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Qingli suddenly clenched her fist tightly and powerfully, channeling her inner strength to make her voice ring out.

"I, Qingli, hereby swear that in my lifetime I will make Qing Kingdom prosperous and strong, and I will never do anything that would let down my people, my subjects, or the world!"

Amidst the resounding oath, a streak of bright red dripped from his fist, into the river, merging into the blood of millions of fallen soldiers, and imprinting itself upon the spirits of all his fallen brothers!

"Long live the King of the Fence!"

A heartfelt roar echoed along both banks of the Yangtze River, excited and resounding, just like any other uprising. Everyone looked at their deity, and the man standing at the bow of the boat exuded a kingly aura.

"Now, let's build a pontoon bridge so that our brothers on both sides can return to their camp!"

At a command, the well-trained soldiers began preparing for battle. The thick fog dissipated, and beautiful sunshine shone upon the earth. After days of gloom, the clouds had finally parted and the moon was shining brightly.

Feng Xinglie's gaze was complex, and he sighed silently. Amidst the chaos, the pontoon bridge over the river was quickly erected once again. Bai Zhongyan and the others had already been captured alive by the excited army and taken into Fengcheng. Feng Xinglie and Bai Zhongyan seemed to have become supporting characters. Amidst the deafening cheers, they returned to the east bank rather unnoticed, eager to reunite with their relatives and friends. After being separated for several days, they finally gathered together again. Feng Xinglie finally stepped into the renamed Fengcheng for the first time.

The Battle of the Great River came to an end with the shocking news of Qing Li's ascension to the throne. Of the 600,000 Qing Kingdom soldiers, over 50,000 were killed or wounded in the river, still a considerable number. The Qing Kingdom's court would surely be terrified upon receiving this report! Of course, the fact that the Nangong family 'coincidentally' saw the 'Crown Princess' Nangong Rou appear so openly beside Qing Li was also undeniable.

The cheers from both banks of the river continued all day. By the time night fell again, the news had likely already reached the Qing Kingdom's palace by fast horse, and another storm was brewing.

"Are you still thinking about Qingli?" On the city wall, Feng Xinglie was staring blankly at the black warship in the river when he suddenly felt a tightness around him as his still-warm red robe fell onto her shoulders.

“I can’t hide it from you. When I look at Qingli, I can’t help but think of someone else…” Feng Xinglie sighed softly, tightened his grip on the red robe, closed his eyes in ecstasy, and leaned against the strong, masculine chest behind him.

Ling Yuxiang carefully stretched out his arms and pulled her into his embrace.

He has done this action countless times, but each time it stirs his heart and fills him with an indescribable happiness.

"Qin Han and Qing Li are different." Knowing what she was worried about, Ling Yuxiang chuckled and reminded her, lest Feng Xinglie do something rash.

Qingli and Qin Han are completely different kinds of people. Qin Han is a born emperor, while Qingli is a complete playboy. It would be difficult for such a playboy to become an emperor. It's not that it's impossible, but on the surface he might become an emperor, but in reality, he would still be a cynical playboy.

Qingli is their friend! How could she be so honest and normal?

"That's true." Feng Xinglie smiled slightly. As long as he spoke, any knots in one's chest would melt away with his passionate tenderness.

"Oh, right, Lie, you seem to have forgotten something."

"Huh? What?"

"You forgot, we talked about this during the day, tonight..."

Ling Yuxiang's smile was cunning...

Chapter Ninety: The Stimulation of Shadows

After the Battle of Dajiang, Feng Xinglie and Ling Yuxiang settled down in Fengcheng. For the past year, from Ling Kingdom to Baihui Pass on the border, to Xiqin and then to the border of Qing Kingdom, they seemed to have never had a day of peace. They were constantly worried and rushing to solve problems, their nerves stretched like a taut bowstring, never able to stop for a moment. Now that they could finally relax, everyone felt like their bones were about to fall apart. After discussing it, Feng Xinglie and Ling Yuxiang decided to settle down first, so they could have some leisure time in Fengcheng.

