Chapter 127: Misunderstandings.

"Foster father invaded Yihua Palace?

" "And foster father also possesses the art of absorbing

Qi?" "Foster father actually framed Gu Santong? Was it actually foster father who absorbed the Qi of masters from the eight major sects and killed people?"

"Foster father was spying on Gu Santong's fiancée, Su Xin?"

"Foster father actually wanted to usurp the throne?"

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"

Shangguan Haitang shook her head repeatedly, finding this claim absurd.

Everyone knew the reputation of Iron-hearted Marquis Zhu Wusi, both in the martial arts world and at court.

In the martial arts world, after capturing Gu Santong, Iron-hearted Marquis's fame skyrocketed. In court, he was known as the mainstay against the eunuchs of the East and West Factories. If it weren't for Iron-hearted Marquis, countless loyal officials and righteous men would have perished at the hands of the East and West Factories.

It was thanks to the support of her foster father, Iron-hearted Marquis, that the court could be so comforted.

To be honest, this court can do without an emperor, but it absolutely cannot do without the Iron-hearted Divine Marquis -

suddenly, Shangguan Haitang's thoughts paused, and she repeatedly chewed over the thoughts in her mind.

The more she chewed over, the more Shangguan Haitang felt that something was wrong.

Her adoptive father, his reputation among some officials and the people was too good.

Even she, Shangguan Haitang, would inadvertently come up with the idea that "the court can do without an emperor, but it absolutely cannot do without the Iron-hearted Divine Marquis."

You know, Shangguan Haitang has been educated by the Iron-hearted Divine Marquis since she was a child, who taught her to defend her country and to be loyal to the court and the emperor.

It can be said that the word loyalty has unknowingly become Shangguan Haitang's belief.

But someone as loyal to the court as her actually felt that the court could not do without the Iron-hearted Divine Marquis.

So, besides her, how many other people would have similar thoughts?

If many people shared her thoughts, wouldn't Iron-hearted Divine Marquis Zhu Wusi have to simply stand up and raise his voice, and countless more would respond?

And once that seed of doubt was planted, many things Shangguan Haitang had previously struggled to understand began to make sense.

There were also many things Shangguan Haitang had previously subconsciously overlooked. After all, at that time, Shangguan Haitang would never have considered the Iron-hearted Divine Marquis anything else.

But now, thinking carefully, Shangguan Haitang discovered many things that were amiss.

And the more

Shangguan Haitang thought about it, the more she discovered. Her face suddenly turned pale.

"No, no, that's not possible at all. My adoptive father is loyal to the court. He's always taught us that. How could he have ulterior motives? Absolutely not..." Shangguan Haitang kept repeating this, trying to convince herself.

But the more she thought about it, the more unsettled she felt, and the more she felt.

Shangguan Haitang simply gave up trying to sleep and decided to investigate some intelligence.

"It's obvious that this diary was written by a hysterical person, but I couldn't help but believe it. It's ridiculous, ridiculous, ridiculous..." Shangguan Haitang kept muttering to herself, but she showed no sign of stopping her actions.

...

"Remember, from now on, you are my person. You must keep your distance from other women. Do you understand?"

Yao Yue looked down at Ye Xiu and said to him in a commanding tone. Ye Xiu,

who was still being pressed on the xue: "..."

"Especially that woman Dongfang Bubai, you must keep your distance from her." Yao Yue said again.

Ye Xiu, who was being pressed on the xue: "..."

"You - hum!" Yao Yue wanted to say something else, such as mentioning herself more in the diary, or improving her favorability.

But Yao Yue found that there was no way to say it, so she simply snorted coldly and lay on top of Ye Xiu again.

It felt like a cool jade in her arms, refreshing her entire body. Even in the summer, with someone like her by her side, she never felt the slightest bit of heat.

Meanwhile, Yao Yue, resting on Ye Xiu's body, a blush blossomed from an angle Ye Xiu couldn't see.

