A:N- The Manhua is currently at Chapter 653-660 in the novels, titled, 'Meeting Zhanye'.
That was fun
The latest controversy in their small group, was that two of them nearly got cursed just for being truly in love with each other.
The ladies among them were pouting and jealous because its hard to find real love nowadays and moreover its a nobleman with a commoner woman at that. The man's identity was clearly stated by Bugi'er Luoluo: Jilin-Zi!
Honglian was sulking because try as she may to imagine her and Molian's image in the pair, she wondered if it'll ever happen for them. For now, unrequited love was what was keeping her from becoming a monster too.
However, she knew that Meng Qitian and Molian were thinking.
Xiao Chun held her strength back. She was actually powerful, though not to their standards of course. She was steps below them in power but the gap was enough to garner some respect in Guangyao Hall and may get an invitation. Issue? She's a future Jilin-furen of Nanyi Country.
Qitian also has his eye on that shy kid from the Henala as for being a beginner in regards to knowledge, she made top quality pills. He was already gabbing away with Ghostface about who the Henala are, being a scholar thirsty for knowledge, but...
'You may want to ask Ji Ke.' said Beiyue. 'They only call me Wangye for being their savior and accepted my lead in finding a new homeland for the tribe, but I come from outside. The real successor to Patriarch Henala is Ji Ke, he should be more knowledgeable about the tribe.'
So Ji Ke, the redhead found himself into a conversation, while Xuanyu and Chun rested off their torture while waiting for the pills they took to take effect.
He was fine with telling Meng Qitian about his tribe's history and culture(but not clan secrets and techniques as Beiyue sternly warned him against)...before this story.
Thirty years ago when he was four, he and his whole tribe in the borders of Dongli and Nanyi were captured and enslaved by Dongli Country for their Summoner's Blood and even mind-controlled as weapons of war and held their children hostage and cruelly educated as war slaves, and ensured they're unable to retaliate against their masters. But the Patriarch, a young man back then managed to escape the enchantment and fled and pursued by Dongli Soldiers.
It then happens that a man with red hair and black clothes with pitch-black powers saved him. In Ji Ke's tale from what Patriarch Henala told the tale as cultural heirloom. Ji Ke described the man's strength as 'ten times that of Miss Honglian's' as the man effortlessly caused a large amount of mess to save the tribe and destroy their bindings when the young man pled for his and his people's life.
The man then led them deep into Hollow Light Forest, and spent five years helping them start over, making a home in the dangerous woods that served as protection.
They revered the man as King of the Night as it was during nighttime that they were saved from their misery and lived there for thirty-five years...until their next Wangye came along...Yueye. She saved them from extinction by helping them kill the sixth-ranked Divine Beast, Hundred-Eyed Toad.
'She was just as generous and kind as our previous Wangye! We would never get to where we are if she never came!'
'Erm...with a tale like that, its a good thing General Wei Wuchen didn't show up.' said Luo Chun wryly. 'The Henala are here and he's supposed to be a judge for last week's event...'
Yeah, saved by a hair.
Had the man been present, all hell will break loose! What would Yueye do then?
"It seems Miss is getting herself into a lot of trouble lately." Dongling thought in a deadpan. As of now, she's safe to be herself as Madam Mili went home to Shengxue to report to the elders what happened last week while she was allowed to stay here with her personal Chief Eunuch who stays in Huijing for his safety while she's out on a job. Last week, Shengxue was humiliated by Henala.
They have superior cultivation.
Dongling long since known that cultivation is beyond 9-stars. Only the Elders, Palace Madam and successor are privileged to go beyond, while the highest everyone else can go was 9-star masters to maintain hierarchy and order. All of them, even her opponent has high-class cultivation superior than even her own to prevent any thoughts of uprising whatsoever.
Boy, Madam regretted that now, she was furious Dongling can only squirm inside her heart as she must maintain cold-bloodedness as Madam Mili took her ire out on the girls. They died, obviously. Their eunuchs were lucky to live though. Madam Mili took them home, leaving Dongling with her personal eunuch who was pale-faced and clammy. She was nice to her servant just as how her miss was kind to her, and comforted the man with her body before coming out here.
Once the engaged pair recovered, Beiyue began handing out...stinky pouches!
'Ugggh, is Hundred Poisons Pill supposed to stink so bad?' Xuanyu went green as everyone choked at the smell. It was so bad one sniff made others throw up their lunch and got instantly queasy, even if it was in a silk red pouch! It did NOTHING against the stench!
