crown Prince’s bed?”

Xi Lei’s face flushed again: “Be serious!”

Ling Yi stopped laughing and said: “Let me ask you – when you kicked in the door today, did you ever consider that your greatest ambition in life, joining His Highness Oser’s guard, might have reached a dead end?”

“…..Of course I did.”

“Did you take Uncle Xi En’s illness into consideration? Even when he’s discharged from the hospital, he’ll still need to rest. And did you consider that Xi Lan is only fourteen years old, yet you expect him to live a nomadic life in exile?”

“……”

For each question he asked, Xi Lei’s expression grew more solemn.

Ling Yi: “I was the one who took the initiative to request this transformation.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to die. That’s all.”

Ling Yi tilted his head to the other side: “If I hadn’t enjoyed teasing you about His Highness Oser’s weaknesses and watching you lash out in anger, I never would have known how obsessed he is with having an Omega. I was afraid he wouldn’t take the bait, so I used every method to lure him in, using all the knowledge I’ve learned from certain films.”

The corners of Xi Lei’s mouth twitched.

“I initially planned to use His Highness Oser to escape the death penalty. Naturally, I had my heart set on fleeing as soon as I found a chance. He’s the eldest son of the emperor, and I’m a wanted criminal.”

“Later on, I found that I had made two mistakes. One was that I thought Lu Hulun would be more merciful, and the other was that I thought His Highness Oser was too simple.”

Xi Lei struggled with his conscience for a long time before coming to a major decision. He said through gritted teeth: “If….if this deal must be made, I…..I’m also an Alpha.”

Ling Yi: “…..Ha?”

Xi Lei stammered: “What I mean is, Xi En is my father and Xi Lan is my brother. Although Dad raised you even though you’re not related by blood, you nearly lost your life protecting Xi Lan, so you no longer owe our family anything.”

Ling Yi stared at him blankly, even forgetting to shake the ash from his cigarette.

After a long moment, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud. The laughter came from the bottom of his heart, as if making up for a three-month dearth of joy in one go.

Xi Lei was annoyed by his laughter: “What are you laughing about?!”

Ling Yi wiped his tears and asked: “Tell me the truth – is the real reason you want to replace me out of a sense of responsibility, or do you actually have unrealistic thoughts about your dream man?”

Xi Lei was so angry that his face turned red: “How could I have such improper thoughts! My…..my feelings for His Highness Oser are just spiritual worship. I have no dream man. Don’t talk nonsense all the time!”

Ling Yi finally stopped laughing: “It’s not that I don’t want to make your wish come true, but I’ve already gone too far.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve bent His Highness Oser.”

Seeing Xi Lei’s disbelief, Ling Yi added: “He has a hunting reaction toward me.”

Xi Lei’s eyes blew wide.

A hunting reaction was the most direct physiological indicator of an Alpha’s desire. Before marking, an Alpha would carefully lick their canine teeth to ensure that they were sharp enough to pierce the gland of their prey in an instant.

An Alpha’s verbal displays of affection may be insincere, but a hunting reaction never lied.

Ling Yi pushed his hair back in distress: “Didn’t I tell you I had to use a lot of tricks? I don’t know how I accidentally — it’s said that if you look at a person who’s lacked love since childhood for even three seconds, they’ll fall in love with you. How could I have known that he, a crown prince of noble birth, would be so lacking in love, ah?”

“Simply put, before I messed with him, he probably just wanted an Omega. But now, his goal seems to be more clear-cut – to the extent that I think he would probably send troops to Tianxiu to capture me.”

Xi Lei stiffened in reaction to this. After a long moment, he grabbed Ling Yi’s box of cigarettes from the ledge and lit one in despair.

Ling Yi laughed: “Model student, how many times have you violated school rules today?”

Xi Lei smoked fiercely, with hatred in his eyes.

“Ling Yi, I’m just a military academy student with no background. If I said I wanted to deal with the Prime Minister of the empire, wouldn’t that be overestimating my abilities?”

“You may not have a background, but I will. As long as I survive this operation, the Imperial Crown Prince will be my background.”

Xi Lei turned his head, and something seemed to flash through his eyes under the moonlight.

“Is there really no other way?”

“Xi Lei, the reason the two of us don’t like each other is because we have different values. You have a strong sense of morality and a conservative mindset. I’m different – if necessary, I can even use my body as a bargaining chip.”

“But the more I give out, the more I need to take back. If I’m using myself to gamble, survival isn’t all that I want.”

“Then what do you want?” Xi Lei asked.

Ling Yi’s eyes went cold: “I want Lu Hulun dead.”

. . . . . .

“Have you finished discussing with your brother?” Oser asked Ling Yi, who emanated a chill from the rooftop.

“Xi Lei and I rarely communicate calmly for more than ten sentences. We often start to argue after only a few words. Thanks to Your Highness, we were able to have a good discussion this time.”

“Oh, by the way, I’ll give these back to you.”

When he placed the pack of cigarettes and the lighter in Oser’s hand, Oser just glanced down and said: “Naughty.”

“This was my first time smoking.”

“How was it?”

“Fantastic. It’s a pity that my first cigarette as an Alpha will also be my last.”

Ling Yi looked as if he had fulfilled his final wish and had no more regrets.

“Your Highness, I’m ready.”

---

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Chapter 12 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 14

Huo Fenglie’s expression went stiff. He opened his mouth to explain, but knew that with Liu Zhenqing’s intelligence, he wouldn’t be able to fool him.

Qing-ge would be angry. After all, Qing-ge was a person who valued freedom, and absolutely hated being monitored. He instinctively felt that Qing-ge would be angrier about this than about being forced into intimacy.

But how could he rest at ease if he didn’t keep an eye on him?

“I’m s…..” Huo Fenglie started to apologize. Even though he would do it again, he decided to start with an apology.

But before he could finish, Liu Zhenqing smacked him hard on the head.

Liu Zhenqing regarded Huo Fenglie with both anger and amusement: “I didn’t think you would resort to such means. How did you do it? I was obviously on the road most of the time, so was it the guards? Huo-dage found them for me, and they would naturally listen to you since they belong to your Huo family. But I usually only bring Liu Qiao with me when I’m in the capital, ah. You…..”

Huo Fenglie covered his forehead and stared blankly at Liu Zhenqing, who wasn’t as angry as he had imagined. Seeing his uncertainty, Huo Fenglie quickly said: “It was my friends. He Lan, Qin Yu, Bai Su…..and Yuan Jue.”

“Oh, the East Palace, the Imperial Guard, the Dongchang, and Bai Yu, who was at my side. You were really omnipresent. Brat, you turned out to be like this……” When Liu Zhenqing came to this conclusion, he was truly shocked.

After all, in his impression, although Er-gou was talented in both civil and military affairs, he had been well-protected by their trio and had always been their little didi, so his thoughts should be fairly simple. Even after expressing his feelings for Liu Zhenqing, some of his actions toward him were purely impulsive, like a child throwing a tantrum. Even though Liu Zhenqing was ashamed, angry, and embarrassed during the process, he’d felt powerless afterward and unable to dispute it with Er-gou.

Therefore, Liu Zhenqing had never thought that one day, Huo Fenglie would quietly set up a trap around him so that his every move would never escape his eyes. And for two years, he’d never even known he was being watched. Quite suddenly, he had the feeling that he was no match for the person in front of him.

All of this deeply shocked Liu Zhenqing. The subversion of the hierarchy of their relationship made this sense of unfamiliarity even stronger, and the changes in Huo Fenglie’s appearance and temperament  were even more unfamiliar than when they’d met again just now.

Before, he had cradled Er-gou in his palms with care, which was the equivalent of complete control – but now, it felt as if someone was holding him by the scruff of his neck. This made him realize that Er-gou had grown up and was on equal footing with him, no longer a puppy trailing at his heels.

This conclusion astounded Liu Zhenqing, and he could only stare blankly at Huo Fenglie, not knowing how to react.

Seeing Liu Zhenqing like this, Huo Fenglie felt uneasy. He immediately reached out and grasped Liu Zhenqing by the arms, saying: “Qing-ge, I’m sorry. Don’t…..don’t be angry with me. I just…..couldn’t stop thinking about you. I wanted to know everything about you. I….won’t make excuses. If you’re angry, just hit me. And if that’s not enough, let Liu Qiao beat me. I won’t fight back at all.”

Huo Fenglie was in close proximity to him as he spoke. Liu Zhenqing looked at him, and heat immediately flooded his face. They had already kissed, but for some reason, their closeness at this moment made him flustered. In particular, the deep affection in Huo Fenglie’s eyes made him avert his gaze.

He actually…..wasn’t all that angry. It just seemed to feel…..right. 

Liu Zhenqing reached out uneasily and pushed against Huo Fenglie’s chest, keeping him at enough distance that he could breathe smoothly. “I’ll hit you. Of course I’ll hit you. Just wait until your injury is healed – I’ll beat you up!”

Huo Fenglie stared, as if in disbelief at Liu Zhenqing’s reaction. He keenly realized that Liu Zhenqing wasn’t truly angry, and infinite hope began to surge in his heart. At once, he reached up and grasped Liu Zhenqing’s hand on his chest.

Liu Zhenqing was startled and tried to pull his hand back, but Huo Fenglie tugged so hard that he lost his balance and nearly fell into the other’s arms again. Liu Zhenqing caught himself with his other hand and glared at Huo Fenglie.

But Huo Fenglie’s eyes were as deep as the sea as he asked: “Qing-ge, can you answer my question now?”

Question, what question…..ah…..whether his behavior the past two years had anything to do with Huo Fenglie.

How should he answer this, ah?

After two years with no contact, Liu Zhenqing initially thought that Huo Fenglie had gradually forgotten about his infatuation that shouldn’t have existed. He delightedly kept the jade cube, but there was a constant voice inside him telling him that Huo Fenglie had opened his heart to him, and he should respect that even if he didn’t return his feelings.

So until he was completely certain of Huo Fenglie’s intentions, he didn’t remove it – only out of respect. The same was true for marriage.

From the moment Huo Fenglie confessed his feelings to him and made that vow, Liu Zhenqing had been bound.

After coming here, being molested by him, and learning the truth of the past two years, Liu Zhenqing felt that his unresolved questions had been answered, and he felt relieved. But he…..

“I don’t know…..I’ve been so busy these past two years that I really haven’t thought too much about it,” Liu Zhenqing said frankly.

A trace of disappointment flashed through Huo Fenglie’s eyes, but he immediately looked up at Liu Zhenqing, saying gently but firmly: “Qing-ge, no matter what you think, I just want you to know that after being away from you for two years, my feelings for you have not diminished. They’ve only grown stronger. I know that I can’t live without you in this life. If you had someone you liked, I definitely wouldn’t pester you so much. The thing I’m afraid of most is that you’ll hate me. But if you don’t have someone you like, then I…..”

Huo Fenglie’s gaze gradually became sharper: “Then I’ll never let you go.”

Liu Zhenqing grew flustered under his gaze. He had an inexplicable feeling that his undiminished feelings these past two years would likely never diminish in the future. A voice in his mind told him that he should give up – that since he was so entangled anyway, he might as well compromise.

But while he was lost in thought, a certain person couldn’t take it anymore, overwhelmed as he was after confessing his feelings. He leaned in to kiss him, but the quick-eyed, quick-handed Liu Zhenqing stopped him with a hand over his mouth.

“Don’t push your luck!” Liu Zhenqing said angrily. What was going on, ah? He was used to being the one flirting with others, so why was he the one being flirted with now? What exactly had gone wrong, ah?

Huo Fenglie sent him an aggrieved look, as if saying, you’re right in front of me – how can I help myself?

Liu Zhenqing was endlessly furious, but in the next second, he sensed that something wasn’t right. The hand pressed to Huo Fenglie’s lips touched his cheek instead. Huo Fenglie’s eyes widened at once. His excitement was beyond words.

“Qing…..”

“Such a high temperature. You have a fever.”

Huo Fenglie was taken aback. He averted his eyes and grumbled: “I had a fever when I came here. Haven’t you been paying attention to me?”

At this thought, Liu Zhenqing’s cheeks grew warm. There was also the time when they kissed…..it had seemed that the inside of his mouth was overly hot, but at that time, he couldn’t pay attention to such things, ah. And he had been focused on the condition of the wound when he was bandaging it just now. With such a serious injury, how could he not have a fever?

Liu Zhenqing sent Huo Fenglie a fierce glare: “Why did you come here if you have a fever?” He pressed a hand to Huo Fenglie’s forehead and forced him to lay down. He had initially wanted to chase him off, but now he could only allow him to recover from his injuries.

“Lie down for me,” Liu Zhenqing said unhappily.

“Then Qing-ge can’t leave the carriage. He must stay with me, otherwise there would be no point in me coming here.

Liu Zhenqing raised a hand and smacked him, then took out a towel and wrapped ice inside it to cool him down.

After a while, Huo Fenglie felt drowsy: “Qing-ge, I’m cold.”

“That’s normal. Just go to sleep.”

“In this situation…..shouldn’t I hold onto something warm?”

“If you don’t want to sleep, then get out.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t bother paying attention to him, but Huo Fenglie still reached out and tightly grasped his wrist. Liu Zhenqing looked over impatiently to find that he had already closed his eyes. His face looked wan, but his mouth was curled up at the corners. In the end, Liu Zhenqing didn’t pull his hand back.

There were still three days left of the carriage ride. Liu Zhenqing gave Huo Fenglie a heavy dose of medicine to keep him quiet and help him recover from his injuries, so he spent a lot of time sleeping, sometimes outdoors. When the other officials asked if Liu Zhenqing wanted a tent to sleep in, Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie beside him and could only refuse. He continued to stay with Huo Fenglie inside the carriage.

