“Lord Xue, your young master is drunk now, isn't he? Have a few more drinks, and your young master won't know,” the village chief said, approaching with his wine cup.
Xue Song quickly extended his hand to refuse, when his hem was suddenly tugged.
“Then… alright then!” Your Highness, it’s one thing to trick others, but you can’t trick your own people, can you?
Xue Song accepted the wine cup handed over by the village chief, his expression one of utter resignation. Under the eager gaze of the village chief and the others, he could only brace himself and drink it down.
It was so spicy and astringent, Xue Song almost gagged.
“I can’t… I can’t anymore…” Xue Song collapsed onto the ground, his wine cup rolling away.
After a long while, a villager asked, “Village Chief, are they really unconscious?”
The village chief stepped forward and tentatively patted Xue Song’s shoulder, “Lord Xue, Lord Xue…”
Xue Song remained motionless.
The village chief breathed a sigh of relief, “Poisoned. They won’t wake up for a while.”
“Village Chief, what about these two?” the villager asked.
The village chief said, “Since they’ve been poisoned, even if we don’t act, they won’t survive. Leave the bodies here.”
“Village Chief, should we send a message to Lord Han?” the villager asked.
The village chief nodded, “Inform Lord Han that the people have been killed.”
The villager ran out to deliver the message.
A villager stepped forward and said, “Village Chief, our village has never done something like this. Killing two people at once, will the Sea God be angered?”
The village chief sighed, “What choice do I have? Do you want the entire village to die? That Lord’s identity is not a false one.”
“Village Chief, hasn’t he already left? If you hadn’t done this, he wouldn’t know, right?”
The village chief shook his head, “That Lord is not as simple as you and I think. He knew about the people who came to the village a few days ago.”
“Then… that’s truly terrifying,” the villager couldn’t help but take a step back.
“Tomorrow, we’ll pick a good day and a good spot to bury them. It will be our small gesture of goodwill.” the village chief said.
The villager nodded, “Don’t worry, Village Chief, I’ll handle this.”
Suddenly, a dark shadow flew in from outside and quickly landed on the village chief’s shoulder.
The villager, startled, quickly retreated and exclaimed, “Village… Village Chief…”
The village chief said, “Don’t be afraid, it’s that Lord’s pet.”
The villager had never seen such a large owl, and was so frightened that he quickly moved far away.
The black owl, like the deep night, asked, “Does the Lord have any instructions?”
The village chief inquired.
As the owl was about to answer, its entire body was suddenly tightly gripped by a hand, preventing it from uttering a single word.
The village chief felt the weight of the owl disappear from his shoulder. He instinctively looked up and saw the person who should have been poisoned to death standing before him. He trembled all over, “You…”
He saw that the Lord’s pet, the black owl, was being held in his hand, its usual arrogance gone, replaced only by an endless struggle.
“Young… Young Master…” the village chief, terrified, stumbled to the ground. He clearly saw him drink that cup of poisoned wine, so how was he now as if nothing had happened?
His clear and handsome face held eyes that radiated a cold light. He looked at the owl and said indifferently, “Han Xi Chen, where is A Ning?”
The owl trembled and suddenly let out a chilling laugh, instilling fear from the depths of one's heart.
“Xue Jing Yun, you actually found me.” the owl spoke human words.
Xue Jing Yun said coldly, “Where is A Ning?”
“You will never find her, you will never see her. Xue Jing Yun, you are destined to be alone for life.”
A cold glint flashed in Xue Jing Yun’s eyes. With a movement of his hand, the owl let out a piercing scream.
He released his grip, and the owl fell to the ground.
The village chief, scrambling, got to his feet. The Lord’s pet was dead, truly dead.
“Where did they go?”
The village chief saw the previously elegant and distinguished young master now exuding a chilling aura, like ice that had not melted for a thousand years, making him instinctively retreat. “Young… Young Master…”
“Where are they?” Xue Jing Yun asked word by word.
Terrified, the village chief knelt on the ground, “They have left.”
“Was it that couple?” Xue Jing Yun asked coldly.
The village chief nodded, “Yes.”
“You said the pregnant woman?”
The village chief nodded, “Yes. That Lord… he… he called her A Ning…”
Xue Jing Yun’s mind exploded. A Ning was pregnant?
He and A Ning had a child? A Ning…
Xue Song woke up and saw his distraught young master. He quickly rushed forward, “Your Highness, you…”
Xue Jing Yun grabbed him. Xue Song was stunned and wanted to pull his hand away, but his young master held on too tightly, making it impossible for him to break free.
“Your Highness, what’s wrong?” If Xue Yan saw this, wouldn’t she misunderstand?
“A Ning is pregnant!”
His young master said word by word.
Xue Song trembled all over, “Her… Her Majesty is pregnant?”
Xue Jing Yun nodded, “Yes.”
Xue Song looked at his young master’s bewildered expression and asked, “Your Highness, Her Majesty being pregnant is a very dangerous matter.”
Xue Jing Yun was much more sober now, “A Ning must have endured a lot alone. It’s a pity I wasn’t by her side.”
At this moment, he felt mostly regret.
“Your Highness, the elder has something to tell you,” Xue Feng’s voice came from outside the door.
Xue Jing Yun quickly went to the elder’s bedside and asked, “Elder, what do you have to tell me?”
“Your name is Yan Zhao?” the elder suddenly asked.
Xue Jing Yun trembled, becoming even more certain that the pregnant one was A Ning, because only she would call him that.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“I am Qi Xiu’s grandfather. Qi Xiu is now with Miss A Ning, you don’t need to worry.”
Xue Jing Yun asked, “Elder, do you know where they went?”
“They should have gone to An Cheng.”
Hearing this, Xue Jing Yun stood up and said, “Xue Song, go and prepare. We depart immediately.”
“Yes.” Xue Song took the order and left.
“Elder, why don’t you come with us? I’ll take you to see your grandson.” Xue Jing Yun said. “Really?” the elder’s eyes welled up with tears.
Xue Jing Yun nodded, “Really.”
“Alright, I’ll go with you.”
Soon, Xue Song entered to report that everything was ready.
Xue Jing Yun walked out of the room. At the village entrance, the village chief and the villagers were kneeling.
Xue Song stepped forward to reprimand them, but Xue Jing Yun stopped him and walked forward, saying, “Don’t worry, I have forgotten what happened yesterday. I will not pose any threat to you.”
Hearing this, the village chief smiled somewhat shamefully, “I’m sorry, I was forced to do it.”
“I know. Go back, all of you!” Xue Jing Yun waved his hand.
Watching them leave, a villager asked, “Village Chief, who were those people? They didn’t seem like ordinary people.”
The village chief remained silent. He had heard clearly last night. This person was the once exceptionally talented Crown Prince of Xue Kingdom, a favored confidant of Empress Chang Ning.
“Then don’t treat them as ordinary people,” the village chief said, then turned and walked back into the village. Some things didn’t need to be known by the villagers, as it would only cause unnecessary trouble.
Since that Highness said it was alright, then it was alright.
It was just that he understood it too late.
“How many days will it take to reach An Cheng?” Xue Jing Yun asked, standing on the ship’s deck.
“Your Highness, it will take at least five days,” Xue Song replied.
“As soon as possible.” He was already impatient to see A Ning, and wondered how A Ning had managed all this time alone.
“Yes.” Xue Song knew that his young master was eager to see the Empress.