Part 2
The current body had just woken from a major illness and was exceedingly frail. Yun Wuxiang pondered and pondered until he actually fell asleep.
This body was too weakâthis point needed to be repeated more than three times.
Yun Wuxiang stayed in bed for half a month. On the second day he was finally able to walk, he managed to work himself back into a critical condition.
After multiple attempts to circulate cultivation techniques to improve the body’s constitutionâonly to end up on the brink of death every timeâhe reached a conclusion. The frailty of this body could not be changed. Such were the rules of this small world, a concept similar to how techniques were suppressed in the mortal realm.
The restrictions here were even stricter than in the mortal realm. The world consciousness outside often fell asleep, and when it was awake, it had too many things to manage to keep a constant eye on one spot.
But the rules here were ever-present.
A monarch ruling a country might not see a small white flag raised in a remote border village from the tallest building in the capital. But standing on a roof and seeing one person among a crowd in the courtyard raising a white flagâthat was easy and clear as day.
Unable to take shortcuts, Yun Wuxiang picked up basic medical texts to extend his own life.
The method to leave the small world was simple: die, and he would return to his original body. But he had come here to find the Black-and-White Floating Life Flower. He hadn’t even seen a shadow of the flower yet; how could he die?
Besides, Song Yilou had lived here for over a dozen years. There was no way he could be outdone by that ghost.
The white-haired youth calmly turned a page in his medical book.
“Little Prince!” Yun Tianqing pushed the door open, letting out a cry of dissatisfaction the moment she saw him.
Yun Wuxiang spoke before she could: “I am wearing thick clothes, I have a hand warmer, my shoes and socks are tidy, and my health is fine. Furthermore, I have been lying down for over half a month; proper movement is beneficial for recovery.”
“But you didn’t close the window! It rained lightly this morning, and itâs cold outside…” Yun Tianqing shut the door and strode to the window, closing it tight.
He had actually forgotten that. Yun Wuxiang fell silent as he was submerged in Yun Tianqingâs incessant nagging.
The aftereffect of nearly dying several times was that, in Yun Tianqingâs eyes, he had become a fragile object teetering on the edge of deathâa flower bud that would wither if ignored for a second.
She checked on him at least three times a day, and that was the frequency now that he had stopped experimenting. When he was sick, that number was multiplied by ten.
Even Yun Xinyang had never been this annoying in his ear; that boy was afraid of him.
But Yun Tianqing wasn’t afraid. She even tried to make him wear another layer.
He hadn’t worn this many layers of clothing since the day he was born. Yun Wuxiang felt like a bloated onion.
“What are you servants even doing? How many times have I told you to pay attention to the environment around the Little Prince? Before and after it rains, the doors and windows must be closed tight!”
Yun Tianqingâs scolding shifted to the servants. Truthfully, she was more responsible for Yun Wuxiangâs care than they were.
Because of this, the servants disliked her and had tried several times to poison Yun Wuxiangâs mind against her in private.
Yun Tianqing always called him “Little Prince,” a title that sounded slightly distant, yet she managed the affairs of the Generalâs Manor with perfect legitimacy.
Not long ago, Yun Wuxiang had learned of their relationship from the servants. They were siblingsâhe was the legitimate son, and she was an adopted daughter. There were also rumors that she was born to the Generalâs mistress, citing the fact that her face was seventy percent similar to their late father, Prince Suning.
The late Prince Suning, Great General Yun Lan, was the First War God of the State of Yu’an and the only prince with a different surname. His military achievements were so great there were no more titles to give him. A month ago, he and his wife died together on the battlefield. Their son was ambushed by assassins on the way back to the capital to report for duty; he was heavily poisoned and didn’t have long to live.
The mention of assassins was basically a loud speaker announcing that there were problems with the deaths and injuries of those threeâthere was a conspiracy, a mastermind.
None of this concerned Yun Wuxiang. He wasn’t the real Princeâs heir.
