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The young woman held out her hand in a gesture that was both welcoming and commanding.
“Did you deliver my message exactly?” she asked.
She was beautiful and slender, her outfit was distinguished by grace, her hair was neatly pulled back in a hairstyle adorned with a hairpin of several silver flowers studded with precious stones. Only one strand was knocked out on her forehead: probably, even despite the desire to appear strict and worthy of her new position, she still could not neglect the detail that gave her appearance a sweet free charm.
The girl in travel clothes bowed in respect.
“Yes, Mistress.”
“And what was the answer?” she smiled charmingly, despite the fact that the pale and tense expression of the messenger's face did not promise a positive outcome.
“Master Shen asked me to deliver his sincere congratulations to you, but said that he would not be able to come to Hehuan and attend the ceremony.
“How did he explain it? Things on Mount Xuandu are so complicated that they won't let him leave?” Bai Rong asked in a soft voice while maintaining an air of enchanting calmness.
“No, it's not like that. Master Shen said that his presence is urgently needed elsewhere,” replied the messenger.
Bai Rong smiled again.
“I hope you figured out what kind of place that turned out to be more attractive for Master Shen?”
“Yes, Mistress, of course. He went to Huanyue Manor near Banbu Peak, where the duel between Yan Wushi and Hulugu would soon take place.”
“Oh!” Bai Rong let out a short breath.
This time her breath broke, her lips twitched nervously, and pinkish spots appeared on her cheeks even through a thin layer of skillfully applied white.
She was silent for a moment, then continued:
“Master Shen certainly wants to see such a great duel, you can understand. However, as far as I know, this duel will take place only in half a month, why is he in such a hurry?”
“There is a long-standing friendship between Master Yan and Master Shen… Apparently, he wants to spend time with a friend.”
The messenger girl straightened up and now looked at the mistress with large dark eyes. She did not deliver all the words that Shen Qiao said, who refused to come to Hehuan for Bai Rong's initiation ceremony as head of the school, also because he did not want to give her feelings false hope...
Bai Rong shook her head, took a few steps around the spacious hall, turned around and looked at the garden, rhythmically waving branches behind the carved wall.
“I wonder what made Master Yan challenge Hulugu right now? Just when he has achieved such significant political successes, and at the same time his forces are exhausted by the struggle...”
“I also found out about that, ma'am. According to rumors he challenged Hulugu to distract him from Master Shen and prevent him from joining the attack on Xuandu Mountain that your deceased predecessor, San Jingxing, was planning. I'm afraid if Hulugu had joined us back then, Master Shen would have had no chance of winning.
“Oh!” Bai Rong repeated her exclamation again. “How admirably selfless these two are towards each other… But aren’t you saying that if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be preparing for the initiation ceremony right now?”
The girl bowed her head.
Bai Rong chuckled.
“What then remains for me? Send Yan Wushi best wishes and thanks for the fact that his challenge opened a wonderful path for me as well? What do you say?”
The girl just lowered her head.
“I guess Master Shen was being discourteous anyway by declining an invitation to such an important event,” she said dully. In fact, she was still a little hurt for her mistress.
Bai Rong laughed, but there was bitterness in that laugh. Again, looking out the window, she thought: what kind of strangeness, after all? It is unlikely that the cunning and heartless Demon Lord, who always only played with people and used them for his own purposes, would suddenly begin to help someone or save someone. He certainly pursued some of his interests. However, one rumor, one coincidence was enough for Shen Qiao to rush headlong towards him, not giving a damn about decency. Is Master Shen really that crazy about this person? Once she had already warned Shen Qiao that Yan Wushi was going to betray him to San Jingxing, who wanted revenge, but he did not listen - for which he paid dearly. And yet, even after, despite all the other humiliations and bullying that he had to endure from this person, Shen Qiao continued to help him over and over again and even save him from certain death. Is it paying a hundredfold good for one small and very dubious good? From natural gullibility? Out of love? Or, as Shen Qiao himself said, for some other, not related to the two of them personally, reasons? But, most importantly - completely neglecting her ...
“Do you think Shen Qiao is really in love with Yan Wushi?”
The messenger was embarrassed by the excessive frankness and cheeky tone in which the question was asked.
“I think Master Shen feels obligated,” the girl hesitated a little before the answer.
