Asking About Love Songs

Chapter 36

“King Keluo Qizhen of the Eastern Region.” Upon seeing the person stepping out of the carriage, Su Shaochu raised an eyebrow. “Shaochu has long harbored feelings for the princess.”

"Does Fourth Young Master Su recognize me?"

Su Shaochu took out the long flute from his waist, tossed it around while playing with it, pointed it at her, and asked, "Do you recognize this long flute?"

“This flute…” Ke Luoqi’s eyes changed.

“I’m waiting for the original owner of this flute to appear so he can tell me about Jun’er’s sorrow and grief.” Su Shaochu stroked the emerald green flute in his hand. “For more than half a year, I have been unable to find the original owner of this flute. I remember that the princess and the owner of this flute were quite close.”

Last year, when she returned to Nanyuan to recuperate, she made another trip to the Eastern Region, hoping to fulfill Jun'er's request. She traversed Songyan Mountain and several key locations in the Eastern Region, but she could not find Xuanhong Zhaicheng no matter what she did.

"Qi Zhen, this prince did not come here to reminisce and talk about love." Zhu Yu's usually lazy voice was now tinged with cold displeasure. "Do what you are supposed to do, and don't make any more moves."

"Fourth Young Master Su, please don't cause trouble for Qi Zhen at this time and stir up the Third Prince's jealousy." A smile played on her bright red lips beneath the finely beaded gauze, as she gestured towards the magnificent carriage. "Please grant the Third Prince's wish, Fourth Young Master, and enter the carriage."

"I've always been happy to give pretty ladies face, but I don't think I'm capable of fulfilling other people's wishes." Anyone who could fulfill Zhu Yu's wishes is either crazy or dead, and she is neither.

"It seems that my younger brother Shao Chu is determined to refuse my kind invitation to the very end." The voice coming from inside the carriage was chillingly sinister.

"You always reject me, not caring how deeply this behavior hurts me. You dare to make me suffer this torment of desire and longing. Your sins are heinous. Since the body is just a price for you to play a game, I believe you, my dear brother, should not be afraid to pay the price of a lifetime to atone for your sins."

Huo Ruo's words carried a hidden danger. Su Shaochu narrowed her eyes, feeling a complex mix of emotions. This person's personality was truly the one that left her speechless, yet she had chosen to challenge such a person.

"Qi Zhen, if you want me to use the Blue Azure Rainbow to save that captured assassin, then complete your mission!"

Blue-green Xuanhong! The assassin alive? There were other Xuanhong clan members among the assassins that night. Su Shaochu frowned upon hearing this, only to see a group of men in foreign attire surrounding her.

"Each drum represents a pulse point. The sounds produced by these five drums can seal a person's martial arts. I guarantee that after one song, Third Prince, you will have the Flying Goose of the Azure Sky that you desire, and you will have control over its power to soar through the heavens and earth."

"Very well, then let this prince see how much fun your drumming can bring."

"Fourth Young Master Su, please forgive Qi Zhen's rudeness."

"The drumbeat that locks the pulse!" Princess Keluoqi of the Eastern Region is skilled at using sound to lock people's lifelines, and Jun'er uses music to coordinate with medicine. They have the same origin but are so different.

Alas! It seems she cannot escape tonight; she is destined to tread this muddy path. Her figure leaps into the air, her snow-white robes billowing gracefully under the moonlight. Her swirling, graceful figure lands as if wandering in the moonlit night.

A struggling breath in the tall grass forest looked up at the moon and suddenly saw a figure from memory, just like the snow-white wild goose reflecting the silver moon in my memory.

"Ice Moon...Wild Goose..."

The boy, in his excitement, pulled at the poison wounds in his body. He collapsed, thick black blood flowing from his nostrils and mouth. E Qing's poison had taken effect. He couldn't die, he absolutely couldn't die. He was the only one left among his companions. What would happen to his master if he died!

Since his master was captured, he and his companions have carried out countless missions, all in an effort to save their master's life so that Meng Yansi could continue to provide him with the antidote. When they arrived in the Central Plains, their master had told them to go to the capital to find Bingyue Zhiyan, who seemed to be connected to the Central Plains royal family. Under the cover of his companions, he intercepted government officials but could not find anyone. In the end, Meng Yansi asked them to carry out one last mission before releasing their master. Now, they have all failed!

The Ice Moon Goose is the master's only hope...

"Horse, be good, let's go back to the Su family first!"

Knowing the power the drumbeats would generate, Su Shaochu patted his mount reassuringly and sent it away.

"Please, Your Highness, show mercy!"

Looking at Keluo Qizhen at eye level, Su Shaochu was already quite tall for a woman, which prevented people from suspecting that she was disguised as her gender. However, Keluo Qizhen was much taller than her. Among the foreign tribes, the women of Nanyuan were petite, while the women of Dongyu were larger. But Keluo Qizhen was clearly more slender and tall than the average woman from Dongyu.

"Qi Zhen, remember this. What I want is a proud goose that I can destroy with my own hands, not a dying goose. You are not allowed to harm her in the slightest."

