Chapter 279: Coincidence

　　Chu Liuyue didn’t sleep well that night.

　　She seemed to have had a long dream…

　　In the dream, many scenes appeared, but everything disappeared in a ball of flames in the end.

　　When Rong Xiu arrived, he saw Chu Liuyue lying in her bed. Her brows were knitted, and she was curled up into a ball, muttering to herself.

　　The moonlight that came in through the window elongated his silhouette. Half of Rong Xiu’s face was hidden, and his eyes were deep, but it seemed like a cold fire was burning in them.

　　He walked over and wrapped her in his arms.

　　Chu Liuyue was like a desert traveler that had found an oasis. She instinctively inched closer to him.

　　Rong Xiu bent down and kissed her forehead. “Don’t be afraid; I’m here.”

　　Chu Liuyue gripped the front of his robe tightly. Her eyes were closed, but a tear slid down her face.

　　Rong Xiu swallowed that tear, and bitterness spread on his tongue.

　　He then backed away a little and looked at the person in his arms. His voice was low and hardly audible in the wind as he said, “What’s coming will come.”

　　…

　　When Chu Liuyue woke up the next morning, she smelt the familiar cold scent on her—she immediately knew that Rong Xiu had been here.

　　Even without the scent, she could’ve guessed it.

　　Earlier in the night, she had been uneasy because of all her nightmares. However, she regained her calmness later on—this was only possible with Rong Xiu around.

　　Unknowingly, she had gotten used to Rong Xiu’s presence, and she had come to rely on him.

　　Sweetness emanated from the bottom of her heart.

　　Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and walked to her window, where she looked toward Yi Feng Courtyard.

　　Rong Xiu wasn’t there at the moment, and all she saw was the peach tree.

　　The breeze made her more awake.

　　Since I’m at this step, I can only continue on it!

　　“Liuyue?!” Someone called her name from downstairs.

　　Chu Liuyue headed down to open the door after she cleaned herself up.

　　It was Bai Chen.

　　“Teacher Bai Chen? What brings you here?”

　　Bai Chen’s expression was complex. He was excited and worried at the same time as he handed her an invitation. “This is an invitation to the palace’s banquet today. His Majesty is welcoming that person. You came in first in the assessment, and your performance at the Qing Jiao Competition was outstanding, so… you’re invited as well.”

　　This was supposed to be something great since not everyone had the right to meet the envoy from the Tianling Dynasty.

　　But yesterday, that Lieutenant Mu seemed to treat Chu Liuyue differently, and Bai Chen was worried that Lieutenant Mu would take it to heart.

　　Chu Liuyue took the invitation from him. “Thank you, Teacher Bai Chen. I’ll be there on time.”

　　“Liuyue…” Bai Chen said hesitantly. “Yo-you must stay close to Elder Sun later; be careful about everything…”

　　“Are you worried that Lieutenant Mu will target me?” Chu Liuyue instantly knew what Bai Chen was worried about.

　　She curled her lips and said, “Don’t worry. Someone of that status won’t wait till the palace banquet if they really wanted to do anything to me.”

　　Bai Chen pondered over her statement and thought it made sense. “Your words make sense, but it’s always better to be careful…”

　　Bai Chen left after giving her a few more reminders.

　　Chu Liuyue looked at the invitation in her hand after she thanked Bai Chen.

　　She slowly curled her lips into a smile. I have waited way too long for this day.

　　…

　　Noon.

　　There was still one hour to the palace banquet, but the sides of Jiaoyang palace were filled with people.

　　Only the seats on the platform in the center were empty.

　　Everyone was talking and drinking, and the atmosphere was rather comfortable. However, everyone glanced at the platform from time to time.

　　They were all here for Tianling Dynasty’s Lieutenant Mu!

　　“Mother, you have to help me this time!” Rong Zhen pleaded as she hovered around the Empress. “That Lieutenant Mu is so formidable! He’ll definitely be able to heal me!”

　　Yesterday, Rong Zhen saw for herself how strong Lieutenant Mu was. He was stronger than anyone that she had seen before!

　　The Empress also had hope. She patted her daughter’s hand and comforted her. “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely plead for you, but… that Lieutenant Mu looks rather cold. I wonder if he’ll help.”

　　“Why not?! He definitely will!” Rong Zhen’s eyes lit up, her eyes full of admiration. “Mother, I think that, even though he looks cold, he… he…”

　　Her cheeks were flushed.

　　The Empress’s heart skipped a beat. Rong Zhen clearly fancies Mu Qinghe! She is insane!

　　“Zhen Zhen, yo-you… who is that person?! We cannot get involved with someone like this! Get that thought out of your mind!”

　　The smile instantly disappeared from Rong Zhen’s face. “Mother, what do you mean? H-he’s the most impressive person I’ve ever seen. Even Brother can’t compare! Why can’t I…”

　　The Empress tugged Rong Zhen’s arm and glanced around quickly. She only felt a little more relaxed when she saw that nobody was paying attention to them. “What else can it mean? You know exactly what I mean! I’m telling you, we’re just asking for help to heal you. Don’t think about anything else!”

　　Mu Qinghe is clearly a dangerous man. He can handle Rong Zhen in the palm of his hands as a toy, not to mention that he might not necessarily be interested in her! Rong Zhen has been raised to be rather wilful. With a man like this, she could lose her life if she isn’t careful!

　　“Anyway, you’re not allowed to bring it up! We’ll follow Chu Liuyue’s instructions if this doesn’t work.” The Empress’s expression became more serious.

　　Rong Zhen pouted, but she dared not kick up a fuss. “I know! But that Chu Liuyue even has the guts to seduce him in front of everybody…”

　　The Empress looked at Rong Zhen with warning in her eyes.

　　Rong Zhen only kept quiet then, but her hatred toward Chu Liuyue grew stronger. I will teach Chu Liuyue a lesson if I catch her behaving the same way!

　　…

　　Chu Liuyue quietly remained seated in her seat after she arrived with Elder Sun and the others. She could feel the eyes of many people on her, but she wasn’t bothered.

　　She slowly turned the cup of wine in her hands.

　　Until…

　　“Tianling Dynasty’s Lieutenant Mu is here!”

　　She turned and looked.

　　Mu Qinghe walked in from the front door. Emperor Jiawen followed behind and invited Mu Qinghe into his seat.

　　Instantly, there was pin-drop silence in the hall.

　　Everyone bowed after a while.

　　Mu Qinghe’s eyes swept across the people.

　　Almost uncontrollably, his eyes landed on Chu Liuyue again.

　　Emperor Jiawen thought that Mu Qinghe was still angry about yesterday. Thus, he eagerly said, “Lieutenant Mu, aren’t you here to look for some prodigies this time? Chu Liuyue is one of the best! You might not know it, but she’s a rare talent that cultivates in all three disciplines!”

　　Mu Qinghe moved his eyes. “Oh? What a coincidence. Someone I knew was a triple cultivator as well.”