The gentlemen gathered around the window and squinted at the clear sea that was glowing with white light.
Xu Xian took Xiaoqing's hand and made way for them.
The sea was calm, and the light was like a mirror.
Their field of vision was wide, but they couldn't see the shadow of a ship!
"Where, where is the ship?"
"Don't tell me you're just talking nonsense?"
Jin Wancheng was naturally the most impatient of these people. He took out the brass monocular from his bosom and looked towards the sea.
He searched back and forth on the sea and finally saw a white sail rising from the end of the sea.
He put down the monocular and squinted his eyes. All he saw was a vast expanse of white sea. He hurriedly picked up the monocular and looked again. The white sail had already become several. On the horizon, two ships were moving side by side, growing larger and larger.
Even with his calmness, he couldn't help but shout, "It's a ship, it's a ship!" Yes, it was the Kim family's ship.
Everyone looked at the monocular in Kim Man-sung's hand and saw the shadow of the ship. They could vaguely see the sailor on the mast waving his arms. The white sail stirred the sea breeze and quickly moved towards the coast. Gradually, they could see it with the naked eye.
Someone upstairs couldn't help but shout to the people downstairs, "It's back!
It's back! "
The response was a wave of exclamations and cheers. The last hesitation disappeared without a trace when the ship appeared.
Kim Man-sung's face was full of joy. He turned around and wanted to thank Xu Xian, but after looking around the crowd, he couldn't find Xu Xian.
"Where's Master Xu?"
A servant hurriedly replied, "Just now, Young Master Xu brought that young lady downstairs."
Kim Man-sung quickly returned to the window and looked at the crowd downstairs. He saw a white shadow and a green shadow, separating the crowd and heading into the distance.
He hurriedly raised the Thousand Li Mirror to take a look, and just happened to see Xu Xian pulling Little Qing with one hand, turning her head and smiling at him. When he looked again carefully, she had already disappeared into the crowd, disappearing without a trace.
The great ship docked, the traveler returning home. Chests of precious goods from the other side were transported off the ship and loaded onto carriages.
All the aristocrats who had invested in the shares were grinning from ear to ear. This kind of business was far more than just a small capital with great profits.
Along the coast, gongs and drums could be heard. Everyone was overjoyed, and a banquet was held.
Naturally, the captain had contributed greatly to this harvest. Kim Man-sung personally received him off the ship. Holding his hand, he inquired about his well-being. Suddenly, he asked, "What took you so long?" Although it was a question of reproach, there was not the slightest hint of reproach on his face.
The captain blushed with shame and said, "On the way back, I got lost in a thick fog in the Eastern Sea and almost couldn't make it back. I failed Sir Jin's great trust. It was all thanks to Xu … Lord Xu's help that I was able to return safely."
Kim Man-sung said in surprise, "Lord Xu?
Which Lord Xu? "
The captain said, "It's Xu Xian, Prince Xu!"
Kim Man-sung quickly asked, "Where did he save you? How did he save you?"
The captain recounted what had happened. "What's wrong?"
Kim Man-sung said, "Xu Xian returned yesterday!"
The captain cried out, "Ah?
How is that possible? "
Then he smiled bitterly and said, "But we got lost in that thick fog. The scene before us seemed real and illusory at the same time. I still can't tell if it's real or not. Maybe … maybe I saw wrongly!"
Saw wrongly?
Kim Man-sung didn't think so. Based on how Xu Xian could be so confident that the ship would return, it probably wasn't just a mistake. However, he couldn't understand how Xu Xian could travel thousands of miles on the sea. But now wasn't the time to think about this. He smiled and patted the captain's shoulder. "No matter what, it's good that you're back!
Come and drink with me! "
The captain smiled and said, "Yes!"
All the aristocrats were surprised that Xu Xian wasn't present at the banquet. Kim Man-sung casually made up an excuse to gloss over this matter.
At this moment, Xu Xian had already returned to the mountains. Compared to drinking with a group of old men in a restaurant, he preferred to accompany a beauty and roam freely in the woods.
The banquet didn't end until dusk.
In the Kim family's mansion in Jinling, countless accountants were quickly calculating the profits of this trip.
Kim Man-sung sent off the last group of guests and led the members of the families to worship heaven and earth and their ancestors, thanking them for blessing the Kim family through this disaster.
