Rushou was standing at the doorway of the council hall at that moment, exchanging a silent nod with Xiangliu as a form of greeting. He was not actually surprised to see Xiangliu; he had known beforehand that the Imperial Princess was going to take martial arts lessons with this man, a matter that had already been approved by the King of Haoling. What surprised him was that Xiangliu could enter the Imperial Princess Mansion so casually, without needing to announce his arrival, and that Miaopu led him straight inside. It seemed this had been specially instructed by the Imperial Princess. Moreover, the Imperial Princess herself stood up to welcome him—a treatment she accorded to no one else. Watching the two of them chatting and laughing intimately, they looked nothing like an ordinary master and disciple.
Before this, Rushou had marveled at how brilliantly the Imperial Princess handled men. Look at the scene before him: this was none other than Xiangliu the Nine-Life, a fiend who killed without blinking! Looking at the way he gazed at the Imperial Princess, even through his mask, one could feel that his eyes were brimming with smiles, so tender they seemed to melt into water. And listening to the soft, gentle tone of his voice, where could one possibly hear the decisive ruthlessness of a general?
Imperial Princess, oh Imperial Princess, you are truly formidable! Right, what was the name of that high-tier, mysterious cultivator back at the small courtyard in Qingshui Town? Baozhu! He was just as submissive to the Imperial Princess! Oh dear! With the two of them so close, if those two were to run into each other—Rushou did not dare to think any further... Would the streets and houses he worked so hard to build every day be smashed into powder by these two?
Just then, Xiangliu whispered a few words into Xiaoyao's ear. Xiaoyao nodded and said:
"Rushou, we just touched upon the matter of stationing troops in Qingshui City and the fief. Discuss it with General Xiangliu."
"Imperial Princess, what did you say?"
"The troops! Didn't you say the new recruits aren't suited for garrison duties and the fief lacks sufficient manpower? Isn't that why I've asked Lord Xiangliu to bring troops to help?"
Rushou felt a buzzing in his head. Did he mishear? Could he have misheard?
"Also, he has brought a deputy general from the army. The new recruits recruited from the town can just be handed over to him to train, which will also allow you to focus on other matters."
He must have misheard. The King of Haoling valued Xiangliu as a talent and had sent people to persuade him to surrender several times in the past—Rushou himself had participated in those attempts, so he was somewhat acquainted with Xiangliu. But no matter how generous the offered terms were, they had always returned empty-handed. Even if Xiangliu had a close relationship with the Imperial Princess, how could he possibly send both troops and men? He must have heard wrong.
"Rushou, what is wrong with you? I am speaking to you."
"Imperial Princess, you..."
"I said, go and discuss military matters with General Xiangliu. It probably won't be finished in a moment or two anyway. I don't understand military affairs, so today this Imperial Princess will cook a meal herself to host the two of you."
It seemed he had not misheard. Seeing Rushou's sluggish reaction, Xiangliu smiled slightly. He held a very favorable impression of this capable commander under the King of Haoling. Although their previous attempts to persuade him to surrender had ended on a sour note, it was an undeniable fact that General Rushou was clever, competent, and possessed high spiritual power, making him a top-tier expert across the Great Wasteland whether in handling court affairs, leading troops in battle, attacking and defending, or deploying formations.
There had once been a rumor: when it came to warfare, no one in the entire Great Wasteland could defeat Rushou. Yet such a top-tier expert usually kept a very low profile, never acting arrogant because of his talent or presumptuous because of favor. He always carried out the King of Haoling's orders diligently, conscientiously, and meticulously, earning him exceptional popularity and a stellar reputation among both the imperial court and the noble clans. He never imagined that one day he would actually sit down and discuss military matters with him.
As noon approached, the two men were still pointing at the spiritual map, talking endlessly. Rushou could not help marveling: previously, he only knew that when it came to single combat, Xiangliu the Nine-Life possessed immense spiritual power and supreme martial arts, standing as a peerless master whom perhaps few in the entire Great Wasteland could match. He never expected that when it came to leading troops, training soldiers, garrisoning, rotating defense, or even devising magical arrays and laying ambushes, this man also possessed unique insights and a sharp vision. Of course, he must still be hiding something, but with such an expert assisting from the side, the Imperial Princess was truly like a tiger given wings. Her New City would undoubtedly be as secure as an iron fortress. The two of them could not help feeling a mutual appreciation.
After the meal, Rushou left the Imperial Princess Mansion to arrange the specific details, and the two agreed that starting tomorrow, the Chenrong Army would be stationed in Qingshui City and the northern fief.
