Chapter 29: A Look of Disdain, Turmoil on the Road

"Let me go! What are you doing? His Highness has been beaten like this, and you’re still holding me back? Let me go! I’m going out there to kill that man!"

The speaker was a woman with a beautiful face, though her eyes were bloodshot with a murderous, sinister intent. The man restraining her looked equally anxious, yet his brow held a sense of composure.

"Feiling, don't be rash. When that man struck just now, he deliberately avoided vital points; he likely has no intention of killing. Let us wait a little longer. We must not intervene unless absolutely necessary. If His Highness finds out we have been tracking him, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Feiling couldn't be bothered with him. She shook off his grasp and turned away, her hands clenched so tightly they cracked. Rage surged within her, the murderous glint in her eyes intensifying alongside a flicker of deep resentment. Yet, she could not go out—not now. If His Highness learned she had been following him, he would surely be furious. No, she absolutely could not.

But His Highness...

After much internal struggle, Feiling forced herself to suppress the urge to rush out, though the bulging veins on her forehead betrayed her inner turmoil. *Your Highness, you must be alright!*

Her reddened eyes glared fiercely at Dongfang Yuyue and Luo Qianfan. Compared to Dongfang Yuyue, Feiling was clearly more worried about Luo Qianfan. *Who is this woman? Why would His Highness help her?*

Anxiety gnawed at her; this girl was definitely trouble! His Highness had never once taken the initiative to involve himself with any girl! Poor Luo Qianfan had been targeted yet again; she really didn't go looking for trouble, but trouble certainly had a way of finding her.

Feiling’s suspicions were correct, yet they only added to her own frustration, for the cunning Luo Qianfan was far beyond the capability of a mere assassin to handle.

On the other side, Yan Mojue was naturally incensed after being beaten. His eyes blazed with crimson fury, his face twisted in a savage grimace.

"Don't think that—" Yan Mojue roared, clenching his fists and reaching out to strike Dongfang Yuyue across the face. He had grown up coddled; he had never been beaten, nor had he ever heard a harsh word spoken to him. That this nobody had dared to strike him was absolutely infuriating!

Before his fist could land, a cold voice cut through the air, his sharp gaze like winter frost: "Tell me, what are you to her?"

Dongfang Yuyue’s thin lips parted to utter words of chilling implication.

"What do you mean, what am I to her? What are you talking about?" Yan Mojue stopped his movement, scoffing with a sneer, "Are you having some sort of problem? Your eyes aren't working, and your ears aren't working either. Talking such nonsense—who are you trying to scare?"

"Tell me, what is your relationship with her?" Dongfang Yuyue glanced indifferently at Luo Qianfan, feeling stifled. *You’re usually so eloquent; why are you silent now when I’ve given you the chance to explain?*

Silence descended. Only Luo Qianfan’s heart was in agony.

*What is going on? Why is this man like a piece of dog-skin plaster that I can't shake off?*

Luo Qianfan knew that Dongfang Yuyue’s constant scrutiny was due to his suspicion that she was the Young Master of the Medical Underworld Valley. But he had never seen her face, and their genders were different—how could he possibly suspect her? Furthermore, even if she were him, there was no need for such relentless pursuit.

"I don't think I’ve offended you, have I?" Luo Qianfan muttered to herself, her eyes meeting Dongfang Yuyue’s cold gaze, which made her heart flutter with panic.

Seeing Luo Qianfan’s pitiful expression, Dongfang Yuyue’s heart softened. *I truly want to hold you in the palm of my hand so you can never scheme against another man again! You will be mine for the rest of your life! Only mine!*

Before meeting Luo Qianfan, Dongfang Yuyue had never understood the taste of missing someone. But after meeting her, he only wanted her for the rest of his days.

"Come, I’ll take you home!" Dongfang Yuyue grabbed Luo Qianfan’s small hand, stepped over the dazed Yan Mojue, and headed toward the White Chant horse. Yan Mojue was completely relegated to the background, to say nothing of the others present.

"Uh, wh-what! Home?" Seeing a handsome, jade-like hand invading her territory without resistance, Luo Qianfan’s beautiful eyes furrowed. The feeling of being restrained was truly terrible. And the worst part was that she couldn't even beat this man!

Luo Qianfan stood motionless, the word "home" echoing in her mind. Where was her home?

Seeing her frozen, Dongfang Yuyue assumed she didn't want to leave with him or was perhaps interested in Yan Mojue. Panic flared, and his grip tightened. He yanked Luo Qianfan toward him, causing her body to collide violently with his chest. Luo Qianfan felt the pain in her arm—he hadn't held back at all!

"Ugh!" A soft cry escaped her. Luo Qianfan felt as though her face had been knocked askew—it hurt so much! Dongfang Yuyue longed to merge her into his very bones, wrapping his arms around her tightly, refusing to let her move an inch.

Luo Qianfan was furious! Who did he think he was? What right did he have to get handsy just because his martial arts were superior?

Luo Yi, standing to the side, could no longer endure it. With a single hand, he gripped his Star-Ray Dagger and launched a swift, vicious attack from behind, filled with sharp, murderous intent. His wrist move was fast, accurate, and ruthless.

