Reign of the Phoenix

Chapter 34 – The Intelligent “Flash”
Without a choice, Murong Zhining unwillingly followed Chiyun Yuexuan into the room, only to see that there was only one bed. And lying on that very bed was Chiyun Yuexuan who was smiling smugly at her.

Murong Zhining ignored him and quietly sat down at the table. After about an incense stick of time, the server delivered in several dishes and two pairs of chopsticks. Murong Zhining was terribly hungry. She instantly grabbed a pair of chopsticks and began eating.

Chiyun Yuexuan sprang up from the bed, rushed to Murong Zhining, took the chopsticks from her hand, throwing them on the table before he took out a cloth bag from his chest. Pulling a silver needle out of the bag, he poked each dish several times, then stared intently at the needle for a while. “Mhm, you can eat now. The food is fine.”

Murong Zhining rolled her eyes at him detestfully. The two sat down at the table and ate their meals without a word. Chiyun Yuexuan wanted to find something to say, but unable to come up with a topic. He realized that he would get a little nervous whenever he was alone with Murong Zhining.

After dinner, Chiyun Yuexuan had the server fetch hot water into the bathtub behind the screen. Then, he left the room and stood at the door, saying in a sleazy manner, “I’m going to guard right outside, Princess can close the door and take a bath. If you want me to serve you in the bath, just let me know.”

Murong Zhining lowered her head, her face beet red as she quietly pulled the latch to lock the door.

Chiyun Yuexuan didn’t dare go too far and alertly walked back and forth outside the door, he couldn’t allow a single threat to Murong Zhining’s safety. Carrying a dagger on him, Chiyun Yuexuan was ready for any situation. After a while, there was no movement that came out from the room except for the small sound of water, and his taut nerves started to relax. He leaned on the railing to rest.

Once someone began to relax, they’d start to indulge in thoughts. Chiyun Yuexuan already started to visualize the image of Murong Zhining taking a bath: She leaned back against the wooden bathtub full of flower petals, surrounded by hazy water mist. A slender neck was revealed above the water and a pair of white hands gently rubbed back and forth the body hidden under. Shortly after, she slowly extended her beautiful white leg out of the surface and rest it on the edge of the tub, and those soft small hands began to caress up and down the jade-like leg.

Mesmerized by his own fantasy, Chiyun Yuexuan felt an urge to explore that lithe body hidden under the water. This thought suddenly jolted him awake. With a flushed face and a wildly throbbing heart, Chiyun Yuexuan inwardly scolded himself for being shameless. Right now in his mind, Murong Zhining was a sacred figure that mustn’t be disrespected.

After finishing her bath, Murong Zhining opened a small crack in the door. Chiyun Yuexuan understood. He pushed it open and entered the room, sneaking a glance at Murong Zhining whose hair was still dripping wet. He walked to behind the screen, where the bathtub of water she just used was still steaming and the air was filled with the unique girly scent that belonged only to Murong Zhining.

Her face red, Murong Zhining walked over. “I haven’t time to clean this up. Please wait a little, General. I’ll have Brother Server fetch you some hot water.”

Chiyun Yuexuan took off his clothes. “We still have half a tub of water here. I’ll wash with this. During military deployment, sometimes we don’t even get cold water, I’m already used to it.”

Murong Zhining froze stiff on the spot with a burning red face. Chiyun Yuexuan smiled suggestively. “What’s the matter? Does Princess want to wash one more time together with me?”

Murong Zhining shot him an exasperated glare and retreated outside the screen. “Your wound has not healed yet. General should be careful, don’t let it get wet.”

Chiyun Yuexuan’s heart felt warm, but he still deliberately teased her, “Ouch ouch ouch it hurts! I can’t see my back, did my wound open again? I think I still have to trouble Princess to help me wash.”

Murong Zhining simply ignored him. She walked to the bed and her head fell onto the pillow. While Chiyun Yuexuan was taking a bath, she wanted to use this time to lie down a little. A day on horseback had been truly too exhausting.

