Chapter 744

As evening approached, not long after, Ling Feng and the others woke up; upon seeing the scene before them clearly, they couldn't help but be greatly frightened.

They had previously been in dire straits in the gloomy, terrifying tomb passage, and after taking the empress's medicine they immediately fainted; when they woke again, they found themselves lying in a grove.

The empress and the emperor stood guard beside them, the empress herself holding a water-filled leather bag, as if she were about to rush over at any moment to embrace them and give them water.

Ling Feng and the others felt they had done nothing to deserve such lavish care from the emperor and empress.

The several people hurriedly knelt in a row before Xiao Yin and Gu Jiu Ling.

Xiao Yin waved his hand: "All rise, no need for so much ceremony now that the situation is special; first drink water, replenish your strength, and later there will be work to do."

Gu Jiu Ling quickly passed the water bag over; they had just climbed such a long road, almost dying of thirst and hunger.

Starving to death they could endure, but they are warriors? The key is thirst—no one could make it to Chengde.

Even the water from the cave entrance earlier, which was mixed with something, they dared not drink; now after drinking this water, each of them looked somewhat relieved.

Ling Feng knelt before Xiao Yin: "Your Majesty, what should we do from now on?"

Xiao Yin glanced at Gu Jiu Ling beside him, learned of her background, and consequently followed her arrangements in everything.

Gu Jiu Ling said: "Let's find a town ahead to rest for a while; tomorrow I still want to make a trip to Mo Bei."

"Your Majesty, this time I will go alone to Mo Bei; you should return to Jing Cheng, for if you are delayed and something really goes wrong, it would not be good for you."

The identities of those persons Gu Jiu Ling had just seen in the Murong Family tomb, and from the tomb passage they also obtained a list of the Murong Family's household slaves, which included Mr. Wen's name.

This tomb originally also had Jialuo involved in its trimming; indeed, each person's name was carved in the key details, so the Wen family were naturally slaves of the Murong Family.

Gu Jiu Ling couldn't help but let a bitter smile touch her lips at this thought; she guessed Mr. Wen never imagined that the Gu Kang he had painstakingly supported actually lacked any Murong bloodline—in this world, the evil dragon royal line left only him as a child.

But this secret had long been buried deep by his maternal grandfather.

Back then many people sought this place; even if Mr. Wen knew that the Murong Family's purpose lay here, lacking the Murong bloodline he had no chance to enter.

Later, as they grew older, their primary task became to seize the opportunity to support Gu Kang in restoring the state.

Because they were busy with the restoration, Mr. Wen simply had no time to bring Gu Kang here, and thus there was no record known.

Once things have come to this, if any sudden trouble arises, then the whole realm will be in bad shape.

As soon as Gu Jiu Ling finished speaking, Xiao Yin unexpectedly reached out, took her hand, and said gently: "Gu Kang's abilities are still not bad; since someone is managing the realm for me, why would I not enjoy it? I won't let useful labor go to waste."

"I will still go with you to Mo Bei again; this time you'd better not think of abandoning me."

Having said that, Xiao Yin clung to Gu Jiu Ling like a piece of dog-skin plaster, sticking right beside her.

Gu Jiu Ling hadn't expected that Xiao Yin would deliberately let Gu Kang oversee the state; seeing that Gu Kang still held considerable prestige in court, plus Jia Kang's abilities were not bad.

Although this person is deep‑thinking and often does unexpected things, when he is absent, Gu Kang governs Southern Qi in orderly fashion.

Gu Kang, far away a thousand li, would never have guessed even if beaten to death that he was unwittingly doing someone else's wedding dress.

Xiao Yin and the others rushed to the town ahead, rested briefly for a night, and the next day set out toward Mo Bei.

Wan Chuan City, after experiencing that previous life‑and‑death battle, fell back into its former prosperity.

Even now, the ordinary people of Wan Chuan City do not know how many people actually died in the blaze on the lake's heart island.

As for the lord of the Heart‑Lake Island, what became of him afterward, they do not know.

All they saw was more and more soldiers streaming in to surround this small city tightly.

Only then did the populace realize that Wan Chuan City might be undergoing a change of heaven.

Yun Duo, after being released from the space by Gu Jiu Ling, remained in Wan Chuan City to recuperate.

These days she had been brought here by Bai Xiaosheng, who imprisoned her in a dark, sunless dungeon.

She fought Bai Xiaosheng to the death, nearly risking her life against him, until at last her master came and saved her life.

Even now Yun Duo does not know how her master managed to bring her out of that place; she always feels something is odd about it.

But her master left Wan Chuan City together with the emperor, not knowing where they went; she had wanted to follow, but her master forcibly had her stay here to recuperate.

Yun Duo is a person left behind by the nobles; those servants also sensed that her status was not ordinary, and they attended to her with extra care.

Yun Duo recovered her health and finally managed to climb up from the bed.

These days she had been staying at the government office; now feeling a bit bored, she wanted to go out and stroll around the streets.

The lord of Wan Chuan City, hearing Yun Duo's words, did not dare to detain her, and sent a few people to follow behind her as guards.

Yun Duo opened her mouth but said nothing; her body has now recovered to about eighty or ninety percent, and the few guards sent to protect her are all inferior to her in martial skill.

If danger were to arise, these people would not be reliable, but since it is the lord's goodwill, she also tacitly accepts it.

Yun Duo walked into the shop selling hair ornaments and jade ware; her master liked jade, so she carefully selected items to give as a present to Gu Jiu Ling, just as she had done before.

She had just picked out a few hairpins, intending to leave one for Jiu Yue as well, when a sound of footsteps came from the doorway.

Yun Duo glanced casually; entering was a youth from a certain Mo Bei tribe, accompanied by a woman who looked somewhat coquettish and fiery.

The woman angrily shook off the youth's hand: "We had a marriage agreement before; now that those two little brats have come, everything good to eat or drink in the house is first reserved for them."

"It's just two Han children we don't even know—do they really deserve such attention from you?"

"Now my father has already picked another match for me; your family is poor to begin with, and your father bringing back those two children only increases the expenses."

"Anyway, those two children aren't your own—just throw them away."

The young man said softly: "He Ya, hear me out—we two have long had a marriage agreement, and I owe you nothing less."

"Father said those two children are also pitiful; they encountered a sandstorm, and Father unintentionally brought them back—we can't just see them die and not save them, then throw them out."

"I will give you the camels, cattle, and sheep you want; how do those two children offend your eye?"

The girl called He Ya shoved the youth aside: "Forget it; in short, if you want me to marry into your family, those two children must be sent away."

"Actually, selling them would be better; looking at how clever those two children are, they could fetch a good price."

Yun Duo's mind stirred: two children? A sandstorm?

She stepped forward a step and blocked the couple.