Budding

"Leave no one alive."

Xu Lanqing didn't even look at the three men. His gaze had been fixed on Ju Zi from the very beginning.

He let out a sigh of relief. Good, she didn't seem to be seriously hurt.

"You—"

The three burly men had barely started speaking when their voices caught in their throats.

Three thumb-thick red beams flashed past in an instant, without making a sound.

Their faces flushed red as they clutched desperately at their throats. Blood stained their palms and seeped through their fingers.

"Thud, thud, thud—"

Their bodies hit the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Jing Hongchen lowered the finger he had pointed at them. As for leaving no survivors, there were still plenty of people outside, and these three weren't the leaders. From what he sensed, the strongest person outside was a Soul Saint.

"Your Highness, shall I go deal with the people outside?"

Now that the urgent matter had been taken care of, only those outside remained. This was Sun Moon Empire territory—how could outsiders be allowed to trample it? The moment he saw their uniforms, he knew they were soldiers from the Heaven Dou Empire.

But for some reason, before heading out, he had inexplicably asked Xu Lanqing what he thought.

"Go ahead, Hall Master Jing. Elder Zheng is here, so even if anything happens, you can rush back in time. Besides, I'm curious too—why are Heaven Dou Empire soldiers here?" Xu Lanqing said with a smile.

"Very well."

Jing Hongchen nodded. He didn't need to be reminded what to do. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Xu Lanqing landed on the ground. Looking at Ju Zi's dazed, innocent expression, he smiled warmly.

"What's the matter? You don't recognize me after just two days?"

As he spoke, he moved closer. His gaze fell on her fair cheek, where her fingernails had broken the skin and left tiny spots of blood. A pill with a rich medicinal aroma and a handkerchief appeared in his hand.

Only then did Ju Zi seem to snap out of a dream. Her slightly unfocused eyes sharpened as she watched Xu Lanqing approach.

Golden light streamed through the large hole in the roof, falling across Xu Lanqing's face and casting a faint glow.

His smooth, fair features had sharply defined contours. His dark, deep eyes held a captivating gleam. His thick brows, high nose, and perfectly shaped lips all exuded nobility and elegance.

As he drew closer, her heart beat faster and her breathing grew uneven. A tempting blush rose on her delicate cheeks. Her small hands clutched her clothes more tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She could even smell the clean, sunlit scent on him. Her head felt dizzy, and she had no idea what she was thinking.

"Take this. It wouldn't be good if your face were scarred. And wipe it clean while you're at it."

"Ah, okay. Thank you."

Ju Zi's eyes darted away. Without looking, she hurriedly reached out and took the things from him, her voice soft and sweet.

She hastily wiped the blood from her face with the handkerchief. Without even looking at the pill in her hand, she was about to swallow it.

Suddenly, she remembered something and quickly passed the pill to her mother behind her. "I'm fine, Mom. You take it first."

Lin Rou took the pill, which was clearly worth a great deal, and put it straight into Ju Zi's mouth.

"It was given to you, so you should take it. Why are you giving it to me?"

Then she turned to Xu Lanqing and said with solemn respect:

"Thank you, Your Highness, for saving our lives. I have no way to repay you, so I can only offer my thanks. If there's anything Your Highness needs, and it's within my power, I won't refuse."

She had evidently heard Jing Hongchen address Xu Lanqing as "Your Highness" earlier, and that was how she had learned his identity.

Besides, there was nothing to gain by lying to a mother and daughter with no one else to rely on, and someone of his status would be exposed easily.

Xu Lanqing smiled, his tone gentle.

"When citizens of the empire are in danger, it's only right that I help. It's my duty. How could I use that to demand something in return? I have a few more pills here. Take them, so you don't suffer any lasting effects."

He took two jade bottles from his Storage Ring and handed them over, along with a blanket. His eyes flicked toward the wall beside them.

Lin Rou stared at the blanket, momentarily confused. Then she realized what he meant, and a faint, awkward blush crossed her face.

She was in no state to be seen. After the fight, her dress had been torn in several places, exposing patches of smooth, fair skin.

Though it was stained with blood, it gave her a bewitching beauty, stirring an almost irresistible urge to sin.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

She quickly draped the blanket over herself and relaxed. Then she poured out the pills and swallowed them.

Ju Zi leaned against Lin Rou, her bright eyes curiously watching Xu Lanqing.

She had thought he was some rich young master, but she hadn't expected him to be a prince. She had never met anyone with such high status before.

"So, was I that scary?" Xu Lanqing asked.

Ju Zi shook her little head and said nothing. Truthfully, she no longer knew how to talk to him.

"Just talk to me like you did before. So what if I'm a prince? I still have two eyes and one mouth, just like you. There's no real difference between us."

Noticing how stiff the atmosphere had become, Xu Lanqing said whatever came to mind.

Seeing that Xu Lanqing wasn't putting on airs, Ju Zi's tense body relaxed a little.

Just then, Lin Rou had recovered enough to open her eyes. She glanced at Xu Lanqing and Ju Zi, then asked curiously:

"Your Highness, do you know my daughter?"

"I ate barbecue at your shop two days ago. That's when we met. I have to say, Auntie, your cooking is incredible. It's even better than what they serve in the palace."

Xu Lanqing spoke with sincere admiration. It was definitely delicious. As for whether it was better than the palace food, well, a compliment never hurt—everyone liked being praised.

"Hehe, how could I compare with the imperial chefs? You flatter me, Your Highness," Lin Rou said.

Xu Lanqing looked at the wreckage inside the shop, then asked, "What are you planning to do now?"

Lin Rou gazed at the ruined shop, sadness and despondency in her eyes. "I plan to take my daughter to Mingdu, so she can go to school there."

"I'm heading back as well. Since we're going the same way, why don't we travel together? It'll be safer that way. What do you think?" Xu Lanqing suggested.

"Ju Zi, what do you think?" Lin Rou asked her instead of answering.

"Ah, I... I think that sounds good." Ju Zi didn't understand why she was suddenly being asked. Flustered, she glanced at Xu Lanqing and answered in a daze.

At her words, Lin Rou looked at Xu Lanqing and Ju Zi again. Her eyes shifted as she sensed something, and an inscrutable glimmer passed through them.

When she looked at Xu Lanqing again, there was a subtle scrutiny in her gaze. It was the sort of look a mother gave her daughter's suitor—after all, she had been through it herself.

Still, it was probably just a bit of fondness. It was nowhere near love.

A gentle smile appeared on her face. "Then I'll accept Your Highness's kind offer."

Xu Lanqing smiled back.

Just then, Jing Hongchen returned.

Seeing him appear, Xu Lanqing asked, "How did it go?"

"They're all taken care of. I also found out what happened. They were soldiers scattered during a battle on the front lines, and were forced to flee into imperial territory. They ran short of supplies after getting here, so they planned to loot the area before taking the route along the outskirts of the Far North, bypassing the border blockade to return to the Heaven Dou Empire. Then they ran into us." Jing Hongchen was still smiling.

Xu Lanqing sighed. Ordinary people always suffered the most in war. They could be living peacefully one moment, then suddenly get caught up in a conflict and lose everything.

Suddenly, Jing Hongchen and Zheng Zhan turned to look in the same direction, their expressions grave.

"That feeling... An army is approaching."