The Qing Kingdom's army was stationed west of the Yangtze River, where they reorganized and awaited orders.

The battle had just ended, with countless dead and wounded. The army needed time to recuperate, and the situation within the Qing Kingdom's court was extremely complex. It was advisable to observe and wait to see how the Qing King would react after learning of this before making any further plans. Although Qing Li was determined to become king, he had not yet decided how to proceed. Such a major undertaking required a gradual process of dismantling forces within Qing Kingdom and secretly plotting to build alliances; it could not be accomplished overnight.

The struggles in the court are always a gradual process, accumulating little by little. The exact time when they begin may be recorded in history, but it is by no means that those who become kings only start planning on that day. The manifestation of anything takes time.

The black ship on the river became Qingli's temporary residence. Since he had already stated his position, he naturally had to sever ties with Fengcheng, at least to avoid giving the impression that it would involve national interests.

To avoid suspicion, Qingli naturally couldn't enter Fengcheng in full view of everyone. However, this fellow was indeed restless. Whenever he found an opportunity, he would quietly put down his small boat, carry a wine gourd, and use his cloud ladder skills to skim over the city wall of Fengcheng, leisurely arriving, saying that he wanted to catch up with Yao Tianlin.

Strangely enough, Yao Tianlin and Qingli, who initially disliked each other, became close friends who couldn't live without drinking after many days of bickering. For more than ten days, they got drunk together every day, and every night they would recite poems and compose verses in the courtyard outside Feng Xinglie and Ling Yuxiang's room, going on drunken rampages, shouting and singing loudly.

That day, he swung the wine gourd at his waist and rushed to Feng Xinglie's room. Yao Tianlin was already waiting there. He shouted loudly at the blue shadow above him, "Brother Qing, what good wine have you brought today?"

"The finest bamboo leaf green tea is fragrant, mellow, and refreshing. Smell it; the flavor is absolutely authentic!" Qingli shouted at the top of her lungs, as if afraid no one would hear her.

"Indeed, fine wine! Brother Qing, wine without poetry is no proper occasion. Tell me quickly, what literary works have you heard of recently?"

"Of course, of course! Brother Yao has spoken, how could I not let my brother have a good time? Come, come, tonight we must explore poetry thoroughly and not leave until we're drunk!"

"Have you two had enough?" A shrill soprano voice boomed from inside the tightly closed door, filled with frenzied rage. The door slammed shut with a 'bang!', splintering wood everywhere. Feng Xinglie clenched her fists, her beautiful eyes flashing coldly. "Don't make a scene in front of my door! This Fengcheng is so big, isn't there anywhere you two can have a good chat? I'm warning you, if you continue..."

"Xinglie, don't be so impulsive. It's fine if you disturb my drinking with Brother Yao, but it's unacceptable if you ruin your good time with Brother Ling! Besides, can't you think about the door? Look, this is already the tenth door in the past half month. The door repairman has been sleeping on the ground outside the City Lord's Mansion for the past two days. He's just waiting for you to summon him. I'll go and find him for you right now." Seeing that someone was already showing signs of losing their temper, Qingli knew that she was definitely not going to get anything out of it today, so she quickly slipped away.

Yao Tianlin cursed Qingli in his heart for being disloyal, but he still forced himself to say a few words: "Xinglie, losing your temper is bad for your health. Calm down, don't make Brother Ling anxious! By the way, actually..." He lowered his voice even more. He leaned close to Feng Xinglie's ashen-faced ear and said, "Well... too often is also bad for your health. You should take care of yourself. I'm going now."

Yao Tianlin's martial arts skills were extremely profound. With a flick of his body, he vanished without a trace, without even stirring up a speck of dust.

A dilapidated door stood alone in the courtyard, facing the bright moon. Feng Xinglie, both amused and exasperated, shouted, "What nonsense are you all thinking! Yu Xiang and I were just discussing political matters!"

Discussing political affairs? Qingli and Yao Tianlin, who had just jumped onto the roof, had a look on their faces that said, "You'd be a fool to believe that!"

