After Yin Wuxin heard about Yelu Qi injuring Zhan Xin’s lower abdomen, she suddenly understood.

“No wonder he wants to come immediately… Our sect has a legend,” her face reddened slightly as she spoke tactfully, “the women of our sect have the ability to supplement and heal such injuries. Since he’s suffered this kind of wound, he definitely won’t let me go this time.”

“Let’s plan something,” Pei Shu said. “What do you think Zhan Xin will do to us?”

“Nothing more than deploying all his forces to surround and kill us, and he’ll want to cruelly kill you all in front of me. Zhan Xin is an extremely arrogant, vicious and tyrannical man. He brought you here just to kill you. He wants everyone to know that opposing him leads to a miserable end.”

“He’s injured now, so his emotions must be even more violent and agitated,” Jing Hengbo said. “What do you plan to do?”

“To get the treasure ship blueprints, we need to make Zhan Xin undress. He definitely carries that thing on his person. But Zhan Xin won’t relax and do… those things until he’s dealt with you few first.” Yin Wuxin spoke with some difficulty. “I do have an idea, but… it would be quite hard on you all…”

Her voice grew lower as she spoke, and everyone’s expressions became increasingly strange as they listened.

Yin Wuxin’s plan required the three men to first find a way to surrender or appear to have no threatening power – of course, this surrender had to ensure they could fight at any time without being detected. She would find an excuse to prevent Zhan Xin from having time to deal with them first, making him seek pleasure from her instead. When Zhan Xin had to undress, men would be most relaxed at such times, then the men would find ways to break free – those stealing blueprints would steal, those taking action would act. To ensure the effectiveness of theft and concealment, she would devise a plan to lure Zhan Xin away from here to a hot spring in the palace used for bathing, where steam filled the air and there were underground waterways. It would be convenient for hiding and escaping.

In this plan, they first needed to anger Zhan Xin, making him lose his composure in rage. Angering Zhan Xin was simple too – any man coming out to protect Yin Wuxin would suffice.

So the men’s expressions were all a bit strange – this was a “good assignment,” but who would take it?

“Zhan Xin should first send people to check the situation here,” Yin Wuxin said. “From now on, one of you needs to… put on an act with me.”

Her gaze intentionally or unintentionally drifted toward Pei Shu, and the other two unsurprisingly looked at Pei Shu as well.

“Why are you looking at me?” Pei Shu rolled his eyes. “I’m poisoned and lacking energy, I can’t take the lead!” He pointed at Ying Bai. “You have high martial arts skills and are famous for loving wine, women, and pleasure. If it’s not you, then who?”

Ying Bai took a drink and didn’t even look at him. “Loving wine doesn’t mean I can act. How about Brother Yelu.”

“I’m also injured,” Yelu Qi immediately coughed and smiled. “Please trouble you two instead.”

The three men politely declined to each other, and Yin Wuxin’s expression grew increasingly dim. Jing Hengbo couldn’t bear to watch, thinking these three were so impolitely pushing back and forth, giving the lady no face at all. Male chauvinists!

“How about you, Ying Bai.” She suddenly said, smiling sweetly at Ying Bai. “Aren’t you always famous in the Imperial Song for being carefree and unrestrained, and the well-known playboy who’s popular everywhere? You playing this role would be perfect!”

The other two immediately agreed in unison, looking pleased.

Ying Bai’s hand holding the wine flask paused.

For a moment his gaze drifted from the wine flask to land on Jing Hengbo’s face, his eyes complex and difficult to read.

Jing Hengbo acted as if she didn’t see, smiling as she pushed him toward Yin Wuxin, saying sweetly: “Oh my, the Imperial Song’s number one rake, this is your specialty, why aren’t you hurrying? What’s with all this modest declining…”

Ying Bai suddenly reached back and grasped her wrist.

Jing Hengbo lowered her eyes, looking at the captured hand, feeling the slight pressure, her smile unchanged. “Why are you grabbing me? Really unwilling? How could you be unwilling? This doesn’t seem like you at all…”

Ying Bai’s hand trembled, and he suddenly released her, then smiled and took a drink. “Fine, fine, but don’t push me like that – it would be too presumptuous toward Madam Yin. I’ll listen to you and act this once.”

He set down his wine flask and asked Yin Wuxin with a smile, “Madam, please forgive Ying Bai’s presumption.”

