After Yun Qian Yu enters Jin Ding Building, she hides herself on a dark part of the roof. She can see a chamber that is still being brightly lit by candles.
A tall and slim shadow can be seen on the window, toying with something she cannot tell with his or her hand.
Yun Qian Yu looks at a spot near the room. The corner of her lips is raised. Within the blink of an eye, she appears in front of the room. Just as she gets there, a left-handed man-in-black appears, wielding a sword towards her with an alarming speed.
Yun Qian Yu does not move. Purple mists slowly appears, surrounding the man’ s sword before attacking him. The man stares at her with bulged eyes; he is being subdued. His speed that he has always been proud of is actually being rendered useless in front of this teenage girl.
Yun Qian Yu flings her sleeves, her watery blue cloak floating around. Her pair of shining eyes are cold when directed on that man.
“Ying Zi.” Yun Qian Yu mutters softly.
Her voice sounds as sweet as an oriole’s, but the man called ‘Ying Zhi’ feels the chill.
“You are so loyal. Let bengong see what your place is in your Mistress’ heart.” Yun Qian Yu turns around and pushes open the door before entering the room.
Ying Zi has a bad feeling about this. He can only powerlessly watch Yun Qian Yu enter the room.
Inside the room, a woman sits on a long couch, leaning sideway in a flirtatious manner.
She has a raven hair while her skin is fair and smooth like jade. Her facial features are exquisite and fine. That woman is wearing a purple lace gown. Her lazy and indolent manner as well as her curvy stature gives out a strong visual impact. She is best described by two words in Yun Qian Yu’s mind, ‘Alluring fairy.’
She is Mo Dai Kingdom’s Princess Long Xiang Luo? Yun Qian Yu is a little dumbfounded; doesn’t princesses usually carry themselves in a dignified manner? The impression she gives people is too far from that.
Nevertheless, women like her are really appealing to men; they will not be able to look away once they sees her. Remembering the report she read, Yun Qian Yu suddenly thinks of Gong Sang Mo. Will Gong Sang Mo be entranced by her? Imagining about Gong Sang Mo being enthralled by Long Xiang Luo, an uncomfortable feeling rises within Yun Qian Yu.
“You came faster than I thought you would.” Long Xiang Luo’s phoenix eyes flash, looking charming from other’s perspective.
“Princess Luo of Mo Dai Kingdom.”
A trace of displeasure flashes in Yun Qian Yu’s eyes; it is very rare for her to dislike a person in just one glance.
Long Xiang Luo can detect Yun Qian Yu’s displeasure but she is not unhappy at all.
“Princess Hu Guo seems to dislike bengong. But it is okay. It is very rare for other women to like bengong once they have seen me.” Long Xiang Luo laughs confidently, that coquettish voice of hers inciting goosebumps on Yun Qian Yu’s skin.
“Princess Luo is indeed unlikeable.” Yun Qian Yu’s pretty eyebrows are twisted in a frown, directly stating her dislike towards the other party.
“That bengong knows. It is okay, bengong does not need to be likeable to fellow women. After all, it is men that bengong likes.”
“Princess Luo likes the kind of man that is currently outside?”
Yun Qian Yu casually finds a chair to sit on, her watery blue cloak wrapped tightly around her.
Ying Zi who is subdued outside stands there in anticipation, his ears erected while his heart races.
“Is Princess Hu Guo joking? He is just a guard. Only a phoenix within men is good enough to be with me, Long Xiang Luo.” Long Xiang Luo’s enchanting phoenix eyes are filled with anger.
Ying Zi’s heart fell when he hears that from outside, his face turning white. What is he expecting? She is a princess who is standing high up there. He is not good enough for her. Being able to stand by her and protect her is a big grace already.
Yun Qian Yu acts as though she has not sensed Long Xiang Luo’s anger, simply fixing the cloak around her body.
“Does that means his life or death has nothing to do with princess?”
“What do you mean?” Long Xiang Luo’s eyes suddenly perks up.
“Nothing really. I am just returning the gifts princess has been giving me for the past few days.” Yun Qian Yu’s eyelashes flutter as she replies in an unhurried manner.
