Ashi Liren saw Fu Yan’er’s grave dug open and the coffin completely empty inside. Fu Yan’er’s “corpse” had vanished without a trace.
Suo Lun had guessed correctly. Fu Yan’er had not truly died. Ashi Luo had merely made her consume some drug to feign death, letting Ashi Liren carry her outside the residence to bury her, then sending people to steal Fu Yan’er away and revive her.
Although she arrived nearly an hour late, Ashi Liren did not give up, but began tracking along the footprints.
Ashi Luo’s people had stolen Fu Yan’er’s “corpse”, they would certainly have left footprints.
But after entering Rouran City, the footprints disappeared.
Ashi Liren continued pursuing based on extremely faint energy scents.
However, upon reaching a marketplace, even the faintest energy scent disappeared.
Ashi Luo had so many capable subordinates, wanting to vanish without a trace was absolutely effortless. Wanting to hide a person in the vast Rouran City was even more effortless.
From here, wanting to find Fu Yan’er was completely like fishing for a needle in the ocean.
…
In a secret chamber somewhere in Rouran City, there were only women inside, not a single male.
“Is the medicinal broth prepared?” a female sorcerer asked.
“It is prepared.” a female warrior said.
In the inner room, a large wooden barrel was filled with jade-green medicinal liquid.
And Fu Yan’er lay on the table beside it, still without breath or heartbeat.
“Strip her clothes off, then place her in the medicinal broth.” the female sorcerer said.
“Yes.” The female warrior stripped Fu Yan’er’s clothes bare, revealing her plump and alluring figure.
This woman Fu Yan’er, although foolish, absolutely had a beautiful enough face and a provocative enough figure.
Otherwise, when Suo Lun went to the Fire Worship City as a guest, he would not have been immediately attracted, clearly knowing she was his cousin yet still secretly embracing, touching, and kissing her.
The female warrior placed the naked Fu Yan’er into the medicinal broth.
Instantly, this cold medicinal broth immediately began to boil! Of course, although boiling, the temperature remained very cold. Countless medicinal powers gradually permeated into Fu Yan’er’s body.
The blind female sorcerer stepped forward and poured a bottle of blood-red medicinal liquid into Fu Yan’er’s mouth.
A blue energy gradually permeated out from Fu Yan’er’s body, flowing into the green medicinal broth.
Then, a miracle occurred. Fu Yan’er’s heartbeat revived, her breathing revived.
After several minutes, she opened her eyes.
Then, she abruptly jumped up from the barrel, shivering coldly and screaming, “So cold, so cold, quickly give me clothes to wear, where is this place?”
“Come out.” the female warrior said.
Fu Yan’er trembled as she walked out of the barrel, shivering from the cold.
“Follow me!” the female warrior said, then walked out.
Fu Yan’er followed shivering behind, still bare-bottomed.
Following this female warrior through the great hall, she arrived at a door.
“Push the door open yourself.” the female warrior said.
Fu Yan’er was not only cold now, but also trembling with fear. She stepped forward and pushed the door open.
Instantly, the inside was so bright she could not open her eyes at all.
Countless lamps, countless gold, illuminated the entire room with absolute clarity.
A person stood inside, completely hidden within a red cloak, indistinguishable as male or female, roughly one metre seventy in height.
At this person’s feet crouched two beautiful bitches.
“Stand in the centre.” the red cloaked person commanded, the voice hoarse and completely indistinguishable as male or female.
Fu Yan’er trembled as she stood in the middle of the room, on a soft wool carpet.
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh…”
Instantly, many golden mirrors in the room shone lamp light beams all onto Fu Yan’er’s body, illuminating every pore of her with absolute clarity.
Then, this red cloaked person walked over, extending long, cold fingers to pinch Fu Yan’er’s chin.
“Open your mouth.” the red cloaked person commanded.
Hearing this voice, Fu Yan’er grew even more frightened, because this voice was too eerie. She hurriedly opened her mouth.
“The teeth are fairly neat, fairly white, but show signs of wear.” the red cloaked person said.
Then, this person leaned close to Fu Yan’er’s face and said, “The skin is not fair and delicate enough, no natural body fragrance.”
“Turn around.” the red cloaked person ordered.
Fu Yan’er turned around, exposing her back to the light beams.
“The back is even less smooth, with four pimples.”
“The waist, half an inch too thick.”
