Chapter 23: Shaoshao Arrives

For nearly a month, the carriage had been rushing about, either mining for stones or engaging in construction. Fortunately, it now ran directly on coal, or else relying on firewood alone would never have allowed them to build each city so swiftly.

“Ah! At last, we can go home!” The carriage set out for the military encampment. Dongjun should have been happy, but she could not bring herself to smile.

A few days prior, Lord of the Clouds and his companions had already arrived at the Jiangbei camp, but Lin Shu, feverish with his city-building frenzy, had no time to receive them. Even Shaoshao, who was close to him, had to wait.

Dongjun knew that this time, she truly had to leave. Looking back on this period—though she had often been exasperated—it had also been her most peaceful days. At least she had not needed to worry about her cultivation falling behind, nor about her safety, and she did not have to weigh every word with such caution.

“Are you really going to go?” The Moon Goddess sighed.

It was a pity that the power Lin Shu had displayed during this time still could not sway her stubborn elder sister.

She had witnessed city walls rising rapidly, seen stone dwellings take shape, and at last understood how cities could be built on snowy ground. There were legends that the Azure Dragon’s Seven Stars could change the world and shake the realm; surely the king’s carriage was no less formidable.

Dongjun shook her head lightly. “Xiaoyue, let me be the one to repay the Eastern Emperor’s kindness.”

“Yes, only…” Thinking of Dongjun’s mission, the Moon Goddess could not bring herself to say more. To send a young maiden to approach a young man—whatever the outcome, it could only end in devastation for the girl.

From afar, the king’s divine carriage appeared, causing a stir throughout the camp.

“Greetings, my king!”

“My king! My king!”

The thunderous shouts were so resounding that even the tens of thousands of Donghu cavalry across the river looked north in astonishment.

Those thousands of Donghu men had not come to attack, but to guard against the wild men’s army crossing the river.

“Truly, before such an army, even martial arts and sorcery must yield!” An invisible pressure as vast as mountains and seas descended; Lord of the Clouds dared not harbor the slightest ill intent.

Xiao Ling came running out of a tent, feeling the might of the army and growing even more despondent. “Heh! We siblings have just escaped the wolf’s lair, only to land in the tiger’s den. Xiaoyi, I swear I will take you home!”

He knew they had no real relatives and not a single acquaintance named Lin in three generations. He guessed this King of the North coveted Xiaoyi for her youthful beauty, but Xiaoyi would not even speak to him, giving him no chance to escape.

The unspoken dominance and the awe-inspiring presence of the army left Shaosi Ming irritable and on edge. Fond of peace and quiet, she could not abide the bustle of the camp.

“Lin Shu, Lord of the North, why must you want me? Are Dongjun, the Moon Goddess, and the High Priestess not better choices than I?” Thinking of what lay ahead, even her usual indifference gave way to a trace of fear.

[The commander’s psychic body has departed!] With a formidable psychic strength of 4,500, even Xin Ying sounded regretful.

Lin Shu pondered in silence: Was the visitor the Eastern Emperor or Lord Chu Nan? After fleeing ten kilometers, the imposing figure finally stopped. In the next instant, his straight back hunched over, revealing a flowing white beard more than a meter long.

“What terrifying power—if I had pressed on, I would have been annihilated! No, I must return first!”

When the army was dismissed, Harong promptly brought Lord of the Clouds and the others forward to pay their respects.

Lord of the Clouds had brought only twenty disciples, not a single elder among them. The Yin-Yang School had many beautiful lady elders, but the Eastern Emperor Taichi feared a meat bun thrown to a dog would never return.

“Lord of the Clouds from the Yin-Yang School greets King of the North.”

The Northern King’s short hair was covered by a cloak; his figure and features were utterly ordinary, his gaze calm and devoid of any sharpness.

So this was an unremarkable man—what kind of power did he wield?

Having witnessed the majesty of the army, Lord of the Clouds dared not be disrespectful.

Xu Fu too was incorrigible, but Lin Shu had no time to waste on him.

