"Giggle, giggles, the Buddha's son doesn't fall in love?!" Chi Yan reached out her delicate hand, hooking his chin, and curved her lips, "That's not what you said back then."
Xu Qing lowered his head and looked at the lump in his arms, then said, "She must come back alive."
"Who?"
"Chi You."
Chi Yan raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Oh, Chi You calls Xie Bei Han 'older brother', and he doesn't care, why do you bother." She said, looking at the book.
If he really wanted to save someone, he would have sent his people long ago, but he only gave her a sentence, showing no real concern.
"What do you want?"
Chi Yan coiled her eyes around him, "If the Holy Monk kisses me, I will do my best for the Emperor of Northern Qi."
Xu Qing lowered his eyes, his thin lips pursed. His face, which was supposed to be abstinent and aloof, showed no expression, yet it caused Chi Yan's heart to ache. A sneer flashed in her eyes.
"I owe you, I'll do it for you."
With that, she got up from his embrace and walked to the window.
"Back then, I used you to take Linzhou, which led to you being cursed and becoming a monk. It was my fault, but didn't you get your revenge before you entered the monastery? My northern frontier was slaughtered, and my people suffered immensely. I owe you nothing now." She said, looking at the book.
Xu Qing looked at the scriptures on the table, twirling his prayer beads, remaining silent.
Chi Yan, hearing no response, a trace of loneliness flickered in her eyes. She turned back and glanced at him.
"Xie Xuan Chen, we are even now."
She had followed her father Khan onto the battlefield since she was young. When she came of age, she left the royal court to find the "Dragon Root Severance" for her father, personally going to the Black Abyss Mire in the desert.
At that time, he disguised himself as a traveling merchant and followed a caravan of merchants to the Black Abyss Mire to find medicinal herbs.
Beneath Mount Yan, the crescent moon was like a hook, drawn with a brush.
As she was trying to retrieve the Dragon Root, she unfortunately became trapped in the mire. It was he who saved her.
He arrived shrouded in moonlight, as pure and gentle as the moon. The moonlight cast a glow upon his face, as if it were gilded. He was like an ice mountain snow lotus that could not be plucked. She felt she had never seen such a radiant person.
She fell for him and stubbornly stayed with their caravan, clinging to him day after day.
She followed him across the deserts and mountains, through the Gobi, watching the sunset over the long river with him.
On the blood-soaked sand dunes, he played his guqin, dressed in black, while she, in a dancer's attire of the Western Regions, entertained him.
She forgot her mission, and he never mentioned his past.
They made a promise of forever by the Sand Sea Moon Spring, tied red threads in ancient Buddhist temples, visited Tian Shan, saw glaciers, and made wishes on snow mountains.
They spent the happiest days of their lives.
But later, her father Khan's men found them and discovered he was the Northern Army King, the God of War of Northern Qi.
At that time, the desert was at war with Northern Qi, the border was unstable, and wars were frequent, causing the people to become displaced.
She was Abahai of the desert and should have been responsible for the desert.
She used him, betrayed him, personally led troops into Linzhou City, severed the heads of Northern Qi generals, occupied Linzhou, and caused her to be cursed by the people.
The God of War of Northern Qi, fallen in an instant, and the world blamed all their defeat and downfall on him.
The Emperor, already wary of those with too much power, and he being the youngest son of the late Emperor, was afraid of him. He took this opportunity to strip him of his military power and suppress his forces.
The love of their youth could not withstand such a tragic price.
He hated her to the bone. Disregarding imperial authority, he personally went to the battlefield to wash away his shame.
Indeed, he was the God of War of Northern Qi. In just half a month, he advanced into Mohe, destroyed her border, and slaughtered her people.
That battle inflicted heavy casualties on the northern frontier.
To preserve peace on the border, she led her people to surrender to Northern Qi on Que Lu Terrace, sacrificing the entire city with her own life.
