His Highness the Madman gave in again today.

Mo Sangyu, unusually proactive, asked, "Is it alright if I just find you pleasing to the eye?"

Feng Xingyu was flattered and secretly pleased.

His thin lips couldn't help but curl upwards slightly.

"Alright, I know Ayu loves me. Let's eat first, or it'll get cold."

Despite his words, Feng Xingyu couldn't resist and lowered his head to kiss her lips, rubbing them like a big dog.

Mo Sangyu patted his head and did not refute his words.

Do you love him?

The answer is yes.

After finishing their meal, Lu Jin and his men successfully retrieved all the horses and continued their journey through the night.

After leaving this barren mountain, we are finally about to enter the territory of Qingyue Kingdom.

As dawn approached, the distant mountain shadows appeared and disappeared in the thin mist.

Two hundred miles from the Qinghai-Vietnam border lies a rocky mountain range.

Everywhere you look there are tall, strangely shaped rocks.

Some resemble crouching giants, some stand like giants, and some lean as if they might fall over at any moment.

The carriage wound its way through the rocky mountain path, which was just wide enough for one carriage to pass. The stone walls on both sides scraped against the wheels, making a screeching sound.

The morning light filtered through the cracks in the rocks, casting long, thin shadows on the ground.

The Imperial Guards had stayed up all night, their eyes were bloodshot, and they all yawned, feeling sleepy and exhausted.

Yu Chengwei lay sprawled on the horse's back, utterly exhausted.

Upon reaching a wide-open space, Lu Jin reined in his horse and glanced back at the carriage.

The carriage curtains were slightly lifted, revealing a glimpse of Feng Xingyu's sleeve.

It was already dawn, but this time he did not leave on time.

Mo Sangyu leaned on his shoulder, glanced out the car window, and heard Feng Xingyu's deep voice in her ear: "Awake?"

"Um."

Mo Sangyu looked up at him: "Aren't you going back?"

"No rush."

Feng Xingyu said, "We'll be at the Qingyue border soon. This is their last chance to make a move. I'll go with you into the border area, and then we can continue."

Mo Sangyu looked at him with a smile: "What, are you afraid I can't handle it?"

Feng Xingyu's gaze moved down from her face, landing on her abdomen, before quickly shifting away: "Don't be afraid."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty."

Just then, Lu Jin's voice came from outside the car window: "Let's rest here for a while, have something to eat, and then continue."

"Mm," Feng Xingyu responded.

The line stopped.

Yu Chengwei slid off the horse, his legs buckled, and he almost knelt on the ground.

He stood holding onto the saddle for a while before he recovered.

Five imperial guards also dismounted, some massaging the shoulders, others rubbing the legs.

Actually, traveling wasn't very tiring. The main problem was that I was exhausted from chopping down those stiff zombies last night. They also threw me around several times, making me dizzy and lightheaded.

Lu Jin took the water bag off the horse, took a sip, and handed it to Yu Chengwei next to him.

Yu Chengwei took it and gulped down a few mouthfuls.

Just as everyone took out their dry rations, ready to grab a quick bite, Lu Jin glanced casually into the distance, and his breath caught in his throat.

In the distance, atop a tall boulder, stood a person.

Backlit, the face is not visible.

Only an outline could be seen, thin and straight, like a sword stuck in a stone.

The morning breeze ruffled his robes, making them rustle.

He stood there motionless, staring at them below, and it was unclear how long he had been standing there.

Lu Jin couldn't sense the person's presence, nor could he determine whether the other party was hostile.

Inside the carriage, Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu exchanged a glance. He was about to get up and leave when Mo Sangyu stopped him: "Don't you need to conceal your identity?"

"Wear a mask."

Feng Xingyu pondered for a moment, then leaned close to her and said, "Let your husband be the Empress's slave one more time."

"..."

Is being a slave addictive?

Mo Sangyu rolled her eyes at him, flipped her hand, and a silver mask appeared in her palm. She put it on him and covered his red eyes.

Then they got off the carriage together.

"General Lu, Lord Yu."

Seeing that everyone was tense again, Mo Sangyu comforted them, "Relax and continue eating."

Her words immediately put everyone at ease.

She stood slowly beside the carriage, her slender fingers lightly brushing her sleeves. She exuded no fierceness, yet a lazy and relaxed aura, with an absolute suppressive presence, slowly spread out.

Like a deep pool of still water, seemingly calm on the surface, but in reality unfathomable.

Feng Xingyu, standing beside him, wore a silver mask that covered his eyebrows and eyes, revealing only his hard, cold jawline.

He did not deliberately release his power, but the aura of authority emanating from him, like an invisible net, silently spread towards the distant mountain peak.

That was a chilling aura forged through countless battles and life-or-death struggles.

