*Squeak---*
Xu Mulan pushed open the red door and walked into the *Commander's Mansion* with a solemn expression. She sat back at the table silently, wanting to forget about what she had just seen and continue processing the jade slips on the desk.
But...
How could she forget?!
Xu Mulan had only seen "two flowers on one stem" in novels, and she never thought that she would actually see it in person one day.Indeed, this proved that Ye Anping had no problem in that aspect and was very powerful, and the woman who married him would enjoy marital life to her heart's content. It wouldn't be like the joke in the market--- "The groom only needs three breaths to fall asleep, and the bride can only use a jade carrot to consummate the marriage."
But, this was too...
Who would have thought? The bright white-robed young master with a gentlemanly appearance turned into a bull at night... If her sister really married him in the future, with her weak physique, she would probably come to hide at her place every two or three days.
On another hand, she should be able to handle it...
Xu Mulan's cheeks were a little red, but she quickly regained her senses, shook her head, and looked up at Xu Xiyue, who had closed the door and walked closer.
"Xiyue, what happened now..."
"I saw it. Even though Senior Ye was seriously injured, he still did not forget to favor the two girls at the same time. It's simply... it's simply too licentious!!"Xu Xiyue stepped forward and took her sister's hand, adding in a serious voice, "Sister, you should think about it again. You can't judge a person by his appearance. I think it's very likely that Senior Ye is just attracted to your body. Don't agree to be with him."
*If only it was like that*... Xu Mulan looked away slightly.
Anyway, she had lived for decades, so she didn't care who she gave her virginity to.
It was rare for her to meet a man she truly liked. If he wanted her body, she would give it to him. It was a bonus if they fell in love with each other.
And if that happened, she would be considered to have a personal relationship with the Young Miss of the ***Black Star*** Sect, the descendant of the Holy Emperor, and the Leader of the ***Dragon House***.
Unfortunately...
Xu Mulan let out a long sigh and looked at Xu Xiyue's serious face. She grabbed her shoulders with both hands and pulled her in front of her.
"Sigh... Xiyue, let me tell you the truth."
Xu Xiyue tilted her head in confusion. "Huh? What truth?"
"Master Ye doesn't like me, but... you."
Xu Mulan raised her index finger and gently poked her sister's nose. Her eyes became serious so that Xu Xiyue would not think she was joking.
Xu Xiyue was stunned. Her light green eyes slowly widened, and her brain seemed to have frozen. She asked hesitantly, "Li... like... me... me?"
"Well..." Xu Mulan nodded slowly. "I heard it from Young Master Ye personally. One of the reasons Young Miss Xiao and the others came to the **Northern Region** was to look for you. Young Miss Xiao said that Young Master Ye seemed to have mentioned you to them before..."
"But...but but but..."
Xu Xiyue frowned slightly. She felt a headache and rubbed her temples with her fingers.
Previous scenes came to her mind.
When Ye Anping first came to the *Traveler's Pavilion*, he sat in the hall and kept staring at her.
After that, he asked her to exchange her worthless hairpin for two priceless martial arts and sword techniques, then said, *"Meeting you is fate."*
Then, she felt as if someone had sneaked into her bedroom at night and read her diary...
Linking all these things with what her sister said now...
Xu Xiyue swallowed, still unwilling to believe it. She asked, "But I've never seen Master Ye before and he is a cultivator from the **Western Region**. How could he..."
"He said he dreamed of you."
"Dreamed of... this... isn't an excuse to fool people?"
Xu Mulan shook her head slightly and retorted. "I think he is serious."
"..."
"Xiyue, what do you think of Mr. Ye? Tell me the truth."
"Ah..."
Hearing this question, Xu Xiyue bit her lips tightly and then opened her mouth several times but didn't utter a word.
To her, Mr. Ye was a Senior worthy of respect. He achieved the *Heavenly Dao Golden Core* and seemed to be the Young Master of a sect in the **Western Region**. Although he had many wives and concubines and seemed to have the problem of debauchery, he was a pretty good person.
However, that was all.
She had no intention of marrying Senior Ye. Moreover, they had only met for a month and a half, and they had barely spoken...
If Senior Ye expressed his love for her, she would definitely reject him tactfully.
However, the premise of rejection was that her status or cultivation level was equal to that of Senior Ye.
Senior Ye was a *Core Formation* cultivator and the husband of the Young Lady of the ***Black Star*** Sect and the Young Lady of the ***Dragon House***...
His status was a world apart from that of a commoner like her.
