Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

Outside the Illusionary Sound Pavilion.

The sun was scorching hot, and Song Yueyao felt like she was about to melt.

The weather is truly abnormal; it's clearly late autumn, yet Qianwu Town is getting hotter every day.

According to the old folks in town, this happens around the time of the new moon. Sometimes, thick fog rises at night, so thick that you can't even see the road. People returning home late have to carry a dim lantern and grope their way through the fog step by step.

She had intended to wait for someone in the main hall of the Illusionary Sound Pavilion, but the overpowering scent of cosmetics and perfumes inside was simply too much for her to handle.

The worst part is that she specially changed into men's clothing today so that she could practice her archery skills more easily.

At this moment, his dark hair was tied up high, and a long, narrow-sleeved brocade robe neatly wrapped around his figure, with a tight waist and gathered cuffs. If one did not look closely at the delicate beauty between his eyebrows and eyes, he would really look like a handsome and dashing young man.

Just as I was passing through the corridor, I was blocked by three flower maids.

"Young Master—"

The voice grew more and more delicate and alluring with each note, making her ears burn. She had no choice but to steel herself and quicken her pace, almost running, to hide under a tree on the street outside the Illusionary Sound Pavilion.

She had never felt so flustered and helpless, not even when she was a child living among men in a military camp. Suddenly, she understood why Jiang Zhiyu couldn't get away that day. He couldn't lay a hand on these unarmed women, nor could he curse them for no reason. He was surrounded and couldn't move an inch, so he could only dig a hole to escape.

The shade was thin, and hot winds still blew in gusts.

Song Yueyao raised her hand to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead, hoping that Wu Li would arrive soon.

But Wu Li didn't get to see Jiang Zhiyu; instead, she did.

"Yaoyao, I just went upstairs to urge him. Wu Li said he'll be here soon. I'll wait with you." He jogged over to her side and eagerly raised his folding fan, fanning her gently.

It seems that the powerful flick on the forehead just now didn't drive him away.

Song Yueyao silently turned her face away and sighed quietly.

This person's head is getting harder every day.

The breeze from the fan was indeed very refreshing, so Song Yueyao simply tilted her head back and commanded confidently, "Hurry up and fan this way."

"Hey! Okay, okay!" The familiar tone he heard instantly perked Jiang Zhiyu up. He quickly adjusted his angle, wishing he could buy more fans and grow more hands to fan himself. "Is the breeze strong enough? Is it cooler now?"

The obsequious tone made it sound like he was serving his own mountain king.

Across the street, Granny Wang, who sells melons and fruits, squinted and cast a strange glance in their direction.

She clicked her tongue, shook her head, and muttered to herself: What a pity, both young masters are quite handsome...

The world is going to the dogs, it's really going to the dogs.

Jiang Zhiyu was sweating profusely from fanning himself, but he didn't bother to wipe it off.

He was only thinking about making Song Yueyao cool off, and was vigorously waving his wrist when she suddenly snatched the fan away.

A flicker of panic flashed across her eyes for no apparent reason, and she quickly covered most of her face with the unfolded fan.

Jiang Zhiyu turned around in surprise.

At the street corner not far away, several men dressed as guards walked towards them, swords at their waists, their steps solemn. The leader held a scroll of portraits in his hand, and whenever he encountered a passerby, he would pull them up to examine them closely before letting them pass.

"They are Grand Tutor Yin's men," Song Yueyao's voice came softly from behind the fan.

Jiang Zhiyu felt a chill run down his spine. He had heard Yao Yao mention this person before. He was a powerful minister in Liangya Prefecture, second only to the emperor, and the most trusted confidant of his lord, Song Hu, who was extremely favored by him.

Years ago, it was he who advised Song Hu to send only 30,000 soldiers to fight against 100,000 barbarian cavalry.

It was he who proposed using the young Song Yueyao as a hostage to seek help from Lingyu Prefecture.

A wicked old man, treacherous to the core!

However, this Grand Tutor Yin was proficient in the Five Elements and divination symbols, could see the secrets of heaven, and claimed to know the methods of immortality.

Song Hu trusted him implicitly.

Why would Grand Tutor Yin's men, instead of staying in the capital, come to Qianwu Town?

Could it be for the purpose of the New Moon Arrow Technique?

After the guards had walked away, Wang Po, who sold melons and fruits across the street, approached her neighbor's stall and whispered to the people around her:

"Hey, did you see that? Isn't that the young master of the Luo family in the portrait?"

"Yes, yes, I saw it clearly. Didn't the Luo family suddenly fall victim to bandits a year ago, their house catch fire, and all twenty-seven people perished in the fire overnight? But the young master of the Luo family was not among the corpses. Everyone said he escaped at the time."

"Those people just now looked like they were sent from the palace. Now it seems that the rumors are probably true."

