26 Xihuang

"I don't know what Night Wing has forgotten. Maybe she's forgotten part of her instincts, or maybe she was swayed by Donghuazi's demon-transforming miasma. Either is possible. It's not like she has a lot going on in her head anyway. There's nothing important for her to forget, so don't worry."

While Qin Yi busied himself with setting up the formation, Liusu leaned on the door frame and gave him instructions as it answered his questions.

However, its choice of words sounded rather odd.

Qin Yi turned around and looked at it in amazement. "Do I detect some resentment here?"

"No, you don't," Liusu said stiffly. "I just think she comes here too often, and it's disrupting our cultivation."

"And you said you weren't resentful…" Qin Yi said with resignation. "I told her she could come visit me. We need her to tell us more about Donghuazi."

"Tch," Liusu said contemptuously. "So far, all we got from her is that Donghuazi is an old man, and he definitely hasn't reached the Lute Heart Stage yet. What other useful information has she offered us?"

"That's already very useful. At least we now know that Donghuazi isn't a woman."

Liusu was astonished. "You actually thought that was a possibility?!"

Qin Yi said sincerely, "I did. If Donghuazi turned out to be a beauty, I'd have to kill the girl to gain enlightenment."

Liusu was amazed. "Gaining enlightenment by killing a woman? Where on earth did you hear about that?"

"Why? Isn't it true?"

"It is." Liusu paused and suddenly smirked. "Well, that's certainly an option."

"Why do I get the feeling that if I chose that path, you'd crack my head open first?"

Liusu sounded very pleased. "Good. You really are smart enough to be my pupil."

Qin Yi nodded. "And you're silly enough to be my friend."

"Qin Yi! Qin Yi!" He heard Li Qingjun calling his name. "Where are you?"

Before Qin Yi could reply, Li Qingjun rushed into the backyard.

"Why are you bursting into my home all the time?" Qin Yi snapped. "Do you want to be hung upside down again?"

"I can understand a trap outside the front door, but what kind of moron would set up a trap on the path leading from their room to the backyard?"

"Well…" Qin Yi thought for a moment and said, "That's a good point, but you never know. Maybe it'd come into good use."

Li Qingjun didn't know where to begin with that. However, her attention was soon drawn by the peach wood sword, which had been half-buried in the ground as though someone had planted it there.

"What's that about? Are you going to plant it now and harvest 10,000 swords later?"

"Bingo." Qin Yi grinned. "Come back here in a year's time, and you'll have 10,000 swords."

"Bah! You trickster." Li Qingjun didn't press him. She then remembered why she was there, so she smiled at him. "You're going to be rich. Do you know that?"

"Huh? I've only just arrived at Li Fire and haven't done anything yet."

"I got someone to replicate your toothpaste, toothbrush and soap, and the entire city is using them. My father, the king, likes them, too."

Since the products came from the princess, no one in Li Fire was bold enough to make knock-offs. She could enjoy her monopoly, and Qin Yi could envision gold piling up in front of his eyes. That explained why Li Qingjun's mood had improved these days. She had gradually left the shadow of her brother's death.

Qin Yi smiled. "I see. I'm glad your father likes them. You can keep the profits. Just consider it my payment for the materials you found me."

After that, he went back to work on the sword.

Li Qingjun watched him from behind with a look of appreciation on her face.

At first, she thought Qin Yi was such a poser because he was too indifferent for someone of his age. However, once she got to know him better, she realized that he really was that kind of person. He hardly showed any interest in money or his future, and he spent his days making medicine and tempering his body. He had learned how to make talismans in the past few days and he almost never left his room.

Any other person who befriended the crown prince and princess wouldn't be behaving like Qin Yi.

The atmosphere in the capital city was repressive and filled with tension, but Li Qingjun could always find some inner peace here.

That was why she loved to come here. Aside from listening to the story of Journey to the West, this place somehow fulfilled her fantasy about finding an immortal land.

Qin Yi also treated her differently from others. He had just chased away Night Wing with the excuse that he was busy today, but now, he seemed to have forgotten all about it.

Even Liusu could tell that Qin Yi liked the reckless princess a lot.

"My oldest brother's funeral is tomorrow, and the master teacher will hold a big Taoist mass for him. According to him, it'll enable my brother's soul to ascend to the heavenly courts." Li Qingjun sighed. "Sometimes, I do wish Donghuazi told the truth."

"It's understandable." Qin Yi had finally set the sword in the right spot and left the backyard. He said, "Come in. Let's have a drink."

Li Qingjun followed him and said, "But I also think you have the makings of a real master teacher. After we get rid of Donghuazi, you can take his place."

She had made that suggestion before, but her tone was very different this time.