He often stared at the sleeping Huo Fenglie in a daze, keeping silent for hours. When he came to his senses and realized that he hadn’t said a word, he didn’t feel like himself anymore.

Sometimes, he would fall asleep at night and wake up in Huo Fenglie’s arms. There was no telling if this kid had secretly done something to him after waking up. In any case, he often felt strange sensations in his dreams, and his lips would be sore when he woke up. Already numb, Liu Zhenqing didn’t bother to make a fuss about it.

One morning, he heard the sound of hurried hoofbeats and opened the curtain to take a look. Then he heard a familiar voice shout from afar: “Zhenqing!”

Huo-dage had come twenty li outside of the city to personally greet him. He hadn’t expected to see his little brother here. He’d heard that Huo Fenglie had come to pick someone up right after leaving the battlefield without notifying anyone, and scolded him angrily. But the long-awaited reunion with his good friend still occupied most of his thoughts, so he let his unruly little brother off. 

After pulling Liu Zhenqing close, he started to lead everyone into a gallop on horseback.

“What are you doing?” Before Liu Zhenqing could start a conversation with him, he heard Huo Feihan say: “Ruoruo is about to give birth. She told me to come and get you quickly.”

“What? She’s about to give birth, and you still came to pick me up. You two really are…..quickly, I won’t take a horse, Qiaoqiao will take me flying!”

“Qing-ge, I can…..”

“You can’t do anything. Your injury hasn’t healed yet, so follow the troops. Huo-dage, let’s go!”

He arrived in a hurry, and had no time to admire the newly-constructed General’s Manor. Midwives scurried in and out, and Li Xingruo’s shouting voice came from inside. Even the dauntless Huo Feihan turned pale and weak-kneed when he heard her. He grabbed Liu Zhenqing and said: “Is she okay? Ruoruo seems to be in a lot of pain.”

Truth be told, Liu Zhenqing was flustered when he came upon this scene, but he had to comfort his friend: “Huo-dage, go to Shimei’s window and offer her words of encouragement!”

“Right, right, right…..” Huo Feihan wasn’t allowed to go inside, and could only say a few things at the window.

Li Xingruo didn’t know what he was saying, and called out: “Where’s my Shixiong!”

Liu Zhenqing hurried forward and said: “Shimei, I’m here.”

There was silence inside, and then Li Xingruo cried out in pain again.

Huo Fenglie arrived soon after, and a cry broke through the sounds of torment.

The twins were born.

Inside the room, Huo Feihan and Liu Zhenqing each held a child and comforted them. Li Xingruo watched from where she reclined weakly in bed, and Huo Fenglie stood beside Liu Zhenqing.

In a good mood at last, Liu Zhenqing said to Huo Fenglie with a smile: “Er-gou, it’s so strange, ah. I feel like this niece looks more like you did as a child.”

Liu Zhenqing had held the newborn Huo Fenglie in his arms. Thinking of that time, his eyes became gentle.

Huo Fenglie’s expression changed slightly. He wasn’t very happy about Liu Zhenqing’s recollections of that time, and as he watched him coax the two children, his eyes gradually dimmed.

Huo Fenglie rarely revealed his emotions to others, even to his brother and sister-in-law. Even the expression on his face didn’t change much, but Liu Zhenqing still sensed his low mood from the first moment. 

When Liu Zhenqing put the child back to rest with her mother, he turned around to find that Huo Fenglie was gone. When he went out to the courtyard and found Huo Fenglie standing alone under a tree, he approached him and said: “Why are you still here? Go back and continue to heal.”

Just as Huo Fenglie was about to speak, he saw Huo Feihan come out.

“Fenglie, the other envoys can go to the government inn. Zhenqing will stay here…..”

“There’s an empty room in my courtyard,” Huo Fenglie cut in.

Huo Feihan froze and sent Liu Zhenqing an awkward look. Liu Zhenqing frowned, about to refuse out of instinct. But seeing Huo Fenglie’s gloomy mood, he decided that the courtyard didn’t matter. They wouldn’t share a room, and he still had Liu Qiao with him.

When Liu Zhenqing didn’t respond, Huo Feihan just went with the flow: “I’ll come find you later.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded in agreement.

When they arrived at the courtyard, Liu Zhenqing saw a familiar willow tree.

The layout was different from Huo Fenglie’s courtyard in the capital, and instead looked like his exclusive guest quarters, the Snow Catkin Courtyard. 

Liu Zhenqing and Liu Qiao were taken to a side room, and were even more taken aback after entering.

“Did you know I would come?” Why were all the furnishings in the room the same?

“It was arranged when it was built a year ago,” Huo Fenglie said in a deep voice.

Liu Zhenqing paused for a moment. It wasn’t just the layout – even the incense in the room was specially for him. Huo Fenglie had only come to pick him up after learning about his arrival late, so it was impossible for him to have had his servants prepare everything in advance. Everything was just like it always was, and the feeling of being taken to heart made him a little uneasy.

Liu Zhenqing asked Liu Qiao to put their luggage away and bring something over. After sitting down, Huo Fenglie poured him tea as usual.

Then Liu Zhenqing spoke up: “Why are you unhappy? Shouldn’t you be happy about your niece and nephew?”

Huo Fenglie tensed up, then looked at Liu Zhenqing and said seriously: “Qing-ge, do you…..do you want children?”

Liu Zhenqing stared in shock before coming to an understanding: “I do, ah.”

Huo Fenglie’s expression froze. Since the moment they met again, Liu Zhenqing hadn’t seen such a sad expression on his face. It was as if he had invisibly stabbed Huo Fenglie in the heart.

Liu Zhenqing’s heart sank. As expected, ah. He couldn’t bear to see such an expression on Er-gou’s face, and felt very distressed. He sighed helplessly: “Don’t I already have some? Yunci and Yunqian are my children, ah. With their temperaments, how will your brother and sister-in-law ever teach them well? They’ll definitely need my help to teach them and watch over them…..just these two are enough for me to worry about.”

Huo Fenglie’s expression changed again and again. All of a sudden, he reached out and grasped Liu Zhenqing’s hand. Liu Zhenqing exclaimed and tried to free his hand, saying: “Stop it!”

Huo Fenglie was a little agitated, and was about to say something when Liu Qiao came over with a long wooden box and set it on the table.

Liu Zhenqing patted the box and said: “I missed you turning eighteen, but this is your birthday gift. Try it and see if you like it.”

Huo Fenglie was stunned. When he opened the box, a pure black sword sat before him.

He picked it up and immediately drew the sword out to examine it. Along with a slight exclamation, Huo Fenglie’s eyes suddenly lit up. He knew this was a good sword. It was made of the same material as the sword Qing-ge had given to his brother many years ago, and he had wanted one ever since.

Huo Fenglie jumped out of the room elatedly and began to dance around the courtyard with the sword. This made Liu Qiao’s blood boil, and he wanted to go out and fight him.

But Huo Fenglie quickly came to a stop and rushed toward Liu Zhenqing, who was standing at the door watching him.

“How do you like…..” Liu Zhenqing started to ask.

But then Huo Fenglie rushed over and wrapped him in his arms. And without waiting for him to say anything, he grabbed the back of Liu Zhenqing’s head with one hand and kissed him.

Liu Qiao to the side stared blankly, then turned his head away, following his instructions to not look at anything inappropriate. Huo Feihan, who had just stepped in, froze in his tracks. The shock of this scene caused his older brother brain to boil over. But since Liu Qiao hadn’t reacted, his little brother shouldn’t be forcing Liu Zhenqing into anything. Otherwise, Liu Qiao would have already taken action. 

Since Liu Qiao looked so indifferent, could it be that…..his brother and Zhenqing had fallen in love with each other?!

He had to tell Ruoruo the good news!

Today was a day of double happiness!

---

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(Alt Universe) Extra 25 << Table of Contents >> (Alt Universe) Extra 27

Pat hurried to the underground restricted area, where he met the returned Ling Yi.

“I’m sorry for knocking you out, losing your uniform, and causing you to lose this month’s salary.”

Ling Yi took the initiative to apologize to him, but it wasn’t much of an apology.

“These are all trivial matters.” Pat nervously scanned the injuries on his face. “How did you get hurt? Is it serious?”

He caught sight of Oser’s face as well: “Why are you injured too?”

That was His Highness Oser, the top freak of nature whose pheromones could knock down a group of Alphas within seconds. Who possessed the ability to hurt him?

Upon closer inspection, the two men each had a wound on the corner of their mouths, one on the right and one on the left. It would be a stretch to call it a coincidence.

Pat swallowed down his reflexive request for their medical records: “Have Nan Ting help treat your wounds. Ling Yi may need to do some more physical exams to rule out any internal injuries.”

Lan Ze, who had been present this whole time, suddenly spoke: “From my observations, he has only suffered minor injuries. There are no major issues.”

Only then did Pat realize that he had overlooked an important person.

“Junior Lan Ze? …..Why is he here?” The second half of the question was directed toward Oser.

Oser replied leisurely: “I arrested him at my grandfather’s private execution grounds. Why don’t you ask him why he was there?”

Lan Ze’s tone was just as tranquil as before: “The Prime Minister told me to go, so I went.”

Pat was puzzled: “Why would you obey the Prime Minister’s orders?”

Lan Ze looked at him and asked a question rather than answering: “Doctor Pat, who is your sponsor?”

Although the Royal Medical College was the highest-level medical research institute in the empire, enjoying the best experimental environment and research equipment, public research funds were still limited, and experimental costs were high.

Almost every famous doctor in the medical college had his or her own sponsor. Some sponsors’ identities were public, while others were strictly confidential.

Pat’s was the sort that was already made public. From the dean to the cleaning crew, everyone knew that he dedicated all of his efforts to His Highness Oser’s great life event, and he didn’t know why Lan Ze had asked when he already knew the answer.

“Naturally, it’s His Highness Oser. Why do you ask?”

“You have your sponsor, and I certainly have mine.”

Pat’s eyes gradually widened: “Your sponsor is the Prime Minister?”

“He covers all of my experimental expenses and transfers the money in a timely manner each month. He pays, and I provide. It’s that simple.”

“But his money isn’t clean. If you help him, you’re just aiding and abetting evil!”

When Pat was in school, he had admired and envied this talented medical school junior, and was also a little jealous of him.

Once they became colleagues at the Royal Medical College, he considered getting closer to him, but Lan Ze was not one to allow anyone close, so over time, Pat gave up on the idea.

No one could have imagined that such a talented, solitary doctor had been working for the Prime Minister. It was truly revolting.

Lan Ze took exception to his words: “The Prime Minister ordered me to slice his gland as many times as possible while ensuring he survived the longest, so that he would die slowly and in extreme pain.”

He glanced at Ling Yi: “Doesn’t His Highness Oser also want to cut open this person’s gland?”

“How can that be the same?” Pat vehemently denied it. “My surgery is for the purpose of saving his life!”

“With your surgery’s success rate of less than thirty percent? In my eyes, this is no different from murder.”

Pat: “……”

His facial muscles twitched uncontrollably: “I admit that my medical achievements don’t match up to yours, but at least save me some face in front of my sponsor.”

“Don’t judge me from a moral high ground. We’re all working on behalf of our own financial backers, exploiting the lives of others to achieve our medical goals. You’re not more noble than me, and I’m not more despicable than you. The only difference between us is whether we use anesthesia.”

Pat opened and closed his mouth several times, and sadly discovered that not only were his medical skills inferior to Lan Ze’s, but he was also no match for him in terms of eloquence.

Lan Ze seemed completely unaware of the damage he’d done to Pat. He turned to Oser and said: “It’s just that I happened to touch His Highness’s person this time. Do what you want with me.”

Oser folded his arms: “Your merits and demerits offset each other. I agree to spare your life.”

“Since everything is fine, I’ll go back first.”

“Did I allow you to leave?”

“Does Your Highness have further instructions?”

“Have you read over the information I gave you yesterday?”

“Doctor Pat’s feasibility report on secondary sex characteristics reassignment?”

Before Pat could recover from the previous blow, he received a second one.

“Your Highness, you gave my research report to Junior Lan Ze?”

Lan Ze: “I read it.”

Oser: “Tell me what you think.”

“I recorded my thoughts directly in the report. If we improve it in this way, we can increase the success rate of the surgery to at least fifty percent.”

One of the guards next to him took out the report he had been carrying with him and handed it to Pat.

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve been researching this for years. How could you possibly, in one night…..one night…..”

Pat stared at the report: “It turns out this is possible. Why didn’t I think of it?”

He flipped through the pages rapidly, muttering constantly, “Unbelieveable.”

Oser didn’t even glance at it. “It’s too low.”

“One of the difficulties of this surgery is postoperative fusion. If we use the repair chamber newly developed by Jinghuan Technologies, the success rate can be estimated conservatively at sixty to seventy percent.”

Pat’s head shot up: “You mean the one that costs as much as seven airplanes and charges per millimeter for the repair fluid?”

Oser still wasn’t satisfied: “It’s not enough.”

Lan Ze was silent for a moment: “If I were to perform the operation myself, the success rate would be ninety percent.”

“No!” Ling Yi and Pat said in unison.

Pat: “I don’t deny that my junior is a genius, but this is a very complicated operation. I myself had to simulate it several times before I dared to begin.”

Ling Yi: “He’s Lu Hulun’s lackey. How do we know he won’t attack me on the operating table?”

Lan Ze shrugged indifferently: “Then I can’t help you.”

Oser walked over to him.

“You’ll work for whoever pays you.”

“This is the simplest rule of trade, Your Highness. I’m not fond of complex worldly affairs.”

