"Young Master Rong has excellent skills..."
"Young Master Rong is truly a musical genius; his music is intoxicating..."
As soon as Rong Yue finished singing, voices of praise and envy came from all directions. He frowned, took the silver note given to him by the steward, and was about to return it when he looked behind him.
However, this glance chilled him to the bone. Where had Shen Mo been standing just moments before? Pushing aside the steward who was talking beside him, he nearly ground his teeth to powder. The first person he thought of was Xiao Yin.
Contrary to Rong Yue's expectations, Shen Mo was not abducted by Xiao Yin. Instead, he saw an acquaintance and, not wanting to disturb Rong Yue's serious performance, followed the gray figure straight out the door.
"He Shang!" Shen Mo couldn't keep up with her pace any longer, so he stopped and called out, panting. But the person in front of him didn't hear him until she disappeared from sight.
Shen Mo was also tired from chasing, so he sat down to rest while panting. But after a short while, he stared wide-eyed at He Shang running back from the end of the alley.
He stopped as he passed by her, slightly out of breath. "Miss, just now... just now did you see a man pass by here?"
Shen Mo was stunned. It turned out that after chasing for so long, this child didn't even know it was her. She wanted to see what kind of person could be so oblivious to her presence.
"He Shang, you're pursuing men?" Shen Mo asked with a knowing smile.
"Ah! Ah! Shen Mo!" He Shang only then realized it was her, his expression as if he had seen a zombie come back to life, and then a blush appeared on his usually smug face.
Even Shen Mo was momentarily stunned by this expression. She had seen He Shang dressed as a woman before, and the charm and demeanor she exuded, combined with this serene and shy look, suggested that...
"Oh well, never mind you, I'm going to go find someone."
He Shang didn't give her a chance to think further, and with a wave of his hand, he quickly ran away.
Shen Mo always felt relaxed and at ease when she was with He Shang. She shook her head as she watched He Shang's back, thinking that Rong Yue would definitely worry if she stayed out too long, so she prepared to go back.
The long alley was empty, and Shen Mo only wanted to get back as soon as possible, but she was shocked to find that a tall man wearing half a mask had appeared in front of her at some point. He was walking towards her and the distance between them was getting closer and closer.
She had suspected it was Xiao Yin, and even prepared her response, but as the person got closer, only one thought echoed in Shen Mo's mind: This person is not Xiao Yin.
They met... and then passed each other by, but Chen Mo suddenly stopped in his tracks.
This was... the same chilly atmosphere as inside Juhua Pavilion, and that seemingly hallucinatory "Xiao Mo"—she could no longer move.
“You are…” Shen Mo turned around.
"Amo!"
Rong Yue's voice suddenly rang out as he discovered that the person had vanished into thin air.
"What happened? How did you get here?" Rong Yue had clearly just arrived, and the worry on his face was evident.
Avoiding Rong Yue's gaze, she silently glanced at the end of the alley, but still couldn't see the masked man from before. Not knowing how to explain to Rong Yue, she could only put on a smile and say, "It's nothing. You still remember He Shang, right? I ran into her just now."
Author's Note: I've suddenly come back from the dead to update, bringing with me a very, very, very, very important (in an infinite loop...) masked man.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Man in the Mist
Lechang didn't know how to describe his current feelings. He had been quite outstanding at the gathering today and was happily heading home when someone suddenly knocked him to the ground, slapped him, and left him in a very disheveled state. His face was dark as he stared at the person who had bumped into him, his wide eyes unable to look away.
A striking scarlet dress, with her long, flowing black hair constantly flitting in and out of his eyes, made his heart itch. His expression was calm, even somewhat cold, but Lechang truly experienced a sense of amazement.
“Miss…” Lechang sat on the ground looking at her, completely floating up.
"Xiao Wu, hurry up! He's probably already caught up with Rong Yue by now. I don't want someone to steal my credit." At this moment, another woman ran up from the front. She was very beautiful and didn't care that there were other people around. She grabbed the woman in red and left.
This delighted Lechang. The girl's name was Xiaowu, a truly beautiful name. However, as he watched them leave, a sense of melancholy suddenly washed over him.
Seeing that they were far away from that person, the beautiful woman suddenly slowed down and looked at Ying Wu with an ambiguous smile, "I say, Xiao Wu, that young master just now was gentle and handsome, and seemed quite nice."
"What does it have to do with me?" Ying Wu's expression remained unchanged, cold and aloof.
Although she was used to her behavior, she was still somewhat discouraged. Ying Wu was aloof and cold, but her appearance was no worse than hers. However, she never looked at men seriously. She thought she had a chance this time, but it was still the same.
