How am I supposed to play this next?

In Great Shang's western reaches, carriages rumbled and hooves thundered as a procession traveled from the Divine Oracle Hall in the Western Regions toward Great Shang's capital.

At the front and rear of the procession rode a hundred fully armed Divine Hall cavalrymen. Riders and horses alike were covered in silver armor, leaving only their eyes exposed-practically armed to the teeth.

At the very center of the procession, inside a magnificent carriage inlaid with gold and jade, sat a person of the most exalted status in the world.

The Divine Son of the Divine Oracle Hall!

Yan Xiaoyu.

His handsome features seemed carved by heaven's own hand, with sword-like brows, star-bright eyes, and compelling heroic bearing. His moon-white robe, embellished with gold thread, was splendid and noble, setting off his perfect face and making everyone in his retinue pale in comparison.

Yan Xiaoyu was the strongest Divine Son in the Divine Hall's history, without exception.

Alongside the Buddhist Order's Buddha Child, the Vermilion Bird Sect's Huo Liner, and Great Shang's fourth prince, Mubai, he was counted among the world's four great heavenly prodigies.

Judging by the strength and talent he had revealed, Yan Xiaoyu had already begun to edge past the other three into first place.

Of course, that might also have been because the other three kept relatively low profiles. Regardless, Yan Xiaoyu's strength was beyond doubt, and he could be called the strongest of the younger generation.

"Divine Son, there is a stretch of mountain road ahead. The terrain is rugged, and bandits often lurk there. There may be danger, so please exercise caution."

As they were about to pass through a mountain ravine, Mu Shouzhi, commander of the Divine Hall's silver-armored cavalry, rode over and spoke respectfully.

"With me here to protect the Divine Son, you need only lead the way, Commander."

Before Yan Xiaoyu could speak, an elderly man beside the carriage answered in a hoarse voice. He wore red robes, his face was withered, and it was difficult to tell whether he was male or female.

"Mm."

Mu Shouzhi glanced at the red-robed elder who had spoken, nodded in acknowledgment, then turned his horse and rode toward the front of the procession.

"Archbishop Rongnü, you could come up here, actually."

Yan Xiaoyu looked at the red-robed elder beside the carriage and spoke gently.

Although Liu Rongnü looked like an unremarkable old man with one foot in the grave, his status was exceptionally exalted. He was one of the Divine Oracle Hall's four red-robed archbishops, second only to the Hall Master, and even Yan Xiaoyu had to treat him courteously.

"No need."

Liu Rongnü replied calmly, "I am accustomed to walking."

Hearing this, Yan Xiaoyu smiled and nodded without trying to persuade him further.

The Divine Oracle Hall had all manner of eccentric people, and Archbishop Rongnü was particularly peculiar, living like an ascetic monk all day, without a trace of zest for life.

Yet Archbishop Rongnü's cultivation was exceptionally formidable, and no one dared provoke him.

The carriage rumbled through the ravine. Pebbles occasionally slid down the slopes on either side, and the atmosphere gradually grew somewhat eerie.

At the head of the Divine Hall's silver-armored cavalry, Commander Mu Shouzhi looked toward the slopes on either side, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Something was wrong!

"Ha ha! After waiting so long, we've finally caught a big fat sheep! Brothers, silver has come knocking at our door! Kill them!"

At that moment, a rough burst of laughter rang out from one of the slopes, making the valley rumble.

"Kill!"

Then hundreds of figures emerged from the weeds in the mountains, picked up the rocks and logs before them, and hurled them down.

Immediately, the rumbling of boulders rolling down the slopes resounded through the ravine.

"Form up! Defend!"

At the front of the procession, Mu Shouzhi showed not the slightest panic as he issued the order in a deep shout.

"Yes!"

At the front and rear, the hundred silver-armored cavalrymen acknowledged the order in deep voices, immediately closing ranks. Their long spears stretched out and crossed, forcibly blocking the rolling logs and falling rocks.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Violent collisions rang out as countless boulders and logs fell, yet the hundred silver-armored cavalrymen stopped them all by brute force. Not a single one landed inside the formation.

