After inviting Aurelian Dragon to sit down, Princess Xiu sat opposite him. She extended her pair of jade-like hands, as white as snow, and gracefully lifted the white jade pot on the table. She tilted the pot slightly, and a transparent, emerald-green stream of water flowed from the spout, carrying a faint yet quite serene charm.
The white jade cup, the clear, emerald-green tea, and the wisp of incense burning on the table—the elegant atmosphere was something even a common man like Aurelian Dragon could deeply appreciate. But what surprised him even more was the stark difference between Princess Xiu's current demeanor and the one he had shown her on the way to Esnia. What had caused such a dramatic change in her?
"Tea serves as wine for guests. This tea comes from the summit of Qifeng Mountain in Wu'an and is extremely rare on the mainland!"
After Princess Xiu put down the white jade pot, she gestured for the child to drink, her movements were very graceful.
Aurelian Dragon gazed at her carefully groomed face and said, "I am a rough man and do not think things through. May I ask what Your Highness needs my assistance with?"
Princess Xiu pursed her cherry-like lips and smiled elegantly, praising, "Lord Aureliand is indeed a quick-witted person, then I will not stand on ceremony!"
A strange feeling suddenly arose in Aurelian Dragon's heart. The princess in front of him seemed to be an unreal existence. Her every smile and gesture gave people a completely different feeling. Why didn't he notice this on the way to Esnia?
"Does Lord Aureliand know? The attack on the Yunyang delegation was carried out by the people of Parri," Princess Xiu said, looking into Aurelian Dragon's eyes with great seriousness. "And their next target is me!"
Aurelian Dragon's body trembled. This news was truly astonishing. How could a weak woman like her know it?
"Where did Your Highness get this information?" Aurelian Dragon's eyes were fixed on Princess Xiu's gaze, carefully observing the changes in her expression. He slowly said, "According to my men's report, it seems to be related to Your Highness's people!"
Princess Xiu looked at Aurelian Dragon in surprise and said decisively, "That's impossible. The guards who came with me to Esnia have been protecting me these past two days. How could they do such a thing? Besides, what benefit would this bring to Wu'an?"
Seeing no other emotion on Princess Xiu's face, Aurelian Dragon regained his composure and asked, "Then, as you said, what benefit would the people of Pali gain from attacking the Yunyang delegation?"
"Pari fears that Fast will use all its strength against them. Fast's military power is so great that it frightens them. More importantly, Pari is suffering from an unprecedented cold wave, which has greatly weakened its national strength. If Fast takes the opportunity to attack at this time, Pari will be unable to resist. After such a major incident, Fast and Yunyang will naturally have a period of negotiation, and the relationship between the two countries will also undergo new changes. If they also destroy the marriage alliance between our two countries, Fast will not be able to concentrate on dealing with Pari for a long time."
Unexpectedly, this woman had such a deep understanding of the situation, and spoke with such clarity and logic. Aurelian Dragon sincerely said, "Your Highness has such sharp insight! You have analyzed the matter so logically. I was truly blind to have missed it."
Princess Xiu understood his implication and shook her head slightly, saying, "Lord Aureliand misunderstands. These views of mine were given to me by my subordinates. They hope to get Lord Aureliand's help to thwart Parri's conspiracy."
A mischievous glint suddenly flashed in Princess Xiu's eyes, and she asked with a smile, "Is Lord Aureliand afraid?"
"joke!"
When it comes to such matters, no man would back down, let alone the notoriously audacious Aurelian Dragon. He resolutely stated, "No such thing happened. It's just that I feel it would damage Her Highness's reputation..."
Princess Xiu chuckled softly and said gently, "I'm not afraid at all. Everyone here is from Wu'an. We all think that Lord Aureliand, who has been escorting us all the way, is the most trustworthy person, so we thought of asking for his help."
"Because we believe that there are many people in Fast who have connections with Parry, especially Gilmans, many of whose men come from Parry."
"It's no big deal!" Aurelian Dragon downed her cup of tea in one gulp. "I'm also investigating the attack on the Yunyang delegation. If Her Highness's people find any clues, please let me know as soon as possible, and I will do my best."
"Thank you!" Princess Xiu looked at Aurelian Dragon gratefully, a slightly embarrassed expression on her face. "I'm so sorry to have troubled you, Lord Aurelian!" With that, she sat up straight, as if she were about to stand up.
"It's alright!" Aurelian Dragon waved her hand generously, knowing that Princess Xiu wanted to see the guest out, but she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. She had thought there was something good going on.
"Actually... actually, we need Lady Aureliand's help right now!"
