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"To show such hospitality in this way, your master is quite something. May I ask how your master is addressed?" I said, while mentally calculating. Those arrows seemed poised to pierce my body and riddle me with holes in less than a second, and my only escape route was the cliff. To call for help, I needed to activate the bracelet first, and making any rash moves at this moment would be unwise. So what else could I do? I looked at Yun Bai and Yun Yao, who had been protecting me on either side since I got off the carriage. They were really foolish. If the arrows really came, and something happened to them, how could I possibly escape alone?

“If you come back with me, Prime Minister Yun, you will be able to see my master.” He looked at me and gave me a very impolite once-over, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes.

I sneered inwardly. From their imposing entrance to the contempt in their eyes, combined with their identities, everything told me that going back with them would be a recipe for disaster. Who exactly was their master? Knowing my identity yet attempting to abduct me en route, it seemed they had a pretty good idea of my purpose. So what was their aim? Did their master know about the Wangyue Kingdom's alliance plan? If so, then their actions were simply to forge an alliance between the Wangyue, Tianqing, and Hanxing kingdoms to destroy my Longyao Kingdom. And their abduction of me was undoubtedly the best gift for the Wangyue Kingdom.

"Xiaobai, do you know them?" I moved closer to Yunbai and asked him in a low voice. When he shook his head, my heart sank even further.

“In that case, Rong Yunfeng, get on the carriage, pack your things, and then go pay your respects to your master,” I said loudly to the middle-aged man. Inside the bundle was something resembling a smoke bomb that Mu Qinglin had prepared for me. According to the instructions he had written, all I had to do was hold the black sphere, slightly larger than a ping-pong ball, at both ends, rotate it 180 degrees to the left and right, and then throw it. That way, I could escape in the thick fog.

"President Yun, please wait. My master has prepared everything for you. You need not trouble yourself." The middle-aged man called out loudly, but his tone was quite unfriendly.

"Haha, since you already know I am Yunfeng, you should also know that I don't know any martial arts. I'm just going to retrieve some personal belongings. There's a cliff over there. Are you afraid I'll just fly away?" I smiled mockingly. Judging from his nervous look, it seems they are determined to succeed this time, and I am doomed.

He paused for a moment, seemingly not expecting me to say that. After a brief moment of thought, he turned his gaze to Yun Bai and Yun Yao beside me.

"Xiaobai, Yunyao, stay here and don't follow me. Yunhui, you come this way too." I winked at the three of them, a smile appearing on my lips, and walked straight towards the carriage.

I climbed onto the carriage and rummaged through my two bundles for the smoke bombs Mu Qinglin had given me. I then planned how, when I got to Xiaobai and the other two, I could quickly activate the smoke bombs before they spotted me and throw them into the enemy ranks. I also considered how to escape safely before being riddled with arrows. Could Xiaobai and the other two understand the meaning behind my blink? Could they temporarily block so many arrows flying at them? If I were unfortunately shot to death like this, wouldn't it be better to obediently go with them and think of another way to escape?

I only dared to linger in the carriage for a short while, afraid that taking too long would displease the man at noon and cause unnecessary trouble. With a large bundle slung over my left shoulder, I held the smoke bomb firmly in my left hand under the cover of the bundle. I lifted the carriage curtain, held the carriage door frame with my right hand, and with a graceful leap, I jumped off the carriage.

"Ah!" I cried out softly, a sharp pain shooting through my ankle, and I plopped down on the ground.

Good heavens, this is incredibly embarrassing. How could I forget we're on a mountain? When I jumped down, my right foot clearly bumped into something and twisted; it hurt so much. But there's worse. Because it all happened so suddenly, I wasn't prepared at all. Not only did the bag on my left shoulder fall to the ground, but without me noticing, my left hand loosened, and the smoke grenade in my hand also fell to the ground, rolling forward with a clatter.

