Chapter 130: The Welcome Banquet

The diplomatic mission returned to the homeland.

In Pengcheng, capital of the Great Chu, Emperor Xiang Chong led the civil and military officials to travel one hundred li outside the city to welcome Fan Li.

To be honest, Xiang Chong did not want to be there at all. He was the sovereign, and Fan Li was his subject. For an emperor to travel so far just to receive a subordinate was a breach of royal decorum. However, General Fan Chun, Commander of the Tiger Guards, had sent a message: "My two hundred thousand garrison troops are eagerly hoping for harmony between His Majesty and the Duke of Jin."

The Great Chu's capital garrison originally consisted of one hundred thousand troops. During the recent siege and assassination attempt on the Saint of the Blood Phoenix, an additional one hundred thousand unauthorized personnel had emerged. With two hundred thousand well-equipped and highly trained soldiers wishing for him to greet Fan Li, Xiang Chong had no choice but to comply.

Before leaving the city, he begged the Saint of the Cold Moon to accompany him. "Mother, I truly dare not face Fan Li alone."

"If you do not wish to see him, do you think I do?" the Saint of the Cold Moon thought, feeling miserable. Since the assassination attempt, she had been at a loss as to how to face Fan Li. Had he died back then, everything would have been settled, but he had survived. Recently, he had become her nightmare, appearing in her dreams countless times.

"Give me a moment to prepare," she said, before hurrying away. Xiang Chong was overjoyed, assuming she had some mysterious technique that required preparation.

When she returned, however, Xiang Chong was stunned. She had indeed prepared carefully, having shed her neutral attire for an elegant and exquisite gown, appearing as beautiful as a celestial maiden. Had he not known she had attempted to assassinate Fan Li, he might have suspected she was going to meet a lover.

The Saint of the Cold Moon felt anxious. This ninth-grade Earth-tier garment was one that Fan Li had purchased at a high price from the Cloud Embroidery Pavilion. Even she did not understand why she had insisted on changing into it. "If he sees me dressed like this, perhaps he will not press the matter of the assassination?" she wondered to herself.

...

One hundred li outside Pengcheng, Fan Li spotted the bright yellow imperial regalia and a cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips. The Emperor had certainly not come of his own volition. When the parties drew closer, Fan Li saw the ethereal Saint of the Cold Moon, and his expression turned peculiar. Why was she here? To attempt a second assassination? He scanned her closely; she seemed to have forgotten her sword. Then again, a grandmaster-level sword cultivator of the third rank could turn any blade of grass or twig into a weapon. He would have to remain vigilant.

Ceremonial music began to play. It was the imperial music reserved for the Emperor. Fan Li, preoccupied with the threat of an assassination, failed to notice the impropriety.

*Heh,* Xiang Chong sneered internally. *I arranged for the imperial music to be played, and Fan Li accepted it without a word. Now I have a pretext to charge him with the grave crime of overstepping his rank!*

Fan Li came to a halt before Xiang Chong. Just as he was about to report on the details of his diplomatic mission to the Great Han, Xiang Chong coldly interjected: "Fan Li, do you know your crime?"

"What?" Fan Li stood stunned. A crime? What crime could he possibly have committed?

Xiang Chong sneered, "As a subject of the Great Chu, you did not avert your eyes when the imperial music was played. Do you still claim you are innocent?"

*Oh, is that all?* Fan Li breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared the Saint of the Cold Moon was about to strike.

"Your Majesty," Fan Li replied with a sardonic smile, "I have just returned from my mission. I did not arrange the music for the welcome ceremony. Even if there is someone to blame, it surely shouldn't be me, should it?"

"But you accepted the music!" Xiang Chong pressed on. "Setting aside who arranged it, are you not still guilty?"

"Fine, I am guilty," Fan Li said, feeling bored, as if dealing with a child's game. "So, how does Your Majesty intend to deal with me?"

Xiang Chong was ecstatic. "The unauthorized use of imperial music is a severe act of overstepping one's bounds—tantamount to treason!"

Fan Li stared at him for a long time, as if looking at a fool. Charging him with treason? Even Xiang Ning would have been impressed by such a move.

"What? Am I wrong?" Xiang Chong, feeling uncomfortable under the gaze, instinctively stepped back, moving closer to the Saint of the Cold Moon.

"Heh." Fan Li offered a thin, insincere smile. "Your Majesty, with two hundred thousand garrison troops surrounding us, do you truly wish for me to commit treason?"

Even the slow-witted Xiang Chong finally realized the situation. Treason? The man already had the power to do so. If he pushed Fan Li into rebellion with these accusations, wouldn't he be signing his own death warrant?

Fortunately, Fan Li had no intention of playing along. Among all those present, the only one who truly made him uneasy was the Saint of the Cold Moon. *Why did she return to Pengcheng? Does she really view this place as her home and Xiang Chong as her son? Why can't she just stay in the Pure Land instead of trying to assassinate me?*

As Fan Li mused, the Saint of the Cold Moon spoke softly: "Are you well?"

*Damn!* This woman had spoken, and what a strange question. Was she subtly asking if his injuries had healed?

"I am quite well. How about you? How have you been lately?" Fan Li replied in riddles. He meant to ask if she was planning another attempt on his life.

"I am also well..." The Saint of the Cold Moon lowered her head, her cheeks flushing slightly. Hearing no trace of reproach in Fan Li's voice, she felt an inexplicable sense of relief. *Has he ceased his anger? Is it because of what I am wearing? Very well, from now on, I shall only wear the clothes he has gifted me.*

Fan Li observed her reaction with caution, but the more he looked, the more confused he became. *Why is she blushing? Is she wearing rouge to protect against the cold? It's too hot for that. Is she nervous? Even the most skilled assassin would be nervous before a strike, right? So, is she going to attack me today after all?*

Terrified by this thought, Fan Li instinctively took a few steps back. At his retreat, the Saint of the Cold Moon suddenly lifted her head. Her expression turned from surprise to hurt, her lower lip trembling as her face drained of color. Her beautiful eyes were filled with a resentment so deep it seemed ready to overflow.

*He still refuses to forgive me...* she thought bitterly. *Should I tell him? I have already begged my elder sister that I will no longer act against him. My staying in Pengcheng is merely to protect Xiang Chong and his mother.* She was full of unspoken grievances, yet she kept them trapped inside, gazing at him with lingering sadness.

Fan Li broke into a cold sweat. *Damn it, good thing I stepped back! It seems this distance is enough to make it inconvenient for her to attack. I am truly clever—I must stay far away from this woman in the future.*

Xiang Chong, standing to the side, was dumbfounded. Their strange, cryptic exchange felt oddly intimate. *What is going on? One is a corrupt official of the Great Chu, the other is my foster mother—they aren't having an affair, are they?*

Xiang Chong suddenly remembered how Xiang Ning had been forced to call Fan Li "Father-in-law." *Could the same fate befall me through a different path? No! The Saint of the Cold Moon cannot be relied upon! I must seek help from the Supreme Saint!*