Upon hearing his acceptance, Wu Jian picked up Ye Qingfu in a horizontal embrace and let her rest her head on his shoulder. He glanced at the little maid, gesturing for her to follow, and slowly walked in the direction of the Pu Hua Temple.
The guards of the Yong Mansion followed their master back home when they saw that their young master and young mistress were safe and sound. As night fell, the bow-shaped moon was covered by dark clouds, making the entire Eternal Prefecture seem gloomy.
Inside the Phoenix Tower of the Yong Mansion, Wu Jian was listening carefully to the words of the leader of the Eternal Imperial Guard, Wu Qing:
"Young Master, this token belongs to the Blood Lotus Sect. The color of the lotus on the token represents the holder's rank in the sect."
"The Blood Lotus Sect is the controller of the Killer Tower. The Killer Tower relies on the trade of assassination to gather wealth. They even take on missions to assassinate royal families of various countries, and their disciples are spread across the four countries, making their power very strong."
"The sect has a strict rank system, from low to high: White Lotus, Green Lotus, Purple Lotus, Red Lotus, Blood Lotus. The lotus pattern on this token is red, which means that the holder is a Red Lotus official and has the power of life and death in the sect."
"Legend has it that there are thirty-two Purple Lotuses, all of whom are at least at the level of the Precelestial stage, and there are even some who are at the level of the Grand Perfection of the Precelestial stage. The officials above the Purple Lotus are called Executives, Red Lotus's all of whom are Grandmasters, and some even say that the Blood Lotus Sect Master, Blood Lotus, is a Grandmaster of the Absolute Peak. However, no one has ever seen the Sect Master."
After hearing Wu Qing's intelligence, Wu Jian had to admit that the Blood Lotus Sect was indeed powerful and terrifying, and he was lucky to have escaped. However, why did the Blood Lotus Sect want to assassinate him? Was it the will of the Sect Master, or was someone paying for his life?
And why did the Seven-Star Ancient Arrow, a deadly weapon lost by the Nameless Sword Villa ten years ago, fall into the hands of this sect?
.....
Inside the Kill Building in the Ghost City.
"Master, the life lamp of Red One has been extinguished," said a purple-clothed man trembling on one knee.
The ghost-faced man listened silently, and the killing intent in his body condensed into a tangible form like a ferocious beast. The purple-clothed man felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, stiff and unable to move.
After the purple-clothed man left, the ghost-faced man turned his back to the candlestick and looked through the window towards the direction of the Eternal Prefecture. Speaking to himself, he said, "How could Red One with the cultivation level of a Grandmaster fall? Is there another major force behind Wu Jian?"
"In any case, one of the three Red Lotus Executives has fallen. It seems that the matter in the Eternal Prefecture needs to be temporarily put on hold, otherwise the plan cannot be implemented."
....
In the bustling night market of Yong, the hazy moonlight bathed the prosperous city. On the main street, there were restaurants, workshops, tea houses, and shops, with brightly lit lanterns hanging from high poles. People filled the streets, and on a large bridge, elegantly dressed women and witty scholars stopped to admire the view or recite poetry. On the west side of the bridge, vendors and tourists jostled for space, pointing and gesturing at the sights and watching the boats slowly pass by in the river.
Usually, at this time, Yong City is already quiet and deserted. Why is it bustling today, with even the doors crowded?
"Amidst the hazy night, under the dim moon, the Milky Way runs eternal and the joys and sorrows of countless lovers are intertwined in this night."
"Little Prince, what are you mumbling about?"
A slightly annoyed voice came from outside the door, waking up Wu Jian from his daydream.
Today is the Qixi Festival which is also known as the celebration of two lovers, the little maid loves every kind of celebration, so she got dressed early and is eager to go to the night market to guess riddles, visit the Magpie Bridge, and eat some delicious snacks.
Unexpectedly, after she and Miss had finished getting ready, they couldn't find the little prince, and after spending a long time looking for him, they finally found him on the top floor of Phoenix Tower.
...
On the bustling streets of Yong City, Ye Qingfu, Wu Jian, and the little maid walked side by side. Due to the holiday, Wu Jian's party did not bring any guards, afraid of drawing too much attention. The little maid holds several skewers of sugar-coated haws in one hand and a painting in the other. Her cheeks are constantly chewing, eating with great pleasure, and her eyes are squinted into crescent moons. Feeling a little embarrassed that she seemed to be the only one eating, the little maid handed the candied haws to Ye Qingfu.
"Here, Miss, try this. It's so sweet!"
She finished with a cute lick of her lips, savoring the sweet taste. Looking at the candied haw that was handed over and then taken back and tasted, and the gesture of passing it over again, Ye Qingfu stared at the self-righteous little maid with a disgusted expression.
"In not eating, I don't like things that are too sweet and greasy."
Upon hearing her young miss refusing her kindness, the little maid pouted her cute nose in disappointment, but soon turned to look at Wu Jian with the same hopeful expression.
"Little Lord, have a taste, these sugar-coated haws are delicious."
Wu Jian smiled at the little maid, and didn't mind at all. He bent down and took a bite of the whole of the sugar-coated haws.
"Little Lord, your mouth is so big, hehe!" The little maid couldn't help but giggle at Wu Jian's unexpected reaction, despite his status.
Seeing this scene, Ye Qingfu furrowed her brows slightly, she momentarily lost her thoughts and accidentally stepped on a big rock, causing her to cry out and fall to the side. Wu Jian quickly noticed her abnormality, and swiftly moved forward to embrace her, holding her fragrant body tightly.
"Sister Qing, what happened?"
"I wasn't paying attention and stepped on a rock, twisting my foot." Ye Qingfu blushed, her eyes seeming to be filled with tears, and whispered softly.
"Sister Qing, it's not safe for you to walk like this. Let me take you back to the palace."
"I'm fine, Rong'er can support me. We rarely have the chance to come out like this, and the Qixi Festival only comes once a year."
Seeing that the two girls were still excited about the night market, Wu Jian had an idea.
He stretched out his left hand, and using his "Astral Qi," gently lifted Ye Qingfu into the air. Then he bent over and changed his posture, carrying the mature beauty on his back.
"Ah! What are you doing, Jian'er?" Ye Qingfu was startled by the sudden movement and instinctively held onto Wu Jian's neck with her slender hands, afraid of falling to the ground.
"Men and women don't touch each other, put me down quickly, this is not appropriate..." Realizing that she was being carried by Wu Jian, Ye Qingfu's face turned red and she struggled to get down.
Ignoring her struggles, Wu Jian tightened his grip on her slender and soft legs and shook his head, chuckling softly.
"Sister Qing, it's perfectly natural for a younger brother to carry his elder sister. What's inappropriate about it?"
"Like how my Father used to carry me, isn't that right?"
"You can ask Rong'er, isn't this perfectly normal?"