The white-robed youth gave her a glare, caught between annoyance and fondness, with a hint of amusement.
Jing Tan’er clasped her hands behind her back, greedily savoring every second before their parting, and snickered.
“Not bad, huh. No wonder Xiao Siran was utterly crushed by you. Would you cling to me like she did?”
Yun Liu snorted.
“New year, and you’re still beating a dead horse?”
“Oh, you’re mad? Good. With so many girls around you, how else will you remember me? I’ll conquer you with my charm.”
Jing Tan’er hugged Yun Liu from behind, breathing in his familiar scent, satisfied.
“Can Qin Xiang do this?”
Yun Liu glanced sideways, his eyes landing on the girl’s black silk stockings.
“Where are you looking? My charm isn’t that!”
Blushing with annoyance, Jing Tan’er sprang back and covered her royal robe.
She casually set up an isolation formation. A surge of heat rose in his Qi Sea, and Yun Liu stopped pretending. He cupped his hands in salute.
“You’ve had your fun. My turn. Your Majesty, the rioters are about to commit the crime of deceiving the emperor again.”
“You insolent fool!”
After this, they would go their separate ways. Who knew when they’d meet again.
Jing Tan’er crooked her finger, backing step by step toward the dense forest behind her, her gaze seductive.
‘Hah… so he’s that eager for my body? Fine, I’ll graciously satisfy you… Ah! Idiot! Pig head! Big dummy! Listen to me first before taking off your clothes!’
In no time, rhythmic cries rose and fell from the little forest. The city gate, not yet repaired, was breached again. The halfhearted resistance seemed more like an invitation to the invader.
Jing Tan’er was the first to cry for her parents before even hitting the highway—probably the first, and possibly the last.
“I’m wrong, I’m wrong! Spare me, Mister! Forgive me, National Teacher, I’m a nobody…”
“Still punishing me?”
“Call me husband.”
“I won’t, I won’t! Uwaa! Idiot, that’s… hus… husband…”
“Louder. I can’t hear you.”
“Guii! Husband!”
An hour later, the Golden Crow Guards’ legs were sore from standing, and the princess finally walked over slowly.
Her movements were still graceful, her bearing noble, but her pace was painfully slow, as if she were crawling. Every step seemed exhausting.
Geng Zhi keenly noticed that Her Majesty’s stockings were gone. He knelt to greet her without looking sideways.
Lu’er rolled her eyes, leaned in to sniff, and immediately got her nose pinched.
“Move out!”
Jing Tan’er looked back at the Sea of Clouds, blushed, and subtly shifted her posture.
“Mmm, that big bad guy… it seems… something’s leaking…”
***
When Yun Liu returned to the Rosy Fragrance Pavilion, Qin Xiang had too many things to bring. Unconsciously, she’d packed two full trunks. She was still tidying her luggage in the shop, having prepared ten sets of clothes for all four seasons.
“Xiao Yun prefers sour flavors. When he has no appetite, he likes to eat a few plums… Ah, right, I should bring some Eastern specialties too, in case I run into Mister Canghai. Also…”
Qin Xiang was suddenly embraced from behind and let out a startled cry.
“That’s too much. It’s only a month. It’ll pass in the blink of an eye.”
“No way! How can the outside be as convenient as home?”
Qin Xiang reached back to touch Yun Liu’s head, but found his hands were restless, wandering over her body, even fumbling to untie her belt. Her expression turned flustered.
“Whether I succeed or not, we’ll soon meet again at the Boundless Sea. It’s a shame I can’t witness you winning first place, but Ri Tian Tian promised to save a bubble projection for me.”
She had no idea where Yun Liu’s confidence came from. Qin Xiang had little faith in herself, but she trusted her beloved’s words one hundred percent.
“How do you know we’ll reunite at the Boundless Sea?”
“Every year around this time, I go to Penglai Island on behalf of the Medicine Hut.”
“Sometimes I really think you came back from the future.”
“Truth is, you can’t escape my grasp. In the future, we’ll have seven children. The eldest is immensely strong, the second has clairvoyance and clairaudience, the third is invulnerable to weapons, the fourth—”
“Stop, stop!”
Qin Xiang jumped in fright.
“How could I be that fertile? Only a fool would believe you!”
“Then let’s work hard?”
“Alright… Since you’ve worked so hard for Ah Lian, just once today. Let me close the door first…”
Blushing shyly, Qin Xiang carefully extinguished the lamp, locked the door, lit some Spiritual Herb Incense, tiptoed upstairs, arranged the clothes aside, and lay down beside her husband.
“Hmm?”
In the darkness, the Clear Mist Peak Senior Sister’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
“Why do I smell Tan’er?”
“Do… do you? I didn’t bathe today…”
Yun Liu quickly changed the subject and sped up his movements, until Sister Qin had no more energy to pursue the matter.
One bathed in rain and passion, another lost everything.
Yes, that would be Ao Tian.
The gambler’s doom. When he received the departure notice, he knew this bet would be a total loss—the little Yun kid never intended to fight at all. He was just seeing his daughter off.
Ji Shiyu hugged that mechanical bird, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The thought of facing her teacher tomorrow made her nervously rub her hands together.
The last time she’d been instructed in the sword way was at Celestial Phenomena Peak. Her proud plagiarized sword technique had been torn apart. She’d improved a lot since then.
The girl curled up under the covers, recalling their early days of bickering and mutual dislike, and couldn’t help but giggle to herself.
Unable to resist, she pressed it.
No response. She pressed again.
Poke, poke, poke, poke!
“Asleep?”
No reply from the other end.
She sighed.
“Good night.”
Ji Shiyu muttered to herself and closed her eyes to sleep.
“All gone, all gone! My kingdom!”
Ao Tian was still wailing, tears flowing like a river.
“Shut up! Don’t you have your own room?”
Ji Shiyu sat up angrily, only to see the little yellow chick dejectedly crawl into the “bird’s nest”—the fluffy golden hair on top of her head—and continue howling.
“Serves you right. You didn’t bet on me, you traitorous thing.”
“You two are like father and daughter, how is that treason? I am loyal to my master, heaven and earth bear witness—”
Ao Tian wiped his tears, extremely aggrieved.
Ji Shiyu finally realized something was wrong.
“Wait, what do you mean you lost everything… Isn’t that my money!?”
“Yeah, I invested all our reserve funds into the Shanhai Pavilion. I would have made a killing. Think you can sweet-talk your dad into getting some back? Even half would do!”
“Go to hell! That was the monthly allowance my teacher gave me! I scrimped and saved, didn’t dare spend a single coin! Give me back my spirit stones, you beast!”
The round-faced girl shrieked, half a year’s savings gone to zero, and started beating the fat bird mercilessly. Late at night, the disciple guest rooms at the back of Falling Cloud Peak were in chaos.
When they gathered the next morning, the yellow chicken was bruised and swollen, while Yun Liu was full of energy.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.