interest in politics and only focused on martial arts research. So, did he spend all these years researching how to become an assassin" Although Night Killer was indeed skilled, compared to another a...10. Cloud Song (Part 9)

10。傾雲歌（九）

Cloud Song, who had just returned from the South Frontier to Central Land, was in a very good mood. She had never felt so happy and carefree while traveling around before. This trip to the South Frontier not only broadened her horizons with many unique medicinal herbs, but Xu Qingchen also took her to visit several renowned doctors there. The medical practices and philosophies so different from those of Central Land gave Cloud Song much food for thought in her path towards becoming a doctor.

After entering Suixue Pass and returning to Central Land, the two continued westward toward Xi Ling. Although the enmity between Xi Ling and Ding王府 was not small, both sides had already ceased hostilities and were recuperating. The people of Xi Ling would dare not easily attack Mr. Qingchen.

However, nobody could have imagined that something went wrong before they reached Ancheng, the current capital city of Xi Ling.

This day, Cloud Song and Xu Qingchen stayed at an inn in a small town near Ancheng. Their destination was indeed the present-day capital of Xi Ling. Although it seemed somewhat provocative for Minister Xu, who held such an important position in Ding王府, to casually appear in the capital city of Xi Ling without even greeting anyone, Ancheng was the most prosperous and bustling place in Xi Ling. Not visiting would be a regrettable omission. More importantly, they planned to travel through Xi Ling to go to Western Regions, so they had to pass through Ancheng.

Because she felt somewhat fatigued from traveling on the previous day, when Cloud Song woke up early next morning, she didn't see Xu Qingchen, who usually got up earlier than her. Although it was strange, she didn't think much about it; Xu Qingchen wasn't a martial artist and so probably just slept in after being tired recently. After leaving their inn room to go downstairs for breakfast, Cloud Song ate slowly and leisurely. However, when she finished eating and waited for some time, something seemed off: not only was Xu Qingchen nowhere to be found, but even the guards who had been following them didn't appear. It couldn't be that both he and they were sleeping, could it

Thinking of this possibility, Cloud Song's heart jumped, and she immediately ran upstairs without a second thought. Upon opening Xu Qingchen's room, she found everything neat and tidy as if nobody had stayed there at all. She then checked the rooms where the guards had been staying but discovered that they were unconscious in their beds.

“Xu… Xu Qingchen!” Cloud Song immediately panicked and hurriedly helped the guards with antidotes, anxiously asking: "What happened Where's Xu Qingchen"

The guards first looked blank before being startled by Cloud Song's words. Rushing into Xu Qingchen's room, they found that he was indeed gone.

“How could this happen This… Mr. Qingchen must have been taken away by someone…” One of the guards looking at the still open window said solemnly: "Quick, we need to notify all undercover agents and find Mr. Qingchen!"

"Right!" An agent responded promptly before rushing out.

Cloud Song felt extremely anxious; during her time with Xu Qingchen, she didn't have to worry about anything. Now that he had suddenly disappeared, she was completely at a loss: "Xu Qingchen… sniffling… How could this happen Who would kidnap him He doesn't have any enemies." Seeing the young girl crying, the agents also became flustered and hurriedly said: "Miss Shen, don’t worry. Mr. Qingchen will be fine; he has always been lucky. By the way… The leader of Devil’s Tower in Xi Ling is a good friend of Mr. Qingchen's; maybe we can ask him for information. As they say, even dragons have trouble with local snakes; although we do have some people here in Xi Ling, there’s no comparison to Devil’s Tower."

Hearing the agents' words, Cloud Song quickly wiped away her tears and stood up to leave: "We need to go now! Xu Qingchen can't fight; what if he gets hurt"

The agents following behind her sighed helplessly, with a rare look of guilt flashing across their normally resolute faces.

The Hall of King Yama Outside

Sick Scholar glanced at the yellow-robed girl in front of him with a somewhat sinister expression, frowned and said, "My elder brother is in seclusion right now and doesn’t receive visitors."

