Chapter 67 - Sweet!

Fortunately, the people in the mansion were prepared for the two to get married. After a brief moment of surprise, they mostly thought that this was how it should be.

Even in the eyes of Wang Si and Lao Chen, the two of them had dragged it out until now, which was considered late.

As A-Cuo chewed on the sweet cake, her gaze fixed on the red mole on Shang Yuji's right cheek, and she couldn't help but wonder: Did she have a mole on her right cheek before?

Hui Gu knew the meaning of the red mole. She lowered her eyes and pondered the wedding customs of the Southern Frontier. However, the one in charge of the weddings was Miss Shang, and they usually followed the wedding customs of Da'an. Nevertheless, she could consider what kind of Southern Frontier wedding gift to give to the two of them.

The main reason was that Yi Sha had mentioned several times that she wanted to prepare a good gift for her apprentice. Jiang Xi was, after all, from the Southern Frontier, and she couldn't fall behind Yi Sha in terms of gift-giving.

Aunt Zhao was delighted for the two of them, after all, everyone in the household knew that the two were deeply in love and inseparable.

When she learned that the two were not a couple, she was quite surprised. They looked like a loving couple who had been together for many years.

Nothing much to do today. Tomorrow's plan is for Jiang Xi to learn Gu poison again. Yi Sha and Xiang Fengyun don't understand the Gu poison matter and can't get involved, so they usually don't come over to teach together on Gu poison learning days, unless it's just a sudden whim.

Based on the current situation, these two people are unlikely to come to the mansion within the next two days.

Shang Yuji decided to inform them of the news. Visiting each person individually was obviously too time-consuming, so she wrote several letters and sent them out at the same time.

The place where the group lived was not too far from her residence, and the letters were quickly delivered to them.

Yi Sha was overjoyed and quickly took out his most treasured possessions. With these, the relationship between Shang Yatou and her disciple would naturally improve. If the two were more affectionate, the disciple would have even greater motivation to learn martial arts.

Although she had openly discussed sending the storybook to Shang Yatou, she still felt somewhat guilty. Yi Sha packed up a package of the ultimate "secret manuals" and silently mourned the two of them for their poor health.

"A wedding ceremony?!" Xiang Fengyun clapped his hands and laughed. "That long sword will definitely be a fine gift!"

Seeing that Yi Sha had given him the Flying Flower Whip, he was eager to prepare a good knife for his apprentice, so he wrote to the senior knife-making master in the sect to ask for the Moon Chasing Knife.

It seems the Moon Chasing Blade is on its way and should arrive before their wedding.

"Prepare everything, prepare everything..." Yi Ning counted the items in the shop: white sugar, strong liquor, exquisite embroidery, and dazzling jewelry. As a subordinate of the Princess, and given her mutually beneficial relationship with Miss Shang, she couldn't afford to be outdone in matters of etiquette!

There's still over a month left, so she can prepare even more.

Dr. Fang felt much more relaxed and happily wrote a letter to his senior brother, without any intention of showing off.

No.

Having set a rough wedding date, just to be on the safe side, Shang Yuji went to the Fulai Inn to find Xuanming and Qingfeng.

When it comes to calculating auspicious wedding dates, no one can compare to them. In fact, in Shang Yuji's opinion, it's a waste of their talents to have them calculate her wedding date instead of for any important matter.

...No, her marriage is a serious matter, not a trivial one!

After much deliberation, Shang Yuji convinced herself and asked them for an auspicious date without any qualms.

With tears welling up in his eyes, Xuanming realized that Miss Shang's decision to have them perform divinations showed her growing trust in them.

This is great news!

He, Xuanming, a master strategist from the Longhu Mountain sect, decided to spare no effort in calculating the best day for them!

Finally, after some calculations, Xuanming revealed the best date. Upon hearing that the date differed too much from the original plan, Shang Yuji objected, saying, "No, three months is too long."

"What year and month is the girl thinking of?"

"It should take at least a month and a half, not too late."

Xuanming nodded and began a new round of calculations.

If the best time isn't available, there are other times to choose from.

Upon hearing that the new date would be in a month and a half, Shang Yuji nodded in agreement.

She paid the money for calculating the date, and even though Xuanming didn't want to accept it, he couldn't resist her threat to trust him.

Refusing money means you don't trust her!

What customer would so threateningly stuff money into a merchant's pocket?

But he just couldn't refuse; he wanted Miss Shang to trust them and then give them important positions!

Qingfeng looked at the two people in front of him with a strange expression, as if their identities had been reversed—the young lady who was trying to force money on him and the uncle who refused to accept it.

In the end, Miss Shang prevailed and won.

The room was well soundproofed, so Xuanming casually asked, "Why is the young lady in such a hurry to get married?"

