Chapter 378: Family Banquet_1
At that moment, feeling the warmth of Chu Qin’s palm, Ah Yin’s cold body suddenly heated up.
At the same time, Chu Qin’s extremely handsome face and solid body gave her an uneasy and agitated feeling.
"Chu Qin, may I... kiss you?" Ah Yin asked.
"Between us, is there any need for such formalities!"
Chu Qin said with an easy smile.
Upon hearing this, Ah Yin couldn’t care less about proprieties and directly pressed her moist cherry-red lips onto Chu Qin’s.
Just then, Xu Ying was roused from her groggy state. She opened her blurry eyes, slowly sat up, shook her aching head, and saw a sight she shouldn’t have seen!
She saw Chu Qin and Ah Yin kissing.
"Chu Qin..."
Xu Ying caught sight of this and immediately closed her eyes again.
But the moment she closed her eyes, she remembered the things she had done to Chu Qin while under the spell of the Man-Eating Demon Flower, and her legs involuntarily clenched together.
"This isn’t a dream..." Xu Ying said in surprise.
Ah Yin noticed Xu Ying’s awakening at once, immediately pushed Chu Qin away, and pulled up her collar.
Chu Qin was taken aback, and as he saw Xu Ying’s surprise fade a bit, his pupils dilated and he hastened to his feet, saying, "Aunt Xu Ying, when did you wake up?"
"Just now!" Xu Ying replied with a forced smile.
"Then you... you didn’t see anything, right..." Chu Qin asked.
"What do you think?" Xu Ying retorted with a frown.
"Aunt, I’m sorry, it wasn’t intentional!"
Chu Qin immediately apologized, and Ah Yin’s face turned even redder.
"It’s nothing!" Xu Ying said indifferently, "For young people, it’s normal to play around like that, besides, I’ve played crazier than this before...!"
"Ah?" Chu Qin said, slightly surprised.
He thought about the earlier incident, wondering if Xu Ying still remembered it.
"Let’s not talk about that!" Xu Ying, realizing something was off, changed the subject, "Chu Qin, why are you here?"
"That, I should be asking you, Aunt!" Chu Qin’s face changed slightly as he spoke, "How come you are here? And you met a Three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast?"
"I remember Zhen Tian had me follow General Li Hu to find my sixth soul ring!" Xu Ying recalled with a hint of pain, "Suddenly, we were attacked by that Man-Eating Demon Flower, both General Li Hu and I were caught in its illusion!"
"Right, Chu Qin, how is the Man-Eating Demon Flower? And what about General Li Hu?" Xu Ying asked excitedly as she recalled everything.
"The Man-Eating Demon Flower, I have killed it!" Chu Qin said, "My woman, Shangguan Yaqing, is absorbing its soul ring right now!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Ying immediately looked at Shangguan Yaqing with a look of astonishment. To her greater amazement, Shangguan Yaqing, who appeared very young, at least younger than herself, was actually able to absorb a hundred-thousand-year soul ring?
At the same time, she also noticed Empress Zhu Yundi of Star Luo was also absorbing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, which made her eyes widen in shock!
However, after a moment’s thought, Xu Ying quickly pressed on, "Chu Qin, what about General Li Hu?"
"I’m so sorry, Aunt Xu Ying!" Chu Qin responded with a hint of a sigh, "We were too late. General Li Hu has been killed by the Man-Eating Demon Flower!"
"What, General Li Hu, dead!" Xu Ying was in panic, nearly collapsing to the ground, but fortunately, Chu Qin steadied her by supporting her head.
"Yes, Aunt Xu Ying," Chu Qin nodded somberly.
Hearing this, Xu Ying buried her head in Chu Qin’s chest and began to cry bitterly, "It’s my fault that General Li Hu died!"
"Chu Qin, look!"
However, at that moment, Ah Yin’s voice rang out. Chu Qin and Xu Ying looked over in surprise and saw that Li Hu, who had previously shown no signs of breath or vitality, was now beginning to move!
Chu Qin and Xu Ying were both startled; they hurried to Li Hu’s side and after a bout of coughing, he stood up.
"My lady, you’re alright!"
Li Hu was startled when he saw Xu Ying alive and well.
"I’m fine," Xu Ying shook her head, "Chu Qin saved me! General Li Hu, I thought you were dead?"
"No, my lady!" Li Hu replied, "I could hear voices all the time, but I just couldn’t wake up?"
"Could it be a death feigning!" Chu Qin raised his eyebrows, "In the heat of the moment, it was Empress Yundi who confirmed it, I didn’t check for General Li Hu’s signs of life!"
"Feigned death?" Li Hu frowned.
