The Empress Dowager's birthday is approaching, and this item from the Northern Expedition country is presented as a tribute gift, set to arrive in the capital in three days.
This news couldn't have come at a better time.
Originally, after the Immortal Medicine Gate incident concluded, they were supposed to return to the Xuanmen immediately. Now, with news of the Hundred Wood Lingxi, Feng Yinwan made a decisive choice.
"Jian Ye, you will return immediately to gather your men and then rush to the capital as fast as possible."
Only three days remained. Speed was of the essence, and the Hundred Wood Lingxi was too important to delay even for a moment.
Jian Ye nodded, then hesitated, looking at her. "Miss, what about you?"
Her words implied she intended to act alone.
But this was no trivial matter, and him letting Miss Wan'er go alone, he was still somewhat worried.
Feng Yinwan waved her hand. "I will wait for you at the appointed location. Remember, be quick."
"Yes."
Jian Ye acknowledged and went back to pack his belongings, then immediately departed for Xuanmen that very night.
Feng Yinwan's eyelashes drooped. After pondering in her room for a moment, she picked up the secret letter and burned it before stepping outside.
She had intended to inform the old man about her departure, but upon exiting, she noticed that Feng Wuxi's room was dark.
She called out a few times but received no response. Upon closer inspection, she realized this fellow had left at some unknown time.
Feng Yinwan raised an eyebrow and stopped.
This fellow was truly as he pleased.
Feng Jin Chen's existence was kept largely unknown, avoiding unnecessary trouble. When Feng Yinwan told the old man she was leaving, she simply fabricated a reason.
The old man was reluctant to part.
"San Qing, after you finish refining that so-called elixir and come out of seclusion, will you come back?"
His hard-won disciple was now part of the Xuanmen; what kind of situation was this! He felt indignant just thinking about it!
Although he knew the old man was generally unreliable, being looked at with such an empty-nest elder's gaze, Feng Yinwan inexplicably felt a bit guilty.
After thinking for a moment, she said earnestly, "Master, please don't worry. If I have time, I will come back to see you often."
The Immortal Medicine Gate and the Xuanmen were practically one family, and it was likely that interactions between the Xuanmen and the General Assembly wouldn't be infrequent in the future.
Having received the answer he wanted, the old man breathed a sigh of relief and murmured to himself.
"That's good, ah, that's good."
"San Qing, you go with peace of mind. I, your master, will instruct someone to convert the silver I promised you into bank notes and send it to you."
Feng Yinwan: "..."
"Master, I'm just going into seclusion, I'm still here..."
"Ah, you don't understand. Being here and not being here is completely different!"
"When you're not in front of me, your master's heart..."
Seeing him raise his hand to clutch his chest as if he were about to launch into another dramatic monologue, Feng Yinwan's eyelids twitched, and she quickly found an excuse and slipped away.
...
Xuanmen.
As dawn was about to break, the sect's tranquility was abruptly shattered.
Footsteps hurried outside, sounding like an emergency mobilization.
Feng Jin Chen, who hadn't been sleeping soundly, heard the commotion and immediately rubbed his eyes and sat up.
Qiu Wen was no longer in the room. However, faint flames flickered outside the door, and people seemed to be whispering.
Feng Jin Chen's little face tensed with seriousness. He immediately reached into his pocket and took out a red pill.
Mother said to use this when encountering bad people!
He tiptoed forward, but as he approached, Jian Ye's voice came from outside the door.
"How has the young master been these past few days? Has the poison in his body acted up again?"
Qiu Wen shook his head. "He's been taking the pills Miss Wan'er left, and so far, there's been no issue."
"That's good then."
Jian Ye breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "We've received word about the Hundred Wood Lingxi. Our trip to the capital will take several days to return. The sect is short-handed, so you must take good care of the young master."
After being tormented for several days, Qiu Wen's head ached at the mention of looking after a child. Upon hearing this, he responded impatiently.
"Got it, got it. All the good things don't involve me, but all the troublesome things are piled up for me!"
Dozens of people from the sect had gone out, yet he, a man ranked among the top three in martial arts, was still at home looking after a child. Was this even right?
Jian Ye frowned. "What's bothering you? The Holy Lord looked after the young master for two years without getting bothered. You've only been looking after him for a few days and you're already annoyed?"
"If you're not bothered, then you stay!"
"That won't do. Miss said I have to follow along, and looking after the young master is your job."
Qiu Wen exploded.
"Get out, get out, get out!"
Separated by a door, the whispers quickly turned into sounds of combat.
Behind the door, Feng Jin Chen tilted his head, processing Jian Ye's words. A look of confusion crossed his little face.
Mother was going to a place called "Jingcheng" to find something. This something seemed related to his illness, but it sounded a bit dangerous...
He frowned and thought for a moment, tightening his grip on the pill. The moment the commotion in the courtyard stopped, he quickly climbed back onto his bed.
...
