Chapter 337
In the distance, two individuals sparring stood suspended in mid-air.
The wind blew and snow fell, scattering snowflakes across the ground. The robes worn by the two were covered in snow.
A bone-chilling cold permeated the surroundings.
Yet, strangely, a warm, sun-like energy emanated from Nangong Mo.
The snowflakes that landed on his robes instantly melted and vanished.
Lu Zhu, holding an oiled paper umbrella, hurried over to shield Gu Qianying from the wind and snow.
Gu Qianying looked up at the two figures not far away.
When she felt it was about time, she stood up, carrying two jars of wine. With a leap, she flew towards Nangong Mo.
"After fighting for so long, aren't you thirsty?"
She threw the wine jars in her arms to Nangong Mo and Ouyang Qinglin respectively.
Turning, she casually took the wine from Lu Zhu's embrace.
The three did not land, instead settling on the branches of a tree. Nangong Mo and Gu Qianying sat together.
Ouyang Qinglin sat on the other side.
The three, each holding a jar of wine, conversed and laughed. Among them, not a single word was spoken of romance.
Amidst their laughter and the whistling wind, they drank, discussing everything under the sky, the land, the future, and their ambitions.
A moment later, Gu Qianying became somewhat intoxicated.
Nangong Mo wrapped an arm around her and carried the drunken Gu Qianying back to the room.
His pristine white robe fluttered in the wind as he held his beloved.
Nangong Mo was in a very good mood.
His subordinates, Old Man Guo and Old Man Wu, those two old fellows, were very diligent.
On that day, they prepared a clean bridal chamber.
With red silk bedding, sprinkled with seeds for early childbirth, and prepared for the wedding night wine.
They had even prepared some kidney-tonifying medicinal soup for their Lotus Emperor.
The two old men had been busy and happy all night.
However… Nangong Mo merely carried Gu Qianying back to the room, gently placed her on the bed, turned, and closed the door before leaving.
Outside the room, by the tree, Old Man Guo and Old Man Wu glared at each other.
"What's going on?" Old Man Wu was perplexed.
Old Man Guo was also bewildered: "I don't know? Could it be that our Lotus Emperor has some physical issues?"
"Didn't we prepare the kidney-tonifying soup? Still not enough?"
"Perhaps… there are other problems."
"Impotence?"
"It's over. If that's truly the case, when will we be able to hold a little Lotus Emperor?"
"No, no, I must go and research medical texts, think of a solution. This old man doesn't believe that even 'impotence' cannot be cured?"
"Wait for me, I'll go find some bull's penis and the like to give you as medicine."
The two old men busied themselves again.
Little did they know, after the two left.
A pair of eyes, hidden in a secret corner, gleamed as these two old men departed.
Emerging from the shadows, the person walked out.
"Impotent? Heh, what a coincidence, this Evil King's body is exceptionally robust."
The Evil King, clad in a black robe, blended with the night.
As he pushed open the door and entered, the faint candlelight within illuminated him.
Outside the city, in the desolate mountains and wilderness, it was pitch black.
Two white horses stood close together.
On horseback, Murong Fu wore a white robe, his gaze was clear and cold.
Ouyang Qinglin still wore his imperial python robe, his phoenix eyes exuding a demonic charm.
He was not followed by anyone.
Nangong Mo was the same.
Nangong Li rode over, and after stopping, he cupped his hands in a polite greeting.
"Have a smooth journey!"
He placed all the items he had brought into a bundle and casually handed them to Nangong Mo.
Nangong Mo, in turn, tossed them into Ouyang Qinglin's arms, his tone arrogant: "Scram!"
Taking the bundle handed to him by Nangong Mo, Ouyang Qinglin said nothing.
He merely glanced back at Nangong Mo and Nangong Li a few times.
Nangong Li, being perceptive, turned his horse and left.
The items had been delivered; his mission was complete.
Nangong Li, usually not fond of seriousness and with a roguish demeanor, was uncharacteristically composed at this moment.
Although he did not like to meddle in court affairs, he was, after all, the Sixth Prince of the Eastern Victory Kingdom.
Not meddling did not mean he did not care.
The new emperor was still an infant. Although the country was peaceful and the people lived in comfort and contentment,
It was still inappropriate to keep a foreign prince in their kingdom.
Ouyang Qinglin's departure was for the best for everyone.
The night wind whispered, cold and sharp.
