Chapter 174: Deeply Scheming Jiang Qiulan

Shen Yi still maintained the appearance of an outsider.

Just as previously thought, this top-ranked Demon-Suppressing General of Outside Qingzhou, a powerhouse merely one step away from the Slain Hunyuan Realm, who had also established magnificent merits for the imperial court, could not be forced to do anything by anyone, even in Jingcheng, if she did not wish to.

However, Prince Jinjiang seemed unwilling to speak with her further.

He soon turned his gaze toward Shen Yi and said, slightly nervously, "General Shen, I previously entrusted Miss Jiang to invite you to the banquet; you may have forgotten, so I came over..."

A flicker of confusion swept through Jiang Qiulan's eyes.

For this effeminate youth, upon reaching this point, suddenly cast a highly unfriendly glance at her.

"..."

Shen Yi raised his eyes to look at Prince Jinjiang and saw a hint of hidden expectation concealed on the other's effeminate face.

He pondered for a moment.

Suddenly, he realized something, and strangeness welled up in his eyes.

"What is going on?" Jiang Chengyun, after all, was a martial artist of the Elixir Formation Stage; what things had he not seen?

The more he listened, the more astonished he became.

He suddenly realized he had previously been worrying about the wrong target.

Shen Yi silently looked at Jiang Qiulan and found that the other was indeed graceful and elegant; after changing into a long skirt, she possessed an additional three parts of temperament.

He very much wanted to suggest that this prince go treat his eyes; this aesthetic was truly somewhat pathological.

"..."

To be honest, Jiang Qiulan had never encountered such a situation before.

Even when facing the ambush by the Little Demon King, her beautiful face, which had not shown the slightest ripple, now had a smile drawn at the corner of her lips, invisible to others.

If she remembered correctly, yesterday inside the Wang Fu, when the other left, he had not even glanced at her.

Only when the strangeness in Shen Yi's eyes grew increasingly intense did Jiang Qiulan turn back and say, "General Shen intends to return to Outside Qingzhou with me; I hope the prince will forgive me."

Before her words had fully faded, she found the prince looking back at her again.

The other's expression had previously been merely unfriendly, but now it held a touch of coldness; the corner of his mouth curled up in mockery: "So this is the reason why Miss Jiang, after agreeing to this prince, deliberately concealed the news and kept General Shen here to drink with you?"

The effeminate youth clicked his tongue and sighed with emotion: "Miss Jiang appears pure and innocent; I did not expect her scheming to be quite so deep, truly eye-opening!"

Having spoken, he sneered, waved his sleeve, and turned to leave.

Having just taken a step, he stopped again and looked at Shen Yi with a resentful gaze: "General Shen, Mother Wang Fei is furious; I slipped out early to remind you, so hurry and avoid her; do not be implicated by certain people."

Only after leaving this sentence did he turn around again.

By the time Prince Jinjiang quickly left the courtyard.

Jiang Chengyun silently looked at my lord Jiang and suddenly remembered that yesterday the other had asked Shen Yi for his sword to keep as a memento, calculated Shen General's character, and realized he would likely not attend any banquet, deliberately sent him away, and even, quite rarely, changed into a long skirt...

All the matters gathered together.

His long-held belief suddenly began to collapse!

"Continue laughing," Shen Yi raised his eyebrows and looked calmly at Jiang Qiulan; you like watching the spectacle, do you?

"..."

Jiang Qiulan had seen countless instances of jealousy, but this was the first time she was competing with someone else out of jealousy.

As a martial powerhouse about to break through to the Slain Hunyuan Realm, she naturally could not place such a small matter of offending a Wang Fu prince in her eyes.

She simply felt this experience was truly somewhat novel and sighed, saying, "I do not have the thoughts he mentioned."

Still being stubborn!

Jiang Chengyun clenched his teeth; as Jiang Qiulan's most steadfast follower, he had long discovered the other's abnormality.