“From now on, whatever my grandfather pays you, I’ll double it.”

“I’m a spendthrift.”

“I have plenty of money.”

This was the first time Lan Ze looked at Oser seriously. He then glanced at Ling Yi.

“To be honest, although I do want to make this money, if the patient doesn’t trust the doctor, there is nothing I can do.”

“This isn’t something you need to take into consideration.” Oser commanded the guards: “Send Doctor Lan Ze to have a good rest and recuperate for tomorrow’s surgery.”

Pat: “T-tomorrow?”

“Go get the surgery consent form.”

Pat stammered: “There’s no need to rush. There are still many preoperative exams to be done…..”

“It won’t be too late to do them after the form is signed.” Oser joked, “This volunteer is very capable. There’s no way to tell which might come first – signing the form or running away.”

Ling Yi looked up at the ceiling, his eyes darting around.

Pat had no choice but to take out the consent form he had prepared long ago.

“Informed consent is important, because this surgery is voluntary.” He particularly emphasized the word ‘voluntary.’ “There are many risks involved. Allow me to explain them to you.”

Oser: “Get out. Leave the consent form here.”

Pat rubbed his hands: “Your Highness, this is against the rules…..the Medical Management Association requires volunteers to sign a consent form, and the attending physician must be present. There is a lot of medical terminology involved…..”

“I can explain it if he doesn’t understand.”

“But…..” Pat was in a dilemma.

Ling Yi couldn’t bear to watch any longer: “Thank you, Doctor Pat. I’ll take a closer look at it. I would like to be alone with His Highness for a while.”

“T-then I’ll come and retrieve it later…..make sure you read it carefully!”

Pat left the ward, looking back every few steps.

Oser fiddled with his lighter, rapidly lighting and extinguishing it.

Ling Yi carelessly flipped through the consent form, only glancing over the contents. As for how much of it actually entered his mind, only he knew.

Oser waited until he reached the last page before saying unhurriedly: “Tell me, are there any problems?”

“I don’t see a clause detailing how much security my family will receive if I die unexpectedly?”

Oser put away the lighter and sat next to him at an overly intimate distance.

“It seems you’re not very nervous if you’re in the mood to make jokes.”

“I’m just curious.”

“Curious about what?”

“Why didn’t Your Highness bring this to me outside the emergency room? You know I would have signed anything at that point.”

“I’m good at making threats, but I don’t use blackmail.”

“No wonder Your Highness is no match for your grandfather.”

Oser pushed the consent form in front of Ling Yi.

“Sign it, undergo the surgery, complete the marking, and I will hold a wedding with the highest royal etiquette and marry you as my consort. Lu Hulun won’t dare touch you easily again. I will ensure the safety of your family, your classmates will graduate successfully, and no one will be implicated.”

“And if I don’t sign it?”

Oser reached his hand out, sliding the knuckle of his index finger slowly along the curve of Ling Yi’s neck.

His Alpha instincts surged at the impending danger, and numbness once again took over his body. Ling Yi clenched his teeth and did his utmost to fight the urge to retaliate.

“If you don’t sign it, I will force you to put your fingerprint on it, force you to undergo the surgery, force you to be marked, and lock you inside my bedroom, where you will live the rest of your life pleasing me. From the moment you provoked me in prison, your fate was sealed.”

Under the excessive tension, Ling Yi was just barely able to squeeze out a sarcastic laugh: “Your Highness was right. You really are good at making threats, ah.”

“You should have known from the first time you met me that I’m not a good person.”

The intimidating mental energy receded like the tide, and a pen was thrust into Ling Yi’s hand.

“Write.”

His blurred vision gradually cleared, and the tip of the pen rested perfectly on the signature spot. Everything was arranged to facilitate the fastest path to its destination.

Ling Yi chuckled self-deprecatingly and put pen to paper. A black dot appeared on the white sheet.

The door was kicked open forcefully from outside, and a panting figure appeared in the doorway. Ling Yi was so startled that he forgot to write a single character.

“Don’t sign it!”

---

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Chapter 11 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 13

He had missed this person so much that even though he was here in his arms, he still missed him so much that it hurt.

That infatuating aura belonging exclusively to Qing-ge had reappeared in reality, and he just wanted to have it all to himself. He even began to wildly regret not seeing Qing-ge for two years.

Qing-ge’s body, lips, and soft breaths charmed Huo Fenglie into insanity, stealing his control to the point that he forgot all of his plans. Perhaps it wasn’t Qing-ge’s current appearance that had excited him, but more that as long as he was close to Qing-ge, the love he had suppressed for so many years would erupt like a volcano that had long been dormant, making him want to vent his emotions to his heart’s content.

But nothing could ease the situation. The more he possessed him, the more out of control he became. And as his madness surged, a dark red hue appeared in his eyes, indicating that he was losing his mind to this intimacy.

Liu Zhenqing was truly in a state of shock, and could only stare up at the man. He was still befuddled by the slightly unfamiliar contours of this person’s face – he seemed like a stranger, but he knew it was Er-gou.

But the bastard was actually doing this kind of thing the moment they met? He’d thought Huo Fenglie would grow up and mature, but his words from when they parted actually came true.

Liu Zhenqing felt even more ashamed and angry. He struggled hard, and almost scratched his hand on the hard black armor.

But one of a certain someone’s hands was already restless, and its movements were getting more and more…..two years ago, Huo Fenglie hadn’t gone so far as to overstep some boundaries. At most, he was like a mad little wolfhound who pounced on someone and bit them to satisfy himself. But this time, it seemed as if he was actually in heat.

So this disoriented Liu Zhenqing.

He only had one layer of clothing left, which was still half-open, creating the perfect conditions for Huo Fenglie. Liu Zhenqing’s situation naturally became worse under such touches, and his cheeks grew even redder. After all, he had no such experience! ! !

Liu Zhenqing was liked and admired by many people because of his appearance, but nobody had dared to be as frivolous as Er-gou. He had lived for more than twenty years, and there was only one such bastard who had done all kinds of wicked things to him.

Liu Zhenqing was frightened. Huo Fenglie was like a madman, completely ignoring his resistance. Facing Huo Fenglie’s prestige after two years, he had no means to defend himself. If this went on…..if this went on……he was doomed!

His mouth was blocked, and he couldn’t shout out, so he could only give up fighting and knock on the carriage to signal Liu Qiao to come to his rescue.

Liu Qiao did hear the noise, but when he opened the curtain, he saw Huo Fenglie kissing Liu Zhenqing. Then Huo Fenglie kicked him back, and the curtain fell again. Liu Qiao was momentarily stunned. But then he recalled a certain lecture and obediently sat down again, completely ignoring the sounds made by Liu Zhenqing.

The other officials, as well as the troops led by Huo Fenglie, all exchanged glances as they waited for orders from the two gentlemen inside. When others recognized Huo Fenglie, they stretched out their necks to watch him curiously. But why was the carriage shaking after he entered, with no other signs of movement?

Liu Zhenqing felt Huo Fenglie’s hand pass through the waistband of his trousers, and his pupils immediately constricted. He didn’t know if it was because of his alarm or because he was being kissed, but his body was actually cooperating…..While inwardly cursing Liu Qiao for being slow, he grabbed Huo Fenglie’s wrist. But he was no match for the other party’s strength, and Huo Fenglie seemed to want to carry out his scoundrelly behavivor to the end.

In a panic, Liu Zhenqing froze up. Not only was his face red, but he was so angry that he could vomit blood, his eyes full of disbelief. This usually well-behaved child was doing such a thing to him. He was so angry and ashamed that he even wanted to stab Huo Fenglie.

But the human bodily easily succumbed to instinct. Even through his extreme fury, Liu Zhenqing’s scalp felt numb and his brain went blank.

This situation…..had never happened before. His resistance gradually weakened…..

But at this moment, the voices an envoy seemed to whisper into the carriage: “My Lord, Major General…..those entering and exiting the city gate are being blocked in. Shall we continue to move forward? The common people are waiting…..”

Because of the Huo Family Army’s special authority, as soon as they came, the procession coming out of the city had stopped.

Liu Zhenqing was still rather dazed when he heard this voice. Suddenly, he felt Huo Fenglie’s kisses move from his mouth to other places, and he could breathe again.

He seized the opportunity and was about to shout, but the instant he sucked in a breath, Huo Fenglie put a hand over his mouth.

A hoarse voice sounded: “Qing-ge, there are people outside…..the envoys, the Huo Family Army, and the common people waiting to pass through the border. They…..are all looking at this carriage.

Liu Zhenqing’s breathing suddenly stagnated. His mind cleared, and his voice stuck in his throat. If he shouted out, wouldn’t everyone know what they were doing? How could such a thing happen…..Huo Fenglie was so shameless that he still wanted to do it.

When Liu Zhenqing was able to react, he realized he was being threatened by this brat. Er-gou treated the situation like a jar that had already been broken, and proceeded heedless of anything. Taking advantage of Liu Zhenqing’s reluctance to let everyone know, he did as he pleased……

Liu Zhenqing was obviously very intelligent. What was such a minor predicament to someone like him? Whoever dared to plot against him would receive severe retribution. However, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation, and his thinking was stunted due to Huo Fenglie’s proximity. His brain was practically burnt to a crisp. How could he possibly come up with a solution?

The envoy outside didn’t receive a reply for a long time, and said: “My Lord, Major General, please give us instructions…..”

Liu Zhenqing listened to this voice with steam rising from his face. Just as he was at a loss for what to do, Huo Fenglie took back his hand. He actually didn’t care if Liu Zhenqing made any strange noises or not. Contrary to expectations, the frightened Liu Zhenqing broke into a cold sweat and covered his own mouth to prevent any noises from reaching the people outside.

He directed a fierce glare at Huo Fenglie, who only smiled at him, his deep eyes filled with uncontrolled emotions.

Liu Zhenqing had only one thought in his head – Huo Fenglie had gone bad after growing up.

But Liu Zhenqing no longer paid attention to how he was being bullied, and just used his eyes to signal Huo Fenglie to answer the voice outside.

Huo Fenglie then spoke in a low voice: “Let them through. We’re setting off.”

As he spoke, his hand didn’t stop doing wicked things.

The carriage began to move, and the voices around them gradually rose. Liu Zhenqing was no longer afraid. After enduring for a while, he smacked Huo Fenglie on the head and got a chance to catch his breath. Just when he was about to reprimand him, he saw Huo Fenglie suddenly lower his head.

All of the shocks Liu Zhenqing had experienced before were nothing compared to this one. He had never expected that……in any case, his soul left his body in every sense…..

When the carriage left through the city gates and into the wild, Liu Qiao was driving the carriage unhurriedly when he heard Liu Zhenqing call his name.

Liu Qiao rushed in and saw Liu Zhenqing holding up his trousers with one hand, leaning against the wall of the carriage with moisture in his eyes. His face was flushed with shame, and he said furiously: “Kick him out!”

Liu Qiao didn’t think much about it, but when he looked at Huo Fenglie, he seemed to be swallowing something. Liu Qiao didn’t understand, but his master seemed to become even angrier after this action: “Scram!”

Liu Qiao attacked at once, but Huo Fenglie’s gaze was trained on Liu Zhenqing’s tearful, furious eyes rather than on Liu Qiao. At this moment, there was no longer any aggression or loss of control on his face, but only the guilty expression of a child who had come to his senses after doing something wrong. Even when Liu Qiao attacked him, he didn’t react immediately.

“Qing-ge, I…..”

He grunted when he received a palm strike, then immediately began to fight Liu Qiao inside the carriage.

Liu Qiao wanted to drive him away, but Huo Fenglie wanted to stay. Naturally, neither of them would give way.

During the fight, both of them discovered that the other’s martial arts had improved quite a lot. Although Huo Fenglie was not yet a match for Liu Qiao, he was also very tough to deal with. Strong force was needed to drive him away.

Liu Qiao twisted his body and attacked at a tricky angle, hitting Huo Fenglie’s shoulder again. He wanted to knock the man out of the carriage directly, but Huo Fenglie took the hit head-on and didn’t move anywhere.

This time, Huo Fenglie’s grunt was even louder. Before Liu Qiao could make another move, Liu Zhenqing suddenly shouted: “Stop!”

Liu Qiao stopped at once and sent Liu Zhenqing a puzzled look, while Liu Zhenqing stared in shock at the blood dripping out of Huo Fenglie’s black armor.

“You’re injured!”

Liu Qiao’s attacks shouldn’t have caused any external injuries, so this blood indicated that Huo Fenglie had been injured previously.

Liu Zhenqing had studied medicine, and realized something was wrong when he saw Huo Fenglie’s face.

At this time, two of Huo Fenglie’s deputy generals heard the noise and rushed over on horseback. They didn’t dare offend the noble person inside, as he was the important person Major General Huo had mentioned, so they could only say through the carriage curtain: “Major General, you are seriously injured. The military doctors told you not to move around too much.”

Although something had happened inside, seeing the frightening movement of the carriage, this was the only reminder they could give.

Having already made his own judgment, the look on Liu Zhenqing’s face worsened when he heard this, and he gritted his teeth to suppress his anger. “Liu Qiao, go get the medicine box.”

Liu Qiao went immediately.

Liu Zhenqing told Huo Fenglie fiercely: “Take off your armor!”

Huo Fenglie didn’t dare make a sound, and could only take off his black armor obediently. His blue inner robes were stained with blood, some congealed and some still dripping. He must have been bleeding even before he entered the carriage!

When he lifted his robes, a shockingly large knife wound could be seen, treated only with simple medicine. After it was roughly bandaged, he had been told to avoid long journeys on horseback in such a condition.

