Clashing

"Your subordinate obeys!"

His deep, resonant voice was crisp and decisive. After finishing his sentence, the burly man in white armor rose to leave the tent, displaying the swift and efficient manner characteristic of soldiers.

Upon seeing this, Xu Yuan's cheek twitched, but he remained equally decisive.

"Etc!"

"."

The burly man in white armor paused slightly in his three-steps-at-a-time movement.

When the imperial allied forces Beifeng, the Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's Mansion's residence was with His Highness. He disappeared along with her, so the identity of the man who came with the princess is self-evident.

However, the white-armored strongman's gaze didn't fall on Xu Yuan, who had made a sound, but instead looked at Li Qingyan.

Li Qingyan, seated in the main seat, paused slightly as her slender index finger tapped the table, her voice growing even colder:

What are you standing there for?

Upon seeing this, the burly man in white armor immediately bowed his head in respect.

"Yes."

After saying that, he walked out of the tent.

This time, however, the burly man in white armor walked very slowly.

Based solely on his military achievements and bravery, it would be difficult for him to rise to the rank of captain by the age of forty.

For this Third Young Master, the order was tantamount to wielding the sword of the previous dynasty to execute an official of the current dynasty. But the problem was that the current dynasty's "emperor" and the man wielding the sword seemed to have a secret relationship.

Therefore, he needs to consider it carefully.

If he were to offend him, and that Third Young Master were to whisper in His Highness's ear from time to time, a mere captain like him could not afford the consequences.

Xu Yuan hissed softly, walked slowly to the desk, frowned slightly, and protested in a low voice:

"No, what do you want to see her for?"

Li Qingyan raised her eyes to meet his gaze, not yielding an inch:

"Can't I even see this Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Holy Maiden?"

Xu Yuan took a deep breath, his expression serious, and his tone solemn:

"What time is it to be sentimental these days?"

"Oh? How did I become sentimental?"

"The Second Prince may have connections with the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion; we cannot reveal to Tianyan that we are still alive."

"Tianyan?"

Li Qingyan murmured, staring at him, her red lips slightly curved. "So that's her name."

"No, I'm not joking with you."

Xu Yuan raised his voice slightly, speaking in a businesslike tone, "To outsiders, we are now missing, or even dead. The benefits of concealing our identities and heading south far outweigh the risks of being exposed here."

After saying that, he glanced at the Grandmaster who had walked less than ten meters in a few breaths, his back to them, and then silently gave him a thumbs up in his heart.

Li Qingyan also glanced at the burly man, her eyes narrowing slightly.

The burly man in white armor forced himself to pretend he hadn't seen it.

Li Qingyan didn't expose the other party, her tone carrying a hint of a smile:

"You really don't want me to see her?"

"." Xu Yuan.

You two have the Yantian Art and a military formation, what do I have?

Is your head made of iron?

If we had met a month in advance, you could have met however you wanted, but a Soul Condensation expert couldn't handle that kind of commotion.

Xu Yuan coughed lightly, his voice calm:

"No, I was just giving an objective analysis. Was I wrong just now? Now that Father and the others have already made their move, the appearance of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Holy Maiden must have some significance."

"Changtian, you're right."

Li Qingyan nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly said:

"But the problem is, she now has your maternal uncle's token."

Xu Yuan's expression froze.

He had anticipated this, so he had been deliberately trying to steer the conversation away from it, but it turned out the princess had been waiting for him all along.

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan remained defiant:

"This doesn't prove anything?"

"Doesn't prove anything?"

Li Qingyan chuckled softly, leaning back in her chair. She raised her index finger, which had been tapping the table, and gently twirled a strand of her long, straight black hair that fell down her back. She looked up at him.

"As far as I can think of, this means that this Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Holy Maiden has been to the Imperial Capital, visited your Prime Minister's Prime Minister's Mansion, and has gained Lord Xu's approval to some extent. What do you think?"

"Well, is it possible that my maternal uncle gave it to her himself?" Xu Yuan asked.

Given the Sword Saint's uncle's indifferent nature, it's quite normal for him to give Tianyan a token. After all, he almost killed him in a single encounter, and now that they meet again in the Imperial Capital, he should give the junior some compensation.

Just then, Xu Yuan suddenly noticed that Li Qingyan's gaze softened, as if he were looking at a fool.

After exchanging glances for a few moments, Xu Yuan casually waved his hand:

"Fine, whatever you say."

As soon as he finished speaking, the burly man in white armor breathed a sigh of relief and disappeared from the tent in an instant.

Xu Yuan stepped forward, leaned against the side of the desk, and sighed softly.

What he just thought was indeed possible, after all, that's the kind of personality his uncle has, but only if there's no conflict of interest.

Tianyan was a holy maiden from the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion who went to the capital, and his maternal uncle was the elder brother of the current Prime Minister.

