Mo Li

Mo Xiuyao leaned against the roof of the grand hall. With his level of skill, he didn’t even need to remove the glazed tiles to clearly hear the conversations inside, nor did he have to worry about being detected by those below. Ye Li, aware that her Light Body Skill was nothing to boast about, didn’t bother joining him and simply waited where she was.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Mo Xiuyao swiftly returned, took Ye Li’s hand, and led her out of the palace. Along the way, he casually plucked a few Netherworld Dark Flowers before silently exiting the Southern Border Sacred Ground with Ye Li, just as they had entered.

Once out of the valley, the two followed their original path back. Surprisingly, the two horses they had thought might have bolted were still there, leisurely grazing on the grass.

They chose a flat, comfortable spot to sit and ate some of the dry rations and wine they had brought with them. Mo Xiuyao took out the two types of flowers he had retrieved from the valley, his brows deeply furrowed.

Ye Li glanced at them indifferently, leaning against him as she said, “We were biased earlier. If one of these two flowers is the Netherworld Dark Flower, it must be this one. Although Manjusaka has detoxifying properties, it also contains lethal poison. Combined with its reputation as the Underworld Flower, we assumed it was the Netherworld Dark Flower. But in terms of medicinal effects, this one… seems more like the kind of Underworld Flower that drags people into the netherworld.”

Mo Xiuyao nodded, setting down the plants in his hand. “A Li, do you know why Lei Tengfeng came here?”

Ye Li frowned in thought before looking up. “He wants the medicine made from that flower?”

Mo Xiuyao confirmed, “Exactly. Somehow, he got wind of it and came to buy that medicine from the Southern Border people. And… he wanted to purchase it in bulk. However, the Southern Border people themselves don’t seem to fully understand the medicine, and producing it is extremely difficult. The elder only agreed to sell him a small portion.”

Ye Li’s expression darkened further. If it were just for controlling or harming a few individuals, like Mo Jingli had intended, there would be no need to buy so much. “How much did Lei Tengfeng want?”

Mo Xiuyao, clearly having the same thought, replied gravely, “He said he wanted as much as they could provide—not just now, but every year from now on.”

Ye Li pondered for a moment before looking at Mo Xiuyao solemnly. “That valley can’t be allowed to exist anymore. If that substance spreads, the consequences would be unimaginable.”

Lei Tengfeng’s intent in buying so much of it was already obvious.

Mo Xiuyao nodded. “Those Netherworld Dark Flowers still need some time to mature. We weren’t prepared today, and there wasn’t enough time. Later, I’ll have the Qilin troops come and burn the valley down.”

Ye Li added, “Have people keep an eye on the Southern Border. There might not be just one place with that substance.”

Mo Xiuyao agreed.

After resting for a while, Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li to her feet with a smile. “We should head back. How about we find something fun to do along the way?”

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, puzzled by what he meant by “fun.”

Mo Xiuyao smirked darkly. “Robbery.”On the official road leading to the capital of Nanzhao, several fine horses galloped past at full speed. Lei Tengfeng rode at the forefront, his handsome face wearing a triumphant smile. Just as he was lost in thought, the sharp whistle of an arrow pierced the air. Startled, Lei Tengfeng slapped his horse's back and leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the arrow. The guards behind him were equally alarmed. "Assassins! Protect the Shizi!"

Yet the assassins did not reveal themselves. Two more arrows shot through the air in quick succession, and two guards immediately fell to the ground. The archer's skill was clearly exceptional, and without seeing their enemy, they could only be picked off like targets. Gritting their teeth, two guards shielded Lei Tengfeng while the others charged toward the direction from which the arrows had come. However, when they rushed into the nearby forest, they found it eerily empty—not a single figure in sight.

Not far away, Ye Li leaned against a large tree, watching the guards search frantically below. A faint smirk curled her lips. Did they really think she would wait around for them?

After scouring the forest for a while and finding nothing, the guards decided to retreat. Suddenly, a white figure flashed past them. One guard gasped in shock, "You—" Before they could react, a chilling sensation swept across their necks, and they collapsed in stunned silence.

Lei Tengfeng waited on the road outside the forest, but when no movement came from within, he realized his guards were likely doomed. To avoid drawing attention, he had only brought a few personal guards on this trip, never expecting to encounter such a formidable assassin.