Princess Xiu suddenly leaned closer, her pink face pressed against Aurelian Dragon's, her breath and fragrance clearly reaching his nose. His nose, always acutely sensitive to women's scents, immediately recognized it as a woman's natural body odor, and Aurelian Dragon was momentarily stunned.
"What...what is it?"
After a long while, Aurelian Dragon finally managed to squeeze out a sentence. It wasn't that he was naive or unsophisticated, but the beautiful woman in front of him kept changing her appearance, making it impossible for him to predict her next move. He had never experienced anything like this before. Coupled with her noble princess status and the fact that she was about to become a wife, Aurelian Dragon was at a loss for what to do.
"Hehe, I need to borrow your identity for a moment."
Princess Xiu's words brought the man, who was momentarily lost in a daze, back to his senses. He could easily guess what those words meant with just a little thought.
"You... are not good..."
Aurelian Dragon suddenly felt a wave of weakness, and the beautiful pink face in front of her began to blur. Gradually, Princess Xiu's voice seemed to drift over from afar.
"I'm so sorry, Lord Aureliand, I'll have to make do with this."
"I've been tricked!" This thought flashed through Aurelian Dragon's mind, and then everything went dark.
Princess Xiu looked at the unconscious Aurelian Dragon with a smug expression, and couldn't help but reach out and pat his face, muttering, "You lecherous man! Now you know how powerful women are, don't you?"
Then she turned and called out, "Come in!" Two maids responded and entered the room, beginning to undress the sleeping man.
Strangely, throughout the entire process, the beautiful princess watched from the sidelines, showing no signs of unease or shyness. Instead, she observed the man's body with considerable interest.
The two maids stripped Aurelian Dragon of his outer garments and left the room with them, but Princess Xiu remained in the room where a half-naked man was lying.
Through her inner garment, one could see Aurelian Dragon's strong physique. Princess Xiu gracefully sat down beside him, displaying the demeanor of a well-bred princess. However, her next action was completely unladylike.
Princess Xiu reached out her small hand and pinched Aurelian Dragon's arm, as if checking his muscles, then nodded and muttered to herself, "Not bad, very strong!"
She probably felt that touching Aurelian Dragon's pectoral muscles through his undershirt was too unexciting, so she simply unbuttoned his undershirt, patted and pinched them, and made an irresponsible comment: "I really didn't expect this man to have the makings of a stud!"
If Aurelian Dragon were conscious in his coma, he would surely find it both funny and frustrating, right? Unfortunately, for now, he can only be examined by his mistress like a stallion.
※ ※ ※
When the bald butler appeared at Jeff's mansion, Jeff was just leaving with his men. Upon seeing that it was Jules Lien who had come in person, Jeff quickly greeted him, "Mr. Lien, it's been a long time!"
Jules smiled slightly and said, "Does Lord Jeft wish to go out?"
Jeff sighed and said, "I don't know which bastard did this, daring to mess with me. I've already sent everyone to investigate, and I just received some news. I want to go and see."
Jules asked with interest, "In that case, may I go with you, sir?"
Upon arriving at the designated destination, the military officer Qiao, who was leading the way, pointed to the farmhouse ahead and said, "Sir, they are all inside!"
Before Jeff could give the order to break down the door, the gate opened and six men and women filed out, each dressed in a martial arts outfit and carrying a sword, appearing calm and composed.
The leader was a woman in her early thirties, not particularly beautiful. However, she had a first-rate figure, with curvaceous curves and an alluring charm. Judging from the intimidating aura she exuded, she was undoubtedly a powerful and influential woman.
"Huh, why is this different from the intelligence?" A hint of doubt flashed in Jeff's eyes. He raised a hand and ordered his men to dismount and form ranks.
A fleeting smile played on the woman's lips as she said mockingly, "You guys came pretty fast! Why didn't you send a few more fools?"
Surprisingly, Jeff didn't get angry. Instead, he stared at the woman with a gloomy expression, sensing a dangerous aura emanating from her.
Qiao waved her military fan and strode up to the woman. "This young lady is quite a sight. What is your background?"
"I don't think it's necessary for someone who's about to die to know these things!" the woman said proudly, as she slowly drew her weapon from her body.
The long, black sword gleamed ominously in the sunlight. Jules, who had remained silent until now, suddenly leaped from his horse, his eyes flashing. "You wretched woman, hiding here!" he cried, his tone filled with menace, sending chills down one's spine.
"You bastard, you want to die..."
