L'hibiscus comme peinture - Chapitre 37
Saint Chi turned away from Chi Ji, looking at the newly infused blood-soul array—made even more terrifying and powerful by the thousands of innocent civilians he had captured—with the gaze one would give a beloved pet. He seemed to be talking to himself: "Yelü Ying, Yelü Ying, blame yourself for not recognizing my worth. I wasn't planning on destroying you so quickly, but you dared to look down on me, always talking about Mo Jun. I don't know what kind of curse you've cast, but you wouldn't let me touch Mo Jun. Haha… Who do you think you are? Just because I say no, you think I'll obediently listen? I'm going to do it anyway, play with her as I please. Hahaha… I just didn't expect you, Yelü Ying, to have such a taste. Hahaha…"
Faced with such a master, Chiji could only tremble.
"Also, is there any news from Chiyue?" Saint Chi suddenly asked seriously. He really is unpredictable.
"This..." It was still just one word, but the word had changed, and the tone of voice had also changed.
"Still no news?" There were already signs of impending anger.
“Chiyue has mobilized everyone and used all available connections, but they still can’t find out who Ling Aojun is….” Before he could finish speaking, Sheng Chi swung his hand, and Chi Ji was immediately sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground and spitting out a mouthful of blood. But he didn’t dare to wipe it away, so he immediately got up and knelt down in front of Sheng Chi, repeatedly begging for forgiveness, “This subordinate is incompetent, this subordinate deserves to die.”
"Alright, tell Chiyue that I'll give him another month. If he still can't find out, then the Blood Soul Heavenly Stem Eight Trigrams Formation will be his fate." He gave another cruel smile.
"Yes." This "yes" was no longer respectful, but fearful, trembling, especially after witnessing the terror of this formation firsthand. He glanced sideways at Qianlipo, and a chill ran up his spine.
Saint Chi was very satisfied with Chi Ji's reaction. He nodded, waved his hand, and Chi Ji disappeared silently, just as he had come.
Left alone, Saint Chi's thoughts drifted back to a few months earlier: on Bamboo Peak, just as he was about to succeed, a meddler had rescued Tianfeng and Tianyan, who were destined to die. Although their injuries made survival impossible, the meddler's primary intention wasn't to kill them, but to obtain the most important item! Although he found their graves the next day and exhumed them, he couldn't find the 'Heavenly Stem Divine Sword' or the 'Heavenly Kun Secret Manual' anywhere. In a fit of rage, he destroyed their bodies, only to discover a tombstone nearby inscribed: 'Tomb of Tianfeng and Tianyan of the Holy Immortal Sect, erected by disciple Ling Aojun.' He didn't know where those two old men's disciples came from, but he was certain the item was on Ling Aojun. However, even after mobilizing all the resources of the Holy Immortal Sect, he couldn't find this so-called Ling Aojun, not even the 'Detective' Chiyue. Damn it…
The Beauty Trap: If the army is strong, attack its general; if the general is wise, attack his emotions. When the general is weak and the army is demoralized, its strength will naturally wane. Utilizing this to defend against invaders is a way to ensure mutual protection.
[Chapter 37] What Everyone Loses
Inside the Longxuan military camp, in the strategist's private tent, the inevitable battle that was about to begin in the next few days was now unfolding precisely on schedule, with a dense crowd of spectators gathered outside the tent. These soldier spectators were clearly divided into two groups: one supporting Mo Yueying, and the other supporting Yu'er.
"Get up! What right do you have to lie on my brother's bed?" With the same opening line, Mo Yueying, like a wife catching her husband cheating, put one hand on her hip and pointed at Yu'er, who was leisurely lying on Ao Jun's bed, and said angrily.
Faced with Mo Yueying's roar, Yu'er struck a seductive pose on the bed and said, "Why? Because Brother Mo Jun likes me!"
"You...you're shameless." Yueying pointed at Yu'er with a trembling finger, then turned her head away, her face flushed. How dare she...how dare she make such a shameless move in front of so many people? She really is a 'vixen,' here specifically to seduce her brother.
"Am I shameless? Brother Mo Jun loves it when I'm like this." As she spoke, she tossed her hair back, truly looking like a fairy. All the spectators outside the tent were unaware that their noses were bleeding profusely.
"You...you..." Yueying was so angry that she was trembling as she pointed at her. She kept uttering the word "you" for a long time without saying the next word.
Her heart ached terribly: Did he really like a seductive woman like her? Was he truly captivated by her beauty? Did he really not love her anymore? What about all the gentleness he showed her before? Why was his gentleness now reserved only for this promiscuous vixen, and not for her? Why had he become fickle? No, he wasn't that kind of person, but his actions these past few days left her no choice but to admit it. Not only did he disregard the difference between men and women and share a room and bed with this woman, but he also treated her with utmost tenderness, personally feeding her, telling her sweet stories, speaking softly, and even getting up early every day to cook porridge for her, just because she said, "I love the porridge Brother Mo Jun cooks the most. I hope to wake up every day to delicious porridge made with love." In this cold winter, before, she had to coax him three or four times and even pull off the covers before he would reluctantly get up, only to tuck himself back in when she wasn't looking. Even if the sky were to fall, he would definitely put the covers away. But now? He's gone to such lengths for this vixen. Everyone in the military camp knows that the aloof and unsmiling strategist only shows his gentleness and greets Yu'er with a smile when he's with her. Everyone knows that Yu'er, who has only been here for a few days, has already surpassed his most beloved adopted sister, Mo Yuying, in strategist's heart.
"What's wrong with me?" Yu'er, completely abandoning her gentle and charming demeanor in front of Ao Jun, sat up arrogantly and asked Yue Ying with a sidelong glance.