Yin Wuxin had already returned to her unruffled expression and nodded. “I’m troubling the Grand Commander.”

Jing Hengbo pressed her lips together, blinked, and watched the pair of man and woman looking at each other.

Pei Shu casually looked outside, while Yelu Qi only watched her, sparkling lights dancing in his smiling eyes.

“Madam, how do you think we should dress the part?” Ying Bai got into character, tenderly taking Yin Wuxin’s sleeve.

Yin Wuxin felt somewhat uncomfortable, stiffening her neck as she pointed to the inner room. “There’s a window there. If Zhan Xin wants to send someone to observe, that’s the only place they could see from. But you must be careful – when Zhan Xin discovers you, he’ll definitely target you primarily.”

“Isn’t that exactly what Her Majesty the Queen wants?” Ying Bai’s smiling gaze drifted over, and Jing Hengbo looked up at the sky.

Veiled sarcasm? This lady doesn’t understand.

When she looked down, she found Ying Bai had actually taken Yin Wuxin’s hand and gone into the inner room, their walking posture naturally intimate. Before entering, he stepped back slightly to gently support Yin Wuxin, and she looked up with a faint smile. Their profiles facing each other were both beautiful – a handsome man and beautiful woman, a perfect pair, like poetry and painting.

Jing Hengbo sniffed and stepped forward. Before her head could extend out, bang – Ying Bai closed the door.

Jing Hengbo stared at that door as if she wanted to stare a hole through it, or as if she wanted to kick it, but this door had essentially been closed by herself, and she couldn’t take a single step forward.

Her heart had a strange taste – puzzled, uneasy, confused… Since leaving the Imperial Song, this feeling often appeared, many times making her bewildered, almost thinking she had developed split personality disorder.

With the door closed, there wasn’t a sound inside. No coquettish laughter, no male voices either. So quiet, strangely quiet, so strange it made Jing Hengbo’s heart itch like being scratched by cats.

She kicked Pei Shu.

“What?” Pei Shu was never in a good mood.

“Ying Bai is very mysterious,” Jing Hengbo whispered conspiratorially to him. “Don’t you want to secretly peek? What if he’s not a good person and takes advantage to harm your old flame?”

“You stupid woman, three sentences and two are wrong.” Pei Shu sneered, pointing at her nose. “First, how could someone as noble and principled as me do such low things as secret peeping? Second, Yin Wuxin isn’t my old flame, at most she’s my lifesaver. Third, this kind of man ‘harming’ a woman – as long as the woman doesn’t cry for help, it means she’s willing. When it’s consensual, what business is it of mine? However, you got one thing right – Ying Bai really isn’t a good person.”

“I think you’re not a good person either.” Jing Hengbo rolled her eyes back at him, gave up on this stubborn fellow, and turned to grab the little monster, holding it and swinging it for fun. Swinging and swinging, somehow “accidentally,” the little monster suddenly flew out, landing right on the slightly ajar door of the inner room.

“Oh no, sorry.” Jing Hengbo covered her mouth in shock. “Slip of the hand, slip of the hand.”

No one paid attention to her. Pei Shu rolled his eyes, and Yelu Qi’s smile was meaningful.

Feifei was also sensible – being “accidentally” thrown out, she smoothly rolled and tried to slip into the room.

Suddenly whoosh – a gust of wind swept out, the little monster was swept into a somersault and shot out like a cannonball, heavily crashing into Jing Hengbo’s arms.

Jing Hengbo staggered and almost didn’t catch her. Looking down, the little monster blinked her big eyes, full of resentment and grievance.

Jing Hengbo couldn’t throw her out again and had to give up reluctantly. She turned to look at Yelu Qi, abandoning the idea of inciting him – Yelu Qi wasn’t like that proud and straightforward fellow Pei Shu. He was as cunning as a thousand-year-old demon and definitely wouldn’t fall for her tricks.

The room was still quiet, so quiet it made her itch. Her mind told her countless times not to care – you’re sick, why are you inexplicably so concerned about what’s in the room? But her heart seemed to have a little person running around dong dong dong, constantly urging her “Look! Look! Why don’t these two make any sound? It’s not normal! There’s something fishy! Maybe there’s a problem… maybe… maybe…”

She suddenly swept her hair and smiled: “Ah, it’s a bit cold. The wind is so strong!”