A middle-aged man next to the woman was enraged. Seeing this inconspicuous bald middle-aged man so arrogantly coming up to his elders and speaking rudely, he suddenly glared at them and pounced, bringing down a powerful blow with his knife, as if he wanted to cut the bald man in two.
Jules snorted coldly, stepped forward, and simultaneously thrust outward with his palm. The power and speed of this palm strike were astonishing. As soon as the palm was extended, wind and thunder suddenly arose, with a fierce and unrestrained force of immense power, and the air in front of it surged rapidly.
With a loud bang, the middle-aged man who had lunged forward slid backward rapidly, knife and all, his face pale with undisguised shock. Even the two people standing behind him were shaken by the violently explosive force, their clothes fluttering in the wind.
The woman's face twitched slightly as she glared fiercely at Jules, who stood before her. Suddenly, her expression changed, and she raised her sword.
"Good heavens, it's actually the infamous Madman Butcher! I really misjudged him!"
Hearing the woman's cry, everyone's heart tightened. The bald, middle-aged man before them was none other than Tu Yu Le Lian, the madman who had roamed the mainland twenty years ago, a cold-blooded swordsman who killed without hesitation.
Only Joe remained calm and composed, gently waving his military fan, appearing to have everything under control and exuding confidence.
"Mo Yaoji, come up here!" Yu Lelian pointed her hand and said viciously, "I want to know who you bastards are doing this for, daring to be so presumptuous in Esnia."
Mo Yaoji's eyebrows furrowed and her almond-shaped eyes widened. "You were the ones who came to attack us, yet you turn around and accuse us first! Attack!" She brandished her longsword and took a step forward.
Without hesitation, Yu Lelian drew his sword, the flat-headed blade radiating a chilling killing intent. Behind him, Jeff's men also drew their weapons and slowly moved forward.
"Kill!" The woman's shrill scream rang out on the field. Everyone tightened their grip on their weapons. In the life-or-death struggle, only this guy could give them a sense of security.
However, the situation changed unexpectedly. Mo Yaoji and her group, who were supposed to rush forward, suddenly jumped back and flashed into the farmhouse, where the gate slammed shut.
"Damn woman!"
Upon seeing this, Yu Lelian cursed and followed closely behind, brandishing her knife. In just a few leaps, she arrived at the gate of the farmhouse.
With a whistle, a hail of arrows rained down from the left and right. Jeft's men had no time to react before they were hit and fell to the ground. The neat square formation was instantly riddled with holes, and the scene was a complete mess.
Enraged, Yu Lelian shattered the farmhouse gate with a single blow. From the whistling sound of the flying door, two strangely emitting fireballs shot out. The bluish flames seemed to belong to another world, and the ghostly howls they emitted during flight were unsettling, causing one's energy to stagnate and making it difficult to concentrate.
"Damn it, it's a magic arrow!"
Yu Lelian hurriedly twirled his blade in front of him, deflecting the terrifying attack. Ordinary weapons would struggle to withstand the magic rockets, but his ghost-headed blade, which had consumed countless lives, possessed an incredibly terrifying killing intent and vengeful spirit, enough to withstand any magical attack.
Two magical arrows, powerful enough to send a master to hell, burst apart and scattered before the net of blades, transforming into countless streaks of light and lightning. The flames that landed on the ground burned for a long time, emitting a pungent odor, and even burned a deep crater in the ground. One can imagine what it would be like if they landed on a person.
The ruthless and monstrous Butcher was indeed formidable. He effortlessly caught two magical poison rockets, enough to defeat even one ordinary expert, leaving his hidden enemies terrified. Due to their momentary overconfidence and misjudgment of the enemy's strength, they now had no choice but to find another way.
But Jeff's men weren't so lucky. After the second volley of arrows, few of Jeff's men remained. However, they didn't suffer too much loss. Jeff and Joe, flanking him, transformed into a whirlwind and rushed into the farmhouses on either side, killing the ambushing enemies house by house.
With their skills, dealing with these ordinary archers was like tigers among sheep; screams of agony echoed from both sides. A long howl came from outside, and the remaining archers began to retreat.
When Yu Lelian rushed into the farmhouse, Mo Yaoji and her people had already disappeared. Mo Yaoji's words could be heard from afar.
"This is a warning. If your people don't follow the rules again, even more people will die next time!"
Back in the arena, Jeff looked at Yu Lelian and said, "So you are a master who has roamed the world. Jeff has no idea how great you are!"
Yu Lelian smiled and said to Qiao, "I never knew you had such strength. Did you discover their background?"
Joe tossed one of the archers to the ground. "These guys are all from the lowest ranks; they have no idea what's going on. But was that woman really Mo Yaoji?"
