Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 436 Moonlit Snow
As night deepened, the majestic imperial city remained quiet. Several palace maids, carrying lanterns, walked slowly through the snow, checking the stone lanterns along the imperial road. Occasionally, they would glance up at a brightly lit palace in the distance, their eyes filled with envy as they chatted among themselves.

There's a saying in the Central Plains: "Even a seventh-rank official is no match for a prime minister." Even in this deep palace, Bieji's dowry maid is considered a princess...

"If in the future you are married off to some unruly tribe through a political alliance, and they treat your maids as gifts to be abused at will, then you'd better behave yourself..."

"Well, you can't say that. Although the grasslands and the Southern Dynasty have been at war for decades, the Southern Dynasty has now changed its name and a new empress has taken office. Who knows, she might want to make peace and trade with us... To show the friendship between the two countries, she might even marry Bieji to the Marquis of Weiming in the Southern Dynasty!"

"Hehe, you have quite the imagination..."

In front of the brightly lit palace, the gatekeeper maid was bitten on the calf by some mosquito, and her vision went black as she collapsed to the ground. She was then grabbed by the collar and thrown into a corner to be hidden.

The little white snake, of course, always stood by her mother's side. As soon as she saw Zhao Wumian and that 'fake mother' clinging together, she quickly crawled to the side hall to inform them, which led to the current scene.

Fortunately, Zhao Wumian had already dealt with the guards near the palace, otherwise Ziyi wouldn't have been able to break in so easily.

At this moment, the doors and windows of the hall were locked. The real Purple Robe was staring at the fake Purple Robe sitting on her man's lap, her arms wrapped around his neck, her pretty face flushed, her clothes disheveled, and her skirt lifted up to reveal a pair of long, smooth, white legs.

Both embroidered shoes were on the ground, and even the white sock on one foot had been removed by Zhao Wumian. Her crystal-clear toes were slightly tense and curled up, and they were smooth and translucent in the candlelight.

Using my face to woo my lover!?
Every detail of the scene before her eyes infuriated Zi Yi to the point of being unable to think. If it weren't for the fact that this was the capital of the Rong people and that important matters needed to be addressed, she would have wanted to pounce on that imposter and start fighting.

The three people inside the hall stared at each other, an extremely eerie atmosphere pervading the space.

After a moment of surprise, Meng Po saw the person in question coming and couldn't help but shrink back, a hint of guilt creeping into her expression.

Logically speaking, a vixen like her, known for her ability to disguise herself, should have been able to remain calm even if the real person caught her.

But in this situation, there really is a sense of déjà vu that the main character has bumped into a fox spirit... After all, the relationship between Meng Po and Zhao Wumian can definitely be described as 'ambiguous'.

Meng Po couldn't help but glance back at Zhao Wumian, her eyes seemingly filled with reproach, 'Didn't you say that no one could escape your senses?'

Zhao Wumian knew, of course, that Zi Yi wanted to barge in, so he coughed lightly and said:
"Didn't you hear what I just said to Meng Po?"

"Hmm?" The woman in purple glanced at him sideways, her eyes filled with a hint of ferocity. "Hand."

Zhao Wumian silently released his large hands from Meng Po's waist, and then reluctantly reminded her:
"This is none other than the famous Meng Po, a disciple of the Azure Flower Goddess Yan Rongfei, known in the martial arts world as having a thousand faces..."

Meng Po turned to look at the woman in purple, nodding repeatedly, as if to say, "I am indeed that powerful," but then heard Zhao Wumian continue:
"I could tell at a glance that she wasn't you. Doesn't that deserve some praise?"

Meng Po suddenly turned around and looked at Zhao Wumian.

You scoundrel, you actually said those things on purpose while we were being intimate, just to win that woman's favor!

A nameless anger began to rise in her heart. She abruptly pulled away from Zhao Wumian's lap, took a few steps back, her clothes billowed in the air, and stomped her feet forcefully.

"Zhao Wumian!"

"Ok?"

Zhao Wumian and Ziyi looked at her in confusion at the same time, "Why are you so angry?"

Surely she can't actually be interested in Zhao Wumian?