Liu Zhenqing looked at the hideous wound with a dark expression. He took the medicine box Liu Qiao brought in and prepared to treat it, but Huo Fenglie grabbed his wrist and said: “Qing-ge, I can do it myself. Don’t dirty your hands.”

Instantaneously, Liu Zhenqing looked up at him with a glare. Huo Fenglie felt guilty, and could only release his hand. He watched Liu Zhenqing treat his wound without saying a word. There was joy and excitement in his eyes, and he even thought that it was a good thing he had been stabbed – otherwise, Qing-ge would have driven him out.

And Liu Zhenqing was indeed shocked by his injuries. Not only the fresh stab wound, but also the scars of various sizes he had acquired during the past two years, which had only been mentioned briefly by Huo Fenglie’s brother and sister-in-law in their letters. But those injuries had left their marks behind, and Liu Zhenqing’s heart broke at the sight.

Just now, he’d been so angry that he wanted to beat Er-gou up, but…..he still felt terrible for the hardships and suffering he had endured. He even unreasonably thought that if it weren’t for him, Er-gou wouldn’t have left the capital and come here to suffer so much.

“Qing-ge, I…..”

“If you dare say you’re sorry, I’ll…..have your brother beat you to death!” Even though he was distressed, Liu Zhenqing still scolded him.

A light flashed through Huo Fenglie’s eyes: “I’m sorry. You can have my brother beat me up. I lost control and shouldn’t have treated you like that, but…..Qing-ge, I don’t regret it.”

This sentence again ! ! !

“You really are…..you know you made a mistake, but refuse to correct it, ah! Where did you learn to be like this…..”

Huo Fenglie said in a deep voice: “Qing-ge, there’s no need for you to scold me. As long as I’m by your side, I might lose control at any time and do it again even if I’m scolded. You might not believe it, but I didn’t plan to behave this way. But I couldn’t control myself. You’re so smart, so you should know that being in the presence of someone you want but can’t have is madness-inducing.”

Liu Zhenqing had no words. He looked up at Huo Fenglie, only to meet eyes as deep as the sea. After two years of accumulation, those eyes had become even deeper.

At that moment, Liu Zhenqing didn’t actually know how to feel. Huo Fenglie had changed, but his infatuation with him had not, and had instead become even more severe. It was no exaggeration to say that he was obsessed.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t feel that he should discuss this with Huo Fenglie any further. Saying more would only lead to his own embarrassment, and it wasn’t worth angering himself to death over.

“How did you get injured? Why didn’t you get it treated well? What on earth were you…..”

“Because I missed Qing-ge,” Huo Fenglie said as a matter of course. 

Liu Zhenqing’s hands froze with the bandages in them.

Huo Fenglie lowered his eyes toward Liu Zhenqing’s hands, muttering: “I had just finished a battle when I heard you were coming. Qing-ge, did you think I wouldn’t rush here to see you as soon as possible? As long as I’m not dead, I’ll always come. Qing-ge, you really still don’t understand how much I care about you.”

He was still complaining? These words inexplicably made Liu Zhenqing blush. He felt as if since the moment of their reunion, his emotions were entirely controlled by Er-gou.

Once he realized this was happening, Liu Zhenqing was unwilling and just wanted to calm himself down.

“Torturing one’s body is not how a great general should behave,” Liu Zhenqing said coldly. After bandaging the wound, he turned and began putting things away, but suddenly found a brocade pouch tied inside of the black armor Huo Fenglie had taken off. The pouch was exquisite, and didn’t seem like something that belonged to a man, but more like a love token. Moreover, its position was such that when the black armor was put on, it would rest directly over the heart.

The identities of many women flashed through Liu Zhenqing’s mind. Was it the princess? Another noble lady? Thinking back to just now…..the word “scumbag” came to mind but was immediately suppressed. No matter how angry he was at the bastard, he wouldn’t malign Huo Fenglie’s character. But logically speaking…..

Liu Zhenqing was suddenly very concerned, to the point that he could barely control himself. While reaching out to clean up, he took the opportunity to touch the brocade pouch, and rubbed it to feel the contents inside. As his brain began to function, it brought him to a conclusion.

It was hair.

Liu Zhenqing felt as if he had taken a blow to the heart. Suddenly, someone approached from behind and embraced him. Compared to his previous madness, Huo Fenglie hugged him gently this time, as if cuddling him: “Qing-ge, I missed you so much. I really missed you, Qing-ge. It’s been two years since I left. I insisted on not writing, and completely cut off contact with you. Now that we’ve met again, has my position changed in your heart? Did you miss me too? Do you care about me ….at least a little bit? You do care about me, right?”

No contact for two years, indeed.

Concerned about his injury, Liu Zhenqing didn’t immediately push Huo Fenglie away. He just said stiffly: “I haven’t settled accounts with you for what happened just now. Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because of your one-sided affection. Let go!”

Huo Fenglie did not let go. “Have you finally accepted my love?” He chuckled softly while reaching his hand around Liu Zhenqing’s waist. 

Shocked, Liu Zhenqing thought that Huo Fenglie really didn’t fear death and wanted to make him utterly loathe him. “If you dare to mess around……”

Huo Fenglie lifted the object hanging at his waist. Liu Zhenqing had almost forgotten about it. His expression changed, and his attitude worsened even more.

“This is…..”

“I saw you playing with it when I came in. You’re carrying it on you. Even if Qing-ge says he doesn’t care about me, I don’t believe it.”

“Nonsense. I just…..I just wanted to return it to you, but I was afraid of losing it, so…..” Liu Zhenqing himself didn’t have a good explanation for this. In fact he carried it with him out of respect for the boy’s sincere feelings. He had intended to take it off before meeting him again in order to avoid misunderstandings. But in the end, it was seen by accident.

“Qing-ge is lying. You’ve carried it on you for the past two years without taking it off or changing it out.”

Liu Zhenqing was stifled by his words.

“And in the past two years, Qing-ge hasn’t seen anyone else. The lord of Nanfeng City wanted to marry his daughter to you, and your grandfather agreed, but you still refused. Do you dare say that had nothing to do with me?”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression shifted rapidly. He wanted to refute, but didn’t know where to start. It wasn’t because of Huo Fenglie, definitely not. It was just that he….he…..he didn’t know why. He just wasn’t interested in looking at others anymore.

It was only for these two reasons that Huo Fenglie didn’t suffer more over these two years. He felt that it wasn’t all for nothing, and that he still had a chance. Perhaps that was why he felt like no matter which lines he crossed, the person in his arms wouldn’t…..wouldn’t really break ties with him, which was why it was so easy for him to lose control.

Excluding the factor of being his didi, even if Qing-ge didn’t like him that way, it was impossible for him to be completely absent from his heart.

The more Huo Fenglie thought about it, the more he couldn’t help wanting to kiss the person in his arms again. 

“Qing-ge, I like you. I really like you. Qing-ge, when will you like me? I don’t want to lose control like this every time. I want us to be in love with each other. I want…..” But suddenly, he heard a voice.

“That’s strange. How did you know? I never mentioned these things in the letters I wrote to your brother and sister-in-law, so how could you……” What’s more, he hadn’t even been in the capital for most of that time. Wearing the jade pendant, not seeing others, these things about Nanfeng City…..

Huo Fenglie stiffened, gently letting go of Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing turned to fix Huo Fenglie with an unfriendly look: “You…..sent someone to keep an eye on me? They’ve been watching me for two years?”

---

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(Alt Universe) Extra 24 << Table of Contents >> (Alt Universe) Extra 26

Xi Lei hadn’t gone far. Firstly, he refused to get lost like Ling Yi had said, and secondly, he really wanted to know what was going on inside the vehicle, so he peeked in through the broken window.

He only got a vague glimpse of it, and was so frightened that he spun around with a pounding heart and didn’t dare look again.

Incredible things had happened one after another today, but the sum of the impact they made on him wasn’t as great as this one stunning glimpse.

. . . . . 

When he regained his freedom, Ling Yi’s lungs eagerly sucked in fresh air, even if there were pheromones mixed in.

The pheromones in this mixture included both Oser’s and his own. When he was forced to accept them from this person, Ling Yi had unknowingly released a large amount of pheromones in retaliation.

Even when his body was forced to compromise, his pheromones would not. The same was true for his eyes – at this moment, the fury in them was practically overflowing.

“Do you want to hit me?”

“Yes.”

The answer came without hesitation.

Oser released him: “Go ahead, I won’t bite you if I win.”

As soon as he said the last word, Ling Yi’s fist swung toward him.

The two men fought bare-handed inside the cabin. Oser consciously avoided using pheromones to suppress him, using the most primitive means in this one-on-one fight.

Were they in an open environment, even Ling Yi, who had trained at the military academy, would be no match for the top-tier Alpha.

The limited space became a constraint, and the stronger party was unable to gain an absolute advantage. Ling Yi’s punches and kicks made impact several times, and he received many in return. It was difficult to tell who would come out on top.

As he heard suspicious sounds coming from the vehicle, Xi Lei trembled in fear and didn’t dare look.

Then there was a loud commotion, and he subconsciously turned around. He saw the frame of the vehicle shaking violently and immediately turned back.

The noise lasted for a full quarter of an hour before stopping. Xi Lei found the silence more unbearable than that earth-shaking commotion, and it was impossible to keep from imagining what was happening inside.

He didn’t know how long this unbearable period of time lasted before the car door opened and Oser got out in a disheveled state, with obvious bruises on his face.

Although he looked roughed-up, his every move and gesture still displayed the dignity and elegance he had possessed since childhood.

Oser steadied himself and turned back to the person inside the vehicle: “Can you walk by yourself, or do you need me to carry you back?”

His tone was one of cheerful teasing, making one wonder if this was the same person as the ice-cold prince of not long before.

Another half minute passed before Ling Yi showed himself. His hair was a mess, he had blood at the corner of his mouth, and his clothing was torn.

When he hopped out of the vehicle, he sent Oser an angry glare before noticing Xi Lei.

“Why are you still here? Didn’t I tell you to get lost?”

Xi Lei’s anger surged, but he swallowed it back.

“You—”

He stole another glance at Oser.

“You guys—”

“Are you constipated, ah?”

Seeing how Xi Lei’s face was flushed and he was unable to say anything, Ling Yi put on a show of understanding something.

“You peeked?”

Oser gave Xi Lei a mild look, which frightened him into denying it repeatedly.

“No, no, no, I didn’t peek!”

A person born unable to lie could be seen through at a glance, but Ling Yi couldn’t be bothered to expose him.

“Excuse me, excuse me!”

A nurse rushed past, holding a blood bag.

Oser reached over and pulled Ling Yi close, sandwiching him between the Soaring Eagle and his broad chest.

He reflexively lowered his head so that his face couldn’t be seen.

The nurse was in such a hurry to reach her destination that she didn’t even recognize the crown prince, much less the person he was shielding.

Ling Yi saw her rush into the emergency room where Xi En was, and got a bad feeling.

“Is Uncle Xi En in danger?”

Xi Lei let out a belated “ah” and ran off.

Ling Yi started to follow, but was stopped by Oser: “Do you want everyone to know you’re here?”

Just as Ling Yi was about to speak, Xi Lei was driven out by the medical staff.

“Family members of the patient, please wait outside!”

“Save my dad! Please, I’m his biological son, I can donate blood!”

Xi Lei babbled incoherently.

“This is the emergency room! Please wait outside!”

Various instruments beeped and sounded alarms, and medical staff bustled in and out with tense expressions, exchanging medical terms that Xi Lei didn’t know. 

Each time the emergency room door opened, he would tense up, expecting a doctor to come out and say something, but fearing what the words would be.

At last, a doctor came out to speak with him. Ling Yi observed from a distance, and was more anxious than Xi Lei about what the doctor would say.

When the doctor finished giving his report and returned to the emergency room, Xi Lei stood there in a daze for a long time. When he walked over, he looked as if he had lost his soul.

“What did the doctor say?” Ling Yi asked anxiously.

Xi Lei’s lips trembled, and he couldn’t utter a word for a long time.

“Say something, ah!” Ling Yi urged.

“The doctor said that in addition to Dad’s new injuries, he also has a brain tumor. The trauma caused the tumor to rupture, and there is heavy bleeding. He might, might……”

Xi Lei choked up and lost his voice. Ling Yi’s eyes gradually reddened. He couldn’t believe it.

Unable to hold back any longer, Xi Lei burst into messy tears. This was the first time Ling Yi had seen him cry so miserably since childhood.

“Dad might not make it through…..”

Ling Yi was already upset, and Xi Lei’s crying only added fuel to the fire.

“Pei, pei, pei! What a crow’s mouth! This is the Royal Medical College. The best doctors in the empire are all here. My adoptive father will definitely be able to make a turnaround!”

“Wah…..”

“Stop your bawling! It’s damn ugly! You’re flinging snot all over me!”

Ling Yi stepped away in disgust, fearing he’d be contaminated if he backed away too slowly.

Xi Lei suddenly became unusually quiet. He gave a few silent sobs, and his tears cut off.

His strange behavior drew Ling Yi’s attention, and he quickly grabbed the other party.

“Lu Hulun hurt my brother and my dad. I’m going to kill him!”

“If you want to die, I won’t stop you, but make sure they finish the job. Don’t expect others to save you when you’re half-dead!”

Ling Yi shoved him, and Xi Lei’s back hit the frame of the vehicle. He slowly slid to the ground and put his head in his hands, whimpering softly.

The lip Oser had bitten was torn open again as Ling Yi bit it hard to keep his own tears from falling.

Suddenly, as if realizing that the still had one lifeline left, he grabbed Oser’s hand with such force that he practically crushed his bones.

“Your Highness…..”

Oser’s voice was incredibly cold and heartless.