“Where’s the wind?” Pei Shu turned to look outside.

Yelu Qi kept smiling.

“Bang.” The door to the inner room suddenly burst open, and Jing Hengbo cried out dramatically: “Ah, the wind is so strong!”

However, when she saw the scene inside, she immediately forgot what she wanted to say.

In front of that strange warm jade bed in the inner room, light-colored curtains hung down. Within the curtains, Yin Wuxin could be vaguely seen lying there, while Ying Bai stood beside the bed with one leg half-bent at the bedside, leaning over toward Yin Wuxin. When the door opened, he straightened and looked up, appearing as if some good business had been suddenly interrupted.

Jing Hengbo was speechless.

“Playing for real…” she murmured.

Ying Bai glanced at her. Though they were still separated by a room and the light inside was dim, she felt that glance was like ice and thorns, suddenly shooting into her heart.

Then she heard him say lightly: “Yes, the wind is really strong.”

Before she could react, suddenly a strong wind rose. The door banged back again, hitting the wall and stirring up an even more violent wind that pushed straight out, knocking her staggering backward out of the room.

She grabbed the door frame in time to avoid falling face-first.

Jing Hengbo clutched the door frame, taking quite a while to recover from the shock. Sand and stones rustled down from above her head – dust shaken down from the roof tiles. It covered her completely.

Under Pei Shu and Yelu Qi’s strange gazes, she casually stood up, patted her clothes, and laughed.

“Yes, the wind is really strong.”

“I rather think,” Yelu Qi said methodically, “the sea is big, the waves are big, wave after wave, endless.”

Jing Hengbo decided she couldn’t understand.

Suddenly there was a cry of surprise from the inner room, low and soft – Yin Wuxin’s voice.

Jing Hengbo pretended not to hear and firmly refused to turn her eyes in that direction.

She also thought she was being inexplicably strange, constantly thinking about who knows what. What business was this of hers?

But she didn’t know why, she just wanted to know, like an instinct lurking in the depths of consciousness, without reason, always existing.

But the door suddenly opened, and Ying Bai and Yin Wuxin appeared at the doorway.

Several pairs of eyes stared over in unison, with various expressions – or rather, various kinds of strangeness.

Ying Bai looked quite normal, still wearing that smiling, indifferent expression.

Yin Wuxin was also still cold, without even a blush on her face.

She suddenly said: “I just…”

Jing Hengbo perked up her ears.

“…suddenly felt,” Yin Wuxin paused, “I’m really not good at acting. If I go to seduce Zhan Xin, I’m afraid I’ll ruin everyone’s plans.”

Jing Hengbo was stunned – what did that mean?

“Oh right, there might be fighting later. Can you protect yourself?” Yin Wuxin suddenly turned toward her.

Before she could answer, the three men immediately spoke up.

“Let me,” Pei Shu immediately raised his hand. “She’s my future wife – if I don’t protect her, who will?”

“Brother Pei’s poison hasn’t cleared and he shouldn’t exert himself. Let me instead,” Yelu Qi smiled.

“You’re both injured and shouldn’t force yourselves,” Ying Bai said calmly. “I love wine, women, and pleasure – the Imperial Song’s number one rake. Acting with women is my specialty, so naturally it should be me.”

Jing Hengbo stared at the three men – a quarter hour ago, when asked to act with Yin Wuxin, you were all declining to each other!

Such obvious favoritism – was this really okay?

Looking again at Yin Wuxin, her eyes were downcast, her face pale as snow, already so dim she was about to disappear…

Before she could refuse, rapid footsteps were already heard outside. Lights quickly wound their way over, illuminating this small courtyard. Jing Hengbo turned around and saw Zhan Xin approaching surrounded by a large group of people.

Behind Zhan Xin, through the opened courtyard gate, she could still see masses of black heads and the dark iron gleam of heavy weapons…

Zhan Xin walked into the courtyard with somewhat difficult steps, his expression gloomy as the heavy black clouds of night.

He only felt his heart fire was very strong, needing women’s soft bodies and cool skin to extinguish the karmic fire in his heart and reactivate his nearly dead bloodline.

Since losing his most beloved youngest son, he was deeply affected, losing most of his vital energy overnight. Later, thinking of royal hegemony, he had to steel himself and work hard again on women, trying to use those fertile soils to cultivate more excellent offspring of his own.

