Legend of Fu Yao

Lord Yuan Bao stood there for a long time…

Meng Fuyao nearly vomited blood.

Wasn’t that copying her wrapping her fingers around Xuanyuan Yun by the throat and forcefully transferring inner energy to him that day? That legendary, “Meng Fuyao wins the fight against Xuanyuan Yun and is so delighted that she refuses to leave the stage”, rumor, reenacted hamster-style?

Seeing Lord Yuan Bao with its head raised and an arrogant expression on its face, Meng Fuyao too raised her head and made a noise, reaching out to flatten the hamster.

Zhangsun Wuji blocked her, his eyes glinting as he laughed. “Fuyao, humans shouldn’t have the same kind of wisdom as Yuanbao…”

Meng Fuyao racked her brains on ways to seek revenge as she glared at Lord Yuan Bao, who was returning to its owner without fear.

His lightning-white front teeth were half colored black, and it was clear that it symbolized broken teeth.

The rascal was copying her missing tooth!

‘Damnit!’ She could no longer tolerate it, it copied it with such ugliness that she couldn’t ignore it anymore.

Meng Fuyao got up furiously and roared, “How dare you, go and die, you hamster demon!” Following that, she flung a pillow at him, hitting Lord Yuan Bao with a ‘ping’.

Lord Yuan Bao scampered away, laughing at her with its “half tooth”.

Beside her, Zhangsun Wuji smiled and said, “Oh, so this is what it looks like when one’s tooth falls off, it’s rather pretty…” He reached out a hand and pressed Meng Fuyao down, saying, “You still have a match tomorrow, rest early.”

Meng Fuyao’s tearful face was pressed down. ‘Damnit.’ Installing her fake tooth was completely useless, the hamster copied it so well, even getting the ridges where it broke off exactly the same!

She muttered, “One day I’ll skin you alive and sew embroidery on it…” She closed her eyes heavily, unsure why she felt even more exhausted despite having slept earlier, as though something in her body was slowly washing over her core, making her feel at ease and drowsy. She fell backward onto the pillow, her words incomprehensible as she murmured, “I’ll get back at you guys tomorrow, Zhangsun Wuji, don’t you dare sleep here…” Before she could finish her sentence, she fell asleep.

Zhangsun Wuji smiled as he tucked her into the blanket, scrutinizing her now-thinner face. Finally, he called Lord Yuan Bao over, and the hamster sprinted over, his jet black eyes glistening brightly as he leaped onto Zhangsun Wuji’s body, rubbing against it…

“You did very well,” Zhangsun Wuji praised as he stroked Lord Yuan Bao’s smooth white fur. “Keep doing that from now on.”

‘From now on? There’s still a next time?’ Lord Yuan Bao’s eyes widened. ‘He has got to be kidding, the suffering hasn’t ended?’ It still had to continue teasing Meng Fuyao? Then why didn’t he say so earlier? It had already utterly and completely offended Meng Fuyao, this time it was finished…

“She hasn’t a stable personality, whoever fancies her would never live well,” Zhangsun Wuji laughed, “It’s also difficult for me to be with her all the time, so I can only ask you of this favor.”

Lord Yuan Bao was in anguish. Why was it being sent to protect Meng Fuyao? Why wasn’t Meng Fuyao the one being sent to protect it? Why couldn’t it be it’s master’s lover, allowing him to protect it with his life? ‘Ah, the earth-shakingly handsome one is over here, Master, why wouldn’t you look at it carefully?’

Its master didn’t have the time to look at it. Just like that, its master had fallen asleep while leaning against the bedside. Half his face reflected in the moonlight, his regal face looking considerably softer and relaxed as though it were a gentle wave against the shoreline or a slowly blooming lotus.

The next day when Meng Fuyao awoke, she felt extremely invigorated and refreshed, finally overcoming the most crucial period of lifting the sixth tier of Cleaving Nine Heavens, ‘Daybreak’. It was most likely thanks to the effectiveness of Zong Yue’s medicine, and although her internal injuries were not fully healed, she believed that as long as she didn’t get into any accidents, she could battle under any condition. In her vigor, she excitedly reached out and grabbed, preparing to drag either Zhangsun Wuji or Lord Yuan Bao to practice her punches.

However, she only managed to grab air, and she opened her eyes only to realize that his royal highness was not there, how great, it was rare that he wasn’t trying to take advantage of her. But then again, last night when he made her unconscious, there was no way of proving whether or not she was taken advantage of.

Lord Yuan Bao, on the other hand, was present, squatting in front of its own little bed and waving a white flag around with its head down. Meng Fuyao snorted, flicking its head as punishment before happily heading out the door.

While walking past the garden, she spotted Zong Yue picking flowers. Meng Fuyao suddenly remembered that Xuanyuan Yun had not left Tiansha after losing, instead waiting at the place she appeared every day and attempting to follow her.

However, apart from the guards that Tie Cheng brought along, Meng Fuyao still had the invisible guard Zhangsun Wuji. Xuanyuan Yun had tried twice but failed, and the closest he got was the one time when he followed until they were only two streets apart. But when he excitedly ran forward, he hit into a wall and on the wall was a drawing of a tortoise.

Xuanyuan Yun stared at the tortoise, his eyes reddening again.

That night, he slept right under the wall, a seemingly rich and pampered young master, actually slept out in the open against a dirty wall just like that, occasionally crawling up and staring at the little tortoise, He was also occasionally crawling up the wall and looking around at the lantern lights in the people’s homes, as though hoping to be able to spot Zong Yue’s lantern among the tens of thousands of lanterns.

