Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
As the music came to an end, a gentle breeze swept through the flower bushes, carrying with it a delightful fragrance. It also stirred the surface of the pond, causing the water to shimmer with a layer of golden light.
Just moments ago, captivated by the enchanting melody of the guqin, Le Yao Yao slowly came back to her senses as the final notes faded away. Unable to contain herself, she clapped her hands together.
"Wow, what an amazing performance!"
The music had been so stirring and invigorating, reminiscent of battle songs that uplifted the spirits of soldiers, leaving an unforgettable impression on anyone who heard it.
Her heart raced in that moment, and her blood still boiled with excitement!
Previously, Le Yao Yao had never realized that music could evoke such strong emotions.
Now, she finally understood.
If one were to compare Dongfang Bai's playing to that of a living demon, there was really no basis for comparison at all.
After all, their personalities were different, and their styles of playing were unique in their own right, each possessing its own merits without overshadowing the other.
However, just as Le Yao Yao was lost in her thoughts, she noticed that the man who had been bowing his head and keeping his eyes downcast suddenly waved his sleeve and lifted his handsome face. His cold eyes, which seemed to contain the vastness of the universe, gently fell upon her face as he spoke.
"Come sit here."
With that, he lightly patted the space beside him.
Le Yao Yao was taken aback for a moment, her heart racing with surprise.
After all, the seat where the Living Yama sat was quite wide, allowing two people to sit comfortably without feeling cramped.
However, now the Living Yama actually wanted her to sit beside him, which…
Thinking of this, Le Yao Yao felt a mix of anxiety and excitement in her heart. Yet, her feet did not move forward; she was clearly taken aback.
Seeing Le Yao Yao standing there like a deer caught in headlights, still in shock, Leng Junyu did not get angry. Instead, he spoke calmly.
"Sitting together will make it easier for me to guide you."
As he said this, Leng Junyu's expression was stern and serious.
Upon seeing this, Le Yao Yao felt that perhaps she had overthought the situation.
He was so graciously offering to guide her, a mere Little Servant; what could she possibly be concerned about?
With that thought in mind, Le Yao Yao nodded in agreement and stepped toward the man.
This was the first time she had sat so close to the Living Yama.
Just moments ago, the bench seemed spacious enough, but once she sat down, it felt as if it had shrunk.
Their bodies were almost pressed against each other, and the pleasant scent of Ambergris quickly enveloped her as she settled in, surrounding her completely.
As the familiar scent of Ambergris wafted around her, Le Yao Yao's heart skipped a few beats. Her body tensed involuntarily.
She was nervous…
Perhaps sensing her unease, the man merely glanced sideways before speaking in a deep voice.
"Relax, Le Yao Yao. The most important thing about learning the piano is to maintain a calm mind. If you stay tense, when will you ever learn?"
His voice was low, yet it carried a charm that was both magnetic and captivating.
After hearing his words, Le Yao Yao thought for a moment and found some truth in them. She took a deep breath to adjust her nervousness, and once her heartbeat steadied, she turned to the man who was so close and smiled.
"Alright, Your Highness, let’s begin!"
Upon hearing her words, the man known as Cold Eyes flickered with surprise before he finally withdrew his gaze and began to teach her carefully.
True to his reputation as the Living Yama, his handsome face always bore an air of authority.
At this moment, amidst that sternness, there was an added layer of seriousness.
Although she had been terrified at first knowing that the Living Yama would personally instruct her, as she gradually listened to his words, Le Yao Yao discovered that he could indeed be attentive and earnest.
Thus, they spent the entire morning in the Jade Pavilion.
It wasn't until close to noon that the Living Yama was summoned by the Emperor. After he left, Le Yao Yao, exhausted from the morning's efforts, stretched and headed to the dining hall to fill her stomach.
Since the Living Yama had been called into the palace and it was uncertain when he would return, after finishing her meal and tidying up the Elegant Breeze Pavilion, Le Yao Yao felt a bit tired. She decided to return to her room for an afternoon nap.
However, upon entering her room, she suddenly remembered something important. She hurriedly closed the doors and windows before kneeling by her bed and dragging out a wooden box from under it.
The box was neither too big nor too small; it looked quite ordinary. However, inside it contained one thousand taels of silver and a considerable amount of jewelry that had been gifted by the Emperor on the Empress Dowager's birthday.
This was her lifeline for the rest of her life.