'The stinkier the higher the quality.' said Beiyue blandly. 'Suck it up. Start worrying if it doesn't smell so bad and that means you paid top money for poor quality.'
The group blanched.
Hundred Poisons Pill, a Heaven-Tier 4 pill, costs 100 million gold coins. And it stinks.
Given the fact that the Bugi'er supplied her with materials she requested and it stinks so bad, maybe they can be reassured? Because hello, 100 million gold? A family can live off that money for years of spoiled luxury if they're not cultivators!
'Yes, the texts say that when you refine Hundred Poison Pill, the better material used to make it, the higher the grade but sadly, the stink levels will vary.' Qitian agreed. 'The best quality will make even a hardened beast faint...and if a human were to take it, they will suffer bad breath for a week!'
Beiyue wondered about Zhanye thus.
She sent him a Hundred Poisons Pill, unaware Prince Xiaoyao already made him one so...yikes. No wonder he took time off school! If he went to school with breath like that...! He will surely lose face!
So end option was the Punitive Fire that did all that away.
Upon getting into the cave, Chun made floating fireballs to light up their way.
But suddenly, Beiyue vanished and Molian tried to reach her.
'...gone...' he croaked out.
'Why did she disappear? She was just walking ahead!' Ji Ke worried.
'There must be a trap...' Chun frowned. 'A space barrier that instantly separates us and dumps us in a trap.'
'Spatial Mismatch.' Cang He caught on quickly. 'Its tricky to be destroyed. Its made using a Confusion-Type Formation that uses the Principles of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams.' he said. 'Its ever-changing and cannot be predicted by common sense. So one misstep...its over.'
Chun's eyes glowed poker-yellow, harmonizing herself with the world and using the world to guide her, she got into the sorcery's mechanism and dismantled it carefully at a time using various degrees of controlled energy...and then a barrier shattered.
'You did it!' Xuanyu exclaimed. But he wondered, since WHEN does she know complicated sorcery...?
"She can destroy a complicated barrier like this...who is she?" Qitian wondered, amazed.
"This girl can tell the future and gain information from the world itself when she activates her true power...shown when her eyes glow." Cang He thought. He was glad she was an asset loyal to the country. She's too invaluable. Instant expert when she activates it, but when she deactivates, she forgets it, thus must learn by tutelage to learn it for real!
'She's still gone though, we're a little late...' Asalei moaned.
'Let's go on ahead anyway, we'll meet her soon.' said Chun. 'Until then, I go ahead.' she said as her eyes are still glowing. 'If I stop walking, give me time to break through before we proceed.'
'Right...'
So they followed Chun's lead until they came to...a desert?
Chaos also ensued because Beiyue was fighting with a cloaked figure against a lot of beasts!
'Er...now what?' she sweatdropped.
'It's fight or die, simple as that!' Honglian grinned, her blood boiling at the challenge. 'So what's past a forest is a desert huh!' they all took out their summons at full power and joined in on the fray.
'We are in Fierce Soil Jail.' said the cloaked stranger. 'Follow my lead if we are to get out of here!'
'Er we can do that AFTER a little pest control?!' Xuanyu snarked at the cloaked stranger as they all fought hard against the beasts.
It was pretty tough, but they made it through.
'Life sure is exciting!' Xuanyu whistled as they traveled together. 'By the way Chun'er...what's this flaming cord around us both?' he asked as there was a flame cord linking them together.
'It's trying again!' Chun scowled. 'I'm keeping that thing from transfiguring us!'
'You must be a couple in love then...this is what Ming does to anyone inside Xiuluo City. Its inevitable.' said the stranger in a pained voice. 'Once your task here is over, get far away from here if you want a good future for yourselves.'
It was a fight for their lives hence, and a flaming giant beast showed up...
It was a presence so horrifying.
Death was certain.
But for Chun who has a lot to live for...its out of the question as for the first time, she activated Hyper Dying Will Mode and her hands moved on its own to make a form of hand seal.
The words she uttered shocked Huang Beiyue.
'Zero-Point Breakthrough!'
"She's a Vongola alright, its in her blood!" Beiyue grinned under her mask as the massive flame output started to encase the enemy in ice. The Zero-Point Breakthrough is a technique unique only to Vongola Famiglia. They can somehow turn fire to ice by reaching a Minus State. Its something only they can do with Hyper Intuition, otherwise any other Sky can use it!