While Yao Yue appeared overbearing and took the initiative, she was still a woman, and doing something like this still felt incredibly shameful.

Furthermore, after this act, the image of Jiang Feng was completely erased from Yao Yue's mind, replaced by a remarkably clear image of Ye Xiu.

It must be said that Zhang Ailing's words, "The only way to a woman's innermost being is through that thing," were truly authentic.

Originally, Yao Yue had only felt a passing dislike for Ye Xiu, but now, her feelings for him had shifted from dislike to liking.

Jiang Feng had certainly left a deep impression on Yao Yue, but it wasn't as impressive as the one she'd had with Ye Xiu.

At this moment, Yao Yue couldn't help but feel a strange feeling.

But Yaoyue is still Yaoyue, and she never shows it on the outside. At least to outsiders, Yaoyue is still the strong and domineering Yaoyue.

Early the next morning,

Dongfang Bubai couldn't help but come to find Ye Xiu.

After all, to Dongfang Bubai, she and Ye Xiu were actually newlyweds. Although they were not married, the nature was similar.

Dongfang Bubai had been quite restrained by not coming to see Ye Xiu last night.

What Dongfang Bubai didn't expect was that when she arrived outside Ye Xiu's room, intending to wait for him, the door of Ye Xiu's room was simultaneously opened from the inside.

Yaoyue, dressed in white, walked out of the room. Dongfang Bubai was even sharp-eyed enough to notice a slight incongruity in Yaoyue's actions.

Instantly, Dongfang Bubai's eyes widened.

"Yaoyue!!!"

Dongfang Bubai practically gritted his teeth, squeezing out these two words.

Upon seeing Dongfang Bubai, Yaoyue couldn't help but sneer, a smile tinged with mockery and triumph: "Dongfang Bubai!"

"Yaoyue, you deserve to die!"

Dongfang Bubai roared, charging directly at her. He held an embroidery needle between his fingers, and as he inhaled and exhaled his true Qi, imbued it with magical power, he thrust it towards Yaoyue.

Yaoyue's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Dongfang Bubai charging towards him. After Dongfang Bubai's ascension to Grandmaster status, her embroidery needle had a subtle ability to penetrate defenses, as if specifically targeting martial arts like Mingyu Gong, which possessed magical protective properties. However, Yaoyue didn't retreat an inch. She charged forward, deflecting Dongfang Bubai's attack with a move called "Transferring Flowers and Jade," and then struck Dongfang Bubai in the chest with her other palm.

Dongfang Bubai's expression grew even more furious. Compared to Yaoyue, Dongfang Bubai, though petite, had a large bust. Dongfang Bubai was taller, but his height made his bust somewhat less appealing.

Even so, Yao Yue still lunged at her chest. It was surprising Dongfang Bubai wasn't furious.

Perhaps because he knew what Yao Yue had done, Dongfang Bubai subconsciously felt a desire to rival Yao Yue in terms of figure and looks.

Bang, bang, bang—

the two exchanged blows for several rounds in a flash, creating a tremendous commotion.

This immediately attracted considerable attention.

Many Yihua Palace disciples hurried over to witness the battle between Yao Yue and Dongfang Bubai.

Their first impulse was to help Yao Yue, but a fight between Dongfang Bubai and Yao Yue was simply beyond the reach of others, leaving many Yihua Palace disciples somewhat bewildered.

"All of you, retreat!" Lian Xing's voice emerged, bringing a sigh of relief to the Yihua Palace disciples, who quickly withdrew.

"Second Aunt, First Aunt, and Senior Dongfang, what are they doing—" Hua Wuque's expression was filled with caution.

"It's okay! Wuque, you don't need to worry about what's going on between your aunt and Dongfang Bubai. They might fight, but—well, their relationship isn't quite what you think. So, next time you see Dongfang Bubai, be polite and don't harbor any hatred." Lianxing warned Hua Wuque.

"Yes, Wuque understands." Hua Wuque breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Lianxing's words. At least Dongfang Bubai couldn't be considered an enemy of Yihua Palace.

