Han Yunxi blamed herself deeply. If she hadn't gone to Celestial Mountain, none of this would've happened. Now that she thought about it, Elder Kenzō and Granny You weren't so hateful after all. Her worries were entirely justified.
Long Fei Ye stared at Han Yunxi for a long time before saying, "Whether you like it or not, you can't throw it away. You have to accept it. It's just a matter of time."
Han Yunxi knew as well. She couldn't carry the Poison Sect's secret forever, could she? How cowardly would that be?!
Her only hope now lay in the ranking matches.
"Has there been any movement in Northern Li in the past month?" Long Fei Ye asked.
Xu Donglin hastily replied, "General Ouyang's side found out something, but we haven't gotten any concrete information yet."
"Speak?" Long Fei Ye asked.
"Jun Yi Xie, the crown prince, and the second imperial prince went to Wintercrow Country north of the snowy mountains. General Baili suspects that they went there to buy horses," Xu Donglin reported in a low voice.
"It looks like the Northern Dynasties Emperors are in a hurry," Han Yunxi commented.
"They've always been in a hurry." Long Fei Ye mused. If Jun Yi Xie bought horses from Wintercrow Country, the cavalry and horses would get used to each other during the return journey. If they were fast enough, they would be able to put them to use around the start of winter.
If they were on the safe side and waited until winter, Northern Li would still be able to reap the benefits of the war.
"Once Northern Li enters the fray …" Han Yunxi said thoughtfully. "Then wouldn't they be able to keep Ning Cheng in check?"
Originally, Western Zhou and Tian An were attacking Ning Cheng from both sides. Both sides were evenly matched in strength, so Long Fei Ye could just sit back and reap the benefits. However, Ning Cheng had given up on the northern defense line and used a large number of red coat cannons against Tianning, while he personally went to the western front to fight Chu Tianyin. In this way, Ning Cheng's chances of winning were very high.
This was because Tianning's Mu family troops weren't that strong. Although the Mu family troops were brave and skilled in battle, and General Mu and Mu Qingwu were true military talents, Long Tianmo's support was limited in terms of weapons and provisions. In addition, the Mu family had risked everything to support Long Tianmo during the civil war in Tianning. They'd used up a lot of their military strength, so even if they kept recruiting new soldiers, they'd never regained their former glory.
No matter what, General Mu was no match for Ning Cheng's Red Coat Cannons.
Once General Mu was defeated, Ning Cheng would definitely deploy the Red Coat Cannons to the western front to deal with the Chu Clan Army. This way, Ning Cheng would win on both fronts.
And given Ning Cheng's temperament, once he agreed with Western Zhou and Tian An, he would definitely use the Medical Academy to punish the Commander-In-Chief's Manor in Zhongnan, and then immediately send his troops down south.
"Exactly!"
Han Yunxi's words were exactly what Long Fei Ye was thinking. "As long as Northern Li can pin down Ning Cheng, it'll buy us at least two months to deal with Medical City's sanctions!"
Currently, Medical City couldn't produce any evidence to punish the Commander-In-Chief's Manor in Zhongnan. Medicine City could hold out for a while, but so could Gu Beiyue and Baili Yuanlong.
Thus, Long Fei Ye had to finish his business on Celestial Mountain as soon as possible and rush back to the commander-in-chief's Manor to prepare for Medical City's full sanctions.
Nothing could compare to Heaven's plans. What was lost at the swings, it was gained at the roundabouts!
Long Fei Ye immediately wrote a letter himself and had Xu Donglin send it by flying hawk to Gu Beiyue. He told him to do his best to stabilize the situation and deal with Medical City until Northern Li sent their troops.
Although it was all bad news, it wasn't enough to force them into a corner. Han Yunxi silently exhaled in relief.
"That's right, Your Highness. Su Xiaoyu disappeared without a trace. We haven't found any clues yet," Xu Donglin said anxiously.
Han Yunxi had long told Long Fei Ye about this.
"I know," Long Fei Ye intoned. "Tell Chu Xifeng to contact Chu Tianyin's side and search for her together."
"They kidnapped her, but didn't come to extort her. What's the secret behind this? "Han Yunxi asked.
"Perhaps it's an old grudge. Or perhaps it's not the right time for extortion yet," Long Fei Ye didn't seem to take the matter to heart. "Just wait," he intoned.
After Xu Donglin left, the room grew quiet.
It was currently afternoon, the quietest time of the day on Celestial Mountain.
Han Yunxi leaned against the window and looked down at the quiet scene below. Her heart was filled with emotion. She knew that Celestial Mountain's calm had long been replaced by turbulent waves.
Cang Qiuzi had to be making his own preparations right now. The Heretical Sword Sect was itching to make a move, but so were the Scripture and Sword Depositories. Granny You would be a great help to them, but her vitality had been greatly damaged. It'd take her at least a year or so to recover.
The branch factions at the foot of the mountain were probably observing the situation as well. Most of them supported Long Fei Ye in the past, but now that her identity as a Poison Sect member had been exposed, how many of them would stand by Long Fei Ye's side?
Old Man Kenzō had only imprisoned Duanmu Yao. Cang Qiuzi's evil deeds and Duanmu Yao's identity as a Poison Sect member had yet to be dealt with. Although none of the Celestial Mountain disciples dared to bring it up or ask, they would all be waiting!
Han Yunxi mused that Old Man Kenzō would only deal with these two matters after tomorrow's ranking matches.
Too many things were involved in tomorrow's matches.
