“Kong Hou.”
Just as Kong Hou prepared to return to her courtyard, a white shadow landed from the sky and stood five paces away from Kong Hou.
Seeing Huan Zhong’s clothing and hair still neat, Kong Hou guessed he had not lain down yet. “Huan Zhong, you have not yet slept?”
“I am not sleepy.” Huan Zhong looked at her hair which was scattered behind her back and gave off a faint fragrance. “What just happened?”
“Spirit Master Shuang Qing’s eldest apprentice ran over here. That man who does not seem to have clarity of mind.” The wind continued to blow at Kong Hou’s hair. She pulled her hair behind her, but when she let go, her hair flew up again.
A hand stretched in front of her. This hand was white and clean, and a plain silver ribbon hung on the tip of the finger. The ribbon carried seals which emanated glowing light and overflowing color in the darkness.
Kong Hou looked up at him.
Huan Zhong put the ribbon into her hand. “Use this to tie your hair up.”
“Thank you.” Many people could not refuse beautiful things. Kong Hou was the same. After using the ribbon to tie a beautiful bow at the back of her head, Kong Hou turned to have Huan Zhong take a look. “Is it good-looking?”
With the ribbon between her hair, her hair seemed to be dyed with moonlight. Even the dark night became beautiful.
“Good-looking.” Huan Zhong moved his gaze away and brushed the bangs next to her face behind her ear. After instinctively doing this, he withdrew his hand unnaturally and put his hand behind his back. After being together with Kong Hou, he always inexplicably did some things that only playboys would do.
He really was rude.
Kong Hou used two cleaning spells on the cloth Xu Feng had dirtied so the clothing looked as clean as it had started. “After Xu Feng, I also cannot sleep. How about I keep you company for a while?”
“The stars in the sky are very good,” Huan Zhong suddenly said.
“Ah?” Kong Hou was puzzled.
Huan Zhong threw out a jade boat and flew into it. Then he stretched a hand out toward Kong Hou. “Come.”
Kong Hou smiled. “I do not need your help.” Then she jumped onto the boat. Huan Zhong looked down at his empty hand, turned and said to her, “Sit well.”
The jade boat rose quickly. Kong Hou leaned against the side and watched Primary Luck Sect quickly grow small in size. She took out two bags of snacks from her storage bag. She gave Huan Zhong one bag. One had to have food when admiring the stars and the moon.
Putting a lantern at the center of the boat, Huan Zhong sat down cross-legged. He held the bag of food but did not move. The clouds wrapped around them. Kong Hou looked up into the sky. The many stars were the best decoration for the night.
“I do not know when the secret realm will open.” Her ribbon mantle danced behind her. This should have been an ethereal scene, but Kong Hou, whose head was bent as she ate, destroyed the aura.
“It should be at noon in two days, in the southeast.” Huan Zhong looked towards the southeast, his eyes emotionless.
“How do you know?” Kong Hou looked in surprise at Huan Zhong.
“I have some knowledge of divination.” Huan Zhong knew Kong Hou was not skilled at divination, so he did not speak in much detail.
“Huan Zhong,” Kong Hou moved forward to get closer to Huan Zhong. “Tell me what you do not know.”
Meeting the young girl’s large eyes, Huan Zhong couldn’t help but laugh. “I do not know many things. You will slowly learn this in the future.” Was the fragrance Kong Hou gave off a flower fragrance or a fruit fragrance?
“Then I will wait for a long time.” Kong Hou put her hands on her cheeks and sighed. “No wonder Radiance Sect was able to become the strongest sect.” Huan Zhong, who was unknown in the cultivation world, was already so strong. What skill would the other people of Radiance Sect have?
“You are too generous when you look at me so you feel I know everything.” Huan Zhong laughed softly. “Actually, other than the sword path, I do not understand many things.” He did not understand how to interact with other people, and did not understand emotions.
Master said he innately had an indifferent personality and was a good choice for cultivating the sword. Later, Master said he regretted having him learn swordsmanship but forgetting to teach him to understand what was life.
“Still better than me. I do not understand anything.” After joining Splendid Cloud Sect, Kong Hou had focused on her cultivation. While her cultivation and mental state had grown, her swordsmanship was still what she learned the first two years she joined the sect, and she only knew the beginning of other arts.
“No, you know many things.” Huan Zhong saw Kong Hou’s smile faded slightly and urged, “You are still young. It is best if you do not learn too much at once.”
“You are not old.” Kong Hou was not very dispirited. She knew that she could not do much at the same time. However, when she saw that Huan Zhong knew so many things, she could not avoid but feel admiration. “Chu Ji Xuan said you are his Great Grand Uncle. You were an imperial prince?”
Huan Zhong thought that Kong Hou would ask him which generation of great grand uncle he was, and prepared to say his true age. But Kong Hou did not mention this matter. He buried the decision he had made back into his mind.
“Yes.” When the past was mentioned, Huan Zhong did not have any emotions. “When I was young, my father did not like me, Mother lived with me in the palace, and everything was all right. Later, Father wanted to depose Mother as empress, and she became ill. After Mother passed away, Master took me to Radiance Sect.”
Huan Zhong stated his turbulent past flatly without any dejection or melancholy. Kong Hou felt great injustice. “How could he do this!”