Shang Yuji pondered quietly before replying, "Master Xuan, perhaps at some point, the current harmony will be shattered, and then it will be difficult to find a good time to hold a simple wedding ceremony."

"What does Miss Shang mean by this?" Xuanming did not think that her words were just a simple sigh, because after she finished speaking, his heart skipped a beat, as if it were some kind of premonition that was hard to ignore.

Shang Yuji shook her head, unwilling to say more, only adding, "When the time comes, I will talk to Master Xuan about it."

She got up to leave, but stopped at the door and turned back to invite him, saying, "As for the wedding ceremony, if you both have time, please come and watch. It will be more lively with more people."

As her figure receded into the distance, Qingfeng asked softly, "Uncle-Master, what did Miss Shang mean by that?"

Xuanming pondered for a moment, then sighed: "It's not a good thing in the end. I should write to my senior brother and tell him to be prepared."

That's what she said, but he sensed that what she meant was that things wouldn't be peaceful afterward.

As for the reason, Xuanming couldn't guess. Just like his senior brother's suggestion to go down Longhu Mountain, he couldn't figure out the meaning behind it, but he was willing to contribute his own strength to this world.

Their true pursuit is for the people to live in peace and prosperity, and for the world to be calm and tranquil.

His senior brother didn't say it, but he knew that his senior brother's current actions were for this purpose, and the Miss Shang who was on his mind was the key to this matter.

The streets were bustling with pedestrians, but as Shang Yuji walked back to her residence, her thoughts drifted far away.

After that, her focus will shift to supporting the eldest princess, a matter that, while not necessarily dangerous, will certainly be busy.

It seems the Second Prince is unaware of their whereabouts, but if he were to investigate, he could still find something amiss.

The original plan was that even if things were urgent, it would still take three to five years to support the eldest princess. During those three to five years, it would have been fine if the second prince hadn't discovered her existence. But once her existence was discovered, the rest of the time would have been spent seeking a precarious peace amidst the clash of swords and shadows.

It was just a pipe dream.

Moreover, even if the Second Prince hadn't discovered that she was hiding in the Eldest Princess's faction, her subsequent support for the Eldest Princess's actions would have caused instability in the power struggle between the Second Prince and the Eldest Princess.

In the struggle for power and profit, there is bloodshed and withered bones everywhere.

In that case, it would be better to hold the wedding with Jiang Xi in advance, so as not to worry about unfinished business and feel uneasy.

Pushing open the door and passing through the main hall, Shang Yuji saw Jiang Xi inside, engrossed in sewing a red wedding dress.

Perhaps because of his previous experience, this time his needlework was more decisive and swift, the fine needle flying between his long, slender fingers like a leaping fish.

His ears twitched as he heard familiar footsteps. He looked up and smiled, his hands still busy, and called out, "Yunxiao, you're back."

Perhaps it was his half-up hairstyle that made him appear too elegant, and the soft sunlight shining on him made him seem to be surrounded by a layer of soft glow. With his head bowed and his needlework done with ease, Shang Yuji had a strange feeling that her husband was very virtuous.

She held up the pastries in her hand in his direction: "I bought lotus flower pastries, let's try them together."

Jiang Xi's eyes gleamed, and she hesitated for a moment, thinking of the wedding dress she was still sewing.

Shang Yuji immediately saw his concern and smiled, "You continue with your work, I'll feed you."

"Hmm!" Ah Ji really understood his thoughts! Ah Ji is so smart!

And so, when A-Cuo passed by, he saw Jiang Xi sewing a wedding dress in her hands, chewing on a lotus flower pastry that the merchant girl had fed her, her head slightly lowered, and the tips of her ears tinged with rosy clouds.

A-Cuo: For some reason, my teeth suddenly felt sore.

She had already sensed that the two were being overly affectionate, and now they weren't even pretending anymore. Oh well, she decided not to get involved with this soon-to-be-married couple and would just pass by without a care in the world.

Recalling the scene in her dream where Gu worms were found under the skin of the person, Shang Yuji asked, "Haitian, is there a method of raising Gu worms hidden in the skin?"

"Hmm..." Jiang Xi puffed out one cheek, chewing on the lotus-shaped pastry in her mouth. After thinking for a moment, she nodded and said, "Yes, but I haven't learned it. The book says that this is a method to quickly cultivate evil Gu."

"The Gu worms, which drink human blood and eat human flesh from a young age, will be extremely attracted to human flesh and blood once they are fully trained."

Shang Yuji: "If a Gu practitioner infuses the Gu into their own flesh, won't the Gu worms devour their internal organs?"

Jiang Xi frowned, nodding and then shaking her head: "It depends on the strength of the Gu practitioner. If the Gu practitioner cannot balance the Gu poison and Gu worms in their body—if the Gu poison is too strong, they will die from the poisoning; if the Gu worms gain the upper hand, they will be eaten by the Gu worms."