“Ling Yi, I’m not a god. My pardon can only save a person from humans, not death.”

“You’ll definitely find a way. You’re the Crown Prince of the empire—”

“I’m no longer the Crown Prince,” Oser interrupted.

“You’re still a prince of the empire. Those people wouldn’t dare disobey you. Just go talk to them and say—”

He attempted to organize his words several times, but still couldn’t form a complete sentence.

“Let’s talk about what you’re good at. You’re the best at threatening people, right?”

When he didn’t see Oser react, Ling Yi was so anxious that he spoke without thinking.

“The person lying in there is your future father-in-law!”

Xi Lei, who was crouched motionless on the ground, immediately trembled.

Oser licked the bruised corner of his mouth and said: “Tsk.”

He made a phone call: “Bring that man here.”

Just a few minutes later, his guards escorted a doctor into the emergency room.

As soon as the door opened, the people inside could be heard shouting excitedly: “Doctor Lan Ze is here!”

“Doctor Lan Ze, please come and take a look at this patient…..”

The voices gradually faded, and the extremely long wait began once more.

The red light indicating that a rescue was in progress eventually went out, and the new doctor came out surrounded by a group of people, all of them wearing expressions of relief.

“How wonderful, thank you for this. I never thought such a complicated operation could be completed so smoothly.”

“The operation was so intense that I didn’t get a good look at most of the things you did. Can I request a copy of the recording so I can watch it in slow-mo?”

Another young nurse said forthrightly: “This is the person His Highness specifically ordered to be protected. If not for Doctor Lan Ze, our entire department would have lost this month’s bonus.”

“Not only will your department’s bonus for this month remain intact, it will be doubled.”

“Really? — Your Highness Oser!”

The young nurse was startled to find that the speaker was His Highness Oser himself.

When the medical staff heard about their bonus, the fatigue brought about by the operation was swept away by excitement.

“Your Highness Oser, did you know that if the tumor in the patient’s brain wasn’t discovered in time, it would have taken his life within three years at most?”

“Although it’s not quite right to say this, the discovery and removal of the tumor due to the patient’s injuries was a blessing in disguise.”

“It’s fortunate that we had Doctor Lan Ze, the empire’s top surgeon, in charge of the operation, and the patient was able to escape death. If Your Highness intends to reward Doctor Lan Ze, please reward him generously.”

Everyone responded: “Yeah, that’s right! Your Highness, Doctor Lan Ze is the hero of this operation!”

Doctor Lan Ze, the center of attention, said nothing. The eyes exposed above his mask were as sharp as a scalpel, and he showed no deference even to Oser.

Oser said with a faint smile: “Doctor Lan Ze has saved a life, so I will of course reward him handsomely.”

“Thank you for your hard work, everyone. I have a few words to say to Doctor Lan Ze in private.”

Everyone tactfully left. The two guards who had escorted Doctor Lan Ze here earlier remained, standing to his right and left.

In this safe environment, it looked more like they were keeping him in custody rather than keeping him safe.

Xi Lei stood up and gave Doctor Lan Ze a ninety-degree bow.

“Thank you for saving my father’s life! I’ll do anything to repay you for saving him!”

Lan Ze glanced at him indifferently: “It was nothing. The patient’s case was very novel. I’m just happy to have gained experience in this area.”

“Although it’s not clear whether it’s hereditary, please feel free to come see me if you end up having the same tumor.”

Xi Lei: “……”

The words were pleasant, but still sounded like a curse.

But his father’s adopted son still hadn’t expressed his gratitude, and Xi Lei turned back to him in dissatisfaction: “Doctor Lan Ze is my father’s savior. Shouldn’t you at least say thank you?”

A man jumped out of the severely damaged black Soaring Eagle, and the medical staff would have been startled if they were still there. 

Lan Ze, however, revealed no surprise at his appearance.

“Hurry up!” Xi Lei urged him, like an elder admonishing a disobedient child.

Ling Yi rolled his eyes and turned to ask Oser: “Your Highness, you just said that you want to reward this doctor handsomely. How much will the reward be?”

“Let me think about it.” Oser pretended to contemplate. “He saved your adoptive father’s life, so let’s reward him by keeping him alive for now.”

Xi Lei stared with wide eyes.

Ling Yi: “I should really thank Doctor Lan Ze well.”

He also gave Lan Ze a formal bow: “My adoptive father is the most important person to me. Without you, he might not have made it through this. I sincerely express my gratitude to you.”

He straightened up and asked: “But do you feel any regret for not being able to cut into my neck?”

“A little bit,” Lan Ze said expressionlessly. “After all, there aren’t many opportunities to operate on the gland of a living Alpha.”

“What on earth are you talking about?” Xi Lei’s head felt like it was shrouded in fog. He asked Ling Yi: “Do you know Doctor Lan Ze?”

“Unfortunately. Just a day ago, he was calculating how many times he could slice my neck while keeping me alive.”

“I’m confident that I could have kept it above sixty-eight. Considering your physical condition, I might even have made it to eighty.”

Having said this, he sighed with genuine emotion: “You’re right, it’s a shame I couldn’t have verified it personally.”

Even if Xi Lei was an idiot, he could have figured this out. “You’re saying that Doctor Lan Ze is Lu Hulun’s man?”

“But what you said before was incorrect. You said that I learned how to save lives, but use that knowledge only for killing.”

Lan Ze removed his mask, revealing a slightly stern expression: “I can save people too.”

---

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Chapter 10 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 12

The news that Liu Zhenqing was to serve as an envoy spread. At this time, Liu Zhenqing had become a well-known old bachelor. Rumors spread throughout the capital that the newly appointed regent still coveted Liu Zhenqing, and seeing as he hadn’t married yet, he had decided to cast the princess aside.

Everyone speculated that Liu Zhenqing wouldn’t be able to escape his fate this time, and would be married off to the Kingdom of Xiheng.

The envoy contingent was about to set off, and Liu Zhenqing said his farewells to his master and the others before leaving. Fortunately, his old grandfather had gone to the south last time to recuperate and spend time with his grandson Yuan Jin, or he would have been furious upon hearing the news.

The team advanced for several days before entering the western region. After passing through the next city, they would reach the border town where the Huo Family Army was stationed. The sun was growing hotter and hotter.

The carriage slowly rolled to a stop, and Liu Qiao’s voice sounded outside: “Master, there is a long queue at the city gate.”

The voices of the other officials could be heard – they had probably gotten out of their carriages to ask why they had stopped.

“My Lord, do you want to show your identification and get through early?”

“Follow everyone else and don’t cause trouble for the common people.” There was a mix of nationalities on this side of the border, and seeking special treatment would only bring misfortune upon them.

Liu Zhenqing had the highest status here, so the others naturally listened to him.

The carriage pulled forward and stopped in increments. Through the carriage curtains, one could hear the occasional piece of gossip from people on the road nearby. Most of the chatter was about small skirmishes on the border. The farther west they went, the more they heard about the Huo Family Army, and the reputations of the Huo brothers, Huo Feihan and Huo Fenglie.

Liu Zhenqing was feeling fretful. He removed layer after layer of clothing, but still felt that the carriage was stuffy and hot. He wanted to take it all off, but could only eat ice to keep himself cool. He casually played with his Rubik’s Cube as his mind churned.

They would get there in three days, and then he would see…..

During the past two years, there letters from the Huo Family Army in the west never stopped. It was all correspondence between him,Huo Feihan, and Li Xingruo, some about serious matters, and some about trivialities. They maintained close contact. Not long ago, a letter mentioned that Li Xingruo was pregnant and would be giving birth soon, so he should get there just in time.

As for the other guy, well, Huo Fenglie hadn’t contacted him at all over these two years. Liu Zhenqing had thought the bastard would continue to stick to him and constantly send letters to make his presence felt, but that didn’t happen at all.

If Huo Feihan and Li Xingruo hadn’t occasionally mentioned him in their letters, Liu Zhenqing would have never known how he was doing over there. 

However, his brother and sister-in-law only provided limited details. The most he knew was that he was doing well in the army, and his position had gradually risen with his military achievements. He was now a veritable major general of the Huo Family Army.

“The major general of the Huo family is truly invincible. I heard there was a gang of bandits harassing people at the river, so the major general took a small group of cavalry and wiped out the largest gang in the west. They had been causing trouble here for over twenty years, ah.”

“Yeah, I already knew that the general of the Huo family was very capable, but I didn’t expect there to be a major general. Our western region is becoming more and more stable. They manage themselves strictly, and never treat the common people harshly. My caravan is much more at ease.”

“That’s right, we used to worry about the small border countries besieging us from all sides. Now the major general can lead troops to fight alone, and the two brothers guard us together. Who would dare to offend them?”

“Didn’t a small country find an excuse to send troops to test the strength of the two brothers? In the end, they were scared off by the brothers and sent people to apologize and say it was a misunderstanding. Even though Xiheng isn’t on good terms with us, they dare not provoke us easily, right?”

“It’s said that their regent and our eldest princess have divorced, so negotiations must be started up again.”

“What negotiations? It’s probably another marriage.”

Liu Zhenqing’s lips curled in contempt when he heard this. Had everyone heard the gossip about him?

In the next second, he heard someone say: “I think the princess of Xiheng wants to marry the major general, so she asked her cousin to start these peace talks.”

Liu Zhenqing was stunned. What princess?

“Oh, I understand. That princess once followed their country’s general to harass the border, but they were defeated by the major general. If not for the fear of affecting the relationship between the two countries, she might have been killed. From then on, the crazy girl started to pester the major general and come over to our side every day in spite of her status. Last time, she hit a noble lady who’s close to the major general, and was driven back across the border.”

“If you ask me, since the princess is so obsessed with the major general, and she has a good relationship with their regent, why not just arrange a marriage? Marrying into our Great Zhou is an honor, and would help maintain peace between the two countries. It just so happens that the major general is of an age to marry, and it’s said that he’s not yet engaged. Marrying a princess, and then marrying other noble ladies as concubines, wouldn’t that be wonderful? Hahaha.”

Liu Zhenqing scoffed when he heard this. It turned out there had been no contact because he was enjoying life here, ah. Sure enough, His Royal Highness’s method was effective. He supposed that after they parted ways, Er-gou had suddenly come to his senses and was too embarrassed to contact him. This was understandable. He had expected this day to come.

The past was nothing more than the ignorance of youth. Liu Zhenqing had watched Huo Fenglie grow up, so he naturally wouldn’t hold the puppy’s transgressions against him. He should be relieved about the situation, but for some reason, he felt a little depressed. After all, Er-gou had been so determined in the beginning, and harassed him countless times in his dreams at night.

Liu Zhenqing was quite adept at forgetting things that should be forgotten. He had even begun to think that if the rumors were true, they would have the advantage in their negotiations with Li Jinshu. If Er-gou also liked the princess, it would be the best of both worlds.

Just as he was thinking, there was a clicking sound. Liu Zhenqing looked down and saw that the Rubik’s Cube in his hand had been restored. He stared at it blankly.

He had been carrying it with him for two years. He really liked the thing, and had become accustomed to wearing it. The jade pendants he usually wore had been put to use in various ways, so it was difficult to keep one for over a year. This was the only one he had worn for so long. But according to the current situation, he would likely have to return it the next time they met.

When he thought about this jade Rubik’s Cube being re-carved and given to someone else, he felt hot and irritable. He couldn’t bear the heat, and could only pick up the ice cubes beside him and roll them across his face and neck. He also pulled his collar open and rolled them across his chest, and the coolness finally suppressed his irritability.

At this time, the contingent came to a stop, unnoticed. Everyone looked up at the city gate, only to find that it was wide open. A group of people quickly passed through and rushed down the line, only stopping when they reached the envoys’ group.

Everyone stared at their leader in amazement. He was wearing black armor and dark red robes. He seemed to have a strong, resolute face underneath his helmet, and his bearing was tall and majestic.

There was dried blood on his helmet and even on his cheeks, as if he had just come from the battlefield. A bloody, murderous aura lingered around him, and the solemn atmosphere caused everyone to calm their commotion.

Everyone stared at him in disbelief. That wasn’t…..that wasn’t…..

The person at the head of the envoys’ contingent may not have recognized the person, but when he saw the flag the other team carried, he was shocked and began to step forward to greet them. But the tall horse in the lead stepped past him without stopping, and the sound of hoofbeats slowed as they approached the carriage in the middle.

Liu Qiao saw him from a distance, but didn’t recognize him immediately. After all, this person had changed a lot, both in temperament and in figure. It wasn’t until the other party stopped in front of him, sharp eyes swinging from him to the gap in the carriage curtain, that Liu Qiao finally came to a realization: “You…..”

Without waiting for him to finish, the man jumped onto the carriage. But just as he was about to lift the curtain, he froze. The grim, murderous aura from just now seemed to vanish in an instant. The mighty man became docile, and seemed to be at a loss. Standing on the carriage frame, he removed his helmet, fixed his hair, and scrubbed his cheeks vigorously with his sleeve to wipe away the blood.

And Liu Qiao watched his actions from the side in astonishment. This was really…..Huo Fenglie, ah!

Once his appearance was just barely tidied up, Huo Fenglie took a few deep breaths to regain his dignified, calm demeanor. Then he lifted the curtain and said in a deep voice: “Qing-ge, it’s me. I came to pick you up.”

Liu Zhenqing was daydreaming as he cooled down when he suddenly heard a voice that wasn’t entirely unfamiliar. It was just slightly different, and spoke a dialogue that often appeared in his dreams.

“Ah?” Liu Zhenqing had some doubts.

Was this Er-gou?