Then, the red cloaked person’s ice-cold hands began examining Fu Yan’er’s chest.
“The shape is good, the upward curve is good.”
“The lower abdomen, half a hair’s width of excess flesh.”
Next, the red cloaked person examined every part of Fu Yan’er’s body, just like selecting concubines in a royal palace.
“Kneel, get down on all fours…”
Fu Yan’er obediently knelt and got down on all fours.
“Spread your legs!” The red cloaked person squatted down to examine.
“Calluses and wear marks on the buttocks, the result of long-term sitting still. How lazy are you?”
“You were long imprisoned in the Qiufeng Academy, without any men. You have the habit of self-pleasure?” the red cloaked person said.
Fu Yan’er nodded in shame.
After examining for a full half hour, checking Fu Yan’er’s entire body from outside to inside.
Over a hundred flaws were picked out. The female scribe beside her recorded several thousand characters.
“You failed yesterday, unable to abduct the Fu Yan’er mother and daughter.” the red cloaked person said, “Causing the master to be unable to enjoy this Fu Yan’er before departing. Fortunately today you redeemed your merits by stratagem, abducting Fu Yan’er by trickery. In half a month, the master will return from the Nu Lang Kingdom. Within this half month, eliminate all these flaws from Fu Yan’er’s body. At any cost, restore her skin to be like congealed fat, remove any excess flesh from her body, even if only half an inch. Also, some places that should be bleached, bleach them. Those that should be trimmed, trim them. In short, when the young master returns, you must present an absolute beauty Fu Yan’er, not like now, a living down-and-out young married woman.”
“Yes, Auntie Huo!” the female scribe beside her bowed.
At this moment, Fu Yan’er did not know whether she felt fear or indignation.
In her view, she had already taken very good care of herself. Every time before the mirror, she felt she was still very pretty and charming. How could she have so many flaws in this red cloaked person’s eyes?
Then, this red cloaked person Auntie Huo looked at Fu Yan’er with disgust and said, “You are also the daughter of a noble lord, how did you let yourself become like this. In this state, how can Lord Ashi Luo stomach it?”
Hearing Lord Ashi Luo, Fu Yan’er finally knew whose hands she had fallen into.
Regarding Ashi Luo, recently she had heard many legends. Naturally within the Liren residence there would be nothing good said. Ashi Luo had become synonymous with perversion, madness, and terror.
Instantly, Fu Yan’er’s face turned pale with fright and she said, “I, I am the woman of Suo Lun, the City Lord of Tianshui City. Let me go back, he will give you very, very much money.”
The red cloaked person Auntie Huo looked at Fu Yan’er and laughed coldly, “It is precisely Suo Lun’s woman we are sleeping with. Otherwise, with your qualifications, you would not be worthy of being favoured by my master. Someone, carry her out and remove the excess body hair.”
“Yes.” Two female warriors stepped forward.
So-called hair removal was applying very sticky medicinal liquid onto cloth strips, covering them over areas of heavy body hair, then ripping them off fiercely.
“Ahhh…” Soon, waves of Fu Yan’er’s miserable cries rang out.
“Auntie Huo, should we find a way to also abduct Suo Lun’s daughter Fu Qin Qin?” a female warrior beside her said.
The red cloaked person hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, “Do not take any more risks. From now on our target is only one person, that is Ashi Liren, to make her cultivation greatly diminish. When the master returns in half a month, he must obtain her body and cultivation. Because next, the master has a great matter to attend to.”
“Yes!”
…
It was not until noon that Ashi Liren returned.
“You guessed correctly. Fu Yan’er should not be dead. Her coffin was already completely empty, I could not find her.” Ashi Liren said, “I am sorry.”
“It is nothing.” Suo Lun said, “Not dead… is also good.”
Ashi Liren said, “But, she has already fallen into Ashi Luo’s hands. The consequences you can imagine!”
Suo Lun said, “Ashi Luo already set out yesterday for the Nu Lang Kingdom to attend Tu Lingduo’s wedding. So, whatever he wants to do to Fu Yan’er, he must wait until his return in half a month.”
Ashi Liren said, “How do you know? I did not even know.”
Suo Lun said, “In Rouran City, there is a force of mine. They have been watching Ashi Luo. I should have gone to meet them, but a few days ago I was abducted by Ashi Luo shortly after leaving. Today they could wait no longer and actively came to your residence to find me, disguised as a book peddler. From today I have connected with them.”
