Chapter 82 Southern Yue - Star River Tracker (Part 1) Baby, you know...
The beautiful city of Nanyue is like a magnificent landscape painting.
Although it is not as bustling and prosperous as the capital, it exudes a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere reminiscent of the beautiful mountains and clear waters.
Unlike Chaoyun, which is well-connected, Nanyue rarely sees so many people dressed as foreigners at once, even in the capital, which is the economic and political center.
Not to mention, the group was strikingly good-looking, standing out like cranes among chickens in a crowd, attracting frequent glances from passersby—except, of course, for Zhou Zheyue, who was bruised and battered.
When the immortal ship crashed and Li Fuchao came to rescue them, he didn't see Shi Xianxue and the others, but instead saw Zhou Zheyue being beaten.
The roars of the immortal disciples filled the entire dilapidated immortal ship.
"Zhou Zheyue! Don't think I don't know you were behind the destruction of the Qiankun Barrier. Otherwise, with the power of Qiankun Star, how could it have been breached by the Demon Clan so quickly!"
Zhou Zheyue was beaten black and blue, but she didn't utter a sound.
Besides Fu Liuwan, Fu Zhen used to dote on this junior brother the most, but today, watching him get beaten, he silently tolerated it.
In the past, out of respect for Zhou Xianzun, they always treated Zhou Zheyue with courtesy and consideration. But today, releasing the goddess and destroying the immortal ship is the same crime as betraying the sect. Fu Zhen truly loves this young and innocent junior brother, which is why he cannot stop him.
"You traitor! You think you can act with impunity just because you have Zhou Xianzun backing you! Come back with us and see if Master will still protect you this time!"
Fu Zhen glanced at the disciple who had spoken, his expression changed slightly, and he withdrew.
The demons could not find Wu Xiutang's whereabouts, and most of them had already withdrawn from the pursuit, while a small number were still entangled in battle with the people of the Nine Heavens Immortal Mansion.
Li Fuchao took advantage of the chaos and took him away.
The group met up in Jinxiu City.
Pei Huaguang was extremely attentive to Shi Xianxue throughout the journey. He made no attempt to hide his affection for her, constantly pestering her, yet he never became annoying. Even when Shi Xianxue needed his help, she couldn't completely distance herself from him.
This made Wu Xiutang very unhappy.
The two had barely made up when they started arguing again. To make matters worse, that scheming young master was stirring things up by saying that his brother was too fierce and unlike him, who was gentle, considerate, and caring. He even said he would be willing to be a concubine for his sister.
Wu Xiutang restrained himself from the urge to crush his head.
So he cast a silencing spell, and Pei Huaguang was quiet all the way from Fangfei City to Jinxiu City. The two of them, however, argued the whole way and were now at the height of their argument.
Pei Huaguang was speechless, but he felt a sense of smug anticipation. Let them argue, how many relationships fall apart because of arguments? He couldn't be happier.
"Ah!" The fairy sister couldn't win the argument at all, so she bit Wu Xiutang's arm in a fit of anger.
She was like an angry, bristling lion.
Pei Huaguang was startled and shrank back in fear.
Wu Xiutang winced in pain and instinctively tried to pull his arm back, but the fairy sister wouldn't let go. She pounced forward following his movements, and Wu Xiutang had to protect her from being bitten and prevent her from tripping.
"If you can't win an argument, you bite. Are you a dog?" He was in so much pain that he pinched Shi Xianxue's face with his long fingers, finally freeing his arm.
The fairy sister puffed out her cheeks, her face like it was smeared with bright rouge. She licked her lips, her eyes shining, and said in a completely unrelated way, "I'm thirsty, I want to drink juice."
Pei Huaguang: ...
He didn't know why anyone would carry fresh pomegranate juice and grape juice with them. Wu Xiutang's skin was fair and delicate, like a little girl's. He was usually calm and composed, his emotions as stable as ice in the dark. But whenever Shi Xianxue was involved, his handsome face would easily break down.
Pei Huaguang was actually quite afraid of him.
But Shi Xianxue was a brave woman; she was not afraid. She not only bossed him around, but also dared to argue with him.
Before the argument was even resolved, they started treating him like a mule.
Wu Xiutang was still catching his breath, his face flushed red. He glared at her, took out a bamboo tube from the bag at his waist, poured pomegranate juice into the jade cup, and even held up a few pieces of delicate water chestnut cake, waiting coldly beside her in case she got hungry after drinking the pomegranate juice.
Like a palace maid.
To be honest, Pei Huaguang is starting to like them a bit.