Right now, the royal family and the Prime Minister's Mansion's residence are in their honeymoon period. The Three Northern Prefectures have just finished annihilating the Barbarian Tribe together and are already starting to target the sects of the Northern Border. At this critical juncture, what does it mean that you, Sword Saint, suddenly give a token to the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Holy Maiden?

Did some kind of deal happen behind the scenes?

Are they preparing to betray the "covenant"?

Feng Jiuxuan and Tianyan are not ordinary people; the behemoths they represent mean that their every move has far-reaching consequences.

Even if my maternal uncle wanted to give it to me, my father would never agree.

However, the problem now is that his maternal uncle did indeed give it to him, and Tianyan openly appeared in Beifeng City with the token.

Thinking about it, Xu Yuan sighed again.

This is such a hassle, sigh.

Stop sighing.

Li Qingyan looked at his profile along the Veil Hat and smiled, "If Changtian really doesn't want to stay here, you can go to the back hall with Simin first."

Xu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he looked at her with some surprise:

"You're really that kind?"

Li Qingyan's voice was very calm, with a faint smile:

"I am not a jealous woman. Changtian, you are so handsome, it's no wonder you had some lovers in the past."

Xu Yuan felt insulted.

Although he could make a living based on his looks, couldn't he have won over the Little Ice Block with just his appearance?

They're all talented!

Of course, besides talent, background is also very important; otherwise, your talent might be cut off before it even gets a chance to shine.

"So you saw Tianyan on official business?"

"Nature."

Without hesitation, Li Qingyan replied, his tone grave. "The war against the sects in the Northern Border has begun, and the people from the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion are openly coming to my Beifeng City with the Prime Minister's Mansion's token."

"Heh, it's highly likely that Father and the others have reached some kind of cooperation with the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion."

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment:

"Should we collaborate?"

Li Qingyan smiled slightly, her eyes carrying a hint of coldness:

"The attitude of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion in emerging at this time is not clear. They may be truly concerned about the great calamity of the world, or they may be forced to emerge because they can no longer hide it. However, as long as they emerge, they will change the existing world order. Our dynasty does not like the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion, Sword Sect will not like them either."

"So, this is a plan to sow discord between the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion and the Sword Sect?"

"Father and the others most likely intend to do this, but I'm a little unsure about the attitude of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion."

"At this critical juncture when the imperial court is wiping out the sects in the Northern Border, accepting our dynasty's token to come to Beifeng City —shouldn't that be considered directly placing themselves on the opposite side of all sects in the world?"

"That's natural. Although the sects in the Northern Border have been sold out by sects in other regions, it's an unspoken rule that no one mentions it. Whoever stands up becomes the target."

"."

Silence suddenly fell over the tent.

Bai Muxi listened to the two discussing matters of the world above and below, seemingly understanding but not quite, absorbing all sorts of knowledge like a sponge.

After a while,

Xu Yuan said softly:

"It seems that something must have happened in the Imperial Capital while we were transported to the Underground Palace."

Li Qingyan smiled, her eyes crinkling, as if it were the most natural thing in the world:

"That's natural."

Although there are undercurrents in the world today, all parties are exercising restraint.

In this global landscape, even if nothing else happened after they were teleported away, the mere fact that the Northern Border's 300,000 elite troops were defeated would still cause a huge uproar.

Now, not only have hundreds of thousands of barbarian troops been wiped out, but two top-tier sects in the Northern Border have also been slaughtered. It would be strange if nothing changed after all these events.

A curtain has been quietly drawn back to cover the entire Great Yan.

At this time, given Princess Baobo's temperament, it's unlikely that her Tianyan was for romantic reasons.

Thinking it over, Xu Yuan stood up from his seat on the desk, glanced at Bai Muxi, and said to Li Qingyan:

"In that case, I won't disturb you any longer. I'll go now."

Where to?

Without any warning, a clear, melodious girlish voice, accompanied by a bright smile, suddenly rang out at the entrance of the camp.

The atmosphere inside the tent seemed frozen, and the temperature appeared to have dropped several degrees.

Xu Yuan's body seemed to be frozen in place, as if struck by the mantra of "fixation," and he froze on the spot upon hearing the clear, girlish voice.

He looked at Li Qingyan, Li Qingyan was looking at the doorway. The person at the doorway was probably looking at him.

A triangle has...

cough.

My old problem has resurfaced; when I'm nervous, I tend to think about other things and get distracted.

Through Li Qingyan's calm, lake-like black eyes, Xu Yuan saw the girl he hadn't seen in a long time.

Palace attire, bare feet, golden eyes.

Compared to when she left last time, her golden eyes, like stars, seemed even more dazzling.

Just then, Li Qingyan suddenly turned her eyes and looked at him:

"Changtian, if the Holy Maiden asks you a question and you don't answer her, wouldn't that make me seem very impolite?"

