Chapter 273: then translation of title

Li Qiongluo - appears as Li Qingluo per glossary.

Zheng Mama appears.

【4】 Prince Su appears, Li Qingluo appears again.

Leng Dian appears.

Just then, Nan Gongdi, acting furtively, together with several other Su Prince guards who had appeared from nowhere, also slipped out through the back door of the Pu Jin gambling house.

Zheng Mama saw that Nan Gongdi still held a knife in his hand, blood dripping from its tip.

Zheng Mama hurriedly mounted her horse and gave chase.

"Mr. Nangong, what is this—?"

Zheng Mama stared in shock at the tightly black‑gauze‑wrapped figure on Nan Gongdi's back, her heart pounding.

Nan Gongdi: "This is the witch maiden Prince Su entrusted to be stolen out."

Zheng Mama thought: What nerve!

This is the first time we've met today, right?

Does Prince Su really dare to entrust such a major task to the people of the Xiuli Jiangjun Fu?

Perhaps it's because he trusts her family's young lady?

Nan Gongdi is also a ruthless person—able to abduct a person with ease, which really shows Prince Su didn't misjudge him.

But when did he become so eager to help others?

Before, he was clearly the type who wanted nothing to do with anything and preferred to stay aloof.

However, as soon as they said a word, someone came rushing out from inside the Pu Jin gambling house.

"Over here!"

"Seize them—don't let them get away!"

"Bold aerial thieves, hurry up and put the person down! How dare you kidnap someone from our Pu Jin gambling house—today I'll make sure you never leave this Qing Song town!"

"Kill—"

People from the gambling house kept rushing out in succession to try to intercept and kill them, but Nan Gongdi had already prepared.

He bound the witch maiden to his back, turned, and immediately began fighting.

Prince Su had at least assigned him a few guards; the guards from the Prince Su residence were all competent, and they actually fought alongside him, killing those who had rushed out of the gambling house and driving them back.

After finally catching her breath, Zheng Mama shouted upon seeing the situation: "Mr. Nangong, mount up—"

However, just as Nan Gongdi had leapt onto his horse, Zheng Wanxiu led a group charging out.

Zheng Mama quickly turned her horse's head and led the people charging outward!

"Still trying to run—? Chase!"

Outside Qing Song town.

Li Qingluo followed Prince Su along another shortcut and quickly reached the rear of a hill; before she could even get over it, she already heard the fierce sounds of battle coming from that side.

At this moment, beside Duan Rongshi there was only Leng Dian following; Zhui Yu had vanished without a trace.

But seeing Prince Su still so calm and composed, Li Qingluo couldn't help wondering: could the task he had earlier ordered Zhui Yu to handle have already been fully planned out?

She could only temporarily suppress her curiosity and follow Prince Su up the hill to look down.

A sea of people filled the area, as if this were some kind of market.

But if one looked closely, it was clear this was no bustling market—it was a clash of blades, with various factions fighting desperately to kill and seize!

"Bold rebels! Why don't you retreat at once? This is the carriage and horses of His Highness the Jin Prince—are you rebelling?"

"Everyone, all step back! Step back!"

In the midst of chaos, Prince Yun and the Jin Prince were both miserably surrounded on all sides; although they still had guards, aside from needing to detach part of them to resist the looting and fighting, the number of people remaining by their side kept dwindling.

Moreover, this group of suddenly appearing black‑clad individuals seemed to be endless, impossible to kill completely; people kept pouring out, again and again brandishing their knives and lunging forward.

"The Jin Prince? Hah, what does it matter if it's the Jin Prince?"

"If you want to live, you'd better hand over that blood worm!"

"Otherwise, even if the old emperor himself showed up today, we'd still kill without hesitation!"

Such arrogance made both the Jin Prince and Prince Yun feel a simultaneous 'thud' in their hearts!

"Could it be… could it be the Lotus Sect?"

"Have they fallen into an ambush by the Lotus Sect?"

"They had no idea that the Pu Jin gambling house they went to today was actually a nest of the Lotus Sect."

"Moreover, this blood worm was never intended to be taken out and sold to the two of them."

"Now the Pu Jin gambling house is in a bind, unable to lure out the person they wanted to draw out, so they merely pretended to give the blood worm to this Jin Prince."

"But did they really intend to take it away?"

"Yet they don't even have a way out!"

The Jin Prince and Prince Yun were being beaten back step by step; looking from a nearby dark spot at the lively Zhongyi Hou Fu, they wanted to flee, but someone intercepted them right then.

"Where are you going, Zhuang Shizi?"

Zhuang Shizi, seeing the person who had come charging out before him, couldn't help drawing a sharp breath: "How… how is it… you—?"

"You… what do you intend to do?!"

Li Qingluo seemed to hear a anguished cry.

Following the sound, she looked over and saw that deeper in the woods, it seemed there were still figures moving about.

At this moment, Prince Su simply kept his eyes on the situation below the hill; seeing Prince Yun and the Jin Prince forced into a steady retreat, he remained unmoved as before.

At this moment, Prince Yun and the Jin Prince had already been forced to gather together; seeing the situation, they both flew into a rage, stomping their feet and shouting: "Lotus Sect, if you so desperately want this blood worm, why don't you yourselves go to the Pu Jin gambling house and buy it?"

"Now stealing others' fruits—what kind of upright conduct is that?"

You Lotus Sect have always claimed to be fair and just, with equality for all, haven't you?

Yet you yourselves engage in arson, murder, robbery, and plunder—such a cult still dares to dream of shaking the foundations of our DaLiang—it's pure fantasy!

This prince will, in the future, surely uproot you completely and punish you all collectively!!

Prince Yun shouted loudly, when suddenly a flying arrow came; if it weren't for Prince Jin's quick reaction, pulling him along in a clumsy tumble, Prince Yun would surely have died on the spot today!