Zi Yi was taken aback. She looked at Zhao Wumian, then at Meng Po, and after a few seconds of deliberation, asked:
"This Meng Po... could she be a sister you met in the martial world, and not some vixen? You actually seduced the Meng Po from the Western Regions?"

Meng Po blinked, realizing that her reaction was clearly wrong... She had no connection with Zhao Wumian. Although they had talked about cooperating behind the scenes, they were still mortal enemies on the surface.

Zhao Wumian also wanted to say no, although he and Meng Po had a complicated relationship, it hadn't come to that.

Back in Shu, she pinched Meng Po because she was angry that Meng Po insisted on saving Ding Jingcheng, but it was obviously just an impulse and there was no other emotion involved.

Strictly speaking, this was only the third time the two had met.

The two did not have any direct interaction when they were in Changshan.

Their first real interaction was when Zhao Wumian saved her from Tong Congdao... At the time, Zhao Wumian thought she was just an innocent Hu woman.

Their second meeting was when Meng Po saved Ding Jingcheng's life, which actually led to a rather unpleasant situation between the two.

This is only the third time tonight.

Although they had little interaction, Zhao Wumian had already touched, stroked, and hugged her.

The two exchanged a glance, and Zhao Wumian still said, "No, my relationship with her is completely innocent."

With Meng Po's looks, status, and martial arts skills, men in the martial arts world would love to have a entanglement with her, and Meng Po was quite confident about this.

If it were someone else, they would probably have taken this opportunity to fish in troubled waters, saying things like "karmic retribution" while actually trying to take advantage of the situation and force the issue to become a fait accompli.

But why did Zhao Wumian so decisively sever ties with her?

Is there a distinction between good and evil? Obviously not, Zhao Wumian has quite a few enchanting women in his harem.

Because it's not up to him to decide this matter; it involves two people. If he were to tell others that he has a relationship with Meng Po, where would that leave Meng Po?

This put Meng Po in a difficult position.

Denying it would undoubtedly humiliate Zhao Wumian, making him unable to hold his head up in front of his wife. Look at him, he can't even handle a Western Region woman... This would also cut off any possibility of Meng Po cooperating with Zhao Wumian in the future.

But let's not deny it... Could it be that Meng Po simply went along with Zhao Wumian because he took advantage of her?
It's a difficult choice no matter which one you choose.

So it would be better to draw a clear line, so that the two of them would still be the court's unnamed marquises and the Western Regions' demoness Meng Po.

He's doing this for my sake... Meng Po quietly gazed at Zhao Wumian.

Besides, there really wasn't anything between them. When have they ever talked about love? They're too busy with important matters to even think about romance... Who in the underworld talks about love?

Zi Yi stared at the two silent figures, her eye twitching. Wasn't she the one whose man had been stolen? Why were these two now emanating a strange, sour stench?

Has she become a bad woman?

Zi Yi let out a cold laugh and immediately stepped forward to grab Zhao Wumian's ear, but not wanting to embarrass him in front of outsiders, she could only say in a cute but fierce tone:
"You're innocent and yet you dare to make a fuss with her?! I think you've been having too much luck lately, and the girls in the backyard are spoiling you... When we get back, I'll have Yuanmu and the nun give you a good talking to."

"Hey, I just wanted to teach her a lesson because she dared to disguise herself as you."

"Teach her a lesson? You won't beat her up? You dare say you don't have any lustful thoughts about her?"

Zhao Wumian was speechless.

Meng Po stood by, arms crossed, watching the renowned Marquis Weiming being scolded by his wife. She smiled broadly, finding Zhao Wumian's family quite amusing.

With Meng Po, that vixen, standing to the side, Zi Yi didn't want others to laugh at her lover, so she said a few words and then snorted coldly, glancing at her sideways.

"How long do you intend to keep using my face?"

Meng Po puffed out her cheeks slightly, and casually swept her sleeve across her face, instantly transforming from a reserved and graceful woman from the Central Plains into a blue-eyed, high-nosed woman from the Western Regions.

When Meng Po entered the palace for the imperial concubine selection, she insisted on disguising herself.

But at this moment, in front of Zhao Wumian, he reverted to his original appearance.

