He immediately tightened his arms around her, without a trace of his usual hesitation. His chin rested on top of her head, gently rubbing, a sigh condensing in his throat, wanting to emerge but not emerging.

His heart also felt slightly sour and swollen, with faint joy, shallow relief, light melancholy, and countless tender feelings.

The joy came from gradually sensing this worldly affection and mortal warmth, like turning a corner and suddenly seeing brightness ahead—after a lifetime of snow-white desolation, finally glimpsing the brilliant April scenery of peach blossoms in the human world.

The relief came from initially feeling somewhat displeased when he learned of these obsessions of hers. His life seemed to possess the whole world, but was actually pale and cramped. After being filled with her brightness, it could no longer accommodate anything else, nor could it tolerate that in her life there were still places for others. He only wished that in her world, there would be nothing but him. But now he suddenly felt that her heart holding these beautiful people and things, having concerns and attachments, was also good. It could let her still have past events to smile about when remembering them during hardships and setbacks, could let her still have a firm direction to seek when lost and confused, could let her still have shoulders to rely on and support if she ever lost him, so she wouldn’t be left in complete emptiness.

The melancholy came from only being able to give her a beautiful scene now, ultimately unable to truly bring those three people before her. The tenderness came from her being in his arms—this woman who had been tempered and refined countless times and recently showed almost no sign of weakness, yet at this moment her posture was still dependent, soft, completely trusting and leaning on him. No matter how strong she had been forged on the outside, in the depths of her heart, what was always awakened was still that woman who used a languid facade to hide her inner loneliness and uncertainty.

He only regretted not being able to give her more.

He only regretted his embrace not being warm enough.

He only wanted to hold her tighter and tighter at this moment, using the strength of his tight embrace to tell her that all kindness and concerns would naturally receive heaven’s care.

Jing Hengbo felt this strength and sighed comfortably, pressing her face closer into his embrace. At this time she couldn’t be bothered with putting up an act or being difficult—she had to seize the opportunity to enjoy his initiative and gentleness first.

Heaven knew that next time he might run away again for some reason. When she could catch him, she definitely had to thoroughly knead and work him over, like kneading a lump of tough dough with all her strength until it rose up light and fluffy.

She felt he was already becoming somewhat enlightened. His embrace was no longer always somewhat stiff as before, appearing soft and relaxed, his hands also naturally resting at her waist. She intentionally or unintentionally pressed her chest closer against him, feeling him tremble, but the unconscious slight retreating motion from before was gone.

Jing Hengbo felt pleased in her heart, also somewhat wistful—how good it would have been if he’d become enlightened earlier. Back then she wouldn’t have needed to go to such trouble. Now that he was enlightened, they couldn’t even sleep together.

Outside there were already sounds of commotion, probably because seeing the two of them staying behind the black curtain for so long seemed quite strange. Jing Hengbo heard Pei Shu’s somewhat impatient footsteps circling the curtain several times, estimating he would soon run out of patience and barge in.

She got up, wiped away her tear traces, and smiled at Gong Yin. Gong Yin, somewhat reluctant and regretful, got up and lifted the curtain.

The people outside had various expressions. Pei Shu’s face was full of anger, Yélu Qi looked slightly disappointed. Jing Hengbo looked at the expectant expressions of the crowd below and only then remembered this husband selection still needed a result.

She looked at Gong Yin apologetically. No matter what, she had to keep Yélu Qi—there were too many questions to ask.

Gong Yin saw her look and understood her meaning, curving his lips, not wanting to fuss at this moment.

He had no heart to compete for this “royal consort” position anyway. Apart from the most important place in her heart, everything else could be ignored. His coming out to disrupt things certainly had the reason of finding those people unpleasant, but more so because he felt her actions were suspicious and wanted to know the reason, and because he felt those people’s motives were impure and might bring her danger, so he wanted to eliminate them for her.

Her actions just now had already explained everything. Why care about other empty titles? Jing Hengbo was naturally kind-hearted—it would be impossible for her to ignore Yélu Qi who had returned from tribulations.

Just… he frowned slightly. It seemed someone’s position in her heart was still quite important…

Seeing his complicated expression, Jing Hengbo wanted to laugh. Gong Yin was becoming more and more humanly warm now. His iceberg-like demeanor was showing cracks, and she could already easily glimpse the various changes in his inner emotions.

Just as he had learned to understand that loving each other required mutual understanding, that love needed to know how to fulfill, he was walking closer to the mortal world, closer to her.

