by N/A
“Why have you come here, Father?” Du Xiaoli asked in astonishment as she did not expect Du Yunhan to also be present.
“I heard that you’ve returned, so I came over. So, did your trip go smoothly?” Du Yunhan asked with concern.
“Erm, somewhat smoothly, I guess,” Du Xiaoli replied.
Han Mingyi took a seat and looked at Du Xiaoli before asking, “Somewhat smoothly?”
This was the first time that Du Xiaoli received this sort of stare from Han Mingyi, putting her under a lot of pressure. She immediately understood how other people had felt when they faced him.
Upon hearing that, Du Yunhan knew that something wasn’t quite right. It prompted him to ask: “Did something happen?”
“Ahem. Nothing happened. It’s just that I encountered two assassination attempts on the way, that’s all,” Du Xiaoli replied.
“Two attempts?” It was difficult for Han Mingyi to rein in the baleful aura that was threatening to burst from his body. “You didn’t mention anything about that just now.”
“You didn’t ask me, okay,” Du Xiaoli replied defensively.
“Why would you encounter assassins?” Du Yunhan became anxious. “Did you get hurt?”
Du Xiaoli proceeded to give a breakdown of the assassination attempts she encountered yesterday and today. Under the cold and gloomy aura that was radiating from Han Mingyi, she had no choice but to go into every single detail.
After hearing Du Xiaoli’s story, the pressure radiating from Han Mingyi’s body grew even heavier. At this moment, even Leng Yi and Leng Er standing behind him were wearing grim expressions on their faces, looking as though they were about to murder some people.
“Although the weather’s cooler now, you still shouldn’t keep releasing all these cold auras, okay?” Unable to keep it in, Du Xiaoli protested: “Aren’t I just fine? So please, all of you, stop looking like you want to murder people! Shouldn’t you at least find out who it is that’s trying to kill me before continuing with your current behavior?”
“You’re still in the mood to joke around!” Du Yunhan glared at Du Xiaoli. “Not many people knew about your heading out, yet in such a short time, you already encountered two assassination attempts. Where did the information about your movements leak out from?”
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Ch. 091.2 – The Annoying Prince Ren (2)
“Furthermore, although the other party was aiming for me, the 7th Prince was the one who got injured. If not for his indifference to it, we would have another troublesome matter on our hands.” Speaking of this matter, Du Xiaoli no longer messed around as this wasn’t something that could be joked about.
“Are you saying that yesterday’s attempt was from the Hitman Pavillion?” Han Mingyi asked.
Du Xiaoli nodded while replying, “Yes, they personally admitted to it. The people from Moon Water Paradise also mentioned it.”
“Hitman Pavillion…” Han Mingyi murmured as he twirled his thumb ring. “In 3 days from now, I don’t want to ever hear again about the Hitman Pavillion’s existence, Leng Yi.”
“Yes. This subordinate will head out now,” Leng Yi replied.
“Don’t bother returning if you’re unable to find out the people who hired them,” Han Mingyi added.
“This subordinate understands.”
Right after giving his reply, Leng Yi immediately headed out. Who would have thought that the Hitman Pavilion would get decimated because of a single order from Han Mingyi!
“So you said that the second assassination attempt seemed to be by the royal family’s bodyguards?” Du Yunhan asked with a cold expression, having managed to grab ahold of the key points in Du Xiaoli’s earlier narrative.
“During my previous trip to the capital, I traveled with Grandfather Meng and the others, and we also encountered an assassination attempt. The impression I got from both those bodyguards and the assassins was that they were well trained,” Du Xiaoli replied. “After that, Jiang Zhuo-jiejie explained to me that the bodyguards were dispatched from the palace, ordered by the Emperor to protect Grandfather Meng and the others. Therefore, this led me to wonder... Could those people have been dispatched by the palace?”
“The palace? Don’t tell me it’s…” Du Yunhan looked towards Han Mingyi. Although Du Yunhan didn’t finish his sentence, everyone was well aware of what he was referring to.
“It shouldn’t have been the Emperor,” Du Xiaoli said while shaking her head. “During that time, I was traveling with the 7th Prince. Even if he had only ordered me to be killed, it would have been hard for the 7th Prince to avoid getting injured. The emperor wouldn’t have caused extra trouble for himself.”
“It’s not him.” Han Mingyi also didn’t believe that Han Mingze was the person behind that attempt.
“So who could it be?” Du Yunhan didn’t know who still held such deep-seated hatred for Du Xiaoli that they would dispatch so many people in order to kill her.
“Leave this investigation to me,” Han Mingyi said. “Since it’s someone from the palace, they won’t be able to escape. However, this isn’t what I’m worried about now. When did you learn Sound Arts?”
“Uh, during the time when all of you were still in Du Village? It was… It’s that time when Luo Qi-gege got injured. When I saved him, that secret book and Phoenix Flute were wrapped up in a bundle, so I just grabbed it on the way back. In the end, Luo Qi-gege lost his memory and didn’t know which sect this martial art hailed from. Then he just gave me the items and had me train in this new martial art,” Du Xiaoli replied. “After that, it was only when Luo Qi-gege regained his memory that we finally found out that that secret book was the one that the entire martial art world has been chasing after. I’ve never even told anyone about it before I reached the 5th level. Today’s the very first day that I’ve used it to kill people!”