The woman in purple raised her eyebrows slightly and glanced at Meng Po for a few more seconds, especially at her cat-like emerald green eyes.

Even she had to admit that this woman from Hu was truly beautiful...

Seeing that the atmosphere had finally eased a bit, Zhao Wumian got down to business.

"Why are you running to the Ming capital to become a concubine? This is to select a wife for me."

"How would I know this is about choosing a wife for you..." Meng Po muttered before saying, "Besides Jiu Zhong, who else in this world could make us, the two martial arts champions of the Holy Sect, mobilize together?"

"Of course, you'll kill me..."

Zhao Wumian smiled slightly, got up and took two apples from the table next to him. He wiped them with his sleeve, handed one to Ziyi, and then sat down leisurely in the chair and took a bite of the fruit.

"But I know you won't kill me."

When Meng Po heard this, she did not refute it, but simply extended her small hand to him.

Zhao Wumian looked at her in confusion, then at the apple in his hand. "Don't you have hands?"

Meng Po rolled her eyes, leaned back on the table, and peeked out a cute, petite, white foot from under her skirt, stretching it in front of Zhao Wumian's face.

"Where are my socks?"

Zhao Wumian gazed at Meng Po's fair and pinkish soles, her delicate and warm skin, her beautifully curved arches, her five symmetrical and adorable toes, and her pinkish-flesh nails, and couldn't help but recall the feeling of touching her feet just now...

"Zhao Wumian?" Zi Yi glanced at him sideways.

Zhao Wumian silently took out Meng Po's white socks from his sleeve and watched Meng Po sit on the table, bending down to put on the socks. As her skirt swayed, her long legs could be vaguely seen beneath it.

The woman in purple watched him silently.

Zhao Wumian looked away, beginning to suspect that Meng Po was intentionally using this method to retaliate against him.

He had intended to wait for the Khan of the steppe to arrive, but at this moment he couldn't help but get up and go to the unconscious Begi.

"However, I can guess that your purpose in coming to Mingdu is for the Imperial Seal of the State... Hey, wake up."

A wisp of black energy emanated from Zhao Wumian's fingertip. The moment the eerie energy touched Bieji's face, she sprang up from the ground with a start. She looked at Zhao Wumian and the other two, stunned for a few seconds, and then her eyes widened.

"You had already infiltrated the imperial city..."

Zhao Wumian smiled slightly, "The fault is not yours. In this world, I can go anywhere I want."

After putting on her shoes and socks, Meng Po stopped talking about the awkward topic of men and women, and thus reverted to her true nature as a demoness. Hearing this, people couldn't help but look on with curiosity.

"Really? You can just go to the Empress Dowager's palace whenever you want?"

"..."

The woman in purple crossed her arms, snorted coldly, looked away, and remained silent.

Zhao Wumian ignored these words, and Meng Po, feeling bored, puffed out her cheeks again. She then stood up and went to Bie Ji, asking in a cold voice:

Where is the Imperial Seal of the State?

Although this grassland princess was a woman, she was indeed tough. Upon hearing this, she snorted coldly and closed her eyes to await her death.

"Why would I betray my country to save my own life? Just kill me."

Meng Po frowned slightly. She was no indecisive obedient girl. She immediately reached out to break Bieji's forearm and torture him severely.

But Zhao Wumian raised his hand and pressed down on her wrist, shook his head slightly, then looked at Bieji and said softly:

"You will tell me."

"I'm not even afraid of death, so why should I fear suffering? Even if you skin me alive, I won't utter a single word!" Grassland Begi glared at Zhao Wumian.

I won't hurt you.

"Why?"

"Because I'm your father."

?

Meng Po and Zi Yi both looked at him in surprise, but Zhao Wumian's expression was serious, not like he was lying.

Meng Po's martial arts skills are superior, so she can see more... Zhao Wumian's words contained internal energy, seemingly rhythmic...

Sonic Wave Technique! When did Zhao Wumian learn a sonic wave technique?

Sonic wave techniques have always been considered extremely useless in the martial arts world, not because they are difficult to use, but because they are difficult to learn. To injure someone with sonic waves, one must have extremely profound internal energy.

