The clamor on the battlefield suddenly grew louder—terrified screams, bewildered shouts, agonized wails... The cacophony was relentless. Wugou's forces were clearly thrown into panic by the sudden intervention of Immortal Techniques, their soldiers retreating like a receding tide.
Baili Gelin urged the Centipede demon to pursue, but Lu Li swiftly grabbed her from behind, his voice frantic with anger, "Are you insane?! Intervening without permission—do you want to face severe punishment?!"
Disciples were strictly forbidden from interfering in mortal battlefields or political upheavals without the approval of elders or Celestials. Minor offenses could result in years of confinement, while serious ones might lead to flogging or even expulsion from the sect. Before their departure, the elders had repeatedly emphasized the need for humility and restraint in the Central Land—yet here she was, committing a grave mistake right from the start.
Seeing Baili Gelin's pale face and the flames of hatred burning in her eyes, Lu Li was inwardly shocked. She struggled fiercely, so he firmly gripped the back of her neck, channeling aquatic spiritual energy to soothe her turbulent emotions.
After a long while, Baili Gelin finally calmed down. Countless eyes on the battlefield watched her with either awe or resentment. After a moment of silence, she gently pushed Lu Li's hand away, and the Centipede demon soared high once more, turning toward the royal capital, Duantuo.
"Baili Gelin!" Lu Li called after her, his tone stern.
Whenever matters of troublesome romance weren't involved, this senior brother Lu would transform into an especially serious and rigid figure, lecturing wayward juniors who made mistakes. Her carefree nature had often drawn his reprimands in the past.
Baili Gelin didn't turn back, murmuring softly, "I acted impulsively. Old grudges and new hatred overwhelmed me. I couldn't hold back. I'll take the punishment from the elders later."
"I don't want to hear about punishment," Lu Li said, gazing at her slender back. "What old grudges and new hatred?"
He didn't know enough about her past. Though she had chattered endlessly before, it was always trivial, amusing anecdotes. This fragile yet unyielding girl—he couldn't grasp the threads of her life.
Baili Gelin glanced at him, a faint, mocking smile on her lips. "What, not afraid I'm just playing hard to get again?"
He averted his eyes awkwardly but quickly composed himself and met her gaze. "Tell me."
"...Next time," Baili Gelin sighed softly. "There are more urgent matters now."
Ji Tongzhou held a cyan jade wine pot in one hand, the long sleeve of his luxurious robe draped elegantly over the other, as he slowly filled four cups. With a flick of his fingers, three cyan jade wine cups brimming with fine liquor landed steadily before Ye Ye and the others, not a drop spilled.
"This is a vintage wine treasured in my estate for ten years. Last time you visited, it wasn't ready, but this year, you've arrived just in time."
His tone was leisurely, his expression calm. Raising his cup with a smile, he said, "I never expected you to come to Duantuo. I thought our parting would last years, yet here we meet again so soon. A toast to you."
Ye Ye held his cup, his face a mix of confusion and hesitation. Their journey to Duantuo had taken them through the borderlands of Yue, where they witnessed Wugou's invasion and even saw disciples of Long Mingzuo scattered throughout Lu Gongzhen. They had assumed Ji Tongzhou would be restless and furious, yet here he was, perfectly at ease in his estate, with fine wine and delicacies—and what seemed to be a beauty hidden behind the gauze curtains of his inner chamber.
After a pause, Ye Ye said thoughtfully, "Tongzhou, do you already have a foolproof plan?"Long Mingzuo was probably taking advantage of the chaos to stir up trouble this time. Ji Tongzhou could remain so composed, likely because Elder Xuanshan Zi was overseeing things from the rear. However, it was quite strange—Ji Tongzhou had never been the steady type. He was quick to anger and quick to laugh, yet now there wasn’t a trace of worry on his face. In fact, he seemed so leisurely, which was completely at odds with his usual demeanor.
Ji Tongzhou smiled but didn’t answer the question. Su Wan, standing opposite him, clearly didn’t understand the underlying complexities. After finishing her wine, she busied herself admiring the luxurious sights of the prince’s residence. Spotting the exquisitely crafted jade curtain hooks, she couldn’t resist walking over to pick one up and fiddle with it.
Ji Tongzhou glanced at her. The girl by the window suddenly seemed to transform into another petite figure—back then, she had also marveled at curtain hooks with the same naive curiosity. His hand instinctively reached into his sleeve pocket, but the Purple Jade Cricket was no longer there.
Instead, he pulled out a small white jade oriole and poured wine from his cup into its mouth. Soon after, the White Jade Oriole emitted a clear, melodious chirp, immediately drawing Su Wan’s attention.
“Play with this instead. What’s so interesting about curtain hooks?” The young prince smiled faintly and placed the chirping oriole into Su Wan’s palm.
Su Wan exclaimed in admiration and surprise, “I never expected someone like you to carry such trinkets around.”
Ji Tongzhou chuckled. “There’s more—Miaoqing.”
A woman’s voice immediately responded from behind the gauze curtains in the inner chamber, “Yes, Miaoqing is here.”
“Bring that chest.”
“Yes.”
Ye Ye listened to the girl’s voice—gentle and melodious, clearly belonging to a young woman—and couldn’t help but smirk suggestively. Had Ji Tongzhou finally started indulging in such pleasures?
The gauze curtains of the inner chamber were lifted softly as a beautiful maiden in a camellia white dress stepped forward respectfully, carrying a small sandalwood chest. She knelt halfway and raised the chest, speaking softly, “Your Highness, Miaoqing has brought it.”
