He didn’t expect that in this type of place, at this type of time, he would meet Leng Qiuyu.

In reality, just like how many students from the academy adored Qin Xiyue, the reason why his heart moved when he first saw Leng Qiuyu, was still mainly because of Leng Qiuyu’s extremely beautiful face.

Cool and elegant goddess, this was the evaluation Lin Xi who came from a different world gave Leng Qiuyu when teasing Li Kaiyun.

Of course, Lin Xi still playfully patted Li Kaiyun’s shoulder before, saying, “Youngster, you have to mount a loser’s comeback.”

Only, what left Lin Xi a bit regretful was that Li Kaiyun didn’t understand the meaning of these words at all, unable to grasp the essence of these words.

Either way, things like affection from youth were like a flower that mysteriously blossomed after spring rain. Perhaps at a certain time, this flower’s seeds might be planted without any reason, and then these seeds’ flowers might slowly blossom as well. Then, when you worked hard, fought for this, even treated it like a type of conviction, this flower would blossom even more vigorously, bloom in an even more unforgettable fashion.

…

Under the setting sun, Li Kaiyun and Leng Qiuyu slowly walked along the grassy slope outside the barracks.

Leng Qiuyu removed a metal hairpin that bound her hair, naturally gathering her hair. Her pitch-black beautiful hair slid down her right shoulder like a straight black flowing waterfall.

Her skin was naturally a bit more fair than even Qin Xiyue and Gao Yanan’s. When placed next to another’s face, it might seem especially pale, but under the contrast of her fine eyelashes and slightly red lips, her face instead seemed extremely moving, truly becoming like the jade goddess of books.

Li Kaiyun almost didn’t dare look at her.

Only, he felt like after not meeting for a long time, compared to back in the academy, she seemed to have already changed a lot as well… The expression between her brows had much more resolution between them, losing a bit of the past coldness, and instead having a bit more peacefulness.

“I’ve received all of the letters you sent me.”

Leng Qiuyu put up her hair again. She looked at Li Kaiyun. It was instead her who spoke out first, saying this quietly.

 In her eyes, Li Kaiyun was also no longer that underripe youngster from the academy. Li Kaiyun who appeared before her eyes again was already a young high ranking officer who possessed all of the qualities an outstanding soldier should have.

Li Kaiyun was still nervous. When he thought about how he was never as thick-skinned as Lin Xi, he said with a difficult and rather embarrassed chuckle, “I thought that some setbacks happened, that they were all lost along the way, but they were all just some trifling things anyway.”

“Thank you.” Leng Qiuyu looked at him and said.

Li Kaiyun became even more nervous, a bit at a loss for what to do, unsure about the meaning behind Leng Qiuyu’s words.

“Actually, what Lin Xi said was correct. Being liked by others is always something worth being happy about, always better than being hated by another.” Leng Qiuyu looked at the faintly discernible distant Thousand Sunset Mountains, her eyelids falling a bit. “Even though they were mostly trifling things, many times, in the barracks, it is extremely boring. When there are some letters, reading them is still a rather happy thing.”

Li Kaiyun’s heart mysteriously sunk. After some hesitation, he finally still gathered the courage, quietly saying, “Then why didn’t you reply to any of them… at the very least let me know that you have been well.”

“I thought about it, but I still never sent any in the end.”

Leng Qiuyu quietly said, “I previously heard quite a bit about Qin Xiyue’s matters. She went against the family’s intentions, rather joining the army and rejecting Liu Family and Zhou Family’s marriage proposals. She is quite the strong and opinionated individual… actually, I am the same as her. My father could never make decisions in my place, which is why on many matters, it was actually me who made the decision. If back then, it wasn’t me who wanted to join Green Luan Academy’s entrance examination, if I didn’t join Green Luan Academy, then I wouldn’t have met you all. I feared that some things might become a habit, and from there on produce some misconception… I thought that the two of us didn’t actually have much contact back at the academy, just a bit closer than strangers. If I gave you a reply and this became a habit, I might have actually accepted you who I am not actually familiar with because of the you from the letters… Actually, after only reading your letters and only now seeing you, there is a strange type of familiar yet unfamiliar feeling. This isn’t a feeling I want or can accept, what I want… is that type of extremely familiar feeling when we meet, extremely familiar when letters are exchanged, two individuals being one, this type.”

Li Kaiyun swallowed his saliva, his heart becoming even more ice-cold, saying with difficulty, “That is why…”

“Do not misunderstand my intentions.” Leng Qiuyu seemed to have also only managed to speak these words after gathering enough courage. She first avoided Li Kaiyun’s eyes a bit, saying quietly, “That is why… I only want to give everyone a bit more time. Perhaps…”

Actually, what this ice and crystal clear young lady wanted to say was that perhaps everyone should meet some more and have some more interactions, that this would be a bit better, perhaps it would then all be a bit more real, giving her a bit more room to be moved. It was because for her, if she didn’t have any special feelings, but rather only spoke to someone out of habit, then this was definitely not okay.

Only, even though her face was cold like a frozen mountain, she was actually more bashful than most young ladies inside. That was why when she spoke up to here, she also seemed to have used up all of her courage, unable to immediately speak.

In reality, she didn’t expect to meet Li Kaiyun here either. It was only when they suddenly reunited here that she mustered so much sincere bravery.