How could it be possible? He’d heard from passers-by that the major general had gone deep into the northwest in pursuit of an enemy. They had come at an unfortunate time – if anyone from the Huo family came to pick them up, it shouldn’t have been Huo Fenglie. Was this an auditory hallucination?

Just as he was pondering, the door curtain was lifted. A ray of sunlight poured in first, only to be blocked by a tall figure, casting everything into shadow.

A familiar yet unfamiliar person occupied Liu Zhenqing’s entire field of vision.

Who was this?

Er-gou?

The man before bore no hint of immaturity, with sharp facial features that exuded a fierce handsomeness. Anyone who saw him would be stunned by his appearance, not to mention his temperament. It was as if his mature male hormones were ready to pounce on the person he was facing at any time.

Liu Zhenqing stared blankly at Huo Fenglie, who was also in a state of shock. Liu Zhenqing’s appearance had naturally stayed the same. This was an appearance that Huo Fenglie had long engraved into the depths of his soul, but the current state of him had only appeared in his dreams.

Huo Fenglie was taken aback, and almost instinctively closed the curtain behind him to prevent outsiders from seeing anything.

His eyes gradually took on a burning quality as he stared straight at the frozen Liu Zhenqing, and his muscles started to tense up. He had thought that when he first saw Qing-ge again, he must let the man see how much he had changed. He must be mature, stable, restrained…..

He absolutely must!

Two years of yearning and admiration had turned into obsession. He had originally wanted to suppress it and put on a facade, to treat each other as equals in status and not put pressure on him, so that Qing-ge could see his changes. For this reason, he had endured not contacting Qing-ge for two years!

But the Liu Zhenqing before him shattered all of his efforts, tearing apart his rationality with just his appearance.

The look in his eyes changed from nervous excitement to burning shock, and finally to a dangerous darkness.

“Qing-ge…..”

That voice seemed to burn him, and his predatory appearance instantly sobered Liu Zhenqing up.

He was simply stunned by this grown-up Huo Fenglie. He seemed to have changed a lot, but also not at all. Liu Zhenqing didn’t know how he was supposed to look at him.

However, the other party’s current state gave Liu Zhenqing a clear sense of crisis, and he realized what an embarrassing state he was in.

Given his status, he never thought that someone would directly break into the carriage, so he looked disheveled and unsightly.

There was still a small piece of ice in his hand, pressed to his collarbone as it slowly melted. Melted water had moistened his clothes, and a few strands of wet hair stuck to his fair neck. Water droplets continued to slide down the contours of his body into the depths of his collar, and two spots were faintly visible under the wide neckline.

Liu Zhenqing quickly began to pull his clothing up, but a large hand reached out and grabbed his wrist.

The force was so great that Liu Zhenqing trembled all over: “Fenglie…..”

Huo Fenglie’s gaze swept across his body very clearly. That obvious attitude made Liu Zhenqing’s scalp tingle, as if Er-gou was…..was…..what was he doing, ah!

His gaze ultimately rested on Liu Zhenqing’s lips. 

Liu Zhenqing pursed his mouth in a fluster, and his ice-cooled lips turned bright red.

The last trace of rationality in Huo Fenglie’s eyes broke at last.

Without any polite greetings or reminiscing about the past, Huo Fenglie fulfilled his promise.

It wasn’t his fault. It was Qing-ge…..Qing-ge…..who forced him to ruin their long-awaited reunion. He could have…..could have not bullied Qing-ge. He knew that Qing-ge was resistant, so he could have treated him gently and taken his time. He had mentally prepared himself…..it was all Qing-ge’s fault!

Liu Zhenqing already thought things had taken a bad turn when he was pulled into the other’s arms, but he was unable to resist two years ago, and that was even more the case now. Huo Fenglie pressed him down and kissed him almost instantly, not giving him the slightest chance to resist.

The familiar yet unfamiliar aura invaded Liu Zhenqing’s five senses, making him dizzy with shame and anger.

In a fit of madness, he wanted to kiss the person in front of him to pieces in order to cure his longing.

“Qing-ge, I missed you! I can finally…..see you again.”

---

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(Alt Universe) Extra 23 << Table of Contents >> (Alt Universe) Extra 25

Chapter 24 – Challenge

“Lu Chengye wins.”

The referee made the final decision.

There was sparse applause from the audience. This was the last match of the selection tournament. Lu Chengye, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, had competed against Zhang Ji, who was at the same level. 

The two fought for nearly a hundred rounds, but Zhang Ji made a minor mistake at the end, which Lu Chengye took advantage of to end the fight in one blow.

Lu Chengye was the final champion of this competition, as well as the winner of the earth-level magic weapon. This was a rather unexpected result. After all, everyone had initially thought that Fang Yang would be the champion, but he didn’t even make it to the finals.

He hadn’t even shown up for the afternoon rounds.

No matter what his reasons were, if he didn’t come, then he didn’t come. Nobody knew why he was absent, including the referee and the sect leader watching from the viewing platform.

He was just an insignificant junior disciple. If he didn’t cherish the opportunity to compete, there were others who would.

Therefore, when it was Fang Yang’s turn to compete, the referee waited for half an incense stick as required and then promptly declared Fang Yang’s defeat.

Lu Chengye turned his wrist to hold his sword upside down. Then, with an unconcealable expression of pride, he clasped his fist toward the fellow disciples in the audience who were applauding him.

On the viewing platform, Sect Leader Ji stood up and straightened his robes. He had found this competition somewhat boring. This group of junior disciples, including the champion in front of him, had all displayed mediocre performances.

They weren’t bad, but they were also far from good.

He glanced at Cao Zirui beside him. He was at Foundation Establishment stage, and had been specially invited to today’s Qi Refining stage competition. Sect Leader Ji’s original intent was to broaden his disciple’s horizons.

When it came to swordsmanship, cultivation wasn’t everything. It all depended on one’s comprehension. There were some common people without spiritual roots who became chivalrous heroes by relying on their superb swordsmanship.

Sword skills were extremely innovative. Although the outer sect only taught the basic chops, slashes, thrusts, and stabs, and did not have a complete set of sword moves, everyone had his or her own ideas on how to use these basic moves in a comprehensive manner.

The movements of some people were cumbersome and full of flaws, but there were others who were extremely talented in swordsmanship. They were the same basic movements, but they performed them more smoothly and tightly than others.

Cultivating with one’s head down was just divorcing oneself from reality and acting blindly – which made it difficult to achieve great success. It was still necessary to learn more from others and combine the strengths of every school in order to become a real sword master.

Therefore, although Cao Zirui was already at Foundation Establishment, he could still learn a lot from watching the Qi Refining stage competition.

Unfortunately, after observing for an entire day, the results were disappointing. Nobody had used any eye-catching sword moves. Watching so many rounds was just a waste of time.

Cao Zirui still wore his usual expressionless face. He was clearly the same age as the teenage onlookers in the audience, and those teenagers would occasionally call out an excited “Good one!” toward the thrilling fights in the ring.

But Cao Zirui was like an iceberg, mature beyond his years and with a facial paralysis that persisted till the end.

From morning until afternoon, there were dozens of both exciting and boring competitions, but he perpetually wore the same look – expressionless.

When he was done looking at his precious disciple, Sect Leader Ji turned toward Elder Zhou. The two of them reached a tacit understanding. The results were out, and the two of them would announce that the Qi Refining stage competition was officially over.

Are you going to do it or am I? Sect Leader Ji asked with his eyes.

You do it, Elder Zhou responded with a look, stroking his beard.

“Ahem.” Sect Leader Ji cleared his throat and announced: “The champion of this selection tournament is…..”

The three syllables “Lu Chengye” were already at the tip of his tongue, but just as they were about to come out, there was a commotion amongst the audience.

Sect Leader Ji frowned as he looked toward the movement below the platform. He was rather displeased. Who was so ignorant as to make noise while he was speaking?

Elder Zhou and Cao Zirui also noticed the disruption in the audience, and looked down as one.

Two figures could be seen – one in black and one in white, they split the gathered audience like the sea. Not only were those on the platform looking at them, the people below were also watching their sudden intrusion. 

The man in black daoist robes walked in front. Holding a sword in his right hand, his steps were as swift as the wind. Although he possessed an ordinary appearance, he gave people a sense of awe, like an unsheathed sword, and those along the way subconsciously moved out of his path.

And the man in white daoist robes followed closely behind him. Compared to the ordinary-looking man in front, he was a handsome young master. He held a closed fan in one hand, his peach blossom eyes curved in an irrepressible smile.

Feng Ye walked directly to the viewing platform. He looked up at the displeased sect leader and promptly saluted with his sword in his arms: “Sect Leader, this disciple Feng Ye wishes to challenge the champion of this competition…..”

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the nearby person who had yet to come down from the ring: “Lu Chengye.”

With just a few words, it was like pouring cold water onto hot oil, causing an immediate explosion.

Amid the uproar in the arena, Sect Leader Ji’s displeasure intensified once more. He suddenly shook his sleeves, and the terrifying pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator instantly filled the entire area.

This group of Qi Refining stage disciples were stunned, and wilted like eggplants hit by frost.

Many people swayed on their feet when Sect Leader Ji released his wave of oppression, but Feng Ye stood firmly in place without a change of expression.

This surprised Sect Leader Ji for a moment. A person with high cultivation could see through the strength of those with low cultivation at a glance, and he could naturally see that this junior disciple challenger was only at the third level of Qi Refining.

His cultivation was close to the bottom across all sects.

And judging from his age, this likely wasn’t his first year as a disciple. A junior disciple who had been cultivating for two or three years and had only reached the third level of Qi Refining was clamoring to challenge the champion who had gone through numerous rounds?

This couldn’t be described as mere arrogance. This fellow named Feng Ye must have eaten the hearts of all the White-Nosed Demon Bears in the back mountain, otherwise how could he be so bold?

Sect Leader Ji had initially planned to ignore the other party and continue to announce the champion, but Feng Ye didn’t reveal the slightest hint of fear under pressure. Although this person was at a low cultivation level, his courage and comprehension were greater than most of the people present.

Therefore, instead of directly refusing him, Sect Leader Ji said irresolutely: “The competition is over. Once you lose, you don’t get another chance. No one is exempt from this.”

Otherwise, if everyone came to him and asked to challenge the champion, what was the point of this competition?

Feng Ye maintained his salute and explained in a manner that was neither humble nor arrogant: “I didn’t lose. I didn’t sign up for the competition at all.”

Sect Leader Ji was surprised once more. There were so many people competing that he couldn’t keep count of them. He had just assumed that Feng Ye had lost his previous round and was unresigned, so he came to issue another challenge.

But this fellow hadn’t even registered his name? That meant that he didn’t even have the courage to try his luck in the Floating Island Secret Realm. That such a person was now here to issue a challenge was unbelievable.

Although he couldn’t figure it out, the same words still applied: “The competition is over.”

Sect Leader Ji gave his answer. This was his final decision, and he was not going to make an exception. Rules were rules. It would be unfair to everyone if someone who hadn’t registered was able to challenge the already-selected champion.

Feng Ye replied: “This disciple is not here for the competition.”

He suddenly lifted his head to look at the sect leader high above, saying: “I am here to challenge him personally. Regardless of whether I win or lose, he will still be the champion and the earth-level magic weapon will still belong to him. I am only here to challenge him to a duel.”

The situation that had been suppressed through great effort by Sect Leader Ji became chaotic again, because Feng Ye’s words…..were too shocking. 

Lingxiao Sword Sect did not allow internal fighting between fellow disciples, but if the feud between the two parties truly reached the point where they had to fight, the sect also provided a solution. 

That was a duel. In order to prevent this method from being abused, there existed a rule that if the challenging party was defeated, he would be directly expelled from the sect. 

And the person being challenged could choose whether or not to accept, with no punishment if he lost the duel.

Feng Ye was making an enormous gamble. With his level of cultivation, once he was expelled from the sect, he would likely not have another chance at immortality in this life.

And the one he was challenging was someone who was superior to him in all aspects.

Was this fellow trying to find an excuse to quit the sect? He was unwilling to retire in obscurity, so he was doing it in such a high-profile way? This was the conclusion that many people came to.

What else could explain Feng Ye’s futile challenge?

Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou exchanged glances. Although they didn’t have the same thoughts as the others, they felt that Feng Ye was attempting to strike a rock with an egg, overestimating his abilities. With such a gap in cultivation, how could he prevail?

But since Feng Ye had brought up the idea of a duel, which was a challenge allowed by the sect, they wouldn’t stop him. As for whether or not the challenge would be accepted, Sect Master Ji glanced at Lu Chengye on the stage.

Feng Ye’s challenge must be accepted by Lu Chengye. The onlooking junior disciples were astonished, and looked at Lu Chengye as they came to this realization one after another.

The expression on Lu Chengye’s face wasn’t good. When he saw Feng Ye coming to challenge him, he had actually guessed the reason.

This guy was here to seek revenge for that brat Fang Yang. How dare a useless person at the third level of Qi Refining challenge him? Lu Chengye was furious, but in the wake of his initial anger, he slowly became satisfied.

This was the perfect opportunity to beat up Feng Ye, this soft persimmon who had always been protected by Fang Yang, and make him understand the meaning of fate.

A weakling like him is destined to be trampled underfoot his entire life! Lu Chengye thought with a look of ridicule on his face.

He gave his answer in front of everyone: “Answering Sect Leader, this disciple is willing to accept the challenge.”

He looked at the nearby Feng Ye with a malicious smile on his lips. It would be easy for an accident to happen. Feng Ye could stand in the ring, but it was difficult to say if he would come down intact.

Feng Ye stared across the crowd at Lu Chengye on the stage. When he heard the other’s reply, he smiled for the first time yet.