With one legitimate youngest son gone, as long as he worked hard, there would be more legitimate sons.

Then he soon discovered with infinite frustration that the lost vital energy was extremely difficult to gather again. He seemed to have aged overnight, unable to awaken his former vigor.

For a man, especially a man who was a king, such things were hard to endure. In the process of secretly seeking medical treatment, he learned of Yin Wuxin’s unique yang-supplementing methods.

Yin Wuxin was nominally his stepmother, but he knew she might still be a virgin – the old king’s body was already failing when he took her, and he died not long after. How could he, the mighty King of Zhanyu, let such a beauty skilled in preserving youth slip away because of so-called propriety?

Originally he wanted to put on a magnanimous attitude, giving Yin Wuxin a chance to throw herself into his arms. Incidentally checking whether this woman really had lovers. Now that he had suffered repeated setbacks, his patience had reached its limit, and he no longer had the mood to wait for a woman to slowly change her heart.

Hearing that she was actually hiding three men in her room – was she gathering lovers to oppose him?

Well then, let’s see!

Zhan Xin was accompanied by ten master guardians and entered the small courtyard fearlessly. Immediately troops flowed in like water, filling every corner of the small courtyard.

As soon as he looked up, he saw three men and two women standing at the room’s entrance.

The three men all wore masks but were all tall and slender with extraordinary bearing, making him wary.

But the woman beside Yin Wuxin made his gaze concentrate.

Where did this beauty come from! Her looks actually surpassed Lady Yin by three parts!

Jing Hengbo’s makeup tonight was lightly applied – light eyebrows, fresh and clean, shining in the moonlight and firelight, pure and clear as a handful of mountain spring water.

Her current disguise wasn’t very sophisticated – careful observation would reveal Jing Hengbo’s features, but Zhan Xin had only seen her at the Queen’s welcoming ceremony from far away, and was focused on battling Yelu Qi at the time, so his impression of the Queen was already faint.

He fixed his gaze on Jing Hengbo and couldn’t bear to look away. Looking at Yin Wuxin again, she immediately seemed to pale in comparison.

Yin Wuxin called “Your Majesty” several times before awakening him. Zhan Xin coughed, reluctantly tearing his gaze from Jing Hengbo’s face, and looked at Yin Wuxin with a cold smile.

“Noble Consort.” He used Yin Wuxin’s title, his tone lacking respect. “This king asked you to quietly consider this king’s proposal, yet you’ve gathered all these men and women in your palace, staying together day and night, disregarding propriety. Do you truly regard the royal rules as nothing, regard this king as nothing?”

“Your Majesty misunderstands.” Yin Wuxin said quietly. “These three are my sect brothers. They heard of Your Majesty’s favor toward me and came to congratulate. They also plan to present Your Majesty with some spirit-calming medicines.”

“Your sect brothers?” Zhan Xin was half-believing, glancing at the three with some jealousy. “The Heavenly Maiden Sect is indeed skilled in preserving youth. Your brothers must be quite old, yet they still have black hair. However, the medicines they present must be examined by the medical supervisors first.”

“Naturally.” Yin Wuxin reached out and pinched Pei Shu.

“What?” Pei Shu glared at her.

“Medicine, just grab any. Poisoned ones are best.” Yin Wuxin’s voice was very low.

“Hehehe, you’ve found the right person.” Pei Shu swished and pulled out a bag from his back, loudly declaring: “The world’s famous medicines are all here. But please treasure them well, Your Majesty – don’t casually let people test the medicines and waste my good stuff.”

“That’s natural.” Zhan Xin finally showed some smile, ordering someone to take the bag. With a glance, someone naturally took the medicine to arrange for testing.

Pei Shu was also smiling, like a fox that had just emerged from its third burrow.

“This lady is…” Zhan Xin had no heart to pursue those so-called sect brothers and eagerly stared at Jing Hengbo’s face to ask.

Before Jing Hengbo could answer, Yin Wuxin already smiled lightly.

“This is my sect sister.”

“Oh, long awaited, long awaited, forgive me, forgive me… wait, your sect sister?”

Zhan Xin’s eyes widened, and Jing Hengbo’s eyes widened too.

Sect sister? You’re forty-eight, I’m your sect sister – are you implying I’m sixty-eight?