She didn’t finish what she wanted to say, but Li Kaiyun already completely understood her intentions. The two of them didn’t even talk that much one on one, but Li Kaiyun’s mind seemed to have seen an expanse of brilliance after being immersed in an endless darkness for a long time. A wave of indescribable happiness filled his mind. He looked at Leng Qiuyu, a bit stuttering as he said, “Then… I’ll try to write less letters for now?”

If Lin Xi was here and heard these words, he definitely wouldn’t be able to hold himself back, using the hardest thing he could get his hands on to fiercely whack his head, and then curse out resentfully, “You idiot!!!”

If it was Lin Xi, Lin Xi would definitely say, “Then I will continue sending you letters, but you don’t need to reply for now. In the future, let’s try to meet more often?”

Fortunately, afterwards, Li Kaiyun spoke some words that even if Lin Xi was here, would redeem quite a bit of points.

“Just that with the battle situation as it is here in South Tomb Province… I don’t know if we will have the chance to meet again after today.” Li Kaiyun looked at the faintly discernible Thousand Sunset Mountains, his tone a bit heavy as he said these words.

When it involved matters of life and death, the hearts of girls would always be a bit softer.

At this time, Leng Qiuyu’s heart was especially soft. After a bit of hesitation, she quietly said, “I will be with this fleet for some time, remember this fleet’s number and be mindful of it, perhaps you’ll be able to roughly know where I am. If there is a chance, we will meet again.”

Li Kaiyun’s eyes became even brighter, but because of being so stirred up, he instead became even more nervous, momentarily not knowing what to say.

At this time, the fleet in the camp already began to make preparations.

When he knew that it was already time to separate after their brief meeting, Li Kaiyun’s eyes suddenly became a bit red, momentarily only fiercely nodding.

“If there is a chance to pass by, I will also come.” After a bit of hesitation, Leng Qiuyu looked at Li Kaiyun and said quietly, “Take care.”

“Take care.”

Li Kaiyun finally spoke these two words.

While watching this young lady leave under the setting sun, his mood could only be described with the word ‘difficult’.

…

A carriage was currently moving towards Central Continent City.

There was only two hours from the closest relay station. They were still two days of time from Central Continent City.

Within this carriage sat a white chubby round faced middle-aged man, his face always having a natural kind smile resting on it.

This chubby white faced middle-aged man was precisely one of Wen Xuanshu’s trusted aides, Government Sector Resource Supervisor Hong Xianhua.

All secrets, especially shocking secrets that were extremely useful for those in high positions, definitely wouldn’t be delivered through only a single channel.

Hong Xianhua himself was precisely one of these channels.

There were some things he would naturally report in great detail to the lord he was loyal to after he arrived in Central Continent City.

However, during this calm journey, under the clear sound of horse hooves and carriage wheels, there was suddenly an extremely alarming loud noise that sounded, as if a gong was suddenly smashed into by a huge wooden pillar.

Hong Xianhua couldn’t be considered a formidable cultivator.

His cultivation had only just reached Soul Expert level, moreover, he always held a Central Continent City civil post. Perhaps any random low level cultivator from the military would be able to kill him. That was why the instant this huge noise sounded, he didn’t have any time to react. However, the driver of his carriage was a somewhat famous formidable cultivator from Central Continent City.

Only, this huge noise erupted precisely from the body of the cultivator who helped him drive the carriage.

Before Hong Xianhua could react, the body of the cultivator who drove this carriage already smashed against the carriage, shattering half the carriage door, even the steel plating inside the carriage forcibly bending.

Hong Xianhua saw that the soul weapon in the hands of this bodyguard was also already warped, while his skull already completely caved in, not showing any signs of life.

Hong Xianhua who suddenly saw the carriage door shatter, this kind of scene, only managed to fully react at this time, realizing that the huge noise just now was actually a type of weapon smashing into the soul weapon of his driver, and then forcibly crushing his skull.

He looked forward with horror, only seeing a tall and sturdy full bearded man whose upper body clothes were completely torn, in his hands a copper gold colored soul weapon staff, currently smiling coldly.

Next to this full bearded robust man whose muscles swelled like boulders stood a middle-aged woman with a black spear in hand.

“Someone under the emperor, Hong Xianhua, there’s no mistake.”

After just a single look, the middle-aged woman whose face was cold like steel released a snort. Without saying anything more, a 

chi

 noise erupted, a spear thrusting out like lightning, piercing towards Hong Xianhua in the carriage.

In this instant, Hong Xianhua remembered that these two were Chang Ji and Qi Hong, both of them experts under Zhong Family. They had previously served as instructors in Central Continent Guards, respectively teaching staff arts and spear arts… This was clearly an instance of assassination Zhong Family directed at the emperor.

On the surface, Hong Xianhua was one of the emperor’s trusted aides, but in reality, he was Wen Xuanshu’s personnel. That was why this was an accidental wrong assassination… moreover, in this instant, Hong Xianhua couldn’t retort, nor did he have the time to.

The domineering military spear fiercely penetrated his body, nailing him to the end of the carriage. His body smashed apart all of the wooden planks covering the back of the carriage. The speartip passed through the steel plating, and then after a fierce twist, retracted. The entire long spear instantly became peaceful once it was back in the middle-aged woman’s hands, only the area where the palm and spear pole grinded still releasing some heat.

Blood gushed out like a pillar, instantly pouring out from the carriage hole behind Hong Xianhua.

Hong Xianhua’s expression was vacant as he slid down the carriage walls, dying in the corner of this carriage.

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