Chapter 286   A Dangerous Character

“Tell me, what sufferings has Princess Mingzhu undergone? Why has she appeared in Xuanyuan City again?” Ji Jing was a woman too. Hua Mengshi’s actions had aroused some pity in her.

Bai Qianxue glanced at her quietly. “Girl, use your brain. Otherwise, it will rust.”

Ji Jing heard him and was a little angry. “Hey, Brother Bai, are you suggesting that I’m simple-minded? Humph, a simple person is better than a complex one. Look at Hua Mengshi and Princess Huizhen. Tsk, tsk, they’ve killed lots of people.”

Hua Qiyue’s complexion changed slightly.

She glanced at Tianci and saw that he was teasing the Man-Hunting Insect. It looked like he had completely forgotten the painful days of his past.

“When Lin Qi set up a branch here, he took with him Princess Mingzhu and Hua Mengshi... That must be it. That’s why Hua Mengshi is in contact with the Dark Sect.” Huangfu Xuan seldom spoke, but he was very outspoken today.

A tinge of wild arrogance flashed across his eyes. “Women like Hua Mengshi will only be fancied by the Dark Sect. Humph, that stinking lass has the makings of an enchantress.”

Hua Qiyue was silent. She did not know what to say.

Did all of them think the person upstairs was her?

“At the assembly a few nights ago, Hua Mengshi was missing. Where had she gone?” Hua Qiyue suddenly thought about this question.

“Probably she was afraid to come because of you. After all, you had taught her a lesson before.” Ji Jing wrinkled her brows. She was also unhappy at the mention of Hua Mengshi.

Hua Qiyue glanced upstairs and then pulled Tianci to the outside. “Tianci, come with Mom. Mom has something to say to you.”

Tianci jumped about excitedly. He was now full of vitality. Hua Qiyue glanced at the Hare behind him. “Hare, when can you recover your former power?”

The Hare jumped up vigorously and landed on Tianci’s shoulder. “Ho ho, not long. Very soon.”

The Hare was always giving this answer. Hua Qiyue was too uninterested to ask it more, but the Hare answered seriously, “I need to collect a certain quantity of anima energy from heaven and earth. Only then can I reconstitute my former physical body. Besides, this world 10,000 years later is many times less rich in anima energy. I need lots of it. It’ll take a few months before I can return to my former state.”

“Hare, were you a man or a woman?”

Tianci chuckled. Although it sounded like a man, some women sounded like men too, didn’t they?

“I was an absolutely handsome man.”

Hua Qiyue felt nauseated by the Hare’s complacency. She glanced at the Hare with disgust. “Hare, your tail is so high up in the air.”

The Hare snorted. “Forget it if you don’t believe me.”

Hua Qiyue took Tianci to the wooden chairs by the stream and sat down. No one was around. It would be a good place to talk.

Hua Qiyue did not make the Hare leave. She caressed Tianci’s little head. “Tianci, Mom has a very important thing to tell you... ”

————————

“Princess Mingzhu” had recovered. The moment she opened her eyes, she found Hua Qiyue and the others standing on one side, studying her.

She wanted to sit up but was pressed down by Ji Jing. “Princess, you shouldn’t move. Rest first. Later, the waiter will send up some tonic soup. You must build up your constitution.”

Hua Mengshi lowered her voice and pretended to glance at Ji Jing with gratitude. “Thank you... Princess Jinghua. Thank you for not harboring me any grudge...”

Hua Qiyue smiled and shook her head. “Don’t mention it, Princess. We’re all friends, not foes with irreconcilable feuds. Set your heart at ease and recover.”

Hua Mengshi lowered her eyes and said in a soft voice, “After being abducted by Lin Qi... I did not give in to him. So he fed me a poison, changing the timbre of my voice. On top of that, I can no longer store anima energy in my body... Later, I sneaked out but could only survive by begging. Even though... I received many insults, my only wish is to return to my Royal Father’s side.”

Her sad and hesitant appearance was indeed most pitiful. She looked very much like someone reduced to a sorry state.

Yun Shimo only sat there, watching this scene quietly.

Hua Qiyue and Ji Jing exchanged glances. She nodded. “You don’t need to worry in the future. This maidservant is called Liu’er. She will attend to your meals and daily needs. You can approach us if you want any help.”

Hua Mengshi repeatedly voiced her thanks. Her grateful yet timid look made Hua Qiyue start a little inside.

For some unknown reason, she could sense that this woman was a dangerous character.

Although there was no anima energy in this Princess Mingzhu’s body, scenes from the past surfaced before Hua Qiyue’s eyes.

Hua Qiyue gave Liu’er a few casual instructions before leaving with Yun Shimo.

Lan Luo had returned. He sat lazily on the ground floor, taking his meal. Although he had been “subdued” by Hua Qiyue, the man right now looked just like Hua Qiyue’s old friend—totally uninhibited.

Xuanji also sat on one side, squinting at Lan Luo from the corners of his eyes. He pointed at the fiery-red wild fruit on the table. “The most freshly plucked fruit. Have some,” he said to Hua Qiyue in a gentle voice.

Hua Qiyue felt goosebumps rising on her skin.

“Um, thank you. Where’s Tianci?”

“Tianci and the Hare are strolling around outside.”

Hua Qiyue nodded. She was about to sit when stopped by Yun Shimo. “Let’s go and search for Tianci. If the boy forgets his banknotes, he’ll be embarrassed.”