When Chiyun Yuexuan came out, Murong Zhining was already asleep with her back facing outward. Dressed in a set of light-yellow satin shirt and trousers, her figure looked exquisitely charming. Her long and soft hair was scattered between the pillows, compelling him to caress those silky strands. Only after standing there dumbstruck at the sight for a long while did Chiyun Yuexuan finally rid of the distracting thoughts. He walked quietly to the bed, gently pushing Murong Zhining further to the other side before he lay down beside her.

At night, Murong Zhining woke up in a hazy to find Chiyun Yuexuan’s body sticking to hers with one arm clasping her waist as he was sound asleep. Murong Zhining gave him a hard elbow on the chest. Chiyun Yuexuan half opened his sleepy charming eyes. “What’s wrong? Can’t you just sleep properly?”

Murong Zhining broke free from his arm and shifted further to the inside. “You go sleep on the floor.”

Chiyun Yuexuan wiggled over like a snake and continued to hug her waist. “I have the right to protect you by your side. Behave and quickly sleep, or else I’ll have to resort to some extreme measures, such as, binding you with a rope.”

Having experienced his ruthlessness, Murong Zhining fearfully curled up a little, helpless as she had no choice but to let him hold her and fell asleep again.

When waking up in the morning, Murong Zhining was stunned to see that she had unknowingly turned to face him, her head resting against his chest and one of her legs even lay across his body. Heaven only knew how she moved into this position during the night. Murong Zhining sneakily raised her head to check if Chiyun Yuexuan had woken up, only to be greeted by those charming eyes full of tenderness and smile as he also leaned over and gazed at her.

Murong Zhining instantly gave him a kick. Chiyun Yuexuan conveniently rolled to the side, his face full of grief. “Women are really unreasonable. It was obviously you who drilled yourself into my chest last night, why are you being mean to me now?”

The server knocked on the door to deliver their breakfast. Each nursing their own thoughts, the two ate their meals. Murong Zhining was blushing as she brooded over her sleeping posture when she woke up, while Chiyun Yuexuan had been secretly smiling to himself.

Finishing breakfast, Chiyun Yuexuan asked the server to prepare some dried food for the road. He then helped Murong Zhining stick the moustaches back on, laughing in amusement as he did so. Murong Zhining angrily gave him a shove. After that, the two left the inn to set off.

Chiyun Yuexuan put a thick and soft fur pad on the horse’s back and helped Murong Zhining to sit onto on one side, then agilely got on as well, looming over her in his embrace. Since Murong Zhining was riding side-saddle, the horse couldn’t move too fast. Chiyun Yuexuan didn’t want to hurry either. Just like that, the horse carried the two as it steadily trod along the main road. Murong Zhining secretly felt lucky for Chiyun Yuexuan’s thoughtfulness. Riding the horse in the position like yesterday for an entire day was truly unbearable for her body.

Chiyun Yuexuan pulled her to his chest. “It’s more comfortable if Princess leans on me like this. I’m used to carrying a hundred-jin halberd while riding. Compared to that, this is much more undemanding. You can lean on me and rest without worry.”

The black horse was neither fast nor slow as it trotted. Feeling a little tired, Murong Zhining soon fell asleep as she leaned on Chiyun Yuexuan’s chest. Chiyun Yuexuan tightly hugged her waist and gently rested his chin on her head.

At noon, Chiyun Yuexuan steered the horse into a small path branching from the main road. Arriving at a quiet paddy field, he carried Murong Zhining off the horse. While the steed leisurely treated itself to green grass, Chiyun Yuexuan gave Murong Zhining the water bag and some dried food. The two sat on the grass by the field and rested up.

Suddenly in the sky, a bird’s figure came into sight. Chiyun Yuexuan made a whistle and the bird flew toward him. When it neared, Murong Zhining finally could see clearly that it was a mail pigeon. The pigeon flapped its wings as it alighted around Chiyun Yuexuan, who grabbed it. He took off the small bamboo tube tied to its foot and took out the paper roll inside.