---

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Chapter 23 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 25

Xi Lei was petrified, his expression slack.

His Highness Oser, who he had admired since childhood, was using his pheromones as an inescapable net, and the always-irritating Ling Yi had turned into a little white rabbit, obediently playing the role of captured prey.

When he came to his senses, he realized that he was making a very poor first impression on His Highness Oser.

He immediately dropped his defensive posture and gave him a standard military salute: “Your Highness Oser!”

After saluting, he clarified incoherently: “Your Highness, it’s true that you’re my spiritual idol, but the dream man, soulmate stuff was all fabricated by this person here…..don’t believe him!”

But Oser completely ignored his existence, slowly made a semi-circle, and stopped face to face with Ling Yi.

Ling Yi had not spent nearly as much time around him as Tang De, and during their limited contact, Oser often had a smile on his face.

Though it often contained a sneer, mockery, or ridicule…..and rarely contained any good intentions.

This, however, was the first time he had seen a layer of frost on that sculpted face.

No wonder Tang De had said this was the angriest he had ever seen His Highness.

Ling Yi looked away, avoiding eye contact.

“Your Highness gave me this car, so I went out for a drive.”

“I didn’t intend to leave without saying goodbye. Didn’t I drive it back again?”

The people hearing his words didn’t believe it, and the one saying them felt even guiltier.

One of the windows was shattered, and Ling Yi had violently broken through a checkpoint on the way out, so there were several dents and dings, as well as bullet holes and other deformations.

It was a luxury car when it went out, and a piece of scrap metal when it came back. In a word, it was tragic.

Oser opened his mouth and said in a blank tone: “Get in the car.”

He glanced at Xi Lei, who was confused about the entire situation, and said: “You too.”

Oser took up the largest area inside the vehicle, crossing his long legs. Ling Yi sat next to him and leaned his elbow on the armrest with his chin resting on one fist, trying his best to act nonchalant.

Opposite him, Xi Lei sat with his legs together and his hands on his knees, just like a primary school student.

This scene felt familiar. Just an hour ago, there were the same number of people, the same seating, and an outsider who was completely confused.

Xi Lei desperately tried to catch Ling Yi’s gaze, willing him not to act rashly: Are you crazy? You’re sitting on the same seat as His Highness Oser?!

Ling Yi simply treated the person in front of him as air. After all, it wasn’t his first time dealing with such a situation.

A lighter flared with a click. Oser tilted his head slightly, the flame flickering between his slender fingers.

From Ling Yi’s perspective, his emotions were perfectly concealed under the shadow of his long, thin eyelashes.

Ling Yi had to admit that this mere act of lighting a cigarette was enough to charm scores of Omegas.

If only the person in question wasn’t His Highness Oser.

But when the first puff of smoke slowly curled from Oser’s mouth, Ling Yi no longer harbored any appreciation.

Even Xi Lei opposite him leaned back stiffly.

Although smoking was strictly prohibited in the military academy, the instructors couldn’t help but light up a cigarette during breaks, and it wasn’t uncommon for students to catch them.

It was during such a situation that Ling Yi and his friends learned that there was a special kind of tobacco for Alphas that could enhance the effects of their pheromones.

Without it, Oser’s pheromones carried a natural sense of oppression.

And with the enhancement, it would be an understatement to call his pheromones a biological weapon.

Ling Yi held his breath as long as he could: “Your Highness, isn’t it inappropriate to smoke in a confined space?”

Oser once again exhaled white smoke: “You call this a confined space?”

Ling Yi: “…..”

The car doors were open and the window was shattered, so calling it a confined space was a bit of a stretch.

But even with the doors and window wide open, the concentration of pheromones still increased a person’s stress.

Oser’s left hand naturally came to rest on Ling Yi’s right leg.

“Xi Lei.”

“Yes!” Xi Lei replied reflexively.

After answering, an expression of delight crossed his face: “Your Highness knows my name?”

“Xi En’s eldest son, the same age as Ling Yi. You grew up under the same roof, but have a bad relationship.”

“You study at Luban Military Academy, have excellent grades, strictly abide by school rules and regulations, and have only received one warning.”

“You graduate next month, and have applied to join my guard corps.”

Oser concluded unhurriedly: “Am I correct?”

Xi Lei was flattered: “I didn’t expect Your Highness to know so much about me.”

Ling Yi smiled covertly. He wasn’t surprised that Oser had conducted a detailed investigation of everyone related to him.

Xi Lei continued: “Since you know me well, you know that I must warn you purely due to that guy’s involvement!”

“Don’t be fooled by his pretense of being well-behaved. You don’t know how bad he was in school. A person like him undermines military discipline—”

He sent Ling Yi an agitated glare, and grew even angrier when he didn’t show any remorse at all.

Xi Lei wanted to discuss this matter in depth and get an objective judgement from His Highness Oser, but from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Oser resting his hand on Ling Yi’s leg and gently caressing it.

No matter how he looked at the situation, it seemed like Xi Lei was a victim who couldn’t bear it anymore and went to the other party’s parent to complain.

But the perpetrator didn’t change his behavior, and although the parent didn’t take a stance, his every move revealed his tendency to protect his child.

Even if Xi Lei was an idiot, he would still be able to see that something strange was going on.

Oser flicked the ash from his cigarette and said: “Speak.”

This command wasn’t addressed to anyone, and neither of them spoke.

The surroundings fell into silence, and even Oser had no intention of adding anything further.

Xi Lei observed Ling Yi, who was also looking back at him.

After a while, Xi Lei asked carefully: “Your Highness, were you speaking to me?”

This time, Oser got straight to the point: “You didn’t go home last night. Where were you?”

Xi Lei’s expression visibly froze: “How…..did you know?”

“You won’t tell me?”

Oser gracefully brought the cigarette to his lips, puffing and exhaling. The smoke diffused in the air, and his pheromones seemed to take visible form.

Ling Yi finally understood why Oser had lit a cigarette.

This was an interrogation.

Oser’s fingers tapped rhythmically on his leg, and Xi Lei counted the taps as if counting the length of his future criminal sentencing.

His palms that were originally flat on his knees clenched into his school uniform. Beads of sweat ran down his cheeks to his chin. He struggled not to move, but in the end, he couldn’t stop them from dripping.

—Splat.

A bead of sweat fell onto the back of his hand.

Even Ling Yi couldn’t bear to watch.

“Xi Lei, where were you last night?”

He really wanted to know too.

“I…..” Xi Lei bit his lip. “I can’t say.”

“You don’t need to tell me,” Oser said serenely. “I’ll just go ask the eight students who left school with you without permission and see what they have to say.”

Ling Yi straightened his back, starting to grow tense: “What do you mean, eight students?”

Oser handed him his phone: “I suppose you know them all.”

What Ling Yi saw was a very familiar photo. He swiped backward rapidly, and one student file after another passed before his eyes.

He and Xi Lei had a bad relationship, and they each had their own small group in class. The eight people in the photos were their respective good brothers.

Why would these nine people, who never associated with each other and always clashed when they met, run away from the dormitory together?

Ling Yi recognized the severity of the matter, and his tone became serious: “Xi Lei, what on earth is going on?”

Xi Lei was very reluctant to say anything, and admitting it in front of Ling Yi would humiliate him even more. But since things had come to this point, he had no choice but to speak.

“Last night…..we went to the prison…..”

“You attempted a prison break?!”

Ling Yi nearly stood up, but Oser pushed him back down.

“Are you crazy? A group of students trying to break into prison?”

“We got to the prison and tried to climb over the fence, but the guards discovered us. We had no choice but to knock two of them out, and another one raised the alarm…..all we could do was escape.”

Xi Lei didn’t know that Ling Yi had been transferred to a different prison that night. Going to the detention center where he was previously held was simply risking his life in the wrong place.

“Your Highness, I personally organized that discipline violation. The others committed the offense under my instructions. Please hold me solely responsible!”

“I’ll hold you responsible,” Ling Yi said angrily. “Are you stupid? Leading a group of cadets to break into a prison – if you were caught, even if you didn’t go to jail, you would be expelled! Your future would be ruined!”

“You’re stupid!” Xi Lei shouted back with no trace of politeness. “If I didn’t save you, you’d die! What’s more important, a life or the future?”

“What touching brotherly love, ah,” Oser interjected sarcastically.

“We’re not brothers!” the two retorted in unison.

Oser: “Since the relationship between you is so poor, why take the risk of breaking into the prison?”

Xi Lei’s eyes flickered left and right: “Even though he lives in my house, and I can’t drive him away, and he has a bad character…..I promised my dad that I would take care of him no matter what, so I couldn’t just stand by and watch him die, could I?”

He felt embarrassed after saying this, and said rudely to Ling Yi: “But let me make it clear in advance that my friends were only there for my sake; they didn’t actually want to save you.”

“…..Tsk.” Ling Yi turned his head to the other side and ignored him.

“I’m done with you. Get out,” Oser said coldly.

Ling Yi didn’t turn his head away from the window: “Get out and get lost.”

Xi Lei: “……”

He stormed out of the vehicle, slamming the door behind him. 

“It’s your turn.”

Ling Yi thought in despair that perhaps pulling the man down by the collar and kissing him would be more effective than any explanation.

“How are my classmates?”

“So far, so good. Whether that changes in the future depends on my mood.”

Oser slowly rubbed the cigarette butt with the pad of his thumb, gaze fixed on his hand.

“If your adoptive father wasn’t in critical condition, would you have come back?”

Ling Yi’s lips moved uneasily, and his answer was indistinct: “The empire is so big. Wherever I go, I’ll still be within Your Highness’s control.”

“Be honest. I’ll put out the cigarette.”

“I wouldn’t have,” Ling Yi said truthfully.

“As I was driving down the highway with the wind blowing into my face through the broken window, I had only one thought in my mind—”

“It feels so good to be free. I spent three months in prison. Three months without being able to breathe fresh air. If there had been a second choice, I wouldn’t have turned back.”

Ling Yi lowered his eyes, aware that these words were thoroughly courting disaster.

“Your Highness wanted to hear the truth. These are my true thoughts.”

A smile finally appeared on Oser’s face.

It was a cold smile.

He twisted the cigarette twice in the ashtray and put it out.

“Ling Yi, your weakness is that you care too much. A person like you who has so many weaknesses would be easily manipulated if you escaped, and you would return to die obediently.”

“Do you know how You Lin has lived abroad for so many years without any ties or worries?”

“…..I don’t know.”

“Because his entire family was killed and he was the only survivor. Lu Hulun didn’t even spare his fiancee’s family.”

Ling Yi stared, dumbfounded. He knew that Lu Hulun was cruel and ruthless, but he didn’t expect this degree of insanity. 

“I tolerated you using me to escape the death penalty, and I knew you didn’t actually intend to keep your part of the deal.”

“But your adoptive father, the eldest son who doesn’t seem very smart, the youngest son whom you risked your life to protect, everyone you care about, your classmates and friends – can you protect them all?”

Cold sweat ran down Ling Yi’s cheeks again, but this time, it wasn’t due to the pressure of pheromones. Rather, it was because of all the terrible possibilities running through his head after hearing Oser’s words.

During the three months he was incarcerated, Lu Hulun had many opportunities to attack his family. The only reason he didn’t take action was because he wanted them to witness his death with their own eyes before settling accounts one by one.

If Tang De hadn’t appeared in time today, he and Xi Lei would have become fish on the chopping block.

Oser was right. He was too naive. The vortex he’d created would only suck more innocent people into it, and without Oser’s help, he wouldn’t even be able to survive alone like You Lin had.

Oser grasped the back of Ling Yi’s head with one hand and forced his face toward him.

His lips were roughly pried open. Unlike Ling Yi’s token peck on the lips, this was an unbridled invasion.

Foreign Alpha pheromones invaded. Plundering and domineering, they left complete destruction in their wake.

Their incompatible pheromones fiercely repelled each other, taking turns fighting for control within his body. Ling Yi trembled all over as he tried to convince himself not to resist.

Just before he could reach the limit of his endurance, Oser let him go. His face reflected in Ling Yi’s dilated pupils.

“Ling Yi, no matter where you escape to, the only one in this world who can protect you is me.”

---

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Chapter 9 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 11

Ji Qinglin had been beaten by Liu Qiao, and even if he didn’t come to ask for an explanation, he should have at least been bothered by it. But Liu Zhenqing didn’t expect Ji Qinglin to come to deliver gifts the next day, leaving him bewildered.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t like talking with Ji Qinglin. Holding a conversation with such a cunning person involved a lot of beating around the bush, and was a waste of brainpower. He preferred people who were simple and straightforward.

“After all this talk, you want me to advise His Highness to make arrangements for outside scholars?” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “Why didn’t you say it directly?”

Ji Qinglin looked somewhat awkward: “I mentioned it to His Highness, but he didn’t seem very interested…..”

Liu Zhenqing shook his head lightly. Ji Qinglin could be considered brilliant, but he was muddle-headed when it came to matters of the heart.

“The weather changes so fast. Do we still need to go out to dry clothing at this critical moment?” Liu Zhenqing pretended to look outside.

Ji Qingling instantly understood, and his expression changed: “It was my recklessness.”

The old emperor had only been out of power for a few days. If they attempted to innovate at this critical moment, it could easily go wrong, especially for the easily influenced students. Thus, doing nothing was the better choice. No wonder the Crown Prince hadn’t given any feedback on this proposal. It wasn’t because the Crown Prince didn’t think it was a good proposal, but because the timing wasn’t right.

Ji Qinglin was well aware of how serious this matter was, and knew that he shouldn’t move forward with his idea, so he stood up and said his farewells.

Just at that moment, a servant came to report that Bai Yu had arrived. Ji Qinglin’s steps paused.

