Chapter 40 040 [VIP]

This was truly a matter of great importance in Bianjing!

Even the incident of Young Master Yu's intrusion into the Misty Heaven Alliance was overshadowed by the news of the confirmed decisive battle.

Gambling houses wouldn't miss out on such lucrative news. Not only did they set up bets, they also assigned a team of people to update the status of Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuxue on the wooden board in front of the betting station every day.

The information written on it was naturally obtained through surveillance.

Regardless of whether the information was true or false, getting more people to participate in the gambling game was a victory for them.

Wenrou had never seen such a lively scene since arriving in Bianjing.

She was a restless person, and regardless of whether she had heard warnings from Shi Qingruo and Su Mengzhen that the significance behind this duel was extraordinary, she still went out to observe the situation and placed a bet at Chunhua Tower.

Following behind her, Xu Tianyi and Wen Wen were rather frustrated to hear that her reason for betting on Ximen Chuxue was that

some people thought Ye Gucheng had behaved strangely during his visit to the Misty Heaven Alliance and had even intercepted Shi Qingruo's carriage in Chuhe Town. He wanted both swordsmanship and a person, and should be more capable of a full-out fight than Ximen Chuxue.

Since swordsmanship duels also depend on touch, why couldn't Ye Gucheng, with his unwavering determination, win?

Wen Rou didn't care and simply bet on the opposite side. No, why should Ye Gucheng be given such an excuse?

"Why, you ask, was this duel held at the Jinshui River?"

Xu Tianyi, observing the surrounding martial artists, suddenly heard Wen Rou's question.

He thought for a moment and replied, "Perhaps only Madam Shi, who proposed this location, can answer this question for you. However, since no one in the capital has objected to this location, it seems to be the most suitable."

Wenrou nodded, "You are quite right."

The terrain in front of the Jinshui River is vast, and there are no restrictions from any particular faction that would exclude some people. It can be said that any martial arts expert who arrived in Bianjing before the competition had the opportunity to squeeze in a front-row seat for the spectators. It couldn't be fairer.

If the duel in front of the emperor's gate became too crowded and out of control, there would still be imperial masters to maintain order, but it wouldn't really reach the point of affecting the Forbidden Palace.

This was indeed the best location they could have chosen after surveying Bianjing.

Shi Qingruo, always a thoughtful person, must have asked Zhuge Shenhou to consult the emperor on this matter. Since the emperor had agreed, what was there for anyone else to object to?

Although... Fu Zongshu might have had his own considerations behind his agreement.

Wenrou took two quick steps and ran to the vendor nearby. She took out two copper coins and exchanged them for a steamed cake before continuing to walk forward.

From the side of Xu Tianyi's back, she could see that she had been happily wandering around the street market before. The slightly sweet steamed cakes, which carried the atmosphere of the Bianjing market, made her smile even brighter. But now, as she walked, she saw something that made her feel even more melancholy.

"Brother," Wenrou suddenly said, "Do you think that if you really like someone, you will be too restrained?"

Xu Tianyi almost bit his tongue when he heard this. "Why do you ask this suddenly?"

Wenrou didn't turn around, so naturally she didn't see the expression on Xu Tianyi's face. She only replied, "I just thought about that day when that Gongzi Yu broke into the Mi Tian League, and my brother's reaction was really... not so good."

"Oh, I'm talking about that brother." Wenrou pointed in the direction of Tianquan Mountain.

She had already noticed Su Mengzhen's special feelings for Shi Qingruo. Further evidence of this came from her senior brother, who had just recounted Shi Qingruo's conversation with Ah Fei. When he went to see her, he had deliberately disguised his sickly appearance to appear presentable.

If he wasn't interested in her, what was he really after? Was he really going to confront her as loudly as Gongzi Yu?

But now, out of nowhere, a handsome rival, of similar age, skilled in martial arts, and a childhood sweetheart, had appeared. Wen Rou felt that his performance was a bit difficult to defeat.

More importantly, she felt she had discovered a major problem.

From what her senior sister had said, Wen Rou had felt that her senior brother had great potential. After all, her senior brother commanded the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower, and his temperament and spirit more than made up for his lack of looks. He might even be considered "beautiful." Her senior sister shared his interests, and perhaps she truly admired him.

