"Like?"
The voice from behind startled Mu Baiyu. He turned his head and saw Feng Luan in a white robe.
"Divine Doctor Feng?"
Mu Baiyu had not expected to see Feng Luan in the Imperial Prison. Wasn't Feng Luan one of Jin Mo's people? How did she get into the prison? How did she get in, and why? Did Jin Mo know? Did His Majesty know? Or perhaps Feng Luan was actually one of His Majesty's confidantes?
But if that were the case, why would she appear before him?
Mu Baiyu's heart was in turmoil, but his face remained calm. However, his disguise did not fool Nan Shiying's eyes. His trembling pupils were like an earthquake, and in their tremor, too many emotions were revealed.
"I ask you, do you truly like Lan Yue'er?" Nan Shiying asked again.
Mu Baiyu suppressed the thoughts that had surged into his mind and replied in a slightly cold voice, "Whether I like her or not, what business is it of Divine Doctor Feng?"
Feng Luan raised an eyebrow, a smile appearing at the corner of her eyes. "If you like her, then beg His Majesty to spare her."
Mu Baiyu's eyes were deep. The candlelight on both sides of the corridor flickered in his eyes, carrying scrutiny and suspicion. He did not wish to say more to her. He casually placed the food box on the ground and said, "I still have official duties, so I bid you farewell!"
With that, before Feng Luan could speak, he turned and left.
...
Back at the royal residence, Nan Shiying spoke of Mu Baiyu to Ji Jinmo and asked, "You were both friends who grew up together, yet Wei Yuan and Mu Baiyu are worlds apart."
"No, it's the three of you who are worlds apart!"
"Very strange?" Ji Jinmo asked.
Nan Shiying had no friends from her childhood. If she had to count, Yue Sinan had grown up with her and they had grown old together, but she and Yue Sinan had not initially become friends due to their personalities. Her early life had been a struggle for survival in a treacherous and sinister vortex, while her later life was spent on the imperial throne, wielding the power of life and death. Therefore, in both her early and later life, she had never made a close friend.
Could vastly different personalities also become close friends?
"Isn't it strange?"
Ji Jinmo thought for a moment and said, "Friends are in the heart, so it is only a matter of the heart."
Nan Shiying understood. "Like Xiao Man and Xiao Hua?"
Although the examples she gave were a bit strange, the principle was indeed so.
Nan Shiying nodded. She was actually just sighing; that wasn't what she wanted to say. "I saw Mu Baiyu today. He..."
Nan Shiying recounted what she had seen. In fact, what she meant was that if Mu Baiyu truly liked Lan Yue'er, it wasn't necessary to send Lan Yue'er to Yuzhou Commandery.
Ji Jinmo shook his head. "Baiyu doesn't like her."
"Baiyu is a gentle person. More than like, it is pity and friendship."
Nan Shiying didn't quite understand this kind of pity. If it was just pity, wasn't it a bit excessive? But so be it; Mu Baiyu was not yet married.
Nan Shiying clicked her tongue and remembered something else. "Oh, right. Before I came back, I went to see Gui Lao. He heard that the officials sent to Xiling Commandery to search for Feng Quan had become wanted criminals, so he decided to go to Xiling Commandery himself."
"As expected!"
"What about you?"
Nan Shiying asked Ji Jinmo.
"When are you leaving for Huaicheng?"
Since Dali intended to go all out, Ji Jinmo would definitely lead the Demon Hunting Army to Huaicheng.
"Waiting for news!"
"After Qin Qiancheng withstands the first round of attacks!"
"What about you?"
"Tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow?"
...
In the inn outside Jinmen City, it was filled with people from the martial world.
Hui Jingxian, the master of Zhuangzhuang, was highly respected. He was holding a ceremony to wash his hands from the basin on the twenty-third of this month. After the ceremony, he would retire from the martial arts world. He had previously sent out invitations to all heroes to witness the event.
From the capital to Changming Mountain, one passed through Jinmen, and Jinmen was a necessary route to Huajian.
Nan Shiying dismounted and walked into the inn. Her gaze swept across the bustling inn, and she saw that only one table on the entire first floor was empty. She walked to the empty table and sat down, calling to the waiter, "Waiter, bring me a pot of tea!"
The noisy inn fell silent for a moment, and all eyes turned to her.
Xiao Man glared back at the fierce eyes, unwilling to be outdone. Nan Shiying patted Xiao Man's head and smiled at the crowd, as if greeting them.
The waiter hurried over and said to Nan Shiying, "Young master, may I find you another seat?"
"Why? Is this table not allowed to be sat on?" Before Nan Shiying could speak, Xiao Man retorted. The waiter smiled obsequiously and said, "Little lady, you may not know, but there is a big shot staying at our inn, and this table is his reserved seat. No one else can sit here."
"A big shot? Such an overbearing big shot, I today..."
"Enough!"
Nan Shiying pinched Xiao Man's pouting cheek. She felt that Xiao Man's current appearance was like a squirrel that had its pine nuts snatched away. It was just a place to rest, and there was no need to argue with anyone over it.
She stood up, picked up Xiao Man again, and turned to the people around her. She clasped her fists and asked, "Gentlemen, is there anyone willing to share a table with my brother and me?"
"You pretty boy are quite interesting!"
A burly man not far from them laughed heartily. He pointed to the seat opposite him and said to Nan Shiying, "If you're not afraid, sit here!"
"Thank you!"
Nan Shiying led Xiao Man towards the burly man.
The waiter followed and asked, "Young master, miss, would you like to try our inn's specialty dishes?"
Nan Shiying looked around. Her gaze fell on the smiling face of the burly man opposite her, and she understood. She refused and said to the waiter, "Serve this gentleman a pot of good wine."
Saying that, she took out a piece of broken silver from her怀 and threw it over.
The waiter took the silver and smiled broadly. He called out, "Got it~" and then brought a jar of fine Huadiao wine, placing it in front of the burly man.
"You boy, you're not bad!"
The burly man laughed heartily. He pulled off the lid of the jar, cupped the mouth of the jar, and tilted his head to drink several mouthfuls. The wine flowed slowly down his beard. He drank half the jar in one go.
"Good wine!"
He put down the wine jar with a clang and roared, feeling incredibly exhilarated.
Xiao Man somewhat disdainfully took out a handkerchief and wiped the wine that had splashed onto the table in front of her. The burly man saw this and deliberately widened his eyes, staring fiercely at Xiao Man as if he could tear her to shreds at any moment.
Xiao Man folded her handkerchief and couldn't help but taunt, "Alright, uncle, who are you trying to scare?"
The burly man was slightly taken aback. With his appearance, ordinary people would avoid him, but this tiny little sprout today was not afraid of him?
"Your sister has quite the courage!"
The burly man pointed at Xiao Man and praised, "She's suited for martial arts!"
He leaned forward and asked Nan Shiying, "How about letting your sister learn martial arts from me?"