While Han Yunxi was lost in thought, Long Fei Ye had already silently walked up behind her and hugged her gently. He rested his chin on her shoulder and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"I was thinking …"
Before Han Yunxi could answer, Long Fei Ye muffled her mouth. "Don't think about anything. It's rare for you to have a free afternoon, so keep your lordship company."
Han Yunxi smiled. "I've been keeping you company the entire time."
"Don't think or say anything. Just stay by my side, alright?" Long Fei Ye's soft voice was filled with exhaustion.
Han Yunxi knew he was tired. Actually, she was exhausted as well.
Hearing him say that only made her even more tired.
It'd been too long since she'd emptied her head and let go of all her distractions to rest.
"Alright."
She was just about to turn around when Long Fei Ye suddenly picked her up and strode towards the bed.
Han Yunxi lay on her back while Long Fei Ye lay beside her, his back injured. The two of them held hands and closed their eyes in tacit understanding. They didn't say anything.
Some companionship had nothing to do with lust or romance. There was no need for hugs or words. As long as they quietly stayed by each other's side, that would be the most lasting companionship.
They lay like this for the entire afternoon. It was unknown if Long Fei Ye or Han Yunxi would fall asleep first.
Long Fei Ye had never been this relaxed or slept this soundly ever since he'd found out about his past. This afternoon, he forgot about his injuries, forgot about all the hardships he'd suffered as a child, forgot about East Qin, his stepmother, imperial father, Tang Zijin, and Aunt Ru. He also forgot about the Seven Noble Families, Western Qin's imperial family, the Poison Sect, and the medical academy …
As for Han Yunxi, this was her first time letting herself go like this ever since she'd transmigrated. Although the afternoon wasn't long, she felt like she'd slept for an entire century. She'd had a very, very long dream where the modern world and Cloud Realm Continent intertwined. Her familiar places and people were all thrown into chaos.
Gradually, she fell into a trance. In her trance, there seemed to be two forces pulling at her. She looked to the right and saw Long Fei Ye's face clearly; to the left, it was a blur. Who was it?
"Who are you …" she muttered in her dream.
That person didn't respond. Instead, he yanked her over.
"Long Fei Ye!"
She looked back and saw Long Fei Ye staring at her, expressionless and silent. He didn't chase after her, but kept backing away until his figure was swallowed up by the darkness behind him.
"Long Fei Ye!"
Han Yunxi suddenly sat up in fright, breaking out in cold sweat.
Long Fei Ye was sitting by her side, holding her hand. "Did you have a nightmare?"
Han Yunxi looked down and saw Long Fei Ye holding her hand tightly. She exhaled in relief. "So it was you."
"What is it?" Long Fei Ye didn't understand.
"I dreamed that someone wanted to pull me away, but I couldn't see his face clearly. So it was you!" Han Yunxi smiled, thinking that she must be too tired to dream so easily.
"Who else would dare to pull you away besides your lordship?" Long Fei Ye grinned back.
"Did you sleep enough?" Han Yunxi asked.
"Mm," Long Fei Ye really had slept enough. He'd never slept so comfortably before, so he was fully rested.
"It's good that you've slept enough. Come over."
Come over, "the old man's voice suddenly drifted over. Han Yunxi noticed that the old man was already sitting at a nearby tea table. There were no longer any traces of him being in a sorry state. His silver hair that had gone white that night was neatly combed. He exuded a dignified aura.
"How are Long Fei Ye's injuries?" She asked seriously.
"He came out of seclusion early and forcefully suppressed his internal injuries. He's already very lucky to be able to hold on until now. His chances of winning tomorrow's battle aren't high. Even if he wins, he'll still be seriously injured. At best, he'll suffer from cultivation deviation. At worst, his blood will flow in the opposite direction and he'll die, "said the old man Cold.
Han Yunxi was shocked and glared fiercely at Long Fei Ye. Long Fei Ye didn't deny it.
"Then what do we do?"
Han Yunxi immediately rushed over to the old man Kenzō. Her grudges with him had long been forgotten.
The old man Kenzō couldn't help but laugh. "Lass, do you still trust the Old Man?"
"I don't. Do we have any other choice? Right now we're all in the same boat. Cang Qiuzi and Duanmu Yao did those shady things. You're the sect leader of Celestial Mountain and Duanmu Yao's master, so you bear the greatest responsibility! Moreover, Long Fei Ye is your disciple too. Long Fei Ye colluded with me, a descendant of the Poison Sect. You're also responsible for not disciplining him properly. Right now, the world isn't just cursing Cang Qiuzi and Duanmu Yao. It's not just me either. You're the sect leader of Celestial Mountain, the Alliance Head of the martial arts circles! "
Han Yunxi grew agitated as she spoke. She paused to take a sip of tea before continuing. "You don't have to worry about Long Fei Ye. You can go kill Cang Qiuzi right now, but so what? Will the world accept you as sect leader if you continue to hold the position? You'll lose your position as Celestial Mountain's leader within three years! "
Han Yunxi spoke of the crux of the issue that Kenshin and Long Fei Ye hadn't brought up.
Between them, it wasn't just a matter of helping or forgiving each other. They were all in the same boat, bound together for good or ill.
Long Fei Ye's lips quirked up into a smile.
The old man Kenzō laughed out loud. "Lass, it's a good thing you're a woman. Feiye has one less formidable opponent. "
Han Yunxi didn't want to discuss gender equality with the old man Kenzō. She asked urgently, "How are you going to help Long Fei Ye?"
The old man Kenzō glanced at Long Fei Ye before asking, "I've been in closed door cultivation with him all night. Do you still trust the Old Man?"
But Han Yunxi actually said …
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