Chapter 113
"Now you've even abandoned the honor of a warrior, what a pathetic fellow."
Bai Jun casually picked up a stone from the ground and struck Jie Da, who had abandoned his dignity and fled, in the back with a speed that created a terrifying explosion in the space.
There were no screams, no wails.
His consciousness vanished in an instant, just like the abandoned honor of a warrior.
P. S.: To get straight to the point, the previous chapter was blocked by the censors.
Ganking is one thing, but they deliberately chose to ban me half an hour before they got off work. Even after I changed my code, I couldn't get it unbanned immediately; I had to wait until noon the next day, and even then, I might not be able to fix it in one go.
Besides, I don't think I wrote any prohibited words, did I?
Are you trying to force me to use pinyin next time...?
Sigh, this book will probably be constantly battling censorship from now on. Everyone should turn on auto-subscription if possible, otherwise nobody can stand having chapters blocked every day.
Chapter 141 Her Smile Never Means Good News (Part 2)
As the morning sun rose over the eastern wall of the Shence Mansion, it injected new vitality into the gradually bustling city.
More and more pedestrians strolled on the streets, and the clerks carrying folders and the patrolling Cloud Knights in the Shence Mansion were just as busy. In the midst of this, Jing Yuan, with his golden eyes squinting lazily, sat in the Shence Mansion office, discussing one thing after another with the silver-haired Foxkin sitting opposite him.
They gathered early this morning at nine o'clock to prepare for the rapidly changing situation, including matters related to the escort of Hoolay; there was much to do...
"I see. As expected of General of Divine Strategy, he is meticulous and resourceful."
"Not at all, not at all. After all, this is Luofu. As a general, it's only natural that I need to be familiar with the flagship under my command."
In stark contrast to Jing Yuan, who had just worked overtime the night before and looked exhausted, exuding a deathly and gloomy aura, Feixiao, sitting opposite him, was elegant and composed. She didn't seem like a fellow general at all, but rather more like a young lady from a wealthy family.
She was in a great mood, truly great. Her complexion radiated a healthy, jade-like glow, and her face was adorned with an unprecedentedly charming smile. She looked like a blooming peach blossom, a stark contrast to her worried demeanor when she first Luofu.
Even Jing Yuan, sitting opposite her, couldn't help but wonder why she was in such a good state today.
"Then, the matter of the escort is settled for now. It's getting late, so I won't disturb General of Divine Strategy's official duties any longer. Farewell!"
As a fellow general Feixiao was well aware of the daily workload that the position meant. In order not to affect normal work, the conversations between generals and guests or envoys were strictly limited, usually not exceeding thirty minutes.
However, today's situation was somewhat special. The two exchanged views on various issues for nearly an hour and a half. Just from Jing Yuan's frequent glances at the clock, it was clear that continuing any longer would be impolite.
Feixiao put down her crossed legs, her mind filled with thoughts of Bai Jun, and got up to leave the office without lingering.
No, rather, it's more accurate to say that from the moment she sat down in the office, half of her mind wasn't on official business. Her anxious and rapid steps revealed a hint of impatience. Before Jing Yuan could properly say goodbye, Feixiao's figure had already disappeared without a trace.
"Heh, we're both generals, yet she's so full of energy. I'm really envious... Is there something you've overlooked? Oh, Qing Yan?"
Before Jing Yuan could even get his hands on the day's official business, the tightly closed door was pushed open again. He wearily raised his eyes, expecting Feixiao to return, but instead, he saw Bai Jun instead.
"Have you finished discussing things with Feixiao?"
Bai Jun didn't see Feixiao, so he asked curiously.
"Yes, she just left not long ago. Didn't you see her when you came?"
Bai Jun closed the door behind him and sat down in the seat Feixiao had just been in. Jing Yuan looked puzzled. Logically speaking, Bai Jun and Feixiao should have met.
"Oh, that's probably because I came up from the emergency exit, so I guess I just missed her? But that's not important now. How was your conversation with her?"
Bai Jun recalled the scene as he explained it to Jing Yuan.
