Chapter 194 What's so good about Bai Xiuming?
At the beginning of the Si hour, the sky outside was overcast, with thick clouds carrying a heavy sense of oppression. Every now and then, a rumble of thunder would roll by, and a downpour was imminent.
Chen Hui was minding the shop in the front, while A Chan was in the backyard moving flowerpots under the eaves to prevent the branches from being broken by the heavy rain.
After moving the flowers, she drew up a small bucket of water from the well. Just as she washed her hands, she heard footsteps behind her.
But the footsteps didn't sound like Hui Niang's.
Achan turned around and immediately activated the ring in her hand upon seeing Bai Zhanhuang. Unfortunately, her reaction was still not fast enough. Two ghostly figures silently appeared on her left and right sides, each with a hand on her shoulder.
She heard the dragon spirit within the ring let out a resentful roar, then fell silent; the ring seemed to have been sealed by the two of them.
At this moment, there was another person standing behind Bai Zhanhuang.
Three people at the fourth realm, Achan withdrew her gaze and no longer tried to resist.
Bai Zhanhuang chuckled lightly: "You're really vigilant."
Achan was too lazy to pretend with him and asked directly, "Where is Huiniang?"
"Huiniang? Oh...you mean that living corpse up ahead?"
Seeing her looking at him coldly, Bai Zhanhuang stopped provoking her and said, "Don't worry, we're just letting her sleep for a while so she won't bother us."
What do you want to do?
"I'm going back to the Northern Wilderness. Last night I thought about it a lot and still hope to take you back with me. I think you should be more used to the Northern Wilderness than the capital."
"You don't seem to be planning to listen to my refusal."
Bai Zhanhuang's lips curled into a smile: "You know, I don't like being rejected."
"Okay, shall we go now?" Achan agreed readily, as she had no room to refuse.
From here to the Northern Wilderness, it's a distance of thousands of miles, and there's always a chance something unexpected might happen.
"Let's go now. I've prepared a carriage especially for you." Bai Zhanhuang stepped aside and gestured for them to proceed.
As he passed by her, Bai Zhanhuang suddenly reached out and grasped Achan's left hand. He took her hand and looked down at the black ring on her middle finger.
"I've heard that Bai Xiuming once slew a dragon on the banks of the Wei River. Is the dragon's soul sealed in this ring?"
A ripple stirred in Achan's heart. Her long eyelashes drooped slightly, concealing the strange light in her eyes. Bai Zhanhuang did not know that she and Bai Xiuming had separated, which was why he deliberately brought up Bai Xiuming in front of her.
"It's that dragon, it's very useful."
Bai Zhanhuang reached out and took the ring off Achan's hand. After being sealed, it was just an ordinary ring.
He stared at the black ring for a few moments before saying, "It is indeed very useful. Huanglin's death was not unjust."
Ashan looked at the ring and seemed to be deliberately reminding him, "He will find out immediately if the ring is sealed."
Bai Zhanhuang didn't care at all: "Yes, but he can't get here right away."
Ah Chan understood. Bai Xiuming was not in the capital, and Bai Zhanhuang knew his whereabouts very well. Judging from this man's fearless manner, he was probably already waiting for Bai Xiuming to come looking for him.
Seeing that he put the ring away, the idea became even more certain.
The thought flashed through her mind, but Achan didn't continue the topic. She pulled her hand away from Bai Zhanhuang's and walked out.
As she passed through the shop, Achan saw Chen Hui sitting silently in a chair.
Bai Zhanhuang whispered behind her, "She has always taken care of you, I won't hurt her."
Hearing this, Achan finally looked away from Chen Hui and casually reminded her, "Remember to close the shop door properly when you leave."
"good."
As they walked out of the shop, there were two carriages parked outside. Huang Wu led A Chan into the second carriage, while Bai Zhanhuang got into the first carriage.
Soon, the two carriages left Changping Ward and headed towards the city gate.
Before the carriage even reached the city gate, it joined the rest of the procession. By then, rain had begun to fall, with large raindrops pattering against the carriage and making a soft, rhythmic sound.
Achan only sat in the carriage for a short while before getting lazy. She placed the cushion behind her on the long seat by the window and lay down on her side.
The carriage was spacious enough, with roomy seats, perfect for lying down.
"Do you have a blanket? I'm sleepy." Achan tilted her head back and asked Huangwu, who was watching her from across the room, in a lazy tone.
Huangwu bent down, opened the compartment under the seat, took out a thin blanket, and handed it to Achan.
Achan reached out and took the blanket, covering herself with it, then closed her eyes, seemingly intending to take a nap.
Huangwu stared at Achan for a while, then suddenly said, "You don't seem afraid at all."
Achan lifted her eyelids: "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid Bai Zhanhuang will kill me?"
“You killed the Dowager Consort. Huang Lin was arrested by the Mingjing Division because of you and died in the town prison a few days ago.”
Huang Wu and Huang Lin weren't particularly close, but they had known each other for many years. They thought the prince had persuaded the emperor to let Huang Lin leave the prison alive, but instead, he died mysteriously, falsely accused of being cruel and ruthless, attempting to escape and kill someone before his death.
Not to mention the prince, even she hated Bai Xiuming with a passion.
Someone is so audacious and lawless.
Ah Chan yawned: "People should learn to look for reasons within themselves. The death of the Dowager Consort was of course her own fault. Who told her to raise her own son to be so cruel? What does that have to do with me? It's not like I killed her."
This self-righteous demeanor left Huang Wu speechless.
