The Foolish Agent

Chapter 98

Zi Ying spat out the blood in her mouth and wiped away the saliva seeping from the corner of her lips. She said guiltily:

"I'm sorry! I broke my promise. I failed to protect Xiaojie, and she suffered irreparable harm!"

"Take me to see her right now!" Xuanyuan roared anxiously. Xuanyuan knew Ziying was never one to hesitate or fuss, and her current unusual behavior left Xuanyuan completely uncertain. Just how badly was Xiaojie injured? How could Ziying have become like this?

Zi Ying still showed no intention of leading them out of the battle; he simply lowered his head in shame.

"If my death can clear Xiaojie's name, I would not hesitate to give my life for her."

Zi Ying deliberately pronounced the seven words "to restore Xiao Jie's innocence" very heavily and clearly.

For Xuanyuan, Ziying's words were undoubtedly a bolt from the blue. A loud "Boom!" jolted Xuanyuan so badly he staggered back several steps. Fortunately, Yangpu, quick-witted and agile, caught him before he fell.

"Sect Master, are you alright?" Yang Pu asked worriedly, holding Xuan Yuan's arm. He, too, could not accept that his invincible Third Sect Master had suffered such an injury.

Xuanyuan didn't even hear Yangpu's question. The moment he regained his footing, he charged towards Ziying again. He grabbed Ziying by the collar and roared angrily:

What did you just say?

"Hasn't His Majesty already heard it?" Ying replied softly. Then, she delivered another muffled thunderclap:

"Just today, Xiao Jie was framed and defiled by the Queen of Beifeng."

Xuanyuan was completely stunned. His sharp, deep phoenix eyes suddenly became unfocused and lifeless, and the hand that was gripping Ziying's collar loosened weakly. He stood there blankly, as if someone had suddenly acupunctured him and taken his soul, his gaze unfocused, and he stood motionless.

Yang Pu, worried, wanted to go forward and wake him, but Zi Ying stopped him with a look. Zi Ying understood Xuan Yuan's feelings at this moment. Even he was speechless with shock when he heard Hong Mei say it, and he still held onto the hope that things would turn around. How much more so for Xuan Yuan, who was deeply in love? The reason he told him now was to prepare him mentally. If Xiao Jie saw him with this expression, her already wounded heart would be opened up again!

The three stood silently within the snow-covered formation. After a while, Zi Ying recounted in a low voice the events that had transpired since he and Xiao Jie arrived in Beifeng. He began by recounting how Xiao Jie saved the emperor and empress's lives, her efforts to prevent Beifeng from allying with Xiping to attack Jinghe, the Beifeng emperor's attempt to use Xiao Jie to retain Qingfeng, and finally, the events of that day.

At this moment, Xuanyuan, who had been expressionless, suddenly trembled as if his whole body was convulsing. When he raised his head again, he had completely changed. His thick eyebrows almost stood on end, his wide-open phoenix eyes were filled with ruthlessness and cruelty, and his exquisite face was as cold as frost. The sinister aura emanating from him was like that of a demon from the eighteenth level of hell!

Yang Pu and Zi Ying suddenly felt their breath catch in their throats, and involuntarily shivered! Then, a cold, piercing voice came through, each word deliberate and chilling:

"Commander of the Imperial Guards, listen to my decree! I order you to immediately take me to see the Emperor and Empress of Beifeng!"

"Your subject Ziying accepts the decree!" Ziying couldn't help but kneel down to receive the decree. This was the first time he had knelt down to receive a decree before Xuanyuan since Xuanyuan ascended the throne.

Zi Ying was about to lead the guest room where the Emperor and Empress of Beifeng were temporarily staying. As soon as she entered, she heard the two old men, who had been tortured by Qingfeng's poison and were only half alive, lying on the bed groaning softly.

"Oh dear..." Upon suddenly seeing Zi Ying bring in two strangers, the old emperor immediately questioned in a stern voice:

"How dare you! Who are you? How dare you trespass into my palace! Guards..."

"So you are the Emperor of Beifeng?" Xuanyuan's icy voice interrupted the Emperor's imposing presence. But he didn't even glance at him. From the moment he entered, his two sharp, piercing gazes were fixed on the crooked-mouthed, pig-headed woman beside the Emperor, who was glaring arrogantly at the three of them. Then, in a cold, emotionless tone, with a clear threat, he asked:

"You're the damned woman who dared to plot against and bully my Xiaojie?"

Who is this person? That cold, sharp voice! How powerful! He has the appearance of a god, yet possesses the aura of a demon! The Emperor of Beifeng was unconsciously stunned by the aura emanating from Xuanyuan. Instantly, he composed himself. He then thought to himself, whoever this person is, such a person will be a scourge sooner or later, and he absolutely cannot allow such a person to continue to exist in this world.