Even Meng Po, with her martial arts skills, could easily scatter a few flowers or fry a few fish with her sound waves.

However, if one wants to use this to injure a martial arts master of the same level, it is clearly beyond one's reach.

If someone could damage a martial arts master's internal energy with sound waves, they would be a top-tier internal martial arts expert in the martial arts world. They could kill someone with a single palm strike. Why would they need to waste their internal energy on sound to injure someone from a distance?
It's too inefficient and serves no purpose other than showing off.

However, back in the East Sea, Shamantian used this trick to deceive the disciples of the Jade Palace, making them mistakenly believe that Shamantian was Zhao Wumian...

Therefore, this move is quite useful for crushing weaker opponents, but it's rather troublesome and requires a gradual approach, taking things one step at a time. In actual combat, there's no such opportunity, so it's more satisfying to just stab them with a sword.

Regardless of what the two women thought, Bieji's eyes slowly unfocused as Zhao Wumian spoke. "Is it really Father?" "No, tell me, where are the Imperial Seal and the Heavenly Profound Dust? I've forgotten."

Bieji said softly, "The Imperial Seal of the State, I don't know... it might be in the study, but Tianxuan Chen, the previous dynasty left behind quite a few, all in the national treasury..."

"Tell me the exact locations of the treasury and the study."

"..."

"Good boy... go to sleep."

After fully grasping the exact location, Zhao Wumian flicked his finger, and his inner energy struck Bieji's neck like a heavy hammer. Her head tilted to the side, and she fainted again.

Meng Po looked at Zhao Wumian with slight astonishment, "You, you used this trick to sneak into the imperial city?"

Zhao Wumian looked at her in confusion, "With my lightness skill and stealth techniques, I can go anywhere as if it were empty, why would I need something as troublesome as sonic attacks?"

"This move requires a high level of internal energy. How did you learn it?"

Zhao Wumian smiled at her, "I have a childhood sweetheart who is seriously injured and all alone, so I've decided to suffer the same injury as her..."

"Hmm?" Meng Po blinked, not quite understanding.

Upon hearing of Tian Xuanchen's whereabouts, Zi Yi was already impatient and tugged at Zhao Wumian's sleeve, "Let's go find Tian Xuanchen!"

Now that there was news, there was no need to wait for the so-called Khan of the grasslands. Zhao Wumian stood up, patted his clothes, and then looked at Meng Po.

"The palace is dangerous; let's go together..."

Before Zhao Wumian could finish speaking, he saw that Meng Po had already disappeared from his side. The windows inside the room were wide open, and fine snowflakes drifted into the room through the cracks.

whoosh—

The wind was faint.

Zhao Wumian chuckled, "Witch."

"Isn't this the kind of thing you like?" Zi Yi snorted.

"I treat all women who are good to me well..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zi Yi lifted her skirt, pushed open the palace door, and peered out, clearly not wanting to hear Zhao Wumian spouting any more nonsense about fox spirits.

Zhao Wumian smiled helplessly, picked up the woman in purple and flew away into the night.

"With the sentries on rotation, the matter in this hall will be discovered sooner or later... We should go and return quickly."

"How are we supposed to hide from the sentries if you're holding me?"

Zhao Wumian looked down at the worried-looking woman in purple, their clothes fluttering in the wind.

"Now that we know where Tian Xuanchen is, our mission is not to steal, but to rob..."

A sentry spotted a dark figure darting through the night. With the palace gates tightly shut, he knew it must be a thief and immediately tried to raise his voice to warn them.

call out--

But before he could utter a word, a black line pierced through the snow in the darkness, passing right through his neck without any obstruction.

The sentry swayed slightly, his hands gripping his throat, his pupils wide, blood and foam uncontrollably seeping from between his fingers. He then staggered and fell into a corner of the palace.

Zhao Wumian withdrew his gaze and then smiled at Ziyi.

"They could only have signaled a city-wide alert because they discovered the bodies of these sentries, not because they found you or me..."

"They don't have the ability to light a letterbox alive in front of me."

The silver moon hangs high, faintly visible through the clouds, while fine, thin snowflakes fall slowly.

