Chapter 2104

She was clear-headed about it—after all, once she obtained the 《Breaking the Cocoon》 technique, she would have to leave Mu State, and if she ever had other thoughts… so the Nine Nether Great Emperor still needed to dangle more heart methods and divine powers before her, like the long string controlling a kite.

But she didn't mind at all. She had spent her entire life being used; He Lingchuan first bestowed favor, then lured her—his methods were a hundred times gentler than others'.

Besides, he was the Lord of Flashing Gold.

Then it wouldn't be called being used, but serving the emperor.

"Take this heart method with you on the road and study it slowly," He Lingchuan said without beating around the bush. "I'll give you five days to prepare. The team assigned to you will escort you to Mu State. Your business in Tu City—I can have someone help you run it."

"Then thank you, Great Emperor." Mei Fei stood up. "I'll take my leave first."

She radiated vitality, leaving without a cloak. No matter who looked at her, she returned their gaze with flowing eyes—this moment was exactly like a red lotus blooming, radiant and exquisite!

Compared to when she first sat down, she now seemed even more beautiful and spirited.

Half the tea patrons on the second floor had their eyes glued to her.

The waiter opposite, carrying a tray, kept staring at her and directly knocked over another customer.

Watching her graceful retreat, He Lingchuan waved his hand twice in front of Dong Rui's eyes: "Come to your senses yet?"

Dong Rui finally managed to shift his gaze, then sighed.

He Lingchuan sipped his tea and said slowly: "Some lovely flowers are both beautiful and poisonous—if you want to keep them in your own garden, all the other plants in the garden will die."

Dong Rui murmured: "Wouldn't it be better to ruin someone else's garden, then?"

He Lingchuan shrugged.

"You let her get close to You Su—will she go along with it?"

"She will. But her ultimate goal will inevitably be You Huan." He Lingchuan called the waiter over to settle the bill. "You En Guang should have already noticed—Mei Fei isn't easily controlled; she will act according to her own will. That's why he wants to get rid of her."

"Does she really want to go to Mu State?"

"She really does." He Lingchuan chuckled. "Do you think, compared to flourishing with long sleeves in Mu Du, she'd prefer staying in an obscure little town running a wine shop? Her talents aren't just enough to make two rich young men vie for her affection and come to blows."

A person unable to exert their strengths is actually quite stifled.

Living a stable, prosperous life might be the lifelong aspiration of most women, but not Mei Fei's.

This language flower, soaked too long in the venom of revenge, He Lingchuan saw at first glance—she could never return to plainness.

How could her life lack lies, how could it lack betrayal, how could it lack deceit, bloodshed, and slaughter?

Nourished by these, she is the world's most lovely and most radiant poisonous flower.

He Lingchuan once asked her: Who are you? Who do you want to become?

Obviously, Mei Fei has already found the answer.

￥￥￥￥￥

Ya State's plundering has left the Bailie people seething with resentment.

Their resentment is directed not only at Ya State, but also at the Bailie Lu family.

As the lord of Bailie, the Lu family failing to protect civilians' wealth is bad enough—now they can't even protect the population!

Before, the people could endure Ya State's harassment and stay because they were attached to Bailie's fertile land, where anything planted yielded high returns—even if their grain and money were looted, there was still a surplus, enough to keep themselves fed; but now, if even their lives can't be preserved, who would dare stay in Bailie after strong farmers are suddenly seized and made slaves?

If Ya State people come to plunder twice more, large numbers of civilians will flee south—either to Qing State or to Dao Feng Port and Yang Shan Islands—in short, they won't stay in Bailie.

You must know it's currently the busy farming season, the able-bodied population has sharply declined, which will certainly affect field harvesting and thus deal a heavy blow to Bailie.

At that time, Lu Qinglin had already been recalled to fight on Mu State's western front. Bailie's plea for aid to Mu State went unanswered, so they had no choice but to grit their teeth and act themselves, sending Lu Liu's son Lu Qingbin to intercept the Ya army.

Lu Qingbin has grown rapidly on the battlefield these past few years, winning several battles, and is the pride of Old Six Lu's family. If it weren't for the Ya State army's quality being clearly superior to Bailie's by a large margin, he should have performed even more outstandingly.

This afternoon, Lu Zhenxian was eating fruit after a meal. The mulberries grown in his own garden were absurdly sweet, the green dates even more fresh and juicy—crisp with a crack when bitten.

His attendant, however, came flying in and fell flat on his face:

"Master, it's not good, Master!"

Lu Zhenxian slapped him away, annoyed: "Who's not good?"

The attendant, after taking the slap, spoke with some difficulty: "Young Master, at Liangliang Gou, engaging the Ya army—great, great victory."

"Isn't a great victory good?"

"But Young Master shot the enemy commander dead with one arrow!" The attendant pointed at his own eyes, "It went straight into the eye—he died on the spot!"

"Isn't that good?" The son keeps getting more formidable, the father is very proud! Hmm, wait a second—"Who was the Ya army commander who got shot dead?"

"It's… it's Ya State's Third Prince Xian Da Ye!"

Upon hearing that name, Lu Zhenxian's vision went black, he nearly stumbled and fell—only the attendant quickly grabbed him.

Oh no, sure enough, it's bad.

The Ya king's son was shot dead by his son with one arrow—can the Ya king just let it go?

Sure enough, two quarters of an hour later, the Lu clan elder Lu Lu Zhensheng found him and began cursing loudly:

"Your son's done a fine thing! He shot dead Ya State's Third Prince—felt good, but where has he put Bailie!"

Lu Zhenxian weakly defended: "On the battlefield, blades and arrows are blind—who knew his son wouldn't be shot…"

"Ya State is retaliating against Bailie—you say what to do?" Lu Lu Zhensheng, furious, his face turned the color of pig's liver: "Originally, the Ya army just looted some money and grain, some people—now it's fine, the Ya king certainly won't just let it go."

After receiving the urgent summons from the clan head, Lu Qingbin and his sister quickly led their troops back.

Just returned to the mansion, Lu Zhenxian grabbed them and dragged them to a secluded place to question: "How did you kill Xian Da Ye?!"

"That night had stars but no moon, the light was dim—I only knew I hit someone, but didn't know it was him who died!" Lu Qingbin's face also looked grim, "One person does the deed, one person bears the blame—Ya State blames me, I'll take it myself!"

Lu Feiyan flew into a rage: "Ya State is wantonly plundering on our land, we repel the invaders and still have to apologize to the enemy—truly, where is the reason! Live or die, we won't bow and wait for slaughter. My brother still has three thousand men under him, I here have one thousand five—if Ya State dares to step into Bailie again, we'll perish together! Also to let them know, Bailie people aren't all like Lu Lu Zhensheng, that coward!"

Lu Zhenxian looked at his son and daughter, tears streaming down his face. His wife had already fainted from crying.

Clearly they are this outstanding, clearly they have innocent hearts, clearly they bled and sweated for Bailie, fighting to the end—why can't his children get a good ending?

Is it them who are wrong, or is this damned world wrong?!