Then, Kim Man-sung announced in front of the ancestral hall, "I want to give ten percent of the profits to Xu Xian!"
This caused an uproar in the crowd. "Ten percent?"
This was not a random number, but real money that could be piled up into a mountain.
If there were people who could accept this before the voyage, then who could let go of the countless money that had entered their pockets now? Some people already felt that the dividends that had been promised to Xu Xian were too much. At this time, they felt that it was painful, causing a lot of opposition.
Kim Sung-ho's face was sober. He quickly went forward to persuade his father, "Father, isn't it a little too much?
Although the skills that Xu Xian gave us had a lot of profits, this time he has received a hundred times or even a thousand times more. "
Seeing this scene, Kim Man-sung snorted coldly and said, "Shut up, all of you. I'm not here to ask for your opinions!" The hall immediately quieted down. No one could object to the opinion of this head of the family.
Kim Man-sung nodded with satisfaction and said to Kim Sung-gye, "Jie 'er, I'll leave this matter to you!" Others felt that it was too much, but he felt that it was too little. He was afraid that it wouldn't be able to move Xu Xian.
In the quiet of the night, in the deep valley of the spring forest.
A dazzling light accompanied by a faint sound woke up a few forest birds in the darkness.
When the light disappeared, Xu Xian took out a crystal clear Yellow Millet Wine from a jade bottle and sent it to Xiaoqian's mouth. This was his plan. The spiritual power consumed in the tribulation would be replenished with the Yellow Millet Wine. After that, he would let her have a good dream in his arms. It wouldn't take long for her to begin the tribulation.
Xiaoqian's face was full of weakness. She opened her mouth and put the Yellow Millet Wine into her mouth, along with Xu Xian's index finger. She gently bit and slowly licked and kissed it. A pair of limpid autumn eyes looked at Xu Xian. A few long strands of hair fell down. On her beautiful face, which had always appeared quiet, there was a trace of lasciviousness that had yet to dissipate. Her flattering expression was mixed with a little shyness.
Xu Xian felt the barely suppressed heat in his lower abdomen rise violently. He quickly pulled out his finger and smiled bitterly. "Great aunt, I can't stand it if you do this again."
Xiaoqian bit her lip and smiled. "What does husband want from Xiaoqian?"
Xu Xian touched her thin cheek. "That's good. Sleep for a while!"
"No, Xiaoqian wants to look at husband!"
Xiao Qian stretched out her slender arms and wrapped them around Xu Xian's neck. She leaned her head on his shoulder and tried her best to open her large eyes. She looked at Xu Xian seriously, but a layer of bewilderment gradually appeared in her eyes. After blinking a few times, she finally closed them slowly.
Just like that, Xu Xian brought a few beauties to roam the forest during the day, and at night, he and Xiao Qian would fly together.
A few days later, thunder broke out in the mountains. Although it was not as powerful as the time when Xu Xian came, it was more powerful than the Heaven's Test that Xiaoqing faced.
Xiaoqian had experienced many thunder tests and had a certain endurance.
In order to maximize the effect of the Heaven's Test, Xu Xian deliberately released his own Spiritual Power to attract more thunder, which could also make up for most of the thunder tests that had been consumed these days.
Although she suffered a lot from the thunder, she was protected by Xu Xian. Naturally, she was scared but not hurt. She held on until the clouds dissipated.
Xiaoqian closed her eyes. She felt that her spirit body had completely got rid of the spirit ghost body and become an immortal spirit body. She was no longer bound by ghost cultivation.
She tried to feel the Spiritual Power of heaven and earth, as if it was integrated with her body.
She, the Old Witch of Black Mountain, now really had the power to shock other demons.
She could also try to continue to expand her territory and expand her influence. As the Mountain God, the more mountains she controlled, the more Spiritual Power she could use.
Although she would be bound by all kinds of restrictions, in her own territory, the power she exerted was far better than that of ordinary cultivators.
"Thank you, husband!"
Xu Xian let Xiaoqian take a Yellow Millet Wine again, so that she could quickly recover her strength.
Looking at the bottle again, more than half of the Yellow Millet Wine had been consumed, so she had to cherish it.
Xiaoqian was overjoyed, but there was also worry on her face. In this way, Xu Xian would have to leave Phoenix Mountain again.
