Xiao Chunhe’s inquiring gaze fell on Wang Dian, while Wang Dian was also scrutinizing him.
This young man dressed as a Taoist priest appeared to be only twenty-three or twenty-four years old, but his aura was powerful, far exceeding his apparent age. This made Wang Dian instinctively wary and even somewhat resistant, especially those fox-like eyes that were long and alluring, beautiful enough to mesmerize anyone who wasn’t careful.
Like a thousand-year-old fox that had gained spiritual powers.
Xiao Chunhe revealed a bewitching smile, “Like what you see?”
Wang Dian turned away with a wooden expression, “It’s alright.”
Not as handsome as himself.
Xiao Chunhe stepped closer, and Liang Ye immediately moved to shield Wang Dian behind himself, saying in a deep voice. “Martial Uncle, he’s shy around strangers.”
“What’s there to be shy about for a young man in his prime?” Xiao Chunhe teased, patting his shoulder. “You’re so protective of him, it’s not like I’m going to eat him.”
Wang Dian smiled slightly, holding Liang Ye’s hand, “Martial Uncle isn’t a stranger.”
“…So you do know how to address me properly.” Xiao Chunhe narrowed his eyes, “You seem to have gotten smarter.”
These words made it sound as if they had known each other before, which surprised Wang Dian, making him raise his eyebrows.
“Martial Uncle, does Master know you’re here?” Liang Ye instinctively didn’t want Wang Dian to get too close to him.
Xiao Chunhe’s smile froze for a moment, “Yue Jingming has no right to control me.”
Liang Ye nodded, understanding. “I see.”
Xiao Chunhe curved his lips into a smile, “That stubborn old Yue Jingming would only scold you until you couldn’t lift your head. Have you forgotten how he used to punish you when you made mistakes?”
“……” Liang Ye fell into an odd silence.
He would rather drink ten bowls of white jade soup than face one of his master’s scoldings.
“I’m here to help.” Xiao Chunhe said slyly, “He’s here to take lives, understand, Xiao Ye?”
“What do you mean?” Liang Ye suddenly raised his eyes.
“Just joking.” Xiao Chunhe laughed, “You’ve become less fun to tease as you’ve grown up, not nearly as cute as when you were little.”
As Liang Ye was about to ask more, Xiang Meng’s voice suddenly came from the secret chamber’s entrance, “Grand Martial Uncle, Junior Martial Uncle, there are many imperial soldiers outside!”
Xiao Chunhe drew in a sharp breath, “Oh my, what should we do?”
Liang Ye and Wang Dian exchanged glances, “Wei Wanlin.”
Their plan to take Wei Wanlin away wasn’t without flaws. Chong Heng could only delay temporarily, but they hadn’t expected Bian Cang to be so sharp and come directly to the General’s mansion.
“Let’s leave this place first,” Liang Ye said in a deep voice.
When exiting the stone door, Liang Ye took out the peace pendant. The heavy stone door slowly closed behind them, and he wrapped the green cord twice around Wang Dian’s wrist.
“Wear it,” Liang Ye tied a tight knot, his dark gaze lingering on Wang Dian’s fingers like a tangible caress, his intention quite obvious.
Wang Dian lowered his eyes to look at his fingers. Liang Ye’s hands were long and fair, with distinct knuckles and some calluses on the inner joints. Even wearing a plain ring could take on sensual implications. Many unspeakable images flashed through his mind.
“Propose first, then I’ll wear it,” Wang Dian said softly, his thumb brushing provocatively across the base of Liang Ye’s ring finger.
Liang Ye let out an amused snort. “Then it won’t be as simple as just kneeling.”
Wang Dian gripped his hand.
Xiao Chunhe glanced at the red energy slowly dissipating between them, “Let’s go.”
Liang Ye led Wang Dian to find the switch on the wall, and the wall began to rotate slowly.
Behind them, Xiang Meng seemed to want to say something but held back, turning to look at Xiao Chunhe.
Xiao Chunhe placed his index finger against his lips, giving her a faint smile.
The wall slowly opened and then slowly closed, making only a few slight clicking sounds.
A quarter hour later, in the noisy and chaotic General’s mansion, several figures silently passed over the remote back wall, landing outside.
The guards there had all had their throats cut and lay tragically on the ground, blood soaking the earth.
Chong Heng lowered his whistling hand, crouching on top of the carriage and waving happily at them, “Master! Prince! Martial Uncle! Temple Master Sister!”
He was as cheerful as if he hadn’t just gone on a killing spree.
Liang Ye was used to such situations. Wang Dian glanced at the corpses on the ground, Xiao Chunhe walked past without changing expression, and Xiang Meng sighed, shaking her head in disapproval.
“…That woman woke up and insisted on clinging to me without clothes, so I dislocated her jaw and tied her up. When I went back to Wei Wanlin’s hiding place, I met a strange-looking stinking Taoist priest–I don’t mean you, Temple Master Sister. He was really peculiar and saw through my identity immediately, and even said…” Chong Heng hesitated, looking at Liang Ye.
“Said what?” Liang Ye asked.
“Said that Master wouldn’t live past noon tomorrow.” Chong Heng said angrily, “I wanted to kill him, but he was too cunning. I couldn’t match him and could only take the chance to run away.”
“Nonsense,” Wang Dian said coldly. “Rather than spouting this supernatural nonsense, he should go see a doctor for his head.”