"Everything went smoothly. Although Merlin's Claw and I are completely different in temperament and style, we actually share quite similar views on many things... Thinking about it, it's quite interesting."
Hearing Jing Yuan's reply, Bai Jun nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly said without warning, "Speaking of which, I went to the Pill Bailu Alchemy Commission today to visit Bai Lu."
"Oh? How is the child? Is he eating well? How is his energy and spirit? Is he studying well? He shouldn't be misbehaving, right?"
Jing Yuan smiled and put down the document, like a loving old father hearing news of his lovely daughter, and took a sip of warm water from his teacup.
"Of course, Lady Bailu is full of energy. She was overjoyed to see me and jumped into my arms, telling me stories for a long time."
"Really? It's good that the child is healthy; that puts my mind at ease..."
Bai Jun and Jing Yuan had faint smiles on their faces. After all, everyone would openly show their favoritism towards the cute and kind Bailu.
However, Bai Jun's smile gradually faded, and he instead took out several items from his pocket. "So, what I wanted to say next is that, in places unseen by our eyes, the undercurrents are more intense than we imagined..."
Jing Yuan's smile stiffened as Bai Jun became serious. Looking down, he saw a box of "Dust-Returning Form-Preserving Pill" and several packets of unlabeled powder on the table.
These are the items that Bai Jun found on the White Wolf in Jie Da.
The hour and a half that Jing Yuan and Feixiao discussed official business was not long. After Bai Jun dealt with Jie Da, he took the pills and powder he had taken from Jetta's body. He first asked Bailu to chat with the child for a while, and Bai Jun asked her to analyze the two pills.
"A-Bai, this is the same powder we encountered in Aurum Alley last time. As for this pill... if I remember correctly, the prescription is kept deep within the Nourishment Observation Terrace, and only a select few are qualified to access it."
Bailu, unusually serious, put on her cute face and spoke with a solemn expression.
The powder was exactly the same as the Soul-Returning Vitality Powder I saw in Exalting Sanctum last time—the familiar formula, the familiar methods... Even a fool could tell that this was again related to the Medicine King's Legacy, and what truly deserved deeper investigation was the latter half of Bailu's words—
This means that, as Jing Yuan had previously guessed, the Medicine King's Legacy are indeed closely connected with those holding high positions in the Six Commissions.
"It seems the enemy lurking in the shadows of Luofu can't hold back any longer. And the fact that Bu Liren is Buli person... could it be said that we've lured in some unexpected surprises this time?"
Jingyuan, who was usually lazy and seemed indifferent to everything, rested his Jing Yuan on the table, his narrowed golden eyes revealing a rare hint of anger.
Bai Jun shared the same sentiment. He sat casually in his chair, his right thumb lightly touching the corner of his lips. After a long period of contemplation, he calmly said, "I have a premonition that the Medicine King's Legacy and Buli person are merely pawns. The hand that holds the pieces has made this move, but its purpose is definitely not limited to this."
"... yes."
Jing Yuan, who was sitting on a sturdy wooden chair, silently stood up, went to the blinds and looked at the people coming and going on the street. He fell silent and pondered for a moment.
The long, vertical second hand of the clock played its melodies, vibrating through the deathly silent office.
"When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it. The more cunning and dangerous the prey, the more patient the hunter needs to be. Just like drawing a bow to shoot an enemy, one must fully draw the bowstring before striking with deadly force. Once the enemy hiding in the shadows loses patience and bares its fangs, that is the best time to uproot them."
Then, Jing Yuan spoke again, "I guarantee that once they bare their fangs, we will take them down in one fell swoop. This time, we will not give them any room to breathe."
His tone was more forceful than ever before, and his golden eyes burned with anger that went beyond self-blame and regret, even sounding like a vow to the compatriots who had sacrificed themselves over the years.
After finishing these tasks, Bai Jun did not choose to eat out, but went straight back to his residence.
Feixiao, are you home?
Bai Jun had just closed the front door when he entered his home and called out loudly into the house, but was met with an empty silence.
Bai Jun, who had assumed Feixiao was home and was planning to cook her lunch, couldn't help but sigh. Staring at the empty corridor, he felt a strange sense of loneliness.