Long Xiang Luo freezes at first, then she laughs, “Do you take bengong as a three year old child?”
“Princess Luo does not believe me? Why don’t you go out and look at it with your own eyes?” Yun Qian Yu points towards outside with her delicate jade finger.
“Even if it is true, what is it to me? Please don’t tell me Princess Hu Guo think I will compromise everything for the sake of a bodyguard.” Long Xiang Luo says mockingly.
“Oh, Princess Luo will not?” Yun Qian Yu glances at the door.
The breathing of the man outside suddenly turns chaotic.
“If all you can do is sow discord, I have overestimated you!” Long Xiang Luo naturally can sense that as well. She finally shows signs of getting impatient.
“This is just the appetizer.” Yun Qian Yu’s enviable, moist lips are raised upwards.
Hearing that, Long Xiang Luo size her up carefully.
Yun Qian Yu’s glittering peach blossom-shaped eyes flashes while her seductive long lashes are lowered attractively. Her ink-like pupils are cold, while her full forehead is smooth like jade. Her nose is tall and her lips is in the color of rouge. She quietly sits there with an icy expression on her face, resembling a celestial figure that nestles in a painting. She is beautiful in a cold way.
Long Xiang Luo suddenly realizes that this is the kind of beauty her brothers always talk about: the kind that is enough to overturn the world. Her gorgeous eyes are suddenly layered with a killing intent. How dare there be someone more beautiful than her? ‘He’ treats her with special treatment at that!
Long Xiang Luo narrows her eyes, her eyes as sharp as daggers when it falls on Yun Qian Yu. Long Xiang Luo suddenly stands up straight, flashes of disbelief can be seen in her eyes. Why is that cloak with her?
Long Xiang Luo quickly forces herself to calm down.
“Princess Hu Guo’s cloak is really beautiful!”
“Indeed!” Yun Qian Yu agrees truthfully. Everything about this cloak, from it’s material to it’s color and pattern fits her taste.
But what she says is taken as boastful words by Long Xiang Luo.
“I wonder where Princess Hu Guo bought the material from?”
Even though Long Xiang Luo already knows the origin of the material, she wants to know for sure if it is really what she thinks it is.
“It was given by a friend.”
Long Xiang Luo’s well-maintained delicate hands are clenched tightly.
“Which friend?” Long Xiang Luo persistently asks.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with my purpose tonight.” Yun Qian Yu finally understands why Long Xiang Luo is so fixated on her cloak; it is because it was a gift from Gong Sang Mo. She unhappily raise her eyebrows; since she wants to know so much, she is adamant not to tell her!
Long Xiang Luo’s hand tenses up. After thinking for a while, she gets up and walks in front of Yun Qian Yu while laughing, “You and I both know why you are here right now. Tell me, how do you plan on solving the issue?”
Yun Qian Yu unhappily frowns; her perfume is too much.
“What do you have in mind, Princess Luo?”
Long Xiang Luo’s eyes are trained on Yun Qian Yu’s cloak. “Bengong really likes this cloak of yours. How about you give this to me in exchange of the 7th wangye’s safe return?”
Yun Qian Yu is taken aback. This cloak actually makes Long Xiang Luo gives in to that degree!
“Princess Luo really wants to do that in exchange of this cloak and not that man outside?”
Long Xiang Luo chokes in her own breath, secretly hating her so much. This Yun Qian Yu is purposely doing this to make Ying Zi knows she does not care for him! However, seeing that cloak around Yun Qian Yu’s body, she does not even hesitate before she speaks, “Yes. I want that cloak.”
Yun Qian Yu caresses the cloak; she cannot feel anything particular about it overall. She can tell though, that this is not your regular fabric.
Long Xiang Luo stares at Yun Qian Yu tensely, afraid that she will not agree.
“I am sorry but I cannot give this away. This is a gift from a friend, how can I give it to other people?” Since you want it, I will not give it to you. I like it very much, why should I give it to someone I don’t even like?
The usually level-headed Yun Qian Yu does not even notice how childish she is at the moment.
Anger rises in Long Xiang Luo’s heart, her bewitching phoenix eyes glaring tensely at Yun Qian Yu. A small, thumb-sized snake with red stripes slithers out of her sleeve
Yun Qian Yu raises her eyebrows. So the thing she saw Long Xiang Luo was toying with from outside was this red-banded snake. This snake is poisonous.
