Clip-clop, clip-clop...
Several attendants followed the carriage along the long street toward Myriad Treasures Tower in the city. There was little conversation along the way, but surprise, uncertainty, and admiration lingered in everyone's eyes, and they occasionally glanced at the carriage.
Inside, Hua Qingzhi sat primly beside the chessboard. She seemed to still be studying the unfinished game, but her mind was no longer on it at all. Like a well-behaved daughter whose father had caught her causing trouble, she occasionally bit her lower lip and glanced at her father opposite her, then quickly looked away.
Green Pearl was rather more timid and had simply taken Niao Niao outside to sit.
Hua Junchen leaned against the carriage wall, still unable to recover from the shock. Looking at his usually obedient daughter nearby, he felt a jumble of emotions: the heartache of seeing his fine cabbage rooted up by the king of wild boars, and the helplessness of knowing a grown daughter could not be kept at home.
After all, he might not recognize Night Great Yama, but Qingzhi could hardly fail to recognize him. When they had first arrived at Tianlang Lake, she had already expressed an ambiguous appreciation for Ye Jingtang.
Ye Jingtang was exceptionally talented and held immense power, so it was perfectly normal for young ladies to admire him. Although Hua Junchen had considered the possibility of the two becoming entangled someday, it had only been idle speculation. They were separated by thousands of mountains, living in two different dynasties. What chance did they have of getting together?
But he had never imagined that the Night Great Fiend, who had earned such a fearsome reputation in the Southern Dynasty, was actually a devoted lover. He had braved danger and traveled all the way north, even setting aside