Chapter 43: The Waves Rise Again

On either side of the spacious, bright passage stood two rows of soldiers gripping long spears; each stood perfectly upright, and even as the ground shook violently again and again, they showed not the slightest movement.

A person hurried from the far end of the passage; Xuan Tian's steps were a bit hurried, but his expression remained extremely calm, and as he passed the corridor, the soldiers all stepped forward and saluted him.

He didn't even bother to return the salute, and walked up to a squad leader, asking, "Is the Empress all right?"

The ship lurched violently, and the squad leader wavered, nearly toppling over; he quickly steadied himself with his spear and respectfully replied, "Report to the General, the Empress…" A look of hesitation flashed across his face; after a long pause he awkwardly continued, "She should… be all right, I think."

Xuan Tian's brows furrowed, and he said coldly, "What do you mean 'should be all right'? I…"

Unfortunately, before he could finish his sentence, a familiar voice from the room cut him off.

"Wu Ye, be honest—did you cheat while the ship was shaking just now?"

"……"

"Miss, Wu Ye didn't cheat; it really settled," a soft feminine voice rang out.

When Xuan Tian, trembling, lifted the curtain, he happened to see the Empress of Qi Guo, who ranks above ten thousand, already shed her phoenix crown and sunrise robe, her face full of resentment as she glared at the masked man opposite her.

She wore a simple lake‑blue silk outfit, her previously tied palace bun let down, her dark hair loosely bound with a white silk strip.

Although she glared, she lounged lazily on a soft cushion, her delicate face—neither too strong nor too faint—seemed to possess an innate elegance, now exuding an indescribable liveliness and composure.

Xuan Tian couldn't help but be taken aback; the Emperor had once said this girl exuded a noble and aloof aura from her very bones, making her the ideal candidate for the Empress. He had scoffed then, thinking, "She's just a crazy girl—where does any such aura come from?"

But until yesterday, when he saw her by the sea, playing the zither and singing, she unintentionally captured everyone's attention. It truly was:

Red robes, black hair, a clear, resonant song.

Waters shimmering, as if in a dream.

In that instant, he suddenly felt that the Emperor, after all, was the Emperor, and his decisions were always correct.

"Miss," Xin Luo, holding a playing card, leaned toward me, stared at the cards before Wu Ye for a long while, then asked, "Does Brother Wu Ye settle like this?"

I replied irritably, "Yes! That kid even claims he's never gambled—he's definitely lying!"

Xin Luo happily spread the cards before me, clapped and said, "Then I settle too."

"No way!" I picked up his cards and stared for a while, exclaiming, "They're all the same suit. Xin Luo, are you really twelve?"

Xin Luo looked at me, shook his head seriously, and said, "Miss, Xin Luo is only ten years old."

I collapsed in dejection; what kind of low‑IQ brats are these?

"Miss…" Xin Hui, hesitating, moved a bit closer, snickered, spread her cards, and said, "Actually I was about to say, I… I also settle!"

"MY GOD!" I shouted, clutching my head in pain, "It's still 'one shot three bangs'—did you guys collude?"

Xin Luo lifted her pretty little face and asked, "Miss, what does 'selling high' mean?"

In desperation I looked up to see Xuan Tian, his face turning blue as if about to faint from a heart attack, like a drowning man clutching a lifeline; I sprang to his side with a "whoosh," smiling, and said, "General Xuan, outside… (the ship jolted violently, I staggered then steadied) how's the battle outside?"

Xuan Tian silently repented, wondering how he had just thought this person possessed a mother‑like grandeur; after a long moment he forced a normal expression, lowered his hand and said, "Report to the Empress, those are merely petty ruffians, no cause for concern."

I nodded, and after boarding the ship I realized that, though its exterior seemed flashy and empty, its internal military gear was quite complete; it seemed Wei Lingfeng had long known an attack was inevitable and had made ample preparations!

Suddenly the hull lurched even more violently, and I, not paying attention, nearly fell.

The next second I was already in a warm embrace; I smiled gratefully at Wu Ye, whose expression I couldn't see, but he glanced at me and steadied me. His hand, however, lingered behind my back, perhaps fearing I'd fall again.

Rapid footsteps sounded from outside the room; I saw Xuan Tian's complexion shift slightly, a flash of brilliance in his eyes, and I coldly laughed, "General Xuan, at least tell me which big fish the Emperor is after."

Xuan Tian showed no surprise, merely replying with a grudging tone, "The Emperor said he couldn't hide it from you, and indeed he was right. Damn, the old ghost of Yin Guo is now busy dealing with the Emperor's 'Heavenly Armor Special Force', so he has no way to spare a spirit for here."