"Indeed, there is such a possibility!" Ah Yin replied, "The illusions created by the Man-Eating Demon Flower are complex and bizarre, making feigned death not impossible!"
"Forget it, General Li Hu, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a feigned death or not!" Xu Ying said, "I’m just glad you’re not dead!"
"As long as the lady is unharmed, Li Hu would have no regrets even in death!" Li Hu responded, then turned to Chu Qin, bowing respectfully, "This humble one wishes to thank Lord Wang Jue for the grace of saving my life!"
"Oh, you’ve seen me?" Chu Qin said, slightly surprised.
"Of course, he has!" Before Li Hu could speak, Zhu Yundi’s voice rang out, "Back then, in the Xing Luo Imperial Palace, if it weren’t for General Li Hu, Daijunshan would have killed me!"
Everyone turned around to see Shangguan Yaqing and Zhu Yundi walking towards them.
"Your Majesty!" Upon hearing this, Li Hu and Xu Ying, both startled, immediately knelt on one knee before her!
"This is not the imperial palace; no need for such formalities—please rise!" Zhu Yundi said with a gentle smile.
"General Li Hu, your survival is indeed a fortune for the Empire, and for me!" Zhu Yundi turned to Li Hu.
"I am flattered by the Empress’s high regard and underserving of such honor!" Li Hu replied respectfully, "However, Your Majesty, what brings you to this place?"
"I came here with Chu Qin!"
Zhu Yundi looked toward Chu Qin with a smile.
"General Li Hu, you are my trusted confidant, and I won’t hide it from you. Xu Ying, you must also know, Chu Qin is my man!" Zhu Yundi said with a light smile, moving closer to Chu Qin’s side.
And Chu Qin gently wrapped his arm around Zhu Yundi’s fragrant shoulders.
"Ah!" Li Hu’s face showed a slight shock.
Xu Ying, meanwhile, showed no particular reaction; after all, she had already deduced the relationship between Chu Qin and Zhu Yundi.
"Then I shall not hide it from Your Majesty either!" Li Hu said, "In fact, I have long known about your relationship with Duke Chu Qin!"
"Ah?" It was Zhu Yundi’s turn to be surprised, her eyebrows frowning slightly, "You knew already?"
"Although Your Majesty is discreet, over a year ago, I had already discerned that your relationship with Duke Chu Qin was deep!" Li Hu replied with a smile.
"Aside from you, does anyone else know?" Zhu Yundi asked.
"No one else!" Li Hu said with a laugh, "Rest assured, Your Majesty, I have been as close-mouthed as a clam!"
"It seems, Yundi, we haven’t been careful enough at keeping secrets!" Chu Qin said to Zhu Yundi with a light-hearted smile.
"Keep secrets for what? It doesn’t matter if someone knows! Do you think Zhu Yundi always has to act covertly?"
Zhu Yundi pouted slightly, speaking somewhat coquettishly in response.
"No need, no need!" Chu Qin quickly embraced Zhu Yundi.
Li Hu and Xu Ying’s eyebrows furrowed!
Zhu Yundi, who was usually so dignified, even with her closest confidants, could actually show such a charming and coquettish side!
"General Li Hu, regarding those soldiers who sacrificed themselves, you must take good care of their families," Zhu Yundi then said to Li Hu.
"Yes!" Li Hu nodded and sighed, "Alas, who would have thought that within the Evil Eye Forest, there would be a hundred-thousand-year soul beast!"
A general’s biggest love is for his soldiers. This time, Li Hu’s loss was indeed heavy!
"Hmm! Right, Xu Ying, did you get your sixth Soul Ring?" Zhu Yundi nodded and turned to ask Xu Ying.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty!" Xu Ying responded, "We obtained the sixth Soul Ring and then encountered the attack!"
"Well then, Chu Qin, let us return to the Xing Luo Royal Palace first!" Zhu Yundi said.
"Let’s go!" Chu Qin replied with a slight smile.
With these words, Chu Qin led everyone out of the Evil Eye Forest.
At dusk!
Chu Qin and his party returned to the vicinity of the Star Luo Imperial Capital.
"Your Majesty, Chu Qin, then General Li Hu and I will go back to the Royal Mansion to find Zhen Tian. It’s been a day and a night since I’ve been home, he must be worried!" Xu Ying said to Chu Qin and Zhu Yundi.
"Ah, Aunt Xu Ying, until next time!" Chu Qin nodded.
"Don’t say ’until next time’!" Xu Ying grinned and said, "Tomorrow is Zhen Tian’s birthday. Why don’t you bring Zhu Qing and Zhu Yun to the Royal Mansion for a meal?"
"Is that so!" Chu Qin nodded and replied with a smile, "Then see you tomorrow, Aunt Xu Ying!"
