202 The Forces of Both Sides

This year’s winter, the ground riddled with cracks. The small gust of north wind fiercely scraped like blades, as snow tumbled from the sky. As far as the eyes can reach, it was completely white between heaven and earth. Snowflakes fluttered down from the sky. The world seemed to have a white curtain pulled over it. The earth immediately became wrapped in silver. It really conforms to the words “Suddenly overnight came a spring breeze, thousands and tens of thousands of pear blossoms bloomed.”

From the faint stirrings of the spies outside Lan manor, the state of the capital has become even more forbidding. Military power in this situation served as an important effect. Every time Lan You Nian left the manor, she was being followed.

Lan You Nian knew Lan manor was a very important chess piece, because she was Feng Yi Xuan’s soft spot. If she fell into the hands of the Empress’s faction, Feng Yi Xuan’s side will have their hands and feet tied. So Lan You Nian knew the importance of her own safety. But these people were really too naive if they think they can catch her.

“Young miss, do you know what’s the latest hot topic in the capital!?” Lan Wu set up the charcoal fire in the pavilion. The entire pavilion became as warm as spring. Lan You Nian was too lazy to come out, from fear of the cold.

Lan You Nian snuggled on the soft couch, a thick brocade quilt draping over her, and released a dull yawn, “What’s happened?”

Lan Wu and Lan Qu ran over to the burning charcoal fire, and chattered, “Just recently people noticed a woman amongst a beggar’s den. That woman was doing that with those beggars…” Lan Wu said, feeling a little awkward in continuing.

“It’s very normal!” Lan You Nian smirked. It was her idea after all. It seems An Yi did things very well. When she has the chance, she’ll have Lan Wu go visit him. It’s confounding that An Yi was so capable but severely lacking when it came to chasing girls. Even now Lan Wu has yet to know his feelings.

“But young miss, do you know!? That woman is actually Yu Qing!” Lan Wu exclaimed excitedly. As for anyone who wanted to ruin young miss’s happiness, Lan Wu only had vengeful feelings towards them, “Let’s see if she dares to say she wants to marry Ming wang! What lunatic ravings!”

”You!” Lan Qu chuckled. Lan Qu and Lan Ren were already married. The two of them held a very simple wedding. It was Lan You Nian who took them back to Wu Qing Pavilion to hold their wedding. Originally, Lan You Nian wanted them to travel around and play around after the wedding but the two of them refused. The second day after their wedding, they returned with her. But after marriage, there really wasn’t any visible changes in Lan Qu and Lan Ren. Between the two, Lan Ren still helped Lan You Nian handle certain affairs while Lan Qu served by her side. If there was one difference, then it was that they now had a spouse.

At this moment, Lan Ren stood outside, “Young miss!”

“Enter!” Lan You Nian said softly. She didn’t place any importance on keeping distance between men and woman. Besides, these people were all her confidants. Lan You Nian never suspected them of anything, but when Feng Yi Xuan was present, they were allowed to enter, even Lan Qu and the other girls weren’t allowed.

Lan Ren removed his cloak that was dusted with snow and walked into the room. He headed straight for Lan Qu, warming himself by the fire. Lan You Nian smiled softly. Perhaps it was different once one married. In the past, Lan Ren wouldn’t take the initiative.

“Young miss, we’ve discovered the whereabouts of Heaven’s Tear Heart!” Lan Ren’s face that was frozen red couldn’t hold back his joy.

Lan You Nian sat up atop the soft couch, with some joy. Before she left the valley, shifu told her she needed one medicine, heaven’s tear heart. After she arrived at the capital, she passed down orders to have the people below look into it and find the whereabouts of Heaven’s Tear Heart. She didn’t expect to actually find clues.

“Where is it?” Lan You Nian asked.

Lan Ren stood up, saying, “I haven’t found the exact location, but we can be certain heaven’s Tears Heart is in the area of Jiangnan. But as for which family has it, we haven’t found out!” In order to find the whereabouts of Heavens Tears Heart, Gui Si mobilized Wu Qing Pavilion’s intelligence and spread out a huge intelligence network, which was why they found the approximate location of Heaven Tear Heart in such a short time.

“Since we can find out this bit, then the rest isn’t far off!” Lan You Nian said. One can’t hurry in such matters.

“But young miss, there is another power in the pugilistic world that seems to be investigating the whereabouts of Heaven Tear Heart. They’ve been searching some time before us!” Lan Ren told Lan You Nian the news he obtained.

“You haven’t found out whose forces they belong to?” Lan You Nian asked severely. Heaven Tear Heart was very important to her, but now there was another group of people coveting it, this meant things weren’t so simple anymore. This power has been searching for Heaven Tear Heart before her. Who could it be?

“No, fourth young master used a lot of our forces but we still haven’t found out who they are!” Lan Ren said feeling slightly ashamed, but he knew this wasn’t the time to blame himself but work harder to find Heaven Tear Heart before the other.

“They are actually so secretive?” Lan You Nian’s finger gently tapped the sides of the couch, frowning as she pondered. In the recent years, Wu Qing Pavilion’s development in the pugilistic world is amongst the top tier. Their intelligence network was spread all over every country. Now such a powerful force showed up yet they couldn’t find out which faction they belonged to, it seems it wasn’t her Wu Qing Pavilion was too weak but their opponent was too strong.

“Was there a fight?” Lan You Nian’s finger didn’t stop as she asked Lan Ren.