As soon as I put the shoes in the cabinet in the entryway, I turned around and was tightly hugged by a soft body.
With silver hair and blue eyes, a wide smile graced her delicate face, and she had a pair of large, fluffy fox ears. She buried her face in Bai Jun 'Bai Jun arms, sniffing him intently, and then, satisfied, shouted loudly in his ear, "I missed you so much!!!"
"Why did you ignore me just now? And it's only been less than three hours..."
Bai Jun held the woman in his arms firmly, feeling a mix of complaints about her little surprise, but mostly a nameless happiness and sense of contentment.
Having never experienced this feeling before, Bai Jun didn't know that this was the happiness called love. He just felt incredibly satisfied to have someone by his side, and he felt better than ever before. Even the troubles on his face melted away unknowingly in Feixiao's embrace.
Bai Jun wasn't the only one who felt the same way. Feixiao also completely abandoned his general's majesty and lost his former handsome demeanor, becoming as passionate and clingy as an ordinary girl in love.
"I don't care, I don't care! This has nothing to do with time. You should make it up to me!"
This girl, who was not young in any sense, simply hung her entire body on Bai Jun's body, pressing tightly together as if they were overlapping.
Feeling her absent-minded love and her calm heartbeat, Bai Jun gently rested his chin on her shoulder, inhaling the fragrance of her hair, and his strong arms firmly encircled Feixiao's soft body.
"It's already noon, shall I make you some lunch?"
After the two had been cuddling for an unknown amount of time, Bai Jun looked up at the clock in the living room and made this suggestion.
"Hmm... wait a minute... no problem, go cook!"
Feixiao was reluctant to part with Bai Jun like this, but she seemed to have suddenly thought of a good idea. With a mysterious smile, she broke free from his embrace and waved goodbye generously.
Having spent so many years with Feixiao, Bai Jun naturally knew her character well. This cunning fox never smiled like that for anything good, and for some reason, today her gaze seemed lecherous... well, maybe it was just his imagination?
With this strange feeling, Bai Jun went into the kitchen to prepare a meal. After washing his hands and processing the ingredients, he suddenly heard the sound of the kitchen door closing behind him.
"It's not ready yet? Why don't you go watch TV in the living room while you wait, uh--!?"
Through the reflection in the kitchen glass, Bai Jun could clearly see the scene behind him. His bright blue eyes widened instantly, and he stammered as she approached.
"If I tell you I'm hungry before a meal, your only response will be, 'Do you want to eat, or take a shower, or... enjoy me?' instead of saying anything else—"
Feixiao seemed to have read Bai Jun's mind, chuckled, and shook his slender fingers, speaking at the same time as what he was about to say:
"You went into the kitchen, fine, but what are you trying to do by taking off your clothes?"
Two voices, identical in timing and wording but with diametrically opposed meanings, rang out. Feixiao licked his lips and intimately embraced Bai Jun's stiff body from behind.
"These words are completely meaningless and out of place, don't you think, my dear husband?"
Ignoring Bai Jun's flushed face, she first playfully breathed into his ear, then impatiently and gently bit him.
"Our mighty and all-powerful Denfather reports to you that Lord 'Great Irkin' Jie Da, who went out to Medicine King's Legacy, has still not returned."
"Tch, they're still not back at this hour?"
In the underground space made of countless stones, Jie Qin listened to the information reported by her subordinates and clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Tell me, was it the work of those cunning Xianzhou native who Medicine King's Legacy? At your command, we swear to tear those treacherous villains to shreds for Denfather and rescue 'Great Irkin'!"
"How could it be them? Putting aside the fact that we're all in the same boat now, those rats who only know Medicine King's Legacy to hide in the shadows wouldn't have the guts to do this... Jie Da must have been captured by some organization like the Cloud Cavalry of the Xianzhou, otherwise no one on this Xianzhou could easily restrain him."
Jie Qin brandished the leather scroll in her hand, her face contorted with disgust.
"Then... what should Lord Great Irkin do?"