Tie Cheng, who was responsible for ensuring Meng Fuyao’s safety was watching from the shadows. It was rare that he expressed any feelings and actually came to tell Meng Fuyao. After listening, Meng Fuyao too sighed and ordered Tie Cheng to send a blanket over to Xuanyuan Yun.

Tie Cheng left the blanket at the foot of the wall and hid himself, only to hear the child hug the blanket and murmur, “… it’s you… it’s you…”, his voice low and filled with sadness, causing even a rough warrior like Tie Cheng to tear up.

Hence, seeing that Zong Yue’s heart was moved that day, Meng Fuyao fearlessly asked, “Doctor, are you really not going to see that Young Master Yun? He even gave his chance to be the True Martial Arts champion to me.”

“If you’re afraid of owing someone a favor, you can return it,” replied Zongyue lightly, “Just don’t come to bother me.”

Meng Fuyao poked out her tongue and stalked out only to see Yun Hen with his arms raised in front of him staring at a tree in the courtyard, looking extremely focused as though he were learning some kind of ultimate martial arts technique.

There were just a few noisy crickets jumping around on the tree.

Meng Fuyao watched his back and rubbed her lips, unsure what to say or do. In the end, she could only discreetly walk by, but Yun Hen’s back seemed to have eyes, and he suddenly said, “Fuyao, Pei Yuan will come harboring malicious intentions, you must be careful.”

Meng Fuyao felt a sourness go through her nose as she said “Mn”. Yun Hen turned around and smiled crisply at her. He still carried the tranquil air unique only to him, unaffected by any tribulation.

He added, “Waiting for you to return in triumph.”

Meng Fuyao responded again with another “Mn” and went hurriedly through the door as though escaping, but when she opened the door, it seemed to have some kind of resistance. She pushed the door forcefully again, only to realize that something was blocking it.

Frustrated and filled with anxiety, Meng Fuyao raised her leg and kicked the door. With a ‘ping’ the door flung open, and whatever object that was blocking the door went rolling out, and a faint “Aiya” could be heard coming from the object.

At the entrance of the door, there was a person covered in dirt rubbing his eyes as he raised his head. The person rubbed his eyes, then rubbed his sore behind. Meng Fuyao took a closer look at the ashen dirt-covered face of the person and only then did she realize that it was actually Xuanyuan Yun, that little prince.

‘How did he find his way here? From his appearance, did he spend the night here?’

Xuanyuan Yun scrambled to his feet unsteadily, sleep still evident in his eyes as he leaned against the door frame and pleaded with Meng Fuyao, “General Meng… I, I finally managed to reach this place, please let me see him once, just once, once…”

Meng Fuyao looked at him, thinking that the sour feeling was coming again as she said slowly, “How many times have I said already, Young Master Yun still doesn’t get it, Zong Yue has the personality of a cow, the more you bother him, the more he won’t see you, and the more you ask me to introduce you the angrier he will get. Why do you trouble yourself so?”

“I… I have to go back already… It hasn’t been easy coming out…” Xuanyuan Yun’s eyes were wide and red, and Meng Fuyao felt troubled. ‘Why is this kid such a crybaby? Looking at his spoilt appearance, what did he come out for? And he still got entangled with Zongyue, that guy isn’t even human; if he ate you, even your bones wouldn’t be left.’

Thinking about this child’s surname, Meng Fuyao’s heart jolted as she asked, “Young Master’s surname Xuanyuan, are you of royal descent?”

“She is Xuanyuan’s regent king Xuanyuan Cheng’s daughter, her real name is Xuanyuan Yun,” A cool voice suddenly traveled over, and Meng Fuyao turned around to see a person who was purer than water standing under the summer sun. Despite being under the glare of such strong sunlight, he still looked as cool as ever, as though his entire being down to his core was cold as snow.

Xuanyuan Yun looked at him, and her mouth gaped open in surprise as she stammered, “Big Brother A-Yue…” Suddenly, she spotted Zong Yue’s gaze and immediately shut up.

Zong Yue stared at her, his expression unreadable; within his eyes seemed to hold the burning red of a sunset, the storminess of a hurricane and the whiteness of snow-capped mountain peaks. It held the melancholy of a traveler who had traveled much and was exhausted by his journey, and finally, everything melted into a snow-like coolness. He stared silently at Xuanyuan Yun before turning away and walking off without a sound.

Xuanyuan Yun stood there motionlessly, and Meng Fuyao pushed her hastily. “Still not following?”

The child jumped up and, glancing at her gratefully, hurriedly followed him without even bothering to pat the dust on her robes.

Meng Fuyao watched as their figures disappeared through the inner door and smiled slightly to herself. Zong Yue was finally moved by Xuanyuan Yun’s sincerity and opened up a little bit of his heart to see if that child could continue to touch his heart. Judging from that child’s steely determination despite her soft appearance, Zong Yue, whose bark was louder than his bite, would probably not be able to withstand her.

Meng Fuyao started giggling as she thought about that soft “Big Brother A-Yue…”, that way of addressing carried such a child-like innocence… what kind of past did it exactly hold for Zongyue?

…

It was the last round, the battle of the top five!

Just like during the match at the Golden Palace, when Meng Fuyao entered the palace, she saw Zhangsun Wuji and Zhan Nancheng chatting and laughing heartily together as though they were close brothers.

Upon seeing her enter, Zhangsun Wuji discreetly turned around, his gaze swiftly landing on her, his expression and feelings exceptionally mesmerizing.