“Yes, our opponents’ martial arts isn’t low but none of our brothers were severely injured. Our opponent only had a few who were injured. This power is most likely equally matched with Wu Qing Pavilion, or even stronger than Wu Qing Pavilion, but no matter how much we investigate, we haven’t found out which faction they belong to!” Lan Ren said grimly. For this matter, he’s been so busy he hasn’t stopped to rest.

“Pass down orders, send more people to investigate this force, but if encountered, if they can beat them, then fight, if they can’t, then run. They’re not allowed to not take their lives seriously. Everything’s good as long as they have their life!” Lan You Nian laid back down. Many of Wu Qing Pavilion’s manpower were trained by second brother. They were all very loyal. Though these people were her subordinates, as long as they were loyal to her, she will protect them with everything she had.

“I heard it’s already spring in Jiangnan,” Lan You Nian said.

“Yes, on the entire continent, only Jiangnan is as warm as spring!” Lan Qu said.

Lan You Nian nodded, and said, “In a few days, we’ll go sight-seeing to Jiangnan. It’s dull being stuck in the capital!” Actually, she was too fearful of the cold. Besides, it’d be convenient for her to investigate Heaven’s Tears Heart location if she went personally to Jiangnan.

“Yes!” Lan Wu was the first to throw both her hands up in agreement. She was really bored out of her mind in the capital. In the winter, young miss didn’t take a step out the door, she was about to mold from being stuck indoors. She went to Jiangnan once with young miss. It was truly beautiful!

“Young miss, but what about Ming wang…” Lan Qu said with concern. Everyone knew Ming wang’s feelings for young miss. On a normal day his possessiveness was frightening, if young miss went to Jiangnan for some time, who knows if Ming wang would agree.

Lan You Nian laid down and snuggled into the quilt on the couch, her words muffled, “This young miss’s man, of course this young miss will bring him along!”

——

In the military camp, Feng Yi Xuan, dressed in black brocade robes, stood in the wind as he overlooked the Ming army that was training below, his face aloof and cold, displaying a proud indifference. A lofty stance like a sovereign standing high up above the world, looking down at everyone, that overpowering bearing declaring Feng Yi Xuan’s extraordinariness, lofty as a sovereign, giving people the feeling of him being a war god living existing in slaughter, making people’s hearts tremble.

“Prime Minister An seems to have mobilized his troops. Do we need to withdraw some of the troops from the borders back?” Feng Xia Qi stood beside Feng Yi Xuan overlooking the Ming army below and couldn’t help praising, these were the real soldiers, the type that can take down ten with just one.

Feng Yi Xuan apathetically observed the ground and said, “The forces at the borders can’t be touched. Recently, Yue country has been restless. The Empress’s faction can’t escape blame. If the border forces were moved, it’d be difficult to defend the country!”

“True!” Feng Xia Qi nodded and said, “It’s been so many years. It’s about time we should end this! Though the Empress’s faction has a lot of military forces, we aren’t lacking either. We also have Lan Jian Jun’s military forces. The odds are in our favor!”

“Hn, just some clowns!” Feng Yi Xuan sneered coldly. The moment the Empress’s faction dared to rebel, he would be perfectly justified in completely eradicating the Empress’s faction. The imperial court will be much cleaner in the future.

“Alright, you be careful. You now have Nian’er meimei, so pay more attention to your safety!” Feng Xia Qi advised. He was aware of his younger brother’s carelessness with his own life when on the battlefield. No one dared to face him off. Feng Yi Xuan has suffered innumerable injuries. He wrote many letters to persuade him but it was no use.

Sure enough, upon mentioning Lan You Nian, Feng Yi Xuan’s face warmed up, even his voice filled with warmth, “I will be careful!” He wanted to do many many things with Nian Nian. He still had to marry in Nian Nian, so how can he let something happen to him?

Feng Xia Qi left once their discussion ended. An Yi appeared behind Feng Yi Xuan.

“Master, Wu Qing Pavilion is also searching for Heavens’ Tears Heart!” An Yi said. When master was in the Medical Valley, he passed down the message to have all of Ghost Realm’s forces search for Heavens’ Tear Heart. As their Ghost Realm was searching for Heaven’s Tear Heart, they encountered Wu Qing Pavilion’s people who were also looking for Heaven’s Tear Heart. The two forces got into a scuffle, but An Yi, remembering the deep relationship between wangfei and Wu Qing Pavilion, immediately withdrew.

When Feng Yi Xuan heard this, his entire person became even more vicious. He originally thought shifu only told him to look for Heaven’s Tear Heart, but now it seems shifu also told Nian Nian. But Nian Nian didn’t tell him; instead, she told Young Master Wu Qing. It appears this Master Wu Qing had some weight in Nian Nian’s heart!

“Continue to search. Find it before Wu Qing Pavilion!” Feng Yi Xuan said. He won’t allow that Master Wu Qing to obtain any merits in front of Nian Nian, “Have Ghost Realm’s forces undermine Wu Qing Pavilion’s forces. Don’t harm anyone. Just teach them a lesson!”

Though Feng Yi Xuan disliked Master Wu Qing, he knew Master Wu Qing was good to Nian Nian and took care of Nian Nian for many years. If he really did anything to Master Wu Qing, the one who would be upset would still be Nian Nian. Feng Yi Xuan wouldn’t do anything to make Nian Nian upset. But finding some misery for Master Wu Qing was still doable.

Feng Yi Xuan was unaware that because of his petty thoughts of jealousy, he slept alone for many days…