Obliged?.. Bai Rong came close to the window. She caught a branch with her fingers and plucked the leaves sharply. What does the head of the strongest of the Taoist schools owe to the Demon Lord so much that even her own maid aloud justifies the insulting refusal of her mistress? Yes, of course, Yan Wushi brought Shen Qiao back to life back then, after the defeat at Banbu Peak. Naturally, not at all out of good intentions, but to play and see how the noble Taoist who has lost everything can live on. Although if the Demon Lord had not found him then and taken him with him, then the fate of the head of Shen, who was overthrown in a dishonorable way, would have been very deplorable: the brothers who betrayed him would hardly have allowed Shen Qiao to freely investigate what had happened. Rather, they would doom him, wounded and deprived of strength, to an eternal vegetative existence somewhere far from the world. The head of the Xuandu Sect was definitely lucky that at that moment one of his own did not pick him up. Therefore, Yan Wushi found him, hid him from traitors, cured him, and did not even keep him with him. Fine. Then he reappeared and forced Shen Qiao - blind, powerless - to read the treatise " The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang", even returning his sight for a while. Naturally, only in order to mock the Taoist himself and everyone else, before the treatise was brazenly destroyed before their eyes. But this is what gave Shen Qiao the opportunity to restore his martial skills at least partially. Here the Demon Lord's interest flared up, and he no longer let go of the Taoist from himself, watching as if he were an experimental animal, drawing out all his strength and giving food to speculation about their relationship. And in the end, he even planned to give Shen Qiao to be torn apart by the lustful and revenge-seeking Sang Jingxing, just to see what would happen: whether he would cope with a hopeless situation or not. However, Shen Qiao managed, which gave him the opportunity to overcome the limitations of the destroyed base and reach a level of skill that was perhaps even unthinkable for him before. So… What did Yan Wushi do for Shen Qiao? Saved from death and from traitors. Gave him a chance to recover. Forced - against the will, of course! - to destroy your core in order to ensure the transition to a fundamentally new stage in the development of martial arts. Yes... In addition, he also introduced the Taoist hermit, who had previously been far from worldly life, to the imperial court and brought him up to speed on political events. And finally, now he defended him from Hulugu, challenging him - and at the same time allowed Shen Qiao to regain his place as the head of Xuandu.
Of course, this list looks good. Not bad…
What did she do for Shen Qiao herself? When meeting, she was usually gentle and even, looking at him, tried to change her temper and her habits (having shown mercy to people a couple of times and once to a horse). She did not look for him when everyone who was sent by Sang Jingxing was looking - namely, she could find. Shen Qiao asked Shen Qiao to be careful with Yan Wushi, but didn't say why, so he didn't follow the advice. And then, on the contrary, she ventured to admit that Yan Wushi did not betray him once again, but protected him from the same San Jingxing, taking the latter behind him, and even suggested where they had gone. Then Bai Rong sincerely shared everything she knew herself: Shen Qiao wanted so much to console! But still it did not help him in any way, because she knew too little. And finally, now, taking advantage of the victory of the Taoist, she dealt with her cruel master, took the place of head and promised Shen Qiao that from now on she would change herself and change the life of her school so that he would not be ashamed to look at her ... Somewhat faded, of course , against the backdrop of what Yan Wushi did. It is so? Completely bleak. Unconvincing. She just didn't do something. But… she promised to change. And even changed.
Has Yan Wushi changed?
He certainly didn't promise that. But, perhaps, he really has changed ... Who knows. Did he really challenge to help...?
Bai Rong shook her head, brushing off a strand of hair that had fallen from her forehead.
She didn't believe it, no. What did this extravagant and unpredictable person want to achieve? Or maybe just the same exactly what she herself? Seduce… He just wanted to seduce Shen Qiao! But Bai Rong definitely did not have the strength or the means to compete with Yan Wushi in the breadth of gestures. So, she clearly missed out on that.
Bai Rong turned around. Her face was stern. She sighed as she finally put on a face worthy of heading a large and powerful cultivator school. Yan Wushi challenged Hulugu when his own powers were depleted. He may lose. And yet he made up his mind. Oh yes, if Yan Wushi were confident in his abilities, would that be so seductive? Seduction at the cost of life ... No, she was not ready for this. It was too pretty. But now, if Yan Wushi lost and died, could she hope that Shen Qiao would still notice her too…? And in the end, did she want Yan Wushi to really lose?
Bai Rong turned to her subordinate.
“I think you're right. This fight - it will be a worthy spectacle that will be remembered for many years. We absolutely must send some of our people to see it. After the ceremony is over, you can go there too. Tell Master Shen and Master Yan that I really appreciate them. From now on, the Hehuan School will never create any obstacles for their followers. And yes, I hope that for the head of Yan, this fight will end in victory.”
The girl lifted her face and fixed a piercing gaze on her mistress.
“I have nothing to be offended by, ” Bai Rong said with a slight smile.
There was nothing to be offended about… After all, before, she was sad to think that such a beautiful person like Shen Qiao would never know true love. She seriously feared that he would either remain an ascetic or be subjected to violence. How sad it would be!
“I was just hurt that he wouldn’t have good sex,” Bai Rong muttered, and her lips twisted into a smile again. “But I think he will still have good sex…”