In the twenty-first century, she had a wealthy father who ensured she wanted for nothing, so she had little concept of money.
However, ever since arriving at Duke Rui's Residence, she had come to deeply understand the saying that a single coin can drive a man to despair.
Thus, the money in this box was her lifeblood; her future enjoyment and comfort depended entirely on it.
Unfortunately, while she was now wealthy, the Contract of Servitude stated that she could only redeem herself after three years. This left Le Yao Yao feeling quite conflicted.
Still, thinking that these three years would pass quickly, she decided to endure for now!
However, simply hiding the silver under her bed felt far from secure.
Although this was the Elegant Breeze Pavilion and those petty thieves likely wouldn't dare to intrude, caution was always wise. She resolved to deposit the money in Silver Bank where it would be safe.
With this thought in mind, Le Yao Yao glanced outside; it was still afternoon. She figured she should take care of this matter now so that she could rest easy later.
Once she made up her mind, Le Yao Yao took out the wooden box and placed it on the table. Then she grabbed a large piece of cloth to wrap up all the silver and jewelry before tucking it into her bosom.
After requesting an exit token from the Chief Eunuch, Le Yao Yao hurriedly made her way toward Silver Bank.
Perhaps due to carrying such a large sum of money, Le Yao Yao walked with extra caution.
Her bright eyes constantly scanned her surroundings, wary of any thugs who might take notice of her and attempt to rob her of her possessions.
Fortunately, it was still early in the day; under the bright sunlight, those ruffians were unlikely to act recklessly.
Moreover, this is the emperor's territory!
However, despite this, human plans cannot compare to the heavens' designs.
What Le Yao Yao never expected was that while walking halfway, suddenly thunder roared and lightning flashed in the sky, and it actually—
Started to rain!
And this was no ordinary rain.
The torrential downpour came with fierce winds, thunder, and lightning that echoed across the sky.
The lightning resembled a fire dragon, as if it were about to split the entire sky in half, which was truly terrifying.
Caught off guard by the sudden storm, Le Yao Yao had no choice but to hurriedly seek shelter under an awning to avoid the rain.
Beautiful Eyes looked ahead. The once bustling street was now caught completely off guard by the unexpected downpour.
People on the road scattered like birds and beasts, their figures rushing away in haste.
In less than a moment, the lively street had turned desolate and empty.
With the sudden rain came gusts of cold wind.
To be honest, even though it was summer, Le Yao Yao was wearing thin clothing. After being unexpectedly drenched by the heavy rain, she felt extremely cold as the chilly wind whistled past her.
Le Yao Yao felt goosebumps rise all over her body with each gust of cold wind. She instinctively pulled her collar tightly and crossed her arms over her chest to keep warm.
With a pair of helpless Beautiful Eyes, she gazed intently at the horizon, her heart yearning for the untimely rain to pass quickly.
Unfortunately, the heavens did not comply with her wishes. The storm persisted for several hours before it finally began to ease, but by then, the sky had already darkened.
Though the rain had stopped, thick layers of dark clouds still loomed overhead, resembling a gray vortex that made it hard to breathe.
It should have been around the hour of the Dog, with the first lights of the city beginning to glow.
However, due to the recent downpour, the streets resembled a pond, filled with numerous potholes.
As a result, few people ventured outside; after all, no one wanted to end up with soggy shoes.
At this moment, Le Yao Yao glanced at the sky and then at the scattered pedestrians on the street. She hesitated in her heart—should she return home now? Or should she continue on to Silver Bank to deposit her money?
After all, she was currently positioned right between Duke Rui's Residence and Silver Bank; either way, the distance was about the same.
After much deliberation, Le Yao Yao decided to head toward Silver Bank.
Since she had already come this far, she might as well get things done.
After all, this money needed to be deposited in Silver Bank sooner or later for her peace of mind.
With that thought in mind, Le Yao Yao quickened her pace toward Silver Bank.
At this time, as the first lights flickered on and with few people around, an Evening Breeze blew gently, carrying a hint of chill.
Le Yao Yao had barely walked for a quarter of an hour when she saw that she was almost at Silver Bank; she just needed to cross this small alley.
As she stepped into the narrow alley, she caught sight of several shadowy figures either standing or crouching within.
At first, she thought they were just passersby and paid them no mind. However, as she ventured deeper into the alley, their voices drifted into her ears—
"Hey, Tiger, someone is coming up ahead."