It is unassuming, yet enough to make the surrounding air seem to freeze.

Even the morning breeze sweeping through the mountains seemed to be stopped by this aura, no longer howling freely.

The figure high above remained standing in place, its originally straight and upright posture stiffening almost imperceptibly.

There was no eye contact, no verbal confrontation, yet the battle between the strong had already begun invisibly.

A hint of apprehension flashed in his eyes.

He could sense that the two seemingly relaxed people were actually watching his every move.

If he dares to make any rash moves, he will be completely crushed in the next instant.

It seems.

There's no chance anymore.

When Lu Jin looked at the opposite rock again, he realized that the person had already quietly left.

He couldn't help but frown.

Isn't this person here for them?

No, it couldn't possibly be such a coincidence that it happened here.

So, were they scared away by His Majesty and the Empress?

Lu Jin once believed that he was already a top expert in the Nine Provinces Continent, and that he feared no one except for Grandmasters.

It seems that there are still many talented and extraordinary people in this world whom he does not know, whose martial arts are all above his own. He still needs to continue to cultivate diligently.

After resting for half an hour, everyone continued on their way.

In the afternoon, the team finally arrived at the border pass between Qinghai and Vietnam.

The officials from the Ministry of Rites, along with the border guard and a troop of honored soldiers, were already waiting outside the pass.

Mo Sangyu, supported by Feng Xingyu's hand, slowly stepped down from the carriage.

Upon seeing this, the Vice Minister of Rites on the opposite side immediately led everyone forward, bowed respectfully, and dared not look around.

"This humble official, Qingyue, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, greets Your Majesty the Empress of Dachen. Your journey has been arduous. My King has already instructed me to come here to respectfully welcome Your Majesty and your entourage."

He adopted an extremely humble posture and spoke with utmost respect.

After all, the Great Chen Kingdom is powerful, and they dare not be negligent in the slightest.

Mo Sangyu nodded slightly, his tone cool yet polite: "Thank you for waiting for me, Your Excellency."

The border guard standing next to Vice Minister Liu inadvertently glanced at Feng Xingyu, who was standing beside Mo Sangyu.

The man wore a silver mask, stood tall and imposing, and exuded a commanding presence. Even though he was just standing quietly, people dared not look him in the eye.

The garrison commander's heart skipped a beat as he secretly tried to figure out who this person was.

Judging from his position, he must be one of the Empress's most trusted confidants, not an ordinary attendant. He is even more undeniable than the general next to him.

He remained completely silent throughout, exuding an aura of unapproachability.

The garrison commander quickly averted his gaze and lowered his head.

Yu Chengwei stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice to the Qingyue group.

"We are here on the orders of His Majesty the Great Chen to escort Lord Shen's remains back to our country. We now hand over Lord Shen's remains intact to your country for inspection and acceptance."

Having said that, he gestured to the Imperial Guards to remove the black cloth covering the ice coffin.

A pure white ice coffin suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.

The coffin exuded a faint chill, and even from a distance, one could feel the biting cold.

Both Vice Minister Liu and the border guard were taken aback.

They had never seen such a strange coffin before.

Although it is already very cold in Qingyue Kingdom, the journey from Dachen was long and arduous. Even with the most careful protection, Shen Hanzhou's body would have long since decomposed and become unrecognizable.

They even prepared tools in advance to collect the remains.

But the ice coffin before us was shrouded in cold air, clearly a rare treasure capable of preserving remains.

The guard was the first to regain his senses and carefully stepped forward to examine the ice coffin.

Through the smooth surface of the ice coffin, one could clearly see Shen Hanzhou lying peacefully inside.

His clothes were neat, his face was peaceful, as if he were asleep, without the slightest sign of decay, and he was more intact than anyone could have imagined.

The commander stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

He quickly stepped back to Vice Minister Liu's side and said in a low voice, "Intact, Lord Shen's body is not damaged at all."

Vice Minister Liu was startled and quickly stepped forward.

After seeing the scene inside the ice coffin, he was stunned and stood there.

His eyes were filled with shock and astonishment.

He had already prepared for the worst.

For a moment, the respect in their eyes increased when they looked at Mo Sangyu and his group.

Unexpectedly, Da Chen went to such lengths to protect the remains of their envoy from a small country to this place.

Minister Liu was deeply moved and bowed to Mo Sangyu again, his tone becoming even more earnest: "Your Majesty, esteemed officials, the Emperor has gone to such great lengths this time, and the entire nation of Qingyue is truly grateful to the Emperor."

Mo Sangyu's forehead twitched involuntarily upon hearing this.

Exhausted efforts?

I don't think so.

Escorting Shen Hanzhou was just a side thing; what she was interested in was the person behind the scenes.

This makes me feel a little unworthy of it.