"Please rest assured, Third Prince, even if it means cutting off feathers or feet, it will be done by you personally!"

“Ahem, Third Prince, if we want to destroy the proud goose, Shao Chu can also provide a method. Encirclement is definitely not a good method.” Su Shao Chu, who was locked in, also joined their conversation loudly, contributing to the task of dealing with “himself.” “With so many people, even if we don’t injure this goose, it will lose feathers. Besides, the goose you mentioned is not proud at all; humility has always been her way of dealing with things.”

Just kidding. Looking at the heavy yet light steps of the burly men around her, not sinking into the mud, she knew that each of them was a master martial artist with excellent fist and foot skills. Even if they didn't hurt her, they would still make her feel pain for a while.

This kind of commotion should really be addressed as Brother Fu, or rather, her younger brother with his perpetually cold and aloof expression. She dislikes violence, so she always "asks" (or rather, "gets") others to handle fights. She's only interested in having fun and enjoying herself with her lovely sisters and younger brothers. Why be so obsessed with fighting and killing in life?

"Tsk tsk, should I praise my dear brother for his composure in the face of adversity, or for his tenacious struggle!" Zhu Yu chuckled, full of interest. "However, my dear brother, what you can offer must be a good plan. Why don't you get in the carriage now and let me hear it from you myself?"

"Such an important matter should be discussed in two days. Shao Chu will prepare a grand gift and personally visit the Third Prince's residence to sit down and have a drink with you." She was a very polite person.

"Qi Zhen, don't give me any face, just surround and block them!"

Without any warning, the burly men who were attacking her moved in a regular formation, staggering around her. Their palm strikes were the first to break through the air, and as the drums sounded, they were aimed at Su Shaochu at the same time!

As Su Shaochu swiftly turned to dodge the palm strike, a powerful downward attack swept in. He retreated even faster to parry, but felt a tingling sensation rising from his feet. He quickly retreated several steps.

Seeing the puddles on the muddy ground, as if propelled by an invisible force, with each undulating beat of the drum, they carved through the water and mud, and where she had stood, the water rose high into the air, then scattered and fell as if without a destination.

The drumbeats that lock the meridians can only be followed by her own action. The group's responsibility is to lure her into action so that the drumbeats of Ke Luo Qi Zhen can target her martial arts meridians and seal them!

This is really troublesome. These men's martial arts skills, coupled with their ever-present ability to use the "locking pulse" technique—

"Brother, I'll have to borrow your Soul Hunting Sword Technique!"

Having made up his mind, Su Shaochu swung his long flute, gathered his energy, and rose into the sky with an aura as sharp as a sword.

"Sword held horizontally in the air, slicing through the falling frost—"

Chang Xiao transformed into a crimson sword aura, and as he turned and tumbled, the crimson sword shadows swirled and slashed down at several burly men who were following closely behind, leaping into the air to capture him. Two or three of the burly men were struck by the crimson light and landed with pained howls!

"Pick up the remaining snow, melt the dried frost; break through the fierce wind, transform into a sharp glint—"

With a graceful step, she landed on the burly man. As the drumbeats caught up, she leaped up again, her long flute swirling incessantly. Using the fine rain in the air to force out her energy, she transformed it into the power of sword energy, sweeping away the surrounding troops like a prairie fire.

"Sword light surges like a raging tide, sword shadows thunder like a raging storm; light spews forth crimson blades, shadows hunt swift souls—"

The sword energy and figure, as swift as wind, thunder, and shadow, swept across the way, and countless shadows seemed to appear in the flying sword light!

"Frost-covered blades fly a thousand miles, their crimson gleam like a slicing sword, shaking the very soul—"

The rainbow light flowed continuously, finally merging into a sharp rainbow, which then transformed into five extreme sharp points, directly targeting the drum of the Kroqi Zhen. Although the opponent tried to protect the drum and avoid it, the three drums were destroyed by the slightest mistake!

When Su Shaochu regained his composure, all the burly men collapsed, and the drumbeats ceased.

"Although Fourth Young Master's swordsmanship doesn't seem to be very powerful, it can accurately hit vital points."

"No problem," she said with a smile.

You can't say that the power is weak because the sword technique wasn't originally hers, and that she only temporarily learned it. If the original owner of the sword technique were to come, the surrounding area would probably be barren!

She lacked the inner strength and swordsmanship of her twin brother, Su Xuechu, and could only imitate three-tenths of the form and two-tenths of the sword intent. She was naturally not good at martial arts, but she had an aptitude for grasping the essence at a glance. Even the swordsmen of Nanyuan were amazed by her talent. Naturally, the swordsmen were also defeated by her indolence, which prioritized pleasure above all else. Therefore, even though she had never truly learned the Soul Hunting Sword Technique, she could still perform it to some extent.

As long as she can force back the current situation and avoid the pursuers of the drumbeats, she can find a chance to escape.

"It seems that without the sound of a heavy drumbeat, we cannot catch the Fourth Young Master. My apologies—"

Ke Luoqi's eyes narrowed sharply. At his master's signal, the strangely dressed men surrounded him again. The drumbeats that rose again were so clear that they almost pressed against one's heart. The men's eyes also turned sharp.

