Chapter 39 How could such a grand drama be complete without the female lead?
When Mu Jianjian returned and saw that the young prince had already left, and that Xiao Yingzi looked resentful, she knew that what had happened had been overheard.
She could tell with her own eyes that Bai Ji did this on purpose.
She never intended to act properly. Bai Ji probably already saw through Yao Ling's disguise, but he didn't care. The reason was simple: he looked down on her.
How can someone as weak as her have any impact on the situation?
After Mu Jianjian's explanations failed, she watched the little shadow angrily leave and helplessly sat down by the pavilion, took out a small knife, and began to sharpen a stone.
Her mind was racing. What did Bai Ji mean by "the grand spectacle of her sixteenth birthday banquet," and what role did she actually play in it all...?
Until footsteps sounded behind him.
"Yao Ling." A light, youthful voice came from behind, and Mu Jianjian turned her head at the sound.
“Your Highness, I am not a spy,” Mu Jianjian turned her head and bit her lip, “I never have been.”
"I know." Seeing the woman's slightly aggrieved expression, the young man couldn't help but smile. "I believe you."
"It's Bai Ji's birthday in seven days. He might do you a bad thing, and..."
“I know that too, but I can’t leave anymore,” the boy said, sitting next to Mu Jianjian, watching her hands grinding stones, something churning beneath his gentle eyes. “But you’re different. You can still leave, leave this place.”
leave?
Mu Jianjian never intended to leave; she still needed to find a way back, so leaving was impossible.
She shook her head. "No, I'm not leaving."
Mu Jianjian had no idea that her determined gaze had a different meaning in the other person's eyes.
"good."
As the boy's voice faded, silence returned to the air.
"Your Highness, you seem to be smiling more lately," Mu Jianjian blurted out, gazing at the young man's profile.
“You like my smile, so I will smile.” The young man gazed into her eyes, his previous aloofness gone, replaced by a gentle, refined, and serene expression.
In a daze, Mu Jianjian saw the shadow of another person, a shadow that felt strangely familiar.
Who does it resemble?
"You still haven't told me what name you're going to use?" What should have been a lighthearted and cheerful topic turned unexpectedly heavy because of what had just happened.
"Keep it a secret."
As the boy's voice faded, Mu Jianjian gripped the chess piece she had just polished tightly in her hand.
She thought that once the jade plate and chess pieces were all polished, the young prince wouldn't have to be bored and read books every day anymore, and she could teach him Go, Go, and so on.
Mu Jianjian's wish settled in her heart, but little did she know that this wait would turn into a regret that would last for ten thousand years.
——
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. The birthday celebration of Bai Ji, the future crown prince of the Upper Realm, was far more grand than that of the Wan Cai Festival. Mu Jianjian was taken to cook and busied herself in the kitchen.
She hadn't seen the young prince for the past few days, and even his shadow was rarely seen. He was gradually becoming less wary of her, but there was still an indescribable sense of distance between them.
"Yaoling, His Highness summons you to the inner palace." A maid came and led Mu Jianjian to a place resembling a study before leaving.
When Mu Jianjian stepped into the room of the Fanjin Palace again, she always had a sense of unreality.
After looking around, she fixed her gaze on a jade slip on the table. After more than a month of learning to read, Mu Jianjian recognized the two characters engraved on it: "Lower Realm".
This is called the "upper realm," so what does the lower realm refer to?
Mu Jianjian reached out and opened the jade slip, recalling the dense true energy all around her, the magical artifacts being used as decorations as if they were free, and how even the palace maids possessed unfathomable cultivation levels.
An idea began to emerge.
“The furnace…the lower world…is the sky cover…” As Mu Jianjian was trying to figure out the meaning, a voice came from behind her.
"What are you doing in His Highness's palace?" A light female voice asked, and a blue figure appeared before Mu Jianjian. She noticed the jade slip in the woman's hand and said, "If you're found out you're carrying this, you'll lose your head."
Mu Jianjian quickly closed the jade slip, met the blue-clad woman's eyes, and then froze.
She had never seen such a beautiful woman before; she was slender, with a face like a bouquet of flowers, her peach-pink skin delicate and exquisite.
“I smell you so sweet, um—” The woman in blue didn’t seem to care about the jade slip. Instead, she leaned closer to Mu Jianjian and began to sniff. “Your soul aura smells so good, it’s perfect for my secret technique.”
After the last battle, Mu Jianjian was practically PTSD from the phrase "Your scent smells so good," and she silently backed away.
"Would you like to become my apprentice and learn my secret techniques?" The woman in blue pressed closer, her cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with affection as if gazing at a lover. "It smells so good, so good, I love it."
"I cannot cultivate." Mu Jianjian said expressionlessly.
"Ah—" The woman in blue drew out her voice. She shook her head, her eyes filled with anger and disappointment, and cupped her face in her hands. "What a pity, what a real pity. You smell even better than that germaphobe..."
The woman in blue continued speaking in a language that Mu Jianjian couldn't understand, until she seemed to realize something, snatched the jade slip from Mu Jianjian's hand, and quickly held it up to her face.
He ran two fingers across his dark pupils, muttering strange syllables, and a strange golden light flew into Mu Jianjian's right eye. It was so fast that she didn't even have time to react!
"you……"
“Little girl, I didn’t mean to harm you. I sensed it; we are destined to be together,” the woman in blue said with a sly smile. “This is my cultivation secret technique, which I’m giving to you… consider it paying off some of his debts…”
Mu Jianjian didn't hear the last sentence clearly, but she felt an itchy sensation coming from her eyes.
Even if the other party has no ill intentions, this body is not suitable for cultivation!
"...You can't cultivate now, you can just go back." As if she had seen through Mu Jianjian's thoughts, the woman in blue spoke smugly, and then disappeared in front of her.
"etc!"
What does she know?
Mu Jianjian wanted to get to the bottom of things when two figures suddenly appeared from the distorted space. She turned her head sharply and met Bai Ji's eyes, whose face was covered in blood and whose smile was sinister.
Bai Ji's blood was dripping down her face. Her once fair and clear face now had a scar running from her ear to her neck. Her black and white brocade clothes were tattered, clearly indicating that she had just been through a fierce battle and was seriously injured.
Bai Ji stepped forward and grabbed Mu Jianjian, who hadn't reacted yet, glancing at her with a smile, "How could such a grand show be complete without the female lead?"
The black-clad youth following behind Bai Ji lowered his eyes, raised his hand, and in a moment, the three of them moved from the inner hall to a dark palace chamber.
Mu Jianjian's left hand was tightly gripped, and she couldn't break free. After blinking and seeing the scene in front of her, she was suddenly thrown to the ground.
The jade plate, already polished, fell with a clang, accompanied by the sound of scattered chess pieces falling.
She looked up, her body trembling, and before she could even pick up the chess piece, she froze.
Central Palace, Lingzhen Pond.
Ten black-robed elders, chanting spells, surrounded the large pool. The ten men stood in rows with black runes spreading from in front of each of them to the young man who was being helped up from the water in the center.
Your Highness.
His eyes were closed, and he was dressed in his usual white clothes, but his whole body was stained red with blood, and endless crimson flowed out of the pool.
Mu Jianjian's eyes flickered, and she began to pant heavily.
Everything was fine this morning, so why is this happening...?
She struggled to her feet and tried to run into the pool, but a large hand easily grabbed her.
Mu Jianjian turned to Bai Ji and glared at him angrily, "What exactly do you want to do?"
"What does this prince want to do?" Bai Ji chuckled. "You should ask this prince's good younger brother what he wants to do."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