But the surprise encounter with Gongzi Yu that day had left her with doubts.

"My senior brother has absolutely no sense of crisis," Wenrou muttered quietly. "Look at Gongzi Yu and Ye Gucheng. They're actually similar in appearance. Regardless of their personalities, at least they both look like celestial beings, elegant and transcendent. In this respect, senior brother is truly at a disadvantage."

Su Mengzhen was firm in his tactics, and when he got down to business, he had the aloofness of a gang leader, completely different from the other two in appearance.

If they had to be considered the same type...

Wenrou was distressed to realize that Wuqing Chief Constable was one of them, and he had a good relationship with senior sister, sometimes even being considered an accomplice.

What kind of situation was this?

"Senior brother, you can't really be satisfied just because Gongzi Yu and senior sister have different paths and that he and senior sister have been collaborating frequently lately, right?"

If that were the case, she suggested he and Wang Xiaoshi become sworn brothers.

Wenrou swallowed her words, deciding to keep the last half of her words to herself, lest her senior brother, in a rage, write a letter to the King of Luoyang, suggesting that her father take her home.

But if Su Mengzhen knew what Wenrou was thinking right now, he would have to settle accounts with this junior sister.

It wasn't so much that he understood Shi Qingruo's resolve, that she didn't want to be distracted by external forces, so he didn't want to disturb her. Rather, it was that Gongzi Yu's appearance had vaguely brought back fragments of memories.

He felt that Shi Qingruo's words, "I learned it in a dream," in the Misty Heaven Alliance's study that day, were merely a temporary excuse to deceive him, and this was especially true when those fragments flashed before his eyes.

The memories seemed all too real, as if he had actually experienced them.

He also saw that Shi Qingruo, whether in his dreams or now as the Saint Master of the Misty Heaven Alliance, was a person with many secrets.

Her intermittent wanderings, combined with Gongzi Yu's words that day, made Su Mengzhen suspect that this was the melancholy she felt after breaking off all ties with her childhood sweetheart.

Without resolving the matter between Gongzi Yu and Fu Zongshu, he didn't think this was the right time to reveal his true feelings.

Although his considerations based on the overall situation were only met with a disappointing evaluation from Wenrou.

"Brother Xu, is that the case?"

Xu Tianyi: "..."

He really wanted to complain. Wenrou herself was obviously not an expert in relationships. She even had a crush on someone who was beheaded in the street some time ago. How could she act like a strategist in the matter of Master Su and his master's wife?

However, the little junior sister was so innocent and cute that it was not surprising for her to behave like this.

But his hesitation, in Wenrou's eyes, turned into an inability to answer.

"Forget it, I won't ask you anymore." Wenrou waved her hand.

She picked up another piece of steamed cake, finding it quite delicious. She turned back and took another portion with her. "I'll go see Sister Guan." Wenrou

had no idea that Guan Chun's injury was a complete stunt orchestrated by her and Shi Qingruo. She simply felt that poor Guan Chun had suffered an unprovoked disaster when Gongzi Yu barged in that day.

If Gongzi Yu hadn't intended to kill her, who knows if Guan Chun's injuries would have been even worse.

Fortunately, she had received timely healing from the healing technique that day, and Doctor Shu from Fengyu Tower had come to see her. When Wenrou saw Guan Chun before leaving today, she noticed that she looked much better than that day.

This was clearly a sign of improvement.

But as soon as she entered Guan Chun's courtyard, Wenrou couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. "Sister Guan, you're still recovering. Don't let all this official business wear you out!"

She hurried to Guan Chun's side. She saw that she hadn't stopped moving, and with a smile, she handed a stack of documents through the window to the member of the Mi Tian League outside.

On the desk in front of Guan Chun, the ink on the brush hadn't yet dried, clearly freshly used.

Under normal circumstances, this would have been fine—they'd once been friends in Beijing, and Wenrou longed to see Guan Chun shed the image of the Six-and-a-half Hall, secure her position within the Misty Heaven Alliance, and become Shi Qingruo's right-hand man.

But now, still draped in a thick blanket, her face still a bit pale and haggard, it was definitely not the time to be straining.

"I'm not dealing with paperwork," Guan Chun replied, turning around. "I wrote a letter and asked someone to deliver it for me."