"What bandits? They're clearly just Grand Tutor Yin capturing those born geniuses to cook for our lord... to help him live longer! Who doesn't know Luo You'an, the chess master from Qianwu Town who was enlightened at the age of three? What a pity for such a kind and virtuous family like the Luos. I heard that the Luo couple refused to hand over their son, which is why they suffered this calamity of being wiped out."

Sensing that someone was eavesdropping, the two women suddenly fell silent. After a brief silence, they exchanged a glance, and Granny Wang lowered her head, silently tidying up the fruits on her stall without saying another word.

Jiang Zhiyu quietly moved a few steps and looked out over the street.

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and the lead guard's drawing paper was slightly lifted, revealing a faint image of a handsome young man with bright eyes and a gentle demeanor.

Jiang Zhiyu frowned slightly, feeling that the person in the painting looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

"It seems that Song Hu has gone mad in his pursuit of immortality, and now he doesn't even bother to hide from people anymore." Song Yueyao's low, cold voice rang out beside Jiang Zhiyu.

She had no desire to call him "father".

It is truly ironic that such a person could possess such power.

Back when my maternal grandfather was still alive, he was worried about his daughter who was under house arrest in the palace, and he was also afraid that internal strife would break out and harm innocent people. If he hadn't been so concerned about both the future and the future, he probably would have started a rebellion long ago.

Now, she wanted to use this iridescent stone to make a deal with her high and mighty father, in exchange for her mother, who had been imprisoned for many years. After all, wasn't this exactly what Song Hu wanted when he married her off to Ribai?

Song Yueyao reached out and gently pressed the small bead she always kept close to her body.

"Sister Yao, Sister Yao! Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Xiaomi's cheerful voice, like a leaping breeze, rang out from behind.

Song Yueyao's originally gloomy mood was instantly dispelled by that sweet voice.

Turning around, I saw Xiao Mi running towards me, holding a brand-new bow in one hand and two soft veils in the other.

"Here you go!" She handed over the veil with a smile. "Put this on quickly. I just borrowed it from the flower maid. The sun is strong today; it wouldn't be good if you got sunburned."

Song Yueyao spread her hands, looked down at her men's attire, and couldn't help but chuckle: "Does this veil suit me well today?"

Chai Xiaomi paused, her gaze sweeping over her from head to toe, her eyes filled with undisguised amazement.

Waaaaah—

The female lead's male disguise is absolutely stunning!

She couldn't help but stare for a while, until a low cough sounded behind her, and she finally looked away.

Chai Xiaomi imitated Wu Li, hanging the new bow on her back. Then, with a serious expression, she unfolded her veil and personally tied it on Song Yueyao: "No, you still have to wear it. Getting a tan is one thing, but getting sunburned would be terrible."

"Why don't I have one?" Wu Li's eyes darkened. Even if he were given one, he would never wear it, but he still had to ask.

"Your face," Chai Xiaomi turned and glanced at him, speaking in a serious tone, "is like a block of ice; even the sun would avoid it."

Song Yueyao and Jiang Zhiyu burst out laughing at the same time.

Xiaomi's words are quite apt.

However, Wu Li wasn't always cold-faced; he smiled quite often, but his smile always carried a hint of coldness, remaining only on the surface and not reaching his eyes.

Therefore, it is difficult for people to understand his true thoughts.

Wu Li: "..."

Why has this little mouth suddenly become so sharp?

Chai Xiaomi was secretly delighted, because the bow on her back was given to her by Wu Li. It turned out that the piece of wood he had traded for with the Crimson Blood Silkworm last night was for making a bow.

Although he simply said "bought" when he handed it to her, even a fool could guess that he made it himself.

Thinking of the blood he shed for this, Chai Xiaomi suddenly felt the bow on her back was heavy, as if it weighed a thousand pounds.

In an instant, the small figure from the illusion, covered in bruises after being whipped, was left alone to be roasted by the scorching sun.

His skin, through countless self-repairs, has long been frozen into a white that will never see the sun.

Chai Xiaomi silently tied her veil around herself, turned around and rushed to Wu Li's side, hooked her arm around his, and looked up at him: "Li Li, I misspoke just now. You are naturally beautiful, and the sun can't hurt you."

"But if you're worried about getting sunburned," she said, standing on tiptoe and gently shielding his forehead with the back of her hand, "I'll shield you from the sun, okay?"

The veil covered most of her face, revealing only a pair of clear, round black eyes that curved into small crescent moons. A smile flowed gently from her eyes, making one want to smile along with her.

Under the sunlight, Wu Li suddenly felt a little dazed.

For a moment, I couldn't tell them apart.

Is it the sun hanging in the sky, or is it this thing hanging in his arms?

Across the street.

Granny Wang squinted.

He looked down and picked out a ripe watermelon from his stall, cut it into several pieces, and munched on it while secretly admiring it.

The young lady had just finished veiling a young man when she turned around and hooked up with another, even more handsome young man.

She was caught in a power struggle between the two young masters.

Oh my god, this relationship is a mess.

The world is going to the dogs, it's really going to the dogs.