Though anxious, Lei Tengfeng maintained his composure. He cupped his hands and called out, "Esteemed senior hiding within, if I have offended you in any way, I shall make amends with generous gifts in the future. I beg you to show mercy." His answer came in the form of two more arrows—his last two guards fell dead beside him. His heart sank, and without hesitation, he turned and fled. But Mo Xiuyao had been waiting for this exact moment. The moment Lei Tengfeng turned to run, an overwhelming force surged toward him from behind. A sharp pain exploded in his chest, and darkness swallowed his consciousness.

Mo Xiuyao stood with his hands behind his back, his cold gaze fixed on the unconscious Lei Tengfeng. Ye Li emerged from the forest, stowing her bow and arrows as she looked at Lei Tengfeng with amusement. "This is the second time Zhennan Wang Shizi has fallen into our hands, isn't it?" Mo Xiuyao gave a faint hum, utterly indifferent. When Ye Li moved to search Lei Tengfeng, he pulled her back and did it himself, crouching down to thoroughly inspect the man.

Moments later, Mo Xiuyao held two small white porcelain bottles, similar in appearance to the ones Mo Jingli had obtained. Ye Li took one, opened it, and shook out a few medicinal pills. She sniffed them carefully. Though the pills looked unusual, their composition couldn't deceive her. They were indeed made from the Netherworld Dark Flowers that filled the valleys of the Southern Border Sacred Ground—or, more accurately, opium. The small bottle contained over twenty pills, and what surprised Ye Li was their high purity. A first-time user would likely be unable to handle it.

She glanced at Mo Xiuyao, who said coolly, "The elder mentioned that initially, only a quarter should be dissolved in water." Ye Li's expression darkened. "Just as I thought.""What about him?" Mo Xiuyao gestured with his chin toward the unconscious Lei Tengfeng.

Ye Li thought for a moment and smiled. "We already exchanged Lei Tengfeng for benefits once before. If we use this trick again, Zhennan Wang will be furious out of humiliation. Let’s just leave him lying here. This official road is frequently traveled, and it’s inconvenient for us to carry someone along." This suggestion aligned perfectly with Mo Xiuyao’s thoughts—he had no intention of bringing along a nuisance to accompany him and A Li. Without hesitation, the two thoroughly looted all valuables from Lei Tengfeng’s person, leaving him only his clothes before summoning their horses and riding off.

The two took a detour along the way, delaying their journey for a few more days, and only returned to the Nanzhao royal capital two days before Princess Anxi’s wedding. By then, envoys from various countries attending the ceremony had mostly arrived.

As soon as they entered the courtyard of the posthouse, they encountered Lei Tengfeng, who was approaching them. Perhaps due to the incident a few days prior, his complexion and expression were rather poor. Seeing Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao enter hand in hand, he paused briefly before stepping forward to greet them. "Prince Ding, Princess Ding, you two are…"

Ye Li didn’t evade the topic and replied generously with a smile, "Ah, it’s the Young Master. We arrived a few days earlier than you and took the opportunity to travel around with Wang Ye, appreciating the customs of Nanzhao so as not to waste the trip. But Young Master… I see your complexion isn’t too good. Did you just arrive in Nanzhao after a tiring journey?"

Her words were spoken with such sincerity that even Lei Tengfeng couldn’t immediately tell whether she was genuinely concerned or secretly gloating. After all, while his encounter with bandits on the road was common knowledge in the Nanzhao royal capital, Princess Ding had just mentioned that she and Prince Ding had only returned from their travels.

Glancing at Mo Xiuyao standing behind Ye Li, Lei Tengfeng suddenly had an idea. He smiled faintly and said, "Thank you for your concern, Wang Fei. Might I ask where you and Prince Ding traveled? After Princess Anxi’s wedding, I’d like to steal some leisure time to explore as well."

Ye Li smiled warmly. "Wang Ye mentioned that Nanzhao has a Serpent Valley, filled with tens of thousands of venomous snakes and strikingly beautiful crimson flowers. Out of curiosity, I followed him to see for myself. I hope the Young Master doesn’t find it amusing."

Lei Tengfeng frowned slightly. The Serpent Valley and the official road where he was ambushed were in completely opposite directions—one to the east, the other to the west. Truthfully, he hadn’t seriously suspected Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao. After all, his trip to the Southern Border Sacred Ground had been highly confidential, almost a spur-of-the-moment decision. There was no way Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li could have known in advance to wait for him on the road. However, the sheer force of the final strike against him had been overwhelmingly powerful—something only a handful of people in the world could achieve. Seeing Mo Xiuyao now, he couldn’t help but feel compelled to test the waters.

