Southbound

"What, you want to walk alone?"

Tianyan glanced at him sideways, his beautiful golden eyes half-closed, and scanned Xu Yuan from head to toe. "However, with your cultivation level, Third Young Master, if you travel south alone, you'll most likely die on the way."

Hearing her fiery words, Xu Yuan felt slighted and retorted in a low voice:

"Tsk, so many martial arts practitioners who Bone Tempering and Pulse Tempering dare to operate in the Northern Border. My Soul Condensation cultivation is actually not weak."

Li Qingyan pressed down the Veil Hat above her head, the black veil swaying gently:

"In that case, why doesn't Changtian head south alone? If he seizes this opportunity to travel alone through the Northern Border, Changtian should reap great rewards."

"."

Xu Yuan smacked his lips.

He sensed something was wrong.

In the half hour it took them to detour back to the camp from the city wall, shouldn't those two women have started fighting while alone together? Why does it seem like he, the referee, is the one being targeted?

Thinking this, he glanced subtly at Little White was following behind with his head down.

Bai Muxi felt the gaze, raised her bright eyes, glanced at the two slender figures, one tall and one short, in front of her, her eyes flickered for a moment, and she whispered:

"If you wish to travel south alone, young master, Mu Xi is willing to accompany you."

Swish--

As soon as she finished speaking, two cool, aloof gazes turned toward her simultaneously.

Little White lowered his head without any hesitation:

"If Your Highness Wu Yuan agrees..."

The words completely ignored someone, which displeased the girl in palace attire. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her gaze towards the strange woman took on a hint of hostility.

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan's gaze from behind the Veil Hat seemed quite interested.

Xu Yuan's expression remained unchanged, but he was satisfied in his heart.

She was obedient and sensible, and even knew how to use the aroma of tea to stir up hatred for him at the right time.

Xu Yuan coughed lightly and said in a low voice:

"Alright, Mu Xi, stop trying to sow discord. Qingyan and Tianyan were just saying that out of anger."

Upon hearing this, Bai Muxi immediately bowed respectfully, offering no explanation.

"Mu Xi knows she was wrong."

"This will not be repeated."

"Yes."

"."

Turning his gaze, Xu Yuan looked at the two women, but before he could speak, Tianyan suddenly spoke, his voice clear and calm:

"Xu Yuan, I haven't heard you introduce this Miss Bai yet."

Xu Yuan looked at Li Qingyan with surprise in his eyes, and asked with doubt:

"Didn't you introduce it just now?"

Li Qingyan, observing the fire from across the river, briefly remarked:

"Just now, the Simin told the Holy Maiden that she was willing to follow you because she received your great kindness."

Xu Yuan turned to look at Tianyan:

"Hasn't this already been explained? I did her a favor, so she follows me. It's that simple."

"."

Tianyan's eyes flickered as his gaze swept over Xu Yuan and Bai Muxi.

The former looked calm and matter-of-fact, while the latter obediently lowered his eyes.

The expressions on their faces gave her a sense of pent-up frustration that she had nowhere to vent.

Their relationship was clearly more than that, but she had no right to ask him.

Looking at the silent palace-dressed girl, a smile flashed in Li Qingyan's eyes. Suddenly, she spoke up to stir things up, her voice very soft:

"Changtian saved Simin's family, and she has no way to repay him no matter how much she gives, so... um... hehe."

"."

Xu Yuan's gaze froze for a moment, then he slowly turned his eyes to look at Li Qingyan, a look of disbelief on his face.

Hiss. You ambushed me?

Beneath the Veil Hat, those beautiful crimson eyes blinked at him.

The feeling of being constantly on edge made Xu Yuan realize that he had underestimated women's vengeful nature; even the most rational and intelligent women can hold grudges and stir up trouble.

However, Xu Yuan's handsome face remained calm, because he knew that Little White would make a move.

As expected,

As soon as Li Qingyan finished speaking, Bai Muxi, with her eyes lowered, quietly spoke:

"Your Mu Xi is right. I truly have no way to repay this great kindness. However, this is merely wishful thinking on my Mu Xi."

"Stop acting."

Tianyan voice interrupted the three's performance. She took a deep breath and turned her face away, saying, "Even if it's not wishful thinking, I... well, I have no right to say anything anyway."

The hardest thing to bear is the favor of a beautiful woman.

Seeing her forlorn and dejected expression amidst the wind and snow, Xu Yuan sighed softly, but instead of offering comfort, he turned to Li Qingyan and asked:

Where are we heading south together?

Li Qingyan glanced at Tianyan, shook his head inwardly, and transmitted his voice:

"You're so heartless."

Xu Yuan did not reply.

"Should I leave for now?"

Xu Yuan still did not reply.

Just kidding, the Heavenly Yantian Art comes with built-in telepathic communication.

Seeing this, Li Qingyan didn't say much more about the matter, but instead spoke up:

"Let's head south to Guangyang Prefecture."