Dongfang Yuyue seemed to sense it and moved to counter, but Luo Qianfan pushed him away abruptly. In his distraction, Luo Yi grazed his neck, drawing a bead of blood.

Luo Qianfan ignored him, turning her head away. She had never been fond of scoundrels. Luo Yi handed her a silk handkerchief, a hidden corner embroidered with the black-and-red sword crest of the Medical Underworld Valley. She wiped her hands and clothes repeatedly, scrubbing away the places where she had touched Dongfang Yuyue. The sight made Dongfang Yuyue’s heart ache. *Does this woman hate me so much? Hate me enough that she must wipe herself clean after a single touch? Does she really see me as some kind of terrible contagion?*

Dongfang Yuyue was deeply angered by Luo Qianfan. She tossed the handkerchief aside mercilessly, stomped her foot in annoyance, and took the initiative: "What exactly do you want?"

Dongfang Yuyue caught the flash of anger in her eyes before it turned into a hollow void. Finally, a hint of helplessness crossed his brow. He looked back at Yan Mojue, whose posturing seemed laughable. Once he confirmed that those nearby posed no threat to Luo Qianfan, he turned and strode away.

Guifang pursed his lips, silently lamenting his lot in life. *What is wrong with this world? Everyone is so arrogant, why is my life so bitter?*

The White Chant horse seemed to sense Dongfang Yuyue’s aura and grew restless, but a single glance from him silenced it, and it stood obediently, awaiting its master’s arrival.

"Let’s go!" With that command, the horse vanished from sight, leaving everyone to snap out of their stupor. Some had legs so weak they collapsed to the ground, feeling as though they had just walked through the gates of hell. They were certain that if that man had wished, they would no longer be breathing the same air.

The figures in the shadows also breathed a sigh of relief.

Having been through all this, Luo Qianfan had no heart left to deal with other matters. She ordered Luo Yi to finish off the bandits and departed with the remaining servants of the Luo estate. Yan Mojue, having 'abandoned the darkness for the light,' begged and pleaded to follow her. Seeing he had no ulterior motives, Luo Qianfan allowed it; his martial arts were decent enough that he could barely pass as a bodyguard worth observing.

After they left, a carriage emerged from the shadows. Within, a pair of scarlet eyes stared at the departing group. *This woman, she actually wants to take him along!*

Guifang, driving the carriage, was on the verge of a breakdown. He truly couldn't understand it. They had clearly left, but the Master had returned, claiming to be following them, and had even deliberately shaken off the tails behind them, clearly not wanting anyone else to notice Luo Qianfan and the others. Such behavior from his Master was rare. Previously, it was the ambiguous relationship with the Young Master of the Medical Underworld Valley; now, he was stalking and entangled with a woman. If those people knew what his Master was doing now, they would surely be stunned. Was this still the wise, brilliant, god-like youth he knew?

On the other side, with Yan Mojue gone, the bandits were naturally pleased. They had only made him the temporary leader because he had tricked them, and none of them were truly convinced. Now that the 'Big Devil' was gone, they could finally get back to business and pull off some big scores, otherwise, they’d all be starving soon.

But the wish was beautiful, and reality was harsh. Within a few days, the bandit lair of over a hundred men was wiped out overnight. It was said they had offended someone powerful, but since they were a public nuisance, no one bothered to investigate who had done the deed.

They didn't know that the ones who killed them were the very people who had been secretly tracking Dongfang Yuyue. The bandits had simply kicked a steel plate. They shouldn't have targeted people from the Imperial Palace—those men were not as easy to talk to as Luo Qianfan or Yan Mojue. They were already irritable from losing Dongfang Yuyue’s trail, and when these bandits came out to rob them, they were slaughtered without a word.

The bandits died without ever knowing who they had provoked.

A few days later, at the gates of the Fengyue Kingdom, an inconspicuous carriage arrived slowly, accompanied by several maids. It was clearly the transport of a wealthy household, and the commoners instinctively stepped aside to clear a path. In these times, anyone with a carriage and so many attendants was either rich or noble, and the common folk knew better than to provoke them.

Many eyes converged on Luo Qianfan’s carriage—some suspicious, some jealous, some envious. They were all guessing who the noble inside could be.

Luo Yi drove the carriage with indifference, ignoring the gazes. Yan Mojue rode a horse on the side, consciously keeping watch on Luo Qianfan’s movements and chiming in from time to time. After two days of observation, he had clearly realized that Luo Qianfan’s previous weakness was an act; all that 'big brother' talk was a lie. What was most infuriating was that she had successfully deceived him. Yan Mojue felt played, and while he hated her to the bone, he was helpless to do anything about it.

Furthermore, no matter where they went these past two days, swarms of wild beasts and poisonous creatures would appear. Strangely, they didn't target anyone else—they stuck to him, leaving him unable to eat or use the latrine in peace. If he weren't constantly stuck to Luo Qianfan, he would have suspected she was behind it.

*These things couldn't possibly be looking for me specifically, right? I'm not that stupid.* Yan Mojue stared thoughtfully at the faint silhouette of Luo Qianfan’s profile visible inside the carriage. *Could this be related to you? Who exactly are you?*