In the past, in **Heavenly Wind City**, there was a restaurant owner's daughter. Because of her good looks, a disciple from an aristocratic family took a fancy to her. However, that woman refused him, and after that, the restaurant went bankrupt and the owner fell ill and was bedridden...
Xu Xiyue was worried that if she didn't obey Ye Anping and angered him, he would harm her and her sister.
You may see a person's face, but you don't know his heart. Who could prove that Senior Ye wasn't that kind of spoiled and domineering young master?
She didn't know him enough...
Xu Xiyue took a deep breath and raised her head with a firm look. "Sister. I'm not young anymore, I can see things straight. I don't have a choice, right? If he wants me, there's no way I won't comply."
"...Huh?" Xu Mulan didn't know her sister's thought process, so she asked, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Well... if I don't agree, Senior Ye might bring harm to you, right?"
Xu Xiyue tightly grasped her sister's hand and said seriously, "Sister, don't worry. I know what to do. I will agree."
"Ah?"
Xu Mulan looked confused and didn't quite understand.
At this time, a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside.
*Tap, tap, tap--*
Then, with a "bang", the double-door mahogany door of the main pavilion was kicked open, immediately alerting Xu Mulan.
Feng Yu Die carried Ye Anping, who was sitting in a wheelchair, into the room.
Because she pushed it too fast, the wheel of the broken wheelchair got stuck, so she had to carry the wheelchair over.
After putting him down, Ye Anping nodded to her. "Go and tell my sister. Go around the back and don't let anyone see you."
"Okay!"
After answering, Feng Yu Die closed the door and jumped out of the window, leaving Xu Mulan and Xu Xiyue confused.
It took a while before Xu Mulan came back to her senses.
"Mr. Ye, what happened?"
"Don't panic." Ye Anping looked at the two of them calmly. "I'm here to say goodbye. I'll be leaving for the **Western Region** soon."
"But Mr. Ye, your injury is not..."
"The injury is a minor matter. This is an emergency."
"So... you have to go? It would be good if you stayed for a few more days... You came to **Heavenly Wind City**, but I didn't fulfill my host duties."
Ye Anping looked helpless. He really wanted to stay a few more days and let Xu Xiyue show him around the city she had lived in until the age of twelve.
But the premise was that Sun Juehu wouldn't come...
Although it was a pity, it wasn't as if they wouldn't see each other again in the future.
"Commander Xu, a little later, or maybe tomorrow, there will be a woman from **Cold Moon City** visiting you. If my guess is correct, the reason she came here should be to commend you for killing the demonic cultivators. And the content of the commendation is probably that you will be transferred to **Cold Moon City** as the *Snow Guard*'s Deputy Chief... You should agree."
"This..."
Ye Anping nodded slightly. Although he really wanted Xu Mulan to lie for him and support Yun Xiaoliu's identity, this identity was full of loopholes.
Too many *Snow Guards* in the city knew his identity. If Sun Juehu discovered that Xu Mulan lied to her, she would be accused of deceiving the Empress.
"Also, if she asks about me, you can answer truthfully, but don't say that you have a close relationship with me."
Xu Mulan nodded hesitantly. "Okay..."
Then, Ye Anping slowly shifted his gaze to Xu Xiyue.
Seeing him look over, Xu Xiyue clenched her fists and looked away, timidly taking a step back.
Xu Mulan also thought that Ye Anping wanted to take her sister with him to the **Western Region**, and her expression was slightly uneasy.
"Mr. Ye, my sister..."
Ye Anping shook his head slightly to interrupt, then propped himself on the armrests of the wheelchair, stood up, and limped to Xu Xiyue.
"Ye... Senior Ye..."
"..."
Ye Anping's next action, however, caused both sisters in the room to freeze in place.
He propped himself up slightly and knelt on one knee in front of Xu Xiyue, placing himself at her level, and then patted her shoulders with both hands.
"Xiyue, did your sister tell you?"
A *Core Formation* stage cultivator knelt on one knee in front of a *Qi Refining* cultivator like her. Xu Xiyue didn't know what to do and looked at her sister anxiously.
However, Xu Mulan's nervous expression relaxed for some reason, and she nodded to her.
Xu Xiyue also nodded slightly and bit her lips.
"Yes, sister told me that you have taken a fancy to me."
Ye Anping nodded and responded. "Yes."
"Senior Ye, can you explain to me? Sister said you told your wife about me a long time ago, but we only met for the first time a month ago. How did you know about me?"
"I've seen you in a dream."
"Then..." Xu Xiyue summoned up her courage and asked, "Are you sure that the person in your dream is me?"
