Goodbye

"They... just went in like that, openly and brazenly?"

The courtyard was dark, surrounded by sycamore trees, and snowflakes fell with the yellow leaves. A clear pool, rippling in the cold wind, was dotted with warm yellow light that emanated from inside the hall.

The main hall, without doors, was separated by an embroidered phoenix screen. The hall was pitch black, save for a few flickering lights that cast a soft, alluring silhouette of a woman holding a scroll onto the screen. A languid, seductive female voice emanated from within, its influence spreading like a venomous snake to the man kneeling in the courtyard.

"Given his cultivation level, discovering you shouldn't be difficult for him, so he's doing this on purpose to show me?"

The man, his face hidden by a robe and dressed in black, with only his eyes visible, knelt on the snow in the courtyard, his head bowed.

"Your subordinate dares not speak presumptuously."

The woman's voice behind the screen was soft, with a hint of laughter, but cold:

"I didn't ask you."

After she finished speaking, the woman behind the screen fell silent for a moment, and the snow-covered courtyard was quiet.

The man in black robes remained silent, but he dared not leave unless the woman spoke, and obediently knelt in the snowy courtyard.

As time passed, patches of white gradually accumulated on the black clothes in the courtyard, but he had no complaints and remained kneeling meticulously, his figure not swaying at all in the wind and snow.

He knew very well that the woman inside wouldn't leave him there unattended.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint sound of a door opening suddenly came from the gatehouse of the large, quiet courtyard.

The black-clad man's lowered pupils contracted slightly.

Without any announcement, not even a knock, who would dare to so boldly barge into the Black Scale Guard's general affairs office in Guangyang City?

Despite his doubts, he remained obediently kneeling.

"Creak--"

"Creak--"

The sound of footsteps in the snow came from behind; the footsteps were light and slow.

Chief Lou wouldn't let him leave, probably because of this person.

Although he didn't dare to investigate the newcomer, his rigorous training and refined manners allowed the man to judge from the sound of the newcomer's footsteps that the other party's cultivation level was not high.

A dozen or so breaths later, the person had already reached his side.

The man in black lowered his eyes and saw a pair of expensive cloud-patterned boots. The other person paused slightly as he passed by him, as if glancing at them, before continuing to walk into the house.

Without any announcement or even a greeting, the footsteps simply disappeared behind the screen.

Then there was silence.

Looking at the dimly lit hall, Xu Yuan casually picked up a Fire Spirit Lamp and placed it on the table. Leaning against the table, he looked at the woman opposite him:

"Sis, it's been so long! Did you miss me?"

The woman was Lou Ji.

Today, Lou Ji wore a light-colored top with silver trim, a water lily-colored gauze sash that reached her waist, and a smoky-colored lotus-patterned long skirt with a train that accentuated her slender waist.

Of course, corseted clothing makes the bust appear even more voluptuous.

Her clothes were tightly closed, so her cleavage was not visible.

Taking a light breath, Lou Ji glanced at him indifferently, her tone languid:

"It's no use thinking about it, sister. If we don't send someone to look for you, Changtian probably won't even bother to say goodbye before leaving."

Xu Yuan walked up behind Lou Ji with a grin, gently pressing her fair shoulders and neck, and explained:

"Sister, if you don't send someone to show me the way, I won't be able to find your place."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan pressed down on Lou Ji's soft shoulders and asked:

"When I entered the city today, I saw from the air that Guangyang City was really lively. Is something about to happen?"

What do you think?

Lou Ji glanced back at the little devil behind her, then leaned back lazily in her chair, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the pressure from the other person's fingertips.

"You've been so busy lately, it's almost killing you, sister. Hmm, good technique, you can apply a little more pressure."

"Alright." Xu Yuan immediately began practicing his Cultivation Method after receiving the order.

"A little harder." Lou Ji's beautiful eyes were half-closed, her blue pupils clear and bright.

"Um."

"Didn't you eat today? Push harder."

"Okay."

"Changtian."

"Um?"

"With so little strength, do you need your sister to drug you?"

"." Xu Yuan.

Oh no, I'm going to get yelled at.

The thought had just arisen,

Lou Ji then sat up gracefully, turned her head, her dark hair brushing against her lips in the wind, and stared at him with a hint of coldness in her emerald eyes:

"Changtian, I'm very curious, how did you dare to insist on staying in Beifeng with such a low level of cultivation?"

here we go

After a brief moment of eye contact, Xu Yuan grinned:

"Sister, I think I handled the situation in Beifeng City well."

"Bang!!"

Before she could finish speaking, Lou Ji slammed her hand on the table.

As the soft waves swayed, a handprint was pressed directly onto the solid wood table.