Seeing that there was not much progress, Pei Huaguang sighed and prepared to go to the palace first to inform them about the Peach Blossom Palace matter. He would then invite them to the palace to borrow the Star River Tracking Device.
Li Fuchao and his companion were the last to arrive at Jinxiu City. Xiao Mei was playing with the fire ibis when she turned around and happened to see Zhou Zheyue on her left. She was so frightened that she almost fell down the stairs, thinking that some pig from some remote corner had come to life.
She clung to the flamingo's neck to steady herself. Seeing Zhou Zheyue surrounded by an ethereal aura, she didn't seem like a spirit or monster, but rather a cultivator. Then, upon hearing Li Fuchao say that he came from the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace, she was both surprised and heartbroken: "Such a good child, how did he get beaten up like this? Can't he even keep his face? Brother Li, you couldn't have done this to him, could you?"
Li Fuchao: ...
Zhou Zheyue covered her face and went into the room without saying a word.
Li Fuchao couldn't be so talkative about this, so he could only vaguely gloss over the matter.
Shi Xianxue could guess the reason for this. She felt guilty and thought she had implicated Zhou Zheyue. However, due to the innate closeness of blood ties, she couldn't help but feel pity for him.
She remembered seeing a special space in the Wuliang Bag that was used to store ointments and other medicines, with a complete range of types and excellent effects, so she went to ask Wu Xiutang for them.
Inside the room, Wu Xiutang absentmindedly peeled a pomegranate, the plump and juicy seeds neatly arranged in a chrysanthemum dish, like rubies shining brightly in the night.
Shi Xianxue pushed the door open and entered. The door hit the wall and bounced back, causing the pomegranate seeds in the plate to tremble.
They didn't seem like they were there to ask for something back; rather, they were creditors coming to collect a debt.
Seeing the neatly arranged pomegranate seeds on the plate, Shi Xianxue grabbed a handful and stuffed them into her mouth without any regard for appearances. The sweet and sour juice filled her mouth, and the neatly arranged pomegranate seeds were messed up by her grabbing. They fell onto the edge of the table and finally rolled to the ground, where Shi Xianxue stepped on them, crushing the red pomegranate juice all over the floor.
Wu Xiutang stopped peeling and just stared at her expressionlessly.
Shi Xianxue showed no sign of being disliked. She picked up a grain and brought it to his lips, saying, "Here."
Wu Xiutang turned his face away and said in a low voice, "If you don't eat, how will you know if you washed your hands?"
What a mean and ungrateful man.
Shi Xianxue had no choice but to stuff the pomegranate seeds back into her mouth and eat until she was half full. The pomegranate seeds in the chrysanthemum plate were now in a mess.
She then remembered the important matter at hand.
In the past, Wu Xiutang would have said a few harsh words, but today he said nothing, only looked her up and down before handing her the bag.
"In the second box on the third layer, there is plum sugar without any added herbs."
"Really?"
Heaven knows she really loved the taste of dried plums and perilla leaves mixed together, but Wu Xiutang's plum and perilla candy always had a faint, bitter medicinal taste.
However, it's been a long time since she's seen Wu Xiutang take his medicine.
Shi Xianxue held the medicine bottle in her hand, playing with it back and forth. She didn't speak, and Wu Xiutang lowered his eyes to peel the pomegranate. The room was quiet enough to hear each other's breathing.
The atmosphere was very strange. If someone familiar with them were present, they would be very surprised. There were very few quiet moments between the two. Unlike Sister Qing Shu and Brother Li, they were not affectionate and in sync. On the contrary, they would quarrel, argue, and fight until they were red in the face and their necks were thick with anger.
Shi Xianxue always believed that every couple has a different way of getting along. If everyone gets along in the same way, what's the point of dating? Moreover, arguing is not necessarily a bad thing. It's just that people have different personalities, different experiences, and different ways of doing things.
Arguing can be a way to strengthen a relationship when necessary.
Unlike today, we're like an old married couple in a period of burnout, with no passion whatsoever.
She strolled leisurely to the door and found that the person hadn't even looked up, but was engrossed in their own business.
Shi Xianxue didn't know what was so interesting about peeling that pomegranate.
She felt a little disappointed and thought she had been ignored.
So he turned back and examined him face to face.
"Wu Xiutang".
Wu Xiutang raised his eyebrows absentmindedly.
"I've noticed you seem a little unhappy."
Upon hearing this, Wu Xiutang glanced at her and let out a cold snort that was neither too loud nor too soft.
"What are you chuckling about?"