Everyone stared at me, momentarily stunned. No one had expected me to pull off such a stunt at this critical juncture. I myself was also taken aback, startled, because I had been nervously considering whether to test the smoke grenade's effect; I hadn't anticipated this turn of events. But in a split second, everyone returned to normal.

I lunged at the smoke grenade, but the moment my foot touched it, a sharp pain in my right ankle sent me sprawling back down. I watched helplessly as the smoke grenade slowed to a stop a short distance in front of me. Yun Bai and Yun Yao appeared almost simultaneously in front of me. Yun Bai bent down and instantly pulled me into a tight embrace, while Yun Hui followed closely behind Yun Yao, quickly scooping up the smoke grenade with his left hand and handing it to me. "Fire! Don't hurt the one in white!" the middle-aged man commanded, and dozens of arrows hurtled towards me. All of this happened almost at the same time. Just as I was about to take the smoke grenade from Yun Hui, I saw dozens of arrows flying towards me with lightning speed behind him.

This scene was so similar to last night's. Yunhui, was Yunhui going to get hurt again? No, no! I snatched the smoke bomb from his hand. Yun Bai put his left arm around me, and his right hand had somehow produced a longsword as thin as a cicada's wing, gleaming with a cold, eerie light. The blade was long and smooth, its color changing from blue to light blue from the middle to the sides—it was a double-edged sword! He flipped his right hand, and the longsword flashed, instantly enveloping us in a blue light. Broken arrows fell to the ground. I stared intently at Yunhui. Yun Yao had already shielded Yunhui behind him, and with a flick of his wrist, he had gathered all the arrows in his hand. When he threw them to the ground, they were already broken in two!

I breathed a slight sigh of relief, gripped both ends of the smoke bomb with both hands, twisted it forcefully to the left and right, and with a "click," I threw it hard at the group of men in black. At the same time, a dozen or so figures had already darted past on the opposite side, while those who remained had already drawn their bows, and at the opportune moment, they released their arrows, which flew towards them again.

With a hiss, the smoke grenade exploded, releasing a thick cloud of smoke that instantly blurred everyone's vision. I could no longer see Yun Yao and Yun Hui, so I could only cling tightly to Yun Bai's neck. But a master is a master after all; even with blurred vision, they could quickly locate the enemy by hearing. More and more people were closing in on us. Yun Bai had one arm around me and was wielding his sword with the other, which was clearly affecting his performance. With more and more people surrounding him, he was gradually becoming outmatched. I tried hard to find Yun Yao and the others, but my field of vision was only a little over a meter around me, so I couldn't see them at all. I only knew that the sounds of fighting around us seemed to be getting more and more intense.

No, this can't go on. Their target is me, and from what the middle-aged man just said, they're only responsible for bringing me back alive; they haven't received a kill order. But clearly, Yun Bai and the other two aren't on their radar. Anyone who gets in their way will be killed without mercy.

Just as I was about to blow the Seven-Colored Glazed Bracelet, assuming that Mu Qinglin had arranged for more than just the previous four people to protect me, a horse suddenly burst through the mist, charging straight towards me. Riding it was a man in black, a man who looked strangely familiar; I was certain I'd seen him somewhere before. Yun Bai, holding me close, barely dodged attacks from two people beside them. Seeing someone charging towards us, I was about to sidestep and draw my sword when the man leaned forward, his left hand reaching out to me, empty, as if trying to pull me onto the horse. I stared at him, watching him get closer and closer, the familiarity of his face growing stronger. Suddenly, a thought struck me—it was him! Without hesitation, I reached out and tightly grasped the hand he offered. Yun Bai seemed to understand my meaning in an instant. He swung his sword to the other side, just in time to block the attack of a man in black next to him. He put his hand on mine and lifted me up with a little force. I felt my body lighten. The man in black on the horse pulled me with a little force. I felt dizzy and turned around. I was already sitting on the horse.

