The Foolish Agent

Chapter 100

Zi Ying seemed to have discerned something from Qing Feng's expression, and he hurriedly followed. Seeing Qing Feng fly directly towards the palace, Zi Ying flew past him and asked:

"They've been gone for several hours. Do you think you can catch up with them now?"

Qingfeng glared hatefully at the accomplice before him, though he desperately wanted to ignore him. But not wanting to waste time, he still angrily replied:

"The whole city was under martial law last night. They could go out in person and on horseback, but they couldn't get out. Now that the city gates have just opened, they must be at the city gate."

Just as Qingfeng had predicted, not only were Xuanyuan and his men unable to get their horses out, but they themselves were also unable to leave.

After leaving Yangpu's room, Xuanyuan went to Lengjie's room. It was still brightly lit inside. He gently knocked twice on the door. He waited a few seconds, but there was no response. He then jumped in through the window.

He gently approached the bedside, looking at Xiao Jie, who was wrapped up tightly in the blanket from head to toe. Xuan Yuan couldn't help but smile. A person who keeps a luminous pearl in the room, yet sleeps with their head tucked under the covers—perhaps only Xiao Jie in this world could do that!

He carefully pulled back the blanket slightly, revealing Xiao Jie's head. His gaze was fixed on her peerless, beautiful face. Even in her sleep, her anxious expression was evident. In particular, her two crescent-shaped eyebrows were deeply furrowed. As he looked, Xuan Yuan's brows also furrowed. A sharp, aching pain welled up in his heart again.

His slender fingers involuntarily rose, gently stroking the wrinkle, wanting to smooth it out. But his fingers seemed to lack such magic, for the wrinkle remained. He couldn't help but bend down again, gently kissing the wrinkle that pained him with his warm, thin lips. Then, a torrent of love surged forth like a burst dam. His lips lingered, unwilling to leave, gently moving from her brow to her closed eyes, then to her high, straight nose. The soft, smooth tip of her nose captivated Xuan Yuan. He couldn't resist extending his tongue to gently lick it. He had never known that Xiao Jie's nose was so adorable. His kisses continued all the way to his long-missed lips. The sweet taste made his heart flutter.

A kiss from just one person always seemed to lack something. Xuanyuan finally raised his head, looking once again with burning eyes at the still soundly sleeping beauty. He couldn't help but shake his head and lament his own pitiful state, that he could only express his love to his beloved in such a secretive way.

He should actually be thankful he arrived at the right time. Because Leng Jie had hypnotized him, he was able to do whatever he wanted. Otherwise, given Leng Jie's level of vigilance, he would have been attacked by some hidden weapon long ago.

Xuanyuan reached out and pressed Xiaojie's pressure point to induce sleep. He gently stroked Xiaojie's fair and delicate face. In an apologetic tone, he softly said to her, "I'm sorry, Xiaojie. I can't bear to see you stay in this place that causes you pain. Seeing you sad hurts my heart. I've already helped Qingfeng resolve his problem decisively. Let's go home now. I won't let you get hurt again."

After saying this, he took a soft fox fur coat from Xiaojie's wardrobe and dressed her in it, along with the leather boots that were placed by the bed. He then slung her handbag over his shoulder, lifted her from the bed, and flew away into the night…

As Xuanyuan flew through the biting wind and swirling snow of the night, he felt the person in his arms shivering. He quickly increased his speed, wanting to reach the agreed meeting place with Yangpu as soon as possible. As long as there was a horse for transportation, he could use the energy he used to practice his lightness skill to warm Xiaojie.

But when he arrived, he only saw a dejected Yang Pu standing alone in the snow outside the palace walls, carrying two bundles and facing the cold wind.

"Where's the horse I told you to prepare?"

"The whole city is under martial law after midnight; it's impossible to get a horse," Yang Pu replied in a trembling voice, shaking off the snowflakes and warming his nearly frozen hands. His gaze, however, was fixed in surprise on the person in Xuan Yuan's arms. He blurted out:

"Are you holding the Third Master?"

"Yes," Xuanyuan replied coldly. At the same time, Xuanyuan angrily muttered:

"Martial law? Ordered by Qingfeng?"