Yu Chengwei showed no humility whatsoever, accepting the offer as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

nonsense.

He was terrified the whole way, it was no easy feat!

"Lord Liu, since there are no problems with Lord Shen's body, it can be handed over to you."

"Yes, yes."

Vice Minister Liu responded repeatedly, and the garrison commander quickly led a few men to help move the ice coffin away. However, he looked at Mo Sangyu and the others with some uncertainty.

"Um, this coffin..."

"Since Lord Shen has already used it, it's yours now," Mo Sangyu said generously.

It's not anything valuable.

Compared to the gifts Shen Hanzhou had given him before, these were simply insignificant.

Upon hearing this, a hint of emotion flashed in the eyes of the garrison commander.

This truly reflects the demeanor of a great power.

"Your Majesty, everything inside and outside the pass has been arranged, and the post station has been cleaned up. You have all had a long journey, so please enter the pass and rest for a while."

Thank you for your trouble.

The group followed Vice Minister Liu to the post station they had arranged.

The border region is harsh, but the inn's courtyard was quite clean, the rooms were warm, and everything was well-prepared.

"Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, please rest here for the night. After a night's rest, you can continue your journey to Qingyue Imperial City. His Majesty has prepared a welcoming banquet for you all. We hope Your Majesty and the two lords will do us the honor of attending."

Mo Sangyu nodded.

The group dismounted and got off their carriages, then went to the post station to settle down.

Feng Xingyu followed her into the room, and only spoke softly after closing the door: "No one should make a move once we enter the country. But we still need to be careful once we enter the capital. After all, the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. If you want to take the initiative, you must wait until I arrive before you act."

Mo Sangyu looked at him with suspicion.

Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt that Feng Xingyu was particularly worried about her during this trip.

"Feng Xingyu."

She looked at him seriously: "Tell me the truth, is there something you're hiding from me?"

"..."

There's nothing I'm hiding from her.

"You don't think I'm pregnant, do you?"

"..."

Phoenix travels in silence.

Mo Sangyu rubbed her forehead, her face inexplicably feeling hot.

Lately, she has indeed been having trouble thinking clearly and has been excessively sleepy, which does seem to indicate that she is pregnant, and she herself has even suspected it.

but.

She secretly took a pregnancy test, but it came back negative.

Her periods have always been irregular.

I've only been here once since I returned to this body, and I haven't been back since.

Noticing that Feng Xingyu seemed a little disappointed, Mo Sangyu reached out and gently rubbed his face: "What's wrong? Disappointed?"

"without."

Feng Xingyu's thin lips curved into a smile as he pulled her into his arms, letting her sit on his lap: "I'm not disappointed, I'm just worried about what if you get pregnant..."

"Are you afraid that, like our mothers, your vital energy will be absorbed by the fetus?"

Once again, Mo Sangyu's words came true. Feng Xingyu chuckled and looked at her with tenderness and affection: "You really can't hide anything from me."

He used to dream of having a child with Ayu.

But ever since he learned that both his and Ayu's mothers had suffered greatly during their pregnancies, one dying and the other injured, he began to worry.

If Ayu would feel the same way, then... he would rather not have children.

But he still held onto a sliver of hope and a bit of wishful thinking.

Perhaps they won't.

"Don't worry, my constitution is different from theirs."

Mo Sangyu was quite confident about this.

"Even if I end up like them, I still have ways to come back. Besides, nothing's even happened yet, and you're already worrying unnecessarily. Aren't you tired of that?"

"Um."

Feng Xingyu didn't argue with Mo Sangyu, and obediently nodded: "Understood."

Although he said that, his concerns remained unchanged.

"Ayu, then promise me you won't act alone."

"Okay, I promise."

……

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, everyone got ready and set off for Qingyue Imperial City.

As is widely known, Qingyue is a small country, but it is actually extremely mysterious.

The entire country is rooted deep in the northern border of Kyushu, surrounded by layers upon layers of towering mountains, with steep cliffs and bottomless valleys all around.

Outside, there are naturally formed treacherous passes, protected by ancient and eerie martial arts mazes. Even if ordinary people know the route, they can easily lose their way if they break in and never get out.

It's no wonder that over the years, very few people have been able to truly see the full picture of Qingyue Imperial City, let alone annex it.

With local officials leading the way, they avoided mazes and dangerous areas, and the originally long journey was completed in just three days, allowing them to successfully reach the Qingyue Imperial City.

"Your Majesty, we've entered the city."

Both Yu Chengwei and Lu Jin were deeply moved along the way.

Now that they had arrived at the foot of the imperial city, the sight they saw made them feel that their trip had been worthwhile.

I never knew houses could be built in a place like this!

They've really broadened their horizons and gained a lot of knowledge!