After he finished reading the note, Chiyun Yuexuan took out another small sheet of paper from his clothes to put into the tube. Tying it to the pigeon again, he then let it fly away and turned to look at Murong Zhining. “The message was from Officer Wu. Cai Sang and Luo Siyao are safe and sound under the protection of the guards, so Princess can be at ease. I have passed the news to Officer Wu that we are safe. He will have someone ride a fast horse to deliver this news to your imperial father.”

Murong Zhining nodded in relief. “When did you write the paper?”

Chiyun Yuexuan’s eyes followed the pigeon flying away. “When I was resting in Tuoba Zhi’s manor, but never found a chance to send it out.”

Murong Zhining found it hard to believe that this man in front of her used to be the savage and ruthless general that once tortured her body and trampled her dignity as he pleased. Thinking of this, Murong Zhining looked bitter. She hated that she had almost forgotten the pain despite the fact that the scar still remained. Chiyun Yuexuan keenly caught her emotional shift. His expression also sank, and the two sat there in a long silence.

Into the afternoon, the sunlight was perfectly gentle and warm. Chiyun Yuexuan lay down on the grass with a strand of grass in his mouth. He broke the silence, “Rest for a little more. After a while, there will be a big troop passing through the main road. I don’t know if they will pose a threat to your safety, so we must evade this team before we can set out again.”

Murong Zhining didn’t believe his judgement. “How does General know that there will be a big troop passing by?”

Chiyun Yuexuan didn’t respond, as if her question was an insult to his intelligence.

After an incense stick of time, clouds of dust were sent flying on the main road, accompanied by the mixed commotion of horse galloping and people’s noisy voices. Murong Zhining secretly admired Chiyun Yuexuan’s extraordinary observation and asked him, “General can discover a group of people from so far away? How did you do it? Could they be people sent by my imperial father to find me?”

Chiyun Yuexuan chewed the grass in his mouth. “That’s nothing. I can judge how the number of troops from ten lis away. Since we don’t know their details, I won’t let you take any risks. You must trust that I will definitely return you to your imperial parents safe and sound.”

Murong Zhining nodded.

After the group of mounted people went far away, Chiyun Yuexuan whistled and the black horse obediently ran to his side. Chiyun Yuexuan patted the horse’s head lovingly and tilted his head to glance smugly at Murong Zhining. “It’s called ‘Flash,’ and it only recognizes me. If I tell you that it can understand human language, you definitely won’t believe me.”

Murong Zhining pursed her lips. “Is General trying to trick a three-year-old kid or something?”

Chiyun Yuexuan patted Flash’s head. “Flash, somebody doesn’t believe that you can understand what I say. Can you?”

Flash huffed from its nostrils and bobbed its head, its hooves happily kicking the ground twice.

Chiyun Yuexuan blinked ostentatiously at Murong Zhining. The latter shook her head. “It doesn’t seem so hard to teach a horse to nod.”

Chiyun Yuexuan rolled his eyes. Starting to grow serious about this, he continued to pat Flash on the head asking, “Flash, is this little big sister next to me pretty?”

Flash shook its head left and right.

Chiyun Yuexuan playfully patted its head again. “My mistake. Is this young gentleman next to me handsome?”

Unexpectedly, Flash huffed and nodded.

Murong Zhining’s eyes went wide in surprise. She inched closer and stroked Flash’s body. The steed expressed its goodwill by turning and gently rubbing its head against her. Chiyun Yuexuan patted it. “Flash, this young gentleman likes wildflowers, you go pick him some.”

Hearing this, Flash really ran to the riverbank, nipped a wildflower in its mouth, then ran back and placed the flower at Murong Zhining’s feet.

Murong Zhining happily circled around Flash as if she was observing a rare, peerless treasure. When she spotted the characters “Chiyun” branded on its butt, however, the delight in her eyes slowly turned to mist. Knowing this reminded her of the painful memory, Chiyun Yuexuan hastily lifted her onto the horse and got on it as well, quietly holding her in his arms. But no matter what, she refused to lean on him again.

Just like that, the two sat quietly as the horse slowly traveled along the main road. Occasionally, the travelers and merchants passing by would glance them with an either surprised or complex look.