Begi is currently selecting a wife for Zhao Wumian, but no one knows where Zhao Wumian is at present. This so-called 'beauty trap' is only just beginning to take shape, so Asur is not in a hurry.

Inside the imperial study, there was little political activity; only a few lamps were lit. Asur sat at the table, brewing milk tea with the next Grand Preceptor, Canglang Khan, and said:

"Just because someone lives in the Prince of Yan's mansion at Yagu Pass, the whole city is under martial law. Wouldn't everyone be terrified? A piece of news, whether true or false, has made us so anxious. No wonder the tribes of the grasslands have recently developed something like 'sleep phobia'."

"As long as the Grand Preceptor remains in power, the so-called 'fear of sleep' is just a joke."

Canglanghan shook his head slightly and continued, "It's just that Zhao Wumian has made too much of a commotion lately, which makes him seem a bit scary. But in reality, these are all things that the Grand Preceptor did when he was young."

"Too……"

According to the tradition left by Uudam, the Grand Preceptor was the actual Khan of the grasslands, so Asur and Canglang Khan should be considered 'political enemies'.

But Asur had lived a leisurely life, and Uudam had been above him for decades. His edges had long been smoothed out, and he naturally got along peacefully with Canglang Khan.

After exchanging a few words, Asur asked curiously, "The Grand Preceptor has been missing for some time now, is there still no news of him?"

"The Imperial Advisor is always elusive, appearing and disappearing like a dragon. Where he goes and what he does are all for a reason. What difference does it make if you and I know or not?"

Upon hearing this, Asur remained silent for a while, though he was actually somewhat dissatisfied.

If Uudam had marched south with Shamantian during the Battle of Yanyun, the outcome would certainly have been different.

Unlike now, Shaman Tian is dead, the vanguard army has been terrified and its morale has collapsed, the war in Jin has been slow and fruitless, and a year has passed in stagnation.

Mingdu appeared peaceful, but in reality, it was already shrouded in dark clouds, like a bowstring stretched to its limit. The slightest disturbance would cause the string to break and the bow to snap... And just then, Uudam disappeared without a trace.

They desperately needed good news to dispel the gloom, but Asur was even more afraid that Zhao Wumian would come first and turn Mingdu upside down, rather than bringing good news from Uudam.

But when people are down on their luck, things often only get worse.

The two discussed for a moment, when suddenly someone knocked on the door and reported from outside:

"Commander, someone has reported that Zhao Wumian and his family members have been spotted on Chang Street in the North District."

The Wolf Guard Commander is the official authority of the Canglang Khan.

The Wolf Guard, to put it bluntly, is the grassland's "Imperial Bodyguard," a secret service agency.

Inside the study, both men were startled. Asur immediately stood up and shouted:
"Let's go into the hall and discuss this further!"

"Here."

A man dressed in wolf guard attire entered the house, bowed respectfully, and calmly said:
"While I was patrolling the city, someone came looking for me. He claimed to be Ding Jingcheng of the Western Regions Holy Sect. He said he had seen Zhao Wumian by chance on the main street of the North City. The two fought for a while, but the matter was left unresolved."

"Ding Jingcheng of the Western Regions Holy Sect?" Asur frowned. "How did he suddenly appear in Mingdu and even run into Zhao Wumian... Are there really such coincidences in this world?"

Canglang Khan had been feeling uneasy lately, thinking to himself that what was bound to happen had indeed come.

With their martial arts skills, their so-called intuition was actually half a prediction of the future, so he believed in it more than Asur.

"Ding Jingcheng came to Mingdu with a purpose, but after meeting Zhao Wumian, he wanted to cooperate with us to kill Zhao Wumian..."

"That……"

Canglang Khan waved his hand slightly, indicating that Asur did not need to say anything more. He quickly left the study, leaped into the air, and disappeared into the fine snow. He was going to mobilize troops to besiege Zhao Wumian.

Asur stood in the room, gazing at Canglanghan's retreating figure, sighed softly, and slumped into a chair.

Given his status, he didn't even have the authority to mobilize troops to besiege the enemy's leader, and could only stay in the capital city in a daze. It has to be said that it was truly frustrating for the Great Khan to be in such a position.