Following the events of the previous night, Feng Yinwan left her room the next morning as stealthily as a thief.
After finally managing to lead out her horse, she looked up and saw a refined figure standing before her.
She paused for a moment, then slowly regained her senses.
"Why are you here?"
With his reassignment imminent, shouldn't he be in the military arranging related matters? How did he end up in Yunzhou?
Song Qing An smiled warmly and reached out to take the reins from her hand.
"Brother Luo is tied up in the palace. He was worried about you going alone, so he asked me to accompany you."
Hijacking the Hundred Wood Lingxi was no small matter. Luo Qing Yi's concern was not unfounded.
Feng Yinwan's brow furrowed slightly, but she spoke with concern.
"But your current identity is sensitive..."
As a tribute gift to the Empress Dowager, the court would certainly assign special personnel to escort it. Song Qing An, a general about to be reassigned back to the capital, was not suited to be seen, let alone have his skills exposed.
Song Qing An looked up at her, his grip on the reins tightening.
"Wan'er, I said I would accompany you, no matter what you wanted to do, at any time."
As long as you turn back, I will be there.
His gaze was clearly restrained, yet the light emanating from it was scorching and firm, causing her heart to tremble slightly.
Feng Yinwan pursed her lips. Before she could even utter a "good," hurried footsteps suddenly came from behind her.
The corner of her forehead twitched. Turning her head, she saw the old man and his companions.
This was bad!
In the blink of an eye, she had already mounted the horse. Song Qing An was still dazed, his wrist suddenly grabbed by her.
"What are you still standing there for? Get on!"
The force of her grip on his wrist wasn't gentle, but seeing the fair white of her hand, Song Qing An felt the woman's slender hand was almost excessively soft.
His heart stirred, and he followed the pull, mounting the horse.
He was behind her, his figure considerably taller than Feng Yinwan's. From the perspective of the old man and his companions, it looked as if he were holding Feng Yinwan in his embrace.
With a single glance, the old man stumbled in shock, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.
"San Qing!"
The moment he spoke, the slender figure on the horse seemed to tremble.
But the horse ignored his shouts, rearing its front hooves and galloping away into the distance.
Having lost his beloved disciple, the old man's heart shattered into a million pieces.
"This... I... This! This is outrageous!"
San Qing was gone!
Taken away by a man!
And an unfamiliar man at that!
Perhaps he was a scoundrel!
Thinking this, he rolled his eyes and felt a sudden heartache.
San Shi and San Mu quickly came to support him.
"Master, Junior Sister already said goodbye. Please don't chase after her anymore."
"Yes, let it end here. Chasing further would be impolite..."
The old man choked even more severely.
"You two, shut up!!!"
Fearing he would chase after them again, Feng Yinwan rode for ten miles before daring to slow down slightly. Confirming no one was behind her, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, it was a close call!
As she was distracted, a wine jar suddenly fell from above. Just as it was about to hit her, it was shattered by a palm strike.
Shards of pottery scattered, startling the horse, which bucked violently.
Feng Yinwan's heart tightened. Just as she was about to rein it in, a warm hand covered her own.
The gentle force enveloped her palm, tightening and loosening, quickly bringing the horse under control.
At close proximity, a clear, strong heartbeat could be felt behind her, yet even at this moment, he maintained a respectful distance.
A nerve in her mind seemed to be struck at that moment, and that strange yet familiar feeling spread again.
When she came to her senses, Song Qing An had already stopped the horse by the roadside.
At the wine shop, the owner was profusely apologizing to the drunken man.
"One of the customers in the shop drank too much and wasn't paying attention. Did we disturb you two?"
Feng Yinwan shook her head. Just as she was about to say it was fine, the usually gentle voice from behind her suddenly turned cold.
"It's not that I intend to make trouble, but it just so happens that we were the ones who encountered this matter today, and we happen to have martial arts skills, which is why we were unharmed."
"If it were someone else, they might not have been able to dodge so easily."
That wine jar was no light object. Thrown from the second floor, if it had hit someone on the head, it could have been fatal.
The shopkeeper naturally understood this.
"Young master is right, this was indeed my oversight."
"How about this: please come into the shop, all food and drinks are on the house. Consider it my apology."
"No need for food and drinks. I only hope the shopkeeper will be more vigilant and prevent such incidents from happening again."
"That's all I have to say. Farewell."
He finished speaking and rode ahead. Listening to his words, Feng Yinwan was filled with surprise.
"Song Qing An."
"What is it?"
There was still a hint of lingering coldness in his voice.
Feng Yinwan's eyes widened slightly, and she spoke with surprise, "You... get angry too?"
Although her words sounded unreasonable, in all the time she had known him, she had never seen Song Qing An lose his temper.
Not even to this extent just now.
It was strange, too strange.
The breathing behind her stopped for a moment. After a long silence, it finally turned into a helpless sigh.
He said, "Wan'er, I am not a saint."
When it comes to matters concerning her, he couldn't help himself.