Chapter 179: Conspiracies And Ulterior Motives
Lilith was Qi Bei’s mother. How could the ghost possessing Dean Mo be so obsessed with her? Moreover, Dean Mo had mentioned that he hadn’t been involved with women for many years, and by many years, he meant thousands or even tens of thousands of years. But how long had Lilith been alive? She was only in her twenties when she died after giving birth to Qi Bei.
But his thoughts quickly returned. Having a deep impression of this name didn’t necessarily mean a romantic relationship. He had once said that he owed a favor to the Nord family, and it was likely related to Lilith’s favor.
Now that Lilith was dead and the ghost had also dissipated, there was no need to pursue it further.
By now, the sky was gradually brightening. Qi Bei and Dean Mo returned to the camp.
Shortly after, the exchange group from the Sunset Royal Academy began their journey. No one knew what had happened last night, and no one knew that Dean Mo was no longer the same as before.
After more than an hour, the magnificent walls of the Golden Leaf Imperial City came into view, with a wide official road leading directly to the city gate. On the official road, one could see a constant stream of merchant caravans and travelers coming and going.
“Golden Leaf Imperial City, I, Qi Bei, have returned!” Qi Bei stood on top of the carriage, looking at the city walls, clenching his fists with a sharp gaze.
When the exchange group from the Sunset Royal Academy entered the city gate, royal officials immediately rushed over to receive them.
The officials led the exchange group from the academy to a mansion belonging to the royal family. At a time when many people had nowhere to stay, they were fortunate enough to live in such a spacious and luxurious mansion. Being treated as honored guests of the Emperor was truly extraordinary.
“Dean Mo, you can rest here for now. I will go inform His Majesty,” the official politely said and quickly left.
Qi Bei had been to this mansion before. It was one of the royal properties managed by Prince Lando, a strong contender for the throne who held considerable weight in Emperor Han Mo’s heart.
Throughout the journey, most of the students in the exchange group had been roughing it out in the open, but now they finally each had comfortable rooms. They were all extremely excited to have such beautiful scenery to enjoy.
After Qi Bei settled down, he suddenly realized that Ye Longsha, who had come with him, had disappeared without a trace. Upon inquiring with the mansion’s guards, he learned that she had left to go shopping.
But Qi Bei knew that once Ye Longsha left, she probably wouldn’t come back.
“I was already on guard against you. It’s not so easy to escape from my grasp,” Qi Bei chuckled to himself. Ye Longsha had long been marked with the dragon mark, making it easy to track her down.
So he also left the mansion alone. By focusing his thoughts, he could sense a small red dot moving at a leisurely pace. Qi Bei put on his cloak and turned into the bustling fifth district of the imperial city.
At this moment, Qi Bei spotted Ye Longsha’s figure. However, she was dressed as a typical maid, and from the quality of her clothes, she seemed to be a servant from a wealthy family.
“What is this woman up to?” Qi Bei wondered, following her from a distance.
He noticed that Ye Longsha bought some things and then wandered through several streets. Then, she emerged from a small alley, and when Qi Bei followed, he was astonished to find that they had arrived at the First district of the imperial city.
At the end of the First district stood the palace, with various government offices on the left and the residences of powerful officials and nobles of the Golden Leaf Empire on the right. Suddenly, he saw Ye Longsha turning into an imposing mansion gate and entering after showing her waist token.
Qi Bei’s gaze sharpened, and he felt a sense of heaviness because above the gate were three large characters: Nord Family Manor.
“This Gothic woman actually entered my Nord Manor. Does she have ulterior motives, or…” Qi Bei’s gaze flickered. To avoid attracting attention, he walked straight past the Nord family mansion.
…
…
In the Marquis of Lanling’s residence, cries of pain mixed with discomfort could be heard from the inner courtyard. Based on the sound, it was none other than Kasef, the Marquis of Lanling himself. However, at times like this, all the servants and guards would be dismissed, so naturally, no one could hear the sound.
But at this moment, a cloaked figure appeared in the inner courtyard, clearly hearing the sound loud and clear. The newcomer was Qi Bei. He furrowed his brow and kicked open the door as he approached.
Inside, Kasef was hanging naked from the ceiling beam by iron chains, while a burly man whipped him with a red leather whip.
Damn, this is some heavy stuff! Turns out this guy not only enjoys the company of men but also has a severe masochistic tendency.
As soon as the intruder was spotted, the burly man let out a roar and swung the whip, imbued with battle qi, towards Qi Bei.