Without hesitation, Ye Anping replied with a smile, "It is not the same."
"Then... why?"
"The Xiyue in my dream looks just like you, but she definitely could never have seen me."
Xiyue didn't understand. "...What?"
Ye Anping sighed as he thought for a while, then slowly said, "Xiyue, you may not understand what I'm about to say, but it's the truth. Just remember it.
"I was originally a cultivator with dual spiritual roots, and I didn't have any great ambitions. Since I was born, I felt that I would never achieve anything great in this life. In order not to lose myself too much, I set a goal for myself, which was to come to the **Northern Region** to find you."
Xu Xiyue tilted her head slightly. "To find me...?"
"Well, we are both ordinary dual-spiritual-root cultivators, aren't we?"
"Senior Ye, you have dual spiritual roots and formed a *Heavenly Dao Golden Core*... If this is ordinary..."
Ye Anping nodded and interrupted her. "Yes, I'm no longer ordinary. However, before I formed my *Heavenly Dao Golden Core* and survived my death tribulation in **Wuxi Town**... I was just some good-looking cannon fodder, and you were the goal I set for myself at that time and also a beacon that could keep me from losing myself.
---You could say it's an inferiority complex or a conservatism.
---At that time, I would never have thought that in just a few years, I would be able to form a *Heavenly Dao Golden Core* with my dual spiritual roots, and as cannon fodder, I would receive the appreciation and help of powerful cultivators like Demon King, Immortal Matriarch, and Ancestor Yun Jian.
---And for that reason, I wanted to marry you, who were as ordinary as I was back then. Then, I would spend my whole life leisurely with you and my sister in the ***Hundred Lotus*** Sect or some idyllic place."
Xu Xiyue frowned slightly, trying to think about Ye Anping's words.
"Well... what about now?"
"It's different now. I have taken on some responsibilities that didn't belong to me. A strange book, a silver-haired girl, the Young Miss of the ***Black Star*** Sect, the Lady of the ***Dragon House***... I have become an agent of destiny."
"..."
"Xiyue... You don't need to answer me now, but I'll make a promise to you. After some things are settled, I will come over and ask you a question."
"Oh... what question?"
"Will you marry me?"
"..."
"You don't have to answer now. You can answer when we meet next time. Whether you agree or not, it's your own decision and I will comply."
Ye Anping gently pinched her cheek. "The two cultivation techniques I gave you, the *Frost Condensing Heart* and the *Jade Crystal Sword*, correspond to your physique and spiritual roots. Practice them diligently. If nothing unexpected happens, you will follow your sister to the **Cold Moon City** and enter the *Imperial Palace* to become a maid of the Empress."
"Well..."
"You only need to remember not to mention me to anyone. Just live a good life together with your sister in **Cold Moon City**."
Ye Anping supported himself on his knees and slowly stood up. Cupping his hands, he bowed to Xu Mulan. "I'll be leaving now. Commander Xu, farewell."
"...Take care."
Then, Ye Anping smiled and looked back at Xiyue. She was stunned for a moment, then came back to her senses and cupped her hands. "Ah... Senior Ye, have a safe trip."
"Goodbye."
At this time, there was a burst of hurried footsteps and knocks on the outer door of the main pavilion.
*Bang, bang, bang---*
Ye Anping heard this. Without a word, he picked up his wheelchair and flipped out the back window.
Xu Mulan watched him carry his wheelchair and escape. Although she was a little confused, she quickly came to her senses. "Come in."
A *Snow Guard* hurriedly pushed the door, "The **Cold Moon City** has sent someone over. The person claimed to be the Empress' personal maid and showed the Cold Sky Token."
"Ah... just as Master Ye said..."
Xu Mulan murmured as she straightened her robe, and then took Xu Xiyue with her and hurried to greet them.
Sun Juehu and her two guards were already waiting at the bottom of the stairs outside the main pavilion. When she saw Xu Mulan coming out, she narrowed her eyes and sized her up. Then, she took out a golden scroll from her sleeve and coughed.
"Xu Mulan, Commander of the *Snow Guards* of **Heavenly Wind City**, and Xu Xiyue, the youngest daughter of the Xu family, listen to the Imperial Decree!"
After a moment of surprise, Xu Mulan looked at Xu Xiyue beside her, knelt on one knee, and nodded, bowing her head. "Present."
"Present."
Sun Juehu glanced at the two and began to recite. "Commander Xu Mulan led the *Snow Guards* of the **Heavenly Wind City** to exterminate one *Nascent Soul* demonic cultivator, three *Core Formation* demonic cultivators, and seventy *Foundation Building* demonic cultivators.