The drumbeats and fierce attacks were directed at Su Shaochu again when suddenly, a figure stumbled out from the bushes!

"Ice Moon... Ah—"

"Stop—" Su Shaochu shouted as he saw the person fall into the battle, but it was too late to save him!

The piercing drumbeats struck the person, whose already dying body was thrown off balance by the force of the drumbeats and crashed to the ground!

"Young Master... Bingyue... Young Master, please, please save my clan's young master..."

The boy, covered in blood with black veins running down his face, was almost driven to the brink of darkness. He could only see the white-clad figure standing before him, and he crawled in agony.

“Meng Yansi… Bingyue… Young Master…”

His hands, covered in blood from being cut by sharp stones, gripped Su Shaochu's shoes and robes, leaving blood-red stains on the snow-white hem.

The boy's eyes were no longer distinguishable as blood or tears of grief; he blinked with pupils that made one almost believe he was dead, and tears and blood kept flowing down to the small black mole at the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry, you've mistaken me for someone else," Su Shaochu said slowly, her voice devoid of any emotion.

"Bingyue...Young Master..."

As the boy's hand slowly fell to his sides, the unfulfilled regret left him staring wide-eyed, unable to close his eyes, dying with resentment in a foreign land.

Su Shaochu kept her eyes closed, her body still and her expression unchanged; behind her, a large hand adorned with jeweled rings pressed on her right shoulder.

As Ke Luoqizhen's offensive intensified and the boy rushed into the battle, Zhu Yu came up behind her.

“Third Prince, this person is one of Ran Liuxuanhong’s men.” Ke Luoqizhen confirmed upon seeing the markings on the boy’s face. “Judging from the fact that he has been suffering from the E'qing Poison for several days, he is very likely the assassin who escaped after the Third Prince’s failed assassination attempt the other day.”

"Young Master Chu is truly mischievous! He actually recognizes the person who tried to assassinate me. Zhong Eqing's men should have died long ago, unless someone saved him and suppressed his poison." Zhu Yu wrapped his arm around her, his voice low and mocking as he chuckled. "Harboring an assassin who tries to kill the royal family is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of their family. It wasn't you who saved him, was it!"

"Shao Chu said he mistook someone for someone else," she said calmly, her eyes lowered.

Chapter Six

Accompanied by the clatter of hooves and wheels, a formidable guard moved steadily through the streets of the capital in the rainy night.

"As a young boy, I love my younger brother. This scene reminds me of that night when we went up to Yunfeng last year. You were always in my arms the whole way."

Inside the luxurious carriage, on a cushion covered with light fur and silk, Zhu Yu held the waist of the person in his arms tightly with one arm, and pressed the other hand against the head of the woman at the nape of her neck. His face was close to her soft hair, and he smelled the long-lost fragrance of her hair.

“Back then, you weren’t this disobedient.” He spoke as if scolding a naughty child, warning the struggling body within his embrace. “Young Master, be a good boy and don’t move around. Otherwise, if I’m not careful, I might seriously injure you, and it would break my heart.”

"If the Third Prince wishes for me to stab you again, Shao Chu wouldn't mind playing along once more, but this time I won't miss!" He would surely take Zhu Yu's life with a single sword strike.

"You're so mischievous, making this prince both love and... hate you!" He chuckled affectionately, his hand on her head slowly stroking down her neck to her shoulder as he spoke, his eyes hardening with malice!

A sudden, sharp pain shot through her shoulder, and Su Shaochu shoved Zhu Yu away with such force that it seemed as if the force was about to crush her shoulder blade, causing her to grit her teeth and break out in a cold sweat.

"Look at you, always so disobedient, now you're suffering!" His voice was full of tenderness and heartache as he looked at Su Shaochu, who was clutching her right shoulder in pain, and reached out to her again.

"Come here, let me take a look at your injuries."

"It's not a fatal injury, no need for the Third Prince to worry about it," Su Shaochu said with a cold laugh, dodging his hand.

"Young Master, do you really intend to continue being so disobedient?"

Zhu Yu grabbed her wrist again, which was covering her shoulder. Su Shaochu tried to retaliate, but then, with a threatening sound, he twisted her hand back!

"Do you want to injure me in this capital city, or do you want me to seriously injure you?"

To dare injure Zhu Yu in the capital, the crime of harming a prince of the imperial family is not something an ordinary person can bear, not to mention that Zhu Yu's abilities are beyond her reach in terms of martial arts...

"The Third Prince is no stranger to severely injuring Shao Chu and even controlling the severity of his injuries, so there's no need to be polite."

Su Shaochu, who was pulled into his arms again, flinched as his shoulder was gripped once more.

"If you want to settle old scores with me, then shouldn't I settle scores with you for toying with me and for that merciless sword strike?"

Zhu Yu gently sucked on her sweaty forehead, stroking her hair as if she were a precious treasure, and affectionately nuzzling her repeatedly.