“Because some men are animals in front of beauty.” Huan Zhong saw that Kong Hou was angrier than he was and turned his head. “Why are you angry?” He could not even remember what the man had looked liked. He only remembered that this wasn’t a very good person.
“I feel angry on your behalf.”
“Do not be angry.” Huan Zhong felt that he should say some happier things to Kong Hou. “When I left the palace, I pried the only dragon pearl off the throne.” Later, Master told him this dragon pearl contained dragon energy. He threw the dragon pearl into the furnace for it to become a part of his lifebond sword.
The two sat for almost two hours in the jade boat. They did not admire much of the night scenery, but Kong Hou shucked an entire bag of nut shells into the boat. When she lay back on bed, she fell asleep not long after.
This night, she had a bad dream. A large man followed her and called her auntie, chasing her an entire night. When she woke up the next morning, she rubbed her forehead. She did not want to get up from her soft and large bed.
She rolled a few times on the bed and reluctantly bid farewell to the bed. When she jumped off the bed, she saw the ribbon Huan Zhong had given her last night had fallen to the floor. She bent down and picked up the ribbon. Kong Hou tied it to her wrist.
This morning, Primary Luck Sect still prepared a hearty breakfast. When Lin Hu was picking a pastry, he saw what was on Kong Hou’s wrist and turned to look in shock at Huan Zhong. He had not been as shocked as this when Master gave other valuable talismans to Miss Kong Hou.
This was a ribbon that Master had made for himself. He had forged it with the light of the moon and stars, the silk of the jade cicada, and unfallen snow. From gathering the materials to the successful product, Master had spent three whole years. Most importantly, the ribbon contained a thread of Master’s consciousness. If a Mind Dividing cultivator attacked, this thread of consciousness could take the wound for Miss Kong Hou.
How could Master give such an intimate article to Miss Kong Hou?
“Elder Lin, what is wrong?” Kong Hou found Lin Hu peeking several times at her. She touched her face. Had she slept too late last night that Elder Lin saw the pallidness of her face?
“Nothing.” Lin Hu shook his head and did not speak.
Kong Hou turned to look at Huan Zhong. There really was nothing?
“Lin Hu means that the dish Spirit Master Bai An gave you really has wondrous effects. Your skin is whiter than before.” Huan Zhong wiped his mouth. “Apologies, he is not skilled at talking and caused you to misunderstand.”
“Really?” Kong Hou touched her face.
Lin Hu hurriedly nodded. “Really.”
Master finally became one of the mortal beings. Someone that would lie and boast to young girls. The great dying pot of the cultivation world had finally stained him with color.
Hearing that Kong Hou’s skin had become better after eating a certain dish, Ling Bo looked repeatedly at Kong Hou. Until breakfast finished, she was still too embarrassed to ask Kong Hou where she could eat this dish.
She had used those beauty pills and immortal creams, but the effects were not evident. No wonder she had felt Kong Hou’s skin was exceptionally supple when she saw Kong Hou yesterday. It must be due to that wondrous dish.
“Miss Kong Hou…” Before Ling Bo could finish, she was interrupted.
“Grandfather, Auntie, save me!”
Terrified yelling came from outside the courtyard. Kong Hou imperceptibly observed Shuang Qing. She found when Xu Feng yelled Grandfather, Shuang Qing’s knees moved as though he prepared to charge out. But when he saw the table of guests, he suppressed the impulse. However, the disciple standing behind him reacted perceptively. He immediately left the hall and took Xu Feng away.
“Path Friends, please taste this dish,” Shuang Qing said to the group with a smile. However, his gaze continued to flicker outside. He did not seem to dislike Xu Feng, but was more worried.
Seeing his inattention, Kong Hou put down her chopsticks. “I have finished. Everyone, please continue.”
Huan Zhong put down his chopsticks. “I am also done.”
Chang De and the others also put down their chopsticks. Shuang Qing said a few words and then found an excuse to leave the hall. The direction he left in was the one the disciple had pulled Xu Feng in. At noon, the person who came to accompany them was the sect eldest disciple of Primary Luck Sect, Zhou Xiao.
Seeing Kong Hou and the others, Zhou Xiao felt very surprised. He had not expected to meet Kong Hou so soon. She was also an apprentice of Splendid Cloud Sect. No wonder this young master could feed expensive spirit grass to horses. So this was a sword cultivator of Radiance Sect.
“Before, this one did not know you are apprentices of sects. If this one has committed any offense, please pardon me.” Zhou Xiao started with an apology. After courtesies were exchanged, they sat down. Zhou Xiao was welcoming to the other guests, but anyone with eyes could see he was especially enthusiastic towards Kong Hou.
Ling Bo felt that this sect eldest disciple of Primary Luck Sect had vision problems. She, this kind of great beauty, was dismissed like this?
“Miss Kong Hou, taste this soup. These pigeons are usually fed with spirit grains, there are no impurities in their flesh, and they have the ability of strengthening and refreshing the mind.” Zhou Xiao personally put a bowl of soup in front of Kong Hou.
Crack.
Everyone looked towards the sound at the table. The spoon in Huan Zhong’s hand had turned to powder.
“Apologies, my hand slipped.” Facing everyone’s gazes, Huan Zhong explained expressionlessly as he used a handkerchief to wipe the dust from his hand.
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