"." Xu Yuan.

Oh no, I should have just replied.

He instantly realized the trap Li Qingyan had set for him in her words.

The answer is to directly Tianyan on behalf of the princess.

He didn't answer, making it seem like he didn't want to talk to Tianyan.

Without showing any nervousness, Xu Yuan calmly turned his gaze to the girl at the door.

She was still wearing that pink, high-waisted Fairy-Retaining Dress, which accentuated her flawless face, giving her an air of untainted elegance. Her bare feet were crystal clear, and she stood in mid-air, like a fairy in the moon, floating like the wind.

A smile played on his lips, Xu Yuan's voice was as gentle as jade:

"Isn't it because we haven't seen each other for so long that you're a little nervous?"

Li Qingyan narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.

Tianyan walked through the air, looking at him through the Veil Hat on his head. His golden eyes seemed to imprint him into the depths of his soul. He let out a soft hum, his voice clear and beautiful:

I thought you were dead.

"Oh, what's wrong with you?"

"The wicked live on for a thousand years; I was just being paranoid."

"."

Xu Yuan's expression stiffened, he clicked his tongue, and was about to speak when he saw Tianyan stop looking at him and turn to look at Li Qingyan beside him, his voice clear and crisp:

"Your Highness Wu Yuan."

As he spoke, Tianyan nodded slightly, his petite figure, barely half a foot off the ground, showing no intention of bowing.

Xu Yuan's innate composure made him realize that something seemed amiss, and he began to retreat slowly.

Seeing Xu Yuan retreat, Bai Muxi blinked and followed suit.

The two women, seemingly unaware of each other's presence, suddenly Li Qingyan softly:

"I've heard Changtian mention you before."

Tianyan also glanced at her, who was sitting in the main seat, and smiled slightly:

"Really? I thought he had completely forgotten."

"Forgot?" Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.

"That is, my memories from the more than ten years I spent in the illusion."

As Tianyan spoke, his beautiful, golden eyes glanced at Xu Yuan was already retreating to the entrance of the back hall.

"." Xu Yuan.

They stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Tianyan's beautiful golden eyes curved into a smile as he uttered a single word, "Instant."

Xu Yuan was stunned for a moment, and then a mysterious wave surged into his body. Before he could react, he was already teleported in front of Tianyan.

"." Xu Yuan.

Tianyan's clear voice carried a hint of danger:

"Perhaps I should tell His Highness about what happened in the illusion?"

Xu Yuan's eye twitched.

This woman's "Instant" mantra can now teleport people, she must have become quite powerful.

But if he's still Mortal Shedding Strange Ghost... never mind.

Well!

Day N+N of missing the Big Ice Block.

Thinking to himself, Xu Yuan had no intention of answering. Based on his experience from his previous life, he knew that Li Qingyan would definitely retort immediately.

The "washboard saintess" was blatantly defiant; even ordinary women couldn't tolerate it, let alone someone with the temperament of this "chest-bound princess."

And the next moment,

"It's nothing but a mirage, a reflection in the water."

See, they're here.

Li Qingyan asked with a perfectly timed look of confusion, "Changtian has forgotten, Holy Maiden, are you serious?"

"."

Tianyan clenched her fist slightly, her small, red lips trembled slightly, but her clear voice remained steady and resolute:

He'll remember.

"Well, it's alright if you remember."

Li Qingyan nodded obediently, then smiled and said:

"By the way,"

"Your Majesty, will you attend my wedding with Changtian?"

"."

After he finished speaking, the tent fell into a deathly silence.

He retreated to the back room, peeking out half his body to observe Little White inside the tent before silently withdrawing his body.

Xu Yuan's Spirit Sight allowed him to keenly perceive some strange fluctuations brewing around Tianyan.

Oh no, are they really going to take action?

Tianyan should know how to exercise discretion.

"Call"

Tianyan took a deep breath, bit his lip, and as his aura dissipated, he chuckled softly, "Things connected by interests can break at any time; Your Highness should be aware of that."

Li Qingyan on his hand, tapped the table, and a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes:

"What the saintess says is quite right, however..."

At this point, Li Qingyan glanced at Xu Yuan sideways.

Seeing that look in his eyes, Xu Yuan felt that he would most likely have to send it today.

"Changtian said he prefers sexier women to cute ones like the Saintess, so he probably wouldn't like you."

"."

Tianyan's eyes widened as if he were recalling something, and he glared at Xu Yuan.

"..." Xu Yuan's eyes looked innocent.

Tianyan gave a soft snort, his gaze sweeping over Li Qingyan for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly:

Aren't you the same?

"What's the same?"

Li Qingyan's eyes, as clear as autumn water, swept towards Tianyan Yan, a hint of surprise appearing in her dark pupils, before her red lips parted slightly:

"Oh, Holy Maiden, are you also wearing a breast wrap?"