White-Robed Chief
Chapter 199: Revelation

By noon, Chu Li was back in the Public House.

He returned to the Thousand Herb Garden. Once he caught a whiff of the aura from the Glory's Will, the extreme fatigue he had earlier dissipated almost instantly. He now felt relaxed and rejuvenated.

Chu Li went into the house and changed his clothes. Xue Ling then gently knocked on his door and brought in a basin of warm water for him to wash his face.

After he rubbed his face dry, he went to the living room and sat on his armchair. Xue Ling served him some tea. She stood beside him as she stared at Chu Li with her clear eyes.

Chu Li took a glance at his clothes and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Master, you've lost some weight," Xue Ling replied.

Chu Li laughed. "I've only been out for a few days, and I've lost weight already? But you may be right, the food in the Imperial Court and in the restaurants there were not as good as the ones that you cook. They did not appeal to my appetite."

Xue Ling's eyes beamed with joy upon hearing that.

Just then, they heard a knock on the door outside. Xue Ling walked out of the living room and opened the door. Standing right outside was Su Ru.

Su Ru wore a yellow gown, and her face looked perfect. As she walked in gracefully, she asked, "Is Chu Li back?"

"He just arrived." Xue Ling smiled.

"Then quick, the Lady summons him over," Su Ru said.

Xue Ling frowned. "Why the hurry?"

"Don't ask so much." Su Ru rolled her eyes at her.

Xue Ling chuckled.

By the time the two of them entered the living room, Chu Li was already up and ready to leave. "Chief, let's go then."

"I'm afraid you must go there by yourself. I'm bringing Xue Ling to your small island," Su Ru said as she smiled.

Chu Li smiled back and nodded. He then stepped out of his courtyard and made his way to the Stargazing Tower.

Before he arrived at the tower, he could hear the melodious sound of guzheng playing. The harmonious rhythm of the music made him feel like he had transcended to another realm.

A smile etched across his face. It seemed like the Lady was in a good mood today.

He went up to the third floor of the tower. What he saw there caught him by surprise — Lady Xiao Shi was there too.

Xiao Qi wielded her sword as she swung it in the air. The flash of her sword was as clear as water. Its movements were graceful and elegant.

Whereas Xiao Shi had her back turned against Xiao Qi, as she continued to play the guzheng by the window.

As the sunlight that ricocheted off the window pane shone brightly on Xiao Shi's face, from the side, it made the features of her face look fine with her fair complexion. Xiao Shi looked absolutely stunning.

"Lady, Second Lady." Chu Li gave them both a fist salute.

The flash of the sword tailed off the air as Xiao Qi sheathed her sword.

The sound of the guzheng had ceased as well.

Both ladies turned their glances at Chu Li. Their eyes were like two gentle rays of light falling onto his face.

"Have a seat." Xiao Qi pointed at the embroidered drum stool.

Chu Li kept his cool and quietly sat on the stool that was opposite to the two ladies.

He felt that the whole third floor was brightly illuminated by the two ladies' spellbinding beauty. Though it was their aura that made him lose the courage to look them directly in the eye.

"Sorry to trouble you for coming all the way here. But what did King An say?"

"They'll send another two or three men here to teach the Second Lady about the protocols of the palace."

Xiao Qi said, "It's true that she should learn it beforehand so she won't make any mistakes when she enters King An's Imperial Court and become everyone's laughing stock."

"What laughing stock?" Xiao Shi smiled faintly.

Xiao Qi gave Xiao Shi a stare. Then, she continued with her questions, "Chu Li, what's your impression of King An?

Chu Li had the same ability as her, where they could see through a person's personality and thoughts at first sight.

Chu Li smiled back at her. "King An doesn't seem to be very healthy."

"He's ill?" Xiao Qi frowned. "But I've never heard of that."

She pondered as she gazed at Chu Li. She knew he was trying to steer the topic away. Could it be that there were some problems with King An?

Xiao Qi swept a quick glance at Xiao Shi who was beside her. She had decided to implore more regarding the issue after her sister had left the room.

Xiao Shi asked, "What illness?"

Chu Li shook his head and replied, "It's an internal injury. A very complicated one."

"The Imperial Court has access to countless magical pills and herbs, and many top-notch masters are at their service too." Xiao Qi smiled at Chu Li. "Why do we have to worry about a mere internal injury?"

Chu Li smiled. "Perhaps you're right. I presume it wouldn't bother him for too long."

Xiao Shi questioned again, "Did you meet any of his concubines?"

Chu Li shook his head. "No, I've only met with King An himself. My identity didn't allow me to roam around to the other places in the court."

"That's understandable." Xiao Shi nodded gently.

Chu Li smiled. "Don't worry, Second Lady. You're the Princess consort. The other concubines wouldn't be able to displace you from your title no matter how much they try."