Xiangliu brought Xiaoyao to the side of a cold spring pool in the mountains. There was a wooden house here, which was the place where he usually rested and practiced cultivation. Outside the house was a large flat area, perfectly suited for martial arts practice. Xiaoyao saw a target set up in the distance of the flat area, which should be what Xiangliu usually used for practicing archery.
The two walked into the wooden house, which was as austere as a military camp: apart from a couch, a table, and a low cabinet, there was almost nothing else. Xiaoyao frowned:
"This won't do. You need to redecorate this place; it's way too shabby!"
Xiangliu smiled: "It's fine! I don't usually come over much anyway."
"That still won't do. We are going to be coming here often from now on. You don't need to worry about it; I'll handle the decoration."
"Alright, decorate it however you like."
Xiaoyao looked around once more—truly, there was nothing at all.
"Let's go outside and practice archery first. I want to see if your skills have grown rusty over this past year or more."
"How could that happen? I've been practicing all along. It's just that when I first arrived at Qingshui Town, I was busy seeing patients every day and had no time. After moving into the mansion, I started practicing every day. There is a target in Qing Garden; the last time you went there, you were too busy being angry with me, and you wouldn't agree when I offered to show you around, which is why you didn't see it."
Xiangliu smiled awkwardly, tilted his head, and said:
"I'll go check it out next time. Fire an arrow, let me see."
"No rush. Did you talk to Lord Hong Jiang last night? What did he say?"
"Adoptive father said that protecting the safety of the surrounding area of Qingshui City is naturally the bounden duty of the Chenrong Army. Even if you hadn't brought it up, we would still do it; with you bringing it up, it becomes a justified and proper action. As for your northern fief, it is genuinely doing a favor for you, this old friend's daughter."
"Of course it is also genuinely doing me a favor. If you hadn't agreed, he wouldn't have granted this old friend's daughter such a big favor. You don't need to deliberately distance yourself; I appreciate your kindness."
Xiangliu smiled and said nothing.
Xiaoyao reached out and picked up a strand of his white hair, twisting it around her fingers to play with it, while staring into his eyes:
"Lord Xiangliu, you've helped me such a big favor, how do you expect me to repay you?"
Xiangliu pulled her toward him in one fluid motion, wrapping both arms around her soft, slender waist. A wisp of cool mountain breeze brushed across their faces, messing up the stray hairs on her forehead. He reached out one hand to gently smooth them down for her.
"How would you like to repay me?"
She tilted her head up slightly, her two arms resting loosely against his solid chest... That feeling came over her once again—her natural fragrance, her docility, her softness instantly overwhelmed him. He gazed into her eyes, his gaze slowly sliding down toward her lips... He lowered his head and descended slowly...
Noticing the approach of those lips, Xiaoyao turned her head slightly to the side and paused for a moment... Her pretty face was a little flushed, a hint of a smile hung on the corners of her lips, and she lowered her gaze, not daring to look at him...
After a moment, she summoned an object using her spiritual power. "I... I have a gift for you."
Xiangliu let out a somewhat helpless, bitter smile, took the object, and glanced at it.
"A jade pendant? I never wear these kinds of things."
"Just listen to me! Don't look down on this jade. Have you heard of the Jade Ointment of Yushan?"
Xiangliu nodded.
"This is made from that very jade. Legend has it that the primordial Queen Mother refined the elixir of immortality ten thousand years ago. The reason why the descendants of the present God Clan and Demon Clan can live for a thousand or even ten thousand years is because they took that elixir of immortality. It's just that the Queen Mother believed 'immortality' violated the heavenly dao, which is why she cast spells into the medicine, ensuring that even though future generations of gods and demons would live long lives, they could not truly achieve 'immortality'. Therefore, the Queen Mother and Yushan hold a transcendent status; whether it is beyond the heavens, the Great Wasteland, or the netherworld, everyone treats the Queen Mother with utmost respect and bows down in worship.
Later, the Queen Mother refined the Jade Ointment. Legend has it that taking the Jade Ointment can grant eternal youth, bring the dead back to life, and even grow back severed arms and legs.
Over these tens of thousands of years, the method for refining the elixir of immortality has been lost, but the method for refining the Jade Ointment has been passed down—though its effects nowadays are not as miraculous as they were back then, it is still exceptionally powerful. Look at the bit of spiritual power I've recovered now; I relied on the effects of the Jade Ointment to do it."