I was taken aback: "A warship from Yue Guo? That makes no sense; you have Yin Guo between you and Yue Guo. Shouldn't you be keeping clear of each other's waters now?"

I had always thought Wei Lingfeng was after the big fish in Yin Guo, using this raid as a pretext to legitimately dispatch troops against Yin Guo. Coupled with the previous envoy massacre, the moral side of the world was self‑evident.

But now he's waiting for Yue Guo—that's just too odd.

While I was pondering, the soldier rushed in, gave me a half‑bow, then reported the battle to Xuan Tian. Xuan Tian issued orders one by one, then sent the soldier away, showing no sign of haste.

Seeing I was still lingering, Xuan Tian gave a sly smile and said, "When the Emperor spoke, I was also puzzled. He only said, 'Do you think Fu Junmo would be so foolish as to openly raise Yue Guo's banner for a surprise attack?'"

What a move by Wei Lingfeng! I couldn't help but sigh inwardly; this 'turn the plan against itself' is truly vicious, but on what basis does he assume Fu Junmo would definitely dispatch a fleet to intercept?

While I was thinking, Xuan Tian continued, "The Emperor also said this battle might yield unexpected gains."

I was startled, then realized, sneering, I shook my head, "Wei Lingfeng's idea is delusional; even a dimwitted Fu Junmo wouldn't personally appear at such a crucial moment..."

My words vanished under Xuan Tian's strange stare; I turned back, examined myself, and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"The Emperor said..." Xuan Tian shook his head, his face full of disbelief, "That could be uncertain."

I was too lazy to dissect his baffling words and gaze; after a moment I frowned and asked, "General Xuan, why are you so confident about this battle? When it comes to naval warfare, you should be far inferior to Yue Guo, right?"

Xuan Tian's expression hardened, a war‑like red glow flashing in his eyes, and he exclaimed excitedly, "They may come prepared, but we calculate their lack of intent; who wins or loses is still uncertain! Besides, I love fighting such uncertain battles—the more perilous, the more fun!"

Seeing my shocked face, he suddenly became aware of his role, awkwardly scratched his head and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, do not worry; the Emperor bets that they, masquerading as Yin Guo's fleet, would never dare reveal their true strength!"

I clutched a soft pillow, letting my body sway with the ship's motion. I was grateful I didn't suffer from seasickness, but even that gratitude turned to boredom.

Let's play cards! Too embarrassing. The three of them just learned and already play better than me.

"Sigh..." I exhaled heavily, the ship jolted again, and suddenly my eyes lit up; I leapt up, grabbed Wu Ye, and shouted, "How about we go out and see how the naval battle is going?"

Wu Ye frowned (— guessing) and said coldly, "Too dangerous."

"That's still better than suffocating here!" I turned, looking pitifully at Xin Hui and Xin Luo, "Aren't you bored?"

Xin Luo's face showed mischievous excitement—kids are kids; Xin Hui hesitated—girls are easily coaxed. I finally put on a "pitifully cute" expression before Wu Ye and said, "Hey, are you still not going to have a soft spot?"

"Fine," he finally relented, "but you must stay by my side. Your internal energy may be strong, but your martial skills are lacking; don't overreach."

I nodded obediently, yet inwardly scoffed: "What does 'internal energy strong but martial skill weak' even mean? The techniques I learned in assassin training are far more useful than your ancient, flashy sword and fist styles."

By the way, why have I never seen Wu Ye wield a weapon? I'll go tomorrow to Wei Lingfeng's palace and steal a suitable weapon for him.

Unwittingly, we had reached the bow. I never expected that, by a casual glance, I would spot across the not‑too‑distant sea a tower ship comparable in size to ours, continuously deploying small warships (battleships) onto the rolling waves.

Perhaps because of my internal energy, my eyesight improved dramatically, especially my distant vision surpassing even Wu Ye's. So even though that tower ship was at least a hundred meters away, and its crew had once appeared to me as mere dark silhouettes, I could now clearly see the figure standing on its highest deck, amid the crowd, gazing toward us—the Crown Prince of Yue Guo, Fu Junmo.

That guy's insane! That was my first thought.

I glanced at the sea and saw Xuan Tian leading from the front on a battleship, his face excited as he commanded the troops against Yue Guo's warships. We were on a part of the hull far from the front lines, and the soldiers locked in fierce combat didn't notice us.

Wei Lingfeng had indeed guessed correctly; Yue Guo did not employ the stolen Lan family's navigation technology, and their warships bore no obvious national flags.

As for Fu Junmo, I could recognize him at a glance, but that was simply because I had interacted with Feng Yin Mo so many times, and my sight reaches far enough to easily discern him.

