Chapter 184 – The Sacred Fire Palace’s Fifth Rank Elder, Blood Gold, Slipping Quietly into Northriver - Part 1
Night fell.
At dusk, the gates of Spring Breeze were thrown open.
The residents rushed out but didn’t stray far; instead, they waited just outside. The guards who had surrounded the township now formed a tight cordon around them, a test to see if any filth would prove contagious or if another incident might occur that night.
“I want to see Yan Mu! Move aside! Out of my way!”
The shrill voice belonged to a young woman, Zhu Qiao’er.
Many of the township residents turned their heads at the sound of her commotion, surprised by her boldness. The guards, seeing how brazen she was, didn’t bother to stop her and went instead to report the situation.
Just then, Fang Jianlong felt as though a sweet cake had suddenly fallen from the sky and landed in his lap. He looked at the domineering Zhu Qiao’er, feeling a swirl of complicated emotions. The two of them had secretly pledged themselves to each other in that hidden room, and he couldn’t help wondering if he’d lucked into something incredible. Zhu Qiao’er’s father was likely no ordinary disciple of the Sacred Fire Palace.
It had never crossed his mind that fortune might favor him like this. Now, it felt like everything was changing before his eyes. At the same time, Zhu Qiao’er was entirely focused on the man she cared about. She wanted to stand out so that her beloved could see who she truly was and never leave her side again—even if she herself, lacking the ability to practice martial arts, was only an ordinary person with a powerful father.
Before long, the guards parted, and a large, coal-black stallion trotted into view. Yan Mu sat astride it. He looked refined but carried a certain imposing air, nothing like the man who’d once stumbled upon Li Yuan in dire straits. The horse’s hooves clattered as it drew near. Yan Mu glanced at Zhu Qiao’er, momentarily taken aback. Then he dismounted.
“Miss Zhu, what are you doing here?” he asked.
“I was just out for a stroll after leaving my family’s tavern,” Zhu Qiao’er said with a slight bow, “but then everything went wrong.”
Yan Mu responded, “It’s dangerous here. Stay by my side.”