Chapter 61: Ying Lan’s Return

“Young Lady, you came back!” Zi Su had already prepared the meal so Bai Luochu could dig in the moment she came back.

Bai Luochu didn’t say much and simply nodded.

Zi Su thought that Bai Luochu was still unhappy about the incident in the morning and provided some consolation. “Young Lady, don’t be angry. There is no need to be troubled and concerned over those vile characters.”

As Zi Su spoke, she seemed to recall something and continued, “ Young Lady, you didn’t hear about how quickly the Spring Returning Hall received their retribution. When the commoners realized that your mood turned sour and you were cancelling the session today, all of them left for the Spring Returning Hall. They brought rotten eggs and vegetables with them as they left.”

“I’m no longer angry… I am simply thinking of something right now. Anyway, thank you for spending the effort to console me.” When Bai Luochu saw that Zi Su was sincerely trying to make her feel better, she felt too embarrassed to ignore the little servant girl. She snapped out of it and replied Zi Su.

Zi Su was much smarter than before and understood that Bai Luochu’s thought process wasn’t too different from her lord’s. Seeing that Bai Luochu didn’t wish to speak anymore, Zi Su didn’t continue asking. She simply waited for Bai Luochu to finish her meal before keeping the plates. She didn’t want to disrupt Bai Luochu’s cultivation session.

Instead of starting to cultivate the moment she finished lunch, Bai Luochu picked up a random book as she was afraid Pei Rumo would pay her a sudden visit. After all, she had already aroused his suspicion. With his character, he might just show up for a surprise spot check.

But after waiting for almost an entire afternoon, he didn’t appear. Bai Luochu finally placed down the worry in her heart as she no longer expected him to check on her. She finally became relaxed enough to resume her cultivation. It was inevitable that she was a little apprehensive as she had gone out so early in the morning. She truly didn’t know what Pei Rumo was thinking.

However, Bai Luochu didn’t think that her previous confession that expressed her yearning and sorrow would turn into her proof of identity in Pei Rumo’s ears.

For the rest of the afternoon, Bai Luochu spent it like she usually would. She cultivated the entire time and the only difference was that she stopped the moment dusk fell. On that very night, Bai Luochu dismissed Zi Su very early as she made meticulous adjustments in her plan.

It wasn’t until the bright moon was hanging high up in the sky that Bai Luochu held the properly crafted plan in her hand. She picked up the book she was reading in the afternoon before flipping it occasionally. It seemed as though she was waiting for someone.

When the secret guard was wobbling about in the alley, he discovered an extremely familiar marking from the corner of his eye. When he turned his gaze to stare at it carefully, he realized that it was the exact communication marking his mistress frequently used in the past. In an instant, he dropped all the thoughts in his mind and everything he wanted to do. There was only a single thought left. He had to go and scout it out even if it was a trap laid out by the members of the Phoenix King Valley.

What if… what if his mistress really came back?

When this thought appeared in the secret guard’s head, all the hesitation in his heart disappeared. He made his decision to scout out the location indicated by the marking at night.

In the dead of night, the lights on the streets were already waning. As there weren't a lot of people along the way, no one discovered the secret guard’s movements. The members of the Phoenix King Valley would never imagine that this person would dare to return. In the end, they didn’t bother to send anyone to conduct a search and it made his journey rather peaceful.

The marking vanished in the nearby vicinity of the First Prince's residence and when the secret guard noticed his destination, he placed down the final doubts in his heart. After all, the Phoenix King Valley seemed to be on good terms with the Third Prince, not the First Prince. He then executed his movement skill to enter the residence.

When he entered the residence, the secret guard was instantly able to feel the presence of many hidden guards. All of the guards were hidden and were responsible for the security at night. He became even more cautious as he used all his skills in order to avoid detection.

Waiting was truly a grueling task. Just as Bai Luochu was going to give up, there was a sudden sound of movement coming from the back window of the side room.

That secret guard was looking around carefully and saw the candle flame swaying from side to side. He tightened his grip on his hidden weapon in order to prevent any sneak attacks as he slowly made his way towards the flickering light.

When the secret guard finally approached, Bai Luochu spoke up, “Those who enter my temple shall disregard all rules, live a carefree life, and will never suffer hardship.”

The moment the secret guard heard the statement, his mind jolted. He walked even faster and quickly appeared in front of Bai Luochu. In a trembling voice, he asked, “Who in the world are you?”

In fact, the secret guard already had his answer. The aura the lady was emitting was similar to that of his mistress. Even the look in her eyes was exactly the same. However, he was staring at an unfamiliar face and was unable to ascertain his thoughts.

Bai Luochu carefully observed the guard and even though he no longer possessed the temperament he once had, his appearance was the same. It was easy for Bai Luochu to recognize him. “Ying Lan, you’re finally here.”

After the words left Bai Luochu’s mouth, the secret guard fell to his knees with a ‘plop’. He sobbed, “Mistress, where have you been all these years?”

When Bai Luochu called out his name, Ying Lan knew that the person in front of him was definitely his mistress. Even though she looked different, she was definitely the same person. After all, there was no one else who could match his face with his name apart from Bai Luochu herself.

“It is a long story. I’ll slowly explain it to you when I get the chance. It is deep into the night and the weather is cold, get up quickly. You are injured right now and it’s better to take care of your body.” Bai Luochu explained and immediately helped Ying Lan up.

“Mistress, when I arrived earlier, I noticed that this residence has plenty of secret guards. The one guarding your courtyard is especially formidable. Are you being trapped here? If you are, this subordinate will…”

“It is not necessary. This is the First Prince's residence. Right now, we don’t have the ability to clash head-on with them. That secret guard is only keeping an eye on me to make sure that I don’t go around causing trouble for the First Prince’s residence. He isn’t a threat.”

Ying Lan nodded but there were a hundred and one questions in his mind.

“I didn’t expect to meet you here. Is everything… good?” Bai Luochu let out a light smile and asked. When the words left her lips, a blank expression filled her face. The temple was already gone… how good would their lives be?

“Great! The brothers… they are still around!” Ying Lan stammered. It was obvious that the actual situation wasn’t as optimistic as he said.

Bai Luochu furrowed her brows and sipped her tea. There were too many things she wished to ask and wished to know, but when the words came to her mouth, she couldn’t bring herself to ask Ying Lan. Furthermore, the First Prince's residence was definitely not the best place to have this discussion. Since she had already met Ying Lan, there would surely be chances to clarify things in the future.

After thinking about it, Bai Luochu’s sorrow seemed to dissipate and she no longer sighed as much as before. She said, “I led you here today as I need you to do something for me. As you can see, I am no longer as strong as I was in the past. There are too many people monitoring the First Prince’s residence and the Cloud Water Nation. Hence, in the future, you will have to complete many tasks in the dark. I need a solid foundation in order to carry out the rest of my plans.”

“This subordinate will not disappoint Mistress.”