Xu Xian saw her worry, "I will stay for a few more days."
Xiaoqian said, "If you have something to do, you should go to the capital as soon as possible. The earlier you go, the earlier you can come back!
But don't be in a hurry. You might as well wait for today and set off tomorrow!
Tonight, tonight … "Looking around, her cheeks blushed.
Seeing her cute look, Xu Xian teased, "Little girl, haven't you eaten enough?"
Xiaoqian said, "I'm worried that you haven't eaten enough, and you have neglected sister Yan 'er these days!" Saying this, she lowered her head.
Xu Xian immediately understood what she meant. He felt a little thirsty, licking his lips, "You mean …"
The only time he had that experience was a few days ago, when he was in the mood for the Yellow Millet Wine. In addition, Xiaoqian and Yun Yan knew that he was going to leave soon, so they couldn't bear to reject him, so he had a good time.
But at that time, even Yun Yan, who always flattered him, was very shy and didn't dare to take the initiative.
Xiaoqian was even more unbearable. She wished she could close her eyes from beginning to end, so that Xu Xian couldn't bear to bully her. After fooling around for a while, she went to sleep.
Now that Xiaoqian took the initiative to volunteer, he was quite surprised.
Xiaoqian softly said, "En." These days, she had received a lot of tenderness from him, and she wished she could give her heart to him.
In ancient times, there was a man who made a fire to make fun of the nobles to make a beauty smile, and she was willing to go through a mountain of knives and a sea of fire to make him smile.
Now, even the most basic thing could not make him happy. He felt that he did not fulfill his duty as a wife, so he didn't care about his face anymore.
Xu Xian couldn't help but look forward to it, and said with a smile, "Then I'll wait for Qian 'er's performance!
Let's go, the banquet to celebrate you passing the heavenly tribulation is probably ready. "He laughed, carried her, and flew to the main peak of Phoenix Mountain.
※ ※ ※
At this moment, in the capital thousands of miles away, a grand royal wedding was about to begin.
Yongan Palace was filled with joyful palace maids shuttling back and forth. All kinds of utensils, dowry, and etiquette were ready for the wedding.
When the princess got married, the palace maids had to accompany her. It was unknown how many palace maids had been looking forward to one day being able to leave this cold and quiet palace.
Many palace maids gathered together and whispered when no one was around, quietly discussing one of the protagonists of this wedding ceremony, the legendary and incomparably handsome Zhuangyuan, Pan Yu, who was born in a noble family.
"Sister, is that prince consort really as good-looking as you say?"
"He's not just good-looking, he's simply the world's most handsome man, and he's skilled in both literature and martial arts, brimming with talent.
Little girl, don't tell me you've fallen in love with him? "
"Don't be a thief crying thief, I think it's sister who has fallen in love!"
Occasionally, there would be a burst of bashful laughter. Which girl didn't dream of such a prince charming?
In this era, there were not many strict requirements for a prince consort. Although he could only have one main wife, the princess, and could not have other secondary wives, it was still within the scope of permission to keep concubines.
Perhaps these palace maids would be able to enjoy the moonlight first in a favorable position. In addition, the princess was sickly, so they would most likely have to share some of the responsibilities.
Everyone seemed to be happy, but the other main character of this wedding, at this moment, did not feel the slightest bit of joy in her heart.
After being nursed by Xu Xian, Princess Rou Jia's body had already recovered a lot, and she was no longer as weak as before. However, at this moment, she wished that she could fall sick so that the wedding would be canceled.
She did not know why she was thinking this, but she felt empty in her heart, as if something was missing.
The closer the wedding day approached, the more uneasy she became.
Thus, she became even more focused and sped up. Using her nimble fingers, she folded the square piece of paper in her hand into an exquisite paper crane. Looking at the completed paper crane in her hand, her heart felt a little more at ease.
And beside her, there was a colorful pile of paper cranes piled up like a small mountain.
From time to time, palace maids walked by and looked at this scene strangely. Some of them tried to step forward, wanting to help her with this task that was not difficult for her, but she would always shake her head and refuse. The speed at which she folded the paper cranes did not slow down at all.
The palace maids tactfully retreated, and with all sorts of expectations for the next day, they continued their work or chatted.
