Chapter 97 Returning Home

"Who created your original form?"

The bird that had perched back on the windowsill folded its outstretched wings, nimbly turning its head back. Its pearly eyes reflected Xie Baoqiong's face once more, and a fleeting, unreadable emotion flashed across them. He said, seemingly casually:

"That tombstone was erected by Su Xiaochun's older sister back then. Otherwise, why do you think that Su Xiaochun always ran to your place?"

...

Sitting in the carriage on the way back to the capital, Xie Baoqiong stared blankly, still thinking about the news he had heard from Xin Xuan a few days ago. He had heard Xiao Chun say before that the reason he came to Sishui Mountain was to follow the scent of his elder sister, but he did not expect that there was another reason behind it.

"Qiong'er." The carriage curtain was suddenly lifted a corner, and Xie Rongjing appeared before him: "You're awake, why didn't you call for anyone?"

Cool fingers touched his cheeks, which were warm from being huddled under the covers. Xie Baoqiong leaned against him comfortably, and then heard Xie Rongjing's voice continue:

"I can go home tomorrow."

After finishing their business in Luozhou, Xie Zhuo led them to stay a few more days to arrange the follow-up matters before hurriedly packing their bags to return to the capital to report back.

This trip to Luozhou, aside from the matter of the prefect, also involved the troublesome issue of Chisong, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

During these days of traveling, Xie Zhuo often looked worried.

Thinking of this, Xie Baoqiong removed her face from his warm hand and looked around the carriage: "Where is Father?"

Xie Rongjing, with a smile in his eyes, watched Xie Baoqiong pull her hand away, lightly flick his fingers, and picked up the coat beside him.

"Dad is outside. It's not like inside the carriage; the wind has picked up. Put on your clothes before you go out."

As soon as she stepped off the carriage, just as Xie Rongjing had predicted, a gust of wind ruffled the hair around Xie Baoqiong's ears.

He looked up and saw a charming little courtyard. Xie Rongjing's voice rang out behind him at just the right moment:

"Let's stop here for a while and rest. We won't have to sleep in the carriage tonight."

Xie Baoqiong nodded, her gaze continuing to sweep across the courtyard.

There was a persimmon tree planted by the courtyard wall. The leaves were a mix of green and yellow, with only a few scattered leaves hanging on the branches. The tree was laden with orange persimmons, but what attracted the eye even more than the bright colors was a tall figure standing under the tree.

Such people are nothing more than those who are as beautiful as orchids and jade trees.

Xie Zhuo removed the letter from the carrier pigeon's leg band and tossed it into the air.

The greyish-white pigeons flapped their wings and took flight, soaring into the sky against the wind, their silhouettes flying in the opposite direction from the geese flying south on the horizon.

Xie Baoqiong leaned closer to Xie Zhuo and looked up at the flying carrier pigeons, but suddenly a hand blocked her view.

Xie Zhuo's hand only moved away when he reached out to pull it away, lightly brushing across the faint stone patterns on his face, which were almost invisible:

"Applying the medicine Miss Cheng gave me again tonight should make it better."

As her vision returned, Xie Baoqiong's gaze met Xie Zhuo's lowered eyes. Xie Zhuo's long eyelashes cast a shadow, seemingly overflowing with intimacy along with the look in his eyes.

When he looked away, he found that Xie Zhuo's hands were empty.

Xie Baoqiong grabbed Xie Zhuo's withdrawn hand, but Xie Zhuo took the initiative and held it tightly. He used his free hand to pry Xie Zhuo's fingers apart, asking:

"Where is what Father was holding just now?"

Xie Zhuo immediately opened his hand, revealing only his own hand in his palm with its clear lines.

The hand that had escaped control didn't rush to retract; instead, it, along with the other hand that was holding Xie Zhuo's fingers, meticulously searched for him.

After searching his empty palms with both hands, he reached into his sleeves, only to be suddenly grabbed at the same time.