"They're probably worried about trouble caused by the Second Prince's men!" Yang Pu replied, his gaze never leaving Xuan Yuan's chest. He finally realized something was amiss; the Third Master was clearly asleep. With this realization, Yang Pu's eyes widened even further, seemingly so astonished he forgot the cold. It wasn't until a gust of cold wind filled his open mouth, chilling him to the bone, that he snapped back to reality and asked in surprise:

"Sect Master, you didn't steal the Third Sect Master, did you? Doesn't the Third Sect Master want to leave?"

"Meddlesome!" Xuanyuan, who was pondering what to do next, was abruptly interrupted by Yangpu. He glanced at him and coldly uttered two words. This sent a chill down Yangpu's spine, who was already shivering. Yangpu tightened his arms and asked timidly:

"Sect Master, should we use our lightness skill to leave the city? And then buy a few horses after we get out?"

“No, Xiaojie will freeze to death. Let’s find a sheltered place first and leave the city at dawn.” After considering it for a moment, Xuanyuan made a wise decision.

Yang Pu was glad that the sect leader didn't intend to leave the city immediately, because the weather was truly unbearably cold. With his limited skills, he couldn't withstand the onslaught of this cold front at all. He was already wrapped in a fur coat, yet he was still nearly frozen stiff. Meanwhile, the "sleeping" Third Sect Leader in the sect leader's arms wasn't using her internal energy to resist the cold at all. If the sect leader didn't use his internal energy to protect her from the cold, by tomorrow morning, she would most likely have turned into the Ice Sect Leader.

With martial law in effect in the city, they had no choice but to return to the palace, which was just a wall away. They couldn't go back to Qingfeng Palace, so they found a side hall closest to the palace wall to stay in. Yangpu lit a stove to warm himself. Xuanyuan, on the other hand, held Xiaojie tightly, using his inner strength to ward off the cold.

At dawn, the snowstorm stopped. Golden sunlight bathed the snow-covered earth. The capital of Beifeng, silent for half the night, suddenly came back to life. As soon as the city gates opened, the first few travelers to leave were Xuanyuan and his party of three men on two horses. Once outside the city gates, Yangpu let out a long sigh of relief and called out to Xuanyuan beside him:

"Sect Master, it seems that Young Master Qingfeng still hasn't noticed that we've left."

"Really? Look who's in front of you," Xuanyuan replied calmly.

Yang Pu followed Xuan Yuan's gaze and looked straight ahead. Thirty paces directly in front of them stood a figure in a yellow court robe, imposing and resolute amidst the snow. The person glaring at them was none other than the Qingfeng Young Master he had just called out. Beside him, in a purple cotton coat, his face showing surprise and his eyes filled with resentment, was none other than his Second Master. "It seems the Emperor isn't so happy about keeping the Second Master," Yang Pu thought.

"Did you receive my big gift?" Xuanyuan spoke first, looking at Qingfeng and asking calmly.

"Come back with me!" Qingfeng said firmly. Then he added, "You can't take Xiaojie away now."

“You have no right to say that. It’s because you failed to protect Xiaojie and caused her so much harm. Only by leaving this place that hurt her can Xiaojie slowly let go of that painful memory.” Xuanyuan bluntly attacked Qingfeng’s weakness.

Qingfeng trembled at Xuanyuan's words, lowering his head in silence for a moment. Then he looked up, his gaze fixed on Leng Jie in Xuanyuan's arms, and said with difficulty:

“I admit that what happened yesterday was my negligence that caused Xiaojie to get hurt. Fortunately, Xiaojie was only seriously injured. She was rescued before she was hurt. Although she was frightened, she did not suffer the kind of serious and irreversible damage that we were worried about. She told me this herself last night. I was going to tell you, but I haven’t found the opportunity.”

Hearing Qingfeng's words, Xuanyuan's mind was instantly filled with a jumbled mess of emotions. He was happy that Xiaojie hadn't been hurt, but at the same time, he was heartbroken that Xiaojie knew he was heartbroken for her, yet she wouldn't explain what had happened. Thinking back to how cold Xiaojie's attitude towards him had been in her room last night, Xuanyuan felt a mix of emotions, a bittersweet feeling that only he could truly understand.

Chum looked at the sleeping beauty in his arms, his heart filled with both love and resentment. How could she be so heartless towards him? Didn't she care at all about his feelings? Such a serious matter, and she wouldn't even bother to explain?