Qi Bei reached out and caught it, then gave his wrist a gentle flick, causing the burly man to scream and fly away.
“Boom!”
The iron chains binding Kasef shattered instantly. He put on his robe but did not make a move. After gazing at Qi Bei for a while, he suddenly walked up to the burly man, gave a heavy pat on his body, and the man’s eyes lost their light in disbelief.
“Master,” Kasef respectfully said.
“Lately, there have been upheavals in the capital, and my Nord family has become a target. I refuse to believe that there is no connection with Han Mo. Have you found anything?” Qi Bei asked calmly.
Feeling the killing intent in his words, Kasef trembled. If Qi Bei believed he was of no use anymore, then his death was imminent.
“Master, I have found something. Behind Han Mo, there is a mysterious force. Based on various clues, this force…” Kasef hesitated.
“Speak,” Qi Bei said coldly.
“Yes. This force has close ties with the Feng family,” Kasef said.
Qi Bei was taken aback, and his eyes suddenly emitted a chilling killing intent. With a single thought, Kasef fell to the ground in agony, screaming.
“Master, please… please stop… I’m not lying… If I tell a single lie, may the heavens strike me with thunder…” He screamed while swearing an oath.
Qi Bei stopped torturing Kasef. He couldn’t accept the idea that the Feng family had a connection with the force behind Han Mo. Did that mean the Feng family was secretly working against the Nord family and helping the royal family?
What about the engagement between Feng Ruoyu and his elder brother Huai’an? Was it a ploy, a deception, or something else?
However, the Feng family was also a prominent clan with common interests with the Nord family. If they were cooperating with the royal family, wouldn’t that be like seeking a tiger’s skin?
“What about that girl, Ruoyu? Was she involved?” Qi Bei suddenly felt a pang of pain in his heart.
…
…
Qi Bei returned to the estate and found that the students from the exchange group had gathered together, excitedly conversing with a young man dressed in luxurious attire.
“Lando…” Qi Bei immediately recognized the identity of this young man. Wasn’t he the Fourth Prince, Lando?
Lando humorously and wittily interacted with the students, often saying something that would make everyone laugh. He was handsome and charming, and some female students had hearts floating above their heads with the words “I admire you greatly.”
However, Lando’s gaze lingered more on Feng Ruoyu, who seemed distracted on the side. He couldn’t recognize the little girl who used to be a brat but now had blossomed into a breathtakingly beautiful young woman, both in appearance and temperament.
Naturally, Lando’s possessiveness began to rise. He wanted this young girl to become his woman. However, despite his best efforts to entertain her, she was completely absent-minded.
“Tonight, I, the Fourth Prince, will hold a banquet in the estate to welcome all of you. The outstanding young talents of the capital will also be present,” Lando smiled and said.
Immediately, the students cheered. Being able to socialize with the top aristocratic youths of the Golden Leaf Empire was naturally extremely exciting for them.
“To this beautiful lady, would you do me the honor of being my dance partner?” Lando elegantly addressed Feng Ruoyu, causing some female students to turn red with jealousy. How they wished they were the ones being invited.
Feng Ruoyu looked up and glanced around for a moment. When she saw Qi Bei walking towards them, she suddenly pointed at him and said, “I’m sorry, Your Highness, the Fourth Prince, but I already have a dance partner.”
Lando followed Feng Ruoyu’s gaze and couldn’t help but be stunned for a moment. This ordinary, even one could say sleazy-looking guy was the dance partner chosen by this ethereally beautiful young woman? There was no need to say more; he knew she was using him as a shield.
“Would you be her dance partner, fellow student?” Lando turned to Qi Bei, and his gaze suddenly turned fierce. Although his tone was gentle, his eyes were clearly threatening Qi Bei, but it was only visible to him and not others.
Qi Bei’s gaze flickered, and he stammered, “Fourth Prince, can you not look at me with such fierce eyes? It’s making me scared.”
Lando suddenly had the impulse to tear this guy’s mouth apart. Damn it, this prince scared him and threatened him, but he’s afraid now that he said it out loud in front of everyone? Isn’t he just slapping himself in the face?
“Haha, this fellow student really knows how to joke. Then let me ask you again, will you be this lady’s dance partner?” Lando shrugged and asked with a smile.
Qi Bei knew very well that Feng Ruoyu was using him as a shield, but he didn’t mind being the shield. He was willing to give Lando a slap in the face.
“I won’t be…” Qi Bei began to speak.
