Lord of the Desert

Chapter 526 Youth
"Thank you, Your Highness."

Hong Fan's left arm was wrapped in thick bandages and immobilized with a splint.

He wanted to make tea for the two of them, but Xiao Chu took the tea set from him as soon as he took it out.

"You're practically crippled, what are you pretending for?"

She skillfully took tea from the tea cabinet and brewed it.

"'Half-crippled' is an exaggeration. It's just a minor injury that breaks a hand, and it will be resolved in ten days."

Hong Fan smiled, showing no outward sign of nervousness.

"That's true, but Yi She's injuries are much more serious than yours."

Xiao Chu brewed the tea and poured it for Hong Fan, himself, and Tang Xingqing in turn.

“Last night, someone from his household went to the palace to ask for medicine. It is estimated that his bones and meridians were severely injured.”

"It must be because of that last act of bravado; in fact, Hong Beom had held back."

Tang Xingqing took a sip of tea and said.

She looked exceptionally thin in her fitted dress today.

"It's not that I held back. After that broadsword move, the outcome was already clear. To use any more force would be too much."

Hong Fan replied.

"You are quite restrained towards Yi She, but Yi She is extremely resentful towards you."

Perhaps because the tea used was rare, Tang Xingqing unconsciously drank it a little faster.

"It's taboo for the superior to bully the inferior on the Prodigy Ranking; I was also taken aback by Yi She's fierce tone when I saw his challenge in Duanli City. So how exactly did he and you end up facing off?"

Xiao Chu poured himself more tea without looking up.

"It's nothing serious, just some misunderstandings caused by different backgrounds and positions."

Hong Fan used an ordinary tone.

"You know, I don't usually cause trouble, but I don't back down easily when something really happens; Yi She is a member of the royal family, so it's no wonder he can't stand me."

Tang Xingqing nodded in response and thanked the princess for the tea she had served.

Inside the quiet room, a poor scholar spoke eloquently, while two ladies from noble families were poised and graceful; they got along quite well.

Just then, a series of messy footsteps came from outside.

It was Qu Luoyi who arrived.

He and Gu Yixin arrived first this time, so they stayed directly in the guest rooms of the Hong Mansion. After that, everyone who arrived, regardless of their relationship with the person, stayed at the inn.

"Hong Fan, are you done entertaining your guests?"

Qu Luoyi shouted at the top of her lungs as soon as she entered the courtyard.

Last night, he displayed the style of a fighting emperor, accepting all comers and drinking all night long. This morning, when Hong Fan left the Ye residence, he was still seen holding a wine jar, and he is still not fully sober.

As is well known, Qu Luoyi is highly unpredictable in his speech, so Hong Fan hurriedly went out to greet him.

"What's up, Qu?"

“I’m fine, so I came to find you; if you’re also fine, let’s find something to do.”

Tang Xingqing heard the sound of someone pulling at her sleeve.

"I am entertaining guests in the study."

Hong Fan declined.

"You've been here for quite a while. Did you accept the gifts? If so, let them go."

Qu Luoyi's speech was unclear, and he mumbled incoherently.

"Such a joyous occasion, it's so boring staying at home. You know Qingchangju, we ate there last time. Yesterday, Shi Yuanwei told me about Tingxiaoyuan on the same street, which is the top brothel in the capital, definitely a cut above Mingyuelou in Xijing! This time, taking advantage of your great victory, let's go check it out. Even the courtesan should get a discount..."

"You know I never go to brothels."

Through the window, Xiao Chu noticed that Hong Fan's voice sounded noticeably dry.

"I know that, but why? Is your kidney really not working?"

"Nonsense! I'm just keeping myself clean."

"What do you like? Homosexuality?"

The sound of tugging at a sleeve.

Tang Xingqing was stunned for a moment, feeling quite disillusioned with the top genius of Tianpeng Mountain.

"How about I ask Brother Gu to go with you? He's either working or practicing martial arts all day, so he's lacking experience with women. I'll cover all your expenses."

Hong Fan went straight to the point.

"That makes sense, that makes sense, it's easy to talk to you!"

Qu Luoyi grinned immediately upon hearing that the meal was free.

The sound faded away.

With one person missing from the study, the atmosphere subtly shifted.

"Miss Tang and Hong Fan met thirty years ago, right?" Xiao Chu asked gently as he poured tea.

"Yes, Your Highness may call me by my name."

Tang Xingqing replied, "It's rare for me to present myself as a dignified lady."

"I remember a rumor that you were originally enemies, but later turned enemies into friends, which became a beautiful story."

Xiao Chu was just chatting casually, but to Tang Xingqing, the word "friend" sounded rather jarring.

