Chapter 181 - 181 Demonstration
181 Demonstration
Then, the dark shadows on the roof, walls, and treetops quietly hid in the darkness.
Si Hai glanced at Chu Yi’s gaze and raised his hand to gesture for him to retreat.
In the next moment, the surrounding royal guards retreated like a tide, without hesitation.
The torches retreated with them, and the surroundings darkened again.
On a night without the wind and snow, the stars and moon in the sky appeared hazily between the dark clouds. It was quiet and peaceful.
The courtyard instantly became empty again, leaving only muddy footprints on the snow.
Chu Yi smiled warmly at Gu Yanfei and raised his eyebrows slightly. There was a smile at the corners of his eyes and a gentle expression.
Gu Yanfei’s eyes darted around. She held her snow-white cheek with her right hand and exchanged a look with him.
“Better late than never. I’m thinking of helping Young Master Xia Hou seize the State of Yue’s power.”
When she spoke, she still spoke in that casual tone, as if she was playing a game.
The old man outside the pavilion winced again.
Chu Yi’s gaze gently swept across the red and purple marks on Gu Yanfei’s neck. His voice was tinged with coldness as he continued indifferently, “This matter is simple. Young Master Xia Hou, do you want to hear me out?”
He imitated Gu Yanfei’s tone and called him Young Master Xia Hou. With one sentence, he drew an invisible line between the three of them.
He and Gu Yanfei were here, and Xia Houqing was on the other side.
“Simple?” Xia Houqing’s voice rose at the end, and his eyes curved into a treacherous arc. No one could tell if he was happy or angry, let alone his true emotions.
“Yes.” Chu Yi nodded decisively. His smile was as clean as spring water after snow. “Do you want to talk?”
As the gentle evening wind blew, the snow on the bamboo leaves fell like icing sugar. The low, unbroken bamboo straightened its back proudly, still green.
A faint, cold bamboo fragrance floated in the air, mixed with traces of cold water vapor. It was quiet and elegant.
Xia Houqing’s fingers began to rub the blood ring again. He looked at Chu Yi and then at Gu Yanfei.
Back at Tianyin Pavilion, the two of them were also together.
“Tell me,” Xia Houqing finally said. His lips pursed into an evil smile.
As he spoke, Chu Yi’s gaze swept across the short sword on the table and the red sleeve cloth on the ground. He knew that Gu Yanfei had definitely not suffered a loss.
Chu Yi casually picked up the short sword and said slowly, “The current Sage of the State of Yue, Baili Hong, has been on the throne for more than 20 years. He established the flourishing era of Qianming and was once at the peak of the country’s power.”
“However, in the past five to six years, Baili Hong has been old and weak. He’s been living an extravagant life and has indulged in pleasure. He no longer has the ambition to expand his territory or the determination to work hard in the past.”
“The State of Yue seems to be flourishing, but it’s actually already showing signs of decline.”
His warm voice flowed in the cold air. He was smiling slightly, and there was a confidence in his bones that carried an imposing aura and was difficult to ignore.
After a pause, he glanced at Gu Yanfei’s focused little face from the corner of his eye. The corners of his eyes curved into a warm smile.
The flowers and trees in the courtyard danced in the evening breeze, rustling like a low moan.
“According to the hexagram, the monarch is seriously ill.” Gu Yanfei pointed at the compass with her index finger and said seriously, “The Crown Prince is supervising the country, the brothers are fighting, and the nine sons are fighting for the peak… Your country is really chaotic!” She concluded with emotion.
“I remember that the 15th son of the Emperor is one year old,” Chu Yi added at the right time.
The two of them were singing the same tune. They were just short of saying that they might as well threaten the Emperor to order the princes?!
The corners of Xia Houqing’s eyes twitched imperceptibly. He began to examine the two of them again, his charming pupils as deep as an unfathomable valley.
He was at least certain that Chu Yi and Baili Yin were definitely not in cahoots.
“It’s much more interesting to really stand in that supreme position than watching the war between the Yue and Jin countries from afar.” Chu Yi took out a handkerchief and slowly wiped the sword.
The silver blade had a chill colder than snow in the light.
The corners of Xia Houqing’s mouth narrowed slightly. He stroked his damaged left sleeve and hid it under the stone table. Out of sight, out of mind. At the same time, he tilted his head slightly to look at Chu Yi. His beautiful side profile was smiling and mocking in the dim yellow light.
The young man in white was fair and thin, giving off a weak aura.
“Young Master Yi.” Xia Houqing smiled, his flawless eyebrows appearing even more beautiful and dazzling. “You’ve been in the State of Yue for eight years without revealing a single trace. It’s been hard on you.”
What a sick young master!
Chu Yi’s words were clear and convincing. Naturally, he did not have good intentions. He wanted the State of Yue to be in chaos so that the State of Jin could have breathing space. It was similar to his “diverting misfortune” plan.
Xia Houqing clapped his hands in admiration and mocked, “I’m ashamed of my inferiority!”
The narrow, thin, shiny, and smooth blade clearly reflected Chu Yi’s eyes that were deeper than the night sky.
Chu Yi smiled without saying anything. Suddenly, he twisted his wrist and moved the beautiful sword flower toward Xia Houqing, shining with silver light.
However, Xia Houqing did not dodge at all. Instead, the old man’s expression changed and he exclaimed, “My Lord!”
The sword flashed and disappeared. In the next moment, the short sword had been sheathed with a crisp clang.
The action of returning to the sheath was as smooth and natural as flowing water. There was no hesitation at all.
There was a bloody mark on the back of Xia Houqing’s right hand.
The contrast between red blood and white skin was stark.
This was equivalent to Chu Yi’s response.
It was also a demonstration, right?
Xia Houqing’s gaze thoughtfully swept across the few strangulation marks on Gu Yanfei’s neck. He licked the blood off the back of his hand with the tip of his tongue, and his lower lip was stained with a little blood, making him look even more charming.