Xiang Meng and Xiao Chunhe beside him gave him a complicated look.
“…” Wang Dian belatedly rubbed his nose, “Sorry, I didn’t mean you two.”
Liang Ye laughed quite unsympathetically. “There are many people in this world who want to take Zhen’s life. If they could kill Zhen just by speaking, wouldn’t Zhen have died without a burial place long ago?”
Chong Heng nodded in agreement.
Wang Dian entered the carriage but didn’t see Liang Ye come up. He lifted the curtain to look out, “Liang Ye?”
“I’ll be back soon, you go ahead first.” Liang Ye pointed towards the General’s mansion, then looked at Xiao Chunhe, “Martial Uncle, please help keep an eye on him.”
Before Wang Dian’s face could darken, he had already leaped into the woods beside them.
He ran too fast, and Wang Dian knew he was holding back anger. Though Wang Xusui’s letter seemed calm, between the lines it clearly pointed to Bian Cang as the culprit. Just from Liang Ye’s initial attitude towards Bian Feng, it was clear that he hadn’t truly been indifferent to Bian Cang, his nominal “maternal grandfather.”
This kind of frustration at “acknowledging a thief as father” had no outlet for release.
Wang Dian lowered the carriage curtain, leaned against the carriage wall feeling the bumps of the wheels, and closed his eyes to rest.
“Not going to check on him?” Xiao Chunhe suddenly spoke.
“He can handle his own matters,” Wang Dian said with his eyes closed. “Don’t you agree, Martial Uncle?”
Xiao Chunhe’s voice came closer, laughing softly. “Xiao Ye, you really have become much smarter.”
Wang Dian suddenly opened his eyes, staring at him for a long while before slowly saying, “Has Martial Uncle mistaken me for someone else?”
“Maybe.” Xiao Chunhe straightened up and sat opposite him, “Liang Ye’s death tribulation has arrived. This is his unchangeable fate.”
“I prefer to believe in science,” Wang Dian said flatly. “The Northern Liang Emperor Liang Cong became obsessed with immortality and alchemy, which created all these problems, leading to Northern Liang’s current suffering. I respect that you and Master Yue saved his life, but I won’t agree with your theories.”
Xiao Chunhe shook his head, “Still the same bad temper as ever.”
Wang Dian tugged at the corner of his mouth, staring at those fox-like eyes. “If Martial Uncle truly intends to help, you should be frank. Speaking in riddles like this, are you trying to make me believe or disbelieve?”
“Whether you believe or not isn’t important,” Xiao Chunhe said. “What’s important is whether you want Liang Ye to live.”
The smile on Wang Dian’s face finally faded.
Xiang Meng, who had been meditating in the carriage with her eyes closed, opened them to look at the two people in confrontation.
Since their meeting at Shizai Mountain Taiji Temple, Wang Dian had always given her the impression of being arrogant and cold. His gaze toward everyone carried a distant aloofness and detached indifference, all cleverly hidden beneath a gentle exterior.
Among all living beings, Liang Ye was the only one he truly saw.
And as for Grand Martial Uncle, there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish once he set his mind to it. Even someone as harsh and cold as their Ancestral Master could be bound to his side. He had a firm grip on Wang Dian’s weakness.
Wang Dian would definitely agree. Xiang Meng could guess the answer without trying, and slowly closed her eyes.
“Martial Uncle wants me to help Liang Ye pass through this death tribulation?” Wang Dian understood.
“Only you can help him,” Xiao Chunhe said. “You are the only variable.”
“Setting aside whether I believe this or not, if as you say, only I can help Liang Ye,” Wang Dian’s eyes flashed with an excited gleam, “why not have Liang Ye come ask me himself?”
“What?” Xiao Chunhe doubted his ears for a moment.
Xiang Meng, absorbed in meditation, opened her eyes in disbelief.
“Have Liang Ye come ask me personally,” Wang Dian said seriously, gathering his sleeves.
After a long silence, Xiao Chunhe said, “With such deep feelings between you two, you won’t help him?”
“It depends,” Wang Dian smiled. “Even married couples need clear accounts. How to help, to what extent to help, how much compensation, and his sincerity—all need careful consideration.”
Xiao Chunhe looked at him with a complicated expression, suddenly feeling the frustration of having his child deceived in both body and heart, “You two even need to calculate such things?”
“We must calculate, Martial Uncle.” Wang Dian said seriously. “I’m alone here without any relatives, I have to plan for myself. What if you want me to help by exchanging one life for another? Wouldn’t I lose both my person and my wealth, suffering a complete loss?”
“…” Xiao Chunhe narrowed his eyes.
“I’m just a mundane person. I respect your beliefs and fear what science cannot explain,” Wang Dian said leisurely. “After all, my being here is quite miraculous. However, I still believe in human effort. If you think I would willingly die just to let Liang Ye live, that’s too idealistic.”
Xiang Meng gave a dry laugh. “His Highness’s words are too serious.”
“It’s fine, I’m just making a hypothesis,” Wang Dian said. “Martial Uncle and Temple Master Xiang are powerful and compassionate, how could you make such an unreasonable demand?”
“What if we must be unreasonable?” Xiao Chunhe stared at him and asked.
Wang Dian smiled slightly, “Then why not kill Liang Ye first.”
Liang Ye, who was excitedly lifting the carriage curtain, froze, and then met Wang Dian’s kindly gaze, “…”