"Yingge?" Yingwu then noticed that Yingge was still behind him, lost in thought. He frowned. "Isn't this better for me? You will be the master's only woman."
Mentioning her master, Yingge blushed. This Yingwu always spoke so directly; no wonder her master didn't like him. Her proud tail involuntarily curled up a little, and her willingness to serve her master increased.
But when they arrived, the scene left them completely bewildered, and even Yingwu, with his perpetually icy expression, showed surprise.
The man wearing a half-silver mask was thrusting at Rong Yue with all his might. Just as he was about to succeed, a woman ran up from the middle and stood firmly in front of Rong Yue, effectively blocking the masked man's attack. The sword stopped an inch away from the woman.
"Shadow Blade!" Yingge saw Shadow Blade's hesitation, so she called out to encourage him, but it didn't provoke Shadow Blade. Instead, it made Rong Yue wake up as if from a dream, and he gave Shadow Blade a counterattack before leaving with Shen Mo.
"No need to chase!" Yingren called back when he saw Yingge about to give chase, clutching his chest where Rong Yue had just injured him. "Go back to Master's side. I'll handle this."
Seeing that Rong Yue's attack was indeed quite powerful, Ying Ge was furious. You must know that this was the Shadow Blade that the master valued most, the Shadow Blade recognized by their Cliff Bottom organization as the deputy cliff master. He had shown mercy even though he was able to pierce those two people with a single sword strike!
"You're afraid I'll hurt that woman, aren't you?" Yingge scoffed. This wasn't a question; in his memory, Yingren had always been heartless towards women, never like this. "Tell me, what's your relationship with that woman?"
"It has nothing to do with us." Shadowblade turned away calmly, a glint of light flashing on his silver mask.
"He Shi." This time it was Ying Wu who spoke, but he called out the name Ying Ren had used before he entered the bottom of the cliff.
He suddenly stopped.
"Remember, there are more important things in your life." This is a reminder, a reminder devoid of any warmth.
"She and I are only half acquaintances; you've misunderstood."
"Little Wu!" A strange voice suddenly interrupted at this moment.
Ying Wu turned around and saw that it was the scholar he had bumped into earlier. At the same time, he heard He Shi say before leaving, "Perhaps one day, you will change your mind."
"What is it?" Yingwu turned around and, together with Yingge, blocked Lechang's view so that He Shi could leave.
"Your hairpin." Le Chang looked at Ying Wu with bright eyes, but in her hand lay the butterfly hairpin that had just been on Ying Wu's head.
Ying Wu picked up what was in his hand without saying a word, then turned and walked away.
"Little Wu Girl!"
"What is it now?" Ying Wu's brows were furrowed so deeply that she felt extremely uncomfortable hearing such an intimate address between strangers. Ying Ge happened to see this expression, and her previous gloomy demeanor vanished, replaced by an air of anticipation.
"I think I noticed you had an injury on your hand, Miss Xiaowu. This is a top-quality wound medicine that I brought from the Western Regions a few years ago. It works very well."
Looking at the refined face opposite her, Ying Wu was momentarily lost in thought. Since she had been risking her life at the bottom of the cliff, she had only been thinking about orders and carrying them out. This was the first time she had lost her decisiveness.
After Rong Yue used the reward money from the Juhua Association to buy horses, he dragged Shen Mo onto the horse and then remained silent, only knowing how to keep going. His gloomy face was like the prelude to a storm.
"Young Master, I don't know him." Shen Mo finally decided to be upfront about it.
"Oh?" Rong Yue even showed a hint of self-mockery on his face. "Do you know who he is?"
"I don't know." The decisive and resolute answer softened the expression on Rong Yue's face considerably.
"On the border between Qitian and Qixuan, there is an organization called 'Cliff Bottom,' which is actually the backing force of Qixuan Crown Prince Xiao Yin. And those three people just now were all key members of Cliff Bottom."
After listening, Shen Mo pondered for a moment, "You mean, Xiao Yin already knows you plan to enter the palace, and is afraid you will use this to your advantage against Qi Xuan, so he came to assassinate you?"
"But what I really want to know is why the efficient and decisive deputy cliff master at the bottom of the cliff would be so soft-hearted towards you." Rong Yue changed the subject, but returned to the topic.
“Perhaps this is Xiao Yin’s second attempt to sow discord between us,” Rong Yue said, seeing that Shen Mo remained silent for a long time. “I hope so.” But he knew in his heart that Xiao Yin would not stoop to using the same method a second time, and there must be something fishy going on.