“Everyone,” she said in good spirits, “today’s husband selection results…”

Beside her, Gong Yin suddenly frowned, then Pei Shu also turned around to look toward the crowd outside. Yélu Qi, in poor spirits, was a beat slower, raising his head as if listening to something.

Jing Hengbo alertly stopped speaking and looked at the three men. She had given her Bright Moon Heart to Gong Yin and no longer had the sharp hearing and sight from when she cultivated qi, but these three were masters. When all three simultaneously showed expressions of “something’s not right,” it meant there was definitely trouble.

She looked around and found that the Luoyun officials had suddenly disappeared.

Shadows flashed as Tian Qi and Seven Kills had already swept out to investigate. Jing Hengbo wondered if it was people arranged by the Eastern Palace and Prince Fushui who had received orders to take action. Thinking again, she felt it unlikely—Prince Fushui and the Eastern Palace were too busy fleeing now to have time to manage this.

Soon Tian Qi returned and whispered, “There’s a procession approaching outside with many guards, probably some noble passing through, dispersing the common people.”

Then Jing Hengbo saw the Luoyun officials squeeze back through the crowd. The lead Ritual Department Minister wiped the sweat from his face and smiled apologetically, “Your Majesty, our Great King heard that the arena here was exciting and suddenly had the whim to come congratulate the Queen. What do you think…”

Only then did Jing Hengbo feel relieved, smiling, “The Great King is too kind. In that case, I’ll go greet him.”

“Please announce the royal consort selection first,” the official said. “The people are still waiting, otherwise they won’t disperse…”

Jing Hengbo found these words somewhat strange, then thought that it was indeed late and having crowds gathered in the streets was dangerous. So while walking down toward the stage to greet Ge Shen, she casually pointed at Yélu Qi with a smile, “Today’s royal consort selection—let’s first decide on one candidate, him…”

…

It was already late. Outside Luoyun City, after a period of chaos, the four great camps gradually returned to calm.

To shirk responsibility and avoid being attacked by Luoyun’s two camps, the Queen’s Guard Battalion of the Crosshaft Army had already retreated ten li, choosing a safe place to make camp anew.

The Fushui Guard Battalion was in chaos, with many people still scattered in the mountains, whereabouts unknown.

When night fell, dotted starfire lit up on the mountains and below—these were Luoyun and Fushui remnants using torches to summon scattered soldiers.

On the mountain paths came the sound of heavy breathing.

“Huff huff huff… see those torches?”

“I see them, Your Highness.” The answering voice was melodious and charming. “These should be our people, right? Should we also follow the lights down the mountain? I still have a fire starter.”

“Don’t be so rash yet,” Wu Weiyan’s voice had become hoarse after half a day of desperate flight. “Can’t tell if they’re our Fushui people or Crosshaft people. Never mind the Crosshaft Army—even if they’re Luoyun troops, we can’t blindly trust them now. Who knows if they’ve reached some deal with the Queen… You go find the nearest torch first and see if they’re our people. If they’re ours, help me go join them. If not, we’ll have to keep hiding.”

“Yes,” the woman’s eyes glinted in the darkness, her smile gentle, seemingly not finding it improper for a man to drive a weak woman to walk mountain paths in this wilderness. She even took out a silk handkerchief, found a tree trunk for Wu Weiyan, spread the handkerchief properly, and helped him sit down, saying, “Your Highness rest here, I’ll go and return quickly.”

Wu Weiyan waved impatiently, then suddenly added, “Remember to find some food.”

The woman smiled in agreement and gracefully walked away. Wu Weiyan watched her graceful silhouette while rubbing his aching legs, smiling with satisfaction as he thought this picked-up beauty was truly a delightful person—gentle and considerate, loyal and reliable, able to endure hardship and suffering. During this half day of fleeing mountain paths, even he, a martial-practicing man, felt he couldn’t take it, yet she could still hold up…

Thinking this, he suddenly froze, feeling something seemed wrong.

His muddled brain was unclear like a tangled knot. He held his forehead, trying to think, when suddenly he saw the woman ahead turn around and give him a brilliant smile.

He stared blankly, only feeling this smile was brilliant and beautiful, unconsciously returning her smile, but then saw the woman, still smiling, suddenly draw a bow from behind her.

The bow was enormous, a true iron-bodied giant bow, even the arrows thicker than others by three parts. In the darkness it was mounted before the woman, the arrowhead cold as an eagle’s eye.

Wu Weiyan was stunned, at this moment actually thinking an irrelevant question—she had always worn thin clothes that couldn’t hide anything, where did this bow come from?

This bow was originally hidden behind the trees here!

Kexin had led him here!