Oh no, not implying but stating directly. Yin Wuxin continued: “Sister is a great practitioner of our sect. Though she’s already reached sixty, her beauty and grace still surpass those of youth. Don’t you think so, Your Majesty?”

Indeed, Zhan Xin’s eyes immediately lit up – Jing Hengbo looked even younger than Yin Wuxin, yet was older than her?

“Yes… yes…” He stared at Jing Hengbo soul-lost. It was said that the deeper one’s cultivation in the Heavenly Maiden Sect’s youth-preserving arts, the stronger the benefit to men. This lady who looked sixteen at sixty – wouldn’t she be able to help him return to youth?

Jing Hengbo swept her hair and glanced at Yin Wuxin. She knew what this woman was thinking.

They say women are petty-minded, and it was truly so. Yin Wuxin was stimulated and taking a small revenge, pushing her forward at this moment.

Jing Hengbo didn’t really mind. She wasn’t too confident in Yin Wuxin – whether she could successfully obtain Zhan Xin’s blueprints was questionable, and even if successful, it was hard to say whether Yin Wuxin would take the opportunity to make demands.

Better for her to handle it personally.

“How should I address this senior sister?” Zhan Xin was extremely attentive. “Coming from afar, I failed to welcome you properly. I should treat you well.”

“This old one is called Bo Ji Xiao Si,” Jing Hengbo looked at him kindly, nodded, then looked kindly at Yin Wuxin and smiled. “Actually, this old one isn’t Wuxin’s senior sister, but her grand-aunt. This old one is not sixty this year, but nearly seventy. Wuxin didn’t want to alarm Your Majesty and didn’t want to reveal this old one’s identity, so she had to lie. But seeing Your Majesty’s righteous bearing and noble demeanor, this old one couldn’t bear to deceive such an upright gentleman as Your Majesty, so I speak truthfully. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.” She performed a fake bow.

Yin Wuxin’s snow-white face turned iron blue.

Pei Shu was coughing, struggling hard to suppress his laughter, having to turn away and kick the wall repeatedly as if the wall had offended him.

Ying Bai drank even faster, perhaps trying to wash down all the emotions and words in his belly.

Yelu Qi smiled, staring at Jing Hengbo’s kind face, his gaze flowing and sparkling.

“Ah! I wouldn’t dare! You’re too kind!” Zhan Xin smiled warmly, then laughingly scolded Yin Wuxin. “Why don’t you quickly invite Grand-Aunt to take the seat of honor and serve tea?”

“Your Majesty is so courteous to the worthy, it truly moves Bo Ji. But before Your Majesty, where is there a seat for us?” Jing Hengbo kindly waved her hand, and a stool from the inner room immediately appeared before Zhan Xin. “Please sit first, Your Majesty.”

Zhan Xin was slightly stunned – he hadn’t seen clearly how the stool appeared. Many masters could move objects through the air, but he had never seen it done so smoothly and lightning-fast. This Bo Ji was undoubtedly a master.

He hadn’t really believed Yin Wuxin’s words, but now his doubts were dispelled. After all, Jing Hengbo looked only seventeen or eighteen – at this age she absolutely couldn’t have practiced such profound telekinetic abilities, which required decades of cultivation. Looking at it this way, saying she was sixty or seventy was correct.

Such an exceptional woman must not be let go!

“Grand-Aunt is truly a great master!” Zhan Xin appeared excited, stepping forward to grasp Jing Hengbo’s hand. “Such divine skills, I’ve never seen in my life!”

When his palm touched Jing Hengbo’s hand, it was soft as boneless, delicate and warm. Zhan Xin’s heart stirred, thinking this woman maintained herself so well – even her hands and neck, places that easily revealed a woman’s true age, were delicate and smooth without wrinkles.

Such a woman was a rare treasure. As long as he didn’t think about her age, he could absolutely enjoy all earthly blessings.

He secretly placed his fingers on Jing Hengbo’s wrist pulse and couldn’t help being stunned – this woman actually had no internal energy?

No internal energy meant no danger, and what he had in mind became possible!

Zhan Xin was wildly delighted when he suddenly felt a chill at his back, like thorns piercing, and instinctively turned around.

The guards behind him remained like clay sculptures and wooden carvings. The three “senior brothers” – one picking at the wall, one drinking, one crossing his arms – all had expressionless faces, each more wooden than the last.

