Chapter 91

Zhuo Mansha withdrew her gaze from the distant river surface and turned to look at Buye, saying calmly, "Nothing."

Under the light of the lanterns in the building, Zhuo Mansha's figure was not very clear, but it added a sense of hazy beauty. She had long discarded her cloak in the prince's mansion and was now wearing a black, purple-gold-threaded, waist-cinched long dress, which accentuated her figure even more.

However, beautiful as she was, her eyes showed no emotional fluctuations, and her extremely calm tone made her seem quite cold.

Buye did not press further. He glanced at the wound on Zhuo Mansha's right shoulder again, "Is it okay?"

The main reason Buye said such a clearly caring statement was due to a hint of guilt in his heart. If he hadn't kidnapped Zhuo Mansha, she would have certainly received better and earlier treatment.

However, Zhuo Mansha was too lazy to answer such a question. She stopped looking at Buye and gazed out the window again.

Buye smiled bitterly and then said his last words, "I'm really sorry about what happened today."

Then, Buye leaned against the wall and sat on the ground, his head just below the window sill.

He was very clear that there were skilled archers downstairs. If he dared to turn his back to the window and expose his head, it would definitely be a death wish...

Zhuo Mansha stood alone by the window, looking at the distant river and the moon reflected on its surface, lost in thought.

Below the Guanchao Pavilion, almost everyone on the east side could see Zhuo Mansha. Normally, they could only secretly talk about her, and many had never even seen her. Now, they could openly look at her, this woman who surpassed perfection. What a great fortune! Even though Zhuo Mansha did not look in their direction, they were already content.

Hearing is one thing, but seeing is another, and meeting her in person was even better. This was the true feeling of everyone who met Zhuo Mansha for the first time.

She seemed to come from a higher, more noble world, accidentally falling into their mundane world. Her appearance, attire, figure, and aura made every man feel inferior! Even Xiao Hong did not deserve her.

What was she thinking at this moment?

No one knew the answer, and the only person who had a chance to ask—Buye—was now closing his eyes to rest.

In fact, Buye did not like the feeling of being with Zhuo Mansha, even though his personality had changed dramatically. He still found Zhuo Mansha somewhat piercing. To put it simply, if everyone's external qualities were given a comprehensive score, 60 would be passing, and 100 would be perfect. A low scorer would definitely be overshadowed by a high scorer, feeling very uncomfortable. But the problem was, even if Buye himself scored 80, Zhuo Mansha was not in the ordinary category. Her score was not just 100, but 200, or even 300! For any ordinary person, this kind of pure external comparison was unfair.

So, from this perspective, it was a good thing that Zhuo Mansha wore a veil. If she took it off and revealed her perfect face, would anyone else even be able to live?

At this moment, Buye did not feel the warning from the cancer cells, indicating that Bai Xu had not yet targeted him. After sitting on the ground and calming down for a while, he focused his attention on his mind.

Next to the boundary element, only one last black cloud remained. It would disappear as scheduled at dawn the next day, and he would temporarily travel to another world.

The matters here were not yet resolved, and he would have to start again on the other side. Buye inwardly sighed, thinking he was truly a busy person.

However, the thought of meeting colleagues like Qi Yanbin and Yang Ming, and the rich rewards for passing the red light test, filled him with anticipation.

In the end, what he wanted most was the reward from the red light.

Last time, he obtained the Red Cloud and the third and fifth constellations. In the subsequent eighteen days, these rewards had helped him immensely!

This time, which rank would he achieve, and how many rewards would he get?

And that mysterious Abdominal Cloud, shouldn't the red light provide complete information about it?

...

While Zhuo Mansha was looking at the river view and Buye was sitting on the ground pondering, in the prince's mansion within Dongping City, information was being relayed and orders were being issued, presenting a completely different scene.

"Your Highness, the princess is still standing by the window, and there is no danger," a military officer reported respectfully.