"Murong Yu, let me tell you, my brother is only temporarily bewitched by you. Once he sees your true colors, hmph..." Faced with Yu'er's provocation, Yueying finally regained her composure, snorted coldly, and retaliated.
"True face? What true face do I have?" she said, walking towards Mo Yueying with a seductive air.
"Do I need to say it? Of course, you're the true face of a 'whore who sleeps with anyone,' a shameless vixen who seduces men. Don't think I don't know who you are. Hmph, aren't you just a lowly prostitute who 'has a thousand men's pillows on her jade arms'?" Yueying said contemptuously without giving her any face, as if to say, "I'd be disgusted to even say another word to you."
Those outside the tent who supported Yueying cheered repeatedly, expressing how much they supported her.
"Hehe..." After hearing this, Yu'er didn't get angry but laughed instead. Her laughter was so gentle and harmless!
"What are you laughing at?" Yueying asked sharply. Faced with her seemingly harmless smile, Yueying felt that her smile was very strange, and her unease grew stronger, as if some conspiracy was taking place under the guise of her smile.
Yu'er didn't answer, but just smiled, then slowly walked closer and whispered in Yueying's ear, "I'm laughing at your naivety, hehehe... Do you want to know what your brother does every night on this bed with me, this 'whore who's available to everyone'?" As she spoke, she breathed suggestively into Yueying's ear.
“You…” Yueying trembled all over, her face was ashen and bloodless, and tears were about to fall from her eyes, but she stubbornly held back. She could not let this woman look down on her. But the thought of her brother being intimate with this woman on this bed made her heart ache so much that she could not breathe.
Yu'er glanced casually outside the tent, a glint of cunning flashing in her eyes: It's time. Still close to Yueying's ear, she said disdainfully, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking? Always causing me trouble, isn't it just because you've fallen for Brother Mo Jun? Heh... Stop pretending to be innocent. I bet you dream of being embraced and cherished by Brother Mo Jun's strong arms! But... Brother Mo Jun loves me, and only wants to cherish me. You... heh... maybe in your next life!"
"You...you're talking nonsense." As if someone had seen through her secret, Yueying growled angrily, especially when she saw the other person's victorious posture, she couldn't help but slap the other person's face.
A crisp 'snap' echoed inside the tent, and all the spectators outside held their breath, staring blankly at the sudden turn of events.
But Yu'er, who had been hit, quickly curled into a strange smile, so fast that it seemed like an illusion. However, Yueying saw it clearly. The anger in her heart reached its peak when Yu'er quickly became pitiful.
Sure enough, a chilling voice rang out from outside the tent: "What are you doing here?"
All the soldiers outside the tent immediately shivered and stammered, "N-nothing." Then, under Ao Jun's cold gaze, they all vanished in the blink of an eye.
Watching Ao Jun walk in with a cold face, Yue Ying lowered her head, not daring to look at her. Only when Ao Jun passed by her did she muster up the courage to call out tremblingly, "Brother, I..."
However, before Yueying could speak, Aojun acted as if he hadn't seen her at all, walked straight past her, came to Yu'er, and gently stroked her face as if with heartache, asking softly, "Does it hurt?"
Yu'er's 'faucet' was turned on again. She pouted pitifully and called out, "Brother Mo Jun," before leaning against Ao Jun's shoulder.
"Don't cry, sweetie." Ao Jun pulled her into his arms and gently patted her back to comfort her.
"Brother Mo Jun... I don't know what I did wrong, Miss Mo dislikes me so much, boohoo..." Yu'er's little hand also touched Ao Jun's waist, and she said pitifully. Taking advantage of Ao Jun's inattention, she raised her head slightly and gave the stunned Mo Yueying a victorious smile.
Originally, Yueying was in great pain because of Aojun's disregard and the two's intimate behavior in front of her. When she saw Yu'er's victorious smile, she was consumed by rage. She did it on purpose.
She quickly stepped forward and pulled Yu'er out of Ao Jun's arms. She didn't use much force, but Yu'er was pulled backward and crashed into the table with a 'bang'. Blood gushed from her forehead. She pressed her hands to her forehead, looking pitiful and disheveled.
"Ying'er, what are you doing?" Ao Jun roared, shoving Yue Ying aside and rushing to Yu'er's side. He hurriedly tried to stop the bleeding and asked worriedly, "Yu'er, are you alright?"
"Waaah... Brother Mo Jun, you have to stand up for me!" Yu'er hugged Ao Jun tightly and cried.
"Don't worry, I'll stand up for you," Ao Jun said firmly, turning his head to glare at Yue Ying, who had been pushed to the ground by him.
Pushed to the ground by Ao Jun, Yueying finally couldn't hold back her tears. Meeting Ao Jun's angry glare, Yueying's heart shattered into pieces. She couldn't believe her brother would treat her like this, and murmured in disbelief, "Brother..."
Seeing Yueying like this, something flashed quickly in Aojun's eyes, which turned into raging anger in the blink of an eye. He gently pushed away Yu'er in his arms, walked quickly to Yueying, and before Yueying could react, he pulled her up and said sternly, "Ying'er, apologize to Yu'er."
Mo Jun, so rough with her, was such a stranger to her. The pain in her arm made her try to shake off Ao Jun's grip, but she was too weak. She could only sob through her tears, "Brother, it hurts..."
Ao Jun seemed not to hear him and continued to repeat, "Apologize to Yu'er, don't make me say it a third time."
"No, I refuse! It's not my fault, I won't apologize. It's her! It's all just an act. You're supposed to be the 'Number One Strategist in the World,' yet you can't even see through this little trick? I know you're bewitched by this lowly prostitute. She's promiscuous, she has no shame, she..." Yueying seemed to have suddenly become agitated, rambling on and on.
With a 'snap', the entire tent fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.