"Writing a letter?" Wenrou was a little surprised.

"Nothing, not a very important letter. It just happened to need to be mailed within the next two days. It's not as troublesome as you think," Guan Chun replied, patting Wenrou's hand soothingly.

But as she turned to look out the window at the receding figure, a fierce glint flashed in her eyes.

Some things weren't meant to be shared with Wenrou, and this letter was certainly no ordinary one.

That day, as planned, she bravely took Gongzi Yu's palm strike, shielded by her golden soft armor, creating the illusion of serious injury. However, this wasn't just to let the Mitian Alliance know. She had further distanced herself from the former Young Lady of the Six and a Half Hall. She was willing to suffer injury for the Mitian Alliance.

Knowing that seeking help might not attract Di Feijing, she needed to prepare a backup plan, further driving a wedge between Gongzi Yu and Di Feijing.

She could roughly guess what Di Feijing would think upon hearing the news of her injury.

However, she hadn't anticipated that Shi Qingruo would resort to further manipulation.

Thinking back to that conversation, Guan Chun became even more determined to put her own petty thoughts to rest.

That letter wasn't addressed to Di Feijing, but to Lei Dongtian,

the former Second Master of the Six and a Half Hall, whose status within the hall was second only to Lei Sun, Di Feijing, and Guan Chun.

On that day, the Six and a Half Hall was destroyed, with the chief hall master and several other hall masters perishing. The third hall master defected and joined the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower, while Di Feijing fled. Although the second hall master received the news later, he still managed to escape the encirclement.

Unlike Di Feijing's strategic prowess, he was able to take on a formidable foe like Gongzi Yu, but he was also one of the most skilled masters in the Six and a Half Hall, commanding a cadre of devoted followers.

He was the master of the Five Thunder Heart Palm, a technique inherited from the Thunder Gate Thunderbolt Hall. It was he who uttered the blast that killed Shangguan Zhongshen, one of the five great demons of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower.

And now... even though he seemed insignificant, Shi Qingruo hadn't forgotten his existence and intended to use him as a special chess piece in the chess game between black and white.

Guan Chun's injury wasn't just a thorn in the side between Di Feijing and Gongzi Yu; it could also serve another purpose.

So, she had Guan Chun deliver a letter to Lei Dongtian.

In it, Guan Chun wrote that she suspected Di Feijing had defected to Gongzi Yu and had no real intention of restoring the Six-and-a-half Hall. Gongzi Yu had replaced Di Feijing, who was supposed to rescue her, and even nearly killed her when he intruded into the Misty Heaven Alliance.

This could have been Di Feijing's suggestion. She had the determination to endure hardships, but Di Feijing lacked the loyalty of Fan Li. This was the reality today.

If Uncle Lei truly desired to leave the jianghu fray, his martial arts skills would surely suffice. He could simply tear up this letter and pretend he had never seen it. But if he still harbored concerns about working for the Six-and-a-half Hall, she would be kind enough to do her a favor.

This would be detrimental to Di Feijing and Gongzi Yu, and might even benefit the Misty Heaven Alliance. However, it would vindicate the Lei Clan and make her situation more secure, making it a wise move to turn the tide.

Guan Chun carefully considered the letter's wording before sending it out today.

She estimated that there was at least an 80% chance that Lei Dongtian would follow her orders.

Even though Guan Chun's last name was no longer Lei, Di Feijing was far less trustworthy to Lei Dongtian, who had once been devotedly loyal to Lei Sun.

One was his former adopted daughter, the other a once-powerful subordinate, now allied with others...

That fleeting thought transformed into a gentle smile on Guan Chun's lips.

Wenrou asked curiously, "You're injured, and you're still smiling. Is there something to be happy about?"

Guan Chun gestured to the gift Wenrou had brought to her door. "Doesn't that count?"

Besides, the fish was about to take the bait, which was of course a cause for celebration.

The Second Master of the Liufenbantang, who had been hiding out, biding his time for a resurgence, was finally about to take the bait and fall into the trap.

...

"Lu Xiaofeng, this Feng Shui pond of the Mi Tian League is not a place for you to fish!"

Zhu Xiaoyao had just turned around the corridor when he saw the fortune fish raised by Yan Hefa in the Feng Shui pond. It was caught by Lu Xiaofeng with a fishing rod that he got from somewhere, and was now held in his hand.

