Chapter 23 The bystander sees more of the game than the player.

Of course, Seventeen quickly figured out the key to it.

The colorful robe was so long that it completely covered her feet, and the movement of her feet was not visible, which made it look like she was floating.

In reality, his legs were hidden under the colorful robe. He was using some kind of magic trick, which, through training, allowed him to move with small steps without affecting his speed. In addition, the colorful robe and the white light surrounding him provided cover, leading people to believe that he was truly floating.

As for the white light surrounding him, Seventeen stared intently for a long time before discovering that there seemed to be something on his colorful robe that emitted the white light, indicating that the white light was just an illusion.

And that ethereal voice drifting from afar... that makes it even easier to explain. By gathering one's inner energy, it's easy to produce that kind of voice that sounds like it's floating down from the sky.

But only Seventeen and Mingyue could understand these things. If it were Long Zhaoming, he would probably have been fooled.

No wonder this master doesn't leave this place, nor does he allow the common people to reveal their identities. If someone with high martial arts skills came, they would be able to tell at a glance.

As soon as the master followed Butcher Xu and his companion into the house, Seventeen and Mingyue quietly peered up at him.

The master stood beside the woman lying on the bed, his palms facing up, holding a bowl of water. The water was very clear, and nothing about it could be seen.

The master dipped his other hand in water and sprinkled it all over the woman from head to toe, as if sprinkling it. After he finished, he began to chant incantations and then handed the water in his hand to Butcher Xu.

"Feed her the holy water, and God has retrieved her soul, which is hidden in this bowl."

After a moment of surprise, Butcher Xu and his companion involuntarily looked down at the bowl of water, and Seventeen and Mingyue followed suit.

The bowl of water, which was held very steadily, began to sway on its own without any wind, but it never spilled beyond the edge.

Seeing this, the butcher and his companion dispelled their unease and doubts, and without hesitation fed the water to their daughter on the bed.

After a short while, the woman lying down coughed a few times and then slowly opened her tightly closed eyes.

"...Father? Mother?"

"Qianniang...! Qianniang!"

The mother and daughter hugged each other and cried. Butcher Xu also wiped away his tears, turned around and bowed to the master: "Thank you, Master, thank you so much!"

The master was very polite, lowering his eyes and saying, "There's no need for that. This is me returning the favor you've done for me."

"Yes, yes, I was confused."

Butcher Xu quickly apologized, hesitated, and watched as the master turned and left. Then, standing at the door, he turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared.

Xu the butcher was astonished, but Seventeen understood as well. The master had clearly released a smokescreen and then slipped to a tree branch. It was already dark, and the master had also nimbly taken off his colorful robe, leaving him in only a black robe. How could he have disappeared from the spot?

Seventeen couldn't help but be a little suspicious. Could it be that such a simple trick had gone unnoticed all this time?

He was about to get up and chase after her when Mingyue stopped him. He turned around, and she shook her head slightly, indicating that he should not chase after her.

Although puzzled, Seventeen squatted back down in the same spot.

After calming down, the two looked at the three people in the room. Madam Xu asked with some concern, "Should we find a doctor to take Qianniang to see tomorrow?"

Butcher Xu waved his hand: "Suit yourself."

"But it's good that Qianniang is awake, it's good that she's awake..."

Mrs. Xu wiped away her tears. During the days her daughter was in a coma, she and her husband couldn't sleep for nights on end. Butcher Xu kept blaming himself for killing too many animals, which caused the sins to befall his child.

"Qianniang, do you still remember what happened before you fainted?"

The woman lying on the bed frowned and pondered for a moment, seemingly still somewhat surprised and doubtful: "I... I think I suddenly fainted while fetching water."

Mrs. Xu nodded; it seemed the child was alright.

"However... Father, Mother, although I didn't know I was unconscious after I fell into a coma, but..."

"What's wrong?"

