Chapter 41: Counter-Seduction, Blinded by Desire

"Wow, that’s intense. You really are something, Host."

"Impressive."

"But Host, aren’t you being a bit too bold? Que Qing already loathes you; I’m afraid your favorability rating is going to plummet again!"

The kiss had come so suddenly that Hua Susu herself felt completely dazed. Why had she just kissed him like that? Before she could even process her own state of mind, the system began chattering away.

Yuan Niang paused for a moment, a cold sneer forming in her heart. Did they really think they could threaten her into returning to Jiangnan over such a trivial matter? She was someone who despised being coerced. If things had truly come to this, perhaps returning to Jiangnan was for the best. With Zhuo Xiyu’s temperament, who knew what kind of disaster she would cause in the future? It would be better to take this chance to get as far away as possible.

The journey passed in a blur of silence from the indifferent Luo Li and the endless, rambling nonsense of the chatterbox assassin.

Qing Fengzi dared not return to the Danyang Sect, nor did he dare go back to the Heavenly Sword Sect. He feared retribution from Master Li Shishi and the guardian elders of the back mountain at the Danyang Sect. As for the Heavenly Sword Sect, he had spent over three hundred years laboring as a mole only to have everything he acquired stolen by Da Wuhui—how could he possibly show his face there again?

After she fell ill, her biological mother came to see her. Though she seemed concerned, her attitude was contradictory; if she truly cared, why did she only visit once, and why did she leave in such a hurry, merely instructing nine-year-old Lan Mei to take good care of her before departing?

Yes, she had once thought that if she married, she might be free of the Xu woman. That was why she had set up the restaurant for her without asking for a penny in return. But now, it seemed the Xu woman wanted far more than that.

Of course, Luo Li’s transformation was different from that of the Blood Thorn captain who had absorbed seventy percent of the black flames. Her change was fundamental, occurring deep within her body, while her outward appearance remained the same.

Seeing her finally speak a few words, the weight lifted from Weiyang’s heart. She gently stroked her head and let out a deep sigh of relief, realizing only then that she had been drenched in a cold sweat.

The Empress Sister-in-law, a spy? Weiyang’s face went deathly pale, and she stumbled, nearly collapsing. The Empress and the Emperor shared such deep affection; for so many years, she had stood by his side without asking for anything in return. How could she be a spy? Weiyang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"So it is the General of the State. Leng Tian was reckless!" Leng Tian bowed respectfully. He still held great esteem for this great general who had led armies across the battlefield.

A man with a wicked grin reached down, picked up a jagged stone, and hurled it at the head of a boy on the ground. Had it struck home, the boy would surely have died.

After about half an hour, blurry shadows began to emerge before Qiu Ningxue’s eyes. As the bamboo raft drew closer, the shadows gradually became clear.

"I wonder if we offended her. Will she be angry?" Jiang Yun asked, lying weakly on the ground.

More than thirty cannons of various types roared simultaneously. Smoke billowed, and the thunderous blasts made the very sky seem to shake. While not as spectacular as the display Wang Huan had put on days prior, it was still deeply shocking.

Yin Shi desperately tried to block Mu Lingtian to give the Fire Boy a chance to escape. After a powerful strike missed its mark, he saw the blade flying toward him. He did not dodge, but instead relied on the absolute defense of his Golden Bell Shield to endure the impact head-on.

The prince still had a bit of sense, it seemed, as he did not interrupt. Seeing his efforts were in vain, Li Chuyi gave up, gathered his focus, and lunged at Yue Shi with all his might.

Thus, Li Guohan led his seven-thousand-man force north, planning to backtrack to Hanzhong and then head north into the Yinping Pass. With a twenty-day deadline, they had to move with all possible haste.

In the Purple Luo Heaven, the old man who rarely revealed himself to the world displayed a rare trace of a smile and even sent someone to deliver a congratulatory gift to Gu Nan.