"Consider him as someone who has already sacrificed himself for our great cause. In order not to alert the enemy, you must not act rashly before the opportunity arises. The current layout in Luofu is of paramount importance. The prophet of the Lord of Longevity, 'Mangus,' has already shown us the way. This great undertaking of a thousand years depends on this gamble, and we cannot afford the slightest mistake."
Standing still, Jie Qin tossed the leather scroll in his hand to his subordinate and ordered:
"Take it away and hand it over to a few scouts. Tell them to memorize the entire structure of the Prison of Deep Seclusion. Tomorrow's operation cannot afford any mistakes. Also, notify the Starcruiser Sea Hub and the spies hidden in Liuyun Crossing, and tell them to act swiftly."
A leather map, seemingly quite old, though covered in dust and stains obscuring some details, still reveals the overall structure of the Prison of Deep Seclusion and the routes depicted.
"... Wait! Is there an entrance to the Prison of Deep Seclusion near Fyxestroll Garden?"
Just as his subordinate was about to turn and leave, Jie Qin suddenly stopped him.
"Yes, Denfather Father, the scouts did find an entrance to the Prison of Deep Seclusion near Fyxestroll Garden, but it's only being used as a secret door for emergencies. It probably can't be opened without a key or similar means, and even if it were, it would be far too difficult to enter the Prison of Deep Seclusion through this entrance."
Jie Qin pressed her right hand to her lips, pondered for a moment, and changed her strategy. "Gather all the hired assassins and go to Fyxestroll Garden tonight."
They were by no means barbarians who knew nothing about the Xianzhou. Jie Qin was fully aware of everything, from the jade Jade Omen Cycrane flying overhead, and all the interesting information about the various grotto-heavens of Luofu.
Then, a cruel and bloody smile appeared on Jie Qin's lips.
"Fyxestroll Garden... I'm going to give the Xianzhou native another good show."
Chapter 142 The Fox's Joys and Sorrows, Separations and Reunions, Are Uncommon (Part Two)
It's around 3 PM now.
Opening the window let in just the right breeze. I brewed a pot of tea, and the delicate fragrance of the tea lingered on my nose, along with a faint, unidentified, pleasant aroma that lingered for a long time. This fragrance was neither as strong as perfume nor as sweet as flowers, yet it permeated Feixiao's heart at all times.
Feixiao yawned as she sat on the living room sofa, her small face tilted slightly, letting her warm, soft body lean against Bai Jun. Every now and then, she would rub her cheek against his shoulder, the fragrance of her silver hair and the scent of her delicate body enough to make any man lose his resistance.
The breeze is very pleasant today.
Unwilling to draw the curtains or be disturbed, Feixiao only wanted to spend this afternoon alone with her lover. She happily squinted her eyes, thinking about some past events with Bai Jun, and quietly stayed by his side without saying a word, as if a thread connected the two of them without them having to speak.
"If you feel sleepy, why don't you take a short nap like this?"
"No, I'm not sleepy, I just feel a little tired."
Upon hearing Bai Jun's gentle reminder, Feixiao's face lit up with a faint smile. Then, she bent her long, slender legs and brought them together in front of her, hugging her knees with both hands, curling up into a small ball with a slightly kitten-like smile, instantly becoming alluring and seductive.
She didn't seem to be in very good condition, not in the literal sense, but... in another sense.
The silver-haired, fox-eared beauty looked disheveled yet satisfied. Her blue hairpin was undone, and her long hair, which should have been tied up, flowed messily down her back. On her fair neck, which was covered by her silver hair, there were several rough hickeys that had healed but were still faintly visible.
Her face still held a faint blush of warmth, her soft body lines were beautiful and captivating, and her slightly hot, tender skin was soft and fragrant, exuding an unknown, alluring charm.
It was as if she had transformed from a dashing general into a mature woman who knew about "female beauty".
She gently rested her face on Bai Jun's shoulder while raising her head slightly to openly look at Bai Jun's profile.
Bai Jun, that blockhead, still looks so serious. His profile is clean and gentle, giving off a warm feeling. Even though they've known each other for so many years, Feixiao never gets tired of looking at him.