Before I could even say a word to Yunbai and the others, the horse had already taken off galloping. The man in black behind me pressed me down, his left hand gripping the reins, his right hand wielding a sword to block the oncoming attacks. I closed my eyes tightly, ignoring the discomfort of riding for the first time and the horse's movements that nearly threw me off. I clung tightly to the horse's neck, telling myself I mustn't fall. The sounds of swords and spears faded into the distance, replaced by the whistling wind.

A long time passed. So long that I thought I couldn't hold on any longer and was about to fall off the horse, when finally the horse slowed down. I moved my hands, which were a little numb, and tried to sit up straight. When I opened my eyes, I saw a relatively flat area with rolling hills, layers upon layers of golden and wine-red colors, indescribably vibrant and clear. Small patches of grass were interspersed between the hills, and in early winter, they were all withered and yellow. Although it was a mountain path under my feet, it no longer felt as rugged as before.

"Why weren't you protecting Big Brother?" I asked softly and hoarsely after finally catching my breath. I hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day, and the constant danger and struggles to escape had exhausted me. Now that I'd rested, I felt completely drained, and the pain in my right ankle made me break out in a cold sweat. I was so tense that I'd forgotten I'd twisted my right ankle when getting off the carriage; now I felt the excruciating pain, and it must be terribly swollen. I smiled bitterly to myself. Whether in the 21st century or after inexplicably transmigrating here for half a year, when had I ever suffered like this? And in this situation, there was no room for me to cry or complain.

"Reporting to Madam, it was Master who ordered me to protect you."

"Madam...?" I almost choked on my own saliva. If the person behind me hadn't caught me in time, I would have tumbled off the horse long ago.

"Yes, that's what Master instructed." The tone was extremely respectful and affirmative.

"You...are you sure your master is the same person from Qianzuiju last time?" I think it wasn't him who wanted to be sure, but I wanted to be absolutely sure. 55555, what on earth is this fox up to?

"yes."

"You...are you sure you're the man in black who suddenly appeared and saved us at Qianzuiju last time?" No, no, this isn't true. Maybe I'm seeing things and mistakenly think he's one of the fox's bodyguards whom I met briefly at Qianzuiju last time. And then, to make matters worse, he also mistook me for his so-called master's wife.

"Yes. At that time, the lady bravely tackled her master to the ground. Her actions and heart have earned our utmost respect."

Heaven is against me! How could this happen? He really seems to be the fox's bodyguard! Where did things go wrong? Has the fox lost his mind? Why did that bastard tell them I'm his wife? If he's the master, does that mean I'm his wife? 5555, I'm a virgin, no, no, I'm a virgin, that doesn't seem right either. Never mind, all my innocence, reputation, honor, chastity, happiness, and everything else seems to be going to be destroyed by that treacherous fox's claws!

My stomach wasn't hungry anymore, and my feet didn't hurt anymore. I just felt so dizzy I felt like I was going to die. I continued listlessly, "Um, you all followed me to this place, who's going to protect Big Brother? And, when...when did Big Brother mention anything about Madam or not? What were his orders?"

"Reporting to Madam, there will be people protecting Master, so please don't worry. The night before you departed, Master instructed a few of us to secretly protect you along the way, and to ensure that you are not injured or harmed..."

"I'm not some kind of lady!" I interrupted him before he could finish speaking. Good heavens, if he keeps going on and on about being a lady, I'm going to faint.

"How could Madam not be Madam?" The voice of the man behind him finally had a hint of confusion. "The Phoenix Orchid Jade Pendant on Madam's body is the master's Madam's token. Seeing Madam is like seeing the master. Madam can use this jade pendant to order the secret agents to do anything."

Clouds Drunk, Moon Slightly Asleep (Revised Edition) Volume Two: Where Does the Vast Sky and Water Lead? One Wave After Another Rise (Part Two)

Chapter word count: 3445 Last updated: 08-12-21 16:20

One wave subsides only for another to rise (Part Two)

Phoenix Orchid Jade Pendant? I fumbled around my neck for a while before finally pulling out the jade pendant that had been hanging around my neck, and asked in a strange voice, "You mean this?"