Boulders and logs hit the ground, warhorses neighed, and dust billowed. On the mountainside, hundreds of bandits immediately charged down, yelling at the tops of their lungs.

"Kill!"

Three or four hundred bandits, each carrying a saber, charged down with an air of utter brigandry. At their head, their leader wielded a great long saber, his body covered in scars, and led the charge with incomparable ferocity.

"Change formation! Attack!"

Amid the spreading dust, Mu Shouzhi watched the charging bandits and calmly issued his order.

"Yes!"

The hundred silver-armored cavalrymen obeyed and moved, their armor clanging. In formations of three, they burst through the billowing dust and charged with their spears.

In an instant, the hundred silver-armored cavalrymen clashed with the three hundred-odd bandits. It was a slaughter without suspense. One bandit after another quickly fell in the rolling dust, staining the ravine floor red.

Some bandits broke through the defensive line and reached Yan Xiaoyu's carriage, but before they could even make out the young man inside, they felt an incomparably terrifying blast of air rush toward them.

With a tremendous bang, everyone near the carriage was sent flying by that terrifying blast. Even the swirling dust was scattered completely by the surging wave.

When the dust cleared, bandits covered the ground, writhing in pain. At their center stood the red-robed elder, the five Divine Repositories within him rumbling ceaselessly. His imposing presence was like a towering peak, so powerful it inspired terror.

"Scram!"

Liu Rongnü swept his aged eyes over everyone present and shouted coldly.

The thunderclap-like voice exploded through the ravine. Every bandit present, their leader included, seemed struck by lightning. They spat blood, their faces filled with horror, then scrambled and crawled back up the mountain.

A Fifth Realm cultivator-so terrifying (utterly, raving mad)...

After driving off the mountain bandits, the Divine Hall's procession continued onward. In the carriage, Yan Xiaoyu looked at the red-robed elder beside him and nodded in acknowledgment. "Archbishop Rongnü, thank you for your efforts."

"It is my duty."

Liu Rongnü replied indifferently, then said no more and continued along with the procession.

Seeing this, Yan Xiaoyu's lips curved slightly, and he said nothing more either.

It seemed winning Archbishop Rongnü over would not be easy.

Great Shang's capital.

News of the attack on the Divine Hall's procession soon reached the ears of the major powers.

In particular, the terrifying strength Archbishop Rongnü had displayed shocked everyone in the capital.

"The Fifth Realm. Goddammit."

At Li Garden, Li Ziye could not help letting a fragrant curse escape his lips when he heard the news.

The Divine Hall had actually sent a red-robed archbishop to protect Yan Xiaoyu. How the hell was he supposed to play this game now?

Surely he could not send someone to club Yan Xiaoyu over the head right under the nose of a peerless Fifth Realm expert?

"Liu Rongnü came along too?"

Upon hearing the news, even Bai Wangyu's usually unruffled face showed surprise. This was rather troublesome.

Archbishop Rongnü's strength was unfathomable. Even Venerable Law Confucian was probably slightly inferior to him.

"Mm."

Beside him, Li Ziye responded, his face covered in gloom.

There was no point thinking about it anymore. His dream of forcibly seizing the third King of Medicines had gone completely down the drain.

He had better keep considering his plan to sell his looks!

Sure enough, living off a woman suited him better.

If all else failed, when he went boating with Zhangsun Nanqiao tomorrow, he would just have to suffer a little and give in.

"Old Bai."

At this thought, Li Ziye looked at Little Red Riding Hood beside him and repeatedly instructed him, "Come with me tomorrow and act as the situation demands. If Chen Yifei and those other wastrels try to take the chance to cause me trouble, cripple them. If Zhangsun Nanqiao forces herself on me, pretend you don't see anything. Understand?"

"..."

Bai Wangyu glanced at the idiot beside him and did not want to speak, afraid idiocy might be a contagious disease.

The next day, barely after dawn, Li Ziye eagerly dragged Little Red Riding Hood off to the Zhangsun Residence to pick up Zhangsun Nanqiao.

Outside the Zhangsun Residence, the two did not wait long before Zhangsun Nanqiao emerged in a long dress. Her lovely face had clearly been carefully made up, and she looked radiant and captivating.

