Chapter 606: The Good Show is Yet to Come

Chapter 606: The Good Show is Yet to Come

"General Tuoba, you must be exhausted from your long journey, yet you came to see me right after returning. I am truly pleased. Please, take a seat," Emperor Xuanming said with a smile.

Su Youyue, who had no concrete understanding of the rumors that Emperor Xuanming indulged Tuoba Xiao without limits, remained silent.

Emperor Xuanming was indeed skilled at self-comfort. With Tuoba Xiao's attitude, if it were in Dasheng, the emperor would have suspected him of arrogance due to his achievements. But Emperor Xuanming, on the other hand, believed that Tuoba Xiao valued him.

Looking around at the people of Dongrong, it was clear that they were accustomed to this behavior.

Seeing Tuoba Xiao in person, Su Youyue inexplicably felt that the veil on her face was too thin, hardly concealing anything at all.

In reality, the veil could conceal everything, but it was merely her psychological effect at play.

Nevertheless, she decided to get up and adjust it once more.

Taking advantage of the fact that Tuoba Xiao wasn't looking her way, she quickly stood up and left the scene with Qingluo.

Tuoba Xiao's gaze swept past and landed on Su Youyue's retreating figure. His previously indifferent eyes suddenly became sharp and focused, but in the blink of an eye, Su Youyue had already turned the corner.

He was about to stand up when he heard someone say, "General Tuoba, you've finally returned. We've all been waiting for you to have a martial contest with the newly arrived Third Young Master Helian Lin. You must feel that after so many years, there's finally someone who can be your match."

Tuoba Xiao's attention was diverted. Following the speaker's gaze, he met Helian Lin's eyes, which were also fixed on him, and suddenly raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so? I'm looking forward to it."

On his way back to the Holy City, he had naturally heard of this man's name.

But at that time, he hadn't paid much attention. Over the years, every time someone with decent skills emerged, they were rumored to be his match, enough to line up outside the Holy City. Yet, without exception, they all turned out to be useless.

The moment he looked at Helian Lin, his fluffy, curly hair suddenly swayed, as if a beast's keen sixth sense detected an unusual threat, instinctively raising its fur in alertness.

But the next second, as if remembering something, he stared in the direction where the woman had just flashed by.

"General Tuoba, did you encounter Priest Os on your journey..." Before Emperor Xuanming could finish, he saw Tuoba Xiao suddenly stand up, a strange smile flashing across his lips, and then he almost flew out of the scene.

Everyone was stunned, not knowing why he had suddenly left. Emperor Xuanming, sitting in the main seat, looked awkward for a moment but then waved his hand. "As expected of General Tuoba, so full of energy. Just returned and already causing a stir."

"..."

Just keep indulging him!

Everyone dared not complain out loud, only muttering in their hearts.

Who would have thought that the next second, Helian Lin also stood up abruptly and headed in the direction Tuoba Xiao had left.

Could it be that the two of them had just exchanged glances and agreed to have a private fight?

For a moment, everyone's desire to watch the spectacle burned fiercely, and they no longer had the heart to sit still. Emperor Xuanming, as if sensing their thoughts, waved his hand. "Since this is a plum blossom viewing banquet, I should also take a walk in the plum garden."

With that, he also stood up and led a group of people in the opposite direction.

Now, no one could stay put, and they all got up, ready to watch the excitement.

Su Youyue, unaware that her departure had set off a large crowd, took Qingluo to the temporary changing room for the ladies and went in.

But as soon as they entered and closed the door, the screen inside the room suddenly made a noise.

"Who's there?" Su Youyue was about to remove her veil when she heard a sound and instantly became alert.

She exchanged a glance with Qingluo and was just about to step forward when a man suddenly stepped out from behind the screen.

"Fang Li," Qingluo exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

This was supposed to be a temporary changing room for the ladies, yet here was a man!

"Haha, why can't I be here?" Fang Li's face was flushed, and he was sweating profusely, breathing heavily, clearly not in his right state.

As Qingluo quickly shielded Su Youyue and stepped back, Fang Li lost control and lunged forward.

"Don't resist, and I might go easy on you!" His gaze gradually turned lecherous. Indeed, he had thought there was only one, but now two had come to him, letting him have his way with both.

But in the next moment, his steps came to an abrupt halt.

A buzzing sound filled the air as a silver needle suddenly pierced his cheek, causing him to cry out in pain and quickly retreat.

The needle, except for a tiny bit at the end, was completely embedded in his cheek, too painful to remove, and his mind became much clearer.

"Don't resist," Su Youyue said coldly, holding another silver needle between her index and middle fingers. "I have two hundred more needles here, and a needle tube that can release a barrage of pear blossom needles. If you resist, I don't know whether the next needle should go into your eyeball, your mouth, or perhaps... somewhere more sensitive."

Hearing this description, Fang Li couldn't help but shiver: "No, no, no... don't stab me, my lady, I was wrong!"

"Then tell me honestly, who sent you here?" Su Youyue said with a smile.

Fang Li desperately shook his head: "No one sent me..."

Another buzzing sound, and the silver needle flew past his thigh, directly piercing the wooden floor between his legs, embedding itself deep into the wood.

Seeing this, Fang Li's pupils contracted, and any thought of retaliation disappeared.

"My lady, I'm really not lying. I drank some wine and felt off, so I wanted to leave, but somehow I was brought here by the palace servants."

Seeing the glint of silver between Su Youyue's beautiful, fair fingers, Fang Li felt no desire to admire it, only a chill down his spine, as if he had been stabbed again.

Su Youyue lowered her eyes and studied him briefly. Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, she put away the silver needle and left the room with Qingluo.

Fang Li's heart, which had been pounding, instantly dropped back into place, but his body grew even hotter, and soon his eyes became dazed again.

"My lady, should we call for help?" Qingluo asked.

Su Youyue silently shook her head and led Qingluo out through the back door.

When they made their way to the front entrance and stood under a tree, they saw a familiar figure at the front gate of the courtyard.

"Banxia... isn't that Miss Shen's maid?" Qingluo whispered.

Su Youyue's lips twisted into a sarcastic smirk.

After walking a few more steps with Qingluo, Su Youyue suddenly clasped her hands together, leaving a small space in the middle, then pressed her thumbs together at the entrance and let out a series of bird-like whistles.

Soon, a young man appeared before them.

"My lady," Zhe Jing wore the uniform of a Dongrong palace guard.

Su Youyue whispered a few words to him, and soon the young man disappeared again.

"My lady, this young man seems just as skilled as Ah Ying," Qingluo muttered, mainly because she felt an inexplicable familiarity with him, perhaps because he resembled Ah Ying at times. But she quickly shifted her attention, "My lady, should we go and scare Banxia, who looks guilty?"

Su Youyue smirked: "No rush. The best is yet to come."