She thought to herself, thankfully the Dowager Consort had already been buried with the Zhao family in the outskirts of the capital; otherwise, hearing these words might have made her die of anger again.
Although Achan's appearance has changed and she is no longer stunning and unforgettable at first glance, she is still as willful and unruly as ever.
Seeing that Huangwu stopped asking, Achan countered with a question: "I've always been curious, isn't the demon inside you so ferocious? When you sleep, do you have to be on high alert all the time in case it comes out and kills you?"
Huang Wu has mastered the Shang family's Ghost Control Technique, and the fourth-tier Ghost Controlling Spirit within her is exceptionally powerful.
"I'm used to it." She didn't hide it from Achan. The two of them had fought several times before, so it was normal for Achan to be curious.
"Formidable strength comes with deadly danger. Be careful, or you might get eaten by a ghost one day."
Before closing her eyes, Achan spoke to her in a way that was both threatening and a reminder.
"That day will never come."
Before leaving the capital, Bai Zhanhuang obtained an imperial edict, for which he naturally paid a considerable price.
The city's garrison commander naturally dared not stop the Northern Wilderness King's entourage from leaving the capital. Instead, he opened the city gates wide and respectfully saw them off.
And so, Achan was quietly taken away from the capital.
The caravan traveled at a slow pace, setting off at dawn and finding a place to rest by late afternoon.
Bai Zhanhuang was, after all, a prince, and there were many rules to follow when he traveled. Occasionally, when he stopped at an inn, local officials would come to pay their respects.
Three days passed before they finally entered Liangzhou territory.
When they set off early in the morning, Bai Zhanhuang invited Achan to sit in his carriage, and Achan went over.
Bai Zhanhuang's carriage was filled with soft cushions, and there were also exquisite pastries on the side. Achan leaned against the cushions, popping pastries into her mouth while idly placing chess pieces on the chessboard.
Her chess skills were really not that great, yet she still won two games in a row. Bai Zhanhuang racked his brains to help her win.
During the several days they traveled together, the two did not have any conflicts. In fact, as long as Bai Zhanhuang wanted to coexist peacefully with someone, he could make that person feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.
This is why Achan was able to stay in the Northern Wilderness King's Mansion for three years, because he was not annoying.
As the third game began, watching A Chan make her move, Bai Zhanhuang suddenly asked, "What's so good about Bai Xiuming?"
Achan took the second chess piece from the chess jar and held it in her hand. The piece was slightly cool to the touch and had a delicate feel. She played with it for a while before slowly saying, "He's good-looking and he's very obedient to me."
This answer seemed hard for Bai Zhanhuang to accept; he held onto his chess piece for a long time without putting it down: "Wasn't I good enough to you?"
Before Achan could answer, he asked again, "Are you angry with me because I haven't helped you find your sister?"
Ah Chan said truthfully, "I'm not angry, after all, I needed your help. And for me at that time, three years passed in the blink of an eye, it was nothing."
Bai Zhanhuang sighed: "I actually tried to find her, but the Earth Spirit Book didn't respond."
Achan was somewhat surprised. The Book of Earthly Spirits should show whether someone is alive or dead, but the fact that there was no reaction proved that A-Mian was still alive.
The ability to cut off the location of the Earth Spirit Book suggests that she must either be in a special space or have the Five Realms protecting her.
"Thank you, this is good news for me." Achan's thanks were sincere.
Bai Zhanhuang looked at her: "I left the palace because I found traces of the Rat Demon Clan. The Rat Demon Clan has been worshipping the Earth Spirit Book for many years, and I thought they could help me find a solution."
He didn't continue speaking. The rat demon had indeed come up with a solution for him, but by the time he returned, it was too late to undo the damage.
At that time, the Mingjing Division suppressed the matter. He couldn't find any trace of Achan, so he kept hoping that she was still alive.
"Achan, am I not good enough to you?" he asked again, "or is my appearance not to your liking?"
Achan hadn't thought about comparing their appearances, but she found Bai Zhanhuang's looks pleasing to the eye. However, her heart was biased; it was biased towards Bai Xiuming, leaving no room for anyone else.
Seeing that he was determined to get an answer, Achan thought for a moment and replied, "I thought you should know very well that I am using you."
"I know I'm willing to be used by you."
“Perhaps that’s what makes you different from Bai Xiuming.” A hint of longing flickered in A Chan’s eyes, her tone sounding like a complaint. “Every time I need his help, I have to coax and lie to him.”
Bai Zhanhuang watched as A Chan slowly closed her eyes. He knew in his heart that he had not lost to Bai Xiuming, but to A Chan's favoritism.
"Have you been to Liangzhou before?" Bai Zhanhuang suddenly changed the subject.
"I passed by here when I went out, what's wrong?"
"If there's any place you like, you can tell me, and we can go and explore it sometime."
Achan didn't think there was anything in Liangzhou worth Bai Zhanhuang wasting his time on. Counting the days, no matter where Bai Xiuming had gone before, if he were to head back now, he shouldn't be far from Liangzhou.
"I don't know much about Liangzhou, but there's one place I've always wanted to visit."
"Oh? Where?"
“Ghost Cry Mountain,” Achan uttered three words. “I’ve heard that a ghost gate is suppressed there. Shangyin once told me about it.”
Bai Zhanhuang laughed. Ah Chan was always so unpredictable. She must have seen through his plans, but she chose Ghost Cry Mountain as her burial place for her lover.
"Alright, let's go to Ghost Cry Mountain then."
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