This Southern Chu high official seemed rather easy to get along with and had suffered so much hardship here, even nearly losing his life. Now that they had the opportunity, how could they not desperately curry favor? With this thought, the Penglai people offered up the valley’s beauties and delicacies. Amid powdered cheeks and jade-like legs gleaming with flesh, Lin the bookworm’s face turned red – he could neither push them away nor accept them, nearly frightening himself into a heart attack. The sage’s teachings continuously thundered and clamored in his mind. Watching Qing Xia’s figure disappear at the doorway, he almost wanted to cry.

The night wind carried a slight chill. Qing Xia’s mind instantly cleared as she slightly raised her head to look at the imposing towering peaks above. She felt her heart drift freely, almost wanting to soar against the wind. A clear, handsome, warm face lingered before her eyes, entangling her thoughts like a beautiful dream. How was he doing up there now? Was he anxiously searching for her, waiting for news of her? That day when the two armies faced each other, he was so seriously injured, vomiting several pints of blood – how much damage had that done to his body? If one day she returned to his side safe and sound, would he smile warmly with relief and joy?

Just as she thought of this, a pair of pitch-black eyes instantly shattered all her thoughts like huge stones. Qing Xia suddenly shuddered, hurriedly cast aside all chaotic thoughts, and quickly walked toward her room.

The wine’s aftereffects were quite strong. In this short while, Qing Xia’s steps became unsteady, her head dizzy, her figure somewhat staggering. Just as she was about to call out to those two maidservants, she raised her hand and crashed with a bang into a solid chest.

Suddenly raising her head, she met the other person’s star-like brilliant eyes. The man wore gorgeous purple robes with his long hair loose, his features open and honest, his collar slightly open – a lazy and dissolute appearance.

Qing Xia frowned slightly and said faintly with heavy wine breath, “How strange and odd – they actually didn’t arrest you, this treacherous murderer, but instead let you swagger around here in the deep night. Truly incomprehensible!”

Zhu Yuanqing laughed freely, “No man is without fault. I was merely deceived by treacherous people. Moreover, I didn’t actually kill Brother Tan Sheng at all – where does this talk of being a murderer come from?”

Qing Xia frowned, remembering Tan Sheng’s condition at the time, and immediately understood clearly. She cupped her hands, “Good technique – striking precisely and accurately. Admirable, admirable!”

After speaking, she turned to leave. But Zhu Yuanqing suddenly grabbed Qing Xia’s arm, smiling, “Miss, why the hurry? I haven’t finished speaking.”

Qing Xia frowned. Just as she was about to get rough, she discovered that though this man looked like an elegant young gentleman, his strength was enormous. In her drunken state, she might not gain any advantage. She raised her eyebrows slightly and said gravely, “Speak quickly if you have something to say, fart quickly if you need to fart!”

Zhu Yuanqing laughed heartily. After laughing, he suddenly lowered his head with a seductive expression, “Does Miss really take all us Penglai people for fools who can be deceived by you at will?”

Qing Xia was startled, suddenly raising her eyebrows. Half her drunkenness cleared as she said gravely, “What do you mean by that?”

Zhu Yuanqing raised his eyebrows, his eyes like silk willows flashing with brilliance as he declared, “Technological advancement requires the unremitting efforts of several or dozens of generations and must develop in a relatively stable environment. For a thousand years, holding the master’s light of wisdom, we devoted our hearts to effort and achieved today’s development. The outside world has been filled with warfare daily – how could it possibly be as advanced as Miss described? Put yourself in my shoes and think from my perspective – if you were me, would you believe it?”

Qing Xia glanced at him disdainfully and said gravely, “Based on just this, you doubt what I said? You think far too highly of yourself. Though Penglai’s life is stable, supplies are ultimately incomplete. Many materials essential for technology can’t be found here, which greatly inhibits technological development. Moreover, this place is self-sufficient without commodity economy driving it, without profit motivation, without environmental pressure. How could large-scale progress be possible based solely on one or two people’s enthusiasm and interests? This being so, though the outside world is chaotic, that it’s more advanced than you isn’t such a big deal.”

Zhu Yuanqing laughed heartily, “Miss indeed has true insight. If I were slightly more foolish, you would have deceived me completely. But saying too much leads to mistakes – doesn’t Miss feel that what she said today was somewhat exaggerated?”

Qing Xia frowned, “What exaggeration?”

Zhu Yuanqing’s mouth curved with an evil smile, “If there are already wooden birds that can fly high without mechanical power, why didn’t Southern Chu’s great army come down to the gorge to search for their Great Emperor? If there really are thousand-li ears that can transmit sound across ten thousand li, why don’t we see Miss communicating with those above? If even weapons like flying projectiles are being developed, why would armies use single-barrel and double-barrel crude guns? From when we Penglai people created the gunpowder formula to when we manufactured firearms according to the master’s diagrams took over seventy years. Though I don’t have Miss’s broad knowledge, I know how long it takes between one technology’s emergence and another’s. Flying projectiles are so sophisticated – the difference between them and crude guns is like heaven and earth. How could they be used in the same period? Yet Miss knows these impossible things in such detail without ever having seen our construction secrets. Miss’s origins are truly intriguing.”

