Ning Yao noticed his movement and looked down at him, but this time she couldn't see his eyes.
However, Ning Yao's gesture of lowering her head brought the two closer together.
Ning Yao lowered her head, causing Shen Ci'an's lips, which were very close, to brush against the skin of her neck.
Faced with such intimate contact, Ning Yao instinctively pushed Shen Ci'an away.
Shen Ci'an was accidentally pushed to the ground, and felt extremely aggrieved.
"elder sister……"
Ning Yao half-squatted, staring at him with her eyes slightly narrowed: "Haven't seen you for half a year, where did you learn all these seduction tricks?"
Shen Ci'an blinked, her phoenix eyes slightly red, and replied blankly, "What seduction? I haven't learned that."
Ning Yao snorted coldly, feeling somewhat displeased.
He didn't say anything, and she stopped asking.
She stood up and looked down at Shen Ci'an: "The poison has been neutralized. Get up and leave here immediately."
Shen Ci'an pursed her lips: "I don't have the strength." Then she looked at Ning Yao with pleading eyes.
After a long standoff, Ning Yao sighed and held out a hand: "Get up!"
Having achieved his goal, Shen Ci'an decisively extended a hand, grasped Ning Yao's, and used it to stand up.
It was only then that Ning Yao realized that the boy who was originally the same height as her had now surpassed her.
She can only see his eyes by looking up slightly now.
“I’m not leaving. General Fu and my second brother are still here. We have to rescue them.”
Ning Yao asked, "Do you have any good ideas?"
Shen Ci'an explained his plan, and Ning Yao nodded, agreeing that it was the same as hers.
However, it was no easy task for just the two of them to safely take away two grown men whose fates were uncertain.
We can only wait until the night is dark and the wind is high before acting accordingly.
“Then let’s leave first. I heard they said you escaped and they’re looking for you everywhere. It’s not safe here.”
Shen Ci'an nodded obediently: "Mm."
Ning Yao turned and left, with Shen Ci'an following behind.
After taking a couple of steps, Ning Yao realized something was wrong. She looked back at her left hand and saw that Shen Ci'an was holding her hand tightly.
Ning Yao raised an eyebrow upon seeing this: "Can't you see the road?"
Shen Ci'an answered truthfully: "I can see it."
Ning Yao raised her left hand and shook it: "Then why don't you let go?"
Now it was Shen Ci'an's turn to be silent. He held Ning Yao's hand and refused to let go.
"I have no strength..."
Ning Yao sighed and couldn't help but glance at him a few more times. Such a clumsy excuse.
Oh well, let it be for the sake of his face!
"Alright, just stick close to me!"
Shen Ci'an looked up, but Ning Yao only showed him the back of her head.
A slight smile played on his lips, and his eyes were filled with satisfaction.
He gripped Ning Yao's hand tightly and strode after her.
Ning Yao noticed his subtle movements, smiled, and said nothing.
The two held hands tightly, and under Ning Yao's deliberate concealment, they successfully left the territory of Tianyun Sect.
They successfully reunited with Xiao Yuanhuai and the other two who arrived later.
Seeing Ning Yao and Shen Ci'an's tightly clasped hands, Hua Yan coughed lightly twice, her gaze lingering between the two of them.
Xiao Yuanhuai glanced at the unusual interaction between the two but said nothing.
He looked at Shen Ci'an and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"What are you doing here?" Shen Ci'an asked Xiao Yuanhuai.
Before Xiao Yuanhuai could explain, he continued, "The war in Yuecheng also involves the Xia Kingdom's royal family. Your presence here inevitably raises many questions!"
At this moment, Shen Ci'an changed his previous clingy manner towards Ning Yao. His voice was cold, revealing a ruthless and decisive aura.
Ning Yao was momentarily dazed; though he was a young prince, he was also a young general.
Xiao Yuanhuai replied neither humbly nor arrogantly: "The actions of Emperor Xiao are none of my business, and I am unaware of the matter concerning Yuecheng."
Shen Ci'an stared at him intently, her phoenix eyes no longer filled with the lingering affection for Ning Yao, but with a sharp and deep gaze.
"The Xia Kingdom's royal family is in turmoil, Emperor Xiao is seriously ill and unable to recover, the Empress and her maternal family are controlling the government, and the Second Prince has been put in charge of the country, and you are completely unaware of this?"
Xiao Yuanhuai replied calmly, "I know, but what does that have to do with me? Being born into the Xiao family was not my wish, but I can still decide which path to take!"
The atmosphere was quiet at this moment, and Tianyun Mountain was cooler than the foot of the mountain after sunset.
A gentle breeze swept by, soothing the restlessness in people's hearts.
After a long silence, Shen Ci'an spoke, "I wish it were as you say. If you harbor ill intentions towards my Yan Kingdom, I, the Crown Prince, would not hesitate to execute you in Yuecheng right now and send troops to Xia Kingdom!"
Xiao Yuanhuai's voice carried a hint of coldness: "Agreed!"
The two were on the verge of exchanging barbs when Ning Yao stepped in to break the deadlock.
"Alright, today's purpose is to save Second Brother and General Fu. As for the matter with Xia Kingdom, we'll discuss it when we return to Yuecheng!"
Xiao Yuanhuai looked at Ning Yao: "Miss Ning, I, Xiao, never lie."
Shen Ci'an's face instantly turned extremely ugly, and a strange anger surged in his heart.
He pulled Ning Yao behind him and looked directly at Xiao Yuanhuai: "You better not be lying."
Ning Yao felt that Xiao Yuanhuai's words were somewhat inexplicable, so she frowned and said again, "Let's talk about it when we get back!"
Sensing that Ning Yao's tone wasn't good, Hua Yan stopped gossiping and tried to smooth things over by asking about Ning Yao's plans.
Ning Yao briefly explained her understanding of the Tianyun Sect.
"At midnight, they are going to punish Second Brother and General Fu with lightning. I guess it's related to drawing lightning into their bodies, or it's for the purpose of sacrificing to the formation."
“I felt something was off about the magic array in Kunlun Ridge that could trap the Netherworld Divine Tree. The Heavenly Cloud Sect must be practicing some crooked and evil methods.”
"Therefore, we must be extremely careful in this operation, and prioritize our own safety, understand?"
Ning Yao wasn't worried about herself. If she knew the true nature of the Tianyun Sect, she could wipe out the entire sect single-handedly without breaking a sweat.
On the contrary, not only does she not understand the sect's details, but she also has to take care of other people, which will hinder her actions at every turn.
"Right now, saving lives is the top priority. Once we succeed, we must not linger!"
"clear!"
Time passed by, and soon it was late at night.
As they were all martial arts practitioners, they were naturally particularly sensitive to the sudden liveliness within the sect.
"It's starting! Use the signal flare as a guide. I'm going to rescue people. You all act accordingly!"
The altar of the Tianyun Sect was as bright as day, with torches burning around the entire altar.
The firelight reflected off the white robes of the Tianyun Sect disciples, creating an indescribable eeriness.
Shen Ci'an and his group stripped a few junior disciples of their clothes and put them on, then mingled among them.
Ning Yao was nowhere to be found.
An elder stepped forward and said, "Bring the person up!"
Before long, the sound of a door opening came from the entrance at the foot of the cliff. Two people wearing handcuffs and shackles walked out, followed by two disciples of the Tianyun Sect who were escorting them.
After delivering the person to the altar, the two disciples stopped and another person took over.
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