Dread King's Bride

Xiao Chenyuan was utterly exasperated by QingWu's unrestrained tongue. Fury surged in his chest, but beneath his palm was the smooth warmth of her skin, and her breath, hot and shallow, spread across his hand.

That heat was like her—brazen and unyielding, invading his senses without permission. The warmth coursed through his veins, chasing away the dark, oppressive aura that had cloaked him. It stirred something deep within, a desire he couldn't control, threatening to break free.

His expression grew grim as he suppressed the rising urge. Just as he moved to withdraw his hand, she grabbed his wrist, tugging him down. She didn't let go; instead, her grip tightened.

"Sorry, sorry! I was just concerned about you—it's a matter of a man's dignity. How about I'll ask Situ Jing to take a look at your injuries?"

The vein on Xiao Chenyuan's forehead twitched. He tightened his grip on QingWu's hand and, under her puzzled gaze, took a deep breath, enunciating each word with restrained patience: "No... need."

QingWu raised an eyebrow in suspicion, her gaze darting downward. Before she could voice her skeptical "Really?", the intensity of his glare silenced her. She quickly nodded in agreement. "Right, just a minor wound, not worth mentioning."

It wasn't even bleeding—certainly nowhere near as severe as the knife wound in her own side. Clearly, she had underestimated him.

Xiao Chenyuan: "..."

Pressing his fingers to his temples, he turned away, eyes closed in exasperation. "What brings you here?"

"To borrow your men." QingWu cut straight to the point. "I don't trust the magistrate Prefecture's efficiency. Wang Yulang's situation is dire. If we delay any longer, there might not be anyone left to save."

Xiao Chenyuan turned back, his gaze unfathomable as it locked onto hers. "You seem quite invested in Madam Mu's affairs."

QingWu, knowing he was questioning her motives, met his gaze head-on with unflinching clarity. She didn't mince words. "Are you helping or not?"

"No."

QingWu swallowed hard, her eyes widening in surprise. His voice was icily indifferent: "Mu Ying is a married woman. Bringing her to the Manor could be justified as safeguarding an 'important witness.' But the Manor shares no familial ties with her. Her son's disappearance is already a reported case. Helping to file it was the limit of courtesy. Mobilizing additional forces on her behalf would seem unnecessarily eager."

QingWu pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, her gaze carrying a newfound coldness as if seeing this man for the first time. "Unrelated," yes indeed. To him, Mu Ying was nothing more than an insignificant figure.

She had misjudged, foolishly believing he was still the spirited, passionate Crown Prince from a decade ago. Seeing the Yuanwei Courtyard, the lanterns within, she had assumed Xiao Chenyuan might still hold some sentiment for the past. She had overestimated herself. Why did she think he would cherish those bygone connections? No, perhaps to him, even in her previous life, the little County Princess QingWu of the Zhen Guo Marquis family, who had died young, was nothing more than an ordinary acquaintance from childhood.

All those emotions and memories had long been buried beneath the sands of time, distorted beyond recognition. The warmth in QingWu's eyes dissipated entirely, though a smile slowly crept onto her face. "The Dread King speaks wisely. It seems I overstepped."

With that, she turned and left. Xiao Chenyuan noticed the chill in her expression and, for a fleeting moment, it felt as if an invisible wall had risen between them. As she walked away, it carried an air of finality, as though she would never look back. His fingers twitched, then clenched tightly into a fist, his eyes following her resolute departure.

It wasn't until her figure completely disappeared that Elderly Attendant only stepped inside, puzzled. "Your Majesty, you've already sent Situ Jing, that so-called physician, into the mountains with men. Why didn't you tell her the truth?"

Xiao Chenyuan's gaze darkened, and he remained silent. Yet in his right palm, it felt as though the lingering warmth of her lips still clung to him, restless and unyielding, stirring an unusual irritation in his heart.

An hour later, a personal guard hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, the Queen has left the Manor with Madam Mu Ying. It seems they're heading toward Shiying Mountain."

"Reckless!" Xiao Chenyuan's expression sank, and he immediately rose, striding out without hesitation.

A carriage sped out of the city. Hong Rui handled the reins outside while Mu Ying lay inside, sound asleep. Lü Qiao sat by her side, glancing cautiously at QingWu, hesitant to speak. QingWu's eyes were closed, her entire demeanor exuding a chilling aura that warned others to keep their distance.

Traveling alone made searching for the child more efficient, but she couldn't shake the worry that while she was away, the Minister of Revenue's residence might come and forcibly take Mu Ying back.

At first, she believed Xiao Chenyuan wouldn't stand idly by. Now, she wasn't so sure. What if that man, finding the situation too troublesome, simply allowed someone to seize Mu Ying? Ultimately, he didn't trust her. And now, she couldn't bring herself to trust him either.

The carriage traveled for miles beyond the city, the sky gradually darkening as the golden sun dipped in the west, leaving the sky painted with the hues of a fading blood-red sunset. They hadn't stopped along the way, continuing until the road disappeared, and only after entering a dense forest did the carriage finally come to an unavoidable halt.

Hong Rui spoke softly, "Your Majesty, we've arrived at Shiying Mountain, but the carriage can't go further."

QingWu pushed the curtain aside, stepping out of the carriage. She stood on the steps and gazed into the distance, her brow furrowing slightly. A faint, metallic scent lingered in the air, detectable only to someone with a sharp sense, one that most would overlook.

Judge's Brush murmured, "Ah Wu, there's something unsettling in this mountain."

QingWu narrowed her eyes, "I can tell. This mountain has a spirit. It's close to the capital, near the place where dragon energy converges. Normally, the spiritual energy here would be abundant, but the aura here is muddled. The stench of blood seems to linger, and the divine energy is weakening. Something's off."

"Shiying Mountain, huh. Looks like the name wasn't just for show." QingWu's mind started to formulate a plan. Turning to the two women, she instructed, "Stay here in the carriage and take care of Madam Mu Ying."

The two women were stunned. "This... how can we allow this, Your Majesty? At least one of us should accompany you..."

"No need," QingWu shook her head and jumped off the carriage. After a moment's thought, she drew an irises flower on the carriage shaft.

After the petals and leaves were connected, a line of mysterious symbols appeared. This was a magical seal QingWu had created herself to suppress demons.

"Remember, after the sun sets, don't leave the carriage. Ignore anyone who calls you, even if it's me." With those words, QingWu headed up the path without looking back.

"Your Majesty..." Lü Qiao was anxious, but in the blink of an eye, QingWu's figure had already disappeared into the distance.

Hong Rui sighed in helplessness, "We'll follow the orders. With the Queen's abilities, us trailing behind might just slow her down."

"You're right, but the Queen really cares about Madam Mu Ying. Isn't she supposed to be the daughter of Yun HouXing? It doesn't make sense for her to care so much about Madam Mu Ying."

"Who knows? It's good that she wants to help Madam Mu Ying," Hong Rui whispered, "After all, Madam Mu Ying is the Princess's cousin. If the Princess were here, she definitely wouldn't stand for her cousin being bullied like this."

Lü Qiao nodded, "We didn't get a chance to repay the little Princess for saving our lives, so we must make sure to take good care of Madam Mu Ying."

As they spoke, both women felt the ground tremble slightly, as if someone was riding towards them, and the sound of several horses could be heard approaching.

The two women exchanged wary glances. As they spotted a familiar group of people in the distance, marching quickly toward them, they were stunned. The leader of the group was... "The King?"

Xiao Chenyuan pulled the reins with one hand, stopping his horse. "Where is Yun Qingwu?"

Lü Qiao pointed towards the deep mountains. "The Queen... The Queen went up the mountain alone."

Xiao Chenyuan frowned, his gaze catching the vibrant iris painted on the carriage shaft. His eyes narrowed. He pointed at the flower. "Who painted this flower?"

"It was the Queen."

A sudden tightness gripped Xiao Chenyuan's chest as an absurd thought flashed across his mind. In the past, he had taught a little girl to paint irises, and this one looked so much like it... almost identical.

"Leave two people to guard here. The rest of you, come with me into the mountains!"