Otherwise, to me he seemed surrounded and protected by the crowd, while to others he was just another ordinary member packed among them.

Just as I was momentarily stunned, Wu Ye said in a low voice, "They're coming."

Startled, I leaned forward and saw Fu Junmo and his retinue bypassing the sea area where Xuan Tian was fighting, marching straight toward us. Fu Junmo stood arrogantly on the swiftly moving ship, hand on his arm, his burning gaze fixed on me.

I was slightly stunned—how could Fu Junmo see me? As far as I knew, his martial skill shouldn't even match Wu Ye's.

While I was pondering, Wu Ye already grabbed my arm and hurried, "There are opponents on that ship I can't handle; we must return quickly."

At a moment like this there was no reason to be reckless; I hurriedly pulled Xin Luo, who was watching intently, and the startled Xin Hui, and we rushed toward the cabin.

Suddenly, an odd floral fragrance filled the air. As I was bewildered, I heard Xin Luo let out a sudden scream, clutching his hair and collapsing to the ground.

"Luo Er—!" Xin Hui's expression shifted from shock to terror; she rushed forward, hugging the suffering Xin Luo, and hoarsely said, "Miss, it's the fragrance of Luo Fu; it can trigger the Thousand Insects Ten Thousand Flowers within Luo Er."

My heart jolted; I reached out, pressing a few of Xin Luo's acupoints to stop his self‑harm, and sliced his pulse with my middle finger.

Xin Hui repeatedly wiped the sweat beads on Xin Luo's forehead with her sleeve, crying, "Miss, what should we do? Once the Thousand Insects Ten Thousand Flowers is triggered by Luo Fu, there is no true antidote; Luo Er will endure pain for seven days and nights until his meridians rupture and he dies!"

Xin Luo's body began convulsing, white foam spilling from his mouth, his face alternating red and pale. I withdrew my hand, a surge of alarm in my chest; indeed, the myriad qi currents and blood raging inside him now could not be suppressed by the antidote I had prepared based on the medicine guide from "Eagle Child."

My mind tangled like hemp, yet my thoughts gradually cleared; Fu Junmo had clearly come prepared. Moreover, it seemed he targeted Xin Luo rather than me. Could it be that the innocence of the Key Kingdom has silently changed?

I jolted, suddenly realizing—Fu Junmo came for Xin Luo? What exactly is Xin Luo's status that makes each generation of the Key Kingdom's king so anxious?

"Ruo Er." After a brief moment of thought and hesitation, Fu Junmo's ship had come within ten meters of the tower ship I was on. The battlefield over there raged like fire, and Fu Junmo, perched atop his vessel, stared coldly at me, "Come back with me."

I was speechless—does this guy really use the same line every time we meet? Releasing my grip on Xin Luo, I stepped to the bow, inhaled deeply, gathered internal force, and let my voice carry steadily across the vast sea.

"Feng Yin Mo, bring the antidote for the Thousand Insects Ten Thousand Flowers!"

Sure enough, the shout snapped the attention of Xuan Tian and the other commanders fighting. Xuan Tian's excited expression turned to tension and shock, and he hurriedly led half his soldiers toward us.

It's not that I dare not expose Fu Junmo's identity; it's just that this battle, the exploitation and being exploited, are matters between him and Wei Lingfeng, unrelated to me.

Fu Junmo's eyebrows twitched slightly; he gave a signal to the gray‑haired elder beside him, who leapt and landed steadily on our ship.

What terrifying lightness! I was still marveling when Wu Ye shoved me aside, and when I turned back, I saw him already tangled in combat with the elder.

"Ruo Er, stop the fuss." Fu Junmo glanced at Xuan Tian and the others rushing over, indifferent, "You saw it too—Wei Lingfeng married you only to use you. Come obediently with me back to the Key Kingdom; I will treat you well."

I sneered, "Is that so? I thought you came to retrieve Xin Luo!"

At least Wei Lingfeng's exploitation is outright and open.

Fu Junmo's complexion changed; he said coldly, "Ruo Er, don't be oblivious. Back when I was still the Crown Prince, you said I shouldn't set conditions for you; now… am I qualified?"

As he spoke, he waved his hand; several attendants behind him casually sprayed something into the sky, and the fragrance grew stronger. Xin Luo's scream echoed as his acupoints, destabilized by the intense aura, dispersed on their own. Xin Hui clutched him tightly, crying, her face already marked with several blood scratches.

Looking at Wu Ye, though the fight now seemed indecisive, the elder's inner force was clearly of the pure, lingering type; after a prolonged battle, Wu Ye would inevitably be at a disadvantage.