Empress Beifeng, already intimidated by Xuanyuan's gaze, involuntarily shrank behind the old emperor. Then, subjected to Xuanyuan's cold, commanding voice, she, accustomed to giving orders, could no longer tolerate this. She suddenly stepped forward and sharply rebuked Xuanyuan:

"How dare you! Where did this wild brat come from! How dare you disrespect the Emperor and me! I will exterminate your entire family!"

Is this woman really courting death? Can't she see that the sect leader is radiating an aura of death? Yang Pu thought to himself. Even when he was commanding thousands of troops on the battlefield, the sect leader's expression wasn't as terrifying as it is now.

Zi Ying was speculating about what kind of retaliation Bei Feng would suffer!

"Hmph! Very well! Arrogant enough! You're the only person in the world who dares to lay a finger on my Xiaojie!" Xuanyuan sneered. He then turned to the person behind him and said coldly:

"Ying! You've been in Beifeng for so long, you should know where the brothel district is, right?"

"No way? Why is the sect leader asking this now?" Yang Pu looked at Zi Ying in confusion.

A glint flashed in Zi Ying's eyes. She immediately replied respectfully:

"Your Majesty, I understand. What are your instructions?"

The Emperor? He is Emperor Jinghe! The Emperor and Empress of Beifeng suddenly looked up, staring at Xuanyuan in astonishment. They didn't understand why Emperor Jinghe was here, nor did they know what he wanted.

"Go immediately and bring back six strong, able-bodied clients, then give them a full dose of aphrodisiacs. Lock them in this room." After instructing Zi Ying, Xuan Yuan turned to Empress Bei Feng and coldly said:

"Your Majesty the Empress, is that it? You will experience in the same way you did to my Xiaojie and made her suffer."

Xuanyuan's series of cold words caused varying degrees of astonishment on the faces of the other three people in the room, except for Ziying, who remained unaffected.

Yang Pu was astonished! No wonder his revered sect leader had come up with such a brilliant way to get revenge. This was far more satisfying than simply killing that despicable old woman!

The old emperor was astonished! He had received intelligence that Emperor Jinghe was a cowardly and incompetent sissy. But this man before him showed no signs of fear whatsoever! His ruthlessness was definitely no less than his own! And the way he kept referring to his Xiaojie—it turned out that Xiaojie was already his woman. He suddenly realized why she dared to negotiate peaceful coexistence with him. He was now somewhat regretful, but what he regretted was yet to come.

The Empress's face, already swollen and discolored from Qingfeng's beating, was now completely expressionless. Her once haughty gaze had been replaced by terror. She trembled and cowered behind the old Emperor.

Xuanyuan Lingli glanced sharply at the old emperor and asked coldly:

"Your Majesty, I heard you intend to attack Jinghe? It seems you're eager to fight Jinghe? Very well, I will give you that opportunity now." Having said this, Xuanyuan turned back and instructed:

"Yangpu, heed my command!"

“Yangpu is here!” Yangpu immediately knelt down and replied.

"I order you to return to the Xiping military camp immediately. Convey my decree, ordering the first commander, Prince Ying, Xuanyuan Xiuyu, to quickly mobilize 100,000 troops to turn around and attack Beifeng. Order the second commander, Duanmu Xingchen, to capture the capital of Xiping within ten days and then come to assist. I intend to flatten Beifeng within half a month."

"Your subject obeys!"

The old emperor of Beifeng wasn't particularly affected by Xuanyuan's punishment of the empress. However, the final statement, "Beifeng will be flattened within half a month," terrified him. By the time the old emperor recovered from his shock, Xuanyuan and the other two had already left the room.

"Second Sect Master, do you think the Sect Master was just trying to scare that old man?" Yang Pu asked Zi Ying in a low voice as soon as they came out.

Xuanyuan glared at him fiercely and said coldly, "Why are you still here?" His gaze swept over Ziying.

"And you, why are you pretending not to hear me? We'll settle the score for not protecting Xiaojie when we get back!"

"I would like to take you to see Xiao Jie first," Zi Ying quickly replied.

"Didn't you say she was being treated at a pharmacy? Tell me where the pharmacy is? I'll find it myself. You two get to work! Remember, don't let Xiao Jie know I know about today's events," Xuan Yuan said coldly. Anyone who dared to hurt his Xiao Jie, no matter who they were, he wouldn't let them get away with it.

Zi Ying and Yang Pu exchanged a glance. It seemed the Emperor was determined to flatten Beifeng for Xiao Jie's sake. Zi Ying pointed to the path leading to the pharmacy and said:

"The pharmacy is in the backyard. Just walk along that long corridor to the end and you'll get there."

"Hmm!" Xuanyuan hummed in response and strode towards the backyard.

