Your Majesty - Chapter 108
"Oh, so this is Young Master He who took my family heirloom?" The mother's gentle and loving voice rang out like heavenly music. "Good child, you've come up to propose marriage. How sensible and polite you are."
The neighbors who were watching the commotion all had expressions that said, "Oh, so this kid had already accepted the token of love. It's true!"
"Not bad, you managed to marry a girl from the Jin family..."
"I don't see anything good about it except for the white spots..."
"Yeah, look at how cowardly he is..."
In an instant, a sour and rotten atmosphere filled the air, with every word aimed at He Lang's self-esteem.
Looking at him silently, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy—sigh, you got scolded, didn't you? You got insulted, didn't you? But who told you to marry such a stunning beauty? Getting a few scoldings now is actually a good thing for you.
Seeing his fist, as big as a bowl, clench inch by inch under He Lang's sleeve, veins bulging and blood surging, I couldn't help but worry that my beloved might faint from the overwhelming joy.
However, to my surprise, the fist suddenly loosened.
He Shaoxin stood up straight, looking handsome and dignified, just like a top scholar who had just passed the imperial examination.
"I am deeply grateful for Miss Jin's kind words." He began to bow to the neighbors in all directions, making it sound very proper. "Congratulations, congratulations."
Originally bracing myself for a fierce battle, my fighting spirit suddenly shot out.
"What's going on? It's not like what you said." My mother smiled gently, but gave me a questioning look.
"I don't know either." I blinked silently, holding my breath as I stared at He Shaoxin, trying to figure out what he was up to.
However, He Shaoxin acted as if he were an upright future son-in-law, accepting the congratulations from his neighbors and fellow villagers without showing any discomfort or hesitation.
—If this person isn't a natural-born actor, then they've been suddenly awakened by a blow and discovered the deep, enduring love they hold for me that's buried deep within them.
I'm more inclined to believe the latter.
—I am an unparalleled beauty! Someone was willing to ride a donkey and carry betrothal gifts for me for nearly four hundred miles in the dead of winter!
I smiled happily, because under such warm sunshine, my sweetheart gave me a thumbs up and uttered two words: "Perfect."
A note from the author: Thank you for your greetings. I'm still getting used to my new job, but it's going very smoothly.
Jin Buyao is not some cute and innocent little girl; she has demonic genes in her blood... The story of these two outwitting each other is really quite interesting.
--------------
The following is from the published version.
--------------
[He knows]
After spending five days in the capital, Pang Wan and his branch members searched almost every restaurant and teahouse, but they still couldn't find a trace of the Southern Barbarians. Everyone in the Moon Worship Cult looked gloomy and worried, except for He Qinglu, who remained calm and composed all day.
With the date of their January appointment drawing ever closer, he even started planning the wedding on his own.
He never inquired about the affairs of the Southern Barbarians, partly because he wanted this person to be as far away from Pang Wan as possible, and partly because Pang Wan had never asked him for anything. He was a typical "If you want something, just say so; how will you know what you want if you don't ask?" type of person.
On the seventh day, Pang Wan finally couldn't resist inviting He Qinglu out of the mansion and setting up a table of the most expensive dishes at the best restaurant in the capital.
"How much does your esteemed household charge for a missing person case?" She dismissed her attendants and looked seriously at the golden-crowned young master who was drinking tea.
Ah Zhuo was drinking soup when he couldn't help but spit it out with a "pfft," his face turning red.
He Qinglu smiled and put down her cup: "We rarely do cases that aren't challenging."
Pang Wan knew he was mocking his subordinates for their incompetence. Ignoring his anger, he swallowed his pride and said in a low voice, "Young master, the capital is not the territory of the Moon Worshiping Sect. There are many spies from reputable sects. We dare not act rashly. We would like to ask you to help us out. We will pay you the full amount, no matter how difficult or expensive it may be."
She was so frustrated that she had no choice but to turn to the power of the Lonely Palace.
He Qinglu thought for a moment, then looked intently and said, "Then you have to grant me one request."
Pang Wan asked in surprise, "What conditions?"
He Qinglu lowered her eyelashes: "I'll talk about it when I think of something."
So the two of them huddled together, and Pang Wan explained in detail the physical characteristics of the Southern Barbarians and the possibility of them disguising themselves. He Qinglu listened carefully, wrote something on a piece of parchment, and ordered Jin Diluo to send it away.
"Wait for my news in seven days." He patted Pang Wan's hand.
Pang Wan let out a long sigh of relief and quickly picked up the Shaoxing wine-infused drunken chicken from the table and put it into He Qinglu's bowl: "Eat more, eat more."
This scene was witnessed silently from afar.
"Why isn't the leader eating? Could it be that the food at Wangxianglou isn't to your liking?" Xu Rong, the leader of Hengshan Sect, looked at the purple-clad man beside him with surprise.
The man in purple withdrew his gaze and smiled slightly: "How could that be? The delicacies here are all the best in the city. I've been craving them for days."
"Hehe, Alliance Leader, you must eat more. Once we return to Kunlun Mountain for the sacrificial ceremony in half a month, we won't be able to enjoy this delicacy anymore." Xu Rong placed a piece of charcoal-grilled venison on the purple-clad man's plate. "Now that the Demonic Sect has been defeated, Kunlun and Shaolin have officially sent invitations. Alliance Leader has finally unified the martial world. Congratulations!"
The man in purple smiled but remained silent.
A clanging sound rang out as someone struck a gong in the courtyard.
"It's starting, it's starting!" Xu Rong's face lit up with excitement as he turned to explain to the others seated at the table. "The storytelling at Wangxianglou is the best."
Upon hearing this, everyone bent down and peeked out.
In the courtyard, the storyteller plucked the strings of his sanxian a few times, then began to sing in a high-pitched, melodious voice: "Today I'll tell you about the siege of the demonic cult—"
In the mouths of eloquent storytellers, the story of besieging the Demonic Sect is full of twists and turns and is thrilling. The martial arts alliance leader Gu Xiju is portrayed as a wise and powerful spiritual leader who not only possesses unparalleled superhuman skills but is also far-sighted. He repeatedly sees through the underhanded schemes of the sect leader Zuo Huai'an, and through a combination of kindness and force, he finally succeeds in dismantling the internal forces of the Demonic Sect.