Lu Xiaofeng exclaimed "Ah" and looked blankly at Shi Qingruo behind Zhu Xiaoyao. He saw the look of laughter in her eyes and quickly loosened his hands.

The fathead fish slid back into the pond and splashed water all over his face.

Shi Qingruo laughed. "Didn't you see that this pond was specially built to look like Tai Chi? This is the Feng Shui fortune-attracting bureau that the Great Saint Lord set up in the early years. It was said that it was built to counter the decline of the Mi Tian League. It's a pity that it is of no use and no one mentioned it later. At most, when passing by, we feed it a little more food, and that

's how the fat fish was raised." Zhu Xiaoyao would care about it.

Not only was she recommended by the Great Saint Lord to become the Second Saint Lord, but it was also because of the Great Saint Lord's support that she had the opportunity to practice martial arts and escaped the fate of being a dancer in a brothel.

Apart from Shi Qingruo's words, she listened most to Yan Hefa's instructions.

Seeing Lu Xiaofeng catch the fish, it was strange that Zhu Xiaoyao could tolerate him.

Shi Qingruo smiled and handed the handkerchief to Lu Xiaofeng.

Lu Xiaofeng apologized repeatedly, and his face flushed slightly when he took the handkerchief. He immediately wiped his face with his sleeve, wiped away the water droplets and shyness on his face, and became the charming and handsome little phoenix again.

"What made you think of catching the fish yourself?" Shi Qingruo asked.

Lu Xiaofeng replied: "Isn't this a coincidence? Just as I went out, I found out that another good friend of mine came to Bian Jing for this sword fight, so I had to show my sincerity. It's also because the fish looks auspicious, I fell in love with it at first sight."

He raised his hand: "Madam Shi, don't worry, this is the territory of the Mi Tian League. I will pay for it after I catch it. I just didn't expect... This is also a Feng Shui situation?" "

It's not that mysterious." Shi Qingruo said, "Compared to this fish, I should thank your friend more. I think he is the recent fortune-bringing auspicious sign for my Mi Tian League."

"You mean... Ximen Chuxue?" Lu Xiaofeng coughed lightly. He always felt that it was weird to link Ximen Chuxue with auspicious signs, but when he thought about the recent bustle in the capital, and how much benefit it could bring to the Mi Tian League, the local snake, he felt that this statement was indeed good.

Just as he was thinking this, Shi Qingruo suddenly said, "Forget about him. Didn't you say you wanted to host a welcome dinner for your friend? The Misty Heaven Alliance certainly doesn't need a welcome dinner."

She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt Lu Xiaofeng pause for a moment, then, as if reminded of something, quickly resumed his pace. "Right. I'll take Madam Shi to meet my friend."

Inside Lu Xiaofeng's residence at the Misty Heaven Alliance, besides Sikong Zhaixing, who rested in a hammock beneath a large tree, there were two other people.

Shi Qingruo had already met one of them.

The white-clad swordsman, true to his name, stood with his sword clasped. Despite the still-hot summer heat, he exuded a strangely cold and unapproachable air, as if he were in a different season.

To Shi Qingruo, his demeanor seemed even less human than Ye Gucheng's.

Perhaps the laughter and playfulness of his friends around him slightly mitigated the aura.

That person was none other than Ximen Chuixue of Wanmei Villa in Yanbei, another protagonist in the recent swordfighting event.

Seeing Shi Qingruo and Lu Xiaofeng arrive together, he simply nodded, taking it as a greeting.

Lu Xiaofeng had long since grown accustomed to this kind of behavior, and since they were in his own courtyard, he appeared before Sikong Zhaixing with extra familiarity. "Have you been a thief these days? You're out early and back late, falling asleep as soon as you get home. Someone who didn't know you would think you were hired by a big patron of some casino to steal Ye Gucheng's sword."

Sikong Zhaixing laughed, but turned around and met Shi Qingruo's concerned gaze. He immediately jumped up and replied to Lu Xiaofeng, "What are you talking about? Do you think I can steal a swordsman's sword? I think it's easier to steal Ye Gucheng's wallet than his sword. I just went out to do something on someone's behalf."

"I can handle this sword fight myself," Ximen Chuxue suddenly said, his voice incredibly serious.

