The Desolate Marsh
Xue Changan's expression was grim as he looked at the man below. He stood up, walked down, and said coldly, with a hint of anger, "Fan Min, if it weren't for you, my plan might still be in motion. Now? It's all because of you..."
"Fan Min is guilty, and I beg His Majesty to punish me!" Fan Min lowered his head.
"You are indeed guilty," Xue Changan said angrily.
Fan Min knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "I beg His Majesty to punish me!"
"I could kill you with a flick of my wrist, but if I kill you, Xue Zining will still be living freely. This is something I cannot tolerate," Xue Changan gritted out, his words squeezed from between his teeth.
Fan Min raised his head and looked at Xue Changan, "What does Your Majesty intend to do?"
"Soul transference," Xue Changan said to Fan Min, word by word.
Fan Min's gaze flickered slightly. "Your Majesty, soul transference carries certain risks. I beg Your Majesty to reconsider."
Xue Changan looked at him. "Don't you want to give the one you love a complete corpse?"
Fan Min subconsciously lowered his head and looked at the bottle he wore on his chest. Here was Xin'er's soul.
"It's settled then. The time is set for the full moon next month," Xue Changan said.
Fan Min replied, "Yes."
After Fan Min left, Xue Changan summoned Xue Yu. "Has Xue Zining left the Flower Kingdom?"
Xue Yu replied, "Not yet."
"Has the King of the Northern Territories agreed?" Xue Changan asked.
Xue Yu answered, "No message has been received."
Xue Changan frowned and said coldly, "You go to the Northern Territories. If the King of the Northern Territories does not agree to surrender, kill him!"
Xue Yu nodded. "Your subordinate will depart for the Northern Territories immediately."
After watching Xue Yu leave, Xue Changan finally said, "Do we have leads?"
A person appeared before him. "Your Majesty, two people have been apprehended."
"Do not act rashly. They are my last trump card."
"Your Majesty, shouldn't we inform Lord Xue?"
Xue Changan heard this and said, "No need. It's better for him if he doesn't know about some things."
Xue Zining arrived at the study and saw Hua Yun Jin holding a slip of paper. She stepped forward and asked, "May I ask why Your Highness has summoned me?"
Hua Yun Jin handed the slip of paper over. Xue Zining took it and her brow furrowed.
Xue Changan had actually sent Xue Yu to the Northern Territories.
"Zining, what do you intend to do?" Hua Yun Jin asked.
Xue Zining looked up at him and said, "Since Your Highness has given me this information, you must know that I will definitely go to the Northern Territories."
Hua Yun Jin appeared understanding. "I will accompany you."
Xue Zining was slightly taken aback. "That would be excellent!"
Hua Yun Jin had not expected Xue Zining to not object. He thought that after what had happened before, she would no longer trust him.
Perhaps sensing Hua Yun Jin's confusion, Xue Zining slowly said, "I am willing to trust you."
Hua Yun Jin lowered his gaze. After a long moment, he said, "Thank you, Zining."
Leaving Hua Yun Jin's study, Wen Nuan behind her couldn't help but ask, "You trust him just like that?"
Xue Zining looked up at Wen Nuan and said lightly, "Otherwise? Who else can I trust now?"
Wen Nuan was stunned. She tried to contact the楼主 (Lou Zhu - Lord of the Pavilion), but unfortunately, she did not receive any information. Perhaps for safety, the Lou Zhu had erased all their traces.
Indeed, there was no other option but to trust the Crown Prince of the Flower Kingdom, as Xue Changan's men were still watching them closely.
"Go and pack. We depart for the Northern Territories tomorrow."
Wen Nuan nodded. "Alright, I'll go pack now."
"Who? Come out?" Xue Zining said coldly. She had sensed someone there moments ago.
A person landed before her. She was slightly startled. This man was in a sorry state, with shocking wounds on his body. "Are you..."
"Mo Yuan, he's Mo Yuan..." a voice in her mind spoke.
"You... are Mo Yuan?" Xue Zining asked.
Mo Yuan nodded. "It's me. Are you Princess An Ning?"
Xue Zining replied, "Yes and no."
Mo Yuan looked at the girl before him. Although she bore some resemblance to Princess An Ning, he could be sure she was not Princess An Ning.
"Where is Princess An Ning?" Mo Yuan asked.
He had tracked Princess An Ning using the tracking powder unique to their hidden guards, only to discover that the girl before him was not Princess An Ning.
"I am An Ning, and An Ning is me," Xue Zining said.
Mo Yuan frowned. The girl before him indeed possessed the tracking powder he had left for Princess An Ning.
"Please raise your hand," Mo Yuan said.
Xue Zining raised her hand. Mo Yuan took out his hand, and a point of faint blue light simultaneously appeared in both their palms.
"This is..." Xue Zining had never noticed this before.
Mo Yuan explained, "This is the tracking powder unique to the hidden guards of the State of An. Once sprinkled, it is imprinted onto the soul and cannot be removed by any means."
Xue Zining watched the blue light in her palm gradually disappear and asked, "Does this prove I am Princess An Ning?"
Mo Yuan nodded. "Yes. Mo Yuan does not know why Your Highness has changed her appearance, but since it is confirmed that you are Princess An Ning, Mo Yuan will protect you by your side."
Xue Zining looked at Mo Yuan and his disheveled state. She could finally ask, "Were you robbed?"
Mo Yuan's expression turned unpleasant at the question. "It's nothing, I just encountered something disgusting."
"Were you in the Desolate Marsh before? Did you hear any useful news?" Xue Zining asked.
Mo Yuan replied, "Xue Changan intends to obtain the corpse of the former Empress of the Desolate Marsh through soul transference, but it requires the full moon night for the transference."
"Why is the full moon night necessary?"
Mo Yuan continued, "On the night of the full moon, the former Empress's corpse will be less resistant."
Xue Zining fell silent. There was still a month until the next full moon. She needed to resolve matters in the Northern Territories within this month.
At that time, it would be the moment for a true decisive battle with Xue Changan.
"During your time in the palace, did Xue Changan trouble the Crown Prince of the Xue Kingdom?"
Mo Yuan shook his head. "He did not."
Xue Zining felt that Mo Yuan seemed uncomfortable whenever she mentioned Xue Changan.
"Since you've returned, go and rest properly!" Xue Zining said.
Mo Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Heaven knew how much he needed to wash himself.
Thinking of Xue Changan, who, drunk that day, had grabbed his hand and almost... he felt sick to his stomach.
Speaking of which, the culprit was the Crown Prince of the Xue Kingdom, Xue Jingyun. If not for him, how would he have had this disgusting experience?
The thought made him feel disgusted.
He wished he could wash himself multiple times to calm the disgust in his heart.
"Ah... who are you?"
Mo Yuan looked up and saw a woman covering her chest as she looked at him.
"I..."
"Pervert, I'll kill you..."
Mo Yuan looked at the fierce woman and instinctively ran outside. "No... no, I didn't mean to. This is my room."
"Don't run, stop! You dared to look at my body, don't run..."
"I didn't mean to." He didn't mean to, alright? How could he have known there was a woman in the room?
Mo Yuan did not expect this woman to be quite skilled in martial arts.
He was not her match.