Chapter 179

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Xuan Ge

Changle Street of the Luofu Xian Zhou.

A slender figure walked unhurriedly through the crowd.

Her steps were more bewitching and graceful than usual; with each light sway of her waist she exuded a touch of soft, alluring charm.

It was Ting Yun, only now her brown-black fox ears drooped with unusual docility, and her apricot eyes held less of a fox spirit's lively cunning as they shifted.

An extra trace of cold, bewitching allure that did not belong to her was lazily sizing up the surrounding scenery.

No one knew that control of this body had long since changed hands.

Ting Yun's consciousness curled in the depths of her Soul Sea, watching everything outside, and spoke up to remind Huan Long, who was controlling her:

"Huan Long, although you persuaded Lord Yu Kong and won time to act, don't forget our three-chapter agreement."

Huan Long pinched Ting Yun's small folding fan at her fingertips, lightly covering the corner of her lips.

The movement was soft and bewitching, the tail of her voice carrying a few parts of careless mockery:

"Heh~ Understood, little fox."

"I'll help you ferret out the mastermind who harmed you; I'm only borrowing your flesh to seize the Ambrosial Arbor."

"You can't resist me, and I even saved the Merchant Guild's people, so this deal is perfectly fair."

The Ting Yun in the Soul Sea fell silent for a moment, her thoughts involuntarily drifting back to a short while ago.

Ever since Huan Long seized control of her body, the Minghuo Merchant Guild she led had just sailed out of the star domain where the Luofu Xian Zhou resided when they ran into a gang of utterly vicious interstellar pirates.

The enemy's objective was extremely clear — they came straight for the Minghuo Merchant Guild without the slightest hesitation.

This wasn't particularly strange; merchant guilds suffering robbery in the Huan Yu is a common occurrence.

What was weird was that Abundance abominations were actually mixed in among these pirates, and they had deliberately disguised themselves as the Shen Wu Army.

Every move deliberately imitated the Shen Wu Army's way of doing things, attempting to pass off the fake as genuine.

The Third Abundance War merely broke the abominations' backbone.

As long as the Abundance Aeon exists, these abominations will sprout again and again like wild grass, never killed cleanly.

It was Huan Long using Destruction power to forcibly torture and interrogate one of the abominations that dug out the truth.

This gang was acting on orders; their purpose was to exterminate the Minghuo Merchant Guild to the last man, then pin all the blame on the Shen Wu Xian Zhou afterward.

Tracing it to its root, it was merely because the Shen Wu Xian Zhou has been silently lying low in recent years.

This unfathomable pressure made certain people give birth to fear.

Wary that Xuan Ge was secretly plotting something big, they simply struck first to gain the upper hand, using the Abundance abominations' hands to plant evidence and frame them.

Ting Yun shared the outside view and senses with Huan Long, yet she could never wrest back control of her body.

She watched Huan Long change direction and head straight toward the Alchemy Commission's location, puzzlement prompting her to ask:

"That may be so, but I still want to ask — what are you going to the Alchemy Commission for?"

"Little fox, don't interrupt; just watch quietly." Huan Long's tone was indifferent, but her steps didn't pause in the slightest.

She had always been secretly keeping an eye on Xuan Yao's movements.

And she had unintentionally discovered a secret hidden extremely deep, which was why she specially borrowed Ting Yun's identity to come investigate.

Although she belongs to the Destruction camp, she has long since had a connection with Xuan Ge.

Moreover, with the Destruction Prince Xuan Xing there, the Destruction Hunt's strife has long since had no need for her to meddle.

She can't beat Xuan Ge, can't even out-sleep him, so she simply gave up completely and lay flat.

Just then, Ting Yun's gaze locked onto the figure ahead, her consciousness in the Soul Sea violently startled, and she subconsciously covered her small mouth:

"Ah~ It's Lord Xuan Yao!"

Only to see, at a street corner not far off, a youth of upright bearing standing there.

A head of neat white hair tied in a high ponytail, gilt-colored eyes warm and bright, clad in black-and-gold fitted attire.

The right half of his body was embroidered with exquisite cloud patterns; his whole being radiated the composure of a general's heir.

Seeing this face, Ting Yun instantly understood — the person Huan Long was looking for was precisely Xuan Yao.

Huan Long unhurriedly approached without changing expression, sought out a secluded tea stall by the street, and sat down.

She deliberately chose a corner seat, able to clearly see the movements ahead yet not easily noticed by others.

She took out a Jade Abacus and began secretly recording video, quietly staring at Xuan Yao and his party.

At this moment Xuan Yao stood slightly taller than his senior brother Yan Qing, standing obediently behind Yan Qing.

Greeting the Cloud Knight girl approaching them with a gentle voice:

"Su Shang, are you on patrol?"

Su Shang deliberately stiffened her little face, putting on the serious look she wears when patrolling.

But the corners of her mouth couldn't help bobbing up and down slightly; the mirth in her eyes couldn't be hidden no matter what.

"Heya~ Xuan Yao, are you an idiot?"

Guinaifen beside her couldn't help stepping closer, pointing at her own cheek, smiling as she gave a pointer.

"Look at me, learn from me."

As she spoke, she put on a deadpan serious face — eyes rigid, mouth flat, not a trace of her usual liveliness to be seen.