"Palace Master Lianxing!"

Ning Zhongze approached Lianxing with a hint of unease.

"Lady Ning, good morning," Lianxing greeted Ning Zhongze gently.

"Um, good morning, but what are they doing—" Ning Zhongze couldn't help but ask.

"My sister is known for her domineering and overbearing personality, and Miss Dongfang, as the leader of a sect, is likely quite assertive as well. With similar personalities, some conflict is inevitable, but it shouldn't be a big deal. After all, Lady Ning should understand," Lianxing explained with a smile.

Ning Zhongze listened to Lianxing's words and felt that she was right. Furthermore, there was a diary between them—no, it should be Ye Xiu—so a life-and-death fight wouldn't happen.

However, Ning Zhongze thought of Ye Xiu and suddenly realized that he wasn't there. Ning Zhongze couldn't help but glance around, but couldn't find any sign of Ye Xiu.

The conflict between Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue had begun right outside Ye Xiu's room. So close, why hadn't Ye Xiu appeared? Could something have gone wrong with Ye Xiu? Ning Zhongze couldn't help but worry, so he headed towards Ye Xiu's room.

Seeing this, Lianxing followed. Hua Wuque

wanted to follow, but Lianxing stopped him.

"Xiu'er—" Ning Zhongze looked nervously at Ye Xiu's room, the door wide open.

Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue had deliberately avoided Ye Xiu's room during their fight, after all, neither of them wanted to hurt him.

Even if they avoided it, the aftermath of their clash was inevitable, so Ye Xiu's room looked a bit messy.

Not only was the door open, but the window was also broken, the stools in the room were overturned, and most of the teapots and cups that should have been on the table had fallen to the ground and shattered.

Ning Zhongze and Lian Xing soon saw Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu was lying quietly in bed, covered with a quilt, looking quite peaceful.

However, Ye Xiu's expression was a bit dull, and he looked helpless.

"Xiu'er, how are you? Why are you still sleeping—" Ning Zhongze spoke subconsciously, but she suddenly remembered that Ye Xiu had written before about Dongfang Bubai often opening his acupoints at night and doing that kind of thing.

And Ye Xiu's appearance clearly showed that his acupoints had not been released.

In fact, this was Yao Yue's first time doing such a thing, and she was inevitably careless and forgot to release Ye Xiu's acupoints.

Of course, Dongfang Bubai wouldn't untie Ye Xiu's acupoints. Instead, she would control them so that within a quarter of an hour after she left, Ye Xiu's acupoints would automatically untie.

Seeing Ye Xiu like this, Ning Zhongze and Lianxing both assumed Dongfang Bubai had used his tactics on Ye Xiu again the night before.

It dawned on them both: no wonder Yaoyue and Dongfang Bubai had gotten into a fight so early in the morning.

Yaoyue must have witnessed Dongfang Bubai doing this to Ye Xiu so early in the morning, and with her domineering personality, Yaoyue had simply attacked Dongfang Bubai!

Dongfang Bubai felt a bit unfair; Lianxing and Ning Zhongze had accused him of this for nothing.

But regardless of Ning Zhongze and Lianxing's thoughts, they knew Dongfang Bubai had done this to Ye Xiu, so they were unaware of Yaoyue's change of heart this time.

Looking at the immobilized Ye Xiu, Lianxing's eyes gleamed with a strange light, perhaps a stirring of desire.

Lianxing had long harbored a cherished dream: to one day dominate Yaoyue.

But for Lianxing, that was just a luxury. Lianxing knew that she couldn't do it at all. So she forcefully suppressed this luxury in the deepest part of her heart!

And now, with the appearance of the diary and Ye Xiu, Lianxing saw hope and the possibility of her luxury becoming reality.

Lianxing knew the favorability system of the diary. With this system, Yaoyue would never be able to win over her.

However, Ye Xiu's favorability towards Lianxing was still a little low, and the gap between her and Yaoyue might not be that big.