Feng Ruoyu widened her eyes, while Lando’s smile appeared. Just as he was about to speak, Qi Bei interrupted, “I won’t be who?”
He walked up to Feng Ruoyu, extended his hand, and embraced her slender waist.
Feng Ruoyu raised her little hand and fiercely pinched Qi Bei’s waist with a self-taught two-finger Zen gesture, but he didn’t flinch.
“Well then, since that’s the case, I won’t force it,” Lando smiled, turned around, and walked away. However, as soon as he turned, his radiant smile suddenly turned dark.
Feng Ruoyu trembled with anger, and Qi Bei released his grip on her waist.
At this moment, the students scattered as Lando left and began preparing for the banquet.
“You offended the Fourth Prince, this smiling tiger. Be careful, he might retaliate against you,” Feng Ruoyu warned, feeling somewhat regretful for involving this dead rogue. Although she had wanted to kill him before, her resentment had faded after experiencing that dream. She wasn’t afraid of the Fourth Prince because of her identity as the legitimate daughter of the Feng family, but this rogue had no protection based on his identity. Lando could easily come up with some tricks that would leave him with no place to bury his body.
“This is all because you set the fire on me. If I die at his hands, you’ll be fully responsible,” Qi Bei pouted.
“Fine. Since it’s my fault, I’ll ensure your safety,” Feng Ruoyu said. When the time comes, she would tell Lando that this guy was a member of the Feng family who was sent to the academy to protect her. As a member of the Feng family, Lando couldn’t just kill him at will.
Watching Feng Ruoyu walk away, Qi Bei’s gaze hardened. This girl, she probably doesn’t know, right?
However, why did the Feng family place her in the Sunset Royal Academy? What deeper intentions did they have?
At this moment, Huo Siqin watched Qi Bei’s figure from afar and the more she looked, the more she felt that he resembled the bearded man.
A sudden impulse surged in Huo Siqin’s heart. She wasn’t crazy. Even if his appearance was completely different, some gestures and subtle movements were astonishingly similar to those of that person.
“Ah…!” She suddenly screamed in pain as the magical energy in her body became chaotic.
“Huo Siqin, what’s wrong with you?” Qi Bei was taken aback and ran over in a nervous manner.
“Pu.” Just then, Huo Siqin suddenly spurted out a mouthful of blood, appearing extremely weak.
“What happened?” Qi Bei asked, while gently channeling his internal energy into Huo Siqin’s body.
“There’s something wrong with the soul book you gave me,” Huo Siqin said.
“How could that be? That soul book is…” Qi Bei started to speak but suddenly realized, immediately closing his mouth and staring at Huo Siqin. Seeing her excited expression, he couldn’t help but shake his head helplessly.
“Did you do it on purpose?” Qi Bei asked.
“Mhm,” Huo Siqin nodded, with a face full of happiness like a little woman.
“When did you start suspecting?” Qi Bei asked.
“It’s been a while. Your mannerisms and tone are too much like his, no, you are him,” Huo Siqin leaned against Qi Bei’s chest, her jade-like arms embracing him.
Qi Bei tried to wipe the bloodstain from the corner of Huo Siqin’s mouth and smiled bitterly, “Siqin, maybe in a few days, I’ll look different again.”
“I… I just want to know that it’s you, even if it’s just for one day, no, even just for an hour,” Huo Siqin gazed at Qi Bei with affection, already transforming this simple face into the rough face she had in her impression.
Qi Bei lifted her up, his figure flickered, and they entered the room.
Huo Siqin buried her pretty face in Qi Bei’s embrace. Yes, it’s this faint musky scent. Why didn’t she notice it earlier?
At this moment, Xiao Zi popped out from Qi Bei’s chest, chirping, its round eyes fixed on Huo Siqin.
“Go away, can’t you mind your own business? Can’t you see we’re having a romantic moment?” Qi Bei said.
Xiao Zi flapped its wings and gestured on its face, chirping. Master, aren’t you shy? Embracing a woman in broad daylight. Of course, it quickly flew away, otherwise its owner might pluck all its feathers later.
“I had a dream, as if I dreamt of your true appearance and knew your name, but when I woke up, it seemed like I forgot everything,” Huo Siqin said.
Of course, you forgot. If you didn’t forget, you would die. Qi Bei thought in his heart, involuntarily remembering Dean Mo. The previous Dean Mo, a ghost that had survived for so long, did it vanish in an instant like that?
“You will know in the future, definitely,” Qi Bei caressed her smooth and delicate face.