Such information was relayed every ten minutes, and the content had not changed, finally easing Xiao Hong's worried heart a bit.

"Order the royal guards to continue hiding in the crowd, ready to launch a surprise attack at any time."

"Yes."

"How is the city garrison mobilization going?"

"Only a few people are left at the four city gates; most have been gathered and are now assembled at the East City Gate."

"Set out and surround the Guanchao Pavilion."

"But, Your Highness, if you leave no hope for the assassin, won't the princess..."

Xiao Hong snorted coldly, "Don't worry, the assassin will never harm the princess."

"Yes."

Soon, the magnificent hall was quiet again. However, there were still many people inside, but they were all silent.

Xiao Hong leaned back on the throne with his eyes closed, his left hand resting on the armrest, and his right hand gently rubbing his temples.

Although he was over fifty, his energy was more vigorous than that of a young man. In recent years, this was the first time he had encountered something beyond his control. In the past, many had tried to assassinate him, but none had lasted more than half a day; most were killed on the spot. How could Buye not only escape the capital but also kidnap Zhuo Mansha...

Was everything just a coincidence, or was the assassin really skilled?

It must be the former!

Xiao Hong completely refused to admit that Buye was skilled.

In fact, from his youth, Xiao Hong, who far surpassed the other royal family members in talent, had always been arrogant. And the facts proved that his talent was indeed the best of his generation. Even after he went to Taige and joined the great sect Qixuan Sect, he was still the best in his lineage.

Unfortunately, he was not the absolute top in his lineage; there were always three or four people above him. Due to his arrogance and the prince's temperament, he ultimately could not bear to stay in Taige...

After returning to Xiaoguo, although he was just a prince, to put it bluntly, the current emperor's position was one he had given up. If he hadn't gone to Taige, that position would have been his.

So, he was still the first person in Xiaoguo.

What was an assassin, anyway?!

But...

Thinking of Zhuo Mansha in Buye's hands, Xiao Hong's left hand involuntarily clenched. If it weren't for the golden foil on the armrest, it might have been crushed.

Zhuo Mansha was his eternal love and eternal pain.

If time could be reversed, he would rather he had never met Zhuo Mansha.

In his youth, he had once helped a small foreign country, Yecheli, in the southwest of Xiaoguo.

Years later, when he was physically and mentally exhausted, he went to Yecheli to relax.

Then he met the youngest daughter of the Yecheli ruler, Zhuo Mansha, who was only sixteen at the time. Back then, Zhuo Mansha did not have the charm and aura she has now, but her youthful beauty and vitality attracted everyone. The moment Xiao Hong saw Zhuo Mansha, his tired heart ached.

He was very clear about the damage the ruthless senior members of his sect had inflicted on his body. But perhaps he was bewitched, or perhaps he was just greedy and domineering. When he returned to Xiaoguo from Yecheli, he brought the girl who had called him "uncle" the first time they met.

From then on, Zhuo Mansha never returned to Yecheli and never smiled again. It was he who caused Zhuo Mansha's transformation, completely changing her life.

In the prince's mansion, Zhuo Mansha was always cold and distant, and Xiao Hong never tried to win her favor.

Throughout the year, the two rarely saw each other, and communication was even less frequent.

They lived like this for year after year, neither understanding the other.

But Xiao Hong did not care. As long as Zhuo Mansha stayed by his side and was his, it was enough.

After taking a deep breath, Xiao Hong finally opened his eyes and sat up straight.

"Someone from Muyuan came earlier. Where are they now?" Xiao Hong asked.

"Your Highness, the person is resting at the inn."

"Bring them here."

"Yes."

An hour later, the envoy from Muyuan left, and a cruel smile appeared on Xiao Hong's face. With his appearance, eyes, and aura, such a smile was truly terrifying.

He never expected that the news from Muyuan would be such "good news"! Just the third constellation alone was enough to determine that the assassin was definitely Buye.

It was already late at night, and it was impossible to bring the villagers Buye cared about in time, but their lives were already in his hands, which was enough.

Now, in this confrontation with Buye, he was confident of victory.

...

"Although it may be impolite to ask, I still want to ask, it seems that your relationship with Xiao Hong is not good?" On the upper floor of the pavilion, Buye, who had seen the city garrison surround the pavilion, asked Zhuo Mansha.

Originally, he could not escape with just the prince's experts and guards blocking him below. Now, with so many soldiers, especially archers, he had even less chance of escaping. This was clearly a setup to force him to use Zhuo Mansha as a hostage...

Zhuo Mansha clearly heard Buye's words, and her eyes showed a slight change, but she did not turn her head or respond. The breeze by the river blew her veil and hair, making her look like the goddess Luo in Cao Zhi's poetry, but more mysterious in black.

Since Buye had already spoken, he decided to ask a more unrealistic question, "If you also want to kill him and have a good plan, you can tell me, and I'll help you."

This time, Zhuo Mansha finally turned her head, and her words made Buye laugh and cry, "I wanted to save you because your eyes were calm and different from others. Now I understand why you were so calm then."

"Because I'm a lunatic?" Buye said sheepishly.

Zhuo Mansha did not answer, which was a tacit acknowledgment...

Buye almost laughed out loud, thinking, you really see things clearly. In the eyes of normal people, I am indeed a bold, stubborn, and extremely eccentric lunatic, but you are not normal either, right? And, I am a lunatic, but I am very relaxed and happy, you know?

These words could not be said to Zhuo Mansha, so Buye tried to maintain a serious tone, "I've heard some rumors about you. You are an old couple with no feelings, and he has destroyed your life. Don't you want to kill him? I also want to kill him, but I failed once, so it will be very difficult to do it again. I think if possible, we can work together."

"Aren't you afraid I'll betray you?" Zhuo Mansha asked, still looking out the window.

"To be honest, I won't blame you if you betray me. It would be my own fault for kidnapping you first. But my desire to kill Xiao Hong hasn't changed. If you are willing to cooperate, I will judge whether the plan is feasible," Buye said sincerely.

"Sorry," Zhuo Mansha said.

Buye: "..."

He failed to persuade Zhuo Mansha, but at least from her "sorry," he could tell that she really had no feelings for Xiao Hong, perhaps seeing him as a stranger. However, she had principles and would not help Buye against Xiao Hong for no reason.

What a strange couple!

While Buye was sighing, he suddenly frowned, feeling the warning from the cancer cells!

At that moment, a killing intent came from below and had already reached the twelfth floor of the Guanchao Pavilion!

In just a few moments of talking to Zhuo Mansha, someone had silently infiltrated!

If they hadn't revealed their killing intent, the consequences would have been unknown.

But now...

Buye suddenly shouted out the window, "Where is Bai Xu?!"

Bai Xu, who was surrounded by the city garrison commanders downstairs, immediately frowned and looked up, straining his neck to reply to Buye on the seventeenth floor, "What is it? Have you changed your mind?"

Buye identified Bai Xu's position by his voice and looked down, shouting, "Make the people in the building stop immediately, or I'll throw the princess down!"

Bai Xu sneered, "What nonsense! I didn't send anyone up!"

"They are already on the twelfth floor, and some are on the fourteenth!" Buye said, then leaned out the window, bending over to shout at the lower floors, "Listen up, fourteenth floor! If anyone dares to go to the fifteenth floor, I'll cut off the princess's finger and send it to them!!"

Downstairs, Bai Xu was stunned, and at the fourteenth floor, two of Xiao Hong's Abdominal Cloud realm guards were pale with fear...

How did the assassin know?

If Buye could hear their question, he would answer after ensuring his safety, "Idiot, if you hide your killing intent better, I wouldn't feel it even if you were right behind me..."

"Get out!! Now!!" Buye shouted again.

A minute later, some guards still thought Buye was guessing and did not move, but then they heard a voice from outside, "Still not leaving? Do you want me to send the princess with you?"

"..."

The guards finally hesitated no longer, exchanged glances, and ran down.

At the same time, on the seventeenth floor, Buye smiled at Zhuo Mansha, "You didn't believe anyone was in the building? Come over here."

If Buye was a lunatic, he was an interesting one, and the more he interacted with him, the more interesting he became. For example, Buye boldly said he would throw her down and cut off her finger, and even said he would go down with her, without asking her opinion and without blushing...

But, was there really someone below?

Zhuo Mansha looked at Buye and walked to the window on the west side, where Buye was waiting.

A few seconds later, Zhuo Mansha saw several agile figures jump out from the middle floors of the Guanchao Pavilion.

"How did you know?" Zhuo Mansha asked.

This time, it was Buye's turn to be cool, "Secret."

...

Due to Buye's mysterious foresight, Bai Xu did not send anyone to attack again that night.

Time passed quickly, and Buye and Zhuo Mansha watched the red moon rise, climb higher, and then fall to the west.

The sky was still dark, and a thick fog had risen by the river. Zhuo Mansha stood by the window all night.

Was the night view of the river really that beautiful?

But Buye did not sleep all night either. He was waiting for the people outside to relax their guard so he could summon the Red Cloud and escape. Unfortunately, he did not find an opportunity all night.

At this moment, the sky in the east began to show a faint light, and it was finally dawn.

In Dongping, Xiao Hong, who had waited all night, finally took action.

This time, he was still vulnerable, but he had also seized Buye's weakness, so he was determined to succeed!

In the dim light, Xiao Hong sat on a lion-shaped mount, his presence overwhelming even from the silhouette. With a light command, he led his people out of the prince's mansion.

...

Buye stood by the window on the east side of the Guanchao Pavilion, watching the sky brighten, and a bitter smile appeared on his face.

He never expected to be trapped here all night, which meant he could only accept the red light's summons here.

The time was almost up. Buye turned to Zhuo Mansha and said, "If something strange happens, I hope you won't be scared."

Zhuo Mansha's beautiful eyebrows raised, not understanding what Buye meant.

"If I faint, just let them take me away."

After saying that, Buye did not care about Zhuo Mansha anymore and walked to a chair in the middle of the pavilion, sitting down and closing his eyes.

In this desperate situation, he could not escape with his current abilities. He could only hope for some gains from the red light!

The most important thing was the big stars. He still needed to fight cancer, so he hoped to get a few big stars!

In his mind, the remaining black cloud next to the red boundary element suddenly stirred, as if blown by the wind, and quickly dissipated!

In the next moment, Buye felt his body and mind suddenly leave the original world and fly into the boundary element in his mind!

Buye's speed was incredibly fast, but the boundary element seemed not far away, and he flew for a long time, almost fainting from the feeling of separation before he touched it.

"Whoosh!"

Finally, Buye touched the boundary element!

Immediately, the world turned red, the feeling of separation quickly disappeared, and his body regained control. His soul, which was about to fly away, returned completely.

The boundary element was like a cross-world tunnel hidden in the brain?!

Just as Buye had this thought, he landed on solid ground, and the red light quickly faded, revealing the surroundings.

What he saw was a gray, bumpy wall, a huge stone table, and the same stone room!

Around the stone table were people recovering from the "motion sickness," familiar faces.

"You're next to me again," a woman who had just recovered a bit greeted Buye, still feeling the discomfort of the transition.

The woman was Nie Ning. Buye smiled, "Hello, beautiful lady."

"Um, hello," Nie Ning said, rubbing her temples.

Then, Buye saw the young Wang Kun, the great Qi Yanbin, and the scoundrel Lu Nan, among others, gradually straightening up and raising their heads. At that moment, his heart felt increasingly relaxed.

Was this meeting old friends in a foreign land? Even looking at Lu Nan, Buye felt a sense of familiarity.

Hmm? Where was the tomboy Yang Ming?

---

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