Chapter 109: Chapter 79: Demons Entangle the Buddhist Incense Escape, Drinking with the Commandery Princess over Idle Sorrows
Green Pavilion...
"Your clothes are washed and hung up.
You’re worried about rain, so you hung them under the eaves.
Shall we go now?"
The patience of the Purple-tailed Flood Dragon Monarch was gradually running out.
Rose responded with a quick succession of "oh, oh, oh," while swiftly grinding the ink at the table.
The Purple-tailed Flood Dragon Monarch frowned and said anxiously, "We don’t have much time left. We must meet up immediately. Time is tight!"
Rose replied, "Oh, oh, oh..."
"Saintess!" The Purple-tailed Flood Dragon Monarch was truly anxious.
Rose focused on grinding the ink, replying without looking up, "Just wait a bit, it will be ready soon. I... I must leave him a note, or he’ll worry."
With that, she pulled out the high-quality rice paper the young master usually used for practice.
This was excellent rice paper, and she usually only watched the young master use it.
Unexpectedly, today she got to use it herself.
She quickly dipped the brush in ink, lowered it onto the paper, and paused to ponder, unable to think of how to start.
Plop...
A drop of thick ink fell, spreading across the paper and staining it with a large ink spot.
Looking at the ink spot, Rose had a sudden mischievous idea and drew circles around it, sketching five petals.
After finishing, she quickly wrote below, "Young Master, I’m off to enjoy myself and won’t be back for a while. Don’t forget to take in the clothes outside."
After writing, she hurriedly pressed it with a paperweight and then hastily left the Green Pavilion with the Purple-tailed Flood Dragon Monarch.
...
...
The sun moved across the sky.
In the State City of Cyan Wood Province, cavalry slowly exited the city, just like usual.
The citizens were long accustomed to it, thinking they were setting up camp outside the city.
However... that was not the case.
Sheng Chuanxiong was filled with murderous intent, almost constantly thinking about wiping out Xinci Temple.
But due to Li Xuan’s timely suggestion, Sheng Chuanxiong abandoned his plan to set the mountain on fire and decided to first send skilled soldiers into the temple to rapidly destroy and control most of the incense burners in the main hall. Even if they couldn’t do it entirely, they could at least create an obstacle.
Then, his troops would proceed up the mountain in layers, ensuring that even if the front troops became trapped, the rear would remain unaffected.
After combining the current information, Sheng Chuanxiong had to admit that Li Xuan’s suggestion was very credible.
This suggestion was relayed by the Governor, and Zhou Chihe seemed to have a desire to bolster Li Xuan’s reputation, which is why he did not hide his name.
Sheng Chuanxiong suddenly recalled the rumored young man in white, feeling a mix of complex emotions.
Honestly, he hadn’t noticed Li Xuan’s suggestions, or perhaps... he hadn’t had time to consider them.
With his mind full of anger and murderous intent, brimming with strategies and troop deployments, when did he have time to think of these things?
Many things in life aren’t about what you can’t think of but what you think of in time.
When something happens, you might sigh, "It was so simple. Who wouldn’t think of that? I just overlooked it."
But who can’t criticize in hindsight?
Decisions about life and death often hinge on that one simple thought.
Many thoughts flashed by...
Sheng Chuanxiong, clad in Bright Armor, watched the group of soldiers in gray uniforms swiftly depart.
And since this suggestion came from Li Xuan, Sheng Chuanxiong would reluctantly attend to one of his requests: if they encountered a nun named Jing Miao, they should spare her life.
This request, he was unsure if it could be fulfilled, but he would try his best.
...
...
The day turned to dusk.
The sunset was like blood.
The iron cavalry turned and headed east towards Xinci Temple.
Li Xuan, after feasting his fill at the Governor’s residence and bidding farewell to his younger cousin Aunt Yun, took a carriage arranged by the Zhou family to the Green Pavilion.
Entering the pavilion.
Pushing the door.
"Rose."
Eldest Young Master Li called out.
But there was no response.
"Rose?"
He called again.
Still, there was no answer.
This unusual situation made Li Xuan’s expression involuntarily change. He quickly infused his body with the demon blood of the "Aberrant Ape."
Ever since he learned in which situations he could identify demons and demon servants, he hadn’t been as worried, at least not about using it in the Green Pavilion or even in Cyan Wood Province.
Once the demon blood entered his body, a bald strongman immediately appeared in the room.
The bald strongman flexed his muscles, struck a defensive pose, and quickly moved forward to light a candle.
Candlelight spread, illuminating a warm, soft area, revealing the empty room clearly.
"Rose?"
Li Xuan called once more.
This time, he was sure that Rose was gone.
He was about to step outside and ask other inhabitants of the courtyard around the Green Pavilion when his eyes fell light as a feather on the table.
There lay a sheet of paper spread open.
Li Xuan approached, and saw that on the paper was drawn an ink plum blossom with a message.
He murmured to himself, "Young Master, I’m off to enjoy myself and won’t be back for a while. Don’t forget to take in the clothes outside."
After reading, Li Xuan glanced outside the door, where the clothes under the eaves swayed in the night breeze, clearly washed clean and hung up properly.
He lowered his eyes in contemplation, a look of thoughtful consideration in his eyes,
Indeed, the handwriting was Rose’s.
The ink plum blossom she drew was truly ugly.
However, the sentence was peculiar and abnormal from start to finish.
Who did Rose meet, under what circumstances, that made her write such words "won’t be back for a while"?
The young man suddenly sobered from his tipsiness, pushed open the door, and sat directly on the threshold, hands crossed under his nose.
Scenes flashed through his mind, lines of information intersected, deductions connected... forming a closed loop.
A short moment later, Li Xuan’s gaze was ice-cold.