Liu Zhenqing smiled. He surmised that Bai Yu had heard of Ji Qinglin coming here, and had come over in case Ji Qinglin intended to make trouble for Liu Qiao.

With a roll of his eyes, Liu Zhenqing stood and sighed as if talking to himself: “I heard that a strange case turned up in Qilian County recently, involving a lot of people. His Highness will likely select someone to handle it. If Ji-daren wants to go…..”

Ji Qinglin looked at Liu Zhenqing in puzzlement, thinking that perhaps the Crown Prince intended to choose him to handle the case.

Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “Tell me if you need any help. Whether it’s things…..or a person.”

Ji Qinglin’s expression immediately changed, and after a few breaths, he bowed deeply to Liu Zhenqing.

“It is my duty to assist His Highness, but I fear I am not capable enough. If His Highness does choose me, I request that you intercede to ask Brother Wangshu to help me.”

This boy could be taught. Since he didn’t want those two people to meet, they should just leave the capital.

Liu Zhenqing wasn’t trying to play matchmaker. It was just that he had met Bai Yu’s new friend a few times during the tax money case…..and although that person was a talent, he wasn’t worth becoming close friends with. Bai Yu was pure of mind, and easily admired a person’s talent, but he didn’t have a deep understanding of human nature. Since Bai Yu called him Xiting-ge, he naturally had to help him screen people. If someone wasn’t suitable, then there should be no more contact between them.

Liu Zhenqing brought Ji Qinglin out and saw Bai Yu walking quickly in the distance. He was taken aback when he saw the two of them, and seemed a little nervous at first. But when he looked into Ji Qinglin’s eyes and recalled what had happened the day before, he immediately avoided his gaze and stopped in his tracks.

If he hadn’t been worried that Ji Qinglin had come to the manor to ask for an explanation for the beating, that Xiting-ge would dislike him, or that he would be disrespectful to Xiting-ge and Liu Qiao would beat him again, he wouldn’t have come back. He didn’t want to see this bastard at all.

Because of his impulsive actions last time, Ji Qingling’s heart palpitated when he saw Bai Yu, and he couldn’t help but take a few steps forward.

At this moment, a servant not far away suddenly screamed: “Look out!”

Liu Zhenqing looked over and saw a large rock falling from the sky right toward Bai Yu. 

Bai Yu glanced back, but it was too late for him to dodge. At that moment, Ji Qinglin’s eyes blew wide and he rushed over at a speed that exceeded his physical limit, but the force and distance weren’t sufficient to push him out of the way. Ji Qinglin could only hold him tightly in his arms and press him to the ground, using his own body to shield him.

Bai Yu’s mind was blank as he stared at Ji Qinglin, and he felt his heart freeze.

Ji Qinglin might die! He only had his old mother at home, and had finally embarked upon a successful path. How could he…..

But Bai Yu just saw Ji Qinglin smile at him, years of restraint and aloofness transforming into affection in his eyes, even deeper than when he had forcefully kissed him that day.

He…..really does like me.

Bai Yu’s mind went from blankness to a plethora of wild thoughts.

And Ji Qinglin’s expression went from resigned affection to a blank look.

Ai? Why….was it taking so long?

“How long are you two going to keep lying down?” came Liu Zhenqing’s smiling voice.

The two of them returned to their senses and turned their heads, only to see Liu Qiao standing next to them.

Liu Qiao held up a piece of rockery that was bigger than him with one hand, looking at them with puzzlement on his face.

Bai Yu’s face instantly flushed. How could he have forgotten that Xiting-ge was renovating the manor over the next few days?  Liu Qiao had thought it would be troublesome for the servants to move the rockery, so he took it upon himself. His martial arts prowess was terrifying. He was able to throw a boulder into the air with one hand, launching it from one courtyard to another – and he always caught it before it fell. Bai Yu had witnessed it several times, and there was no danger at all.

Just now, Liu Qiao had been keeping close pace with the rock, but his figure was out of view.

Bai Yu quickly pushed Ji Qinglin off of him and declared that he was fine.

He may have been fine, but Ji Qinglin wasn’t. He had just made a desperate rescue attempt, and injured his foot.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t see any significant problems, so he asked Bai Yu to send him back in person.

Since he’d been injured in order to save him, Bai Yu naturally couldn’t refuse. He called for a carriage and carefully helped the other man into it.

But after he held Ji Qinglin sit down, he couldn’t retract his hand.

Bai Yu blushed and tried to pull his hand back with slightly more force.

“You didn’t get hurt just now, did you?” Ji Qinglin’s voice was full of worry, which surprised Bai Yu so much that he forgot to take his hand back.

“You’re the one who got hurt, not me.” 

“Even if you aren’t injured, that doesn’t mean you don’t feel any pain,” said Ji Qinglin.

He felt pain all over his body after hearing Ji Qinglin’s words, but it wasn’t unbearable. “I’m a man, what’s a small collision like this? I won’t feel it anymore after a while.”

Ji Qinglin smiled faintly and said: “When you bump into the corner of the table while reading, the corners of your eyes turn red.”

Bai Yu was instantly embarrassed, and stared at Ji Qinglin in disbelief. He had noticed such a small detail? He looked up and met a pair of gentle, affectionate eyes. Bai Yu was flustered and immediately tried to pull his hand away.

But Ji Qinglin still didn’t let go. He said in a low voice: “It’s my fault for not seeing the situation clearly. I’m sorry.”

Bai Yu’s breathing suddenly stagnated. It was obvious that the other party had risked his life to save him. “I’m not so ungrateful. I know you were trying to save me.”

Ji Qinglin said: “It would be great if I had actually risked my life to save you, but it turned out to be a mistake.”

“What are you saying? Are you trying to throw yourself into danger?” Bai Yu said unhappily.

Ji Qinglin fixed him with a burning gaze and said: “If I risked my life to save you, perhaps you would repay me for my kindness…..”

“Wh…..what? Repay you?” Bai Yu was shocked by this statement.

Ji Qinglin said: “En, repay me.”

Bai Yu didn’t dare respond, for fear of what Ji Qinglin would say…..but just from the emotions contained in those eyes, his meaning was very clear.

He should repay him with himself.

Bai Yu hurriedly changed the subject, almost forgetting that the other person was still holding his hand: “You….what did you come to see Xiting-ge for?”

Ji Qinglin thought it over, and told him that he might have to leave to investigate a case.

Bai Yu immediately said: “Your movements are hindered now. Since that’s the case, it would be better to decline.”

“I’m afraid that won’t work.” Ji Qinglin’s eyes flickered. He was just thinking of a way to convince Bai Yu to go with him when he heard the other person say unnaturally: “If you really have to go…..you were injured because of me, so….I…..I’ll come along to assist you.”

Ji Qinglin’s pupils quivered, and he said almost instinctively: “You might miss the Imperial Examinations.”

“I’m not taking the exams, so what’s the big deal if I miss them?” Bai Yu asked in confusion.

Ji Qinglin had never thought that Bai Yu would volunteer himself….he’d thought he would have to put in some effort. Bai Yu was so clever that there was no way he didn’t know that Ji Qinglin planned to have him come along. Thinking of this, his heart began to throb.

Bai Yu was waiting for an answer, and the carriage bumped over something the moment he looked over, accompanied by a forceful tug on his hand. Before he could react, he was dragged over, and Ji Qinglin kissed him almost without thought.

Bai Yu struggled out of his arms, and was so angry that he could only cover his lips and glare at him. His eyes were almost red. “You…..bastard!”

Ji Qinglin looked at him steadily: “Do you hate it? Do you hate me for doing it?”

Bai Yu was furious: “I hate it!”

There was a startled look in Ji Qinglin’s eyes. At this point, the carriage stopped and the driver notified them that they had arrived.

Without a care for Ji Qinglin’s injured foot, Bai Yu pushed him out of the carriage and quickly ordered the driver to proceed.

But Ji Qinglin, supported by a government office guard, came to the carriage window. He didn’t lift the curtain, but whispered through the gap: “Wangshu, you know how I feel. You make me happy.”

Bai Yu flushed as he was panicking inside the carriage, and became flustered when he heard this. After a long moment of silence, he said: “You…..you’re crazy. You’re the only child your mother has…..what are you thinking?”

Ji Qinglin smiled faintly. At least it wasn’t a straightforward rejection.

“I’ve already mentioned this to my mother. Haven’t you noticed how warmly she treats you when you come over? My family doesn’t have any customs against taking a male lover, and I’ve already decided that I don’t want any children.”

Bai Yu was dumbfounded.

“I’ve been dreaming about this for many years, and even the marriage procedures have taken shape in my mind. Wangshu, I’m not yet worthy of your status, but I don’t want you to be snatched away by someone else while I’m working hard. If you come with me on this trip, I’ll take it as your acceptance, and I will do my utmost to secure the approval of the Bai family and ask for your hand in marriage. If you don’t like me back, then don’t come with me, and I won’t bother you again.”

When he was done speaking, Ji Qinglin knocked on the carriage and told the driver to take him away.

Bai Yu didn’t come to his senses until the carriage began to shake. He lifted the curtain and secretly looked back, only to see that figure standing on the other side of the door, gazing over at him. Bai Yu’s face turned even redder. Those last words, so earnest and solemn, had sounded like a vow. He knew that Ji Qinglin had always felt inferior to the Bai family, otherwise he wouldn’t have kept his feelings to himself for so long, and only expressed them once his family’s honor was restored.

In fact, the Crown Prince and Xiting-ge admired him very much. His father also praised him often, and once said he wanted to marry one of the unmarried women in the family to him, which showed that he recognized his future career prospects.

But even so, Ji Qinglin felt that he wasn’t worthy of him. But how could he not be worthy? It was obvious that…..everyone recognized his worth. If he really requested a marriage, his father likely wouldn’t refuse…..

Aiya, what was he thinking! Bai Yu felt as if his cheeks were on fire, and could only cover them until he arrived home. But he couldn’t calm his throbbing heart. He knew that he didn’t hate Ji Qinglin’s actions, and even admired his talent. This was just…..too fast!

A few days later, the Crown Prince did indeed send Ji Qinglin out of the capital, and a carriage was readied to leave the city before dawn. Ji Qinglin stood waiting beside the carriage as a servant repeatedly urged him to get in. His eyes gradually darkened. Just as he was about to lift the curtain, the sound of another carriage came from nearby.

Ji Qinglin paused. Turning around, he found that it was a carriage from Liu Manor, with Liu Qiao as the driver. Ji Qinglin ran over almost without a care for his injured foot, staring straight at the curtain until the face he had been thinking about came out. 

Bai Yu felt uneasy under that direct, passionate gaze, but finally bowed and said: “Ji-daren, I’ve come to assist.”

Ji Qinglin stretched a hand out toward him and said: “Wangshu wants to come with me?”

Bai Yu was taken aback when someone pushed him from behind. It was Xiting-ge, of course.

Liu Qiao would naturally not interfere since it was Liu Zhenqing who’d pushed him, so Bai Yu could only lose his balance and fall into Ji Qinglin’s arms.

At last, his worries could be put to rest. His voice trembled slightly with nerves as he asked the person trying to extract himself from his arms, “Wangshu, you’re willing to go with me?”

Bai Yu set aside his unexpected shame and anger. Feeling the vibrations from the other person’s chest, he was dazed for a moment before replying in a whisper: “I’m willing.”

Ji Qinglin’s eyes reddened, and he almost cried. He hugged Bai Yu tightly again, then let him go. He took Bai Yu to say a proper goodbye to Liu Zhenqing and Liu Qiao, boarded their carriage, and left the capital with the rising sun ahead of them, completely missing the students traveling to the capital for the Imperial Examinations the next day.

As he watched the carriage depart, Liu Zhenqing patted Liu Qiao on the shoulder and said: “Qiaoqiao, ah, Wangshu has found where he belongs. When will you become sensible?”

“Where he belongs? Aren’t they going to solve a case together?” Liu Qiao asked curiously.

Liu Zhenqing was amused, and pinched Liu Qiao’s face: “Let’s go have breakfast.”

But before they could reach the food stands, he was hastily called back by the Crown Prince’s guards and ushered to the East Palace.

The instant he saw the Crown Prince’s face, he knew it wasn’t good: “What happened?”

The Crown Prince set down the letter in his hand with an unhappy expression: “Urgent news has come from Xiheng. Li Jinshu and the princess have had a complete falling-out and have decided to divorce. The princess will be sent back to Great Zhou, and envoys from both countries will meet at the border to renegotiate. Xiheng’s leadership has changed, and the new regent sent a request in his letter.”

Liu Zhenqing frowned: “What is it?”

The Crown Prince’s brow furrowed: “You must be present, or the envoys will refuse to negotiate.”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed. He stroked his chin and said: “This Li Jinshu…..hasn’t he given up on me yet?”

“Xiting…..” The Crown Prince’s expression was tense, and he appeared very hesitant.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “Your Highness, you and I both understand the situation. Don’t worry about me, I’ll go. I guarantee that not only will I not suffer any losses, Great Zhou won’t either. Li Jinshu will be the only one who loses!”

The Crown Prince looked at Liu Zhenqing. This was someone he doted on, and he wasn’t happy about agreeing to the other party’s highly-motivated request, but the emperor was on his deathbed, and he couldn’t create any unnecessary trouble. He said with a sigh: “Alright. I’m sorry to trouble you this time. Feihan and the others are all in the west. With them at your side, you will be protected at all times, and they won’t let you suffer a single injustice.”

The west…..Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed slightly, and he unconsciously groped for the jade Rubik’s Cube at his waist, thinking of a certain someone who had been cruel enough not to contact him for two years.

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