A deep chuckle came from inside the room. A handsome man with phoenix eyes and a smile slowly walked in. He put his arm around the depressed Feng Xinglie from behind, his hot breath spraying on her fair neck, carrying that refreshing and pleasant fragrance. He felt a surge of heat rush into his stomach, and his unruly hands couldn't help but slowly caress the high breasts of the person in his arms.

"Ling, Yu, Xiang! You better behave yourself! It's all your fault. If it weren't for you that day... how could they have misunderstood like this?" Feng Xinglie grabbed his mischievous hand tightly, turned around and said with a mix of shyness and anger, but a blush rose on her cheeks. Her delicate skin was bright and beautiful under the moonlight, so tempting that one would want to take a bite.

One wrong step can lead to eternal regret!

That day, on the city wall, he suddenly kissed her passionately. Overwhelmed with emotion, Ling Yuxiang picked her up and carried her into the house. Naturally, they had a passionate night together, 'dueling' on the soft bed. But it was only one night! They weren't wild beasts. Even now that they had some free time, there were still some things to sort out. How could they possibly act recklessly every night?

Starting the next day, Qingli and Yao Tianlin began drinking and making merry at the door every night, and it was obvious to them what their purpose was.

That night, Ling Yuxiang, in his eagerness to succeed, didn't consider his surroundings or check if anyone was watching before quickly carrying Feng Xinglie back to the room. During their "battle," the two were certainly too preoccupied to care about what was happening outside. They probably weren't interested in watching the erotic scenes, but hearing the noises and connecting it to what they were doing was certain. Thus, the two men, unusually, reached a consensus and came here every night to make a ruckus, all to disrupt their "fun."

To outsiders, they seemed inseparable these days, always together, and some things that happened between them have become facts in the imagination of others.

Since their relationship is already public and the people around them know the general idea, who can stop them from doing whatever they want?

But Qingli and Yao Tianlin were truly mistaken. Feng Xinglie and Ling Yuxiang didn't actually do anything afterward; they were simply discussing trivial matters of state for the Ling Kingdom. Ling Yuxiang's visit to Feng Xinglie that time was rushed, and his sudden declaration of relinquishing his status as a prince of the Ling Kingdom would undoubtedly have a significant impact. Cleaning up the mess was unavoidable; ignoring it would only result in being stung all over by a sudden swarm of wasps!

They were already busy enough! Qingli and Yao Tianlin still had to shout loudly outside every day, "This wine smells so good!" "This poem is wonderful!" This only made Feng Xinglie furious and annoyed. He kicked down countless doors. Every day, the door repairman would stare at the two people excitedly discussing and drinking at the table with a puzzled look, and then look at the damaged door and sigh in disbelief.

How could such a perfect couple like this like this be so disgusting?

Then, the intimate moments between the two naturally transformed from tender affection into fierce and valiant deeds, prompting everyone to shake their heads and sigh, "Truly worthy of being called the 'God of War'! Even his interests in this area are called... uh, unconventional."

As the saying goes, rumors are terrifying. Feng Xinglie and Ling Yuxiang finally understood the truth of this. Faced with countless strange looks, explanations were pale and powerless. Strangling the door repairman with their eyes was useless. Trying to explain to the two culprits, Qingli and Yao Tianlin, was a waste of time and had no effect whatsoever. The two simply ignored them. Who knew that they would become more and more rampant day and night, disturbing everyone's peace. Today, Feng Xinglie was finally forced to lose his temper.

Those two know what's good for them; the enraged Feng Xinglie is no pushover. As for what happens next, it's up to Ling Yuxiang, the unfortunate victim, to decide.

Ling Yuxiang cursed those two bastards in his heart, but could only try to appease the beauty in front of him.

"So what if they misunderstand? Do you really care about those rumors, Feng Xinglie? Would you be afraid to stay with me because of this?" Knowing Feng Xinglie's personality, he feigned surprise.

"Of course I don't care! Don't try to provoke me!" Having seen through Ling Yuxiang's scheme at a glance, Feng Xinglie rolled his eyes in annoyance, finally regaining a sliver of rationality, and glanced at him sideways.