Ye Ye was slightly startled by her attire—the camellia white dress, black trim at the collar, and a hibiscus hairpin by her ear. It was all so familiar! When she lifted her head, his surprise deepened—her features bore a faint resemblance to Li Fei’s, especially the subtle hint of a smile that radiated a lively spirit.
In a flash of realization, he turned to glance at Baili Changyue, who also wore a thoughtful expression. The realization only made him more awkward, so he pretended not to notice and averted his gaze, continuing to drink.
Ji Tongzhou opened the sandalwood chest, revealing an assortment of small trinkets—all things Jiang Li Fei had once adored. Over the years, these toys had been meticulously cleaned and stored each month. Six years later, they still looked as good as new.
Su Wan, oblivious to the undercurrents, leaned in for a closer look. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the girl’s familiar attire and glanced over casually before suddenly exclaiming, “Li Fei?! Wait… no… uh, never mind…”
She looked at Ji Tongzhou awkwardly, but his expression remained indifferent. He simply waved for Miaoqing to retreat to the inner chamber and took out a bronze bird from the chest, handing it to Su Wan.Su Wan had no mind for these little amusements now. She glanced awkwardly back at Ye Ye and the others. Baili Changyue shook her head and suddenly spoke: "Your Highness, self-deception does no one any good."
Ji Tongzhou seemed not to hear. He poured wine from the jug into a jade bowl. The bronze oriole in his palm suddenly stirred, dipping its head to drink from the bowl before trilling cheerfully. With the same smile as years past, he asked, "Isn't this more interesting?"
Just as Su Wan was about to speak, a clamor erupted outside the door, followed by hurried, disordered footsteps. The steward's panicked and urgent voice cried out from beyond: "Reporting to Your Highness, His Majesty—"
Before he could finish, the door was forcefully thrown open. The Emperor of Yue stumbled in, having come in such haste that his robes were disheveled, one foot even bare. In utter distress, he lunged forward to seize Ji Tongzhou, gasping as if unable to breathe: "Tongzhou! The news about Xuanshan Zi's passing... is it true?!"
At these words, Ye Ye and the other two immediately rose in shock. No wonder there were so many Long Mingzuo disciples in Lu Gongzhen, no wonder the Yue border was in chaos! Xuanshan Zi was dead? A Celestial elder, clearly not at the end of his lifespan—how could he have died so suddenly?
Ji Tongzhou steadied the Emperor's arm, his expression still calm as he soothed in a low voice: "Imperial Brother, there's no need for panic. Sit and catch your breath first."
The Emperor clung to him desperately, eyes filled with despair, repeating incessantly: "He's really dead? Really dead?!"
Ji Tongzhou replied coolly: "Yes, truly dead. Ambushed by Long Mingzuo's Zongquan. I was the one who returned his body to Star Rectitude Hall."
The Emperor collapsed to the floor, unable to move, only muttering: "What do we do... it's over... everything's over..."
Ji Tongzhou made no further attempt to comfort him, merely sitting quietly back in his chair and pouring another cup of wine.
Ye Ye exclaimed in shock: "Tongzhou! Why didn't you tell us?"
Xuanshan Zi had died before his eyes—he had even been the one to return the body. With Long Mingzuo provoking everywhere and the Yue border unstable, how could he remain so composed, living in luxury and peace within his palace? Was this still the Ji Tongzhou they knew?
Ji Tongzhou lifted his gaze to meet theirs. Everyone felt his eyes were as calm as dark water, yet seemingly concealing countless violent frenzies. His voice was soft: "What use would telling you have been?"
Ye Ye found it unbelievable: "We're friends. Did you intend to bear this alone?"
Ji Tongzhou suddenly laughed: "Bear it together? Get half-killed by Long Mingzuo's Celestials, then encourage each other through tears, moved by human compassion?"
Ye Ye abruptly closed his gaping mouth. Frowning at this unfamiliar Ji Tongzhou, he realized: when Yue was in crisis, Ji Tongzhou would surely go mad—and indeed he was mad, just not in the way they had imagined. The youth who had once fought Long Mingzuo disciples desperately at the East Sea Trial Grounds had been like a frail beast determined to roar. Now that beast no longer roared, and this silence was more unsettling than any frenzy.
"...What do you plan to do?" Ye Ye cut to the chase, wasting no more words.
Ji Tongzhou drained his cup in one gulp, then lightly kicked the sobbing Emperor sprawled on the floor, murmuring: "Stop crying. It's noisy."
The Emperor wailed, clutching at his leg, trembling: "Tongzhou! Tongzhou! What do we do? What do we do?!"The shrill, drawn-out wailing pierced his skull like steel needles, an unbearable pain that left him helpless. Ji Tongzhou grabbed the wine jug to pour another drink, only to find it already empty. He called out loudly, "Someone, fetch more wine from the cellar!"
After shouting several times with no response, the outside remained eerily silent. Ji Tongzhou glanced out and saw several stewards and a crowd of servants running around like headless flies in the distance. His expression darkened. Suddenly, he shot out like an arrow from a bow, seized the head steward by the back of his collar, and hurled him down from a height. The steward flailed as he crashed onto the brick floor, twitched for a moment, and then lay still as a pool of blood slowly stained the white tiles.
The chaotic crowd finally froze in horror, rooted to the spot. Ji Tongzhou said coldly, "No disorder. Return to your posts—anyone who steps beyond the manor gates will be treated as a deserter."
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