The fox only said that with this jade pendant I could find his spies in the Azure Kingdom and escape safely, he didn't say anything else! And when I received the pendant, I didn't find anything strange about it; it seemed quite ordinary. At most, the jade was a warm white, the texture was delicate, the luster was lustrous, it felt smooth, and the carving was exquisite. The pendant was shaped like an orchid, one side smooth, and the phoenix on the other side was lifelike. Aside from these, I really couldn't see anything special about it, really, I swear. If this jade pendant is the fox's token for his wife, then he, a king of a nation, is far too stingy. And also, could he have just given me a jade pendant as a token of love without any explanation? Wouldn't I be at a huge loss? I accepted his token of love without any knowledge of it, or rather, I was completely deceived! That damned, treacherous, cunning fox!

"Madam, you may not know this, but both the Phoenix Orchid Jade Pendant and the Master's Dragon Orchid Jade Pendant are carved from thousand-year-old Hetian mutton-fat white jade. They are the final works of the world's number one jade craftsman, Master Liu Jue. However, the most precious thing about the Phoenix Orchid Jade Pendant and the Dragon Orchid Jade Pendant is not that, but that the thousand-year-old mutton-fat white jade that was carved into these two jade pendants is embedded in the mountain rocks at an altitude of 5,000 meters. Legend has it that orchids bloom around it all year round. Over the past thousand years, the jade has also acquired the fragrance of orchids. Even if it falls into the mortal world and experiences many twists and turns, this fragrance will not dissipate for a thousand years."

Good heavens, not only is there Hetian jade here, but there's also such magical Hetian jade? That's...that's...that's unbelievable! I brought the jade pendant to my nose and smelled it carefully, but I didn't detect any orchid fragrance. It seems the rumors are inaccurate.

"Madam could not smell the orchid fragrance on the jade pendant, but the dark pigeons that the master personally fed would find Madam's exact location as quickly as possible, even if Madam was thousands of miles away."

A black pigeon? Could it be the little black pigeon I saw before? No wonder that little pigeon, traveling thousands of miles from Wangyue Kingdom to Longyao Kingdom, managed to flap its wings a few times without getting lost or being snatched away by an eagle, and instead flew perfectly to the fox's doorstep to deliver a message. So that's how it is. It sounds like a myth, or something from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. That fox is so amazing, managing to get his hands on such a magical thing. Could he be a fox spirit in disguise? *Sweat*

"Besides Dark Pigeons and Dark People, what else can I order around?" People with dark minds tend to have groups of organizations that are also shrouded in darkness.

"Besides the secret agents and doves, there are also secret guards and secret envoys, all of whom are at your command, Madam."

I understand the 'undercover agents,' it's just a little trick the fox plays in Infernal Affairs. I've seen the 'hidden doves' and 'hidden guards' before. So: 'What is an undercover agent? Shouldn't you be a hidden guard?'

"Reporting to Madam, the envoy is in charge of investigating and gathering information. Your subordinate, Chief of the Dark Guard, Ye Feng, awaits your orders." As he spoke, the man suddenly leaped off his horse and knelt down two meters in front of me. Suddenly without support, and having never ridden a horse before, coupled with the previous ordeal and the pain in my right foot, I wobbled and fell straight back onto the horse in less than two seconds.

I was finally back in the carriage. Although it wasn't as good as the one Mu Qinglin had prepared for me before, it wasn't bad either. Ye Feng had somehow gotten hold of the carriage, not only changing his own clothes but also bringing along a pretty young woman. She was incredibly efficient at serving me, and she was also a doctor. She not only bandaged my right foot, which was already swollen like a bun, but also forced me to eat and drink some water. I obediently let her bandage me without a sound, then buried my head in my food. What could I do? I've always been powerless against beautiful women. Besides, I was still a little dizzy from the "Madam Incident" earlier, so I used the opportunity of eating to sort out my chaotic thoughts.