Chapter 42 What's all the secrecy about? Are you secretly having a barbecue without...?
The entire hall was silent, except for the crisp sound of glass beads falling onto the table.
The worshippers who were sitting on the prayer cushions all stood up. They had been watching since the boy and the Taoist priest started arguing, as they couldn't miss such a rare spectacle.
Everyone saw what just happened clearly. The moment the boy's finger touched the teacup, the cup immediately twisted and deformed, turning into a glass bead.
Is this some kind of martial arts illusion? Or is it some legendary, ethereal immortal magic?
Behind him, Xie Yunchuan's eyes widened, and his gaze toward the fox grew increasingly admiring. Could he learn this move? If he could, how cool would he be?
The fox was very pleased with himself. Looking at the dumbfounded Taoist priest, he chuckled, raised his hand and gently tugged at Tinglan's sleeve, pulling his good friend behind him, and took a step forward.
The palm print stood behind him, watching the little prince's back, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.
This was the first time someone had ever stood up for him...
The fox's already beautiful and delicate face, now tinged with aggression, appeared exceptionally bright and vivid.
"Why don't you call out your fox spirit? I'd like to meet him."
The Taoist priest opposite him looked grim, like a jar of spoiled pickled vegetables. After a long pause, he finally managed to utter, "It's nothing but a trick of a wandering sorcerer. You look like a wealthy person, yet you resort to such methods. My master isn't here, otherwise he would have given you a good beating."
The fox immediately got angry. What a trick! This is the truth.
Damn it! I'm going to turn you into a pig's head today! Let's see if you still think it's just a trick?
"If you've come here with the intention of causing trouble, please leave," the Taoist priest muttered dryly.
"Master isn't here, and your fox spirit is suddenly not home either. Did it go out to eat?" Ji Qing glared fiercely at the Taoist priest.
He bent down and casually picked up an incense burner from the table, then twirled it in his hand.
The Taoist priest thought he was going to be thrown at him, and instinctively dodged backward in fright.
The fox snorted and threw it behind him. The bronze incense burner fell to the ground. It shouldn't have broken; it would have just scattered incense ash everywhere.
But the situation was completely different. Instead of hearing the heavy thud of the incense burner hitting the ground, the crowd heard countless crisp, delicate popping sounds.
But it was indeed shattered into pieces. The moment the incense burner hit the ground, it turned into countless glass beads that scattered and rolled away. Countless reflected, colorful halos were projected onto the murals and bluestone slabs in the hall, creating a dreamlike and dazzling scene.
Exclamations of amazement came from all directions.
The fox ignored him, turned around and said calmly, "Let's go."
Upon hearing this, the onlookers quickly made way.
Once the group was outside, the Imperial Guards treated Ji Qing with an almost unbelievable level of respect, practically sweeping the dirt off the ground before inviting him to step on it.
Xie Yunchuan already had a soft spot for foxes, and now he felt that His Highness was practically omnipotent. He even wished he could learn His Highness's walking posture.
The fox walked ahead with its arms crossed and puffed out, then turned around and tugged at Tinglan's sleeve, "Let me tell you, he's a liar."
"Okay, he's a scammer."
"Don't believe him," the fox warned.
"Fine, I don't believe it."
"Just believe me, I'm much more effective than him."
Tinglan nodded, looked at the young prince beside her, and said softly, "This servant believes in Your Highness."
Now the fox was happy. He proudly raised his head and continued to tug at Tinglan's sleeve, "I'm amazing, aren't I?"
"I never knew Your Highness could do these things."
"Of course! I know a lot more than that!" The fox's tail practically swished in the air; it was incredibly proud, and it even started hopping and skipping as it walked.
"Do you want me to change it for you?" The fox hopped around and turned to Tinglan with a smile.
"What do you want to change to?"
This problem stumped the fox.
Logically, at this point, we should transform into a roast chicken and then share a drumstick and a wing with our best friend.
Unfortunately, the fox's food lost its flavor.