Xuan Tian and his group were about to arrive, but seeing Fu Junmo and the dozen or so people beside him exude calm confidence, it seemed each was a master. Facing ten opponents alone was no issue. The worst part was that the Key Kingdom is surrounded by water on three sides, and almost everyone grows up unafraid of water, unlike the soldiers of Qi Kingdom who are mostly landlubbers.

What on earth is that bastard Wei Lingfeng scheming? This battle is so uncertain… I anxiously glanced toward the distant tower ships of the Key Kingdom, and a thought suddenly flashed in my mind—could it be…?

"Ruo Er, the Crown Prince gives you one final chance. One option is to take Xin Luo with me back to the Key Kingdom to become the future empress; otherwise, let him suffer alive for seven days before dying, though you won't be able to see it."

So the choices are: one, a life of wealth and honor; the other, a gruesome death, plus sacrificing Xin Luo's life as well?

I scanned the chaotic battlefield, drew the pistol at my waist, and gave a cold smile, "What a pity, Crown Prince, I refuse to choose any of them!"

As I spoke, I had already coated the bullet with a lethal toxin that melts on contact and disperses inside the body, loaded it into the pistol, chambered it, and took aim.

At the moment the bullet detonated, even a trace of the toxin would be enough to seal his death.

One second before pulling the trigger, I looked at the puzzled Fu Junmo and said in a deep voice, "Feng Yin Mo, one final piece of advice: never attempt to control another's fate…"

"Bang—" The massive gunshot, echoing with the words I powered with internal force, rang across the empty sea, shocking everyone in and out of the battle.

I lowered the gun, my trembling hands hanging at my sides, watching the incredulous Fu Junmo clutch his chest and collapse; his face faintly uttered the remaining words, "Otherwise, one day your fate will no longer be your own!"

"You stinky brat! What have you done to the Crown Prince?" the gray‑haired elder shouted wildly, trying to charge forward, but Wu Ye held him back with effort.

I slipped the gun back into my waist, said solemnly, "Fu Junmo has been poisoned; if he doesn't take the antidote within half an hour, he'll die. How about it? Trade his life for Xin Luo's—quite a bargain, right?"

The gray‑clad elder's complexion changed sharply, and he leapt back to Fu Junmo's side. After a brief silence, the elder suddenly stepped to the bow and announced loudly, "The Crown Prince says the antidote can be exchanged, but the lady must go alone to retrieve it!"

I sighed helplessly and nodded.

Wu Ye grabbed me, his eyes silently urging me not to. Xuan Tian and his party arrived at that moment, and hearing the last sentence, they shouted loudly, "Lady must not take any risk; we will retrieve the antidote for you!"

Xin Hui clutched my sleeve, sobbing, "Miss…"

Please! I'm not going to die; I shook off the two of them, rushed to the rail, and shouted, "Old man, I don't have your superb lightness, I can't fly over!"

While everyone was stunned, the gray‑haired elder, his expression solemn, led me onto their warship.

The situation on the sea surface instantly escalated to a tinderbox; Xuan Tian and his men each gripped their weapons tightly, while Wu Ye stood proudly at the bow, ready to dash forward at any sign of trouble.

When I stepped onto the warship, I saw Fu Junmo's chest drenched in fresh blood, staining his plain white undergarment. A group of people were hurriedly bandaging him.

He paid them no mind, his eyes locked on me, his expression a mix of hatred, grievance, and other feelings I preferred not to probe.

Come to think of it, he hadn't really done anything excessive to me. Now his face was pallid from the bullet lodged inside, his forehead tinged blue from the poison, yet he refused to show weakness before me. I sighed and told the busy crowd, "Step aside."

Of course they wouldn't move back just because I said so, but a single glance from Fu Junmo made them obediently step aside, each watching me warily.

I approached his front, unwrapped the bandages, and used internal force to tear his chest clothing; a small wound on his right chest was bleeding profusely. I thought inwardly, "The QSG92 pistol is truly impressive—its range can even pierce the body like this."

"What weapon actually wounded me?" Fu Junmo's voice suddenly sounded beside my ear.

I didn't answer, calmly looking at him, "Give me the antidote for the Thousand Insects Ten Thousand Flowers, and I can save your life."

He glared at me, the dark red blood from his chest flowing faster, and I stared back unflinchingly. Finally, a trace of deep pain flickered in his eyes as he frowned, "Give her the Luo Fu Root."

The elder hurriedly handed me the antidote, scolding, "Bring your antidote already!"

I smiled, waved at Wu Ye on the opposite bow, and he immediately "flew" over.

I took the antidote from Wu Ye's hand, about to hand it to the gray‑haired elder, when Fu Junmo suddenly said in a deep voice, "You administer the medicine."

(End of Chapter)