"Sister Nanqiao, please."

Li Ziye helped Zhangsun Nanqiao into the carriage, then shot Little Red Riding Hood a look. "Old Bai, drive."

With that, Li Ziye climbed into the carriage himself.

Bai Wangyu took his seat on the carriage and silently assumed the role of driver.

Inside, Li Ziye looked at the woman before him with a brilliant smile.

He did not feel in the slightest that his behavior was excessive.

Under heaven, only Li Ziye would dare make the Confucian School's eldest senior brother his carriage driver-and feel so entirely at ease about it.

"Young Master Li, did you seek me out for something?"

Looking at the smile on the youth's face, Zhangsun Nanqiao felt an indescribable hint of awkwardness and could not help asking.

"Boating and a spring outing!"

Li Ziye answered with a grin.

"It is autumn now."

Zhangsun Nanqiao reminded him. This was her first time hearing of a spring outing in autumn.

"What's wrong with autumn? Wherever Sister Nanqiao is, it's spring."

Li Ziye began putting his shameless talents to work, speaking with a face full of smiles.

To win a girl's heart, he had to be shameless, utterly shameless, shameless to the death!

"What has gotten into you today, Young Master Li? Such a sweet tongue."

Hearing the youth's words, Zhangsun Nanqiao smiled and asked.

"When Sister Nanqiao visited Li Garden a few days ago, I failed to understand your kind intentions at the time. Only after you left did I realize, and I regretted it beyond measure. So today, I invited you out for some boating and a spring outing as an apology," Li Ziye said with a smile.

Outside, Bai Wangyu was driving the carriage when he heard Li Ziye's endless stream of nonsense within, and the corners of his mouth could not help twitching.

Regret?

If not for the King of Medicines Yan Xiaoyu had brought, he would never believe this fellow felt the slightest regret.

Of course, Bai Wangyu did not expose the lies of a certain fellow inside the carriage, choosing instead to help the tyrant do evil.

After all, they were on the same side now.

On the outskirts, the Xiang River flowed through the capital and wound onward. Its swift waters gradually slowed, forming a beautiful lake.

Around it, perhaps because the waters by the lakeside were warm, faint traces of green remained.

"We're here!"

As the morning sunlight spilled down, Bai Wangyu stopped the carriage a hundred paces from the lake and spoke.

"Sister Nanqiao, please!"

Inside the carriage, Li Ziye very gallantly helped Zhangsun Nanqiao down. He glanced at the lakeside scenery in the distance, then walked across the grass with her.

Bai Wangyu very sensibly stayed beside the carriage to watch the horses and did not follow.

At the lakeside, Li Ziye walked over with Zhangsun Nanqiao. Looking at the water ahead, he was suddenly seized by poetic inspiration and began reciting, "The shimmering water looks lovely beneath clear skies; the mist-veiled mountains are wondrous in the rain."

After reciting half a fine poem, Li Ziye turned his gaze back toward the woman beside him and began borrowing poetry to praise the beauty. "If I compared the Xiang River to Xizi, light makeup or heavy, either would suit her well!"

Fine verse, fine verse!

After finishing his recitation, Li Ziye could not help praising himself inwardly. Fortunately, he still had a little stock of poetry.

"Your literary talent is indeed outstanding, Young Master Li. But is this how you always win girls' hearts?"

Zhangsun Nanqiao praised him, then asked with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Should I cooperate a little and pretend to be deeply moved?"

Had she still been a young, ignorant girl, she probably would have been moved by this fellow's literary talent.

But she was nearly twenty-eight this year, no longer a little girl who could be moved by a love poem or two.

Beside her, Li Ziye, who had just finished a fine poem and was preparing to bask in an admiring gaze, froze at her words.

Th-this wasn't how it was supposed to go!

Wasn't he supposed to display his talent, whereupon Zhangsun Nanqiao would look at him adoringly, then cry and clamor to give herself to him?

At the very least, shouldn't she weep like pear blossoms bathed in rain and lament the helplessness of "When I was born, you were not yet born; when you were born, I was already old"?

Li Ziye looked at the woman beside him, his gaze somewhat blank.

Y-you're reacting like this? How am I supposed to play this next?