Upon hearing Qingfeng's words, Ziying and Yangpu both breathed a sigh of relief, their hearts filled with unwavering understanding. Xiaojie was alright; all was well!

Qingfeng saw that Xuanyuan was looking at Xiaojie with a complicated expression, remaining silent. He leaped in front of Xuanyuan's horse, gazing intently at Xiaojie, who was leaning weakly against Xuanyuan's chest. He continued:

"Have you thought about the consequences of kidnapping Xiaojie like this? Putting aside Xiaojie's strong personality and inability to accept being controlled, her current body cannot withstand the jolting on horseback. If you cause her to miscarry, I think she will definitely fight you to the death."

Whoosh! Three pairs of astonished eyes and six pairs of suspicious gazes simultaneously shot towards Qingfeng. It clearly stated:

"Did we mishear, or are you joking? How could Xiaojie miscarry? She's an unmarried young woman. Even if she were murdered, she wouldn't miscarry so quickly, would she?"

Qingfeng remained silent, looking up at Xuanyuan. Xuanyuan's fingers were already on Xiaojie's wrist. A moment later, Xuanyuan's face darkened. Two furious gazes, like two raging flames, shot towards Qingfeng. If he weren't holding someone and unable to attack, he would have already swung his fist at Qingfeng. After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a hateful sentence through gritted teeth:

"Qingfeng! You bastard!"

"I wish I were that bastard," Qingfeng murmured softly, head bowed. He had always thought the child was Xuanyuan's. But now it seemed to have nothing to do with him, so... Thinking this, Qingfeng suddenly looked up and met Xuanyuan's gaze. His eyes were filled with provocation and amusement.

"Now you can hand Xiaojie over to me! I promise I won't let her suffer the same kind of harm as yesterday again." Qingfeng raised his hands to take Xiaojie.

Xuanyuan was enraged by Qingfeng's expression, his blood boiling with fury! His phoenix eyes were bloodshot. His teeth were clenched so tightly they almost broke. Even his hands, holding Xiaojie, trembled. Yet, he still couldn't bring himself to tighten his grip or let go. He glared fiercely at Qingfeng and said, word by word:

"You—can't—even—think—about it!"

After saying that, he turned to the person next to him and instructed:

"Yangpu, go find a carriage and put in plenty of bedding. Ying, go buy some nutritious food."

"Are you really going to take Xiaojie away today?" Qingfeng interrupted Xuanyuan and asked in a cold voice.

“I said this three years ago in Jianzhou: I’ve made up my mind about Xiaojie in this life. I will never let go, no matter what,” Xuanyuan replied in a cold and firm voice.

"Don't forget, we agreed on fair competition. Now that Xiaojie has chosen me, are you still going to force her to go back?" Qingfeng's voice turned sharp.

Xuanyuan was clearly struck by Qingfeng's words, "If Xiaojie chooses me." This suddenly reminded him of another thing Qingfeng had said yesterday: "Then we'll live a peaceful life in Wuyou Valley with the child and our master." And Xiaojie's refusal to go with him, wanting to stay for Qingfeng. The more he thought about it, the heavier Xuanyuan's heart sank. If Xiaojie's heart truly belonged to Qingfeng? Could he really let go? He didn't know; he only knew he couldn't live without Xiaojie. And at this moment, his heart was being slowly tortured. His arms tightened unconsciously around Xiaojie.

"You'll hurt Xiaojie like that!" Qingfeng shouted a warning, subduing Xuanyuan, who was already in a nightmare state. While supporting him with one hand, she used the other to remove the blood from the girl in Xuanyuan's arms. Leng Jie, regaining consciousness, involuntarily shrank towards the source of warmth, Xuanyuan's embrace.

She shivered suddenly, opened her eyes abruptly, then closed them again in disbelief. She opened them again. The scene before her was still unchanged. She asked, bewildered:

"What's going on? It's so cold!" she said, shivering involuntarily.

"Xiao Jie, quickly circulate your internal energy to ward off the cold!" Qingfeng reminded her.

Leng Jie gathered her qi while scanning the current situation. However, she still didn't understand what was going on. It wasn't until she converted the internal energy in her dantian into heat that she looked up at the injured Xuan Yuan, then at the indifferent Qing Feng, then at the expressionless Zi Ying, and the surprised Yang Pu. Only then did she leisurely ask:

"Can anyone tell me what's going on? Are we supposed to be fleeing? Has the old emperor come up with some new trick?"