"I've put it away."

Xie Zhuo looked at the two hands that had struggled briefly before settling down, then lifted them slightly upwards and picked up the child who was wrapped around his feet with one hand.

"Can't I look?" The child's soft voice came close to her cheek.

Before Xie Zhuo could speak, the child's soft voice continued, "Can I see it, brother?"

Xie Baoqiong's thinking was simple: if he couldn't see it, it would be the same if Xie Rongjing saw it and told him.

But his beautiful idea was shattered in an instant by Xie Rongjing, who followed behind him:

"But my brother doesn't want to see it."

With his hands still held by Xie Zhuo, he could only turn around and give Xie Rongjing, who had undermined him, a resentful look.

Xie Rongjing, however, poked the stone pattern on his face with great interest: "This is the first time I've ever seen a stone so wrinkled up."

When his fingers reached out again, Xie Baoqiong immediately turned her head back, pressed her head against Xie Zhuo's shoulder, and began to hum softly:

"You're all bullying me."

Xie Zhuo released his hand and covered Xie Baoqiong's head: "Okay, you can see now."

The head that had been limply resting on Xie Zhuo's shoulder suddenly perked up, waiting for Xie Zhuo to speak.

"It's a letter from the Eldest Princess." Xie Zhuo didn't take the letter out again, but simply explained to them:

"Following the address given by Xiao Bao, we found the princess's coffin."

Xie Zhuo paused, then spoke again with a bittersweet expression of being unable to remain uninvolved: "She will eventually have to go home. The Princess's letter was to discuss this matter."

"Grandfather... Did the Princess say anything after she learned of my identity?" Xie Baoqiong changed his form of address somewhat awkwardly. His identity would be exposed to the Princess sooner or later. After Xie Zhuo analyzed the pros and cons with him, he wrote a letter to clarify the matter, which Xie Baoqiong knew.

As his words fell, Xie Rongjing's heart leaped into his throat:

"Father, has the Princess blamed Qiong'er?"

“The Princess did not mention it in her letter.” Xie Zhuo rubbed his head on his shoulder and reassured her, “Don’t worry, I will discuss this matter with the Princess in person after we return to the capital. Father is here.”

...

A month and a half ago, at Sishui Mountain.

"Swish".

Several people, bundled up tightly, pushed aside waist-high weeds and walked through the bushes.

A specific whistle rang out from the treetops overhead, relaying a message to the group below.

The leader looked up, revealing his eyes beneath his straw hat. He glanced upwards, gestured for the people behind him to follow, and then took the lead in gathering his strength to catch up with the person who leaped from the treetop.

A few breaths later, the group stopped in front of the two graves.

The leader stepped forward to examine the inscriptions on the two tombstones, then stopped in front of the stone monument and succinctly gave orders to the people behind him:

"dig."

As the syllables fell, the group of people behind him, shrouded in black clothes and straw hats, moved nimbly like puppets following orders, scurrying around the grave, avoiding the tombstones beside the mound, and working in perfect unison to take out their tools and begin digging.

...

"You're really disturbing my peaceful sleep, Xin Xuan, aren't you going to do anything about it?"

A turtle of similar color peeked out from the yellowing weeds, stretching its neck to look into the still green sycamore leaves.

Amidst the dense foliage, a corner of the crimson, shimmering fabric cascaded down, making a cold, desolate sound as it fell.

"This is the path he chose to take."

Boqing's words came to an abrupt halt, and the tortoise under the tree returned to its original position.

If Xin Xuan doesn't care, then he has even less reason to interfere.

Behind the tombstone in the distance, the excavated coffin was pried open, revealing the skeleton inside.

The leader stepped forward, deftly took what he needed, and carefully placed it into the jade box.

He then raised one hand and beckoned with his finger. The people around him immediately stepped forward, sealed the coffin back in its original place, and put it back in its original position.