"Second Master, please get me something to eat first! To keep up with the journey, we've only had a small piece of dry rations all day," Yang Pu pleaded pitifully.

"Come with me to the kitchen first! The sect leader is in a bad mood right now, so don't go back yet. Let's wait until we see Xiao Jie and ask for her opinion before we talk about it! After all, when two countries are at war, the victims are the ordinary people. Besides, Qingfeng is practically in charge of Beifeng now. If a real fight breaks out, wouldn't we be fighting our own people?" Zi Ying said calmly.

As the moon approached the pharmacy, Xuanyuan's steps slowed. He felt his heart pounding wildly. He longed to see Xiaojie immediately, to hold her in his arms and comfort her, to tell her that no matter what happened, he would never abandon her. But after listening to Ziying's story, knowing that Xiaojie hadn't cried but instead bravely comforted Ying and the others, he began to fear facing her. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself and show her pity. He was even more afraid that his presence would deepen the hurt for Xiaojie.

He knew perfectly well why Ying had told him what had happened before letting him see Xiao Jie. He was also afraid that his appearance at this time would upset Xiao Jie's already fragile heart. That's why he chose to avenge Xiao Jie first, hoping to control his intense anger.

The pharmacy was nearby; even walking slowly, it wouldn't take more than a few minutes. The pharmacy door was right in front of him. Xuan Yuan took a few deep breaths, gathering all the anger and heartache he had just felt into his dantian. Only the original longing and the joy of a long-awaited reunion remained. Finally, he forced a smile, softening his expression. With everything ready, Xuan Yuan walked easily to the door, raising his hand to push it open, when the sound of a gentle breeze from inside stopped him in his tracks.

"Xiao Jie, let's go back to Wuyou Valley together! Don't you love the tranquility there? From now on, you, me, Master, and the child can live happily together and not worry about anything else."

"Qingfeng, you're taking advantage of my vulnerability!" Xuanyuan's carefully constructed composure crumbled instantly! Just as he was about to charge at him and give him a good beating, Xiaojie's heavenly, melodious voice rang out, instantly dispelling his anger.

"Senior brother! Do you think you still have a chance to escape these worldly affairs? Don't forget you are now the Crown Prince of Beifeng. Do you really want to hand over the power of life and death back to that old emperor who even schemes against and murders his own son? Let me tell you! That old bastard is my prisoner now. I went to great lengths to cure them of their poison, but they repaid kindness with enmity. I won't take revenge on them too viciously. I just want them to return to the way they were before I saved them. Isn't she always thinking about immortality? I even got a lot of golden pills from the Imperial Preceptor, all for them."

No, Xiao Jie's punishment was far from enough! Xuan Yuan thought to himself. He gritted his teeth, desperately suppressing the strong urge to push open the door and rush in, because he felt that perhaps he should meet Xiao Jie in another way.

The plaintive sound of the breeze drifted over again:

"Xiao Jie, you know perfectly well that my becoming the Crown Prince is just a temporary measure. My heart is not big enough; it is too dark to contain the whole world. On the contrary, it is very small, so small that it can only hold you alone."

Xuanyuan felt goosebumps all over his body. He had never known Qingfeng could be so good at sweet talk! He couldn't hold back any longer. He was afraid that if he held back any longer, Xiaojie would be melted by Qingfeng's sweet words before he even had a chance to see her alone. Thinking of this, Xuanyuan suddenly pushed open the door and said in a deliberately sour tone:

"So, Xiaojie is the only one in your heart! I always thought you at least cared about me, your brother! I was worried about your safety and traveled all this way to save you, sigh!" He then deliberately let out a long sigh.

The sudden sound startled the two people inside the room.

Was she hallucinating? She actually heard Xuanyuan's voice? Leng Jie shook her head and looked at Qingfeng. Seeing his identical expression, the two exchanged a glance, then simultaneously looked up in astonishment at the doorway. They both stood up at the same time, speechless, staring at the god-like figure at the door, unable to utter a word for a long time. However, their eyes clearly said, "Is it really you? How did you get here?"

“I wasn’t comfortable with you sneaking off to rescue people alone, so naturally I followed!” Xuan Yuan slowly walked between Qing Feng and Xiao Jie, shrugging as Leng Jie usually did. Suddenly, he changed the subject, staring at Qing Feng and teasingly saying:

"But it seems I've arrived at the wrong time?"

"Weren't you leading the army in person?" Leng Jie finally realized she wasn't hallucinating.

"Does Xiao Jie not want to see me? Or is she afraid that I'll run away after plotting against you?" Xuan Yuan turned around, staring intently at Leng Jie, and asked instead of answering.

Hearing Xuanyuan's words, Leng Jie's heart involuntarily trembled, and her gaze involuntarily darted away guiltily. She gave an awkward laugh and said:

"Hehe! I was just in a moment of panic!"