She noticed that the five of them only had two horses. Moreover, their expressions were grave and strange. Most importantly, they didn't even wake her; they simply led her out of the palace.

Qingfeng was somewhat amused and exasperated by Xiaojie's question. The other three were equally at a loss for words, especially Xuanyuan, who had just been secretly freed from Qingfeng's control. He truly didn't know how to face Xiaojie.

"Say something! What happened? Are you trying to drive me crazy?" Leng Jie urged, her eyes wide.

Xuanyuan glanced at Qingfeng, who seemed uninvolved, then at his two subordinates who were waiting to see the show. He knew he couldn't escape being the culprit. Gritting his teeth, he confessed everything:

"The old emperor has already abdicated in favor of Qingfeng. So I wanted to take you back to Jinghe. But Qingfeng has caught up with us. He says he wants to know your opinion. Do you want to come back to Jinghe with me or go back to the palace with him?"

Did she hear that right? Xuanyuan wanted to abduct her? Then Qingfeng caught up with her, and now she had to make a choice. That's why he woke her up! What were these two doing? She stared in astonishment at Xuanyuan, whose face was a mixture of shame and expectation. Then she looked at Qingfeng, who was equally expectant. Her face suddenly darkened, and she said coldly with a mocking tone:

"Are you all so bored? What's up? Do you want to write a beautiful legend about loving a beauty more than your country, or turning your brothers against each other for a beauty, to be remembered for generations?"

"Pfft!" Yang Pu couldn't help but laugh. But his laughter was immediately silenced by Liu Dao's murderous gaze. The clever Zi Ying was different; she could even manage a sinister smile. The three conflicted individuals were completely oblivious to her presence.

Leng Jie's words made Qingfeng and Xuanyuan feel utterly ashamed, yet they both still felt hopeful. At least, Xiao Jie hadn't made a choice, hadn't she? Little did they know that their newly ignited flame of hope would be immediately drenched by Leng Jie's subsequent torrential downpour.

"While comparing myself to a peerless beauty might be a bit... narcissistic!, I don't want to be a femme fatale. So, let me make this clear: I've always considered you all my best friends, brothers, and family. No matter which of you is in trouble, I won't stand idly by. I'll do everything I can to help. Although my abilities are limited, and I often end up making things worse..."

"No, Xiaojie, you don't need to belittle yourself! Your goodness is evident to all of us," Xuanyuan interrupted Xiaojie and said seriously.

“Yes! There’s no girl in the world who can compare to you!” Qingfeng retorted, not to be outdone.

“Yes! The Third Gate Master is the fairy in the hearts of the Dragon Gate brothers!” Yang Pu quickly added.

"Xiao Jie..." Zi Ying's words were interrupted by Leng Jie's laughter.

"Haha...haha..." Leng Jie laughed, clutching her stomach.

"Could you please wait until I finish speaking before praising me? Although everything you say is exactly what I like to hear, I'm afraid that once I'm done, you won't consider me a flawless goddess anymore." Leng Jie straightened up, sitting upright on her horse. Her back pressed tightly against Xuan Yuan's broad chest. She tried hard to suppress the laughter that threatened to burst out. She solemnly announced:

"I'm officially telling you now that the seemingly ethereal and aloof person you saw before was all an act. My only unique skill is acting. You've all witnessed my ability to disguise myself, haven't you? There's basically no role I can't play. In reality, I'm just an ordinary person, even more ordinary than ordinary people. But now I'm about to do something extraordinary. If you can still admire me, then I'll be truly happy."

"Xiao Jie, what exactly are you trying to say?" Hearing Leng Jie's words, Xuan Yuan felt a little flustered. He asked impatiently.

"What exactly do you want to do?" Qingfeng also felt very frustrated.

Leng Jie looked up at them with a beaming smile, gently stroking her lower abdomen. She happily announced loudly:

"I've decided never to get married in this lifetime. From now on, I'll live a happy life as a single mother and child! If you can still accept that, I can generously let the child recognize you as godfathers. If you think I'm too shocking, then just pretend you don't know me!"

