Chapter 56: Red and Black—Joy or Sorrow?

Everyone said that Leng Qing'er of the Leng family was a juvenile prodigy, peerlessly independent, and the foremost talented woman of the Fengyue Kingdom. Even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had once sought her out to show his favor.

Yet she looked down upon everyone. A year ago, upon catching a fleeting glimpse, she had set her heart on Dongfang Yuyue.

People also said that His Highness Prince Yu was born ill-omened, fierce and tyrannical, unworthy of being a prince of the Fengyue Kingdom.

Perhaps it was precisely this that gave Leng Qing'er her very first taste of heartbeat-stirring emotion.

She had originally thought that as long as she was outstanding enough, that man would come to find her. Yet unexpectedly, Dongfang Yuyue had not even deigned to bestow a single glance upon her.

How utterly ridiculous!

And yet, she became increasingly infatuated. Gradually, Leng Qing'er buried these deep feelings in her heart, yet always managed to inadvertently appear before Dongfang Yuyue's eyes, though she never once explicitly stated her affections.

Simply because her highly praised sense of superiority did not allow her to proactively show favor to Dongfang Yuyue, she could only wait. But what she ended up waiting for was Prince Yu's thorough protection of Luo Qianfan at the Drunken Pavilion that day. She did not deny that she was jealous, that she regretted it.

If she had only declared her feelings a little earlier, would Luo Qianfan's matter have ever happened?

Yet at this moment, she just wanted to show weakness for a moment, to lean upon Dongfang Yuyue's shoulder. She also wanted to learn to be a delicate woman, yearning to be cherished and doted upon.

"Your Highness Prince Yu..." Tears welled in Leng Qing'er's eyes as she gazed at Dongfang Yuyue, feigning strength.

In truth, Leng Qing'er had never imagined that there would come a day when she would present her most disheveled side to Dongfang Yuyue.

Hearing Leng Qing'er's voice, Leng Zimo's bloodless face was struck with horror. Was this person His Highness Prince Yu? How could he have come here?

Although Dongfang Yuyue had arrived in the Fengyue Kingdom a year ago, he never attended court and rarely wandered outside on ordinary days. Consequently, there were still many who had never laid eyes on him, let alone someone like Leng Zimo who spent the greater part of every day idling in pleasure quarters.

Over here, upon seeing Dongfang Yuyue, Leng Qing'er completely shed her previous panic. On the contrary, she felt a great sense of security, as if completely certain that Dongfang Yuyue would save her!

And indeed, the facts proved her right. The very moment they walked out, that assassin in the night clearly staggered a step, the face hidden beneath the black veil gripped by panic.

It's her?

This change was captured entirely by Leng Qing'er. Seeing this, Leng Qing'er assumed the man had been frightened out of his wits by Dongfang Yuyue!

Instantly regaining her composure, her infatuated gaze slowly drifted toward Dongfang Yuyue's outrageously handsome face, her racing heart pounding ever more fiercely.

However, Luo Qianfan—who was treated as if she didn't exist—clearly sensed a scorching gaze fixed upon her. Raising her head, she caught sight of a particularly familiar figure.

Although that person was clad entirely in black, revealing only two large, round eyes, why did that silhouette seem so familiar? She just couldn't recall where she had seen it.

Just as she wanted to step closer to take a careful look, that person bolted away in a most comical fashion.

Fled!

Wasn't this a panicked escape in utter defeat?

In the span of a single breath, that person snatched the Longevity Pill from Leng Qing'er's hands with lightning speed, vanished into the night, and nearly crashed into a tree in the end.

Luo Qianfan could hardly keep from laughing. She simply could not fathom how an assassin of this caliber could have driven the two generals of the Leng family to such a state.

Was the Leng family simply too weak, or was this farcical assassin just too strong? Strong enough to crash into a tree of their own accord?

Suddenly, she squatted down and discovered a few traces of reddish pearl powder in a corner. Her delicate jade fingers pinched a tiny speck, and before she could even bring it to her nose, Luo Qianfan's jewel-like eyes widened in shock.

This...

This wasn't her Bone-Corroding Fragrance, was it? How could it be here?

She glanced once more at the situation of the two people not far away and seemed to understand something~

So that was how it was! No wonder these two had not the slightest power to fight back; it turned out they had been drugged.

That made complete sense! Her Bone-Corroding Fragrance, while not omnipotent, was more than enough to deal with a few self-righteous fellows.

Over there, Leng Zimo and Leng Qing'er's complexions had already turned pale, their entire bodies limp and powerless. Had they not been poisoned by her Bone-Corroding Fragrance, how could they have been so easily manipulated by others?

Yet how did her item end up in that person's hands? Who on earth was he?

Her gaze lingering on a certain spot, Luo Qianfan's willow brows furrowed imperceptibly.

"Who on earth are you?" she murmured softly.

On the deserted path, as that figure departed, Leng Qing'er's anxious and frantic voice echoed.

"My Longevity Pill~ Stop right there..."

Seeing her Longevity Pill snatched away, Leng Qing'er was struck with sudden terror, her bloodshot eyes staring fixedly at the retreating back of the figure in black. If she could, she would undoubtedly have pursued without hesitation to snatch back her Longevity Pill.

That was three and a half million taels of gold! She had taken out all her savings, along with Leng Zimo's private treasury, only for it to be plundered by a thief right before their eyes. No matter how calm and composed she usually was, she could not help losing her color at this moment.

Her mind blanking out, Leng Qing'er's very first reaction was to seek help from Dongfang Yuyue, but seeing a trace of impatience in his eyes, she quickly calmed herself and put on the guise of a noble lady.

"I was unaware that Your Highness Prince Yu was here; Qing'er has been impolite." Leng Qing'er forced down her exasperated feelings, directly stating her name to deliberately cultivate a sense of intimacy.