It was just an illusion.

When Zhan Xin turned back, Jing Hengbo had already withdrawn her hand and quietly wiped it on her clothes, turning to smile at Yin Wuxin: “This old one has no divine skills. Limited by natural talent, this old one cannot practice martial arts at all. This is just our sect’s spirit transportation technique – merely a trick, not worth everyone’s laughter. Dear granddaughter, don’t you think so?”

Yin Wuxin’s greenish face was turning purple as she nodded through gritted teeth.

Pei Shu snapped off a piece of soft wood from the window lattice, raised his hand and stuffed it in his mouth to chew and swallow – he was afraid he couldn’t help laughing out loud.

Jing Hengbo was truly too wicked! Too unwilling to suffer losses!

Ying Bai continued drinking, his gaze through the wine flask falling coldly on Zhan Xin’s back.

“Ah, that you can’t practice martial arts is wonderful…” Zhan Xin had one less worry and almost let slip his joy, hastily stopping himself. Staring at Jing Hengbo, he rolled his eyes, thinking how to trick this old vixen into bed?

He had already lost interest in Yin Wuxin. He never much liked Yin Wuxin’s cold personality anyway. Now this Bo Ji Xiao Si had higher youth-preserving arts, couldn’t practice martial arts, and had a more gentle and pleasing personality – if not her, then who?

“Your Majesty, your proposal from a few days ago…” Yin Wuxin suddenly spoke.

Zhan Xin was afraid she would speak out and hastily interrupted with a smile: “Noble Consort, since your sect members have come to see you with difficulty, and they’re all elders, we absolutely cannot neglect them. This courtyard is too narrow and crude. How about inviting everyone to move to this king’s Cuihua Palace?”

“Oh my…” Jing Hengbo suddenly sighed, pounding her waist, and said to Yin Wuxin: “Granddaughter, your Zhanyu region is really too cold. These old bones can’t stand this chilling air, my old waist aches so…”

Yin Wuxin gritted her teeth and said stiffly: “Grand-Aunt, this is your old chronic condition from years of cold exposure. More hot compresses with medicine will help.”

Jing Hengbo was very satisfied with her cooperation.

Indeed, Zhan Xin immediately said: “Grand-Aunt caught cold? Oh my, this illness can be mild or severe. We can’t take it lightly. But this chronic cold condition – merely hot compresses treat the symptoms, not the root. This king has a suggestion here, I wonder if Grand-Aunt would be willing?”

“Your Majesty, please tell me.” Jing Hengbo threw him a flirtatious glance.

Her flirtatious glances, having been practiced in the field, always had soul-capturing, spirit-hooking, and crowd-charming effects. Zhan Xin’s expression visibly became dazed for a moment, and he hastily said: “The palace has a hot spring. Originally it was a rare medicinal marsh, later renovated into a bathing pool under a physician’s guidance, with underground fires burned in winter. The pool water stays hot. Using the pool’s temperature to steam the medicinal marsh, and digging channels underneath to pour in various herbal medicines and soups that interact with the medicinal marsh, it has refreshing, body-strengthening, cold-dispelling and dispersing effects. It’s perfect for Grand-Aunt’s old cold condition. Would Grand-Aunt be willing to try?”

Jing Hengbo blinked. “Ah, it sounds quite marvelous. But such a precious pool, how could we commoners enjoy it…”

“Grand-Aunt is pure and jade-like, like a fairy from Mount Guye. If you don’t deserve it, who does?” Zhan Xin said warmly. “Don’t worry, the pool is sealed, with no idle people allowed to enter. You can enjoy it alone to your heart’s content. This king will have the Palace Supervisor arrange it for you shortly.”

Jing Hengbo laughed charmingly. “Then I thank Your Majesty so much.” She beckoned to those three fellows with her hand, smiling: “Good grand-nephews, will you guard for Grand-Aunt?”

The “grand-nephews” had various expressions.

Yelu Qi immediately smiled and bowed: “Willing to serve Grand-Aunt.”

Pei Shu looked like he wanted to jump up, but was pinched at the waist by Ying Bai, so he was busy grimacing while Ying Bai answered for him: “Little junior brother’s meaning is our meaning.”

Yelu Qi, now made the little junior brother, touched his nose, grateful that when Yin Wuxin introduced them she fortunately said they were all senior brothers, otherwise he might accidentally become someone’s grand-nephew or something.