Shi Qingruo tilted her head to glance at him, becoming increasingly certain that Ximen Chuxue wasn't as unsympathetic as he appeared.

His resolute words likely stemmed not only from a desire to see what Guan Qi had left behind, but also from a genuine desire to cherish this unexpected opportunity to compete, and also because Lu Xiaofeng was his friend.

Otherwise, he could have easily relaxed Shi Qingruo's strict adherence to the rules set by Shi Qingruo and allowed the Misty Heaven Alliance to lend him a hand.

"Lu Xiaofeng has made a very good friend," Shi Qingruo murmured with emotion.

A gentle and refined voice echoed nearby, "That's because Lu Xiaofeng is truly worthy of his friends' sincerity."

Shi Qingruo turned her head to follow the voice and saw that the speaker was another person in the courtyard, the one Lu Xiaofeng was hosting today.

Everyone said Lu Xiaofeng had a wide circle of friends, easily able to converse with people from all corners of the world, and this man before her exemplified this. Ximen Chuxue was as cold and hard as ice, but the young man before her evoked a sense of spring returning to the earth, an indescribable comfort. They were two completely different personalities.

Ximen Chuxue's coldness was sometimes hard to notice, but he actually had a face that could be described as handsome. The spring breeze blowing against the man before him made it hard to notice that he was blind, having lost his sight many years ago.

He was Hua Manlou, the seventh son of the Jiangnan Hua family.

Facing such a visitor, it seemed unsurprising that Lu Xiaofeng would feel that the fish in the kitchen was somewhat substandard and that he had to go catch some himself.

Shi Qingruo nodded and smiled, "Yes, Lu Xiaofeng truly deserves a friend's sincerity."

"What sincerity?" Lu Xiaofeng finally broke free from the shackles of Sikong Zhaixing's whispers and walked back to see Shi Qingruo already chatting with Hua Manlou.

Shi Qingruo teased, "We're talking about... Although you have a friend who was mistaken, you still have at least four friends who weren't."

Lu Xiaofeng, ever so perceptive, immediately realized that Shi Qingruo's words had naturally included him, and the hand stroking his beard almost rose an inch.

But thinking of the other person she mentioned, his expression shifted. "Speaking of Jin Jiuling, what's going on there?"

Shi Qingruo had previously assigned Jin Jiuling to guard Gao Xiaoshang, leading Lu Xiaofeng to discover with astonishment that his friend, the head of the Six Gates Constables, was surprisingly adept at stealing from Gao Xiaoshang.

Even more surprising, after extracting the location of a hidden treasure from Gao Xiaoshang, he brutally murdered him. To ensure no one suspected him, just as Chief Constable Wuqing had suggested, he had sewn Gao Xiaoshang's eyes shut with an embroidery needle, creating the appearance of a demonic cult.

Lu Xiaofeng was in no mood to praise Jin Jiuling's sewing skills. He simply felt that for a constable to be so adept at such crimes, he must have been involved in other crimes.

If Shi Qingruo hadn't returned from Xiangyang at the time, and the Misty Heaven Alliance hadn't taken action, he would have wanted to bring Jin Jiuling to justice.

Shi Qingruo said, "I had hoped to make him useful again..."

Jin Jiuling's ability to kill Gao Xiaoshang wasn't solely due to Gao Xiaoshang's lack of defense, but rather due to Jin Jiuling's considerable martial arts prowess.

Despite his shady intentions and impressive martial arts skills, he wasn't a Fu Zongshu ally. Shi Qingruo reasoned, he could be put to good use. However,

as soon as news of Duan Tiande's exile to Bian Jing reached the Prime Minister's residence, Fu Zongshu launched an immediate counterattack.

He couldn't find any charges against the Four Great Constables. If he truly had the skill to frame someone, he would have done it years ago.

However, following his investigation into other key figures within the Six Gates, Fu Zongshu discovered Jin Jiuling.

He arrested Jin Jiuling, citing his involvement in a suspected theft from an earlier era as a pretext. Then, claiming there were still traitors within the Six Gates, he petitioned the Ministry of Justice to try Duan Tiande first.

To prevent Duan Tiande from being exploited by the two ruthless officials, the Six Gates announced they would promptly investigate the source of Jin Jiuling's wealth and provide an explanation to Bian Jing.

