Fu Tu Nian walked out of the mountain village, and an dark guard landed before her.
"Your Highness."
The one addressing her as Highness was a trusted subordinate of Feng Cheng Ye.
"Have you been following me?"
"Yes, my lord instructed me not to disturb you, Your Highness."
"Then why have you appeared now?"
"My lord, out of personal consideration." The dark guard lowered his head. "The envoys from Qi Rong have arrived, and their prophet possesses extraordinary abilities. They have abducted the Prince. Now, His Majesty has decreed war against Qi Rong, but..."
But what, Xiao Nian knew without him saying it; His Majesty would hardly be eager to rescue him!
Could the person with extraordinary abilities be that woman from the Ma clan?
That would be disastrous. If she discovered the Fire Spirit Pearl on Ah Ye, he would surely die.
At this moment, all her past grievances against him vanished, replaced by overwhelming concern for his safety.
She rushed to the southwestern border with the dark guard and saw the so-called army dispatched by His Majesty.
The weak, the old, and the disabled.
It was a feat to assemble such an army.
The Regent of Da Jing, who had desperately protected Da Jing, what was his reward?
Fool!
To stealthily infiltrate Qi Rong to rescue him, they needed to enter through the fallen land of Tan Tai. However, Tan Tai was suffering from a plague, even their queen was infected, and the country was in chaos.
When she entered with the Prince's personal guards, she was met with a grand welcome. The name of the divine maiden had already spread throughout Tan Tai.
But she had no time to waste here. She could only make medicinal pills with her blood. It was a lot, and her body couldn't quite handle it, but she had no choice.
After ensuring Tan Tai's safety, the Queen sent people to escort her into Qi Rong's territory.
The prophet of Qi Rong was indeed Ma Yi Bu, who had followed her to Jing Country.
Xiao Nian tracked her to an underground palace filled with puppet figures. Afterward, Ma Yi Bu went to another separate residence.
She saw Feng Cheng Ye leaning on a lounge chair, basking in the sun.
His raven-black hair was spread out carelessly, his collar wide open, and his clothes loosely draped over him, revealing the firm abdominal muscles beneath.
He seemed to be enjoying himself, his eyes narrowed, his fingers moving slowly, lazily, and comfortably.
He was no longer the unattainable moon, but a captivating demon.
She had never seen him like this, not even during their passionate moments in bed.
Had he become Ma Yi Bu's plaything?
Her eyes, filled with shock and pain, met his languid gaze.
His expression seemed to shift for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. Then, Ma Yi Bu approached him. He smiled, stood up, and entered the room with her, side by side.
As the door closed, he glanced back in her direction, almost imperceptibly.
She was too far away to see clearly.
Perhaps it was the tears blurring her vision.
If the dark guard hadn't reminded her, she might have rushed forward.
"Your Highness, the Prince wants us to leave."
"Did he say so?"
"Yes, the Prince made a gesture."
Xiao Nian let out a huge sigh of relief, as if she had come back to life.
Indeed, that night, he came to find her.
"You heartless girl, what are you doing here! Didn't you leave!" he said fiercely, as if he wanted to devour her.
The ferocity in his brows was like that of a wolf, but his brilliant starry eyes welled up with glistening tears and suppressed emotion.
She had never seen him like this. He had always treated her so well before, so gently that one could drown in his tenderness. You would happily eat poison if he fed it to you.
Could this not be her Ah Ye?
"Xiao Nian..."
His voice rasped from his throat. He suddenly pushed her against the wall, and his kisses rained down like a tempest.
Perhaps it was because they had been apart for too long, perhaps he was too rough, or perhaps it was the scene of him entering the room with Ma Yi Bu just moments ago. Xiao Nian struggled desperately.
He stumbled back from her push, clutching his chest and frowning, his face, as beautiful as jade, visibly paling.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Are you disgusted with me?"
He opened his robe, revealing a bleeding chest, a fresh wound.
"You were shot?" Xiao Nian cried out.
"No, it was something the enchantress stabbed me with." Feng Cheng Ye stared at her intently. "Her male companions were all marked, and I was fortunate enough to be stabbed in the chest, indicating I was of some importance."
Xiao Nian knew that the Ma clan had bestial tendencies; before using something, they had to leave their mark.
"But you dug it out."
Xiao Nian trembled, her eyes wide, the corners gradually turning red.
"What does it matter if I dug it out! Didn't you see it with your own eyes? I entered the room with her..."
"I forbid it! I forbid it!"
Xiao Nian went mad. She cried out in sorrow, clutching her chest as if it were being gouged and bled, the pain making it difficult to breathe.
Why had she left? Why wasn't she by his side? She hated herself!
She cried until she could no longer breathe, cried as if her liver and heart were being torn out, with the sun and moon weeping in sympathy.
But he remained unmoved.
"So, you don't want me anymore?" he slowly retreated, his eyes filled with self-mockery, sorrow, and despair.
"Yes, you don't even like other women looking at me, so how could you want someone who is tainted?"
"Go back to Jing Country quickly, don't stay here."
Feng Cheng Ye opened the door.
The figure that lunged from behind clung tightly to his waist.
"You're not allowed to leave, you are mine, mine!" she screamed with all her might, dragging him onto the bed.
She stripped off his clothes, her eyes bloodshot, her hair disheveled and utterly disheveled. Crying, she climbed onto him.
"Aren't you disgusted by the dirt?" he asked cautiously.
Her mind was almost in a frenzy, but her actions provided him with an answer.
"Xiao Nian..." he cried tears of joy, instantly flipping over and possessing her with fervor.
He had finally drawn out her true feelings.
She loved him, loved him without any reservations. How could he let her lose?
"Silly girl, it's only you."
He had been feigning compliance with the enchantress, only to gather intelligence on Qi Rong's secrets. How could the dignified God of War, the Regent of Da Jing, submit to the tyranny of a mere enchantress?
It was impossible, even in death.
Xiao Nian was blinded by her deep love. That silly girl, her crying was so heartbreaking.
Husband and wife reunited after a long separation, and under such circumstances, Xiao Nian was still in a deep sleep even after they had left Qi Rong.
Feng Cheng Ye gathered his army and engaged Qi Rong in battle.
Ma Yi Bu was deceived by Feng Cheng Ye and was furious, vowing to make him regret it.
Xiao Nian summoned the Snow Wolf King, her childhood companion from the small mountain village, to fight the puppet army.
However, Ma Yi Bu possessed another treasure that made Feng Cheng Ye very wary.
She claimed that it could bring about the downfall of the entire Jing Country.
Xiao Nian thought of something, and her expression changed drastically.
If anything could bring about the downfall of a country, it would undoubtedly be her Hai Ling Tian's ultimate treasure – the Ten-Petaled Golden Lotus.
The Ma clan had always been subservient to their royal family. The red lotus had absolute bloodline suppression over the black lotus. The sudden rebellion of the Ma clan, and the deaths of her father and three brothers.
She was too young then to understand why.
Only now did she realize that they had stolen the Golden Lotus.
The power of the Golden Lotus could destroy even Hai Ling Tian, let alone a mere Jing Country?
However, Ma Yi Bu's divine power might not be able to unleash the full might of the Golden Lotus, but it was still terrifying enough.
At the very least, she and Feng Cheng Ye were no match for it.
"After this battle is over, I will resign as Regent and leave with you, alright?"
Feng Cheng Ye gently cupped her face, making a promise.
He had always kept his word.
However, would they still have a chance?