In an instant, Leng Jie regained her composure, met Xuan Yuan's gaze again, and asked earnestly:

"But why are you here? Is the war over? Is Xiping so easily defeated? Why didn't you go back to Jinghe? Don't you know the capital is in trouble?"

"Xiao Jie, you're asking so many questions at once, how am I supposed to answer them?" Xuan Yuan shook his head and laughed.

"Xuanyuan, please sit down first!" Qingfeng had already brought a chair for Xuanyuan.

The three of them sat down at the same time. Qingfeng and Lengjie both looked at Xuanyuan expectantly, waiting for his explanation.

"With your godfather in charge of the capital, and 20,000 Imperial Guards in the open, and 30,000 Imperial Guards and 10,000 Dragon Gate soldiers protecting you in secret, you have nothing to worry about. As for Xiping, with Marshals Shi Yu and Duanmu Xingchen each leading a highly motivated army, plus your new weapons, Xiping is indeed no match for you." Xuanyuan answered Leng Jie's series of questions with just two easy sentences.

Chapter 127 A Misunderstanding Occurs

Leng Jie hadn't expected Xuan Yuan to actually invite Prime Minister Leng back. With Prime Minister Leng in charge, she was indeed no longer worried about the safety of the capital, because even without her orders, Duanmu Xingyue and Leng Yangtian would lead the secret service to provide full assistance. However, another worry arose: the issue of the foolish Empress. She dared not imagine what would happen if Prime Minister Leng discovered his daughter was missing—would he immediately force Jinghe and the Jiangshan to change their surnames to Leng?

Sigh! Why does she always have so many worries? What surname Jing and Jiangshan have doesn't seem to make much difference to her, does it? But why is she always so restless? The fright and danger of the day, and the surprise Xuanyuan brought at night, left her unable to calm down. Leng Jie tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Huh! What's that sound? She thought she heard someone screaming in terror. Leng Jie rolled out of bed, grabbed a piece of clothing, threw it on, and rushed out.

"Ah! No! Get away!"

"Old hag? What's she yelling about in the middle of the night? Hasn't that 'Paradise Pill' taught her a lesson yet? But she doesn't want to see that hateful face right now; she's afraid she'll kill her without thinking." Leng Jie turned to walk back, but after only two steps, the Empress's ghostly wails started again.

"Son! Qingfeng, help me! Mother was wrong, Mother knows she was wrong!"

Help? Who wants her dead? Her enemies are all here! Leng Jie couldn't help but turn and walk towards the guest room again. The screams grew more urgent; she seemed to have received some severe threat! Leng Jie quickened her pace, when suddenly a tall figure blocked her path. Although Leng Jie hurriedly stopped, she still bumped into the person. Without even looking up, she could already smell his scent.

"Xiao Jie, where are you going in the middle of the night?" Xuan Yuan gently asked, pulling the soft, warm body of the woman who had snuggled into his arms. At the same time, he cursed inwardly: That damned Ying! He can't even do a simple task properly! In the middle of the night, he didn't even silence that woman, as if he was afraid Xiao Jie wouldn't know.

"Did you also wake up because of the noise?" Leng Jie and Xuan Yuan asked almost simultaneously. Then she looked up at Xuan Yuan and, seeing that he was still neatly dressed, changed her words, "Why aren't you asleep yet? Didn't you say you were exhausted after traveling for several days? Has Senior Brother returned?"

After dinner, Qingfeng received an urgent report that snow disasters had occurred in some areas. The emperor was claiming illness, and as the crown prince, he was responsible for state affairs, so he had to go and handle the situation.

"I have something to tell you. It's very windy here, let's go back to your room first." With that, he placed one hand on Leng Jie's shoulder and the other on her waist, turned her around, and without saying another word, embraced her and walked back.

What's going on? Leng Jie looked up at Xuan Yuan, puzzled. This guy was definitely acting strangely! But what was even stranger was that the Empress's screams had stopped after Xuan Yuan appeared. Letting Xuan Yuan half-push and half-lead her back to the room, Leng Jie turned back, staring intently into Xuan Yuan's phoenix eyes, and asked with a half-smile:

"Don't tell me you're up so late because you have something to tell me! I remember you were the first one to insist on going back to your room to sleep after dinner!"

Xuanyuan hooked his foot back to close the door, his gaze sweeping over the entire room illuminated by the night-shining pearl. He concluded that Xiaojie's room was always the same—simple and unpretentious. When his eyes fell on the neatly packed bundle on the bedside table, a slight ripple involuntarily appeared on his lips.

What are you doing? His eyes were on her, but his gaze darted away, clearly not taking her seriously! Leng Jie thought angrily.