Warning bells immediately sounded in Qing Xia’s heart. She thought this man was actually so shrewd – had he seen through that the master was a time traveler and now wanted to see through her identity too? If he knew she was merely bluffing, why didn’t he report to those people inside but instead came here to interrogate her? For a moment, hundreds of thoughts flashed through her mind, finally converging into one thought – immediately take this person’s life. As for what disturbance this might cause afterward, she could only consider that later.

Qing Xia’s arm trembled as the cold dagger suddenly slid from her armpit to the inside of her forearm. Without changing expression, she smiled at Zhu Yuanqing, putting on an unmoved, mysterious appearance while paralyzing the enemy and seeking the most advantageous opportunity for a sneak attack.

Just then, sudden loud string and bamboo music came from Phoenix Cry Palace’s direction – sharp sounds with high-pitched music that instantly drowned out all surrounding sounds. Qing Xia’s eyes flashed with cold light as she thought darkly, don’t blame me for being ruthless and merciless – blame yourself for seeing things too clearly. People should be a bit more confused. She grabbed the sharp dagger, about to strike!

However, at this moment, Zhu Yuanqing suddenly said something that immediately suppressed all of Qing Xia’s movements.

“I dare assert that you must be the master’s descendant, the heaven-ordained one who follows the master’s dying command to lead the seven departments in building a civilized society!”

The bizarre strangeness of worldly affairs often lies in a single thought. Qing Xia immediately widened her eyes, looking in disbelief at Zhu Yuanqing who had suddenly knelt before her, feeling everything was developing too rapidly for her thinking to keep up with such a swift pace!

“Penglai’s Engineering Department has waited for the master’s heir for over a thousand years. For a thousand years, we’ve carefully followed the master’s dying command, developing technology and forging weapons. Before today, I always doubted whether the master’s heir still lived after a thousand years. I nearly made a great mistake – please punish me, Miss!”

Speaking to this point, he suddenly raised his head with solemn tone and sacred expression, saying earnestly word by word, “The earth guards high hills – one stretch of streams and mountains eternally beautiful.”

Almost dreamlike, Qing Xia foolishly recited, “The gate faces the great sea – three rivers’ joined waters flow for ten thousand years.”

※※※

When she entered the room, Qing Xia still felt everything was like having a great dream. She stared foolishly, unable to recover for a long time.

At this time, light tapping sounds suddenly came. Qing Xia stood dazed for nearly two seconds, then immediately jumped up like a rabbit with its tail on fire. The locked chest was slowly opened, and then a man with a face as gloomy as a black pot stood up with stiff hands and feet.

Qing Xia smiled apologetically and hurriedly took out a small package of food she had hidden in her bosom. But having just crashed into Zhu Yuanqing, it had already become a mess. Her face showed embarrassment as she bit her lower lip, two red clouds rising on her cheeks.

“Mm…” Chu Li grunted dully, his hands and feet nearly stiff. Qing Xia quickly reached out to support him, saying softly, “Slowly, slowly.”

Chu Li turned to glare at her angrily, struggled to move his hands and feet, then sat on the bed with a long sigh.

She hadn’t expected Miss Tan to be so considerate – not only moving this chest to Qing Xia’s room but also locking it for fear others might discover it. She knew perfectly well that Southern Chu’s Great Emperor hadn’t left Penglai and naturally feared being discovered. At this moment, seeing Chu Li’s gloomy face, Qing Xia’s heart pounded with insufficient confidence, “How about you wait a moment while I go out and get more food?”

Just as she was about to turn and leave, her arm was suddenly grabbed by Chu Li. Qing Xia frowned slightly, turning her head in confusion, and heard Chu Li say almost word by word, “What is gunpowder?”

Qing Xia’s head immediately roared as if a bomb had exploded inside.

Early the next morning, Qing Xia crawled up from the floor with panda eyes, feeling aches all over her back and limbs, her whole body like it had fallen apart. Last night, after much persuasion, she finally managed to escape Chu Li’s hundred thousand questions by claiming drunkenness as an excuse. Afterward, the man full of suppressed anger actually kicked her off the bed and monopolized the entire bed himself. The two argued in low voices half the night, and finally, unable to fight without restraint, Qing Xia adopted compromise tactics.

“Arrogant, selfish bastard!” Qing Xia cursed quietly, looking up to see Chu Li lying on his side on the bed, his hand curved supporting his head. Wearing white cotton robes and soft clothes, his eyes black and bright, sword-like eyebrows and starlike eyes, high nose bridge, clothes half-open, black hair loose, revealing his bronze-colored strong chest, staring fixedly at her.