He lowered his head and thought carefully for a moment, then stopped and looked back at the Imperial Guards and Xie Yunchuan following behind him. Suddenly, he felt a little shy and didn't want anyone to see him.
He turned around, clutching his sleeve, and quietly slipped something into Tinglan's arms. Without waiting to see his reaction, he quickly looked away, focusing on the tips of his shoes.
Tinglan took it out from his pocket; it was a jade thumb ring with excellent clarity, clearly not an ordinary item at first glance.
The fox lowered its head and whispered, "I see you like wearing this, so I'll give you a similar one."
"How do you like it?"
Tinglan did not answer. He grabbed the little prince's wrist and solemnly removed the thumb ring from his own thumb, placing it on the little prince's finger.
"Your Highness, could you help me put this on?"
"Oh." The fox responded blankly, then carefully put the ring on Tinglan's finger.
Tinglan couldn't quite explain what she was feeling at that moment.
The thumb ring must have been prepared by the young prince first. When exactly did he prepare it, and how long did he secretly hide it on his person?
Have you thought many times about what opportunity to give it to her?
Whenever Tinglan thought about what the little prince had done for him, his heart ached, yet it was also filled with warmth.
He turned his head to look at the person in front of him, "Thank you, Your Highness."
The fox nodded blankly, then looked down with great interest, circling around to examine the jade thumb ring on its hand.
It's so pretty! The green color is so beautiful. Gifts from good friends are always so nice; I must keep it.
Upon seeing this, Tinglan chuckled softly. Since they were outside, and considering the young prince's status, he dared not make any overly intimate gestures. He simply gently squeezed the young prince's wrist again.
Your Highness truly cares about me, even treasuring the gifts you give me.
*
The next day, several bandits came down the mountain to rob, and happened to run into General Xie and his men on a secret patrol outside.
This is just perfect timing. Xie Yunchuan was just thinking of doing something big to impress His Highness. It's like a pillow being handed to him just when he was sleepy.
He immediately apprehended the man, bound him tightly, stuffed him onto a donkey cart, and personally led him back to the city in a joyful, secret escort.
Staying in an inn used to be inconvenient for getting things done.
They had moved to a large courtyard in the city, which used to be the residence of a wealthy merchant. When the war broke out, the merchant sold the house and fled to another place.
"The seal of the chief." Xie Yunchuan pushed open the door with a delighted expression. "Look what I brought back."
The bandits were tied up like grasshoppers, their mouths gagged, and pushed into the courtyard.
Several Imperial Guards stood in the courtyard, and under the eaves was a grand chair. The Chief Guard sat on it, and a person knelt below him.
But after looking around, Xie Yunchuan still couldn't find His Highness, and he was quite disappointed.
"What is this?" Tinglan put down her teacup and asked.
“The bandits came down to rob us, and I happened to run into them and took the loot back.”
"Thank you very much, young general."
Xie Yunchuan scratched his head sheepishly, stood to the side, and secretly peeked into the room, trying to see where His Highness was.
Tinglan spoke calmly, as if she were talking about something insignificant, “Interrogate them separately. If a single sentence doesn’t match up, break a bone. After the interrogation, send the statements to Chen Yu.”
After speaking, he seemed a little hesitant, "Make sure it's cleaned up properly and the door is locked." He didn't want to frighten the young prince.
Tinglan wiped her hands, stood up, and stepped into the room without giving anyone else a glance.
He washed his hands with soap in the copper basin, dried them with a dry cloth, took off his cloak which was stained with the smell of blood, and then went into the inner room.
His Highness has probably woken up from his afternoon nap.
Tinglan pushed open the door, walked quietly to the bed, and lifted the heavy curtains on the bed.
The fox was lying on the bed, thoroughly enjoying the memory of his impressive performance that morning.
He chuckled to himself while hugging the blanket.
When he saw Tinglan arrive, he sat up and, like a kitten, hooked his arm around Tinglan's neck, continuing to ask the question he had asked many times before, "Am I amazing?"
Tinglan had no choice but to nod again.