The surroundings were so quiet that only the chirping of a few crickets could be heard.
"Take good care of her. If you make her sad, I'll come back and snatch her away!"
Ouyang Qinglin finally uttered these words and galloped away.
His red robe billowed in the wind, and his retreating figure grew smaller.
Nangong Mo tightened the reins and turned to leave.
As he rode with his subordinates along the border of the Eastern Victory Kingdom, they encountered an ambush by people in strange attire.
Those individuals were wrapped tightly from head to toe, revealing only their eyes. Their martial arts were not those of ordinary people.
They used dark arts.
They wielded large sabers, and each of them was tall and burly.
The leader's voice was rough. He placed his saber against Ouyang Qinglin's neck: "The Grand Tutor of the Eastern Victory Kingdom, and the Prince of the Xia Kingdom, you are nothing more than this. Guards, take him away and hand him over to the Demon Emperor for judgment."
"Master, release my master!"
Ouyang Qinglin's subordinate had an arm severed.
Despite this, he only cared about his master.
"I'm fine."
With just three words, Ouyang Qinglin steadied his subordinate.
The man's eyes were red, and he endured the pain, looking at his master, who never admitted defeat, and he now intensely hated the woman who had ruined him – Gu Qianying!
If it weren't for this woman, how could his master no longer be the Grand Tutor, nor the Prince of the Xia Kingdom?
In the past, their goal was to unite with their people within the Xia Kingdom, control the future emperor of the Eastern Victory Kingdom, Nangong Qi, and never to seek profit for their Xia Kingdom, preparing to become a future king of Xia.
However, his master fell in love with a woman he shouldn't have.
And even ruined his own future because of such a woman.
He also destroyed years of foundation.
And now he has been captured by unknown individuals.
Utterly disgraced, such an outcome was all thanks to that woman, Gu Qianying.
How could he not hate her?
On the way to being captured, Ouyang Qinglin used self-harm to divert the attention of the black-clad men, never giving his subordinate Meng Yi a chance to escape.
Meng Yi was his newly promoted personal attendant, and only Meng Yi was willing to follow him when he had nothing.
With such loyalty, he did not wish for Meng Yi to die with him.
Sitting in the iron cage, ignoring the wound in his abdomen that he had inflicted upon himself and was still bleeding.
Ouyang Qinglin looked at the figure that had long since disappeared in the distance.
A faint smile played on his lips.
He had given up many things for his heart.
In the past, he had said that he would lead these people to destroy foreign countries, strengthen their own, and become kings, promising that upon the completion of their great cause.
Everyone would be heroes who built the nation, and they would be admired by the citizens of Xia.
These ambitions were ultimately unfulfilled.
If it were due to his lack of ability, it would be understandable, but he gave up due to selfish reasons.
Ultimately, he had let down the brothers who had followed him through thick and thin.
And now, if he could give Meng Yi a chance to escape and protect himself, what did it matter if he harmed himself?
His heart was dead; the rest of his life was merely that of a walking corpse.
To be captured by whom, and to be killed by whom.
For him, it no longer mattered.
He raised his phoenix eyes and looked at the white, cloudy sky.
Occasionally, a few wild geese flew by.
Ouyang Qinglin seemed to see the beautiful face of his beloved woman.
The wound in his abdomen was still bleeding, but it seemed he felt no pain.
He did not stop the bleeding, nor did he care.
As too much blood was lost, he eventually fainted due to weakness.
Before losing consciousness, he seemed to see "Gu Qianying" smiling at him.
He laboriously raised his weak arm, wanting to touch "Gu Qianying's" face.
But as he struggled to lift it, he finally fainted completely.
The black-clad men who had pursued them saw that Meng Yi had already escaped without a trace.
And their target was Ouyang Qinglin; they did not care about anyone else.
Thus, the black-clad men who had pursued them, upon not finding their target, gave up the chase.
"Boss, he's fainted from excessive bleeding. If this continues, he'll die. Boss, what should we do?"
The leader of these black-clad men looked back at Ouyang Qinglin in the iron cage.
He frowned and ordered, "Stop his bleeding. Keep him alive; our master wants him alive!"
"Yes!"
The group gradually moved away.
Hiding behind a large stone amidst overgrown weeds, Meng Yi clutched the bleeding wound on his severed arm.
His face was pale as he watched the departing black-clad men.
"Master, wait for me!"