"Yeah, I see them."
"Boss, we haven't had a good meal in days. Let's catch that kid and see if he has any money on him."
"Haha, do we even need to say that? Everyone, go get that kid!"
With the words echoing from the alley, a chill crept up from her feet to the top of her head.
Her heart raced in alarm.
This was bad!
She had run into some thugs!
She should have checked the calendar before stepping out today. But now, thinking about anything else was pointless. The only thing she could do was—
Run!
"Boss, that kid is running away!"
"What are you waiting for? Go after him!"
"Yes..."
Seeing Le Yao Yao run away, the few people lingering in the alley quickly stood up and chased after her in the direction she had fled.
The chaotic footsteps behind her indicated that several people were pursuing her, and they seemed to be getting closer.
Upon hearing this, Le Yao Yao was so frightened that she dared not look back.
At that moment, she was in a state of panic, feeling utterly regretful.
If she had known, she shouldn't have gone out today.
In her arms was the Silver and Jewelry she had worked so hard to obtain; it was her lifeline for the next life. Therefore, she absolutely could not stop and could not let them take the silver from her.
Thinking of this, as the footsteps behind her grew louder and closer, Le Yao Yao finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Help! Robbery!"
...
Meanwhile, on Upper Capital Street, a carriage was steadily moving forward.
Upon hearing the cries for help coming from not far ahead, Mei and Xing exchanged glances before turning to Leng Junyu, who was sitting inside the carriage with his head down, engrossed in a book.
"Your Highness, someone is calling for help," Mei said coldly.
Leng Junyu, without raising his head, calmly spoke, "Then you handle it first."
As soon as Leng Junyu finished speaking, Xing, who had already lifted the curtain to look outside, noticed a small figure on the ground surrounded by several men. Her eyes flickered with curiosity as she remarked thoughtfully, "Hmm, that small figure looks so much like Xiaoyaozi..."
Just as Xing finished her words, a gust of wind swept past her, and the man who had been sitting inside had vanished without a trace.
"Hey, where did the prince go?!"
Seeing this, Xing was surprised, while Mei merely shot her a glance before leaping down from the carriage with a swift motion.
...
At this moment, Le Yao Yao was running out of breath. Eventually, it felt as if all her strength had been drained. Just then, someone lunged at her from behind, causing her to tumble into a deep puddle with a splash.
With a loud 'splash,' countless droplets flew up as her face was buried in the filthy water, filling her mouth with mud and grime, leaving her gasping for air.
"Cough cough..."
"Hmph, you little brat! I told you to run; now you're running!"
The first to catch up was a tall and burly man. He was dressed in flashy clothes, similar to those of the few men following him, and wore an expression that suggested he had ill intentions.
Soon, several others caught up, perhaps feeling a surge of resentment after seeing Le Yao Yao cause them to run for so long.
Without a word, they began to rain down punches and kicks on Le Yao Yao.
"Hmph, you made me chase you for so long..."
"Exactly! If we don't give you a beating, do you really think we're easy to bully?"
"Cough cough..."
Just as Le Yao Yao fell to the ground, she felt all her strength drained away. Before she could even get back on her feet, she was met with another round of heavy blows.
To be honest, she had never been beaten like this in her life. And by so many people at once.
Now, even if she had strength, it was no match for the four fists coming at her. After all, two hands couldn't fight against four fists.
At that moment, Le Yao Yao felt like a limp rag doll, surrounded by a group of attackers.
The rain of fists continued to pummel her body, and Le Yao Yao felt a burning pain all over. It hurt so much that she couldn't even muster the strength to scream. Her vision began to blur.
Oh no, was she going to die!?
If that were the case, it would be... so unfair...
However, just as despair filled Le Yao Yao's heart, a familiar and cold voice suddenly rang out, filling her with a glimmer of hope—
"How dare you lay a hand on 'him'!?"
A cold, deep voice, like the chilling wind of December, sent shivers down one's spine.
As this icy and bone-chilling voice echoed, the few thugs who had been surrounding Le Yao Yao, throwing punches and kicks, turned their heads in unison towards the source of the voice.
When they caught sight of the man who had appeared in their line of vision, each of them felt a heavy shock in their hearts, and a hint of fear crossed their faces.
The man before them seemed like a Shura risen from the depths of hell, surrounded by an aura of cold hostility.