If the two can be balanced well, then the Gu poison and Gu worms in the body will coexist peacefully.

After saying this, Shang Yuji ate a lotus-shaped pastry and asked, "So, when a Gu practitioner inserts a new Gu worm into their body, doesn't that disrupt the previously maintained balance between poison and worm?"

Jiang Xi stared blankly at the crumbs at the corner of her mouth, pursed her lips and replied, "This requires increasing the amount of Gu poison in the body beforehand, and then stuffing the worms into the body. As for the balance... as long as you endure the chaotic back and forth between the poison and the worms in your body, you can continue to live."

Towards the end, there was no fear in his voice; it was as calm as if he were talking about something completely ordinary.

In his view, raising gu within the body is merely a method of practicing gu. As for whether it is good or bad, he judges it by its effects, without considering whether it may have any adverse effects on the body.

Shang Yuji swallowed the crispy and sweet lotus-shaped pastry in her throat, stared at him quietly for a while, and Jiang Xi saw her looking at him. She subconsciously broke into a bright smile, a smile that was captivating.

Countless Gu worms crawled out from under the skin of the person in the dream. Shang Yuji dared not imagine how that person could endure such pain and raise a group of Gu worms inside their body.

But given the commonalities between the person in her dream and the person beside her, she had to worry in advance.

Shang Yuji openly grabbed the soft flesh on his cheek and threatened him in the dark: "Jiang Haitian, apart from the incurable Tongxin Gu in your body, you are not allowed to put any more worms into your body. I don't want to get close to a husband whose skin is crawling with Gu worms!"

"Ugh!" Jiang Xi whimpered, then pleaded softly, "Yun Xiao, I won't do that."

Seeing his sincere pleading, Shang Yuji released the soft flesh she was holding and poked his forehead again: "You better remember this well."

Jiang Xi nodded vigorously. Seeing that A Ji had relaxed, he stopped his needlework, leaned closer, and whispered, "Yun Xiao, may I kiss you?"

She turned her head to look at him. He didn't realize that his question was abrupt, and smiled sweetly as he looked at her hesitantly.

Finally, with her approval, Jiang Xi licked away the crumbs of lotus-shaped pastry that he had been longing for, which were stuck to the corner of her lips.

It's sweet!

tasty!

It was even sweeter than he had imagined.

Shang Yuji wanted to back away, but stopped in his pursuit, tacitly allowing him to take advantage of her.

A gentle breeze swept by, brushing away Shang Yuji's loose hair and landing on Jiang Xi's face, causing a slight tickle.

The two seemed oblivious.

·

The capital city, the residence of the Second Prince.

The secret agent handed over the newly discovered information.

Zhou Ao opened the scanner and, seeing what was written on it, read it carefully. When he got to the end, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

—Last winter, the eldest princess took Jiang Xi away from the Jiang residence. The next day, Wang Si and Old Chen from the residence decided to return to their hometown due to health reasons, but there were still two people sitting in the carriage.

A man and a woman...

According to the guards at the city gate, the two were siblings, and the woman's face was burned, which was quite frightening.

As luck would have it, the day they left Beijing was the same day he confronted Lin Mingshan.

He passed them by.

The spies were unsure whether the two were the people their master was looking for, but since they were suspicious, they had to report it to their master.

Zhou Ao pondered. He didn't know Old Chen, but he had heard of Wang Si, a capable henchman of Zhou Chaoyun, who had been forced to retreat behind the scenes due to injury and found a job at the Princess's residence.

Putting aside Zhou Chaoyun's emphasis on his subordinates, the fact that a disfigured woman left the Princess's residence with Wang Si and Old Chen's guards is puzzling.

After all, he didn't remember having a beautiful woman in her household who was "exquisitely beautiful but unfortunately disfigured."

Even if they might be family members of Zhou Chaoyun's staff, he was prepared to kill a thousand innocent people rather than let one guilty person go free, so he arranged for people to find out where these four people were.

As for A Shuang and "Jiang Xiqu" in the Princess's residence, Zhou Ao gritted his teeth and thought hatefully: Damn the Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain! Why did he have to come at this time, just when they finally managed to get in touch with A Shuang, he used rhetoric to drive all the people he had arranged to go there out of the Princess's residence!

All the spies he had planted over the years were recognized by this man's physiognomy and driven out of the mansion.

Xuan Qing... why is he coming to the capital instead of staying at Longhu Mountain?!

Even a Taoist priest dares to trip him up!

Zhou Ao was feeling frustrated. After seeing his uncle, his agitation intensified, and all the porcelain and antiques in the room were destroyed.

Damn it! Damn it!

This Da'an will be his empire sooner or later, so why are these people getting in his way?

Jiang Xiqu! Jiang Xiqu! Jiang Xiqu!

In his dream, he held a knife in his hand, determined to take down this person!