Chapter 428: Chapter 289: A Couple Bound for Life
Today is August 14th, the memorial day of Empress Li’s passing. Every year on this day, the Beiming King will come to pay his respects to Empress Li.
After the guard left, Ye Beiming furrowed his brows and leaned against a pillar, untying the clothing on his left arm.
Beneath his robe, what was revealed was not Ye Beiming’s arm, but an arm covered with scales.
It was not just his left arm; his entire shoulder was covered with scales, which looked even more similar to the scales on Dugu Xiu, except his scales were golden.
Ye Beiming concentrated on his breathing in secret; the scales on his back gradually disappeared and about 15 minutes later, his skin returned to being smooth, seemingly unchanged from any other day.
"Recently, the frequency of going berserk seems to be getting more unstable," Ye Beiming murmured as he pulled his clothes back on.
This secret of his, aside from his Empress Dowager mother, was known to no one else.
The night grew darker, and Ye Beiming took out a marriage certificate from his bosom, bearing the Jade Seal of the Emperor of Great Zhou.
The Cold Palace lay in eerie silence, Ye Beiming looked towards the chamber where Empress Li once resided: "Mother, your son has found a woman he likes. I promised her, to be with her for life, as a devoted couple. Mother, would you bless your child..."
In the desolate Cold Palace, a gust of wind suddenly arose, and the white curtains fluttered into the air, creating an especially sinister atmosphere in the night.
"Achoo," Yun Sheng sneezed.
"Sheng’er, you’ve lost weight recently. This is your Second Uncle’s own matter; you don’t need to concern yourself with it," said Yun Canglang, looking worriedly at his niece.
Lately, Yun Sheng’s face seemed even smaller than before, as if it could be covered by a palm.
"Second Uncle, Xuan Wuji has tried to ambush us time and time again. He’s so cunning, how could you possibly outwit him by yourself?" The Crown Prince had proposed and left Yujing City after being rejected. Yun Sheng had people track his movements and discovered Xuan Wuji did not leave with him.
With Blood Hand Ditch having been wiped out, Xuan Wuji lost his protection and did not depart with the Dark Crown Prince, making now the best opportunity to kill him.
Yun Canglang had long harbored intentions to kill Xuan Wuji, but previously Emperor Hong City was too far removed, and now, having regained his strength and with Xuan Wuji having framed the Yun Residence several times, new grudges piled on old, Yun Canglang vowed to kill Xuan Wuji.
But Xuan Wuji was also very cunning, knowing that he was in danger within the territory of Dazhou, he disappeared as soon as he left Yujing, and even Yun Canglang could not find any leads on him.
"Second Uncle, Xuan Wuji is in the shadows, and you are in the open. If he makes contact with those from Emperor Hong City who are coming to meet him, you’ll lose your chance," Yun Canglang may be skilled in martial arts and have a wealth of combat experience, but in some aspects, he truly was not as adept as Yun Sheng.
Unable to stop Yun Sheng, Yun Canglang had no choice but to agree to join her in the search for Xuan Wuji.
In Southern Great Zhou, Nanya Town.
An average-looking middle-aged man walked into an inn.
He appeared to be ill, with a long horse-like face displaying rather common features and a somewhat nervous expression.
"Waiter, I’d like to rent a room and have some food prepared," the middle-aged man glanced around the inn, which was a small and unsophisticated establishment that he wouldn’t normally deign to stay in, but at the moment, he had no other choice.
"Sir, please wait a moment," greeted the waiter who was not in a hurry to rent out the room, first pulling out a picture and glancing at it next to the man’s face.
In a discreet manner, the man glanced at the drawing, and as he clearly made out the figure in the drawing, a hardly perceptible panic flickered through his eyes.
He feigned nonchalance as he asked, "Waiter, is this a warrant? What heinous crime has the person on it committed?"
"Dear guest, this is a Hunter Order. A Hunter Order is similar to a warrant, but it’s issued by the Hunter Soldier Guild, while a warrant is released by the government. Their effects are largely the same," the waiter compared them briefly, then set it aside without much concern.
Hunter Order?
Upon hearing this, the sickly middle-aged man knew trouble was looming.
The waiter arranged a room for him, but he had no appetite for food and hurriedly went inside.
While walking past the inn, he overheard several drunken men saying, "Tsk tsk, did you see that? Yujing Hunting Soldier Guild has issued a Hunter Order, claiming that an elder is offering a reward of one hundred thousand gold coins for capturing a fugitive from Blood Hand Ditch."
Blood Hand Ditch was infamously notorious across the continent; they had long-standing conflicts with the Hunter Soldier Guild.
The Hunter Order specified that the fugitive named Xuan Wuji from Blood Hand Ditch was responsible for over a hundred lives.
Throughout the nation, wherever Hunter Soldiers were found, such Hunter Orders were issued.
The Hunter Order stated that anyone discovering this person’s whereabouts should immediately notify the local Hunter Soldier Guild.
Just for providing a tip, the elder who posted the task would offer a substantial reward of one hundred thousand gold coins.
No need to capture the person; just offering information would earn you money.
This unprecedented opportunity had everyone in the inn, from the waiter to the guests, wide-eyed and searching for the fugitive known as Xuan Wuji.
After the sickly man returned to his room, he found it to be very simple: a bed, a small wooden tea table, and a moldy-smelling quilt.
The sickly middle-aged man couldn’t sit or stand with ease; he removed the human skin mask from his face, revealing his true features.
His face was pale from long periods without sunlight, and his downcast triangular eyes were full of resentment. This man was none other than Xuan Wuji, who had vanished within the territory of Great Zhou for quite some time.
Xuan Wuji, disheartened, tossed the human skin mask onto his face and pounded the table heavily, causing the teapot and teacups to rattle.
After separating from the Dark Crown Prince, Xuan Wuji became as lowly as a street rat.
When Yun Bahe didn’t die and Yun Cangxue was expelled from Yun Residence, he knew things had taken a turn for the worse.
He also knew that being in the territory of Great Zhou, this was Yun Residence’s domain.
Leaving Great Zhou as soon as possible was his only way to survive.
He had been dodging from east to west, bribing his way through, and finally reached the southern border of Great Zhou.
"Yun Canglang, don’t think you can catch me with such tricks! Hmph, once I leave Great Zhou and enter Tang Yuan territory, you won’t be able to touch me even with a thousand tricks. When I return to Dihong City, this time I will have my father annihilate everyone from Yun Residence," Xuan Wuji seethed with anger—he had never lived like this in his life.
On his journey, he was plagued by sleepless nights, only able to stay at the shabbiest inns, fearing discovery by Yun Residence’s informants. Finally reaching the border of Great Zhou, he never anticipated Yun Canglang would resort to using a Hunter Order.
Not daring to reveal his whereabouts carelessly, Xuan Wuji could only hide in his room, unaware that at the moment he entered, a bat that had been perching on the roof beam silently flew away.