Lou Ji stared into Xu Yuan's eyes, a cold smile playing on her lips:

"Do you think I'm talking about this? What good is it if you handle it perfectly? Before I left, I should have told you that it's better not to do anything than to show your strength. Xu Changtian, what about you? Do you really think that just because you have this status, no one will dare to kill you?!"

"I can tell you this: if you show any brilliance, the whole world will kill you!"

"No, when did you mention this to me before you left?" Xu Yuan muttered under his breath, "You just let me choose whether or not to go with you."

"Bang!!!"

This time, the entire table shattered into dust.

Lou Ji's broad, impenetrable chest rose and fell with her breath, her eyes revealing a fierce glint:

"You wouldn't understand if I didn't tell you?!"

"Understand."

Xu Yuan was straightforward and continued in a low voice, "It's just that life is mostly unsatisfactory."

bass--

Lou Ji stood up, her high-heeled Lotus Boots allowing her to look Xu Yuan in the eye. She reached out and grabbed his collar, pulling him close and staring him into his eyes.

"It's been a few months, and now our Changtian has learned to talk back!"

"No one talked back."

Xu Yuan stood at attention, feeling the touch against his chest, head held high, eyes straight ahead. "Just telling the truth, and besides, sister, I'm back alive, aren't I?"

Lou Ji was not angry, but laughed instead:

"Surviving is just the beginning."

Xu Yuan blinked, then suddenly grasped Lou Ji's fair wrists with both hands and said with a grin:

"Sis, don't be angry. Actually, I already have someone I suspect."

"."

Seeing his smiling face, Lou Ji took a deep breath to calm her anger, forcefully pushed away the hand that was gripping his collar, and snorted coldly, "Do I need your suspect?"

"."

The immense force sent Xu Yuan staggering back more than ten steps, until he finally lost control and landed hard on his backside.

Xu Yuan, slightly surprised, didn't rush to get up. He looked at her standing in the hall, a hint of astonishment in his eyes.

Do you know who did it?

Lou Ji gave him a cold glance, then sat back in her chair, leaned back, crossed her legs, and crossed her arms.

"Li Zhaoyuan."

"."

Xu Yuan got up, dusted himself off, and jogged back behind Lou Ji. While continuing to serve the old woman, he asked softly:

"My father knew about it too?"

"I know, but because there was no evidence, Li Zhaoyuan was protected by the emperor." Lou Ji's eyes were cold.

She was very dissatisfied with this decision.

Xu Yuan paused slightly, murmuring, "Is that so?"

Lou Ji snorted coldly upon hearing this, and said with a hint of sarcasm:

"Changtian, don't worry. If you really die, your sister can send Li Zhaoyuan down to join you even without any evidence."

Xu Yuan smiled sheepishly and continued to massage her soft shoulders:

"Hmm, never mind, I don't want to die."

"You don't have a choice now. If he leaks this information, you'll never have peace again."

"Li Zhaoyuan is a smart man; he probably wouldn't do that."

A thoughtful look appeared in Xu Yuan's eyes, and he gently shook his head. "Well, at least he won't do that before he returns to the capital."

Li Zhaoyuan's cultivation level was much higher than his; his pseudo-first-grade cultivation level allowed him to calmly face most assassination attempts.

Even in death, one can still leave traces of the assassin.

However, since Lou Ji said she could make Li Zhaoyuan disappear without a trace, then she certainly could.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan suddenly had a question.

Wait, does Li Zhaoyuan know about this?

If Li Zhaoyuan didn't know that Lou Ji could make him disappear, then his information would be...

Xu Yuan looked at her hair, which was styled into a bun at the back of her head.

Lou Ji sighed and said:

"Don't worry. I've already warned him about this."

Well, she truly is a reliable older sister.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan chuckled and pressed even harder.

Lou Ji gave a soft hum, a smile curving her crimson lips:

"So, Changtian, can you tell me where you've been these past few months?"

Xu Yuan's eyes flashed, his tone nonchalant:

"It's nothing. I was just teleported to the Utterdark Lands with the Barbarian King, and then together with Li Qingyan, we used the Beifeng Army formation to kill the Barbarian King who had become a saint."

Lou Ji frowned slightly:

"Slaying the Barbarian King had attained sainthood?"

"Yes." Xu Yuan nodded.

Lou Ji wrapped her arms around those soft arms, tapping her fingertips lightly, lost in thought:

"The achievement of slaying the Barbarian King has become a saint... it seems that Wu Yuan's attitude will become increasingly important in the future struggle for the throne in the imperial city."

"Sister, the Barbarian King was killed by her and me."

"Puff"

"." Xu Yuan.

A moment of silence,

Lou Ji exhaled, suppressing a laugh, and skipped over the topic. She turned her chair around, looked at him, and chuckled softly:

"Changtian, I heard that you went south on your journey and even encountered that Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion?"

"."