Yun Ge bit her lip but still stood stubbornly before Sick Scholar, unwilling to back down. "Isn't Ling Pavilion Master and Xu Qingchen good friends Xu Qingchen has disappeared and I want to ask if Ling Pavilion Master knows anything," she knew that it was rather impolite to visit a pavilion master unannounced like this, but there was nothing else for her to do in order to find out about Xu Qingchen. It had already been almost two days since Xu Qingchen’s disappearance and neither the Dark Guards of Prince Ding’s Manor nor Southern-Northwest Duke’s Manor had any news.

This made Yun Ge more and more fearful. Sick Scholar sneered, completely indifferent as he said, "The Hall of King Yama has already been disbanded. Even if my elder brother comes out to see you, he won’t tell you anything. Moreover... isn’t Xu Qingchen a member of Prince Ding’s Manor The spies and agents of Prince Ding’s Manor are all over the world, so why would they need the Hall of King Yama" Back then when the Hall of King Yama had agreed to help Lei Zhen Ting intercept Ye Li, half of their top experts were lost. After returning, Ling Tihan immediately ordered the dissolution of the Hall of King Yama.

Although Ling Tihan said he was tired of his life as a martial artist and wanted to focus on researching martial arts, how could Brother Sick Scholar not know that Ling Tihan did this out of concern for Prince Ding’s Manor’s ambitions. He wanted to protect the remaining people of the Hall of King Yama. With an expert such as Ling Tihan, unless Mo Xiuyao personally led his troops to besiege him, no one in this world could hurt him.

However, things were different for other members of the Hall of King Yama. Some second and third-rate experts would be like sending dishes to Prince Ding’s Manor when facing them. Although it was the Hall of King Yama who had made the first move back then, now that a once invincible organization no longer existed, he couldn’t deny that there was resentment in his heart.

Furthermore, Sick Scholar wasn’t a magnanimous person to begin with; Xu Qingchen’s disappearance delighted him.

"Move aside. I want to see Pavilion Master Ling," Yun Ge said after being blocked for so long and could tell that the other party was intentionally making things difficult. She had already been anxious about Xu Qingchen's safety, now she definitely wasn’t in a good mood. She glared at Sick Scholar.

Sick Scholar’s expression changed and sneered coldly, "You want to see my elder brother Fine, beat me up first then I’ll let you go."

Yun Ge didn’t waste words; she immediately pulled out a short sword and lunged at Sick Scholar. His weapon of choice was a short knife. The two of them immediately fought fiercely with their close-range weapons. Sick Scholar excelled in poison techniques, making most common martial artists unwilling to fight him because they couldn’t guard against his poisons.

However, Yun Ge was different; she excelled in medical skills. Since ancient times, there had been the saying that medicine and poison were inseparable. Her understanding of poisonous techniques had improved significantly after returning from Southern-Yang. Therefore, Sick Scholar’s poisons wouldn’t be effective against her.

The two could only fight with their true abilities.

Although Sick Scholar was ten years older than Yun Ge, he wasn’t a match for her in terms of martial arts skill. Among the three leaders of the Hall of King Yama, his talent and skills were the weakest to begin with. In addition, he had been plagued by illness for many years; if it weren’t for his poison techniques, he would only be able to rank as a second-rate martial artist.

However, Yun Ge was a prodigy in martial arts that even Mo Xiuyao praised. Within half an hour, she started overpowering Sick Scholar.

"Third Brother, stop," a deep male voice came from inside. A man wearing blue cloth walked out.

The moment he appeared, Yun Ge felt the overwhelming power coming from him and stopped her attack at once. She was very clear that she had absolutely no chance of defeating this man with her martial arts skills alone.

"You...you’re Pavilion Master Ling" Although facing an unbeatable powerhouse, Yun Ge didn’t back down.

Ling Tihan found the little girl amusing and sized her up; given his age, he could have her as a daughter. Even someone like Ling Tihan was rather accommodating towards such a cute little girl, "I am Ling Tihan. Your martial arts skills are commendable. What’s your name"

Yun Ge bit on the corner of her lip and said softly, "My name is Shen Yun Ge. I... I’m here to ask Pavilion Master Ling for help in finding out about Xu Qingchen."

