In his lifetime, Zhao Rucheng had encountered many women.
He needed to do nothing at all, just a glance was enough to easily capture their hearts.
He didn’t even need a glance; simply removing his mask was enough for women to flock to him like moths to a flame.
He had never truly given his heart.
In this world, nothing was eternal.
From an individual to a nation, grudges and entanglements, evolving from affection to love, none were exempt.
He only wished to live his life in a state of pleasant intoxication.
Not so drunk as to be dead to the world, nor so clear-headed as to see everything too plainly.
Too dead drunk, and no one in this world would ever remember those things, those people, that past…
Seeing things too plainly… how could he possibly go on living?
Human strength had its limits, and the more intelligent one was, the clearer one saw the truth of the world, and thus, the more pessimistic one became.
In a small city, with a few friends, the most successful among them would at best become the city lord. Perhaps serving in the Department of Criminal Investigation, or teaching at a Daoist Academy, or in the City Guard…
If there was any trouble, he would quietly resolve it.
With wealth he could never exhaust in this small city, maintaining a cultivation level that was neither high nor low, drinking flower wine, killing mountain bandits.
Occasionally acting high-handedly, sometimes also “upholding justice and aiding the weak.”
Living a life like this, sharing peace and joy with these people.
This was what he thought, and this was what he did.
But, someone disagreed.
Some people… damn it, they wouldn’t even agree to this!
Zhao Rucheng’s incomparably handsome face was hidden beneath the bronze mask.
His mood was concealed in those peach blossom-like, beautiful eyes.
These were eyes full of amorous feeling.
Although he harbored no surplus emotions.
At this moment, he looked at Helian Yunyun.
Looking at Helian Yunyun’s smile.
He had met many women, and he would meet many more.
But perhaps there would never again be such a smile. One that left such a deep impression on him.
Perhaps it was simply because, tonight, he was…
Too vulnerable!
“Is it possible?” Zhao Rucheng asked.
Rarely, he looked at Helian Yunyun seriously: “I mean, Jing Ge is the son of Jin Tanduo, the Lord of the Iron Cavalry. Yuwen Duo helping me is a competition between them. If you step in, won’t it destabilize the Iron Cavalry?”
Helian Yunyun smiled back at him, her eyes of pale green seemingly piercing the thick bronze mask: “You look really good when you’re serious, ah, I mean… you have a lot of substance!”
Zhao Rucheng: …
“That…” Yuwen Duo walked out of the tent: “Actually, this matter…”
Helian Yunyun glanced at him lightly.
“You two can discuss this matter slowly.” Yuwen Duo swallowed his words, wearing a simple, honest smile: “I’m quite busy, I’ll be leaving first.”
He walked with wind in his steps, and as his voice faded, he was gone.
Only then did Helian Yunyun look at Zhao Rucheng with a smile and ask again, “Are you concerned about me?”
Zhao Rucheng was skilled at dealing with such situations, so he wasn’t flustered.
But he wasn’t in the mood to go along with it either.
He only said pointedly, “I’m just afraid you’re too naive and think of some things too simply. Although your status is noble, you can’t just help with any matter. You may not have as much freedom as Yuwen Duo.”
Helian Yunyun blinked her smiling eyes: “From now on, in my eyes, you are even more adorable.”
With her hands behind her back, she leaned forward to look at Zhao Rucheng: “There are some things that I can’t tell you yet. But what I can tell you is that the decision to replace Jing Ge in the Yellow River Meet will not affect my Helian clan in the slightest. Of course, the premise is that you are truly stronger than Jing Ge.”
Zhao Rucheng gave her a deep look, and then said: “I think my confidence is just as great as yours.”
Helian Yunyun said: “Then there’s no time like the present…”
Having fought in the border wilderness for so long, Zhao Rucheng had no fear of combat. He was already prepared to fight Jing Ge, and took a step outward.
“Let’s get engaged today!”
Zhao Rucheng almost stumbled.
Helian Yunyun covered her mouth and chuckled: “Just kidding with you.”
Zhao Rucheng breathed a sigh of relief and continued to walk out.
Helian Yunyun walked a few steps to his side and then said: “As the dignified princess of the Great Mu Empire, I naturally cannot get engaged so hastily. At least you have to herd ten thousand cattle, ten thousand sheep, carry ten thousand bolts of cloth, invite a few heroes to accompany you, and come to welcome me in grand style, right?”
Zhao Rucheng: …
He now just wanted to go and fight Jing Ge.
“Alright, alright…” Helian Yunyun beckoned like coaxing a child: “Come on, this princess will take you to find Jing Ge.”
In the July river breeze of the Guanhe Terrace, the two walked side by side.
After the interruption tonight, the two seemed to have become a little more familiar – before, it had always been Helian Yunyun’s unilateral self-familiarity.
Zhao Rucheng had always buried his emotions deep, and worked hard to appear normal.
Tonight was no exception.
He casually asked: “By the way, why did you come here today?”
Helian Yunyun smiled and said: “I had something to find Yuwen Duo for.”
Of course, she wouldn’t say that she had heard Zhao Rucheng came to find Yuwen Duo to drink flower wine, and had specially come to “catch him in the act.”
Zhao Rucheng said: “Then…”
“It’s fine now!” Helian Yunyun was obviously in a good mood, her voice cheerful, like silver bells shaking in the wind.
It was almost explicitly saying – “The only thing I needed Yuwen Duo for is you.”
“I have a question.” Zhao Rucheng quickly skipped this topic and asked: “Your Highness Yun, with your noble status, don’t you have anything busy to do every day?”
“Of course I finished my business before coming to find you!” Helian Yunyun said proudly: “Don’t worry! I, Helian Yunyun, have great ambitions, and am not someone who is infatuated with beauty.”
Zhao Rucheng looked…
She indeed looked like she had grand ambitions.
“Let’s talk about Jing Ge again.” Zhao Rucheng said.
“Okay!” Helian Yunyun was very cooperative.
“What kind of person is he?”
“He looks much worse than you!”
“…How about we talk about something I don’t know?”
“Then let’s talk about Cang Ming?”
Cang Ming, the Human Realm Emissary, was indeed a legendary and mysterious figure.
As the top prodigy in the Mu Kingdom under the age of thirty. Zhao Rucheng had been mixed in with the Mu Kingdom’s team for so long, yet had never once seen the person himself.
He had merely changed the topic casually and had no intention of prying for information about Jing Ge. He intended to win this spot through sheer strength, so that he wouldn’t owe Helian Yunyun too much.
Therefore, he said: “Okay.”
Helian Yunyun immediately said: “He looks a bit stronger than Jing Ge, but not as handsome as you.”
Zhao Rucheng felt a bit of a headache: “Your Highness Yun, could you be more specific?”
Helian Yunyun thought for a moment and said: “Cang Ming probably looks eleven Yuwen Duos stronger than Jing Ge, but is thirty-one to thirty-three Yuwen Duos less handsome than you.”
That was indeed very specific…
There was even a margin of error!
Zhao Rucheng was somewhat dumbfounded.
But…
He followed Helian Yunyun, walking forward in the night.
He gently placed a hand on his chest.
The sadness in his heart seemed to have eased a little.