(TN: I read the Wikipedia page and it says this snake is not poisonous.)
“I don’t think Princess Hu Guo understands the situation you are in right now.” Long Xiang Luo stroke the snake with her fingers.
“I think, the one not understanding her own situation is Princess Luo.” Yun Qian Yu ignores the snake and speaks truthfully. She actually hates animals like snake, she don’t find it endearing at all.
Long Xiang Luo is stunned for a moment. Then, she laughs. “I don’t think anyone knows about you coming here. How about if I make you disappear from the face of the earth?”
“I cannot even imagine that.” Yun Qian Yu glances at Long Xiang Luo, completely disregarding her threats. Maybe there are people out there who are powerful enough to make her disappear, but Long Xiang Luo is not one of them.
“Really?” The hatred in Long Xiang Luo’s eyes now exceeds Yun Qian Yu’s calmness.
“Ying Zi is only my servant. Since I dares to live here, I naturally has the ability to do what I said I can.” After saying that, Long Xiang Luo walks towards the window and push it open. Then, she gives out two strikes using her palm. A man wrapped tightly in a set of black clothing appears. He bows towards Long Xiang Luo before started doing something around the courtyard.
Yun Qian Yu glances out of the window calmly before looking back at Long Xiang Luo.
Long Xiang Luo’s eyes falls on Ying Zi who has been subdued. She frowns a little.
Shame and panic appears in Ying Zi’s eyes the moment Long Xiang Luo opens the window. He does not want her to see him in this embarrassing situation. But, no matter how hard he tries, he cannot figure out which point in his body that has been pressed.
Long Xiang Luo notices that. Her eyes sink before she simply closes the window.
“Princess Hu Guo is so level-headed.” Long Xiang Luo seductively stretch her waist before going back to recline on her long couch. The red snake has wrapped itself around her wrist almost playfully.
“Since I dares to come here, I naturally has the ability to leave,” Yun Qian Yu retorts back.
“Haha, do you not know who that person is?”
Yun Qian Yu raises her eyebrows; she indeed does not know who that man is. He is wrapped so tightly in his clothes, is he sick?
“Lu Chang Zhi.” Long Xiang Luo replies proudly.
Yun Qian Yu blinks hesitantly; who is Lu Chang Zhi? She does not know him.
Long Xiang Luo stares at Yun Qian Yu; from her expression, she knows Yun Qian Yu truly does not know who Lu Chang Zhi is. She suddenly feels a little frustrated.
“He is an expert of the matrix method. Only one person so far managed to break his formation.” Long Xiang Luo says. And because of that, she had fallen in love with that person.
Yun Qian Yu is a little speechless; so there are people who can break that man’s formation. From the way Long Xiang Luo puts it, she thought nobody can.
“Are you willing to consider my suggestion now?” Long Xiang Luo’s eyes falls on Yun Qian Yu’s cloak.
At the same time, San Qiu who is in front of the posthouse is panicking, “Master, that Lu Chang Zhi’s matrix formation….. Will the princess….”
The worried San Qiu has not even finished speaking when Gong Sang Mo cuts him off, “He will not be able to subdue her.”
San Qiu watches the unfolding scene in shock. The atmosphere around the building settles down very quickly. No particular changes can be seen from outside, but he knows the inside is already a battlefield.
San Qiu worrily looks at Gong Sang Mo who is standing upright with his arms tucked behind him.
His Master actually has that much confidence in the princess? He has followed Gong Sang Mo from the start, so naturally he was there when they first met. From that little girl with a scar-laden face to the beauty that she is right now. He only knows about her great medicinal knowledge, he does not know if she has other abilities.
Lu Chang Zhi is actually the most beloved disciple of Qing Ling Xian from Mount San Xian. He is the only disciple to master Qing Ling Xian’s matrix method. Even Gong Sang Mo sang praises to his skills. Can the princess go against him?
San Qiu gets more and more interested the more he waits. He wants to see if the princess really does not need his Master’s help. Will she be able to unravel Lu Chang Zhi’s matrix formation on her own?