Ling Tihan shook his head as he saw the obvious anxiety in Yun Ge’s clear eyes. He smiled seeing Yun Ge's pretty smile dimming slowly, "Don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen to Xu Qingchen."

"How do you know" Yun Ge asked.

Ling Tiehan smiled and said, "Given Xu Qingchen's status, there aren’t many people in the world who would have both the motive and capability to kidnap him. Of those who do have a grudge against him, it is almost none. If you are really worried about him… why don't you head back to Li City"

"Li City" Yun Ge bit her lip; Li City was too far away from here. If she returned to Li City and brought Le Er Sister there to save Xu Qingchen, what if something were to happen to Xu Qingchen in the meantime Seeing that the young girl’s eyes were brimming with tears, Ling Tiehan sighed helplessly and said, "If Miss Shen trusts me, you should return to Li City to take a look. By the time you get there, perhaps Xu Qingchen would already be back at Li City too. If he was really kidnapped by someone else, even Hell’s Pavilion and Southern Commandery王府也探不到訊息的話，你就算留在這裡也是冇用的。還不如先回去呢。”

Yun Ge nodded and quickly wiped away the tears from her eyes with her hand. She said, "I understand now. I’ve troubled Pavilion Lord Ling, thank you." With that, Yun Ge bowed to Ling Tiehan before turning around and leaving.

"Brother, are we just letting this girl go" Illness Scholar asked unhappily as he watched Yun Ge’s figure gradually disappear into the distance.

Ling Tiehan chuckled and patted his foster brother on the shoulder. He said with a smile, "She is only a young lady in her teens. You still have the gall to bully her Besides… Third Brother, it isn’t that I’m underestimating you. If it were a one-on-one battle, you would definitely not be this girl’s match. I never expected that Xu Qingchen actually found such an innocent maiden."

"Who exactly kidnapped Xu Qingchen" Illness Scholar frowned and asked; he hadn’t refused Yun Ge only to spite her but because Hell’s Pavilion truly had no news about Xu Qingchen.

Ling Tiehan smiled. "In this world, besides Mo Xiuyao, who else has the capability and motive to kidnap Xu Qingchen"

"…"

Not far from Yun Ge stood an inconspicuous carriage in a quiet corner. Seated inside was a handsome man clad in snow-white robes, looking like an immortal among mortals. However, at this moment, his expression was anything but celestial; it made the person opposite him feel a chill down to their bones.

Opposite of him stood the Third Young Master Xu Qifeng from the Xu Family who had only been newly married for two months. He looked helplessly at the man before him and said, "Brother, don’t look at me like that; I’m just following orders. If you’re unhappy, go find the person who gave them."

"Mo Xiuyao," Dusty Scholar lowered his eyes; he didn’t have to think to know who had given such a ridiculous order. Upon waking up and finding himself tied up, Dusty Scholar hadn’t felt alarmed at all. As expected, he soon saw Third Brother Xu Qifeng approach him with an expression of fear on his face, smiling apologetically. Clearly, only one person could come up with such an absurd idea besides the person from Li City; Xu Qifeng didn’t have the guts to do things on his own.

Xu Qifeng nodded repeatedly; he was equally unhappy about being given this nonsensical task. However, as a subordinate, all he could do was follow orders but he wished that Brother would return and find trouble for someone else.

"Hmph…Brother, it looks like Miss Shen really cares for you," Xu Qifeng said through the curtains of the carriage as he watched Yun Ge leave Hell’s Pavilion with tears rolling down her face. Her feet didn’t stop moving forward even as she continued to cry; Xu Qifeng chuckled. They had been secretly following Yun Ge these past two days and naturally knew what she was doing. Unfortunately, although Yun Ge possessed powerful martial arts skills, her experience in the world of martial artists was practically zero, so she couldn’t detect someone like Xu Qifeng who had undergone professional training.

Seeing the lonely figure of the young girl disappear into the distance, Xu Qingchen’s eyes flashed with concern and pity. He said sternly, "Are you done making a scene Let me down."