No one cared about her feelings!
When the palace lanterns were first lit, she folded a blue paper crane and carefully counted all of the paper cranes. Finally, she revealed a tender and timid smile.
As long as this was the case, her wish would definitely come true!
Although she did not really understand, what exactly was that wish?
It was a thought that was buried in the bottom of her heart, a thought that she always wanted to think about, but did not dare to think about.
She put all of the paper cranes into the wooden box, and quietly avoided the palace maids who did not pay much attention to her. With some difficulty, she carried the wooden box and climbed to the highest point of the palace alone.
Looking out from here, the afterglow of dusk had not completely dissipated. The beautiful rays of the sunset danced on the bright yellow glazed tiles. No matter what time it was, this palace always glowed with a beautiful and solemn scenery.
Her figure in this huge palace was only a small dot.
She nervously opened the wooden box, and there were many paper cranes lying peacefully inside. She raised the wooden box high, as if holding the fire of hope.
Just as she was about to let the paper cranes fly, she hesitated for a moment, and suddenly remembered what he had said in her ear.
Her wish would definitely come true!
With the courage that suddenly broke into the small chest, she poured the wooden box out of the city!
But she instantly closed her eyes, clenched her fists, full of sweat, and had only one thought in her mind.
"Fly!"
She quietly opened her eyes, and the multicolored paper cranes fluttered in the night wind, but before she could show a happy smile.
The wind blew, and the paper cranes fell down!
Like dusk falling into the night, the glorious colors slowly dimmed.
Her figure also fell into this darkness.
She tried to stand on her tiptoes, and opened her eyes wide to look down.
I beg you!
But the paper cranes did not fly …
Her wish would not come true …
She slowly straightened her body, and sat against the wall. She flattened her small mouth, sniffled, and tried to blink her eyes a few times.
But she was also unwilling to listen to her wish. A layer of mist covered her eyes, and her nose became more and more sore. Finally, she hugged her knees and began to sob.
When the palace maids finally discovered that she had disappeared, she had also returned to the palace.
She was lying on the large bed, a bit disproportionate to her small body.
Light muslin curtains hung down to surround the large bed. She was in it, as if she was on a small boat, but she didn't know where she would float to in the next moment.
The summer night was a bit hot, but it was a good thing that the layers of the walls were filled with ice, bringing with it a slight coolness that dispelled the summer heat.
She was covered with a thin blanket, and her eyes were wide open, staring blankly upwards.
Long eyelashes, large eyes, snow-white skin, and curly hair — she was like a doll!
The night gradually deepened, and most of the copper sparrow palace lanterns had been blown out, leaving behind only a few that gave off a dim yellow glow.
The maid by the bed couldn't help but quietly sleep. Sleep peacefully. Even if she was discovered, she wouldn't blame her. Besides, she didn't need to be watched day and night. Wait until tomorrow, wait until tomorrow, everything would be different.
Tomorrow?
She blinked her eyes and regained some vitality. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she slowly pulled off the brocade blanket on her body, exposing her snow-white and slender body to the air.
She shivered and shrank her body. Threads of coldness slowly wrapped around her, causing her weak body to tremble and become colder.
She shrank her body and closed her eyes. Another tear seeped out of the corner of her eye, but she stubbornly refused to cover herself with the blanket.
Outside the palace, the moonlight was like frost, the stars hung low, and the night grew darker.
That coldness grew thicker and thicker, gradually becoming warm and blazing!
Her snow-white body was dyed with a layer of red light, which was especially dazzling.
Her consciousness became more and more hazy, but she could still vaguely remember her thoughts.
As long as it was like this, tomorrow would not come!
As long as she was sick again, he would come to see her again …
On the day of the wedding, in the Kunyuan Palace.
The empress sat in front of the mirror. With the help of several maids, she inserted her golden phoenix hairpin and put on a gorgeous dress.
Suddenly, a palace maid hurriedly walked in and knelt outside the curtain. "Your Highness, quickly go and take a look. The princess is sick!"
"Sick?" The empress tidied her hair in front of the bronze mirror. "How is she sick?
She's not pretending to be sick, is she?
The time has been set, and the nobles and ministers have been invited. Let her hold on for a while! "
"No … No, Your Highness, the princess's body is hot and cold, and now … now she's unconscious!"