Novel Full Chapter 452: Hidden Intention.
Li Feng, who was getting swamped by the admiring crowd with an awkward smile as they continued to sing his praises, couldn’t help but feel like maybe he had been a bit overboard in his acting.
But then, after finally spotting the two women watching him from the window, his embarrassment deepened.
He quickly excused himself from the crowd with a few polite words and hurried toward the manor entrance, his robe fluttering as he tried to escape the wave of adoration.
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BAM!
The moment he stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him, he let out a long breath and complained.
"Dammit, I only punched one guy and cleaned up a bit... why are they acting like I single-handedly defeated a Nascent Soul-"
But just as he was complaining, his breath was stolen away.
...There, sitting gracefully by the window with a teacup in her delicate hands, was Yue Lan.
She had changed.
Gone was her simple envoy robe.
Instead, she wore an exquisite imperial-style dress, layers of black and gold silk that hugged her perfect figure, embroidered with intricate phoenix patterns.
A luxurious white fur shawl draped over her shoulders, accentuating her snowy-white hair that was elegantly pinned up with golden ornaments.
Her makeup was light yet breathtaking... soft red lips, subtle blush on her porcelain cheeks, and those striking golden eyes that seemed to glow with inner light.
She looked like an imperial consort who had stepped out of ancient paintings... noble, ethereal, and impossibly beautiful.
Yue Lan noticed his stunned gaze and gently set down her teacup.
"...You’re back," she said softly, her voice like clear spring water.
Li Feng stood frozen for a moment, his earlier embarrassment completely forgotten.
His eyes traced her elegant figure, from the delicate way she held the teacup to the gentle rise and fall of her chest beneath the luxurious robes.
"You look so beautiful..." he murmured as he immediately took out a recording stone to capture her beauty.
Even after all this time together, seeing her dressed like this still made his heart skip a beat.
She looked less like his quiet, devoted companion and more like a heavenly empress who could make kingdoms fall with a single glance.
Yue Lan tilted her head slightly at Li Feng’s sudden antic of taking a picture with the recording stone again.
Lan Suyao, who was sitting opposite Yue Lan with her arms crossed under her large chest, let out a soft snort, clearly enjoying his reaction.
"Close your mouth, hero. You’re drooling."
At her words, Yue Lan’s golden eyes curved playfully.
"Do I... look strange like this?" she asked gently. "Madam Zhang kindly helped me dress last night for the banquet... I thought it might be too much, but she kept insisting, so I felt bad rejecting her offer."
Li Feng shook his head hurriedly as his eyes flashed with possessiveness.
"Strange? No..." he whispered, voice rough with desire. "You look perfect."
Yue Lan’s blush deepened.
She lowered her gaze shyly, but the corners of her lips lifted into a soft, happy smile.
"I see..."
Watching the two lecherous pair acting like pure lovers, Lan Suyao rolled her eyes.
"Enough flirting. We still have to prepare the ship and discuss the route to the capital." She paused, narrowing her eyes at Li Feng. "... and where did you go the entire night, anyway?"
Li Feng finally tore his gaze away from Yue Lan’s breathtaking figure.
He stepped forward and sat down between them before pulling both women closer, with one arm wrapping around Yue Lan’s slender waist while his other hand rested boldly on Lan Suyao’s hip.
Then he noticed Lan Suyao’s disgusted expression and couldn’t help but smile.
"Jealous already?" he teased, leaning in to place a light kiss on Lan Suyao’s cheek before turning back to Yue Lan and pressing a deeper, lingering kiss on her soft lips.
When he pulled back, his eyes were gleaming with satisfaction.
"I went to clean up the remaining threats. The assassins who tried to kill General Zhang were dealt with and I also... acquired a few new assets that might prove useful later."
Lan Suyao didn’t reject his kiss.
She raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing there was more to the story, but since he didn’t continue, she didn’t bother pressing him.
Instead, she gave Li Feng a serious look, her usual cold dignity returning.
"I had a talk with General Zhang last night," she said, voice low and solemn.
"Judging by his words, it seems there is an underlying force targeting the Fen Dynasty itself. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone to such lengths just to assassinate a old border general like him. The scale of the attack, the timing, the use of infected... it feels too coordinated and too deliberate."
"...And after careful consideration, the possible reason for yesterday’s attack seems to be to... delay us, the envoys of the Azure Moon Sect."
Li Feng’s expression turned serious as he listened, his playful demeanor vanishing in an instant.
"Delay us..." he repeated slowly, eyes narrowing.
"That makes sense. The infected outbreak, the assassins targeting the General... if it had succeeded, there would surely be chaos and we might have had to stay here to clean up the mess. It really does seem like a calculated move to keep us stuck here longer."
Yue Lan, still nestled elegantly against his side in her stunning imperial dress, set her teacup down gently.
Her golden eyes grew thoughtful as she leaned closer to him.
"If they’re willing to go this far just to slow us down... then the situation in the capital must be even more complicated than we imagined. It seems someone doesn’t want us there... or doesn’t want us to arrive too soon. But why...?"
Li Feng’s eyes flashed with a dangerous glint.
He scoffed coldly, a sharp, domineering smile appearing on his face.
"Hmph! Since someone is so desperate to keep us from going, let us depart and go there immediately!"
Lan Suyao smiled at Li Feng’s declaration, a rare, fierce glint appearing in her eyes.
"That’s what I thought too."
She herself didn’t like overthinking schemes and preferred to smash through the entire chessboard rather than waste time pondering every hidden move.
And because of her past, she really didn’t like being schemed against.
So if someone was so desperate to keep them away, then she would be even more eager to crash their party.
"Good," Lan Suyao said, standing up with graceful confidence.
Her large chest strained slightly against her robes as she crossed her arms, exuding a powerful and valiant aura.
"I’ll have the flying ship fully prepared and the fastest route charted. The sooner we arrive, the sooner we can ruin whoever is behind this and crash their scheme!"
"Yes!"
Li Feng and Lan Suyao smiled fiercely together, their eyes burning with battle intent and excitement.
The shared predatory grin between them made the air in the room feel sharper, like two warriors ready to charge into the fray.
Meanwhile,
Yue Lan just blinked at the two excited battle maniacs, her golden eyes calm and serene.
She gracefully lifted her teacup again, taking a slow, elegant sip.
"...Mhmm," she murmured softly, lowering the cup.
"I should ask Madam Zhang for more of this tea before leaving. It’s quite soothing."
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[Here is an illustration of what the recording stone captured of Yue Lan dressed in imperial attire]: