Chapter 88

“There you are.” His voice was emotionlessly calm.

They looked at the silver-haired man at the same time and saw that he was not sitting on the throne but standing before the desk aloofly. It seemed that he had waited for them for a long time.

“This time, you want the Wind Stopping Bead!” His voice was still indifferent.

Xuanyuan Mo looked at the silver-haired man with a straight face and gave no reply. Duanmu Xi also stood next to Xuanyuan Mo quietly.

“You can’t take away the Wind Stopping Bead!” Seeing neither of them respond to him, the silver-haired man spoke again.

With his eyes getting dark, Xuanyuan Mo parted his lips, “I must get the wind spiritual fruit!”

Xuanyuan Mo’s voice was not loud but deep, which was irresistibly overwhelming.

The silver-haired man’s lips curved into a smile. He seemed to be satisfied with Xuanyuan Mo’s answer.

“Come with me,” the silver-haired man said and then walked out of the palace.

Xuanyuan Mo and Duanmu Xi exchanged glances and then followed the silver-haired man.

After zigzagging forward, the silver-haired man finally stopped in front of the peach woods.

The silver-haired man said to Xuanyuan Mo casually, “This is the Illusion of Peach Woods. As long as you can pass the Illusion of Peach Woods, I will lend the Wind Stopping Bead to you. Here is the tip. If you cannot come out within three days, you can never get out then.”

Xuanyuan Mo looked at the beautiful peach woods and narrowed his amber eyes, “Deal.”

Then, Xuanyuan Mo directly dragged Duanmu Xi into the peach woods without taking a look at the silver-haired man.

After Xuanyuan Mo and Duanmu Xi left, a silver-haired boy appeared next to the silver-haired man. The boy took after the silver-haired man to a great degree.

“Father, why do you agree to lend them the Wind Stopping Bead?” The voice was that of the male Immortal Crane dancing on the grass.

The silver-haired man’s eyes turned dark again. A moment later, he finally said slowly, “They are here for the wind spiritual fruit. Without the Wind Stopping Bead, they couldn’t take away the wind spiritual fruit.”

The silver-haired boy was still confused. He asked again, “Isn’t it better that they cannot take away the wind spiritual fruit?”

The silver-haired man turned to look at the peach woods and slightly squinted his silver black eyes, “They enter the valley for the wind spiritual fruit. They won’t leave without it. In order to get the wind spiritual fruit, they will definitely come to snatch the Wind Stopping Bead. By then, a dispute will be caused.”

The Immortal Cranes were naturally meek and peace-loving so they live in the Wind Valley in seclusion to guard the wind spiritual fruit.

He could tell the couple was capable, especially the man. By then, even if they managed to keep the Wind Stopping Bead, a lot of their people would be sacrificed. Besides, if the couple ran out of the Wind Valley, chances were more people would be brought into the Wind Valley. This was the last thing he wanted.

The silver-haired boy nodded with a hazy notion.

Looking at the young man’s confused facial expression, the silver-haired man stroked his head amiably and asked, “Which one is the more important, the wind spiritual fruit or Wind Stopping Bead?”

“Of course the Wind Stopping Bead,” the young man answered without thinking. Losing the wind spiritual fruit wouldn’t affect them much. Besides, even if the wind spiritual fruit was picked, it would regrow. A few thousand years were rather short for the clan of Immortal Cranes. However, without the Wind Stopping Bead, they couldn’t live in the Wind Valley at all.

The silver-haired man heard that and then nodded, saying, “That’s right. Therefore, as long as we keep the Wind Stopping Bead, there won’t be any problem.”

“But do we just give the wind spiritual fruit to them so easily?” He was quite perplexed. Wasn’t the mission of the Immortal Cranes to guard the wind spiritual fruit?

The silver-haired man turned to look at the peach woods again with dark eyes, “Of course not. They still need to pass the trial. Only those who pass the trial can obtain the wind spiritual fruit.”

The Illusion of Peach Woods was their trial. Only if they got out of the Illusion of Peach Woods could they get the wind spiritual fruit.

Xuanyuan Mo and Duanmu Xi entered the peach woods together but the scenes they saw were completely different.

“Where am I?” Duanmu Xi was dumbfounded to see the magnificent palace.

“This is the imperial palace of the Baihu Empire. Unexpectedly, the peach woods just transfer us to the imperial palace of the Baihu Empire.” Xuanyuan Mo was also dazed to see the familiar palace. Obviously, he didn’t expect the peach woods to be a teleporting formation.

Speaking of the peach woods, Duanmu Xi became vigilant immediately and then let go of Xuanyuan Mo’s hand secretly. After observing for a while secretly, she suddenly shouted, “Mo.”

Xuanyuan Mo suddenly turned around with his amber eyes turning dark, saying coldly, “You are not Xi. She never calls me Mo. Who on earth are you?”

Duanmu Xi let out a sigh inwardly and then raised her head with a smile, saying, “Snow, I’m Xi. I was kidding!”

Xuanyuan Mo also breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that. He walked to her and held her hand tightly, whispering to her, “Everything here may be illusory. You must be careful.”

Duanmu Xi nodded and looked around with alertness.

As a gale blew by, Duanmu Xi shrank her neck, thinking that the illusion was too real.

Suddenly, she felt much warmer. A black cloak was put on her.

She turned to look at Xuanyuan Mo who put the cloak on her and then felt relieved. With Snow around, she was not afraid wherever she was.

“Your Highness.” All the eunuchs and palace maids greeted Xuanyuan Mo upon seeing him.

Xuanyuan Mo only paid attention to Duanmu Xi on the way without looking sideways. He didn’t cast a glance at the eunuchs or palace maids at all.

“Mo.” A surprised voice made the two of them stop.

“Father.” Xuanyuan Mo frowned and didn’t look happy.

Duanmu Xi also raised her head and then saw a handsome middle-aged man staring at Xuanyuan Mo with a surprised facial expression. This man was Snow’s father. They did look alike.

“Great. Mo is really back. I must hold a feast tonight.” Xuanyuan Lie seemed able to see Xuanyuan Mo only and paid no heed to Duanmu Xi next to Xuanyuan Mo.

At the welcome feast at night.

Xuanyuan Mo and Duanmu Xi sat together. Xuanyuan Mo was serving Duanmu Xi dishes thoughtfully.

“Since you are back, you should get married as soon as possible. I’ve picked a girl for you, the legitimate daughter of the left prime minister, Luo Shishi. She will be your wife…”

“No!” Before Xuanyuan Lie finished his words, he was interrupted by Duanmu Xi.

Duanmu Xi was boiling with rage, her dark purple eyes were sparkling with fury.

“Who is this girl?” Xuanyuan Lie seemed to have just seen Duanmu Xi with a glint of amazement crossing his black eyes. Then, he looked at Xuanyuan Mo in confusion, waiting for the latter’s introduction.

“She is Duanmu Xi,” Xuanyuan Mo introduced briefly.

“Duanmu Xi? You are the crown princess of the Zhuque Empire?” The amazement in Xuanyuan Lie’s eyes was replaced by aversion.

Hearing Xuanyuan Lie’s question, the people at the feast all started to gossip.

“It turns out that she is the useless crown princess in legend…”

“How can such a total wreck deserve to be with Prince Zhan?”

“Exactly. Look at her coquettish appearance. She must be a flirt…”

“Shut up! If any one of you dares to utter another word, I will kill him.” His cold voice was overwhelmingly suffocating.

Xuanyuan Mo’s yelling just sent the hall into complete silence.

Xuanyuan Mo held Duanmu Xi and rose, staring at Xuanyuan Lie coldly, “My wife can only be her.”

Xuanyuan Lie looked at his favorite son and then waved his hand resignedly, “In this case, you may as well choose an auspicious day and get married. You are not young now. It is time that you should get married.”

“Thank you, Father.”

The wedding was scheduled three days later. Time fleeted.

Duanmu Xi, dressed in a red wedding gown, nestled against the arms of Xuanyuan Mo who was also wearing a wedding suit. She felt as if dreaming now.

“Snow, am I dreaming?”

“Silly, we are married. How can you be dreaming?” Then, Xuanyuan Mo bent down and wanted to kiss Duanmu Xi.

Suddenly, Xuanyuan Mo let out a groan and covered his chest, staring at Duanmu Xi in disbelief with his amber eyes.

Duanmu Xi struck the dagger at Xuanyuan Mo again. Xuanyuan Mo faded away instantly, together with the surroundings. Duanmu Xi immediately returned outside the peach woods.

Duanmu Xi looked back at the peach woods with retrospective fear. Everything in the illusion was too real. She almost got stuck in there. She wondered whether Snow had got out. Now, she was a bit worried about Xuanyuan Mo.

Now, Xuanyuan Mo was still struggling in pain in the illusion.

“Look! He is the monstrous man…”

“My mom says his mother is a monster that will eat people alive. We must stay away from him…”

“He is just a monster…”

The way they looked at him as if staring at a monster pricked Xuanyuan Mo’s heart. He was not a monster. Yet, he could only say it in his heart because no one would listen to his explanation.

A white snow wolf was tied up on the sacrificial altar, dying with its eyes closed.

“Monster. Monster. Burn it off…”

The crowd’s cries made Xuanyuan Mo fluster. He struggled to run onto the sacrificial altar but he just couldn’t.

“Stay away from my mom. She is not a monster…” He could only cry like that but no one paid attention to him.

The firewood under the sacrificial altar was lit up. The fire engulfed the familiar figure bit by bit.

“Mom…” He shouted hysterically, which reverberated through the sky.

Suddenly, Duanmu Xi outside the peach woods felt as if her heart were twisted. Pain just swept all over her body.

Duanmu Xi covered her chest in pain and felt that she could hardly breathe. Something must have happened to Snow.

“Snow…” Duanmu Xi shouted at the peach woods and then wanted to break into the peach woods again. However, the moment she reached the edge of the peach woods, she was bounced back by an intangible power.

“Snow…”

Xuanyuan Mo in the Illusion of Peach Woods seemed to hear Duanmu Xi’s voice and then suddenly came to his senses.

Xuanyuan Mo shouted, “Murdering Heaven Sword.” Instantly, the Murdering Heaven Sword arose.

Holding the Murdering Heaven Sword, Xuanyuan Mo directly flew to the sky and slashed down. Instantly, the illusion was broken and everything faded away with the wind.