Madam Xu asked again with concern, and Qianniang gently comforted her mother, covering her hand, "Mother, don't worry, I just fainted while fetching water. When I woke up, I found myself in an extremely dark place, and around me... there seemed to be many people wandering. I also saw a bridge in the distance..."

Qianniang's words were somewhat incoherent, but the butcher and his wife were taken aback. Why did she talk about the underworld?

"Good child, what else do you see?"

Madam Xu hugged Qianniang tightly with worry, her voice trembling as she asked, she dared not think that if her daughter's soul was not brought back, she would leave them.

"I...I don't really remember. I was walking forward, and I don't remember how long I walked, when someone suddenly told me that I had come to the wrong place, and hurriedly pulled me to walk in the opposite direction."

Qianniang tried hard to recall the scene she had witnessed: "A very bright light, and then, and then I woke up."

Butcher Xu patted his wife's shoulder and said in a hoarse voice, "Alright, let the child rest first."

"Alright, Qianniang, I'll sleep with you tonight, okay?"

"Okay, Mother."

Seventeen looked at Mingyue beside him. Mingyue waved to him and then jumped in another direction. Seventeen followed closely behind.

"Phew, I've figured out the master's trick, but this girl..."

Seventeen pondered for a moment. Could it be that this master forced the girl to cooperate? And what the girl said didn't seem to be a lie. Could there really be some underworld?

Mingyue removed the mask covering half her face and said, "What this girl says doesn't seem fake. It might be some kind of magic trick. Let's not rush to conclusions and observe for a few more days."

"Hmm, it's strange, this master doesn't seem to be after money or taking lives, so I really don't understand what he's trying to do?"

Seventeen was completely baffled. Other fortune tellers were all scheming, but this master clearly didn't charge money, yet the townspeople trusted him so much... Could it really be some kind of deity descended to earth to repay a debt of gratitude?

How could that be!

"I don't know. Let's go back and rest. It's impossible to figure it out in one night."

Mingyue raised her head, ruffled Seventeen's hair, and chuckled softly.

"Brother Yue, why didn't you let me chase after that master just now?"

"We don't even know what tricks that master is up to, how can we rashly chase after him? What if there are a hundred or so martial arts masters waiting for us on his side?"

Mingyue was exaggerating, but Seventeen understood her concerns and didn't press the matter further.

Early the next morning, Seventeen was awakened by the sound of horses' hooves. He opened his blurry eyes and didn't realize for a long time where he was sleeping.

It took him a while to widen his eyes and realize how he had rolled into Brother Yue's arms!

The thick quilt on his body was so comfortable, it was heavy, but it made him fall asleep very easily, which is why he was momentarily captivated.

But why did I end up in Yue-ge's arms? Didn't they share a blanket?

Seventeen immediately jumped up and shot, but due to the large movement, he accidentally woke up the sleeping Bright Moon.

"Hmm...what's all the commotion so early in the morning?"

Mingyue was half asleep. He had been worried the night before that Seventeen would discover his human skin mask, so he waited until Seventeen fell into a deep sleep before he dared to go to sleep himself.

After being woken up, he opened his eyes a crack and saw a figure flash by. He immediately reached out and grabbed Seventeen, who hadn't yet rolled over, and pulled him back down.

"Brother Yue! Wake up!"

Seventeen rushed to see him, but her waist was held down tightly, and the fluffy head rubbed against her chest a couple of times.

Just after Seventeen shouted those words, the man in her arms seemed to stiffen for a moment, then immediately sat up and released Seventeen.

Seventeen found it amusing and couldn't help but tease, "Brother Yue, which family's girl are you dreaming about?"

In response to Seventeen's teasing, Mingyue chuckled and said, "No, I'm not a girl."

"Huh?" Seventeen was taken aback, his mind raced for a moment, and hesitantly asked, "Brother Yue, are you gay?"