Everyone present was stunned by Leng Jie's words! Leng Jie clearly felt the people behind her freeze. It was as if their heartbeats had stopped! Qingfeng was also dumbfounded, forgetting to breathe. Yangpu was even more exaggerated, tumbling off his horse and forgetting to get up after landing on the snow. Ziying's expression was the most normal; he was picking his ear with his fingers, seemingly not understanding what she had said.

After observing everyone's expressions, Leng Jie felt a little embarrassed. It seemed her child was destined to have no godfather. However, she hadn't held out much hope for them anyway, so her smile quickly returned.

How could she know? Her decision was more than just shocking! In that era, it was utterly appalling! Moreover, the country had clear laws and regulations; having a child out of wedlock was punishable by drowning in a pig cage. Okay, even if she had two emperors backing her, no one dared to drown her. But what about the child's father? Could he accept it? Yes! What about the child's father? Several people almost simultaneously thought of this question. Except for Qingfeng, whose gaze remained fixed on Leng Jie, the other three pairs of eyes all turned to Qingfeng. But they quickly discerned something amiss from Qingfeng's expression: the child wasn't Qingfeng's.

Zi Ying thought about it carefully and realized it made sense. He had been with them the whole time. He knew Qingfeng and Xiaojie's relationship very well; how could they possibly have a child? He couldn't help but wonder who the child's father might be.

"Could you please stop staring at me like that? If you want to know who the father of the child in my belly is, you can just ask me directly!" Leng Jie said casually, as if she were asking if someone had eaten. It was such an ordinary thing.

Finally, the person behind her stirred. Leng Jie could feel Xuan Yuan's heart pounding fiercely, as if it wanted to burst from his thick chest. His breathing was rapid, and his hot breath made Leng Jie's hair dance wildly. The arms that had been gently wrapped around her now tightened around her. Leng Jie tried to pry him off, but she couldn't move him an inch.

Who is that man?

A voice, cold enough to rival ice and snow, came from Leng Jie's head. Leng Jie involuntarily shivered.

"Yes! Who is that irresponsible beast who dared to bully the Third Master? We will definitely help you find him." Yang Pu said angrily.

Leng Jie was very grateful that Yang Pu had intervened. Otherwise, she really wouldn't know how to answer Xuan Yuan's question. She couldn't guarantee that the child would look like her after birth, even though she dreamed of it. She looked at Yang Pu and asked:

"Why drag him out? To force him to take responsibility for me? But what if I don't want to take responsibility?"

Receiving eight more strange gazes, Leng Jie quickly continued:

"This child was just an accident. His father doesn't truly love me, so I don't intend to marry him for the sake of the child. Do you understand what I'm saying? Besides, I have a phobia of marriage. I don't believe any man can love only one woman for his entire life. Perhaps to you, it's common for men to have multiple wives and concubines. But for women, that's definitely the beginning of disaster. And I've always liked to prevent disasters before they happen. I don't know if you can understand what I'm saying?"

Can a man truly not love only one woman for life? Several men asked themselves this question simultaneously. Without a doubt, their answers were all no. Because no man would admit to being unfaithful. Of course, that's because it hasn't happened yet. Until it does. They'll shift all the blame onto the woman. To their ex, they'll say the new lover seduced them. To the new lover, they'll list a whole host of flaws in the ex, things they once considered virtues, now unforgivable. Just like the man who had slowly erased Leng Jie from his heart. Wasn't he initially moved by Leng Jie's work ethic and strong sense of national identity, and fell in love with her? But what happened later? These all became reasons for his infidelity!

Leng Jie shook her head and sighed. She never expected them to understand, did she? As for why she needed to explain so much? She didn't understand it herself. She thought that perhaps subconsciously, she still needed their support.

"Did I scare you? It's alright. If none of you can accept it, just pretend you don't know me! I won't blame you. Actually, I've always been an oddball." With that, Leng Jie pulled away the large hands that were wrapped around her waist. She wanted to jump off the horse and leave alone. Now that everything was resolved, it was time for her to leave.

“Who says we can’t accept it! Third Sect Master, I want to be your child’s godfather. If anyone asks, just say the child’s father is dead, and that’s it…” Yang Pu was the first to pat his chest and say. But before he could finish speaking, he received two warning glares. He immediately shut his mouth.

"I don't want to be the child's godfather, I want to be the child's father!" Xuan Yuan's firm and irrefutable voice came from Leng Jie's head.