"Yes, the Feng family's perverse actions have been witnessed by the people of the three counties; at that time, I, like everyone else, thought I had no choice, but they brought a second option."

She smiled wryly.

"Speaking of which, Hong Fan and I had just made it onto the list of prodigies back then. In those two years, he was also cursed with the Po Jun star, which allowed him to pacify three counties. A year later, he marched on Shengzhou."

Xiao Chu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

The word "after" is usually ordinary, but it tastes rather unpleasant coming from the mouth of the person in front of me.

He remained silent in the study for a short while.

As Tang Xingqing reminisced about the past, she gazed absently at the incense burner on the table, and couldn't help but recall the bits and pieces of Longqiu Town.

At that time, she asked Hong Fan who was more beautiful, herself or Shen Tiexin of Xijing, and only received a sneer. Now, seeing Xiao Chu, whose reputation was even greater than Shen Tiexin's, she was more beautiful than herself, but not by much.

"Does Xingqing like this stove?"

Xiao Chu followed Tang Xingqing's gaze and asked.

"This cloisonné enamel lotus scroll incense burner was specially chosen by me when I was preparing this house. It contains ambergris incense cakes, which can help calm the mind. These items are all imperial treasures and are not available outside. If you like them, I can give you one."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I cannot accept a reward without merit. Moreover, I have practiced martial arts since childhood, striving for solidity and rarely relying on external aids."

Tang Xingqing shook her head.

Most people wouldn't have the confidence to refuse a princess's advances, but Tang Xingqing could.

The three prefectures are vast. Now that the Feng family is gone and the Gong family is destroyed, only two major families remain. In Duanli City, the Tang family basically has the final say in everything. As the Tang family's martial arts prodigy, Tang Xingqing's influence in the three prefectures is far greater than Xiao Chu's influence in Shenjing.

"Why should Xingqing keep people at arm's length? Human strength is limited. Using external tools can achieve twice the result with half the effort. It's fine."

Xiao Chu smiled and offered his advice.

"Your Highness, external connections are important, but people are fundamental; as long as you have the right people, everything you want will come."

Tang Xingqing spoke earnestly.

She was not stupid; she could sense from the beginning that Xiao Chu had a close connection with this mansion and this house, and was more like a half-host than a guest.

But things are things, and people are people. Besides, "Thousand Stars" is inherently more stubborn in adversity.

"You are a top talent on the list. As expected, a chosen one of heaven has his own persistence."

Xiao Chuyuan made a statement.

"It's not about clinging to the past; this is simply the path I've come from."

Tang Xingqing smiled.

His refined smile held a hint of world-weariness, but even more so, it exuded confidence.

“I am born out of wedlock, and everything that others are born with, I have to earn myself. Apart from my talent in martial arts, everything I have now comes from no one else—isn’t Hong Fan the same?”

Xiao Chu was stunned upon hearing this.

Can all the entanglements, resentments, and illusions of the human world be resolved by practicing martial arts?

Even someone as capable as Guan Qimai was exhausted.

She instinctively wanted to argue, but then realized it was pointless.

Because Princess Xiande was the same way.

At the age of fourteen, she officially began cultivating the "Purple Cloud Dragon Transformation Scripture," dreaming of making her name on the three lists—at that time, she did not know that even with the best medicine, food, and teaching skills, it would still take her eleven years to break through to the Innate Realm.

At sixteen, she had studied military books and earnestly begged her father, the emperor, to let her join the army, dreaming of conquering the world. At that time, she did not know that she would be besieged by the sea tribes on the border of Zhanzhou, and she could only hope for reinforcements.

Whether she is famous throughout the world or a princess, she has been busy with the food and pay of the Shengyu Army recently. How can she say that she is not in a sorry state?
In the thirty-third year of Zhenghe, Xiao Chu was already thirty years old and no longer had the mindset of a teenager. In contrast, although Hong Fan was eight years younger than her, it seemed that he had skipped the stage of youth from the very first day they met.

The best time of life is when you're young, and this girl is experiencing the old days that have already passed for me...

As Xiao Chu thought this, he suddenly felt relaxed, and his gaze towards Tang Xingqing became somewhat warmer than before.

"Xingqing, you bought a house two alleys away, right? Indeed, spatial distance is not unimportant."

she asked.

"how do you know?"

Tang Xingqing's brows furrowed slightly.

"I grew up in the capital, so I'm naturally well-informed. Don't worry, I didn't mean anything by it. If you need any help in the future, you can send someone to my residence."

Xiao Chu smiled.

"I've been very busy these days and can't stay any longer. When Hong Fan returns later, please say goodbye for me."

After saying this, she poured Tang Xingqing one last cup of tea and then went out.

(End of this chapter)