“A-jie.” Interrupting Yun Tianqingâs loving lecture, Yun Wuxiang said, “Help me replace this batch of servants.”
Their whispering of ill words about Yun Tianqing in his ear was far too deliberate.
“Does the Little Prince also find them incompetent?” After taking over the household, Yun Tianqingâs gaze had become increasingly intimidating. In just half a month, she had developed an aura of authority. With a single glance, the already guilty servants couldn’t say a word.
“I will select a new batch of loyal servants for you.”
Yun Wuxiang: “I have read some medical books and wish to check A-jieâs pulse to practice. Is A-jie willing?”
“Whatâs there to be unwilling about? Here, check as you please.” Yun Tianqing rolled up her sleeves and sat opposite Yun Wuxiang, extending her arm with bold frankness.
She didn’t think much of it when she extended her arm, but seeing Yun Wuxiangâs expressionless face, her heart began to thump uncontrollably.
With that expression… could there be something wrong with her health? Surely not.
Yun Wuxiang: “A-jie.”
“Here!” Yun Tianqingâs loud response echoed through the room.
“Ahem, Little Prince, how is my pulse?” Yun Tianqing picked up her dignity as the elder sister, straightening her expression to look mature and reliable.
“Strong alcohol harms the body. Drink less.” Yun Wuxiang released her wrist.
Yun Tianqing said sheepishly, “I didn’t drink that much…”
Yun Wuxiang exposed her: “You drank no less than three jars yesterday.”
“You can tell even that from a pulse?” Yun Tianqing whispered to herself.
Yun Wuxiang planned a healthy drinking limit for her: “Three jars a day is unacceptable. At most, one jar every three days.”
“Cough, three days… Little Prince, you should rest well. Iâm going to pick out some new servants for you.”
By the time she finished the sentence, she was already out the door. Her last syllable merged with the sound of the door closing. She even took the kneeling, offending servants away with her.
Only Yun Wuxiang remained in the room. He slowly rose and walked to the bronze mirror.
The youth in the mirror wore at least a dozen layers of clothes, yet his frame was still slender. Several bouts of illness had drained his color and weight; his lips were pale, leaving only a pair of eyes as deep as the sea.
His thin fingers brushed aside the stray hair on his forehead. A faint black phoenix mark seeped into his skin; a second later, the area was smooth once more.
The Azure Sky Seal was playing dead, but the Demon Phoenix Seal was active.
Yun Wuxiang lowered his hand, his mind made up.
Regardless of whether she was the reincarnation of Daozun Tianqing, once he found the Black-and-White Floating Life Flower, he would take her back to the Azure Sky Temple as well.
That night, Yun Tianqingâs adjutant came to find him, looking troubled and helpless. “Prince, Commander Qing is drunk. Could you… go bring her back? You don’t need to get closeâjust stay twenty meters away and let her see you. The Commander has very good eyesight.”
Under the candlelight, Yun Wuxiangâs shadow stretched long against the wall. He pulled his gaze from the medical book and glanced at the adjutant. “She is drunk?”
“Yes.” The adjutant felt an immense pressure; even his own slight intoxication vanished.
He suddenly regretted it. Alcohol leads to trouble! Why did he have to come find the Prince? He should have just waited for the Commander to wake up on her own. Itâs not like this was the first time.
“Let us go.” Yun Wuxiang stood up and instructed a servant to bring an extra cloak.
The adjutant asked dazed, “Go where?”
Yun Wuxiang: “To bring Yun Tianqing home.”
A girl getting drunk in a military campâif he didn’t bring her back, was he supposed to let her stay with a bunch of drunks all night?
The first time he left the manor since entering the Floating Life World was to pick up a drunkard.
As the carriage entered the military camp, the noise became clearer.
“Whoâs ambushing me?!” Yun Tianqing gave a sharp shout, followed by the sound of something heavy slamming against a wall.