While listening to her, Xiangliu carefully examined the jade pendant in his hand. Xiaoyao continued:
"This jade pendant is made from the exact same jade used to refine the Jade Ointment. When the Queen Mother heard I wanted to make a jade pendant out of this jade, she shook her head repeatedly and said I was wasting good material, but she couldn't stand my endless nagging and finally agreed to it. This jade pendant will not shatter if dropped, will not split under a blade, and will not melt in fire. If you wear it on your body, it can help you absorb the essence of the sun and moon, aid you in practicing cultivation and healing injuries, and furthermore... if you drop a drop of blood onto it,"
Xiangliu did as she instructed, and the blood was instantly absorbed into the jade pendant.
"In this way, it will merge into one with you, and no one will ever be able to take it away."
Xiangliu listened intently, his expression gradually turning serious.
"The knot below was tied by me." At this point, Xiaoyao sighed.
"You know my embroidery skills have always been half-baked. I tied it over and over again—just make do with it. Since you usually wear white clothes, this one is plain-colored."
Xiaoyao took out another one and continued:
"This red one is for you to wear when you act as Fangfeng Bei."
Xiangliu took the red knot and tucked it inside his robe.
"What is this?"
As it turned out, inside the jade pendant, there seemed to be a circle of extremely fine blood vessels, with threads of red liquid rolling within them, and the surface of the jade pendant was wreathed in a thin layer of light mist.
"Nothing, it's just..." Xiaoyao's eyes rolled around rapidly.
"Tell the truth!"
Xiaoyao glanced at him, realizing she couldn't hide it.
"That's a spell I added."
"A spell? When did you learn spells?"
"Didn't I stay at Yushan for over half a year previously? Aside from cultivating every day, I was bored to death. So I found a book on spells, studied it for a long time, and even consulted the Queen Mother. I gained quite a few insights and benefited immensely."
Xiangliu nodded and said:
"I know very little about spells, but whenever someone casts a spell, they generally leave no trace behind, otherwise it is easily detected by others. What is this red blood about?"
Xiaoyao sniffed and said reluctantly:
"My spiritual power is low, and the spell failed several times when I tried to cast it. I originally wanted to ask Lieyang for help, but I felt that since this was a gift for you, I didn't want to borrow the hands of others, so..."
"So what?"
"So, I used my heart's blood as a guide, supplemented by my spiritual power, and that's how I managed to succeed. But the blood went in all at once, and it turned out like this. I didn't expect it either, since it was my first time doing it and I had no experience. According to the book, this spell can protect your heart meridian at a critical moment, but now that it's turned out like this, I'm not even sure if it's still effective."
Xiaoyao looked somewhat dejected at Xiangliu, only to see him furrowing his brow, his expression cold and detached, staring unblinkingly into her eyes without showing any emotion, while the temperature all around him dropped.
"You... you don't like it?" Xiangliu didn't answer for a long time.
"You really don't like it?"
Xiangliu snapped out of it, his facial expression softening as well, and spoke in a low voice:
"I like it, I like it very much."
"Then let me help you put it on." Xiaoyao instantly brightened up.
As soon as Xiaoyao helped him fasten the jade pendant around his waist, Xiangliu pulled her straight into his embrace.
"You are not allowed to draw heart's blood ever again. Your spiritual power is low, and you're afraid of pain..."
"It's fine, I only took a tiny bit. To save me, you carved out your heart's blood for so many years—didn't it hurt you? That little bit of pain of mine is nothing. Besides, I prepared medicinal herbs for myself, and now there isn't even a tiny scar left."
Xiangliu held her tightly, as if he wanted to knead her into his very flesh and bones. He buried his lips in her hair and kissed her gently...
After a long while, Xiangliu asked softly:
"Were you already planning to give me a gift back when you were at Yushan?"
"Mhm, I just never found a suitable opportunity. Oh right,"
Xiaoyao poked her head out from his embrace and asked:
"Do you have a scar on your chest?"
"No!"
"Really none?"
"I am a demon; it heals itself."
"Oh! Does it still hurt?"
"It stopped hurting a long time ago." Xiangliu pulled her closer again.
"How could it not hurt? For so many years, so many times..." Xiaoyao's voice choked slightly.
"With you treating me like this, it really doesn't hurt anymore."
Xiaoyao tightened her arms, wrapping them around his waist.
"Then if I treat you even better in the future, better and better, will you be happy?"
A warm current welled up from his chest, rushing toward Xiaoyao's heart along with sweetness and joy...
"Of course I'm happy, extremely happy..."
The Gu worm... lit up...