This, in turn, meant Jin Jiuling's departure.

Fortunately, Shi Qingruo hadn't prioritized this unexpected "crush game" and, aside from expressing regret for Lu Xiaofeng, seemed to have little else to say.

"So there's a conspiracy behind this," Hua Manlou sighed. "When I first arrived in Bian Jing, I heard that Jin Jiuling had been arrested and implicated in several suspicious cases. I had no idea he was being brought to the forefront for another reason."

Those who discussed Jin Jiuling in teahouses and restaurants likely didn't pay much attention to the underlying calculus. Just as they viewed the duel between Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng as a coincidental encounter between two swordsmen from the south and north, nothing more.

However, they were unaware that the various forces in Bian Jing had already been turbulent.

It was Hua Manlou, who had just arrived in Bian Jing, who had to pay attention to the things behind this, because...

"I remember you have a brother who is an official in the court?"

Hua Manlou replied "Yes".

Shi Qingruo said: "If he is free, why not ask him to visit you more often in the Misty Sky Alliance, maybe he can make you familiar to some people."

Who exactly did this "some people" refer to? For Shi Qingruo, there was obviously no other possibility.

Hua Manlou was a little unsure of what she meant.

But he had heard a lot of rumors about Shi Qingruo along the way, and knew that she had her own reasons for doing things. Since she was unwilling to say more, he didn't need to ask more questions, and just nodded and said "good".

Seeing his reaction, Shi Qingruo's smile widened. "Let's not discuss other matters for now. Mr. Hua is a guest from afar, and the Mi Tian Alliance will certainly treat him well."

Hua Manlou thanked him, "Thank you very much."

The Mi Tian Alliance's chef, as Shi Qingruo had previously told Huang Rong, was a retired imperial chef from the palace. After the change of leadership, he had perhaps adapted to the place and remained on his salary.

Since today was a banquet, he naturally served as the head chef. The dishes were laid out on the table, a dazzling array. With the presence of two lively figures, Lu Xiaofeng and Sikong Zhaixing, the feast was sure to be a feast for both host and guest.

But before they could even finish their dessert, Shi Qingruo spotted one of her direct subordinates walking outside the courtyard, a hint of anxiety in his gait.

At her signal for him to come forward, he quickly strode over to her side, calling out, "Holy Lord."

"What's the panic?" She apologized to the table, stood up, and walked away with her subordinates to a corner.

Then they heard the other party whisper, "Someone has delivered a gift."

Shi Qingruo's eyebrows twitched slightly. She knew without asking that the sender must be quite unusual.

"I'll go check."

Lu Xiaofeng had already stood up. "Do you need my help?"

Shi Qingruo shook her head. "No, just take care of your friend first. If there's anything you, Lu Xiaofeng, can do for me, I won't hesitate to help you."

She let this go and followed the messenger to the study.

On the way, since they didn't need to hide from outsiders, the messenger informed her who had sent the gift.

Honestly, Shi Qingruo was a little surprised.

She had assumed that Ye Gucheng had gotten an answer from her that day in Chuhe Town, and that she would keep her promise, at least not come again before the decisive battle.

But he didn't come in person, but his gift arrived in front of her, escorted by someone special.

As if fearing someone might steal the gift, the White Cloud City sword servant who had been delivering it hadn't left when she arrived at the study. Only after Shi Qingruo accepted the box did he silently bow and prepare to leave.

Shi Qingruo suddenly felt a weight in her hand.

She saw that, though the sword servant's brows were lowered, his gaze fixed on her for a moment. The meaning in that look was so complex that she couldn't immediately decipher it.

"You may leave first," she waved away the messenger.

As the study door closed, she returned to her desk, sighed at the wooden box before her, and slowly reached out to open it.

Even though she had a vague suspicion, her breath caught when she saw the white jade waist pendant inside.

She had given Ye Gucheng a White Cloud Hair Cover, intending to use a special method to help Su Mengzhen find the mastermind behind Ye Gucheng's actions.

Ye Gucheng gifted her a white jade waist pendant, but it wasn't a return gift.

Having lived in Baiyun City, and lived so close to him, how could she not know that this waist pendant wasn't just a pendant, but also a token of Baiyun City's power.