'Absurd! This is absurd!' Honglian freaked out at the illogical situation before them. 'You burn when hit by fire, not iced!'
'And it still happened anyway...' Cang He was just as shocked and flabbergasted as Chun single-handedly trapped a powerful demon beast.
'...good luck freeing that thing, suckers.' Chun wheezed weakly, sinking on her knees tiredly and feeling a new brand of pain from that. Its her first time using it, not even mastered it so her body isn't used to it...yes, this sucks.
'Bic Roc, make yourself smaller and carry Chun on your back! That technique taxed her!' Xuanyu called out to Chun's summon. 'I'll protect her!' the Roc obeyed and shrunk as Xuanyu picked up Chun and put her on Roc's back.
'We'll help!' the Henalan siblings offered. The girl is their king's sister! She must be protected!
'My thanks!'
'Will that work?' Beiyue asked the cloaked figure.
'Too well actually...unless they know a way to get it out there.' the stranger snorted. 'Only that little lady can free it now! Let's move!'
They left the desert and escaped. They hadn't taken Demon Beasts into account, they have to plan again!
xxx
Back outside...
'Phew...we'll have to be more careful next time, we didn't see that coming.' said Cang He, relieved that they all got out alive. 'We'll have to plan a way around those demon beasts unless Xiao Chun masters whatever she just did. Its clearly her first time doing it.'
That was agreed upon. They all have had a close shave!
'Xiuluo City...is indeed, a den of monsters.' Qitian remarked. 'We would need a literal army of master hands, not this small party we have now. Otherwise any future endeavor is meaningless. We need to gather more people with strength.'
'Right...let's rest in the city for now.'
And so...Lakeside Courtyard, Lianyi's personal residence, in a room there...
Xuanyu looked after Chun with Dongling.
'How is fifth miss?' Dongling asked Xuanyu.
'Muscular sores. Again.' said Xuanyu, sitting by the bedside. 'First from near-transformation and now from that experimental technique that saved all our hides...she'll be out for now.' he said. 'You should go see Princess on what she thinks. The Shengxue aren't here any more to rat on you.'
'I wish. My personal servant is still around.' Dongling sighed. 'I told him to do whatever he wants until we get our next orders. He can be anywhere right now. Sure he's assigned to me but his loyalty first is to the Elders and Madam Mili. I'll sneak my way to miss.' and she dismissed herself.
'There's that.' Chun said wryly. She was in bed in her nightclothes even though its not even sundown yet. 'She's under watch. Had she been a treasured successor, she can move with more freedom to be with Third Sister. But alas, something's underfoot. You should rest too. I'm glad the teachers are doing all the work.'
'And all we have to do is move.' Xuanyu chuckled. 'Anything my lady asks of me?'
'Nothing for now, just sleep.' Chun groaned in pain. 'I'll never experiment on field ever again.'
'Alright. I'll get us some dinner. Rest here for now. Something light for you.'
'Oh yes, when you see Prince Zhanye, mouth to him silently that he's talking to the fake Prince. Apparently by turning down Princess Yingye in his stead, she's gonna run out the door crying and he just arrived...might as well help the real prince get out of trouble.' Chun giggled. 'This is kinda funny. And tell him where Third Sister is.'
'Right. That's our job to begin with.' Xuanyu snorted. Find Princess Beiyue was their true job in the first place and aiding Prince Yi in getting an upper-hand in the shadows to prevent war as a second objective.
He went out the door to go outside, following Yingye crying, 'He bullied me! He bullied me!'
"Oh, boy..."
xxx
Prince Zhanye was sighing in annoyance.
Yingye's willfulness, no one can do anything about it. Sometimes their parents can't do anything about it. Sometimes the girl just listens to him, stubborn as a cow to boot.
In recent years, the relationship between Nanyi Kingdom and the Beiyao Kingdom has gradually become harmonious, business exchanges, and cultural fusion. If Yingye can marry into Beiyao Kingdom and become the princess of Qi at this time, I believe the nobles of the two countries will be happy to see it.
However, Yingye had always liked Feng Lianyi wishfully since she was a child, but she didn't know if the other party also had affection for her.
She grew up with her childhood sweethearts, Yingye is pretty and cute. Although she has a stubborn personality, she is kind and clever in her heart. The wind and wings will be more or less tempted.