Then where he was sitting now…

Wu Weiyan wanted to jump up like someone had bitten his bottom.

But he couldn’t jump up, because his bottom really was bitten.

What he sat on had been the beauty’s silk handkerchief, but now it was like a poisoned, glued thorn mat, burning and stinging his skin while sticking to his bottom. His legs were powerless, and for a moment he couldn’t struggle up.

Behind him, scaly bark peeled away, and from behind the old pine surrounded by shrubs, two hands suddenly reached out, holding a wide cloth strip that suddenly looped around his neck!

Wu Weiyan struggled in great alarm, his feet frantically kicking the ground, sending dirt flying, but the force strangling his neck remained constant—neither too tight to kill him nor too loose to free him, as if just wanting to keep him in place.

In the intervals of struggling, Wu Weiyan still clearly saw that across from him, Kexin was drawing the bow!

Unhurried and composed, her posture leisurely—he could even feel the calm smile in her eyes.

Such a heavy bow was difficult to draw. Except for a few specialists in this way, few people could use this bow to shoot quick arrows.

A pale moon wandered among the dense forest mountain paths, its light appearing and disappearing. The wandering torches in the distant darkness now seemed like ghost fires from the netherworld. Wu Weiyan couldn’t call for help nor save himself. His hands clawed frantically in the air but only grasped cold air. Behind him came even colder laughter. He despairingly saw the iron arrow plated with cold moonlight suddenly flash.

“Whoosh.”

The heavy bow’s arrow was swift as breaking wind.

The extreme speed black light was like lightning, swallowed by darkness.

Before the arrow arrived, the person behind Wu Weiyan suddenly pulled away the cloth strip and yanked away the poisoned handkerchief beneath Wu Weiyan.

Wu Weiyan instinctively rose to flee, in a forward-leaning posture.

The next instant came a “thud” as the arrowhead shot forth.

Wu Weiyan’s body went rigid.

In a flash, blood light like red cherry blossoms.

The arrow pierced his throat, then shattered the throat bone, still penetrating half a foot into wood, almost piercing through that century-old tree.

The fresh blood didn’t even manage to spurt out, but flowed backward along the shattered throat bone into the pine tree’s interior. The pale tree flesh was a mess of red.

If this tree could still live next year, who knew if peeling the bark would reveal a pale red trunk.

A black shadow slowly emerged from behind the tree.

Across from him, Kexin was methodically putting away the bow, hissing and gasping as she did.

“The Zuoqiu family’s heavy bow really isn’t something ordinary people can handle. I heard Zuo Qiu Mo can use this bow to instantly shoot three arrows in one step—truly incredible.”

Her web of her hand was already torn by the arrow’s shock, covered in fresh blood. She kept blowing on it while shaking her head continuously, “If you hadn’t used the cloth strip to hold him there, I couldn’t have shot this arrow within five steps.”

“If you don’t have the skill, looking the part works too.” The man slowly coiled up the cloth strip and bent to examine Wu Weiyan’s wound, saying with satisfaction, “We overthought it. We were worried the cloth strip would leave marks and arouse suspicion, so we specially chose such a wide strip. Didn’t expect this arrow to be so heavy—this guy’s whole neck is shattered.”

Kexin studied Wu Weiyan’s posture. He maintained a forward-leaning position even in death. She nodded, “Your timing was perfect. Releasing him the instant the arrow arrived, he was nailed dead the instant he stood up. Besides the Zuoqiu family, whose family has such heavy arrows? Besides the Zuoqiu family, whose family uses such heavy arrows and can still instantly kill enemies, leaving opponents no chance to escape?”

The man smiled contemptuously, “Of course. In this world, who can match the Princess in planning?”

“Very soon,” Kexin said leisurely, “Zuo Qiu Mo will know that sheltering under the Queen’s command will still bring troubles. The Queen will also know that a ruler’s position is not enough for her to protect everyone, including Zuo Qiu Mo and herself.”

In the night wind, under the cold moon, before Wu Weiyan’s corpse, the two smiled at each other.

…

Jing Hengbo pointed toward Yélu Qi. That Luoyun official’s eyes flashed, then he bowed with a smile, “Then this humble official should properly pay respects.” He said this while leading the group of subordinate officials behind him who had been bowing and hunching their backs, walking toward Yélu Qi.

Jing Hengbo’s attention at this time was outside, because with the procession leading the way and people making way, Ge Shen had arrived.

As she went to greet Ge Shen, Pei Shu and Gong Yin’s attention naturally followed her.

Jing Hengbo had just walked down a few steps from the stage when she suddenly heard a loud crash behind her.

She turned around abruptly.