Prince Yun's face turned pale, and Prince Jin could barely get up.

The guards beside them fell one after another; seeing Prince Jin and Prince Yun about to be captured, another wave of people suddenly rushed out and intercepted the carriages and horses of Prince Jin and Prince Yun already controlled by the Lotus Sect.

It's Prince Su!

Someone shouted loudly, "The troops of the Prince Su's mansion!"

However, Prince Jin and Prince Yun had no time to rejoice before seeing several people dressed in Prince Su's mansion guard uniforms rush into Prince Jin's carriage procession, quickly locating one carriage, charging up and without a word drawing their swords to kill the maid holding a black-wrapped jar in her arms, then seizing it and preparing to flee.

They didn't even spare Prince Yun and Prince Jin a glance, let alone any intention to rescue them.

Li Qingluo witnessed this scene and sucked in a cold breath.

"Your Highness, these aren't your people, are they?"

It's not because he didn't rescue Prince Yun and that Prince Jin, but rather who in the court doesn't know that Prince Su is confined, reflecting on his faults behind closed doors—how could he possibly act so brazenly?

Moreover, they openly ran out wearing Prince Su's mansion guard uniforms to intercept the goods—isn't that blatantly leaving evidence?

Duan Rongshi said expressionlessly: "You all know this is a frame-up, yet those two didn't expect it."

Li Qingluo felt a tightness in her chest: it turns out even the exalted Prince Su, like herself, has no siblings or close kin.

Indeed, Prince Yun seemed to finally react, immediately shouting: "Old Five!!!!"

"You damned Old Five, you actually played the snipe and clam game—you're no good! This prince will surely go before the imperial father to accuse you of disobeying the edict…"

However, Prince Yun's towering anger had not yet fully erupted when a distant, melodious flute and pipa music drifted from the horizon, growing nearer…

Li Qingluo lifted her head and saw petals flying and falling all over the sky.

She reached out and caught one, discovering it was a petal of a lotus flower.

Although it is not the lotus blooming season now, this lotus miraculously remains fresh and fragrant—one wonders how it is achieved.

In the forest littered with corpses, suddenly everything seemed to slow down.

All the black-clad people instantly knelt down.

The blood flowing on the ground seemed to become nourishment for the flowers.

Sin and purity merged in this instant, becoming indistinguishable.

Accompanied by that melodious music, a group of fairy-like women drifted from the horizon.

Four women carrying flower baskets led the way, while four women holding pipas or long flutes followed behind, refreshing and cool.

And surrounding these eight was a woman clothed entirely in pure white, untouched by worldly dust, like a celestial maiden who had descended to the mortal realm, her face veiled so that her true visage could not be seen.

Everyone who had never seen such a scene stared up in astonishment, and even Li Qingluo almost became entranced.

She whispered: "Lotus Sect leader?"

With such grandeur, it seems no one else in the world could be but her!

As it turns out, the Lotus Sect leader is actually a woman!

Li Qingluo's heart gave a great start; it seemed somewhat unexpected, yet she also felt it made a certain sense.

If she weren't a woman, how could she have proposed that everyone be equal, that women too could study and work, and shoulder half the sky just like men?

As the nine suddenly appearing 'immortals' landed, the Lotus Sect followers kneeling all around began to chant in unison: "Welcome the leader—may the leader enjoy ten thousand years of prosperity—let us journey together to the ideal land—"

"Welcome the leader—"

However, before the chorus of welcome had even sounded three times, another furious shout rang out from afar: "Bold! Who dares to impersonate my palace's identity—if you are the Lotus Sect leader, then who am I?!"

Following that furious shout, a fleeting silhouette darted forward and appeared before everyone in the blink of an eye.

Everyone looked, wondering who this was again.

Wait a moment, she just said she herself is the Lotus Sect leader!?

If she is as well, then doesn't that mean we now have two Lotus Sect leaders?

For a moment, even the Lotus Sect followers were dazed.

Everyone looked at each other, you looking at me, I looking at you.

After all, up to now, no one in the entire Lotus Sect has ever seen the leader's true face.

The leader usually entrusts sect affairs to the four Dharma Protectors, only occasionally making an appearance.

Even when appearing, it is invariably accompanied by a sky full of lotus blossoms and attendant maidens, descending like a celestial maiden who has fallen to the mortal realm.

How could it be this ordinary person before us, with no fanfare, who just ran out shouting that she is the leader?

And now these two Lotus Sect leaders: one arrives with full pomp, just as the leader usually appears, a holy celestial maiden.

The other… merely rushed out from halfway… even just wearing a white cloak and a white veil over the face, an ordinary person.

People could not even tell from this concealed attire whether the person was male or female.

So, which is genuine and which is false?

Most Lotus Sect followers had already made up their minds in an instant.

In an instant, the Lotus Sect followers drew their blades and charged at the newcomer.

"How dare you impersonate our leader—you're asking for death!"

However, Li Qingluo did not share the same view as the Lotus Sect followers.

"Is it him? The masked young man from the Macau gambling house!"

"Although his mask has turned white and he changed into a cloak, he is definitely that person."

"Moreover, she is not at all a young man, but a girl who presents as feminine!"

Li Qingluo instantly understood completely: "So this newcomer must be the true Lotus Sect leader, right? Your Highness, did this commoner guess correctly?"

Earlier Li Qingluo guessed that the masked young man was the Lotus Sect leader, and Prince Su did not deny it.

And now this person has revealed himself, so this must be the real one!

But if this is the real one, then who are those immortals posing as the Lotus Sect leader?

Li Qingluo turned her head, giving Prince Su an indescribable look, and secretly wondered: Could it be him pulling the strings?