"He seems to have some connection with He Shang." Shen Mo calmly returned Rong Yue's gaze, her eyes devoid of any emotion. She naturally revealed what needed to be revealed.
Along the way, a stranger's mercy almost caused a rift between them. Fortunately, Ningcheng was not far away, and with both of them preoccupied with their own thoughts, they safely returned to the Rong residence.
"Eh, how come Young Master arrived before the army?" Rong Si greeted him at the gate of the mansion, giving Shen Mo a strange look. If he wasn't mistaken, Shen Mo and the young master had just ridden together on a horse, and the young master had even carried him down. Such things were not uncommon in wealthy families, but since Shen Mo was related to him, he couldn't help but think further ahead.
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask." Rong Yue dropped his riding whip and walked into the mansion.
"Young Master, Madam returned to the manor a few days ago," Rong Si hurriedly reported.
Rong Yue remained calm, but Shen Mo was the most bewildered. Last time, she had angered this lady by leaving without saying goodbye at Qingyou Mountain for He Shang's sake. At that time, she had no intention of staying in the Rong family mansion anymore. This time, she didn't know how to face her.
"Ah Mo?" Rong Yue saw that Shen Mo hadn't followed, so he turned around and glanced at Rong Si. Rong Si understood and immediately retreated.
After thinking it over all the way, Rong Yue had figured out a lot. He reached out and held her hand, saying, "No matter what happens, you will always be the woman I, Rong Yue, am most willing to trust in my life, now and forever."
Since they were in the Rong residence, Shen Mo withdrew his hand, saying, "Young Master's words sound rather world-weary."
"Whether you're willing or not, I want you to be with me in the upcoming battle for the Celestial Empire's 'Battle Flag'." Rong Yue's eyes were piercing. "Witness my glory, and perhaps then you will be proud of your choice."
Looking at the domineering and eager look in Rong Yue's eyes, Shen Mo suddenly felt a little scared. What if there was a bloody power struggle in the palace in the future? She wondered if it would be enough for her to just stand behind and support him.
The first thing Shen Mo did upon returning was to apologize to Madam Rong, but she only saw Aunt Xia come out and shake her head at her, saying, "Madam is tired and does not want to see outsiders."
Outsiders, huh? Shen Mo chuckled self-deprecatingly. Madam Rong saw through her son perfectly well, otherwise she wouldn't be so wary of him.
It was almost dark when they returned to Mo An's residence. They found that Xiao Rongyan had grown a lot, and her rosy cheeks looked so delicate that they seemed to melt in her mouth. She called him "sister" very affectionately. So they took out the colorful silk ribbons that they had prepared for her, which made her very happy.
"Rongyan will definitely be a beauty when she grows up." Shen Mo also liked this child from the bottom of his heart.
"Ah Mo." Mo An's eyes showed some unease.
"Um?"
"You're not young anymore, is there someone you like?"
The smile vanished instantly from her face, and Shen Mo bit her lower lip. "Aunt An, did Madam say anything to you?"
“Not only Madam, but Rong Si today too…” Mo An bluntly stated, “Amo, given our status, following the young master would only allow us to be concubines, without even a proper title. You…”
“Aunt An!” Shen Mo interrupted her, “Don’t worry, my concubine and I will never cross paths in this life.”
“Then you…” Mo An was still somewhat worried.
“Aunt An, have you ever been in love? You loved Rong Si, didn’t you? Even after he remarried, you wouldn’t leave him, let alone me now.” Mo An saw tears in Shen Mo’s eyes for the first time, but they didn’t fall.
"I will know how to handle things properly."
Shen Mo eventually returned to his side room in the study, unmoved and hesitant by Mo An's words, but his mind was in turmoil all night.
She finally felt sleepy in the middle of the night, but as soon as she closed her eyes, she was enveloped in a fog. In the fog, someone called her Xiao Mo. She tried desperately to find the source of the voice but was powerless. White fog surged up in clumps, almost suffocating her, but the calls did not stop.
Thud! She was finally pushed to the ground by the force of the fog and wind. She stared blankly at the white mist, a strange taste of blood rising in her throat.
"Xiao Mo." A long, slender, and strong hand reached out. Chen Mo touched it, and it was so cold!
"Who are you?" As the other person pulled him up, the mist miraculously began to dissipate.
Shen Mo struggled to open his eyes wide and saw that familiar silver-white mask. Underneath the mask was pale skin and a shocking pool of red flowing from the corner of his mouth!
"Shadow Blade!" Shen Mo remembered that they called him Shadow Blade, the deputy cliff master at the bottom of the cliff that Rong Yue mentioned!
Author's Note: Would you believe me if I said there would be another update tonight?
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Broken Engagement