Jing Hengbo sneered at these men’s petty scheming and intrigue.

Zhan Xin squinted at the three, smiled noncommittally, and said: “This king still has some affairs to handle, please excuse me. The Palace Supervisor will come to serve you shortly.” Without staying, he immediately left.

But though he left, the large group of guards he brought didn’t leave. People and weapons remained, still eyeing this group of grand-aunt, senior brothers, and junior brothers like tigers.

After a while, a grand eunuch indeed came to respectfully invite Jing Hengbo to steam in the medicinal marsh. Everyone followed, and Zhan Xin’s remaining large force followed too, watching the “three senior brothers” closely without a step’s distance.

Walking not far, they saw a mountain of stone carved into natural mountain shapes, with old vines and short trees behind it, grass and trees screening it, and even fresh red wild fruits visible – this place must have geothermal heat.

The hot air wasn’t too dense, but had a faint medicinal scent different from hot spring sulfur smell or ordinary herbal smell. Jing Hengbo guessed this was the so-called medicinal marsh.

Dahuang Ze was famous for its marshes, with all kinds of marshes within its borders – some producing medicinal herbs, some producing strange beasts, some poisonous, some fragrant, and some marshes that had healing properties themselves, like this medicinal marsh.

This medicinal marsh should be quite small, but being a marsh, if one wanted to use it safely, the marsh bottom must have been renovated and the foundation reinforced. She just didn’t know exactly how it was renovated.

Jing Hengbo actually really wanted to have a good medicinal bath. She was injured on that snowy night and cold had entered her bones, making her always uncomfortable in cold weather.

The Palace Supervisor eunuch seemed intent on showing off, not leading her directly to the back of the medicinal marsh, but taking her to climb the artificial mountain that blocked the medicinal marsh. When Jing Hengbo asked if she could bring her cat to bathe together, the eunuch politely but firmly refused: “The medicinal marsh is precious and private, always exclusively for His Majesty. Without His Majesty’s permission, not even a bird or beast may enter.”

On the mountaintop, the eunuch pointed at the medicinal marsh below, saying with some pride: “Look, how is this medicinal marsh different from what you saw before?”

Jing Hengbo looked down and saw a pool of strange color below – actually light silver, with light green tints at the edges and pale yellow showing through at the very center. Looking down from above, it was like a round bright silver moon with azure blue halos. Or like a warm jade disc with a ray of warm sunlight passing through.

Very beautiful.

Jing Hengbo was always sensitive to beautiful things. Seeing such a beautiful pool, she felt dazed, as if returning to that swimming pool at the research institute where she had once added a diving board. Back then she had demonstrated the most wonderful diving techniques and forms countless times there, often splashing the tomboy’s face, being mocked by Little Cake for pretending to be a mermaid, then proudly enjoying Little Transparent’s applause.

Suddenly hot currents surged in her chest, and she suddenly wanted a release.

Think it, do it.

She suddenly spread her arms, raised her head, and under the eunuch’s stupefied gaze, took two steps forward, leaped, and jumped!

The three “grand-nephews” below the artificial mountain and countless guards looked up in shock.

They saw a mermaid, in the most eye-dropping posture and most beautiful form, trace a smooth arc in mid-air and fall down.

“Splash.”

Inside and outside the artificial mountain was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The three “grand-nephews” were fine, accustomed to Miss Jing’s unconventional style. Those Zhanyu palace guards had their jaws rolling all over the ground.

The elders of the Heavenly Maiden Sect were so wild and free!

Ying Bai suddenly stepped forward, his expression seeming to wait for something.

At the same time, a cry suddenly exploded from inside.

“Ah ya!”

A pained voice. It was Jing Hengbo’s voice.

“Swoosh” – before everyone could react, Ying Bai had already leaped over the artificial mountain.

“Damn it!” Pei Shu then reacted, slapping his thigh angrily: “Ying Bai! You’re grabbing this too! This is my future wife!”

Yelu Qi’s eyes flashed, and without getting upset or cursing, he silently leaped up.

But being a step late meant being late. Countless shadows flashed in succession, blocking before the artificial mountain, angry shouts rising: “The medicinal pool is a restricted area, entry forbidden without His Majesty’s permission!”