Xu Qifeng shook his head repeatedly. "No way; I received orders to bring you back. Besides, Brother… aren’t you curious as to how much Miss Shen cares for you"

Xu Qingchen remained silent.公子清塵一向是個完美主義者。 But the maiden Yun Ge was rather insensitive when it came to matters of the heart, even though she had now fully accepted her status as his fiancée. However, how much of that acceptance stemmed from feelings for him, he himself could not determine. Yet… Recalling those clear eyes filled with tears,公子清塵 felt a pang in his heart. "Let me get off!"

In the end, concern for Yun Ge outweighed his desire to know the truth. Without hesitation,公子清塵 gave up this opportunity.

Xu Qingfeng helplessly rolled his eyes and grinned obsequiously at公子清塵: "Since that's the case… Brother, I'm sorry." With a wave of his hand, Xu Qingfeng rendered公子清塵 unconscious with a strike inside the carriage. Given公子清塵's intelligence, knocking him out was the safest way to bring him back to Li City. Otherwise, even if he were immobilized, it wouldn't be surprising for him to cause trouble on the way there. Recalling the earnest instructions from Prince Ding before departure, although Xu Qingfeng found them contemptible, they did make sense.

Yun Ge hurried day and night towards Li City, but due to two groups blocking her way along the route, she returned later than expected by two days. Upon thinking of Xu Qingchen's uncertain fate, Yun Ge couldn't help but hate herself for being so useless. If she were as capable as Sister Li'er, she would surely have found Xu Qingchen instead of returning meekly to seek Li'er's assistance.

However, the scene upon entering Li City left Yun Ge utterly bewildered. The Prince Ding mansion was peaceful and tranquil, as if nothing had happened. She clearly instructed several bodyguards following Xu Qingchen to send word back to Li City. Upon interrogating a servant from the Prince Ding residence, he answered that neither the prince nor princess were in the mansion but at Xu's residence since公子清塵公子was getting married today.

Yun Ge was immediately dumbfounded and couldn't figure out what had happened. She could only stammer: "So… So… Is Xu Qingchen okay"

The servant gave her a strange look before answering: "What could公子清塵公子possibly have happen He's quite capable."

"Then… Then when did Xu Qingchen return"

"公子清塵公子returned yesterday. Coincidentally, Miss Shen also returned and will be able to attend公子清塵公子's wedding today." With a cheerful smile, the servant bowed and took his leave.

Yun Ge sat dazed at the entrance of Prince Ding’s residence, lost in thought; the guards there knew her and left her alone. Thinking about how she had roughed it outside with no shelter for days to rush back and was even robbed along the way, Yun Ge couldn't help but tear up from being wronged. Even if公子清塵didn’t want her anymore, he didn’t need to secretly return and get married. At least leave a message or something; how unfair!

Thinking about公子清塵secretly returning to marry someone else without telling her made Yun Ge even sadder. A liar! Big liar... He said he would accompany her everywhere, traveling and playing. What was this nonsense about fiancés Xu Qingchen is a big liar!

The guards at the gate couldn't bear looking at the girl's aggrieved expression; one finally asked: "Miss Shen, what’s wrong Was someone bullying you" Could it be that the young lady had really been bullied and needed to report it to Princess Ding The princess seemed quite fond of this young lady.

Yun Ge blinked her eyes silently before nodding. "What should I do if someone lies to me"

"Beat him up!" Guard A.

"Punch him!" Guard B.

"Kick him!" Guard Ding.

"Destroy him!" Guard C.

The pretty little face of Yun Ge flashed with hesitation as she hesitantly said, "No... He can't take a beating. What if I hurt him"

The guards exchanged looks; they were surprised that even in such distress, she was still worried about hurting him. It seemed like she and her lover had some kind of conflict.

"Miss Shen, perhaps he didn’t intend to deceive you. If there are any questions, it’s best to clarify them right away. Otherwise, missing out on the one you love can be a regret for life."

"The... one I love" Yun Ge's small face flushed red.

"That's right, if he has deceived you and left you so upset but you still hesitate to hit him back, could it not be that he is the person in your heart"

"This... This..." Yun Ge’s little face turned red then pale again. "What if... He doesn’t want me anymore and starts dating someone else"

"Steal him back and make him regret it." Guard A.