Wu Xiutang reacted as if he had swallowed a ton of poison, his words dripping with venom, "Why didn't you wait until I was dead to find out?"
“…What are you saying?” Shi Xianxue swam over like a water snake and coaxed him in a low voice, “Why, baby? You were fine yesterday, and we didn’t even argue. Why are you unhappy today? Tell me why, so I can know how to comfort you.”
Wu Xiutang's thin lips were pressed into a straight line, and his eyebrows and eyes were lowered very much.
He disliked this place, disliked Jinxiu City, and even more so, he hated Pei Huaguang for no reason. The moment he stepped into this place, he felt it; that ever-present sense of disgust made him uncomfortable all over. It felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his back, making it hard to breathe. He was in excruciating pain and desperately wanted to draw blood and kill.
How could he possibly tell Shi Xianxue the truth about all of this?
"It's nothing." He covered the pomegranate.
"Really nothing?" Shi Xianxue looked at him suspiciously, waving her index finger in front of her eyes. "Baby, you can't lie to me."
"I'm not lying. I am indeed unhappy, but I can't trace the root of the problem." Wu Xiutang lowered her dark eyelashes sadly, her expression somewhat fragile. "Perhaps..."
"Maybe what?"
Wu Xiutang raised his eyelashes, suddenly leaned closer to her, their eyes met, and his long, strong arms encircled her completely. "I'm too sensitive, too insecure."
The warm breath brushed against the tip of her nose, and Shi Xianxue felt a little itchy.
"Baby." He mimicked her tone, but the unique voice of a young man made the two words magnetic and ambiguous. His soft lips brushed against the skin behind her ear. "You know how to put my mind at ease, right?"
--
It must be said that Pei Huaguang was quite efficient; a carriage came to pick them up and take them to the palace the next day.
The palace of the Southern Yue Kingdom cannot compare to the magnificent nine-tiered palace of Chaoyun. Instead, it leans more towards a religious and mysterious architectural style. The long, red pillars are intricately carved with auspicious mythical beasts, and the upturned eaves resemble birds in flight. A gentle breeze adds a bright and dynamic touch to this imperial city.
As soon as they got off the carriage, they saw Pei Huaguang waiting eagerly in front of the long street.
Upon seeing Shi Xianxue, Pei Huaguang's eyes lit up. He hopped over like a little rabbit, winking at her, "Fairy Sister, it's been so long! Have you missed me?"
Didn't we just see each other yesterday?
Shi Xianxue chuckled and quickly changed the subject, "Haha, Prince Pei is joking. Let's get down to business and go check out the Star River Tracker."
“The Star Tracker can only be used during a full moon. Even if I take you there now, it won’t be able to start. Let me introduce you to my father and mother first.” Pei Huaguang gestured for the others to follow. “Fairy Sister is lovely and kind. She will surely get along well with my mother.”
Xiao Mei stayed at the inn to take care of Zhou Zheyue, while only Li Fuchao and the other two entered the imperial city.
He walked side by side with Wu Xiutang, keeping a close eye on his every move, fearing that he might lose control of his emotions and attack Pei Huaguang. However, to his surprise, Young Master Wu only looked a little pale, but did not intend to make a move.
Upon entering the main hall, Wu Xiutang paused, falling behind the crowd.
Li Fuchao didn't think much of it; his gaze was drawn to the loving emperor and empress on the high throne.
Just like his father and mother, they were mutually attracted, of similar age, and well-behaved, a perfect match.
King Pei Zheng of the Southern Yue Kingdom was handsome and showed no signs of aging. He was easygoing and had no airs of a monarch. He greeted them with a smile and invited them to take their seats.
Queen Qi had a pair of gentle willow-leaf eyes, her features were pretty and delicate, her lips were naturally red, and she spoke softly: "Please take your seats, Taoist priests. Hua Guang has been spoiled by His Majesty and me. He has the mind of a child and does whatever he wants. He must have caused you a lot of trouble on the way. I thank you again on behalf of my son."
"Mother," Pei Huaguang gestured to her with his eyes, indicating that she should stop talking, "Fairy Sister is still here."
"Now you're worried about saving face, but where did that tantrum-throwing, relentless drive go?" Pei Zheng teased with a smile. "How come I remember you saying just two years ago that you wouldn't marry anyone but General Liu's daughter?"
"Father!!"
While the father and son were talking, Queen Qi wanted to take a good look at her son's sweetheart, but she was stunned when she met the woman's sharp eyes.
The next moment, the teacup was accidentally broken, and she grabbed Pei Zheng's sleeve in a rather disgraceful manner.
"His Majesty!"
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