The fox released its grip with great satisfaction, sinking into the soft bed.
"There's something I've always wanted to ask: where did Your Highness learn all this?"
The little prince's skill was so exquisite that it was astonishing; if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he really wouldn't have believed it.
The smug fox immediately turned into a panicked fox.
He rolled around on the bed, raised his head, and said somewhat guiltily, "My sister taught me, and then I became self-taught."
The guilty, foolish fox has learned his lesson and immediately changed the subject, poking Tinglan's chest with his finger and feigning anger, saying, "That's why I'm so capable. You should have brought me here right away."
You don't think I'm some kind of lazy fox, do you?
"It's my fault," Tinglan had no choice but to admit defeat.
He sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the little prince who was crooked and twisted on the bed, "I have another request to make."
The fox immediately rolled over and sat up, asking excitedly, "What is it? What is it? I'll definitely help you."
"Your Highness, please refrain from walking around the back of the courtyard in the next few days."
Those things were really not suitable for His Highness to see, and he didn't want the young prince to know about the things he had handled... No one would like a person with blood on their hands.
After all, it's too dirty and would offend His Highness's eyes.
The fox lay back down with a thud. "What? I thought something was wrong. Okay, I'm not going, don't worry."
Honestly, so secretive. Are you secretly having a barbecue in the backyard without telling me?
Tinglan smiled and gently touched the little prince's cheek.
Even now, he wouldn't dare to have any intimate interactions with the young prince.
I don't know if he was afraid the young prince would refuse, or if he was afraid the young prince would think he was using his power to coerce him.
Tinglan chuckled, got up and walked out, gently closing the door behind her. The last trace of familiar herbal scent dissipated in her nostrils.
He turned his head and looked out the window at the gradually brightening dawn.
It's getting dark, perfect for a bloody killing.
The fox was incredibly bored inside the house. He picked up a storybook to read, but couldn't quite understand it. Not to mention Tinglan, he couldn't even find Xie Yunchuan. There was only a wooden-looking Imperial Guard standing at the door.
I asked him, "Do you know where Tinglan went?"
The Imperial Guard said, "Young master, don't worry, the head officer has gone to handle the case."
Today, the commander has taken swift and decisive action, uncovering a conspiracy between the mountain bandits and wealthy families in the city. They hired assassins to kill people for their real estate, waiting until the able-bodied men in those families were gone, leaving only the elderly and weak who could not survive, before stepping in to buy the land.
This time, disaster struck, there was no harvest, and people couldn't pay taxes. Even more people lost their land, and all the profits went to these bigwigs. It's despicable. How can we let them get away with it?
The fox gave him a piece of pastry, but he still said the same thing.
The fox sighed helplessly.
He wandered around the room. The door was guarded by the Imperial Guards, so he couldn't leave. Why not just go through the window?
The fox deftly lifted the window, braced itself against the windowsill with one hand, and flipped out.
Going to visit my best friend!
Tinglan was sitting in the storeroom in the backyard, the fire in the copper basin casting flickering light on his face.
"Who exactly are you people? Have you no regard for the law?! Using vigilante justice will get you arrested!"
Tinglan wouldn't have bothered to investigate such a trivial matter herself.
But since it concerned disaster relief, he sighed softly, “Dislocate his jaw, and break a finger if you question him.”
This is still someone else's house after all. If the homeowner comes back and makes too much mess, it will be difficult to clean up. It's better to be gentle.
The fox sneaked around the front yard but didn't find anyone. He then looked at the door leading to the back yard and strolled over there.
What could be in the backyard? A tiger?
I'm not afraid of tigers either. I can knock them down with one punch. Hmph.
The fox happily skipped over, carrying the snacks he had prepared for his good friend.
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Author's note: I'm fed up with JJ's crappy system. The whole backend froze, and I had to switch devices to finally get the update out.
I set a goal to write 6,000 words every day, but once I started typing, I kept fiddling with things, and as a result, I didn't have enough time. Then I ended up crying as I finished writing 3,000 words. [crying emoji]
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