After erasing all traces, the group turned and walked into the forest, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The mountains and forests have returned to tranquility.

A month later, this tranquility was once again shattered by a group of humans who broke in.

Unlike the previous wave of "guests" who searched everywhere.

The group of human bodyguards, dressed as bodyguards, had a clear objective and headed straight for the cemetery.

The woman at the head of the group, dressed in white mourning clothes, gestured for the others to wait after seeing the graves, and only spoke after confirming the names on the two tombstones:

"It is my young lady's name that is good."

"Miss Zelan, what about the other one?"

"After the coffin is opened and confirmed, it will be brought back to Beijing."

"yes."

The group rested while waiting for the time to open the coffin.

After Zelan confirmed the identities of both coffins, the open mountains and fields were filled with the smell of burning paper money. The group completed the remaining rituals, then carried the two coffins down the mountain in a grand procession.

A few days later, under the distant sycamore tree, a tortoise slowly poked its head out and looked at the still empty treetop.

A long sigh drifted in the wind, only to be interrupted by the sound of leaves rustling.

"Xin Xuan, what happened in Luozhou?"

A shimmering bird had somehow settled among the lush branches of a tree. Xin Xuan slowly and deliberately adjusted his feathers and spoke casually:

“A dragon has transformed into a dragon, causing quite a commotion.”

“You know perfectly well…” The rest of his words were cut short by a sigh. Wu Nian propped himself up and slowly moved toward his cave, his voice carried away by the wind: “I wonder how those two boys are doing now.”

—

Xie Baoqiong, who was being thought of, suddenly sneezed while sitting in the courtyard of the Marquis's mansion.

Meng Rui, sitting opposite, nervously leaned closer:

"Ah-Jung, are you alright?"

Xie Baoqiong sniffed and shook her head: "I'm fine."

Meng Rui's incessant voice could be heard in his ears: "Did you catch a cold when you were helping carry Princess Huayang's coffin the other day? Should we find a doctor to take a look? It's not good to catch a cold."

Ever since he returned to Beijing, Meng Rui has always treated him like a porcelain doll, as if afraid that he might break into pieces if he is not careful.

Furthermore, Meng Rui, who was standing in front of him, had not yet had time to learn his identity.

The Xie family had never revealed his identity, and now that it had been exposed, they would not publicize that he was a demon. Although the princess's attitude towards him was more complicated than before, she was concerned about his true form and stared into his eyes for a long time, but ultimately did not make trouble for him and let things remain as they were.

Considering Meng Rui's timidity, Xie Baoqiong couldn't immediately figure out how to be frightened without scaring him.

Qi Gui, who was also a guest at the Marquis's residence, hesitated to speak.

Although he didn't know Xie Baoqiong's identity, he knew that the latter was a cultivator and unlikely to have caught a cold. He also had to keep Xie Baoqiong's identity a secret, so his face turned red.

Meng Rui caught a glimpse of Xie Baoqiong's flushed face. He temporarily let her off the hook and turned to Qi Gui, muttering to himself:

"Qi Gui, you haven't caught a cold either, have you?"

The worry in his eyes was so genuine that it silenced the other two.

Instead, he scratched his head first, wondering, "But can half-demons also catch a cold? Ah-Qiong, why don't we call the palace physician to take a look at you two?"

Xie Baoqiong wasn't sure if human doctors could treat demons and half-demons, but the main thing was that he and Qi Gui were both healthy.

Fortunately, a sudden commotion outside the courtyard interrupted their conversation.

"Sixi, go and see what's going on outside?" Xie Baoqiong glanced at the two equally curious people and instructed Sixi, who was waiting to the side.

Before long, Sixi rushed back, his expression strange.

-----------------------

Author's Note: I just experienced what it's like to chase rankings. I've been working overtime lately, so updates haven't been very consistent. If I stay up too late writing, I'll randomly unlock a low-grade or high-grade fever the next day [melted emoji].