Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Leaving a Lingering Thought
Hening Palace, the Martial Kingdom Imperial Palace.
The Ninth Princess couldn’t sit still after returning. She bustled about the hall, packing clothes, food, and other items into a bundle, preparing for Shen Daoxing’s departure.
For someone used to being ordered around her whole life, the servants’ work was second nature.
"Yawei!"
The voice of a mature woman suddenly rang out.
Seeing the newcomer, the Ninth Princess stepped forward, placed her hands before her waist, and curtsied. "Aunt!"
The Eldest Princess glanced at the bulging bundle in front of the Ninth Princess and understood everything. "You can’t bear to see him go, can you?"
"Mhm!"
The Ninth Princess lowered her head shyly and nodded. "But what’s the use of not wanting him to leave?"
The Eldest Princess paused, then looked into the Ninth Princess’s eyes meaningfully. "After this parting, who knows when you’ll see each other again. Don’t you want to leave him with a little something?"
"Huh?"
The Ninth Princess looked lost. "What could I possibly give him?"
The Eldest Princess chuckled, then came to the Ninth Princess’s side, leaned in, and slowly whispered a few words in her ear.
Instantly, the Ninth Princess’s face turned beet red.
"Aunt! Is that... really okay?"
The Ninth Princess asked in a tiny voice, her head bowed.
"You have to understand, the outside world is dazzling and full of temptations that can lead a man astray. How can you be so sure he’ll come back?" the Eldest Princess retorted.
"He promised me! He said that once everything is settled, he’ll come back and marry me. I’m sure he’ll keep his word. I believe him," the Ninth Princess said with certainty.
The Eldest Princess shook her head and sighed. "Yawei, you’re still so naive. Never trust a man’s pretty words—they’re nothing but lies. Take it from your aunt; I speak from experience."
"Then why are you still single at your age, Aunt?" the Ninth Princess suddenly asked.
The Eldest Princess froze for a moment, then broke into an amused smile. She poked the Ninth Princess’s head with her finger. "You little rascal!"
Then, the Eldest Princess said slowly, "In any case, just do as I say. You have to give a man something to long for. Only then will he remember to come back."
With that, the Eldest Princess winked meaningfully at the Ninth Princess again. "Don’t you want to? Come! Let your aunt teach you a few tricks. I guarantee no man will be able to resist!"
And so, the Eldest Princess whispered a few more words into the Ninth Princess’s ear.
The more the Ninth Princess listened, the redder her face became. She lowered her head as if she wanted to bury it in the ground.
"Aunt, Yawei will listen to you," the Ninth Princess finally said in a small voice.
The Eldest Princess thought for a moment, then patted herself down and took out a small rosewood box. She opened the lid, revealing a single purple Elixir Pill resting quietly inside.
"Aunt, what is this?" the Ninth Princess asked, her expression puzzled.
The Eldest Princess gave a mysterious smile. "This is a secret pill concocted by our Royal Family. Taking it will guarantee you conceive his child. What’s more, it can also... stimulate a man’s abilities in *that* department."
Hearing this, the Ninth Princess’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. It took her a long while to recover.
"But... will he really not find me undesirable?" the Ninth Princess said, still lacking confidence.
"Of course not! Yawei, don’t you forget, you’re not that ugly little girl anymore!" the Eldest Princess comforted her.
By now, the sky had gradually darkened, with stars scattered across the night. The Eldest Princess looked up and smiled faintly. "Yawei, it’s getting late. If you don’t make your move soon, you’ll miss your chance."
"Mhm!"
The Ninth Princess shyly lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, and walked out of Hening Palace with small steps.
The Eldest Princess watched Gu Yawei’s departing figure and sighed.
She was doing this for the Ninth Princess’s own good, but she also had her own motives.
Shen Daoxing’s journey would not be smooth sailing. It would be fraught with danger, and he might even face annihilation by the Celestial Profound Sacred Land. He’d be lucky to survive.
If Yawei could conceive Shen Daoxing’s child, our Martial Kingdom would have a successor to his line, and we wouldn’t have to worry about losing the Dragon Vein.
It was just a pity that if Shen Daoxing died, Yawei would be left a widow.
...
The night was still. A bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a silver glow like a curtain, draping the imperial palace in a hazy veil.
Shen Daoxing was still cultivating inside the Treasure Pavilion. The sky was like an inverted funnel, pouring vast amounts of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi into his body. A faint seven-colored light flickered around him.
Outside the Treasure Pavilion, beneath the starry night, the Ninth Princess, Gu Yawei, approached slowly by the moonlight, carrying a food box.
"Grand-uncle!"
The Ninth Princess arrived at the entrance to the Treasure Pavilion and bowed to the old guardian.
The old man at the entrance was still dozing and didn’t open his eyes, merely nodding his head.
But the great doors of the Treasure Pavilion opened slowly on their own with a CREAK.
The Ninth Princess walked straight in and climbed the stairs to the third floor.
Shen Daoxing sensed the movement and looked up, a little surprised to see who it was. "Yawei, what are you doing here?"
"Daoxing, you’ve been cultivating all evening. Yawei knew you must be hungry, so I brought you something to eat."
The Ninth Princess brought the food box to Shen Daoxing’s side and opened the lid, releasing an alluring aroma.
Shen Daoxing’s stomach RUMBLED. He was indeed hungry. He picked up the food and began to wolf it down.
"Food made by Yawei is always the best!" Shen Daoxing praised after a few mouthfuls.
The Ninth Princess covered her mouth with her hand and smiled faintly. "I had the palace maids make it."
"Is that so?"
Shen Daoxing wasn’t embarrassed at all. He just smiled faintly. "Anything Yawei brings is delicious!"
Shen Daoxing finished the meal in a flash. He then sat down in a meditative posture and resumed his cultivation, the seven-colored light swirling around him once more.
The Ninth Princess quietly cleared away the dishes beside him, but when she was done, she didn’t leave.
"Yawei, why aren’t you going back to rest?" Shen Daoxing asked, a little puzzled.
"I want... I want..."
The Ninth Princess suddenly lowered her head. "I want to stay and keep you company tonight. Is that okay?"
"Of course!"
Shen Daoxing smiled casually, not thinking much of it, and resumed his cultivation.
The Ninth Princess sat silently beside Shen Daoxing, motionless, just keeping him quiet company.
What Shen Daoxing didn’t know was that the Ninth Princess’s face was already beet red.
Although the Eldest Princess had taught her a few methods of seduction, the moment she sat near Shen Daoxing, her mind went blank. She just sat there, her body stiff. She had never been this close to a man in her entire life; everyone she had met before had despised her, keeping their distance as if she were a plague.
For a moment, the Ninth Princess had no idea what to do. She had completely forgotten the plan she came with. She turned her head to steal a glance at Shen Daoxing and saw his handsome, focused profile. The Ninth Princess quickly lowered her head, her face growing even redder.
Meanwhile, Shen Daoxing kept his eyes closed, immersed in his cultivation, completely oblivious to the Ninth Princess’s strange behavior beside him.
At this moment, a certain beautiful lady in Hening Palace was likely growing very anxious, worried that her naive niece wouldn’t know what to do.
And inside Shen Daoxing’s body, a little red snake watching everything unfold was growing just as anxious.
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