"Is King An's daughter fine?" Xiao Shi asked.

Chu Li shook his head.

Xiao Qi interrupted, "Second Sister, drop your worries already. It's not like they're terrifying beasts."

Xiao Shi gently exhaled. "Initially, I thought that I was fearless since I've cheated death before. But now I realize that I'm still afraid of a lot of stuff…"

"With Chu Li by your side, you shouldn't worry about any of those things. He'll help you take care of everything," Xiao Qi smiled as she said.

Xiao Shi sighed. "Chu Li really shouldn't accompany me to that place."

Chu Li kept his smile.

"Alright, Second Sister. Why don't you go home and take some rest? I still have something to discuss with Chu Li," Xiao Qi said.

Xiao Shi rolled her eyes and said, "What's so secretive that you can't mention it in front of me?"

Xiao Qi smiled shyly. "Nothing really, just those scandalous matters in the Public House. It'll only taint your ears."

"… Fine then." Xiao Shi grinned as she looked at Chu Li with one of her eyebrows raised.

Chu Li shook his head and returned a bitter smile.

After Xiao Shi gracefully descended the stairs, Xiao Qi revealed her glum expression and asked, "What's wrong with King An?"

Chu Li paused for a moment before he said, "There are a total of fifteen Grandmasters guarding King An's Imperial Court."

He had hesitated to tell Xiao Qi about it. He was worried that it would affect her state of mind when she went to Snow Lunar Pavilion.

He had initially planned to hide the truth from her and handled the matter secretly instead. He knew that having knowledge of this would put someone and their families in grave danger. He could not risk telling it to anyone else.

Though in the end, he had decided to reveal a tidbit of the matter.

No man is an island, so it was better if he had another person to help him in the planning. If he had acted alone, there would certainly be mistakes here and there that he might have overlooked. Hence, he needed an extra pair of hands to help him oversee the plan and add anything he had missed. It was important that he did not fail the mission, because if he did, the whole Public House would be dragged into the problem.

On top of that, he had a personal intention behind getting her involved in this matter. Once Xiao Qi left for the Snow Lunar Pavilion, they would lose contact for many years. He did not know how long it would take for them to reunite again.

Moreover, the heart technique that Xiao Qi had cultivated was peculiar. It allowed her to get rid of any personal feelings or desires. So, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he would be wiped out from her memories completely. When that day comes, she would not miss his presence anymore.

There were also several male disciples in the Snow Lunar Pavilion. Although love at first sight was highly unlikely, he could not take any chances as well.

With Xiao Qi by his side for this mission, they would spend a lot of time together. He had hoped to take this opportunity to create long-lasting impressions of him in the deepest etch of her memories, so she would remember him forever.

These intricate thoughts had only flashed across his mind for a brief second.

He faintly declared, "King An's strength could not be underestimated."

Xiao Qi seemed to be deep in thought.

She stood up and walked to the window. The white veil that hung down the window swayed gently with the breeze.

She gazed across the landscape, to a lake far away. Her eyes shimmered with light.

Chu Li stopped elaborating further. He knew that for someone as clever as Xiao Qi, it would only take one statement for her to get his point.

"He's only a prince, but he already holds such authority. It seems to me that he has his eyes on the throne."

Chu Li nodded slowly.

Xiao Qi twisted her head around and looked at Chu Li. "Since he has ambitions to take the crown, why would he marry my Second Sister?"

Chu Li remained silent.

For anyone who has an adequate knowledge about the "dos and don'ts" of the Great Ji dynasty, they would know that the imperial family had a feud with the twelve Public Houses within the empire. An Emperor should never have any family ties with any one of the Public Houses, as a precaution to prevent any potential uprisings.

At the time when the Emperor had agreed to the engagement proposed by the Yi Public House, it had denied King An the eligibility of ascending the throne.

That was why King An had indulged himself in various kinds of books all these years. He had cataloged all the documents and libraries, earning him a good name and garnering respect from all over the Imperial Court. However, he was clever to avoid building friendships with the Generals of the imperial fleet. So, his influence was not as great. From the eyes of an outsider, it could be seen that King An was cautious in his every move. The last thing he wanted was to alarm the Emperor of his ambitions.

If King An was contented on being an Emperor who would not strive for greatness, he must take a neutral stance in every one of his actions. Thus, he would not need to worry about anyone plotting to assassinate him. Though why would he employ so many Grandmasters in his court?

Xiao Qi looked puzzled.

She sat down once more, inclining her body forwards. She edged closer to Chu Li and whispered, "Chu Li, tell me the truth. Is King An plotting to murder my Second Sister?"

Chu Li nodded gently. "He was responsible for the Vitality Sealing Finger curse on the Second Lady."

Pom!

Xiao Qi slammed her palm hard on the tea table. It left a clear mark on the sandalwood material.

Her face turned serious. "Just wait and see, King An!"