With a knife at her throat, she knelt on Que Lu Terrace, looking up at her god.
But later, he let her go, let all the people of the city go, and himself... became a monk!
Hahaha, his revenge on her was becoming a monk.
For so many years, she was in the northern frontier, and he had entered the Buddhist gate. They should have had no connection.
But she was unwilling.
She knew his relationship with Xie Bei Han and that he would surely leave his seclusion to help Xie Bei Han seize the throne.
In the past few years, she persuaded her father Khan to befriend Xie Bei Han and frequently traveled to Yanjing, but he ignored her.
"If Abahai has nothing else, then return."
A calm voice slowly came. Chi Yan's thoughts returned.
She stared at his face for a while. He had changed greatly from back then. After entering the Buddhist gate, confined by Buddhist rituals, he exuded an ethereal Zen aura.
She remembered the letter from her father Khan and spoke.
"Xie Xuan Chen, once the Nanjiang affairs are concluded, I will no longer pester you. Father Khan has already found a good husband for me, and the wedding date has been set. Someone will negotiate with you in my place."
There was not the slightest sound in the silent room.
An old crow on the branch outside cawed, flapped its wings, and flew away. The wind blew in, rustling the scriptures on the desk.
Xu Qing twirled his prayer beads and closed his eyes.
Chi Yan stood by the window, looking at his unmoved profile. Disappointment flashed in her eyes.
She did not want to marry someone else.
She couldn't help herself and walked over to hug him.
"Brother Xuan, take me with you."
Xu Qing paused, then pushed her away and stood up. His pair of brown pupils were so pure, unblemished by any dust.
"This humble monk has entered the Buddhist gate."
Chi Yan curled her lips mockingly. She put her arms around his waist and raised her enchanting, seductive eyes, saying.
"But even as a monk, you still covet my body."
With that, she directly tiptoed and covered his lips, kissing him while reaching down to caress him.
The corners of Xu Qing's eyes instantly turned red. He reached out and clasped her shoulders, trying to push her away.
Chi Yan refused, her body soft and boneless, burrowing into his embrace, wriggling.
She pulled open his kasaya and pressed against his skin, kissing her way down.
Xu Qing held her waist with one hand and pushed her away forcefully. But her waist was so smooth and slender. The moment he touched it, it was as if it came alive. He quickly withdrew his hand.
"Get down."
His voice was extremely hoarse.
Chi Yan gently curled her lips. They had enjoyed themselves to the fullest in the desert back then, and she knew his body intimately.
"Brother Xuan, you're falling for me."
Xu Qing's expression remained unchanged, but his muscles tensed, and his usually calm eyes were filled with suppressed restraint.
Chi Yan's eyes were flushed crimson. She continued to tease him.
"Are you really willing to let me marry someone else?"
He remained silent and suddenly closed his eyes.
Chi Yan bit his lip, "What are you afraid of? Afraid of being tricked by me again?"
"Yao Ge Luo Chi Yan!"
Suddenly, anger erupted from him. He grabbed her forcefully and pinned her onto the table behind him.
The scriptures and prayer beads on the table fell to the ground with a rustle, becoming a mess. Tea spilled, staining everything.
Chi Yan smiled suddenly, seeing that he was finally no longer calm. Her extremely seductive face wore a look of unrestrained laughter.
Ignoring his bony hands at her neck, she reached out to tease him with her foot.
"Brother Xuan, I still like it when you call me Yan'er."
Xu Qing grabbed her foot and flung it away.
He lowered his eyes, propping himself up on his sides. Looking at the person lying unclad on the table, he closed his eyes, regaining his composure.
Chi Yan couldn't see his expression clearly. Just as she was about to kick him, he suddenly straightened up, his expression returning to its usual calm.
He cast a faint glance at her, then tidied his kasaya and walked out.
Chi Yan was stunned, and rage suddenly surged through her. She yelled at his retreating back.
"Xie Xuan Chen, go be a monk for the rest of your life!"