---She mobilized thousands of cultivators around **Heavenly Wind City** in the **Northern Region** to assist the fight, thus earning the Empress's favor. She later reported half of the locations of demonic cultivators in the **Northern Region**, greatly contributing to reducing the damage to the territory.
---Therefore, today, Xu Mulan is appointed Deputy Chief of the *Snow Guard* of the **Cold Moon City**, serving directly under the Imperial Advisor.
---Her sister, Xu Xiyue, will enter the palace to serve as the Empress's attendant.
---The order has been given!"
"...I will obey your orders! Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"
Xu Mulan frowned as she knelt. When she saw the imperial token in Sun Juehu's hand, she sighed in her heart. *'It's exactly as Young Master Ye said.'*
But how did he know this in advance...
Xu Mulan suddenly felt a little regretful. She had been a little confused just now and forgot to hug Mr. Ye.
Now, he had probably gone far away, and she didn't know when she would meet him again...
"Deputy Xu~ What's the matter? So surprised that you forgot to stand up?"
"Ah... excuse me."
Xu Mulan came back to her senses and looked at Sun Juehu. She thought that she was indeed worthy of being the Empress' right hand. She was so domineering that she dared not look directly at her.
"Senior Sun, you have come all the way here. I will immediately prepare tea for the three of you. Please..."
"Well, thank you." Sun Juehu nodded with a smile. "That map of **Cold Moon City** that you sent us was very much appreciated by the Imperial Advisor Chen. If it weren't for your map, I'm afraid the demonic cultivators would have caused a big mess."
As Xu Mulan listened, she suddenly realized that her transfer to **Cold Moon City** was most likely something that Ye Anping had planned.
That map was given to her by Ye Anping.
Xu Mulan felt a little embarrassed that she had stolen his merit. Moreover, he had asked her to tell the truth earlier.
After a moment of silence, Xu Mulan hurriedly said, "Senior Sun, in fact, it wasn't me who drew that map. It was given to me by a **Western Region** cultivator who came to **Heavenly Wind City**. I only handed it over."
Sun Juehu raised his eyebrows and asked, "**Western Region** cultivator? What's his name? Which sect is he from?"
"Ah... The Young Master of the ***Hundred Lotus*** Sect, Ye Anping."
"***Hundred Lotus*** Sect hmm... I heard that the ***Hundred Lotus*** Sect got a spirit stone vein from the ***Black Star*** Sect a few years ago. Commander Xu, do you know about it?"
"I'm not too sure."
"I see... Well, invite him over. I want to talk to him."
"This... I'm afraid Senior Sun will be disappointed. Master Ye has already left, and he didn't say where he was going."
"..."
Sun Juehu was taken aback. She recalled the youth in the garden and suddenly seemed to understand something.
At this moment, a *Snow Guard* rushed over. When she saw Sun Juehu and the others, she froze for a moment, then quickly cupped her hands and said, "Commander Xu..."
Sun Juehu answered instead. "What's the matter?"
Xu Mulan gave her a look, indicating for her to continue.
"Err... just now, Young Miss Xiao, Senior Pei, and Miss Li suddenly packed their luggage and left."
"...Young Miss Xiao? Which Young Miss Xiao?"
"Uh... Young Miss Xiao of the ***Black Star*** Sect."
When Sun Juehu heard this, she looked as if she had suddenly realized something. The corners of her eyes twitched slightly, but then she covered her forehead and laughed.
"Oh... So that's it, I was wondering... Hehe..."
Seeing her laugh for no apparent reason, Xu Mulan asked cautiously, "Senior Sun, is something wrong?"
"It's okay. No matter who drew the map, this Imperial Decree remains unchanged. You will still take your sister to **Cold Moon City**. As for that Young Miss Xiao..."
Sun Juehu smiled faintly and turned to look at the two guards who followed her.
The two men hurriedly stepped forward and cupped their hands.
"Are we going to chase them?"
"No need." Sun Juehu shook her head. "Draw that kid for me. Draw him accurately, and then prepare ten pounds of Cold Moon Melon Seeds from the **Northern Region**. I'm going to the ***Black Star*** Sect to meet an old friend."
"Ah... you, you, you are going... where?"
"**Western Region**, ***Black Star*** Sect. Do I need to repeat myself?"
"Uh... Understood!"
The two looked a little terrified, swallowed their saliva, and hurriedly cupped their hands after receiving the orders. Then, they turned around and ran out of the *Commander's Mansion*...