"Let those people misunderstand and say whatever they want, I don't care. Just tell them you're my man, I won't lose anything. To hell with morality and ethics! But those two bastards need to be dealt with, right? Are we going to let them continue to be so arrogant and unruly outside our door every day? We've been busy these past few days, but can you guarantee you won't want to anymore? I don't care if people hear us, but do you like it when you're having a good time and suddenly someone outside says 'This wine smells so good' or 'This poem is wonderful'? Humph! If you don't resolve this for me, you're not allowed in my bed anymore, or I'll find someone else."

"You dare!" Hearing the first few words, Ling Yuxiang was initially pleased and smug, but upon hearing the last sentence, his reason snapped completely! A fire ignited within him, his phoenix eyes blazing with fury, his narrow pupils gleaming with a sharp light. He bit down hard on those hateful, incessantly chattering lips, kissing them fiercely! This little woman was becoming increasingly audacious and lawless! She actually dared to threaten him with such words!

Just as they were locked in their struggle, a ghostly smile suddenly drifted from the shadowy corner.

"What's there to be afraid of? The women in our area have never cared about that thin piece of clothing."

Feng Xinglie was completely absorbed in the moment when he suddenly glared at Ling Yuxiang, nudged him, wiped the saliva from the corner of his lips, and, showing no embarrassment at being caught, said coolly, "Xiaoying, why aren't you staying on the ship? You're more interested in coming here to spy?" Who else but Feng Xingying could hide so well in the darkness that even they couldn't detect her?

"Hmph! Do you really care if I come or go? Don't give me that crap. Ancient women valued chastity and face more than their lives, but in our eyes, it's nothing special." Feng Xingying emerged from the shadows, speaking disdainfully.

Even Feng Xinglie showed no sign of blushing, and Ling Yuxiang, who was always thick-skinned, was naturally not shy either. However, his curiosity turned into unease: "Are all the women in your area so open? I thought you were the only oddball. I suppose you are too."

Feng Xingying's usually cold face broke into a sinister smile: "Not all of them are open-minded, some are conservative, but most don't care. Besides, we shady characters have seen all sorts of dirty things. Let's not even talk about the Taoist practice of keeping mistresses. Even in normal times, there are many men and women who don't need your so-called formal betrothal and wedding ceremonies to get together privately. If they don't get married, that's called cohabitation. There are also those who sleep together for one night and then go their separate ways, never to bother each other again. That's called a one-night stand..."

Thump! Thump! Two strange sounds came from behind. Before she could finish speaking, Feng Xinglie kicked her: "Please, just say the good things. Why keep saying all these bad things? Look at you, you scared someone, didn't you?"

He pointed to Qingli and Yao Tianlin, who had fallen from the eaves. They hadn't gone far, hoping Feng Xinglie and Ling Yuxiang would come down and continue their 'discussion' after they entered the house. Although they had come down now, they had truly fallen because they were frightened by Feng Xingying's words. The two of them got up, their eyes wide open, staring at Feng Xinglie and Feng Xingying with astonishment and a strong sense of scrutiny.

Feng Xingying ignored them, raised an eyebrow at Ling Yuxiang, whose expression was somewhat frightening as he pondered, and continued, "Brother-in-law, don't say I didn't warn you. If you're complacent just because you've won Xiao Lie over, thinking she'll be yours forever, then your hopes are about to be dashed. Women in our area never care who they gave their virginity to. If there's a disagreement, a woman can leave a man and call it 'dumping you.' Even if she's already married, she can divorce him. If you don't treat Xiao Lie well and continue to act like a chauvinist, yelling at her and being domineering, then don't complain when you get dumped."

Feng Xinglie was taken aback, a warmth spreading through her heart. She smiled and patted her shoulder, saying, "Alright, Xiaoying! It's not what you think. Yuxiang wouldn't do that. He was just worried about me, that's why he was anxious. Don't scare him like that." Feng Xingying was usually aloof, but her thoughtfulness and concern for her made her feel gratified and happy.