As a Demon-Suppressing General, yet coming to stay in the Demon-Hunter's courtyard; known throughout Outside Qingzhou for never wasting time, yet voluntarily explaining cultivation techniques to General Shen; most importantly, even sending him away!

Fortunately, General Shen still maintained that aloof appearance.

Completely unshaken by external things.

"General Shen, should we go somewhere else first?" Jiang Chengyun clenched his fist and said in a muffled voice, "And my lord Jiang."

Offending a prince was not considered a major matter, but truly angering the Wang Fei would be even more terrifying than angering Prince Ji himself.

"Where do you all wish to go?"

A gentle laugh came from outside the courtyard; accompanied by two Bai Shan guards, the dignified and noble Prince Ji's Wang Fei walked into the courtyard slowly and leisurely.

"Qiulan greets the Wang Fei," Jiang Qiulan walked out of the room.

"No need for formalities," Prince Ji's Wang Fei waved her hand lightly, her smile growing even greater: "My lord Jiang has urgent duties, yet can still spare time to send someone to convey a message to the Wang Fu; this palace knows Outside Qingzhou is in crisis and will not take it to heart."

"Thank you, Wang Fei, for your understanding," Jiang Qiulan did not mind the needles hidden in the other's words.

Prince Ji's Wang Fei shook her head: "I dare not disturb you all further; this time I came only to ask my lord Jiang to convey a message to the Regional Commander of Outside Qingzhou for me."

She put away her smile and said meaningfully: "I hope that when his Yin Spirit is severed by the Demon King, he must, must remember that this is all thanks to his disciple's merit."

Having spoken, Prince Ji's Wang Fei turned and left.

There was not the slightest intention to linger.

Watching the other's retreating figure, Jiang Chengyun's eye corner twitched slightly, and anger rose in his heart.

He was breathing heavily and turned to look.

But he saw Jiang Qiulan had sat back down at the table; whether it was her or General Shen, neither seemed to take these words to heart.

Jiang Chengyun was silent for a moment, quickly adjusted his mood, and similarly put on an expression of calm and unhurried composure.

Noon the next day.

Inside the Demon-Hunter's government office, Jiang Chengyun inspected a pile of treasures and pills, among which were several martial arts techniques; only after discovering there were no errors or omissions did he put them all away into the Silver Bell.

"By the way, where are General Shen's things?" he asked with some confusion.

"Wait a while after returning, and you will know," the woman glanced at him.

Jiang Chengyun furrowed his brow tightly, but he could not press further.

He turned and left the government office, returning to the courtyard where he was staying.

Shen Yi had already prepared to set off back to Outside Qingzhou, only to find Jiang Chengyun spreading his hands toward him: "We're to wait."

"Don't worry, the imperial court has never shortchanged demon hunters or the Zhen Mo Si on rewards." Jiang Qiulan said, though she too felt a touch of doubt.

Though a mid-grade treasure was exceedingly rare—across all of Outside Qingzhou there were only twelve.

Even if Shen Yi had specific requirements for the type, it shouldn't have taken nearly three days without finding a single decent treasure.

The three were not kept waiting long.

Soon, an aged figure appeared at the courtyard gate.

Clad in a blue robe, he strolled leisurely into the courtyard.

He looked as though a single gust of wind could knock him over, yet Jiang Chengyun's entire body tensed up.

Jiang Qiulan gave a slight start: "Lord Wu?"

The newcomer was one of the four elders who had overseen the Martial Temple tempering the day before.

Ignoring Jiang Chengyun, he gave Jiang Qiulan a slight nod, then sat down on the stone bench in the middle of the courtyard and asked the black-armored youth: "Ready to head back to Outside Qingzhou?"

Though Shen Yi did not know the man's exact identity, he could read the signs from the attitudes of the two beside him, and nodded: "Mm."

The elder's next words made Jiang Chengyun's face change completely.

"Must you go back?"

(End of chapter)