Lei Tengfeng chuckled. "In that case, it must indeed be a rare and magnificent sight. I’ll be sure to visit and admire it later. Prince Ding and Wang Fei must be tired from your journey, so I won’t disturb you further. Excuse me."

Ye Li nodded with a smile. "Take care, Young Master."The two returned to the courtyard arranged for them by Princess Anxi, where Xu Qingchen was already waiting. Dressed in pristine white robes, Qingchen Gongzi sat leisurely by the stone table beneath a tree, brewing tea. With just a casual glance at the couple, he managed to make Ye Li feel inexplicably guilty. While Ye Li was uneasy, Mo Xiuyao seemed entirely unbothered. He pulled Ye Li along without hesitation and sat down at the table. Xu Qingchen poured tea for them both and smiled faintly. "Wang Ye, Wang Fei, did you enjoy your outing?"

"Passably. It was too short," Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently.

Xu Qingchen's lips twitched almost imperceptibly as he shot Ye Li a sidelong glance. Feeling guilty, Ye Li subtly tugged at Mo Xiuyao's sleeve. It was only natural for her elder brother to be upset—after all, they had abruptly left, dumping all social obligations in the capital onto him. Mo Xiuyao gave a light hum and then recounted their observations at the Southern Border Sacred Ground to Xu Qingchen in an offhand manner.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingchen's usually composed and elegant face finally betrayed an expression uncharacteristic of Qingchen Gongzi. His features darkened, a rare sight, and he gritted his teeth. "Are you telling me that after discovering something so critical, your first thought wasn't to return and handle it but to take Wang Fei on a detour to continue your leisure trip?" Mo Xiuyao looked at him innocently. "What's wrong with that?" He even cast a pitiful glance at Ye Li, as if to say, "See? Your elder brother is just being unreasonable."

Ye Li rolled her eyes skyward. Xu Qingchen's anger hadn't subsided. "Have you lost your mind? No one knows how many experts or dangers lurk in the Southern Border Sacred Ground. And you dared to take Li'er straight in? If you want to court death, don’t drag her along!" Mo Xiuyao replied, "There was no one inside. A Li and I walked around and left without anyone noticing." Xu Qingchen scoffed. "You were lucky. The very first day after you left, Shu Manlin secretly brought in over a hundred top-tier experts from outside into the capital." Mo Xiuyao nodded in agreement. "Indeed. My luck has always been good."

Seeing Xu Qingchen's expression darken again, Ye Li quickly poured him another cup of tea. "Elder Brother, calm down... Wang Ye!" She shot Mo Xiuyao a warning look, to which he pouted in dissatisfaction. A Li was always biased.

Sighing helplessly at the two men glaring at each other, Ye Li gave up on expecting anything from Mo Xiuyao and took it upon herself to explain the subsequent events. When she mentioned the Netherworld Dark Flower, Xu Qingchen forgot his anger toward Mo Xiuyao. His brows furrowed, and he said gravely, "Mo Jingli intends to use that thing on the emperor?"

Ye Li nodded. "Most likely. Over the past few years, Mo Jingqi and his brother have appeared harmonious, but in truth, they’ve been locked in constant covert struggles. Mo Jingli controls the wealthiest half of the southern territories of Great Chu—how could he be content with a position beneath just one man? He must be growing impatient."Xu Qingchen sneered, "Foolish! The Southern Border people clearly have ill intentions. Does Mo Jingli think that by using such methods to kill Mo Jingqi, he won’t leave any leverage in Shu Manlin’s hands?" Unlike the Southern Border, the Great Chu valued propriety, righteousness, integrity, loyalty, filial piety, and moral principles above all. If word got out that Mo Jingli had conspired to murder his elder brother and sovereign, he would never be able to hold the throne securely. It would be better for him to outright rebel. But then, with the Nanzhao people holding leverage over him, Mo Jingli would merely become a puppet.

"Shu Manlin has quite the scheme. Brother, do you have any news about Tan Jizhi?" Ye Li asked with a faint smile.

Xu Qingchen nodded. "I know Shu Manlin well enough—she doesn’t have the brains for such a grand strategy. It must be Tan Jizhi pulling the strings behind the scenes. Eliminate Princess Anxi to seize Nanzhao, then manipulate Mo Jingli to control the Great Chu from the shadows. A brilliant plan, indeed. But he’s being far too optimistic."

Ye Li glanced at Mo Xiuyao and asked, "Xiu Yao, what do you think?" Leaning lazily against a large tree behind him, Mo Xiuyao chuckled, "What could I possibly think? A royal brotherly feud has nothing to do with outsiders like us." In other words, he wouldn’t intervene.