She was reminding Feng Xinglie not to give them any chance to misunderstand each other. Anything that might trigger strong emotions in Ling Yuxiang, things he was already aware of and quite concerned about, should be told to him truthfully. Otherwise, if he heard it from someone else, even the most rational person would be overwhelmed by their emotions!

It turned out that Feng Xingying had received a secret letter from the Nangong family and came to find Qingli. However, she happened to see Ling Yuxiang's angry shouting and misunderstood her brother-in-law's attitude towards Feng Xinglie. After all, she didn't know Ling Yuxiang very well and thought that this man was just acting out of male chauvinism. That's why she came out to provoke him in order to protect Feng Xinglie.

However, Feng Xinglie herself knew perfectly well that Ling Yuxiang simply loved her too deeply, so much so that he couldn't help but want to refute her as soon as he heard those words. Of course, his tone was a bit strong, but what's wrong with a man being a little domineering? She liked it when he was a little domineering.

Feng Xingying frowned. Since Feng Xinglie had already spoken, she didn't need to remind him further. The Feng sisters knew better than anyone how intelligent Feng Xinglie was, and she would never let herself be taken advantage of! However, even though it was her own doing, since she had already taken the initiative, she was going to make sure it was thoroughly dealt with.

Thinking of this, he curled his lips into a smile, paused for a second, and then said with a sinister grin, "Xiao Lie, haven't you had enough one-night stands?"

Feng Xinglie was stunned for a second, then his mind went on high alert. Just as he was about to say something, a strong arm wrapped around his neck and suddenly hooked him. His entire body fell into a hot chest, where he was held tightly in his arms.

Looking up, Ling Yuxiang's phoenix eyes were filled with a deep, dark light, and his whole being suddenly exuded an invisible sense of oppression.

Feng Xinglie could sense that the body that was holding her, seemingly angry, was trembling slightly; he was afraid!

A sudden heat rose in his chest. He was terrified of her leaving; he cared so much that he was filled with extreme fear. She involuntarily reached out to stroke his cheek to comfort him, but before she could touch him, Ling Yuxiang scooped her up in his arms and carried her away, rushing towards his own room on the other side of the city lord's mansion.

Feng Xingying walked up to the two stunned people and said coldly, "What are you still looking at? If you want to be the King of the Fence, hurry up and come back with me!" She didn't realize that her tone at this moment also contained a bit of helplessness and concern.

With his clothes fluttering in the night wind, Ling Yuxiang had forgotten about Qingli and the other two. He didn't want to think about anything anymore. The oppression in his chest made him want to scream at the sky!

Feng Xinglie has always disregarded ethics and morality, and Ling Yuxiang has always admired his attitude, but now he is also having a headache over it.

When she said those words before, he understood that if Feng Xinglie could say it without batting an eye, he probably really had the guts to do it. Regardless of whether he rationally believed she would do it, he understood that Feng Xinglie didn't really care about such things, which was why he panicked and roared out.

A wave of extreme discomfort washed over Ling Yuxiang. He had known since learning that Feng Xinglie had once been reborn that her seductive skills and bedroom prowess were not acquired out of thin air. He had said in the cave that day that it would be a lie to say he didn't mind! And today, Feng Xingying's actions had only fueled his uncontrollable, volcanic eruption of jealousy!

Yes, Ling Yuxiang was jealous! He was jealous of every man who had ever been with Feng Xinglie! He was jealous of every man born in that world. Why couldn't he have been born in that world? Why couldn't he have met her sooner? So that she could have only his image in her heart and soul from beginning to end!

After jealousy came fear and unease. Everything that had happened before was a thing of the past. Ling Yuxiang had been able to let go; now that he had received her precious first time, shouldn't he be satisfied? Ever since he learned her true identity, an indescribable fear had haunted him. He had a premonition that Feng Xinglie might have a chance to return to that world. And she had given him her body; she had entrusted him with something so precious. Surely she would stay for him?