Yun Wuxiang pulled back the carriage curtain. He witnessed the elegant young girl throwing a burly man against a wall with her bare hands. The contrast was no less jarring than Lin Daiyu pulling a willow tree out of the ground.
His worry for Yun Tianqing seemed a bit redundant.
Beside the carriage, two drunks held wine jugs, chatting idly.
“Why is Commander Qing so energetic today? Did she take some vitality pills?”
“Bah, shut your mouth. Commander Qing is a woman.”
“Oh, right, I forgot about that. Strange, even though Commander Qing has the face of a peerless beauty, why can’t I feel even a shred of ‘tender pity for a flower’?”
“Because she sent you flying with one palm this morning, smashing two trees and breaking your arm.”
“Hiss… now that you mention it, I think my arm is starting to hurt again.”
“Hahaha! Xiao Chanyun called me A-jie! He even cared about my health and told me to drink less… Hey, do you have a younger brother?” Yun Tianqing grabbed the collar of the person nearest to her and asked.
“No.”
“Then youâre too pathetic. You don’t understand what a cute existence a younger brother is.”
“…”
Yun Tianqing let go and randomly grabbed the next soldier: “Hey, you got a brother?”
“I do.”
“Your brother definitely isn’t as good as mine.”
That soldier was also truly drunk. He retorted without thinking, “Who says? My little brother is the… hic… cutest brother…”
Thud.
Before he could finish, he was laid out on the ground by Yun Tianqing. “Youâre drunk. Youâre talking nonsense. My brother is the most… mm, the cutest brother.”
“A-jie, letâs go home.” A white fox-fur cloak stepped into the crowd of drunks dressed in dark military uniformsâa crane among chickens, drawing all eyes.
Yun Tianqing giggled foolishly. “Okay, letâs go home.”
The drunk was put into the carriage. Before boarding, Yun Wuxiang looked at the adjutant who had followed them, now cowering to the side. “Are you awake now?”
After being hit by the cold wind all the way, the adjutant was mostly sober. He nodded. “Awake, awake.”
Yun Wuxiang: “I will not interfere in military matters; I leave those to A-jie. However, as for the people who send A-jie wine… I wish to know who they are.”
Adjutant: “Yes, yes.”
It was over. Everything was over. If Commander Qing found out he had brought the Prince here, the blame for the alcohol ban would definitely fall on his head. It was over!
“Itâs over. Everything is over.” After a night of heavy drinking, Yun Tianqing woke up clutching her quilt with a dazed expression, her long hair looking like a birdâs nest. “My image in front of my little brother… is completely ruined.”
After having a silent breakdown in her room, Yun Tianqing began to worry about her brotherâs health today.
The scent of wine and blood in the military camp was so heavy; would it clash with his constitution?
The more she thought, the more worried she became. Yun Tianqing quickly made herself presentable and ran all the way to Yun Wuxiangâs courtyard.
The entrance was behind the window. As she passed the window, she heard her brotherâs low voice.
“Song Yilou.”
The legs that had already passed the window retracted. She opened the window and stuck her head over the wall to lock eyes with the person inside. “Little Brother… Little Prince, why are you mentioning the name of the Emperor of the neighboring State of Songxuan?”
Yun Wuxiangâs expression was unreadable. “Emperor?”
Song Yilou could actually be an Emperor? Are the people of the neighboring country doing okay?
Yun Tianqing misunderstood his question. She put a finger to her lips in a conspiratorial gesture.
“Shh! Speak softly about such things. Although the Emperor of Songxuan is a capricious tyrant, the one in our country is an even bigger fool who can’t tell right from wrong. He even keeps a pack of lapdogs who abuse their power and spout nonsense. If you say the word ‘Emperor’ at home, heâll think youâre planning a rebellion.”
Is any word you just said not more serious than mine? Yun Wuxiang pushed Yun Tianqingâs wrist, letting her own finger press against her lips, returning the advice.
“A-jie, keep your voice down.”
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