There was a smile of comfort on his face, and the battlefield asked people to go up first and handed over a post to visit. Just halfway through the walk, the door of the other courtyard was suddenly opened, and a slender and flexible shadow ran out crying.
The man was startled, and quickly moved aside. When he looked up and saw the crying person, his face changed and he shouted, 'Your Royal Highness!' Zhanye was far away, but he saw that the figure was not Who is Yingye?
Princess Yingye, who grew up in the thousands of favorites, couldn't bear to let her hurt a little bit. Why did he cry like this when he came to Northern Yao?
Jumping off the horse, Zhanye stepped forward, grabbed Princess Yingye's hand, and asked, 'Yingye, what's wrong?'
Princess Yingye raised her head and saw that it was him. She was stunned for a moment, and then threw her head into his arms, and burst into tears without any scruples.
'He bullied me! He bullied me!'
The two accompanying ladies Wushuang and Wuhuan both looked angrily.
Wushuang's eyes were red and said, 'How could King Qi be like this? I didn't see him like that back then! It's so disappointing!'
Zhanye narrowed his eyes and saw Yingye crying so miserably, his heart was already angry. After hearing these two palace ladies say so, he had already expected that Feng Lianyi must have done something to Yingye, otherwise, with Yingye's strong personality, she would definitely not cry like this!
Mo Xuanyu, now Jilin-Zi came out of the shadows, quickly giving him a piece of paper.
The 'Prince' that made her cry is 'the shadow'. The real prince is hidden.
Whoever this guy is, made Yingye cry while masquerading! He'll get to the bottom of this!
'Sigh. Calm now, Yingye.' said Zhanye calmly. 'We'll soon go home. Father and Grandmother are upset that surely you know by now your Lam Card is frozen?'
'Sniff, that's why I was staying over until Bugi'er Luoluo sorts it out for me, but he can't do it!' Yingye cried. 'I can't believe they froze my card!'
'And that's already a big sign to go home. And they will make it stay frozen for a year.' Zhanye told her.
'A YEAR?!' Yingye squeaked. This means the family means business.
'Yes. Before we go home, I need to see someone here first.' said Zhanye, giving Wuhuan some money. 'Take Yingye to the best hotel in the area and wait for me there. Never leave the hotel until I come get you.'
'Yes your highness.' said the maids as they took Yingye away.
'Phew...thanks for the save, Jilin-Zi.' said Di in relief. 'I was only following orders...'
'Among which, making my sister cry?' Zhanye armfolded, annoyed.
'King Qi told me everything about himself so I can pose as him well.' Di, in his Lianyi guise make the King look funny by being pouty and twiddling his fingers. 'I have to play him well until he's ready to switch with me and...he already has someone in his heart, so I absolutely must turn down Princess Yingye in his stead and reject other more suitors on his behalf.' he explained. '-because had he been here, he will do the same.'
Zhanye sighed.
That explains this.
'And who is this?'
'Someone he composed a song for.' said Di softly. 'He only wants that person. Until we switch, I must keep rejecting for his sake.'
'Well, sucks to be you, Lord Huwen. You got a really tough job.' Xuanyu remarked as Di looked sheepish.
'He has it tougher. I'm doing the safer jobs actually...'
'Oh yes, Crown Prince, I doubt you read the letter Chun'er sent home as you were already on the way here...I should tell you that Princess Beiyue is here masquerading as the Ghostface Mask Yueye, Leader of Henala Tribe. She's also gotten more formidable and became an Earth-Level Alchemist to boot...and she's in this estate too.' that got Zhanye excited.
Five years and from Gold Warrior, the true face behind Xitian, and now an Alchemist too? His heart filled with joy at how far she had come, but also the pain of unrequited love. A love that can never be because they're siblings. That, and his father would sadly tell him 'like father like son' as he too, fell in love with his own sister, Princess Royal as the Xitian he loved was actually his sister in disguise. Xitian was a mask in order to taste normal life, away from the scorn that surrounds her true identity. But even then, its not real and she wanted a true life, and left the country.
And his father wanted his youngest daughter back home and make up for everything in sorrow. 'I hope she doesn't get mad with us, finding her is one of our jobs by royal mandate!' said Xuanyu sheepishly, earning him a wry smile from the Prince.
'I'll handle that, and Beiyue.'