But Feng Xingying's words pierced Ling Yuxiang's heart like steel needles, making it impossible for him to ignore them. Such matters were utterly insignificant to Feng Xinglie. What else did he have to be proud of? What could he use as leverage to keep her? If one day she faced returning there, what reason would he have to keep her? Chastity or fame and fortune? Would she even care?

Besides himself, what else did Feng Xinglie care about? His only bargaining chip was himself and Feng Xinglie's love for him!

However, which is more important: returning home or her love for him? Between the deep affection between father and daughter and the intense love between them, how will she choose? On her first night in Fengcheng, she told him many things about her past. She told him about her father, whom she cherished so much, a father who became a lifelong regret. Ling Yuxiang couldn't help but keep asking herself, if she had the chance to return to that father's side, would she still choose to stay?

Ling Yuxiang could fully imagine Feng Qing's position in Feng Xinglie's heart. Facing such a person, he rarely had the thought that he could not compare with him. After all, the former had become an eternal pain in Feng Xinglie's heart. Such regret, such a person had become a phantom in her memory. How could he surpass him?

The cold wind couldn't wake Ling Yuxiang's head. He kicked open the door that was right in front of him, stepped into the room, locked it behind him, and in an instant, gently placed the person in his arms on the bed.

His deep eyes, like those of a hawk or a wolf, seemed intent on devouring the beauty before him. However, Feng Xinglie clearly saw that his gaze also radiated boundless fear. Unable to resist, he quickly reached out and embraced Ling Yuxiang's head, burying his face deep in his chest. This sight made Ling Yuxiang appear heartbreakingly vulnerable.

Ling Yuxiang had a strange premonition that he couldn't explain, so how could Feng Xinglie have guessed such a bizarre thing? But her heart still suddenly ached. Why was he afraid of something she rarely couldn't figure out, but she was also upset because he was tormenting himself like this because of her.

"Yu Xiang, everything Xiao Ying said is true. I shouldn't have kept it from you. I'm sorry!"

“Even if she hadn’t said anything, you had planned to tell me everything a long time ago, but you were afraid of upsetting me, so you didn’t tell me everything at once. I know.” A muffled voice came from his chest. He knew it, but he couldn’t let it go.

"...I shouldn't have said those things about infidelity, I'm sorry." Feng Xinglie didn't know how to comfort him, so she could only offer a haphazard apology. Normally, she could joke around with him freely, but she had never seen him so vulnerable, as if the slightest touch would shatter him. She couldn't joke about his sincerity. She would never want to hurt him!

Hearing her flustered and concerned words, Ling Yuxiang felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and in the blink of an eye, he had already made up his mind!

Even if he couldn't completely eradicate her desires, he wanted to make her fall even more in love with him, both as a person and physically! This would give him more confidence. Ling Yuxiang didn't think there was anything despicable about using this as leverage. Loving her meant giving her the best and making her infatuated with him. Loving someone meant fighting for them to avoid future regrets—wasn't that right?

With a slightly wicked smile, Ling Yuxiang suddenly wrapped his arms around her, pressed her down on the bed, whispered in her ear, and began to roam restlessly over her body.

"Looks like I haven't been working hard enough these past few days? Perhaps our dear Feng Wushuai is so unsatisfied that he's thinking of having an affair? It has indeed been quite a while. How about I 'satisfy' you properly now?" A husky, suggestive voice entered her right ear. The wet touch of his lips lingered on her earlobe, causing a series of shivers. Although Feng Xinglie was startled by his lewd words, she had to admit that this guy was truly a master of flirting. In an instant, her body felt as if she had been electrocuted, an irresistible surge of heat rushing up.

They'd only been intimate a couple of times, and those were mostly back-and-forth exchanges of passion; she rarely had a chance to truly enjoy his services, and he rarely restricted her freedom. But now, Ling Yuxiang was pressing down on her, one hand gripping her two delicate wrists, the other constantly teasing her body. Feng Xinglie was horrified to discover that, due to this damned supine position, the weight on his body was pressing down on her so much that she couldn't move an inch!