Guangyang Prefecture, the prefecture of the Great Mang Continent, is a major transportation hub for northward travel controlled by the imperial court, where more than a dozen official roads converge.

"Guangyang Prefecture?" Xu Yuan murmured, then asked softly, "What are we going there for?"

Li Qingyan glanced at the south through the black veil of the Veil Hat:

"The army has moved, the war has begun. I will take you there and then return to the army."

Xu Yuan hesitated slightly:

"Aren't you coming back to the Imperial Capital with me?"

"What, you can't bear to part with me?" Li Qingyan's eyes held a smile as he transmitted his voice, "If Changtian can't bear to part with me, then I might consider staying with you."

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes and remained silent.

Li Qingyan shook his head in disbelief, stopped transmitting his voice, and said leisurely:

"Returning to Di'an City would only mean dealing with my family's troubles. Hmph, with my status, I'd inevitably get caught up in them once I entered the capital. Compared to these power struggles, the battlefield in the Northern Border needs me more."

A gentle breeze lifted the Veil Hat, and in a fleeting glance, I saw the helplessness etched in her beautiful, jewel-like red eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Yuan suddenly asked:

"Is this trip urgent?"

Li Qingyan asked with a slight doubt:

"You need time?"

Xu Yuan paused for a moment, then chuckled softly:

"When we first Beifeng, I said I would erect a monument for the soldiers. Have you forgotten?"

Li Qingyan's crimson eyes showed a hint of surprise, a slight ripple stirring in his heart. He shook his head.

"I thought you had forgotten, but it's alright."

"."

Xu Yuan looked puzzled and subconsciously glanced at the dilapidated Beifeng City. Li Qingyan's voice was leisurely as he said:

"My second brother has already done this. Right in the south of the city, after the barbarian army was defeated, he spent ten days and ten nights personally engraving the names of all the fallen soldiers on the south wall."

"This matter has probably spread throughout the world by now, and his reputation in the military is quite high."

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes, then sighed:

"Since that's the case, then let's leave it at that."

"I thought you would be angry," Li Qingyan, looking into his eyes. "After all, this good reputation should belong to you."

When the four of them first arrived in Beifeng, it was the man in front of them who first proposed erecting a monument, so that the dead could leave a trace in this world.

"A good reputation. This good reputation seems a bit undeserved on my part."

Xu Yuan chuckled softly, then gently shook his head:

"It doesn't matter who does it; the purpose is to ensure that future generations remember the soldiers who died in this war against the Barbarian Tribe. Since Li Zhaoyuan has already done it, let's give it to him."

Li Qingyan gave him a deep look:

"The lower-ranking soldiers and officers don't understand the power struggles within the palace walls; they only think of their second brother as a member of the imperial family."

"I know," Xu Yuan interrupted softly.

In the eyes of the common people, the royal family is supreme.

Even in the past, there was Wu Qi sucking the boils; how much more so in this extraordinary world where the gap is so vast that it cannot be bridged.

In the eyes of ordinary soldiers, Li Zhaoyuan, after this trip, will become the benevolent king they envision, and perhaps even the future benevolent ruler.

but

Xu Yuan looked towards the south wall and seemed to see Li Zhaoyuan's elegant calligraphy on it. He chuckled softly.

It's too late.

"If he wanted to get involved in the military, erecting this monument would indeed be a good entry point, but it's too late. If it were ten years earlier, given Li Zhaoyuan's personality and methods, he might have been able to make some achievements in the military, but the current situation doesn't give him time to make such a move."

"However, since Li Zhaoyuan has already taken the step of erecting the monument, there's no point in us staying in Beifeng any longer. Let's go."

After saying that, Xu Yuan walked into the snow without looking back.

Watching his retreating figure, Li Qingyan narrowed her phoenix eyes and pursed her lips, her mind filled with complex emotions.

Tianyan's azure golden pupils pierced through the Veil Hat, revealing her expression. He let out a soft, almost inaudible sigh.

"It's happening again."

A vast sky, endless mountain ranges, and a deathly desolation amidst the boundless snow.

A giant griffin with a wingspan of over thirty feet pierced the void amidst the blizzard and descended to the ground. Among the snow-covered mountains, forests grew in abundance. With a flap of its wings, the wind pressure bent the treetops, and the snow on the ground danced wildly, creating a scene resembling a fairyland.

When everything had settled, the Lion-Eagle Beast lay prone on the ground, the wind and snow still raging.

A soft creaking sound as the door opened was followed by a gentle male voice grumbling in the quiet mountainside:

"This Class B military-grade Demon Beast is truly pathetic; it can't even withstand a slight chill."

Pushing open the door, a biting wind swept in like a knife. Xu Yuan quickly circulated his internal Cultivation Method to ward off the cold, and a surge of warmth rose within him. He glanced around and sighed softly.

"At this rate, we don't know when we'll be able to get back to Guangyang Prefecture."