Xu Qingchen sighed softly. The enmity between Mo Xiuyao and the Great Chu imperial family ran deep. Many had been surprised that Mo Xiuyao hadn’t immediately raised an army in retaliation. Naturally, he wouldn’t lift a finger to save Mo Jingqi either. From the moment Mo Jingqi ascended the throne, he had been wary of Prince Ding’s Estate, Mo Xiuwen, and Mo Xiuyao. Yet he likely never imagined that the one who most wanted him dead was his own full-blooded younger brother.

After some thought, Xu Qingchen nodded. "Very well. Staying out of this is the right decision." Since the Northwest had already severed ties with the Great Chu, complete non-involvement in its affairs was best. Though things were peaceful now, everyone knew that a final clash between the Great Chu and the Northwest was inevitable. If the Northwest meddled in the Great Chu’s internal politics during this time, it would only tarnish Prince Ding and the Mo Family Army’s reputation.

"Shu Manlin’s ambitions this time are likely vast," Xu Qingchen remarked, frowning as he recalled the hundred elite warriors she had summoned from the Southern Border Sacred Ground. Those who resided in the Sacred Ground were undoubtedly first-rate experts. More importantly, the Nanzhao people were skilled in poisons and gu sorcery, making them even more dangerous. This was precisely why the Central Plains people had long avoided contact with the Southern Border tribes. Their own entourage was small, and if trouble arose, it would be a serious problem.

Mo Xiuyao smiled. "I doubt Princess Anxi is any less formidable. With Qingchen Gongzi secretly advising her, she must be even more unstoppable." Princess Anxi had managed to hold her own against Shu Manlin for years despite the King of Nanzhao’s favoritism—she was no pushover. Xu Qingchen gave a faint smile and nodded. "Princess Anxi told me that Pu A and her maternal grandfather’s tribe have sent many skilled warriors. She also has numerous loyal followers of her own. But this wedding..." What should have been a joyous occasion would likely be stained with blood.

Mo Xiuyao said, "The Nanzhao people don’t believe in such omens. They probably won’t mind."Xu Qingchen was at a loss—was this really about whether one minded or not? No one would be happy having their wedding turn into a bloody battlefield. Ye Li rested her elbow on the table, deep in thought, and said, "Could it be that Princess Anxi held this wedding specifically to deal with Shu Manlin?"

Xu Qingchen was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Ye Li shook her head. "I don’t know, but I feel Princess Anxi’s wedding came too suddenly. And… she even secretly invited experts to assist. If it wasn’t that Princess Anxi had foreseen this, then she must have set a trap specifically for Shu Manlin to walk into. But that doesn’t make sense either—after all, the King of Nanzhao is still around. Even if Princess Anxi won, she couldn’t kill Shu Manlin."

Mo Xiuyao chuckled. "It’s more likely that Princess Anxi was forced into a corner by Shu Manlin and the King of Nanzhao, leaving her no choice but to take a risky move. Did you notice how the King of Nanzhao completely ignored Pu A? That means he wasn’t really in favor of this marriage. In his heart… he probably wants to depose Princess Anxi."

"If the King of Nanzhao has no other children, deposing Princess Anxi would mean…"

Mo Xiuyao smiled. "Naturally, he’d appoint Shu Manlin. The Holy Maiden of the Southern Border holds a unique position in Nanzhao. There have been instances in history where a Holy Maiden temporarily took the throne, albeit for a very short time. Moreover, in recent years, Shu Manlin has been revered as Nanzhao’s savior, facing far fewer restrictions than previous Holy Maidens—almost none at all. Over the years, her influence in court has gradually grown to rival Princess Anxi’s. In such circumstances… persuading the King of Nanzhao to appoint a different Crown Princess isn’t impossible."

Ye Li sighed helplessly. Just listening to these royal power struggles was exhausting. It was truly admirable that Princess Anxi, a young woman, could persist so steadfastly in such a desperate situation.

"What does Wang Ye think?"

Mo Xiuyao replied calmly, "The Crown Princess must not be deposed, and the Holy Maiden of the Southern Border must not die."

Xu Qingchen fell silent. Mo Xiuyao intended to let them continue their struggle, ensuring Nanzhao remained too preoccupied to stir up other troubles. After all, the people of Nanzhao had long harbored ambitions toward the Central Plains. Even though the Mo Family Army no longer had ties with Great Chu, they couldn’t simply allow Nanzhao to covet their lands unchecked.