Ashi Liren said, “Ashi Luo has left, so in the next half month, the other side should not make any moves.”
Suo Lun said, “Yes. Within this half month, we must definitely investigate Zuo Qiu’s identity, and find the eyes and ears Ashi Luo has planted in the residence.”
Ashi Liren said, “Especially Zuo Qiu, he has been by Father’s side! I feel that this person will be very, very important, even the key to success or failure.”
Suo Lun said, “I have already sent out a small portrait of Zuo Qiu along with relevant information. About several hours ago, it was already sent by flying kite message to the royal city and Tianshui City.”
Ashi Liren said, “And the eyes and ears, the mole in the residence?”
Suo Lun said, “Your residence has over a hundred warriors, over a hundred servants. I have already checked half the female warriors, temporarily without finding anything.”
…
At this moment, Ashi Luo was already several hundred li away from Rouran City.
His party consisted of over thirty people, all women, all beauties.
He had slept with every one of them.
Recently, he had been preparing to abstain. Originally, he planned to consume Fu Yan’er before setting out for Luanyang City.
But yesterday, the people sent to abduct Fu Yan’er had actually failed.
In a violent rage, he killed over a dozen people, then vented his fury on a woman before leading his party out of Rouran City.
From today, he would abstain.
Because next, he would feast on an unprecedented grand meal, his most covetous elder sister Ashi Liren.
“Elder sister, I am not merely sleeping with you, I am saving you!” Ashi Luo laughed inexplicably with a cackling sound.
At this moment, he lay comfortably on the soft couch of a massive carriage. A beauty was gently massaging him.
She was called Ashi Ni, his personal maid since childhood.
“Young master, you finally returned to Rouran City this time, why did you not go pay respects to the Marquis?” Ashi Ni said. The Marquis she referred to was Ashi Luo’s father Ashi Mo.
“What is there to see in that undying old thing?” Ashi Luo said, “When he dies, I will become the City Lord of Rouran. It matters not!”
Ashi Ni’s expression darkened, and she said no more.
In her heart, she hoped Ashi Luo and his elder sister and parents could be a harmonious, happy family, not this strange, perverted relationship.
But she was merely a maidservant. If she said more, her life would not be preserved.
Young master Ashi Luo, a few days ago, had just strangled to death in anger a maidservant who had cared for him since childhood.
That maidservant, like Ashi Ni, had cared for Ashi Luo since childhood. Her name was Ashi Na.
At that time, seeing the unconscious Tao Su being carried out, her body in disarray, she could not help saying, “Young master, this was your first love!”
Then, Ashi Luo in his violent rage directly strangled Ashi Na to death.
But after calming down, he was incomparably regretful, weeping bitterly while hugging her corpse.
…
In the royal palace of Zhi Du, the royal city.
The grand eunuch Gao Yin received Suo Lun’s flying kite secret letter.
Looking at Zuo Qiu’s information and portrait, he closed his eyes and searched in his mind, but could not find any information at all.
Gao Yin was already over seventy years old, having controlled the Shadow Pavilion for thirty years.
He basically knew all the important figures in the world. But regarding this Zuo Qiu, he completely knew nothing.
“Someone, go notify all the elders of the Shadow Pavilion, there is an important matter to inquire about.” Gao Yin ordered.
“Yes!” Instantly, a great eunuch rapidly vanished into the night of the royal palace.
…
One day later, Tianshui City also received Suo Lun’s flying kite secret letter.
Princess Zhi Yan, Yan Nai’er, and Suo Ningbing passed the secret letter among themselves.
Nai’er looked for a very long time, still not moving her gaze away.
“Nai’er, do you recognise this Zuo Qiu?” Princess Zhi Yan asked.
Nai’er’s face reddened, and she shook her head saying, “I do not recognise him.”
She had recently tasted the forbidden fruit with Suo Lun, at the peak of passion, wishing to stick together every moment. But after one night of bliss, Suo Lun went far away to Rouran City.
These days she truly missed him day and night, dreaming fragrant dreams every night.
At this moment, finally seeing Suo Lun’s handwriting, she could not help but carefully examine every stroke, to comfort her longing.
As for this Zuo Qiu, she had never even heard of him.
Princess Zhi Yan closed her beautiful eyes, desperately thinking.
There seemed to be a vague clue, yet she seemed unable to find the beginning or end!