He had barely finished speaking when a sharp rap on the forehead exploded, and Seventeen cried out in pain, clutching his forehead, "Brother Yue!!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I just... remembered a wolf I used to keep in the North, it was also this furry."

Although the reason was somewhat far-fetched, Seventeen didn't notice at all; instead, she was drawn to another sentence.

"Brother Yue has been to the North? And raised wolves?"

Mingyue chuckled: "Of course I've been there, but I went with His Majesty. The wolf... was also raised by His Majesty."

Wow! His Majesty even kept wolves! That's amazing!

So that morning, Seventeen was chattering away, wanting Mingyue to tell him the story of Emperor Jing in the north, and the wolf he kept.

In the end, Seventeen concluded: His Majesty is truly, truly amazing. His own skills are far inferior to His Majesty's, yet His Majesty still values ​​him so highly... He will definitely do anything for His Majesty!

Mingyue smiled at him, but then belatedly realized that something was wrong.

If that happens... how should he confess to Seventeen?

Thinking of this, Mingyue secretly glanced at Seventeen. The silly boy was still immersed in the heroic deeds of Emperor Jing that she had just heard, and his eyes were shining.

Hmm, since Little Seventeen admires me so much, she shouldn't be angry even if we're completely honest with each other that day, right?

"You two woke up early."

Long Zhaoming sat down next to them, yawning, and took a bite of a steamed bun from the table.

"Oh ho, sauerkraut filling."

"Is it delicious, Your Highness?"

Seventeen tilted his head and asked him, "This whole breakfast was brought up by the shop's staff. I only ate two buns, both filled with sesame and sugar."

"Not bad, delicious."

Long Zhaoming finished the bun in a few bites, then picked up another one, but this time it was filled with sesame sugar.

Seventeen picked one up carefully, took a bite, and luckily, it was filled with sauerkraut.

He had never eaten buns with this kind of filling in the palace before, so it was quite novel for him.

"You like this kind of food?"

Mingyue noticed that he seemed happier eating the sauerkraut-filled buns than the sesame-filled ones, and couldn't help but ask.

The palace certainly had pickled cabbage, but it was not used as a filling; instead, it was served as a small appetizer before meals.

However, seeing how much Seventeen and Long Zhaoming were enjoying their meal, he seemed to be getting a little hungry himself.

"Mmm, delicious! Brother Yue, have one too!"

Seventeen discovered that Yue-ge had a small appetite; he could only eat two buns of this size before feeling full, while she herself could eat five without feeling full.

With such a small appetite, how could he grow so tall? Seventeen fell into deep thought.

Mingyue took the bun that Seventeen handed her. Long Zhaoming, who was standing to the side, looked at Mingyue in shock. Just as he was about to speak up to help her out, he saw his elder brother take a bite of the bun.

Others may not know, but he is second only to Yuanfu in understanding his elder brother the most!

When my elder brother was young, he was forced to eat some dishes he didn't like, which caused him to have a poor appetite. Although he grew up to be quite healthy and strong, he still retained that picky eating habit.

But inside the palace, everyone serves him alone, so it doesn't matter. But outside the palace...

And this steamed bun! It was Seventeen who handed it to him by hand, holding it in his own hands!

Long Zhaoming couldn't help but recall a time when he had eaten something delicious and, without paying attention to etiquette, grabbed one to share with his elder brother. What did his elder brother do in return?

She knocked his hand away! She wasted the delicious food! And then she scolded him in disgust!

Oh, the delicious food wasn't wasted; in the end, the emperor fed it to the dogs.

Long Zhaoming couldn't help but feel like crying. Why is there such a big difference between people?

That's it! My elder brother even swore that he had absolutely no affair with the Seventeenth Prince!

He might not think so.

However... Long Zhaoming turned his head and glanced at Seventeen, who was still stuffing food into his mouth, his fox-like eyes narrowing slightly: "Brother, you still have a long way to go."

This is a classic case of the onlooker seeing more of the game than the player!