The sound of breaking roof tiles continued as the light from the fireworks illuminated the dim building. Han Yunxi was sitting at the tea table while staring blankly at the stack of letters. Suddenly, someone muffled her mouth from behind. In alarm, she released a needle, but the assailant seemed very familiar with her poison skills and simply avoided her attack, then grabbed her other hand before she could release more poisons.
She didn’t know martial arts, so she couldn’t do anything against a sudden attack from a high level expert. She was in an extremely bad mood and struggled fiercely, but it made no difference. Unexpectedly, the assailant actually tore at her purple muslin outerwear! Caught off guard, Han Yunxi didn’t have time to react before her outer robes were ripped apart and thrown to the ground!
Astonished, she almost lost her soul in fear! She struggled harder, but the assailant was too strong and trapped her completely within his arms. He leaned in by her ear and murmured, “Don’t be afraid. I only wanted to confirm something, I won’t hurt you.”
Despite the warm breath by her ear, Han Yunxi still felt a chill upon hearing the voice.
It was him, Ning Cheng! Leader of the Di Clan!
Bastard, you’ve already hurt me! Han Yunxi cursed mentally.
Since it was the height of summer, she couldn’t bear to wear the same under robes that other females did. All she had was a custom-made binding wrapped around her chest and a single strap top, then her outer robes on top. Now that the outer robe was ruined, she was nearly exposed before Ning Cheng’s eyes. Such skin would be normal in modern times, but she couldn’t imagine how furious Long Feiye would be if he found this out.
Very soon, Han Yunxi recovered her senses. What was she doing, thinking about Long Feiye’s reaction at a time like this?
Would he really care?
That cold, icy face and those fiery eyes showed up unbeckoned in her mind’s eye. Once again, her thoughts wandered during a dangerous moment. She couldn’t believe that his previous objections or fury had all been faked.
Long Feiye, just when will you come back? I really need to ask you my question in person!
As Han Yunxi recovered her wits, Ning Cheng was left stunned! The strange news with such specific details that had overtaken Cloud Realm Continent seemed to expose Han Yunxi utterly, leaving the masses too shocked to doubt its veracity. Various factions across the continent were itching to see chaos, but he only wanted absolute proof! Chu Tianyin had once told him that the women of the West Qin imperial clan all had a phoenix birthmark on their backs! He only wanted to take off Han Yunxi’s outer robes and lift a corner of her inner ones to check for the birthmark, but never thought she would...she would only be wearing a top that exposed her shoulders with single straps.
The level-headed Ning Cheng completely forgot about the phoenix birthmark as all of his self control plummeted to zero. This woman had taken too many of his “first times.” There was the first time he’d been splashed with wine, been cursed out verbally, been left preoccupied and distracted by a single needle from her possessions…
Here was another “first time!”
He’d never seen a woman who dressed in so little layers, much less held one so tightly in his arms! He’d never lost control of his heart, which was now beating wildly in his chest! He couldn’t control his gaze from sweeping across the beautiful curves of Han Yunxi’s back and resting on the light muslin that faintly covered her chest. He knew he shouldn’t be staring, but he was reluctant to peel his eyes away again and again.
Abruptly, Han Yunxi stomped on Ning Cheng at the same time a hidden needle flew out of her shoe and pierced through Ning Cheng’s left boot, stabbing him in the foot! Ning Cheng finally came to his senses and kneed Han Yunxi’s knee before she could attack with her other foot, forcing her to kneel. From beginning to end, he kept one hand over her mouth and the other holding her wrists in place. She struggled fiercely and almost broke free, but Ning Cheng suddenly bent over and forced her down with his body weight.
Abominable! Han Yunxi cursed Ning Cheng and his ancestors multiple times in her head. She could guess what this fellow wanted. Didn’t he just needed to see her phoenix birthmark to ascertain her identity? The Di and Nether Clans were jackals of the same tribe, wanting to borrow West Qin’s imperial heir to use as a figurehead while they held the power!
Han Yunxi was completely pinned to the floor with that bastard Ning Cheng pressing against her while muffling her mouth and pinning her hands behind her back. This position wasn’t ambiguous, but simply unbearable to look at!
Ning Cheng, either kill me today or wait for me to pay you back hundredfold in the future! Han Yunxi vowed silently in her heart. She stopped struggling to wait. Ning Cheng had his hands so full that there was no way for him to brush her inner robe aside to check for her phoenix birthmark. She waited patiently. When the poison in his foot acted up, then they’d see who was begging whom!
The poison there was called Blaze, or Yi (燚), which would manifest in a short time as the sensation of a raging inferno. Not only did it hurt, it’d also generate blisters on the skin as if the victim was truly being burnt. If it wasn’t cured in time, Ning Cheng would turn lame. The poison was capable of burning through the very bones! After getting into dangerous situations multiple times, Han Yunxi’s poison needles were all hypertoxic types. Ning Cheng already knew he’d been poisoned as soon as he felt the needle stab his foot. How could any of this poison woman’s needles be toxin free?
Great! The acupuncture needle he’d been looking for so long ended up reappearing in a needle that was shot into his body. As the burning sensation intensified, he ignored it all. The shadow guards outside might discover the holes in the roof at any minute, so he had to verify Han Yunxi’s identity quickly.