“Dongjun Yanfei, take care on your journey. I will not see you off.”

“All right, Lord of the Clouds, you may leave as well. Tell the Eastern Emperor that the Yin-Yang School must not approach my territory in secret—otherwise…”

Lord of the Clouds frowned but bowed with a smile. “As you wish, King of the North. The Yin-Yang School will act with honor.”

Dongjun shot Lin Shu an angry look before mounting her horse. They say a night as husband and wife brings a hundred days of affection. That night, they had been so close, yet now this scoundrel would not spare a thought for their past.

Lin Shu knew Yanfei was more suited for Yan Dan; he was not a true scoundrel, and with enough beauties by his side, why covet another’s? He did not realize that Yanfei had just begun to approach Yan Dan.

Dongjun spurred her horse away, Lord of the Clouds and his party boarded their carriage and departed, leaving only the lonely Xiaoyi and Xiaoling behind.

Shaoshao was indeed the girl of his dreams—her indifferent, cold face made one’s heart ache with affection. What kind of enchanting beauty lay beneath her translucent veil? Alas, she was still a young girl—at least two more years to go!

“She is truly special; no wonder my husband is so taken with her.” Upon seeing Shaosi Ming, even Jing Ni could not dislike her. This was a girl with an even deeper story than her own.

At this moment, Shaoshao’s heart trembled, but she forced herself to remain calm—she could not lose her dignity as the Yin-Yang School’s Minister of Wood.

“Greetings, King of the North. Thank you for saving my brother and me. May we return to the Heavenly Sect to thank our master before repaying your kindness?”

Xiaoling’s fingers trembled as he finished speaking. Even he found his own words laughable.

“What a fool…”

Shaoling’s performance even earned a bit of favor from Shaosi Ming.

Lin Shu looked at Xiaoling with a frown. The youth was taller than him and much more handsome.

“Xiaoling, for Shaoshao’s sake, I spared your life. From now on, there will be no Xiaoyi—you are to return to the Heavenly Sect immediately. Do not worry, I will take good care of her.”

“Oh, and she has lost her memory; you no longer have any connection to her.”

Not giving Xiaoling a chance to protest, several burly giants, each over two meters tall, hoisted him up. As he opened his mouth to shout, an invisible force knocked him unconscious.

“Send him back. He is never to appear in the north again, nor within a hundred miles of me.”

“As you command,” Harong replied, personally arranging a carriage to send the troublemaker away.

What was this? Could they really be siblings? Impossible—she had no such memories.

Shaosi Ming took a deep breath and let the thought go. She would not believe it anyway—perhaps it was just a lie they had concocted together.

“All right, husband, stop staring at the young lady. Shaoshao, is it? Come with me, dear.” Jing Ni shot Lin Shu a glare before stepping down from the carriage.

Shaoshao nodded at once. The older man’s gaze was simply too frightening.

“Jing Ni, I—” Lin Shu, distracted by Shaoshao, had ignored Jing Ni, and now felt deeply ashamed. Ah, he still could not restrain himself!

Yet, when he truly saw Shaoshao, the urge to possess her faded. He had loved her for her beauty, her indifference, her loneliness. But above all, it had been his own solitude—only through her could he find solace.

Jing Ni, still a little angry, saw the guilt in her husband’s eyes, and her own eyes reddened slightly.

“Husband, I’ll keep you company in a while.”

The ordeal was over for now; Lin Shu breathed a sigh of relief. Jing Ni’s deep, slightly reddened eyes filled him with both heartache and adoration.

“All right! Just don’t go too far.”

Jing Ni blinked her large eyes and smiled with relief. Her husband was still devoted to her, not fickle and unfaithful. Tonight, she would teach him a good lesson.

The changes in those few seconds were complex and subtle. Shaoshao, lost in her own thoughts, did not notice, but the Moon Goddess saw it all.

“This king truly cherishes my sister!”

She was genuinely envious. Suddenly, she found herself curious about the ways of love in this world.