She used her Concentration Technique to let her mind completely settle, then searched every corner of her memory.
A quarter hour passed.
Half an hour, one hour, two hours passed!
Then, Zhi Yan opened her beautiful eyes. She remembered!
It was roughly eight years ago, she heard this name from Zhi Ning’s mouth. At that time, both of them were only in their teens.
She vaguely remembered that at the time, Zhi Ning was mocking Zhi Yan saying, “You think your father is Zuo Qiu?”
At that time, Zhi Ning seemed to be cursing Zhi Bian to die early. And after speaking this name, she turned pale with fright, as if she had committed a heaven-shaking error.
Instantly, Zhi Yan said, “Queen Yan Chuo’er is still in the residence these days. I will leave for a few days, returning in three to five days.”
Then, Princess Zhi Yan took advantage of the night, mounting a griffin beast and flying towards the northern Yan Empire.
She was going to see Commandery Princess Zhi Ning!
Because, she could feel that this figure Zuo Qiu was extremely secretive, extremely important, even more important than Suo Lun imagined.
Moreover, this person had nothing to do with Zhi Yan and Zhi Li’s struggle for succession, but was a world-level secret.
Zhi Yan had saved the child in Zhi Ning’s belly, so Zhi Ning owed her a favour. She hoped Zhi Ning could reveal the secret of this Zuo Qiu.
…
In the Yan Empire, within an estate in Yanjing.
Because Zhi Ning’s pregnancy was exposed, and Prince Ji Min’s marriage alliance fell through, Zhi Li also gave up targeting the child in her womb.
At this time, the estate where Zhi Ning lived was already very peaceful. The warriors sent were merely for her basic protection.
Zhi Ning was already roughly five months pregnant, her belly showing.
A month ago, her morning sickness had also gradually improved. Now Zhi Ning’s complexion was actually better than before pregnancy, full of rosy glow.
Her whole person had also become a circle plumper, especially the twin orbs on her chest. Although the child had not yet come out, this place seemed already prepared, beginning to become magnificent.
This period was also Zhi Ning’s most carefree time.
She completely ignored her elder brother’s succession struggle, and completely ignored people like Suo Lun.
Every day she just read books, played the zither, then hummed tunes to the baby in her belly.
“Baby, in the future we will be artists. That dirty politics, we will not touch at all, alright?” Zhi Ning hummed a little tune while speaking to the baby in her belly.
“Zhi Ning!” Suddenly, someone called her name.
Zhi Ning looked up, and instantly saw the absolutely beautiful face of Princess Zhi Yan.
Instantly, she was incomparably surprised and said, “Zhi Yan, how can you be here? However, do not tell me anything. Even if my elder brother died, or Suo Lun died.”
Princess Zhi Yan said, “Neither, there is a matter requiring your help.”
“No.” Commandery Princess Zhi Ning said, “Do not look for me for anything. I am completely staying out of the succession struggle between you and my elder brother. Now I only want to give birth to my child safely and peacefully.”
“I want to ask you about a person. This person has nothing to do with me, nor with Zhi Li.” Princess Zhi Yan said, “The baby in your belly was protected by me. You owe me a favour.”
Zhi Ning said sarcastically, “You are truly direct. Ask, whether I answer or not depends on my mood.”
Princess Zhi Yan said, “Eight years ago, when you cursed my father to die early, you once said a sentence. You think your father is Zuo Qiu! Who is this Zuo Qiu?”
At these words, Commandery Princess Zhi Ning’s face turned completely colourless.
“Shut your mouth, shut up…” Zhi Ning said, “If the Dragon God Temple hears it, I am dead, my child is dead, even you are finished!”
Princess Zhi Yan’s heart trembled. This Zuo Qiu was actually so world-shaking?
“Tell me who this Zuo Qiu is.” Princess Zhi Yan said, “In return, I promise you that if I succeed in seizing the throne in the future, you and the child in your belly can both be safe and prosperous.”
Zhi Ning said, “You? Even with that lecher Suo Lun helping you, you are destined to lose. You are fighting against the world, you cannot win.”
Princess Zhi Yan said, “What if I win? If you reject my goodwill today, where will you go in the future?”
Zhi Ning nodded and said, “Very well, I will tell you! Zuo Qiu is one of the greatest secrets in this world. Those who truly know this person, in the entire world there are almost no more than five!”