“Speaking of the people from Moon Water Paradise, what was their purpose in seeking you out?” Having traveled about in the Jiang Hu world, Du Yunhan had some understanding of Moon Water Paradise. “They must wish to snatch back the secret book.”
“No. They want me to go be their sect leader or something.”
“Did you agree to it?”
“No. However, they said that whoever can play the Phoenix Flute is their sect leader. They said that I don’t need to take the role for the time being, but it is impossible for them to not take me as their sect leader. Consequently, they’ve spoken about wanting to send people into the capital to protect me,” Du Xiaoli replied helplessly.
“Although you’ve wiped out those two groups of assassins, news of the Wind Blowing Snow’s reappearance in the world should have already quickly disseminated throughout the Jiang Hu world. I will try to find a way to divert their attention from you. However, you definitely have to be careful in the future,” said Han Mingyi.
“Yes, I know.” Du Xiaoli understood the effect this Wind Blowing Snow had on the people from the Jiang Hu world. Nevertheless, most people wouldn’t be able to threaten her at her current level of strength.
Indeed, on the second day of Du Xiaoli’s journey, news of the Wind Blowing Snow’s reappearance had already started to spread throughout the Jiang Hu world. Just like a bolt of lightning, it blew up the entire Jiang Hu world, which had been silent for quite a few years.
Through some unknown method, Luo Qi also received information about the assassination attempts on Du Xiaoli on the second day. When he also got wind of her having used Wind Blowing Snow, he crushed the information slip in his hand into a clump.
“They actually dispatched over 200 people! How despicable!”
Spotting the gloomy look on Luo Qi’s face, a 20-odd-year-
old youth who stood to the side asked, “Young Master, did something happen to Miss Du?”
“Xia Hong, go and make preparations. We’re taking a trip to the capital,” Luo Qi replied.
“Young Master, didn’t the village owner order you to take a trip to Northern Yuan? With those matters in dire straits, I’m afraid that you won’t be able to make it in time to deal with them if you head to the capital right now,” Xia Hong advised.
Luo Qi took a long and deep stare at the information slip that had been crushed within his hand before finally sighing. He said, “I might be too overly worried. With her current level of martial arts, those who go seek her out now would really be asking for death. Let’s pack up. Ultimately, it’s best if we go to Northern Yuan.”
Xia Hong proceeded to head out. With a shake of his hand, Luo Qi turned the information slip in his hand into dust. Crossing his hands behind his back, he stood stiffly in the pavilion, looking out into the distant scenery where the clouds in the sky appeared to slowly transform into the silhouette of a small familiar face.
“You will be fine. After settling the matters in Northern Yuan, I’ll go to the capital to find you.”
At this moment, Du Xiaoli had no idea about what was happening within the Jiang Hu world as she was observing the male talent competition at the competition grounds. Originally, she assumed that there would be many people participating in the competition of the four arts: playing the zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting. It was only afterward that she found out participation was voluntary.
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Ch. 091.3 – The Annoying Prince Ren (3)
The first round of the competition was on musical skill. There were a total of 20 people who signed up for the competition. The competition was split into two rounds. The first round required the participants to perform an assigned tune, with a different one for each of the instruments: the zither, vertical end-blown flute, bamboo flute [1], and so on. The participants would be given points according to the judge’s evaluations, sending the top 10 placings through to the finals. The theme for the finals was self-selection. The participants were required to perform tunes they were confident in, and they would be judged on how emotionally stirring their performances were.
The calligraphy and painting competitions were held on the same day, starting with calligraphy. Every participant was required to finish a piece on the spot, which would be judged at the end of the round.
This was the same for the painting competition. The participants would be given a specific topic and allowed to complete their artwork in accordance with their own interpretations. They would also be judged at the end of the round.
These three competitions would last a total of two days. The Go competition was also occurring simultaneously during this time. Furthermore, it was held on the same competition grounds with all that noise. One could immediately tell that this competition not only tested one’s skill at Go but also one’s ability to focus!
As for the other competitions, Du Xiaoli didn’t pay much attention to them, as Du Xiuheng had only participated in the Go competition. Although she was somewhat knowledgeable about the game, she wasn’t able to see anything from such a far distance. This bored her, resulting in her return to her residence to rest.
Although it had only been a short three or four days since that day when she left Phoenix City, she nevertheless felt that the time had gone by quite slowly. This might have been due to the many things she had experienced through this period of time. Now, with the competition going on and Du Yunhan keeping watch, Du Xiaoli ran back to her room and leisurely proceeded to sleep for a long time. She did so all the way till midday when Xia Yuan called her to wake up and have lunch.
The sunlight streaming down in a mid-autumn day was still warm and genial as Du Xiaoli steeped a pot of tea for herself. Sitting by the window, she gazed at the fallen leaves in the courtyard before taking up a book to read. Her entire being was filled with satisfaction.