"Me? I'm not built for the job." Qin Yi chuckled. "Do you think the people will want a master teacher who spends his days sleeping in bed?"

Li Qingjun said, "What they want doesn't matter. You don't need to do anything."

"Huh? What should I do then?"

"We'll say you're a capable man, and that'll be enough."

Qin Yi paused and sounded amazed. "I wouldn't be a real master teacher, but you're a really promising thigh." [1. The term "hold's one's thigh" in Chinese is used to describe the act of riding one's coattails.]

Li Qingjun took a small step back. "How do you sometimes suddenly sound so lewd?"

"That's not a lewd term…"

"You're talking about a part of my body, yet that's not lewd?"

"What are you? A censoring editor?"

The two of them bantered as they went back inside. Qin Yi then snapped his fingers, and a gourd containing some wine slowly drifted toward him.

Upon closer look, one could see that there was a talisman at the bottom of the gourd. It was a very basic floating talisman that didn't need any cultivation power to activate. The internal energy alone sufficed.

It was such a useful trick when one wanted to pretend to be an immortal in front of commoners, and that was exactly what Donghuazi was good at. Once Qin Yi found out about this, he took a crash course in such tricks.

And he fell in love with them immediately. He gradually realized that most of the time, cultivation skills weren't used for fighting but to replace manpower and make one's life easier.

Life had become so convenient with these tricks, and he was so tempted to start cultivating…

Li Qingjun didn't seem surprised by the floating gourd at all. She casually grabbed it, poured out some wine, and prompted Qin Yi. "Journey to the West. Let's go."

Qin Yi feared that if he really told the story to Li Qingjun alone, Night Wing would burst into tears when she found out, so he tried to change the subject. "I haven't seen your brother for three days. What's he been doing?"

"He's attacked by the master teacher's clique day in and day out. They've trying to make him into a suspect," Li Qingjun said indignantly. "To make things worse, my father is actually considering that possibility."

Qin Yi's eyes widened. That was preposterous. What kind of idiot was this king? Li Qinglin was his only son left, yet he actually suspected him. Whom did he plan to give the throne to?

"But many officials are on my brother's side, so he's officially being made the crown prince today."

"Did you need such a long pause between those two parts?!"

"What difference does it make?" Li Qingjun said in a low voice. "After all, my father trusts the master teacher more than my brother."

Qin Yi fell silent.

Footsteps came from outside. Someone walked into the courtyard in a hurry and called out, "Your Royal Highness…"

It was Li Qingjun's servant, and Li Qingjun was surprised. "What?"

"I've just received news. Mang Zhan, the prince of Xihuang, is here to offer his condolences. He has just arrived at the west gate."

Li Qingjun shot up from the chair and glowered. "How dare they!"

Before Qin Yi could react, Li Qingjun rushed out of the room, grabbed her spear from the servant, and stormed out of the prince's residence.

"Holy crap…" Qin Yi realized how serious the situation was. "Please don't tell me she's going to kill the envoys of Xihuang!" With no other choice, he picked up Liusu and ran out after her.

Why do I find this brainless, flat-chested, and reckless girl pretty and adorable?! I have to be blind!

He couldn't run as fast as Li Qingjun. When he finally arrived at the west city gate, the first thing he saw was a flash of silver light charging at a stalwart bearded man on horseback at the very front of a group of troops.

Qin Yi could even see the astonished look on Li Qinglin's face—he was riding shoulder to shoulder with the bearded man.

In the next second, a shower of arrows flew at Li Qingjun. The archers were from the army of Nanli. They didn't have time to figure out who the assassin was. All they knew was that the envoy couldn't be killed right at their city gates, not to mention that Li Qinglin was very likely the target.

The only princess of Nanli was being shot at right inside their city gates, and the newly-crowned crown prince had to leap out in embarrassment, stopping the archers and fending off all the arrows with his spinning spear. Qin Yi didn't know how to describe this odd event. He bet the reckless girl hadn't even thought before she acted.

Mang Zhan was equally shocked, but he returned to normal soon enough. Right after that, he grabbed the long pike hanging on the side of his horse to parry Li Qingjun's silver spear.

The pike and the spear clashed into each other, making a loud clang. Li Qingjun was already losing her momentum after being shot at, and Mang Zhan was a capable warrior himself. Li Qingjun didn't gain any ground and had to stumble back.

Still in midair, she couldn't change her direction and had to use the momentum to fly backwards. The pike followed her and stabbed downwards at her lower back.

The man was an experienced warrior. He knew that she could move other parts of her body freely in midair, but her lower back was where she exerted her strength and she wouldn't be able to dodge.

At that moment, Qin Yi's spiked club smashed into the pike.