Asur noticed that after the wolf guard finished his report, he didn't leave. Instead, he got up and looked around the study's furnishings. His brows furrowed, and he asked:

"As a member of the Wolf Guard, why aren't you accompanying your commander to suppress the enemy? What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing this, the wolf guard looked over, his eyes narrowed slightly, but he suddenly smiled, raised his hand to remove his brocade hat, and with a surge of energy, the candlelight in the study was suddenly extinguished.

Her long, black hair cascaded down from inside her hat, a few strands of moonlight piercing through the clouds and falling on her hair. A few snowflakes, like glimmers of light, swayed gently in the wind, surrounding her.

As her hair danced lightly, a pair of emerald green eyes glanced at Asur and she said softly:

"Naturally, it's because I'm not a wolf guard..."

!! ?
Asur stumbled, overturned the wooden chair behind him, and sat down on the ground with a thud, staring in horror at the Hu woman in front of him.

"You, you're Meng Po from the Western Regions!?"

"It's me," Meng Po smiled slightly.

"You sent Canglang Khan away with false information!?"

"No, no, no." Meng Po raised a slender white finger and slowly stepped forward, saying:

"Seeing that I hadn't made any moves in the palace, Ding Jingcheng did report Zhao Wumian to the Wolf Guard... but I just happened to intercept the messenger who was there to deliver the message."

Meng Po smiled brightly, "I didn't lie to anyone, it's just that my Rong language isn't very fluent, and I said 'North Market' instead of 'South Market'... After all, I'm a Hu person!"

"you!"

Just as Asur was about to say something more, Meng Po raised her hand and snapped off the back of the grand master's chair, using it as a stick to knock him unconscious.

After that, Meng Po said no more and hurriedly rummaged through the study, "The Imperial Seal of the State, the Imperial Seal of the State... I've got it!"

Meng Po picked up a square white jade seal and examined it sideways by the moonlight. "This is the Nine Bells? It doesn't seem quite right... Could it be that the Imperial Seal of the State was carried around by that old codger Uudam...?"

Meng Po stood inside the house, scrutinizing the white jade seal, unaware that a figure was standing outside, silently watching her through the wind and snow.

It's wolf sweat...

Having been in charge of the palace's security for many years, he clearly wouldn't be fooled by a simple diversionary tactic...

Meng Po was focused on the Imperial Seal of the State and was slightly distracted, failing to notice Cang Langhan immediately.

However, among martial arts champions, as long as the difference in raw strength is not significant, whoever gains the upper hand will generally win...

Without hesitation, Canglang Han seized an opening in Meng Po's defenses and acted instantly.

bang——

Meng Po suddenly felt a sense of alarm. She glanced to the side and saw that the white stone imperial road outside the study had suddenly exploded, but there was no one in sight.

The wolf in sweat was already behind her.

Boom————

A deafening roar suddenly erupted from the study, the walls cracked inch by inch, and a dark figure shot out from behind the wall, carving two long cracks in the white stone path that stretched for dozens of feet before finally coming to a stop.

Meng Po was in a daze for a moment. When the scene before her eyes became clear, she was suddenly surprised to find that she was being held in Zhao Wumian's arms without her noticing.

Clang, clang—

A woman in purple, carrying an enormous bundle on her back, hurriedly ran towards the location. The bundle rattled and jingled, which was quite comical.

They clearly looted a lot of good stuff from the Rong people's treasury.

"Zhao Wumian, what's wrong with you..." Meng Po was slightly taken aback, but then she saw Zhao Wumian raise his hand slightly, indicating that she didn't need to say anything more, his face cold and stern.

Meng Po was held in his arms, looking up at Zhao Wumian's face, her beautiful green eyes widening slightly.

She also scolded her maids, feeling that they were blinded by male beauty.

Looking at it up close now... Zhao Wumian is indeed very handsome.

Zhao Wumian stared coldly ahead as Canglanghan slowly emerged from the broken bricks and rubble of the study.

The two gazed at each other silently through the snow.

----------

The next chapter will be finished, no dragging things out.

(End of this chapter)