At the same time, Yun Qian Yu over there thinks she should not waste any more time with Long Xiang Luo.
A couple of words and a couple of exchange is more than enough to help her understand someone and now, she thinks she has understand her well.
She takes out a jade bottle from her sleeves and throws it over to Long Xiang Luo.
Long Xiang Luo takes that bottle. She is doubtful at first, but upon remembering Ying Zi out there, she laughs, “Princess Hu Guo is really quick to understand things.”
“I think Princess Luo misunderstood something.” Yun Qian Yu gets up and sorts out her dress. She re-ties the cloak before heading out.
“Misunderstood?” She looks at the jade bottle in her hand. “This is not the medicine for Ying Zi?”
Yun Qian Yu pauses in her steps before turning around to look at Long Xiang Luo as though she is looking at an idiot, “Can’t you tell the bottle is empty?”
Long Xiang Luo shakes the bottle; it is really empty. She unplug the cork just to be sure; it really does not contain anything. But she can smell some familiar scent wafting from it.
Her eyes are suddenly widened, looking at Yun Qian Yu in shock, “You really did not get poisoned? How is the Xiao Yan poison in your hand?”
Yun Qian Yu does not reply her.
“You poisoned Ying Zi with Xiao Yan?” Long Xiang Luo always thought that even if Yun Qian Yu wants to poison Ying Zi, she would poison him with her self-made poison from Yun Valley. Who would have thought she would use Xiao Yan?
“Princess Luo, I want to see the 7th wangye back before dusk on the day after tomorrow. I want him safe and sound in the posthouse. And I don’t want to see his disappearance being linked to Nan Lou Kingdom; I hope you understands what I mean.”
Yun Qian Yu stands there elegantly, confidence radiating from her beautiful eyes.
“Do you think you can use Ying Zi to threaten me?” Long Xiang Luo moves her hand. The snake darts out of her sleeves and heads straight towards Yun Qian Yu’s neck.
Yun Qian Yu waves her hand; a silver needle flashes from her sleeves heading for the snake. The snake ends up being pinned against a beam. It wiggles a couple of times before it stops moving.
“You actually killed him?” Long Xiang Luo looks at Yun Qian Yu in disbelief. No one has dared to challenged her so ever since she was small. She spent a long time taming this snake only for it to be killed in that manner by Yun Qian Yu.
“If people did not offend me, I will not offend them in return,” a trace of coldness flashes in Yun Qian Yu’s gem-like eyes.
She slowly walks towards the door and pushes it open. Then, she turns around to speaks to the stunned Long Xiang Luo, “Shen Ye Wu is your mother’s biological sister, isn’t it?”
(TN: It is mentioned in the early chapters that Shen Ye Wu was the one who poisoned Yun Qian Yu’s mother.)
Long Xiang Luo’s eyes shrink; she knows.
“Since we are basically destined to be enemies, there is no need for me to be light-handed.” Yun Qian Yu firmly looks at Long Xiang Luo.
“I know Princess Luo likes Xian Wang, but since you two have known each other for such a long time and he still doesn’t like you, it means he does not like your type. Just look at it, the noble and esteemed Xian Wang together with a seductive fox-like woman; do you think they fit each other?” Yun Qian Yu looks at Long Xiang Luo from head to toe.
For Long Xiang Luo, hearing that from Yun Qian Yu is a heavy strike in the heart!
“What are you so haughty of? Do you think he will like you?” Long Xiang Luo is provoked to fury.
“That, I will have to think carefully.” Yun Qian Yu’s eyes are bright and clear. Only she herself knows she wasn’t joking.
She walks out of the door and stops at Ying Zi, “Seems like you really has no place in her heart.”
Ying Zi’s eyes are complicated when he looks at Yun Qian Yu.
“I have always respected people who are loyal, so I did not poison you. You will return to normal within fifteen minutes.”
Long Xiang Luo who is still in her chamber is shocked when she hears Yun Qian Yu. If the poisoned one isn’t Ying Zi, then…. Remembering the firm way Yun Qian Yu speaks just now, her heart jumps. Don’t tell her……
Serene: Chapter 59 is sponsored by Kei!