Xu Yuan saw the smile in the other person's eyes, and his dissatisfaction immediately dissipated.

Oh no, the fun-loving people want to see some fun.

The water I finally managed to hold steady, I don't want this rascal to ruin it.

Without any hesitation, Xu Yuan immediately changed the subject:

"Yes, but why does she have my maternal uncle's token?"

"Hmm, how would I know about your uncle's personality?"

Lou Ji, with her legs crossed and her high-heeled Lotus Boots swaying at the tips of her white toes, propped her cheek on her hand and steered the conversation back to the main topic:

"But Changtian, I don't think I've ever met that Holy Maiden before. Why didn't you bring her and Wu Yuan along this time so I could introduce them?"

Xu Yuan's expression remained unchanged, and he chuckled as he recited his prepared statement:

"Actually, I wanted to do that too, but unlike me, they're not free to do anything. One of them is going to the military camp, and the other is going to see someone from the sect."

Previously, when Lou Ji first met Li Qingyan in Beifeng City, she didn't fight with him, but this time it might be different, not to mention there's also the most foolish, washboard-like saintess next to her.

Meet?

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

The waters are too deep; even a Soul Condensation expert like him can't control them for now.

Lou Ji tapped her cheek with her slender index finger, looking slightly bored.

"Is that so? Then let's leave it at that for now. Anyway, we can meet again in the Imperial Capital after the matter in the Northern Border is resolved."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan felt relieved, but then suddenly remembered something and looked outside the screen.

A one-way screen allows him to see from inside to outside.

The man in black remained kneeling in the snow, an inch of snow already accumulating on his shoulders.

After a moment's pause, Xu Yuan asked softly:

"By the way, sis, what about that person outside?"

"He's in charge of monitoring Li Zhaoyuan, and he'll be back to report," Lou Ji replied casually.

"Oh?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Lou Ji spoke with a smile:

"What, Changtian, are you interested?"

"Of course I'm interested, after all, this guy wanted to kill me."

A sharp glint flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes. He paused for a moment, then asked, "But with Li Zhaoyuan's cultivation level, discovering these Black Scale Guard should be easy, right?"

Earlier, when he passed by the man in black, he scanned him with his Spirit Sight.

Their aura was unfathomable, but they were still somewhat weaker than the Washboard Saintess and the others.

"Yes, that means putting a seed right under his nose to disgust him." Lou Ji Wan'er.

Xu Yuan asked with a slight doubt:

"In that case, there probably isn't any useful information."

"There is one, though."

"What?"

"."

After a moment of eye contact, Lou Ji said in a low voice, "Tonight, he openly and secretly met with members of the Sect Alliance at the prince's villa."

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, his face showing no surprise, then chuckled and shook his head:

"That's exactly the kind of thing he would do."

Seeing his calm reaction, Lou Ji asked, somewhat strangely:

"Changtian, aren't you surprised?"

What's surprising?

Xu Yuan stared at the flying snow in the dark night through the screen. "Sister, do you think the current emperor knows about Li Zhaoyuan's past collusion with sects?"

Lou Ji raised her eyebrows slightly, a hint of interest flashing in her emerald eyes as she looked at his profile:

"He should know. I, as his sister, know a thing or two about this matter. There's no reason why His Majesty wouldn't know. After all, Li Zhaoyuan has made it clear that he wants to seize the position of Crown Prince. There are only a few paths he can take."

"Yes, since His Majesty knew about this, he forgave him for assassinating Qingyan and even protected him in front of my father."

Xu Yuan sighed softly, his tone carrying a hint of murderous intent. "... Then it can only mean that he has become the next candidate for the '95'."

"If I can think of something, Li Zhaoyuan himself couldn't possibly not have thought of it."

"If I were him, I would definitely reveal such an important matter to the sect and tell them it's time to increase the stakes."

"."

The snowy night was silent.

Lou Ji narrowed her eyes slightly and spoke softly:

"The sects in the Northern Border have not yet been destroyed, and the Sect Alliance is also putting pressure on them. Can His Majesty tolerate Li Zhaoyuan contacting the sects at this critical juncture?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan gently shook his head, turned around, and smiled:

"I'm not entirely sure about this matter. After all, even my father probably doesn't know what the current emperor is really thinking."

"Does he want our Prime Minister's Prime Minister's Mansion to die, or the sect to die, or perhaps, before he dies, he wants to completely ignite a war between the sect and the imperial court?"

The situation is very tense.

If the Sect Alliance wants to destroy the Three Northern Prefectures, it will inevitably have to exert pressure in other places. If it is not careful, a black swan event may occur.

Thinking of this,

Xu Yuan took a deep breath, collected his thoughts, and smiled softly at Lou Ji:

"Sister, talking about this is too far ahead. I want to see Li Zhaoyuan now."