Yu Lelian said with certainty, "There's no mistake, I will never forget her eyes! This woman is definitely the Peach Blossom Demoness Mo Xiufang."
"Then there's no need to say more. As far as I know, she has already joined the Third Prince's faction, and these guys should be the Third Prince's men!"
Yu Lelian said "Oh!" and stared into Qiao's eyes, asking, "Are you sure about your information?"
"That's right!" Jeff chimed in from the side. "Peach Blossom Fairy's lover is Qi Yuda. That guy is the Third Prince's right-hand man and has always been in charge of handling western affairs."
A cold glint flashed in Yu Lelian's eyes. "Since that's the case, our objective is now very clear." Jeff and Joe nodded together and said, "We hope that you will go back and report to Lord Zuo Zai. This matter is not something we can decide."
※ ※ ※
Princess Xiu tapped Aurelian Dragon on the head and then slapped him hard on the body. "You used to be so arrogant, but now you're like a dead pig. Still so arrogant?"
"Woman, what are you saying?"
A strange sound suddenly appeared in the previously quiet room. It was a man's voice, but it was very strange, as if it was coming from a confined space.
Princess Xiu was startled. She had already ordered everyone to stay away, so how could there be another man's voice coming from here? She looked around but didn't see anyone. Just as she was wondering, the voice rang out again.
"Silly woman, where are you looking? I'm right here!"
Princess Xiu jumped up. This time she heard it clearly; it was coming from the unconscious Aurelian Dragon. But strangely, she didn't seem to notice Aurelian Dragon's mouth moving. What was going on?
"It's so stuffy! I finally have a chance to come out and get some fresh air!"
Aurelian Dragon's eyelids slowly moved, and then she sat up, her open eyes emitting two dark beams of light with a hint of green.
"What's going on?" Princess Xiu couldn't believe her eyes. She stared blankly at Aurelian Dragon, who had stood up. He had actually woken up on his own after drinking her "Heavenly Breath Tea"? Could it be that Aurelian Dragon hadn't fallen for her trap and was deliberately toying with her? But just a moment ago, this man seemed to have been completely unconscious!
In her moment of panic, Princess Xiu failed to notice that the Aurelian Dragon before her was different from the one before he fell into a deep sleep. At this moment, Aurelian Dragon's eyes held a strange look, a wild and terrifying aura, and he exuded a chilling presence.
As the Aurelian Dragon slowly approached her, a strange smile appeared on his lips. Princess Xiu, regaining her senses, felt her heart pounding wildly, and an ominous premonition immediately took hold of her.
"Come..."
Princess Xiu turned and ran outside, screaming at the same time. But she did not expect Aurelian Dragon to become so fast. Before she had even turned halfway, Aurelian Dragon was already in front of her, reaching out and grabbing her neck, silencing her.
Princess Xiu used both hands to grab Aurelian Dragon's arm, pushing and twisting, but she couldn't move it an inch.
"Little woman, you've got some nerve!"
Aurelian Dragon spoke harshly, shoving Princess Xiu against the wall. Feeling the terrifying heat emanating from Aurelian Dragon's exposed chest, Princess Xiu was terrified, but she knew that only she could save herself now. Suppressing her panic, Princess Xiu gathered all her strength and struck Aurelian Dragon's bare chest with a powerful palm strike.
With a loud "bang!", like striking a strong drum, her true energy seemed to vanish without a trace, having no effect on Aurelian Dragon at all.
"How dare you attack me, a god?" Aurelian Dragon's face drew close to Princess Xiu's pink cheek. "I will punish you!"
Princess Xiu was terrified upon hearing the ominous meaning in Aurelian Dragon's words. However, what puzzled her at the same time was the strange sweetness in Aurelian Dragon's breath, which gave her a very peculiar feeling.
"Help!"
Princess Xiu suddenly realized that the pressure on her neck had been relieved and she could speak again, so she immediately shouted loudly.
"Little woman, go ahead and scream as much as you want!" Aurelian Dragon chuckled, his eyes growing even darker. "This place is already under my control; your screaming won't make a difference!"
Princess Xiu felt darkness envelop her. She knew that a large number of guards should have rushed in long ago when she heard her own cries, but there was not a sound at all. It seemed that she and this terrifying man were the only ones in the entire pavilion.
"God, please save me!" This was all the woman, who had never believed in God, could do at this moment. But the man in front of her coldly declared, "I am God, so you'd better order something else!"
What on earth is going on? The usually calm woman felt her mind was completely confused. Was she dreaming or was this really happening?