Like Ye Gucheng's sword, it could...

command the entire city.

Such a gift—no, more of a trust than a gift—was a profoundly heavy burden. So

heavy that, at the beginning of her time travel, when Ye Gucheng arrived in Bianjing, Shi Qingruo had twice contemplated seizing it, but ultimately decided against it. Now, Ye Gucheng had personally presented it to her.

Along with the white jade waist pendant came a piece of letterhead with only a few words written

on it. It read, "In this debate of the Dao, I may be entrusted with a mission. Knowing your promise, I offer you this token of my trust."

"He's a lunatic!" Shi Qingruo cursed, revisiting the judgment she had previously leveled at Gongzi Yu and hurling it at Ye Gucheng.

The fact that he mentioned "discussing the Dao" rather than "discussing swords" made it clear that he was talking about far more than just the duel between him and Ximen Chuxue, and held a deeper meaning. Even if he knew what he was doing, even if he knew it was likely a "mission," it wouldn't change his mind. The only thing he could do was to entrust Baiyun City to someone he trusted.

This person wouldn't be the Nanwang Prince, who had conspired with him, nor would it be anyone else in Baiyun City, but someone who, to outsiders, still stood against him.

That person had even slashed his fingertip during their previous confrontation.

Shi Qingruo couldn't determine the depth of Ye Gucheng's familiarity with her that would lead him to such a decision.

All she could say was that this was undoubtedly a valuable gift thrown at her.

So valuable...

until she was half-dazed, trying to put the white jade pendant back into its box for safekeeping, she noticed another piece of paper beneath the letter.

It was this piece of paper that suddenly made her eyes flicker.

The paper bore no words, save for three peach blossoms painted in pale pink ink in the upper right corner.

When it arrived alongside the jade pendant entrusted to Baiyun City on Feixian Island, one could almost assume Ye Gucheng had sent an extra piece of paper, desperate for answers.

If he tragically died, she could write the answers on the paper and burn it for him, finally leaving him a ghost with a clear conscience.

But Shi Qingruo knew it wasn't entirely that.

She sat in a chair, clutching the jade pendant, her eyes closed, lost in thought, as if she could still see the scene.

...

The white-clad, otherworldly swordsman stood before her and spoke, "I'm nearly ten years older than you. I wouldn't claim to understand the minds of the young. Feixian Island is far from the Central Plains, and we're even less acquainted with worldly customs... If there's anything you need, just tell me directly."

A girl, her skirt lifted, stood on the beach. A bucket at her feet held a jumble of beachgoes. Though somewhat disheveled, she was still breathtakingly beautiful.

He had never seen anyone, despite their martial arts prowess, forgo their inner strength to rely solely on physical strength for such menial tasks.

But the vitality in her face was as vibrant as a blazing bonfire on a starry beach, burning into his heart, just like the bright red band in her hair from sword practice.

She tilted her head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly said: "In my hometown, when people mention the sea, they will think of something called a message in a bottle. You usually meditate on the sword art on the islands near the sea, how about you give it a try? If you throw a bottle out when the tide is high, can it float to me?"

"Is that all?" The white-clothed swordsman was very confused, as if she was just playing a game.

She thought for a while, then said: "I also like peach blossom paper, so let's use this as stationery."

"Don't you think this is interesting?" She took the arm of the person next to her, "If you have any experience, just write it on the stationery. If I happen to pick it up on the beach, I will know that you are thinking about me. If I don't pick it up--" "

You don't mean to say that this is not fate?" Ye Gucheng had a cold face, and he didn't understand the young girl's wild ideas at all.

"No, no, no," Shi Qingruo gestured, "that is, City Lord Ye has the heart of a tiger sniffing the rose, and wants to pass on his skills to the people of Baiyun City."

It has nothing to do with love and romance.

"Although Baiyun City is an isolated island overseas, it has trade relations with the Central Plains, and it cannot escape the calculations of human relationships. You can't just rely on your sword and expect to have peace and happiness..."

...

The letter is in front.

The sound of waves is still there.

The author has something to say:

We can't just rely on Gongzi Yu's performance, right? Get ready - the decisive battle!

See you at six o'clock tomorrow night. I looked at the time of the opening of the article, then looked at the number of words, and closed my eyes.