“Han Yunxi,” he said in a low voice, “I don’t have any ill intentions. I only want to see the birthmark on your back. If you’re really the West Qin imperial heir, then you’ll be the master of my Di Clan. I will pay the price I deserve for my forwardness today and let you do as you wish. I’m going to let you go now, so don’t speak. If you agree, nod your head.”
Han Yunxi nodded without hesitation, but Ning Cheng had hardly let her go when she made to scream. Fortunately, he knew enough to test her and didn’t hesitate to muffle her again.
“You didn’t keep to your word!” he accused her.
Keep my word with you? Can you eat that? Han Yunxi cursed inwardly.
Once Ning Cheng saw her birthmark and verified her status, would he still let her go? He would simply escort her to the battlefield and raise West Qin’s battle banners to gain support for their faction, then fight against Long Feiye. Of course she’d scream. Even if the shadow guards came in to see her half dressed, she still couldn’t let Ning Cheng get the upper hand!
Ning Cheng wouldn’t let Han Yunxi off easily anymore. The pain in his foot told him he couldn’t afford to delay. Steeling his heart, he muttered, “Since you won’t cooperate, then I’ll have to offend you.”
Han Yunxi didn’t know what he meant, but Ning Cheng simply bit his sleeve with his teeth until he tore off a strip of cloth. Between his mouth and his hand, he managed to tie up Han Yunxi’s wrists, thus leaving one hand free. Without hesitation, he pulled up a corner of her robes. Too preoccupied to worry about her sense of honor or chasity, Han Yunxi buried her face agains the ground and shut her eyes. Her heart grew cold.
Once Ning Cheng kidnapped her, the West Qin princess, then he would have the power to summon the other forces of the Seven Noble Families. Even Chu Tianyin and his ilk could turn their backs on Long Feiye. Long Feiye was currently on a punitive expedition against the Di Clan. The battle to avenge his country and its debts would turn into a decisive war between the last surviving heirs of East and West Qin instead! When she and Long Feiye ended up on opposite sides of the battle, either she’d die or he’d perish!
Long Feiye, will I still have a chance to ask you my question?
After parting at Celestial Mountain, our goodbyes turned us into old enemies…
Ning Cheng stared at the faint red birthmark shaped like a phoenix with its wings spread. It was impossible to see unless one was in close proximity. He gave a start before smiling like a fool. His white teeth in the darkness made for a beautiful grin.
It’s her! It’s really her!
Not long ago, he’d gotten news that Han Yunxi was the last descendant of West Qin. It sent him into shock for a long time because he couldn’t believe his ears. The woman he’d racked his brains over trying to kidnap, eliminate, and revenge himself upon was actually...was actually the long lost master that the Di Clan had been searching for for years. She was his master, a fact that left him not knowing whether to cry or laugh! Now he rejoiced, glad in the fact that he hadn’t hurt her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to pay her back in this lifetime.
Ning Cheng’s excitement was written all over his face. If his subordinates saw him now, they wouldn’t even recognize him! Did finding the West Qin princess need to make him look so foolish? This was very unlike Ning Cheng. Was he really happy simply because Han Yunxi was the West Qin princess?
When Han Yunxi struggled once more, he came back to his senses. The first thing he did was to replace her ropes and drape her in his own outerwear.
“Princess, this subordinate has finally found you! It’s hard to explain everything at once, but please come back with this subordinate so that I can report everything to you slowly”! Ning Cheng’s voice immediately turned respectful.
Han Yunxi’s mouth was still muffled, so all she could do was struggle to express her thoughts. But all Ning Cheng said was “Sorry to offend you” before striking her upside the head to knock her out.
Ning Cheng’s poisoned foot hit the ground and pained him so much that his souls almost dissipated from his body. He had never knit his brows despite getting injured, but he furrowed them now. Still, he tapped fiercely against the ground one more time before carrying Han Yunxi through the hole in the roof. The fireworks were still going off outside with Chu Xifeng and Xu Donglin each lost in their own thoughts. They didn’t notice the abnormal activity coming from the roof.
When it was almost daybreak, Chu Xifeng received a letter from His Highness Duke of Qin. His previous messages had gone to the army, but were then redirected by shadow guards there to Long Feiye. The delays were so long that he didn’t even know if His Highness had received his letter. The one he just got wasn’t Long Feiye’s reply, but a new letter that he’d written on the road once Han Yunxi’s identity was exposed. Chu Xifeng hastily opened the envelope and only saw a single line of message inside:
Protect her thoroughly or shoulder the consequences. Your lordship will arrive within a few days.
Chu Xifeng was stunned. When Xu Donglin scooted over to read the message, he too blurted out in shock, “His Highness still...still wants to protect esteemed wangfei!”
Chu Xifeng slowly turned to look at Xu Donglin in disbelief, but his subordinate had already gone to open the door and go inside the rooms. He would explain everything to esteemed wangfei himself!
Unfortunately, he saw nobody inside when he walked in. Instead, there was a huge hole in the roof!
“Boss! Boss, it’s a disaster!” Xu Donglin cried out in fear.