So how could she improve Ye Xiu's favorability towards her?

Direct physical contact was obviously a very good shortcut.

Speaking of which, Lianxing's favorability towards Ye Xiu was not low, or rather, very high.

On the one hand, Ye Xiu was really handsome, just as handsome as Jiang Feng back then.

Lianxing liked Jiang Feng because of his face, so she had no objection to seeing such a handsome Ye Xiu.

In addition, Ye Xiu brought her the Shenzhaojing, which allowed her to recover her limbs, and also a magical diary, which allowed her to surpass Yaoyue and even ride on her head one day.

Therefore, Ye Xiu was truly of great significance to Lianxing, and she really liked Ye Xiu.

Therefore, she was not opposed to having a relationship with Ye Xiu.

However, Lianxing couldn't use force directly like Dongfang Bubai did. She preferred to be more collected.

Another point was that Lianxing wanted to wait until her limbs were restored to normal so that she could meet Ye Xiu in a perfect state. She didn't want Ye Xiu to see her imperfect body.

Ning Zhongze didn't think as much as Lianxing did.

However, when Ning Zhongze thought about what Dongfang Bubai had done to Ye Xiu, she couldn't help but sigh. With someone as powerful as Dongfang Bubai, what would her daughter Yue Lingshan do?

Ning Zhongze thought so in his heart, but his hands were not slow, and he quickly helped Ye Xiu to relieve his pain.

After the xue was untied, Ye Xiu did not stand up: "Master's wife, Palace Master Lianxing."

"Yes." Ning Zhongze nodded, then walked out of the room.

Lian Xing smiled at Ye Xiu, her face as bright as a flower. With a gentle nod, she also left the room, closing the door behind her.

Watching the two leave, Ye Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and rose to get dressed.

Even as he dressed, a sense of strangeness still lingered in his heart.

He had actually been raped by Yao Yue.

That was Yao Yue!

When Yao Yue first met him, she'd attacked him, looking as if she wanted to kill him, only to bring him back and then ignore him.

Now that Ye Xiu was about to leave Yihua Palace, Yao Yue had instead resorted to forcing herself on him.

Honestly, Ye Xiu found it a bit baffling.

Yet, amidst this bewilderment, a certain pride lingered.

He had conquered Yao Yue—

well, conquered her.

But regardless, the thought of such an intimate relationship with a woman as high and mighty as Yao Yue made Ye Xiu feel a little proud, just as Dongfang Bubai had before.

Thinking of Dongfang Bubai, Dongfang Bubai had also used force on him, as had Yaoyue.

Could it be that Yaoyue knew of Dongfang Bubai's methods, and so resorted to such tactics? No, that was obviously impossible. Given the relationship between Yaoyue and Dongfang Bubai, Dongfang Bubai would never have told Yaoyue such a thing.

So, it must be that strong and overbearing women like Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue both favored such tactics.

As for why Yaoyue suddenly forced herself on him—

Ye Xiu was a little confused. Ultimately, Ye Xiu attributed it to his handsomeness!

After all, in Ye Xiu's impression, Yaoyue was something of a flower maniac, attracted to good-looking men.

So, she was drawn to him after seeing him.

Ye Xiu also had another idea: perhaps he and Jiang Feng looked alike!

After all, when Yaoyue first met him, she had looked at him with a strange look in her eyes, even attempting to attack him at one point. Just as she was about to kill him, she suddenly stopped and took him to Yihua Palace, imprisoning him.

All of the above actions seemed to be because he looked like someone in Yao Yue's heart, and that person should be Jiang Feng.

But when Ye Xiu thought that he might have been treated that way by Yao Yue because he looked like Jiang Feng, he couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.

After all, no matter who you are, you don't want to be a substitute for someone.

It's like the stars in the old world, who debuted with the title of Little So-and-so, but after they developed a little, they couldn't wait to take off the title of Little So-and-so, and would work very hard for it. This is just a reputation.

And the substitute in love is even more entangled than this.