Xuanji’s countenance was unruffled. He gave a slight smile. “You’re right. Why don’t I bring the fruit along and look for him?”

Hua Qiyue stared at one and then at the other. She felt herself in a little dilemma. They were both rather important people. Although Xuanji was not the man of her heart, he must have saved her quite a few times, eh?

Naturally, Hua Qiyue could never forget those days in the valley of the Ten Thousand Spirit Cave, when he had kept her company.

The two men confronted each other frostily, their eyes staring into each others’. Dangerous sparks were ignited.

“Very well, let’s go and search together.” Hua Qiyue thought for a while and asked the waiter for a piece of oil paper. She wrapped up all the wild fruit in the basin.

Lan Luo licked his lips. “Hey, aren’t you leaving some for me?”

“Get lost! Take refuge where it’s cool!” Hua Qiyue threw him a glance and turned to head for the outside.

Xuanji and Yun Shimo quickened their paces simultaneously. They caught up with Hua Qiyue, one on either side. They had her sandwiched in between. The atmosphere was rather strange.

Hua Qiyue cast Yun Shimo a glance and then threw another at Xuanji. Their expressions had recovered their former naturalness.

She secretly heaved a sigh of relief. She was feeling a little troubled. If this continued, she could not very well offend Xuanji, could she?

Errr... at least there was an elder in Xuan Family at the realm of Great Deity. Although Hua Qiyue was not someone who would seek connections, she understood that at the point of death, she might need to beg another person to survive.

Yun Shimo’s mood was not the best, partly because of the insensitive Xuanji.

On the other hand, recalling the First Palace Leader’s words, how could Yun Shimo protect Hua Qiyue and Tianci if someone at the Great Deity Realm was supporting the Dark Sect’s Leader in an attack?

When they emerged from the Eight Fingers Mountain, Yun Shimo had thought that their team was invincible and could rule the world. But it turned out that they were too short-sighted. There would always be someone else better in this whole wide world.

Although Hua Qiyue’s eyes were searching for Tianci among the crowd, she did not see him. Her heart was in a quandary too. If the Great Deity character from Xuanyuan Family left retirement and made a comeback, even a few more Yun Shimos would not help, would it?

Xuanji’s mind was also heavy with thoughts. Although he looked relaxed on the outside, he remembered his father’s family precepts, directing him to marry Hua Qiyue.

But now, the person in Hua Qiyue’s heart was Yun Shimo, not him.

Xuanji was never involved in a romantic relationship. In other words, this handsome Taoist priest in a teal robe had never fallen for someone before. This was the first time he had lost his heart. But Hua Qiyue...

She already had another man in her heart.

To give up would be running counter to his wishes. He would be letting his father and his family precepts down.

To go on would bring Hua Qiyue trouble and worry.

No matter what he did, it would not be easy. For the first time, Xuanji felt that something in this world was putting himself in a predicament.

The three of them searched for a long time in Xuanyuan City, but they did not discover Tianci’s figure. They could only return to the inn.

While they were still searching, Tianci and the Hare had returned to the inn.

Ji Jing and the others also started to get busy. They took out the divine herbs brought here by Hua Qiyue and started concocting medicines using Yun Shimo’s prescription, to help the latter refine more medicine pellets when he returned.

Princess Qianyang sat at the back door of the inn. When she saw Tianci and the Hare return from the stream, she gave a gentle smile. “Tianci, you’re back? If I remember right, your Mom and your Dad are searching for you outside.”

Tianci studied the smiling Princess Qianyang from head to toe and skewed his head, smiling. “Sister Princess, I think you look far prettier nowadays than before. In the past, you used to be a dangerous character. You always wanted to kill me, hey hey!”

Princess Qianyang had a great fright. “How could I want to kill you? Why can’t I remember this? We’ve only known each other for a few days.”

Tianci gave a mysterious smile. “Hey hey, I was just talking nonsense.”

Then, the little fellow scampered into the inn.

Princess Qianyang sat there, furrowing her brows and trying to remember. But her mind was in a complete blank. She had no remembrance of Tianci at all. The more she thought, the more her head hurt. So she could only let the matter rest.

Flushing crimson, Princess Qianyang squinted at Bingyi nearby. Bingyi was in the little yard at the back of the inn, concocting medicine using Yun Shimo’s prescription.

Ji Jing and Ji Feng were also busy. Huangfu Xuan, on the other hand, was lazing on a wicker chair, watching the deep blue sky, his heart feeling rather despondent.

Bai Qianxue was on one side, playing the flute. Beautiful pictures surfaced in his memory, one after another.

After dashing into the inn, Tianci was about to leave to look for Hua Qiyue when he heard voices upstairs.

Very few people stayed for long in Qinghe Inn. Hua Qiyue and her team were walking in and out all the time. They were thoroughly familiar with the place.

Tianci raised his head and stared at an exquisite, pallid face.

“Princess, where are you going? If Miss Hua sees you, she’ll complain that I’m not doing my duty!” the 16-year-old Liu’er said to Hua Mengshi anxiously while helping her down.

Hua Mengshi gave a tender smile. “It doesn’t matter... I’m just bored and would like to stroll outside.”

Tianci blinked. To him, the face of Princess Mingzhu was still very unfamiliar. After all, he had only seen her a few times. His memories of the past had almost been completely wiped out.