If she could just keep passing the time in such a leisurely manner and get away from her chaotic life, her afternoon would definitely be a splendid one. Nevertheless, it was a pity that her wonderful mood vanished into thin air thanks to the appearance of an uninvited guest.
“Your Highness Prince Ren, voyeurism isn’t something a prince should engage in.”
Just as Du Xiaoli’s voice rang out, Han Minghong revealed himself from behind the big tree present in the courtyard. Looking at Du Xiaoli’s appearance through the window, a series of ripples surfaced in his heart. He said, “Your martial arts are indeed at a very high level. You’re actually able to discover This Prince from that far away.”
Hearing his words, Du Xiaoli’s expression instantly sank as she replied, “What do you mean, Your Highness Prince Ren?”
Han Minghong walked over and stopped to stand by the windowsill with what he thought to be a beguiling smile. He said, “Being that intelligent, don’t tell me that you don’t know what This Prince is talking about, Xiaoli?”
When Du Xiaoli heard the prince call her ‘Xiaoli’, a frown appeared on her. She replied annoyedly, “Your Highness Prince Ren, I remember that saying this before. I, Xiaoli, am still an unmarried girl, so please do address me as Miss Du or Du Xiaoli. Furthermore, I’m in fact very dull, so I do not understand what Prince Ren is talking about.”
“Xiaoli, do you really want This Prince to speak openly about it all? Then do you wish to hear about the matter of you leaving the city, or do you wish to hear about the matter of you using Sound Arts to kill people?” Han Minghong persisted in addressing her as Xiaoli, pretending as though he did not hear her protests at all.
“Were you the one who sent those people? Do you wish to kill me?” As a prince, it was within Han Minghong’s power to dispatch the Royal Family’s guards.
Seeing the cold and indifferent look coming from Du Xiaoli, Han Minghong wore a seemingly hurt expression on his face as he replied: “How could you imagine This Prince to be like that, Xiaoli? This Prince is still waiting impatiently to spend eternity with you! How could I ever want to hurt you?!”
Du Xiaoli immediately felt goosebumps crawl all over her entire body. This person’s words were too disgusting! In fact, she was really worried that she would throw up the food she ate for lunch after hearing them!
“If it wasn’t you, how would you know about my matters? You can’t possibly have simply walked past and just happened to see me kill people, right? Instead of helping me when you saw the grave situation I was in, you’re now attempting to threaten me?”
“How could This Prince not do anything upon seeing that you’re in danger? However…” Han Minghong attempted to explain, but he gave it a second thought. If he were to explain precisely what happened, wouldn’t he be revealing his plan to capture her?
Seeing Han Minghong’s shift in expression, Du Xiaoli immediately guessed what he was about to say and replied, “However...? However, you sent people to follow me?”
Seeing Du Xiaoli get furious, Han Minghong proceeded to explain: “This Prince only wishes for you to be a guest at This Prince’s place and to take a look at This Prince’s residence. In the future, you will be This Prince’s royal consort, so it will be good to familiarize yourself beforehand.”
Du Xiao Li picked up on Han Mingong's euphemisms about his plan to capture and spirit her away to his residence. He had sent people to follow her, and they had coincidentally witnessed her using Sound Arts to kill people.
“Your Highness Prince Ren, you are graceful and elegant, young and promising, widely read and knowledgeable, and the girls that love you can form a line all the way from the eastern to the western edges of Phoenix City. Perhaps it will be the young lady of a family in the east or the noble and wealthy daughte
r of a family in the west that will be Your Highness’ royal consort. Regardless, it will never ever be me, Du Xiaoli. So, Your Highness Prince Ren, please do not mention anything of me being Your Highness’ royal consort in the future. After all, in about a year’s time, I will be Princess Consort Ding in about a year—Your Highness Prince Ren’s younger sister-in-law.”
“This Prince doesn't want you to be This Prince’s younger sister-in-law. I want you to be my royal consort!” Han Minghong roared. In a moment of emotional intensity, he even changed the way he addressed himself.
“This is a decree from the emperor. Could it be that Your Highness Prince Ren’s intentions take precedence to the emperor’s?” Du Xiaoli asked in a ridiculing tone.
“What about the emperor? If This Prince wishes for it, I can become the emperor at any time. If you are willing, I can allow you to be this country’s empress,” Han Minghong replied arrogantly.
Du Xiaoli felt that the man standing before her had definitely been struck by mythomania and was living in his own world. It seemed he felt as though everyone in the world was like whatever he thought of them. If he wanted to become the emperor, then he would be able to do so. If he wanted to marry Du Xiaoli, then he would just be able to do so.
In actuality, he was the only foolish one!
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Ch. 091.4 – The Annoying Prince Ren (4)
“Ah, Prince Ren, an overactive imagination can also be a sign of illness. It’s best for you to seek a consultation with an imperial physician. It will be worse if you let this drag on. The door is behind you, please leave! I won’t be seeing you out!” Feeling too disinclined to continue putting up with this foolish prince, Du Xiaoli headed back into her room right after finishing her sentence.