His face, which was sculpted to perfection as if by a divine craftsman, now bore a more sinister expression due to his anger, making him look particularly terrifying.
The veins on his prominent forehead were bulging, and his sharp nose flared with heavy breaths. His lips, pressed into a straight line, further displayed his fury.
However, what was most chilling were his eyes!
Heavens!
What kind of eyes are those!?
His pitch-black pupils were as cold and deep as an unfathomable icy pool. The murderous intent radiating from his gaze was so unusual; it was the kind of malice only forged through the trials of battle and bloodshed, sending chills down one’s spine and raising goosebumps.
Though the man did not make a move, merely standing there quietly, the aura filled with killing intent was enough to convey that he was not someone to be trifled with!
Even though these thugs specialized in robbery in such places, they knew when faced with someone formidable, it was wise to flee.
Realizing this, the thugs exchanged glances and decided to retreat.
But the man let out a cold laugh.
"Did you think you could harm me and then run away? How naive of you."
The man laughed, but the mirth did not reach his eyes. His cold voice was like a blade ready to be drawn from its sheath, sharp and menacing.
Upon hearing his words, the few bold ruffians, who were usually fearless, were not fools. When they heard him refer to himself as 'this king,' their hearts sank, dropping into an abyss of despair.
After all, in the Celestial Yuan Dynasty, the only one who could call himself 'this king' was a ruthless killer, a living embodiment of death!
"He, he, he..."
"It is, it is, it is..."
"A living embodiment of death..."
With this realization, the ruffians trembled in fear, nearly collapsing to the ground.
Seeing this, the man merely scoffed disdainfully before darting toward the terrified ruffians like an arrow.
In an instant, screams echoed as blood splattered everywhere.
The once arrogant group now lay together in a pool of blood.
This time, Leng Junyu did not kill them; he simply shattered their limbs and bones.
However, sparing their lives did not mean he would let them off easy.
"Mei, send a few people to guard them day and night. Let them suffer every day; they must not die."
After all, those who dared to touch him were destined to pay the price.
Leng Junyu coldly instructed the figure behind him.
Upon hearing this, Mei immediately responded, "Yes. I know what to do."
As she spoke, Xing shook his head and stepped over the unconscious thug lying on the ground.
Feigning sympathy, he said, "Tsk tsk tsk, truly a person who can't read the room. Even our people from Duke Rui's Residence can be touched; they deserve what they get. Pah."
With that, Xing kicked them hard in frustration, taking it as a way to vent for Xiaoyaozi.
After all, Xiaoyaozi was his companion! How could he swallow his anger when someone bullied his own?
Mei merely twitched her lips at Xing's childish behavior and chose to ignore him, her gaze sweeping forward.
Before them, a man was striding purposefully toward Little One on the ground.
Due to the recent heavy rain, the ground was pockmarked and covered in water stains.
The person on the ground was completely limp, unable to move even a finger.
His body was covered in mud and blood, a sight that was truly horrifying.
On that small, palm-sized face, which was now as pale as paper, wet hair clung to her forehead, matted with muddy water that dripped down her cheeks, making her look both disheveled and pitiful.
What was most alarming was the trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth.
Though it was not much, it made the man's heart tighten with concern.
Without caring about the dirt covering her body, he scooped her up in his arms.
"Prince, you finally... came..."
The moment she was lifted, Le Yao Yao's already shattered consciousness seemed to snap back, and she felt a sudden darkness engulf her as she fell into a black vortex.
Seeing her faint in his embrace, the man pressed his lips tightly together. His chilling cold eyes were filled with deep compassion and pain.
Finally, he clenched his jaw and resolutely turned toward the carriage. After jumping onto it, he immediately instructed the driver.
"Quickly go to First Medical Hall."
...
Bringing the injured Le Yao Yao to First Medical Hall truly startled Dongfang Bai.
After all, just yesterday she had been fine, and today she appeared covered in injuries.
The once lively and mischievous little face now looked weak and on the verge of collapse, which was heart-wrenching to behold.
Fortunately, after checking Le Yao Yao's pulse, Dongfang Bai discovered that these were merely external injuries, which allowed him to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Leng Junyu's handsome face was now serious as he grasped Dongfang Bai's arm and asked, "What happened to him?"
Although Leng Junyu's tone remained cold, the worry and urgency in his expression were evident.
Comment 0 Comment Count