Palm winds clashed with thunderous sounds. Pei Shu and Yelu Qi’s figures were blocked outside the artificial mountain.

…

Jing Hengbo sat by the water’s edge, hugging her calf and rubbing desperately, her face pale green.

Damn it, acting on impulse without considering consequences, not doing warm-up exercises before diving, she got cramps as soon as she hit the pool.

Fortunately her swimming skills were excellent and her endurance was now good too. After crying out once in loss of control, she struggled to turn over and head for shore. First relieve the cramping symptoms.

Her clothes were already wet when she fell in the water. She quickly stripped off her outer garments. Underneath she kept on undergarments made in the style of a tight-fitting short vest and shorts. This was something she had drawn designs for and had Zirui make. She really couldn’t get used to belly bands or the ancient people’s loose, baggy underwear – that kind of clothing always made her feel empty and cold around her belly, constantly wanting to have diarrhea.

People accustomed to tight clothing found it hard to adapt to loose clothing. The short vest and shorts were both black silk, and when wet, they clung tightly to her body, making her snow-white skin even more vivid. She looked down at her snow-white arms and thighs and sighed: “Such beautiful skin, such awesome figure, yet only I can appreciate it alone…”

Before she finished speaking, swoosh – a figure leaped down from above, falling straight toward the pool.

Jing Hengbo was startled and instinctively kicked with her leg, sliding to the pool bottom. She cried out in pain and swallowed a mouthful of water – the muscle she had just rubbed loose cramped again…

Cramping in water was no joke. She hastily struggled, and in her confusion remembered that not long ago, she seemed to have cramped once before. That time the water was very cold, the memory was vague, those arms were very strong, his breath was very fresh, the water spray soaring skyward was very brilliant, her confession on the bridge was very awesome. Mountains and rivers don’t age, time doesn’t age, with heaven as witness and earth as witness, she said she wanted to love someone and let the world know. Finally she was abandoned by the world and finally understood that time, mountains and rivers, heaven and earth, all couldn’t match fate’s cruelty.

She blinked, and liquid seemed to slip from her eyes, silently merging into this rolling hot current, or perhaps it was just pool water all along.

Water doesn’t know when fish are crying – dense embracing is sometimes also a kind of cruelty.

That day in the cold water under the bridge, there had been a figure diving down, like a crane from the high sky, piercing through the bitter ice layer.

There seemed to be sounds above.

She looked up and was surprised to see that at this moment overhead, there was also a figure diving down toward her.

…

Ying Bai swept down from above, his robes fluttering in mid-air. Below, hot air filled the space and he couldn’t see clearly for a moment. Hearing cries of alarm, his heart became anxious. No longer caring about graceful posture or gliding over the water surface to find someone, he fell into the pool with a splash.

As soon as he entered the pool he reached out to grab and search, quickly catching something round, full, with lingering elasticity… He was stunned for a moment, unable to react to what it was, but then immediately understood and his heart thundered. Just as he was about to let go, a foot kicked hard at his knee.

The force wasn’t enough in water and he wasn’t kicked away. His body leaned back, his hand released, but his other hand quickly scooped up, catching that leg bend.

Warm, soft, delicate, floating like clouds – another kind of sensation.

Fine panting sounds by his ear, secretive like whispers. He suddenly felt somewhat dazed, stunned for a moment before raising his hand to wave away the hot air.

Then he saw her.

Her long hair had already loosened, so that the water surface was covered with long hair black and bright as satin. Her face, whether flushed from the hot air or pain from cramping or anger, was a brilliant peach pink. Water drops sparkled on her forehead and lips, flowing like crystals. Her eyes were black and moist, seeming misty with vapor.

Her leg bend was in his hand, and her own posture could only be lying back in the water, half her body above water, showing peaks gathered like mountains, water flowing down the peaks, converging at her willow-thin waist. The curves had both slenderness and abundance, making one worry the abundance might burst and worry the slenderness might break, and worry whether the abundance threatening to burst above such threatening-to-break slenderness might be too much for her to bear. After worrying, one had to marvel at the Creator’s magic and favoritism – how could all the most beautiful lines in the world be gathered in one person’s body? Who knew how much divine attention the Creator concentrated to sketch such curves, achieving His most outstanding work.

He froze in the pool, feeling his heart about to explode, half his body ice-cold and half burning hot, unable to move.