And so...by the yard where the Henala are, having drinks together, this was a sight Zhanye came to and he saw her take a large cup of wine and down it like a pro alongside some men while she herself dressed like a man and even sits like one. The men, one masked woman and one young girl around Xiao Chun's age were making merry, but upon their arrival, they all fell quiet.
Beiyue twitched as Xuanyu and Di led ZHANYE to where she was with her companions and both looked sheepish.
'Wangye, who is he?' Ji Ke asked as the tribe looked at the handsome newcomer.
'Uhhh princess, Crown Prince is here to see you, so we and everyone else should give a little privacy.' said Xuanyu with a nervous smile. 'C'mon, chop chop!' Beiyue threw him a dirty look and Xuanyu raised his hands in surrender before fleeing. The tribe looked to Beiyue for orders.
She sighed.
'Fifteen minutes.' so they left, too.
'...an unusual visitor has come.' she remarked sardonically. The change, Zhanye noted, was so fast. She was laughing carefreely with her companions with a real smile, yet when facing him, she was cold!
'What a cold reception.' this was awkward, Zhanye thought, but can he blame her? 'Yue, about us...will you still come back home?'
'That remains to be seen.' said Beiyue. 'For it was never home.'
'But we'll make it work.' Zhanye promised her. 'Father wants to have you home, for us to be whole again!'
'And I was never part of that picture, so drop it.' said Beiyue coolly, but Zhanye would have none of that and took her into his arms, shocking her.
'Please don't say that.' he pleaded in a pained voice. 'We have no excuse for anything. We should have done right from the very beginning, and yet...'
Beiyue pushed herself off him, further hurting him by her rejection.
'They say home is where the heart is.' said Beiyue. 'And what did I tell you, before I left Nanyi Country?'
'...you told me that you want to have a family who would never betray you.' he croaked out. 'And yet...we did just that.'
Beiyue smiled coldly.
'But please let us make up for it.' Zhanye tried to convince her. 'And where have you been for so many years?'
Huang Beiyue turned her face and smiled faintly: 'Been training in Hollow Light Forest with my Master.'
Hearing this, Zhanye looked surprised, shown by his eyes, but years of discipline, did not show on his whole face.
Hollow light forest? That's not a place that ordinary people can go in. There are many dangers inside, there are sacred beasts entrenched, and various high-level spirit beasts are countless!
Not only beasts, but some plants are also extremely dangerous. Who is her master, who can take her into the hollow light forest for cultivation!
Even if she said such obvious words, Zhanye still has an indifferent look.
This emperor is really...
Obviously, for so many years, he was most worried about Beiyue, thinking day and night, looking for her everywhere, but he really met, but he didn't say a word so coldly.
'What about you?' Beiyue asked with a small smile, 'The emperor and the grandqueen, aunt Xihe?'
'They are fine. After five years of experience in the Hollow Light Forest, you must be stronger.' The battlefield said casually. Jilin-Zi told him she's now capable and an Earth-Class Alchemist.
Beiyue smiled freely and freely: 'It's true that I have made some progress, but your strength should have also risen! I really want to find a chance to compare with you.'
Her chic tone made the corners of Zhanye's mouth slowly There was a long-lost smile, as if it was when he met Xitian many years ago.
Xitian, was HER.
'Beiyue, go back to Nanyi, my father misses you very much.'
Beiyue was startled slightly, as if she still can't believe his words and then smiled: 'I just left the master and went out and wandered, and there was nothing, if I just go home. It's so unpromising.'
A move in Zhanye's heart, she said 'go home', and she deeply understood that in her heart, home is such a sacred place, she would not just call any place 'home'.
The gloom in his heart dissipated a little more, and Zhanye said: 'I'll take Yingye home to prevent the future Chun has seen for her and I'll come back here. I think its time for her to know the truth about Chun.'
'Mm. But you know what to say to Yingye.'
'I know.'
xxx
'Welp, that's that.' said Chun as Xuanyu stayed by her side. 'Talk went friendly after a tense two minutes. But returning home...nada.'
'Figures. Our job isn't over yet.' Xuanyu chuckled wryly.
'With or without her our job is not over until we gave King Qi a good advantage against usurpers of his own kingdom. THEN our work is done.' Chun grinned. 'King Qi and Nanyi must win this war. No matter what cheating ways we have to do it we will do it.'
'Haha, yeah...hoo, boy.'