Leng Qing'er had recognized Dongfang Yuyue the very first moment she saw him. Even amidst the night, the suit of black could not conceal the radiance naturally carried by Dongfang Yuyue.

She believed that even if Prince Yu did not know her, he would at least have heard the name Leng Qing'er of the Leng family, so she stated her name with great confidence.

The Longevity Pill was now lost, and Leng Qing'er could only swallow her bitterness in silence; she must not let His Highness Prince Yu grow disappointed in her.

Little did she know, the Prince Yu she yearned for day and night had never once laid eyes on her.

Amidst Leng Qing'er's eager anticipation, Dongfang Yuyue cast an innocent, indifferent glance at her as if nothing were amiss: Who is this person? Do I know her?

Dongfang Yuyue swiftly filtered through his mental gallery of portraits, yet failed to find any memory associated with this person.

Seeing that Prince Yu had not swept her away with a wave of his hand, Leng Qing'er was overjoyed. She naturally took Dongfang Yuyue's lack of action as tacit approval, and just as she wanted to step forward to continue building her presence, she saw a flash of red arrive in succession.

Luo Qianfan's small figure unhurriedly approached Dongfang Yuyue from the side. Leng Qing'er had a lingering sense that she had seen this person somewhere before, yet could not place it.

Qing'er? Leng Qing'er?

Hearing Leng Qing'er state her own name, Luo Qianfan finally grew a bit interested.

Could this person be Leng Qing'er?

Watching her put on an air of pure innocence, Luo Qianfan never expected her bones to be so insidious and cunning. She was the very one who had framed the original owner, causing her to be driven out of the family in disgrace!

This person could not be underestimated!

Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Luo Qianfan's eyes. Catching a trace of Leng Qing'er's adoring gaze, a mischievous impulse arose within her, and her eyes flashed with a cunning light.

"My lady, he is nothing more than a piece of wood. Begging him is hardly better than begging this young master—this young master is certainly no worse than him!"

Watching the little fellow beside him eagerly trying to strike up a conversation, Dongfang Yuyue coughed twice in displeasure.

Leng Qing'er also frowned.

What kind of background did this person have?

To actually dare utter blatant insults right in front of His Highness Prince Yu, Leng Qing'er carefully appraised the person before her.

Luo Qianfan was clad in red, appearing all the more spirited amidst the hazy night. Her demeanor did not lose out even in the presence of Prince Yu, causing Leng Qing'er to feel a twinge of jealousy toward the man before her.

"Might this young master be?" She raised her eyes with a hint of bashfulness.

Luo Qianfan smiled brilliantly, expertly mimicking the air of a profligate young lord as she spoke crisply, "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. Let's get acquainted; my surname is Luo, you may simply address me as Young Master Luo. In a way, the pill that was just snatched from your hands was actually provided by yours truly!"

Luo Qianfan's words struck heavily upon the hearts of the Leng siblings.

Young Master Luo! The Longevity Pill! This was an unmasked acknowledgment of his identity as the young master of the Medicine Underworld Valley, as well as a senior alchemist!

Everyone in the world now knew that Longevity Pills were produced by the Medicine Underworld Valley. And the most sought-after figure in the Medicine Underworld Valley, embodying all the world's beauty, was none other than that mysterious young master of the valley. The man who frequented pleasure quarters turned out to be so noble, icy, and awe-inspiring.

The emotions of the Leng siblings at this moment could hardly be described as merely excited. Unquestionably, the two of them had definitely oscillated between light and darkness tonight.

Never had they expected to encounter not only the notoriously ruthless and tyrannical Prince Yu tonight, but also the elusive young master of the Medicine Underworld Valley—a figure worth a thousand pieces of gold yet impossible to buy a meeting with. To trade a Longevity Pill for two normally unseen grand figures, they truly didn't know whether to rejoice or mourn.

Tonight, they had lost a full three and a half million taels of gold! Hard, genuine silver!

Now that they had met him in the flesh, and there was a high probability he was a senior alchemist, Leng Qing'er's excitement surpassed even that of meeting Dongfang Yuyue. Leng Zimo also silently stepped closer.

If he had harbored suspicions before, now that he had heard it with his own ears and seen it with his own eyes, he could no longer afford not to believe.

A senior alchemist—if he could forge a good relationship with this person, then high-grade pills and the like would henceforth be within his grasp, inexhaustible.

Before Leng Qing'er could react, a gleam of delight flashed in Leng Zimo's eyes as he smiled ingratiatingly at Luo Qianfan with utmost care.

"A pleasure to meet you, Young Master Luo. I am Leng Zimo of the Leng family. On behalf of the entire family, I sincerely and earnestly invite you to become the alchemist of the Leng family. Should Young Master Luo be willing, our Leng family will undoubtedly treat you with the courtesy reserved for honored guests."

Since the other party had not explicitly stated his identity as the young master of the Medicine Underworld Valley, Leng Zimo was naturally willing to play along in feigned ignorance.

Compared to the illustrious Prince Yu, Luo Qianfan—who was an alchemist—was clearly more welcome.

After all, alchemists were not common! Let alone a senior alchemist!

In an instant, Luo Qianfan—who had previously been a mere backdrop—suddenly transformed into a peerless treasure, hoisted onto a supreme pedestal by the two members of the Leng family.

For the first time, Luo Qianfan felt that the identity of an alchemist was so useful, effortlessly commanding utmost reverence from others.

This feeling was nothing short of exhilarating!

It was truly freezing at the heights! Sure enough, she quickly discovered that right behind her, a pair of gazes as cold as a venomous wolf were piercing straight into her back, as if determined to poke holes through her.

Did this fellow really have to be so petty?