"Steal him back, and if he doesn't change his mind, beat him to death!" Guard B.

"Steal him back, and if he doesn’t change his mind, poison him to death!" Guard C.

Guard C was just about to start speaking when Yun Ge turned around with a smile on her face. "Got it! I’ll steal him back first."

Yun Ge didn't enter through the main gate of Xu’s residence but instead used her light-foot techniques to jump over walls directly heading towards Xu Qingchen's courtyard. Indeed, Xu Mansion was bustling; everywhere there were red lanterns and decorations hanging around, with a constant stream of people in the outer courtyards causing quite a commotion. In contrast, the inner courtyard was much quieter.

Just as she approached the entrance to Xu Qingchen’s room, faintly hearing his voice from inside, Yun Ge instantly became furious and raised her foot, ready to kick the door of Xu Qingchen's room.

"Oh my, Yun Ge, what are you doing here Come with me quickly!" Suddenly, a voice came from behind her. It was Meng Yu Ting’s. Before Yun Ge could react, she was grabbed by one arm each by Meng Yu Ting and Hua Tian Xiang and dragged away.

"Uh... Sister Ting, Sister Tianxiang, what are you doing I want to find Xu Qingchen!" Yun Ge said irritably.

Qin Zeng followed beside her and掩唇笑道smiled while covering her mouth, saying, "What nonsense are you talking Today is a big happy day; how could we see the groom now Come with us quickly. We've been looking for you everywhere."

"Find me" Yun Ge, who couldn't figure out what was going on at all, was led by Murong Ting and Hua Tianxiang out of Xu Qingchen's courtyard into another courtyard in a daze.

Then many people she knew and didn't know came to her to change her clothes, do makeup, and braid her hair. Finally, with a red veil covering her head, she was taken out to the wedding ceremony暈乎乎地簇擁著出去拜堂去了in a daze.

From start to finish, Yun Ge felt like she was in a foggy haze, completely clueless about what had happened.

When Yun Ge finally came to her senses, the wedding ceremony was over and she was sent into the bridal chamber. Under the red veil depicting mandarin ducks playing in water, Yun Ge blinked in confusion, raising her hand to lift the veil on her head. Suddenly, there was a creaking sound at the door, followed by it being opened and closed again, and light footsteps approaching.

For some reason, Yun Ge suddenly felt nervous, her palms sweaty as she tightly held onto the red bridal gown.

The red veil was gently lifted from in front of her eyes. Lifting her head, she saw a man dressed entirely in red with an elegant and graceful face, his faint smile adding to his noble appearance under the festive red color映襯得更多了幾分貴氣和喜悅。

"Xu... Xu Qingchen"

Xu Qingchen smiled faintly and leaned down to leave a light kiss on her lips, saying with a smile, "It's me. Yun Ge, we're getting married today. Are you happy about it"

“H-Happy” Yun Ge couldn't help but want to glare at him fiercely, but under his gentle gaze, her cheeks burned as if on fire, and she felt a thread of happiness and sweetness in her heart. So Xu Qingchen still wanted her and wasn't trying to secretly marry someone else

"As long as you're happy," the Scholarly Mr. Qingchen smiled gently. "From now on, Yun Ge is my wife. Here, drink this cup of He Jin wine with me." The Scholarly Mr. Qingchen passed her a cup of wine and looked at Yun Ge with a smile.

Looking into his smiling handsome face, Yun Ge felt dizzy in the head. In a daze, she picked up the cup, their arms crossed as they drank together.

A single cup of He Jin Wine, from now on to grow old together...

Beneath the bright wedding candles, this pair of perfect matches raised their cups with faint smiles and warmth in their eyes. In the distance came the sound of firecrackers, melodious music, and bustling voices, making this place even more serene...

At this moment,

The flowers have a delicate fragrance, the moon has its own shadow... to that gentle woman she had met a few times: seemingly mild and graceful but with an allure that made one want to be close to her and put one's mind at ease. That woman... who dazzled the world on t...