Xuan Yao and Yan Qing exchanged a glance, instantly understanding each other, and both turned their heads in unison, copying Guinaifen's example and stiffening their faces.

Three identical serious faces looked at Su Shang in perfect unison.

Su Shang could hold back no longer and burst into loud laughter right there, her laughter clear and hearty.

She walked straight past Yan Qing and Guinaifen, reached out and lightly pushed Xuan Yao's shoulder, her brows and eyes curved as she complained coquettishly:

"Hey~ that's enough, you, the dignified Shenwu Crown Prince, actually learned to be bad."

At this moment, Yan Qing and Guinaifen tacitly took a synchronized step backward, silently making space.

Making it obvious they intended to be melon-eating onlookers.

"I didn't." Xuan Yao laughed and scratched the back of his head.

He just wanted to turn his head and chat with Senior Brother, but discovered Yan Qing had already retreated to a spot two steps behind him.

Looking like it had nothing to do with him.

Su Shang didn't notice in the slightest that Guinaifen had already quietly retreated to the side, still staring fixedly at Xuan Yao.

Her fingers were slender as jade; even with years of sword practice, her knuckles showed no roughness.

Su Shang lightly tapped Xuan Yao's chest, her almond eyes curving into crescents:

"Xuan Yao, where were you looking just now? What, you disturbed my patrol and you still think you're in the right?"

Speaking, she set her hands on her hips, let out a soft hmph, feigning anger:

"Do you know, because of you, General Shence called me over for a dressing-down, the General he... he..."

The words reached her lips, but Su Shang suddenly froze; she touched her chin and frowned.

Her already insufficient brain spun rapidly, falling into a state of straining to remember, even her ear tips turning faintly red.

Xuan Yao looked at her adorably dazed appearance, the amusement in his eyes deepening, and reminded her in a gentle voice:

"Your heart is still that of a child, pure and untainted, true sincerity rare, very good."

Hearing this, Su Shang immediately nodded and repeated it after him, only her articulation was muddled and full of errors:

"Right, as heart has eat child, orange not yet...."

She turned her face away, not daring to look again at Xuan Yao's captivating golden pupils and gentle smile.

She didn't know why her whole body felt... felt... forget it.

Su Shang muttered softly: "Hmph~ however the General's words sound, they seem to be talking about me~"

Xuan Yao shook his head helplessly, enduring with patience to explain word by word: "It's 'ru', meaning you......"

Yan Qing and Guinaifen not far away retreated a few more steps in sync, glanced at each other, and chimed in unprompted unison:

"Very good, very good."

The melon-eating implication in that tone simply couldn't be hidden.

In the tea stall corner, Ting Yun covered her small mouth, eyes full of surprise, the voice in her Soul Sea carrying disbelief:

"Ah~ the Crown Prince actually likes Su Shang the Cloud Knight?"

She truly hadn't expected that the one with eyes sharp as blades on the battlefield, commanding the Cloud Knight Corps with strictness down to every step needing to be neat and uniform.

The Shenwu Crown Prince cold as ice to the outside, would actually show such a gentle side in private.

The young girl's eyes full of soft light, while Xuan Yao was like a green youth.

Huan Long lowered her eyes and gently shook her folding fan, muttering in a low voice, her tone carrying a few parts of knowing teasing:

"Heh~ Yao Guang ah Yao Guang~"

She just knew, Xuan Ge's seed would absolutely not grow crooked.

Look at this preference, clearly inherited his father's temperament ten out of ten.

This bias for the older one, simply no one beats it.

Thinking of this, Huan Long couldn't help but sigh in her heart for her own son Xuan Xing.

She never ever expected that Xuan Xing would just happen to like staying with Silver Wolf to play.

Turns out this child really takes after his mother, specially loves people who can keep him in check, truly inherited in one vein.

Xuan Yao on this side seemed to perceive Senior Brother's gaze behind him, and looked back with a sidelong glance.

Seeing Yan Qing and Guinaifen both giving him a thumbs-up, looking like "Junior Brother, cheer up."

He mustered his courage, tentatively looked at Su Shang, his voice carrying a few parts of a youth's awkwardness:

"That... my sword practice coursework for today is already done, how about... I accompany you on patrol together?"

"Ah~ really?" Su Shang's eyes instantly lit up, her heart full of joy.

But the next second she reined in her smile and said seriously, "Then we'll patrol a circle around Jinren Lane, the foot traffic there is heavy, just happens to need manpower."

Xuan Yao also immediately put away his smile, put on a serious look, and promised solemnly:

"No problem, after this patrol ends, I'll treat."

"No~ this time I'll treat you~" Su Shang's lips hooked into a confident smile, seizing the initiative to speak.

"My father said, a manly man must have responsibility, so it's still me treating."

Xuan Yao shook his head, his attitude extremely firm, not yielding in the slightest.

"My mother said... said..."

Su Shang was eager to retort, wanting to bring out her mother's words to persuade Xuan Yao.

But the words reached her lips, yet she suddenly forgot her mother's instructions, her little face instantly falling.

Xuan Yao looked at her flustered appearance and softly smoothed things over:

"Alright, no need to argue, you treat what you want to eat, I'll treat what I want to eat, that'll do."

Su Shang's eyes immediately brightened, she went along with the out and bounced:

"Good good, what my mother said must mean exactly this, then let's hurry and go!"