"Slow speed?"

A clear, melodious female voice responded, and a palace-dressed girl, suspended in mid-air, followed the man in brocade robes to the platform of the pavilion, whispering:

"If it weren't for someone's low cultivation level, which prevented them from using Demon Beast for transportation, we would probably have arrived in the last few days. Don't you agree, Third Young Master?"

"." Xu Yuan.

She was beautiful, but also had a strange, unsettling air about her.

Xu Yuan glanced at the expressionless girl beside him and smiled:

"You can go first, since we're heading to different places anyway."

Tianyan snorted coldly and said nothing more.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan reached out to gently stroke the stray strands of hair at her temples. Tianyan sensed this and snorted inwardly, but did not dodge. However, this action was interrupted by another soft, deep female voice:

"Let's find a place to rest. Although this Lion-Eagle Beast is cold-resistant, it lacks stamina. Let's rest for the night before continuing our journey."

Xu Yuan subtly withdrew his hand and turned to look at the tall, slender figure that appeared at the wooden door.

She had already changed into a plain dress, her jade-like legs were long and straight, and there was no sign of a bra, her curves were alluring.

The palace-dressed girl, suspended in mid-air at the same height as the princess, coldly glanced at the princess who had deliberately stopped binding her chest:

"To rest in this attic?"

Li Qingyan didn't reply, but looked at Xu Yuan, signaling him to make the decision.

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, then chuckled softly:

"Let's go down for a walk. Staying up in this dilapidated attic all day has made my back ache."

Tianyan's pupils contracted, as if he had thought of something, and a barely perceptible blush rose on his fair face.

Li Qingyan said with a smile:

"Changtian, you must take good care of your back. Have you taken the elixirs I sent you in the Imperial Capital?"

Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he replied with a smile:

"Ha, being good with words doesn't count as real skill. I've certainly experienced Your Highness's ability to keep your word."

Tianyan listened to their conversation, snorted coldly, and interrupted them:

"So, Third Young Master, where are we going to wander around? I remember that as a Soul Condensation expert, you need to sleep. Do you want to sleep under the open sky in this snowy weather?"

She practically gritted her teeth as she said the last four words.

After a brief eye contact, Xu Yuan, without blushing or skipping a beat, said softly:

"While sleeping under the open sky might not be bad, it's not elegant. Sleeping should have a sense of ritual; you need to find a place to settle down."

Upon hearing Tianyan, Tianyan's azure golden pupils swept around the mountainside, piercing directly through the swirling snowflakes.

"There's a mountain village three miles to the west, and a cave two miles to the east, but there's a bear demon inside. Which way should we go?"

"Caves inhabited by Demon Beast are usually very smelly."

Xu Yuan said in a low voice, then asked with a hint of curiosity, "How can there still be mountain villages in such heavy snow?"

Tianyan replied expressionlessly, "A mountain village with no living people."

"."

After saying that, he suddenly fell silent.

"With such heavy snow, even cultivators would have a hard time surviving, let alone mortals."

Li Qingyan spoke softly, "I'd like to go check on the mountain village. We can leave the Lion-Eagle Beast here; it will find its own food."

Xu Yuan sighed and nodded.

They called over Little White, who was hiding in the corner of the attic practicing the Heaven-Overturning Six Elements Art, and dragged the Soul Condensation expert along with their Source Qi. The four of them then sped westward along the mountainside.

A dozen or so breaths later, they arrived at their destination, but what Xu Yuan saw was not a mountain village, but a mountain valley completely covered in white snow.

Standing in the void, Tianyan's lips parted slightly:

"Wind."

As soon as the sound faded, a sudden gust of wind arose, and the snow in the mountain valley swirled, revealing several dilapidated stone houses below.

The houses in the mountain village are not clustered together in one place. A few houses are gathered together and stretch for several miles, which constitutes a village.

Landing in the courtyard enclosed by the stone fence, Xu Yuan extended his Will Soul to scan the house and whispered:

"No one's here. It seems they must have left early to avoid the snowstorm. I remember the imperial court issued an order to evacuate at the beginning of the snowstorm."

"Impossible."

Li Qingyan's calm voice interrupted Xu Yuan, and she sighed softly, "Imperial power doesn't extend to the countryside, let alone a mountain village like this. Judging from the layout of this family's home, they should be a hunter's family. Most likely, they couldn't make ends meet and fled on their own."

"The bodies of that entire family are all in that bear demon's cave."

Tianyan abruptly interjected, "These mountain people cannot survive this natural disaster."

Xu Yuan was silent for a moment, then said:

"The people in the city are not having an easy time either. A large part of the disaster relief grain distributed by the imperial court is actually disguised military rations, and ordinary people cannot even guarantee a meal a day."

Tianyan glanced at the two of them, his voice indifferent:

"Xu Yuan, Your Highness, as high-ranking officials of the court, you should be well aware of what it means for the common people to wage war at this time, right?"