Lord of the Desert

Chapter 580 Prejudice
"There's one more thing, and after much consideration, I still feel I should tell you."

Xiao Chu gathered his hair with his right hand and with his left hand he pulled it back from Hong Fan's waist to the corner of his clothes.

“My father and elder brother have some prejudices against you.”

Hong Fan's gaze was inquisitive.

He had never met the Crown Prince alone, and had only met the current emperor once, so he did not notice anything wrong at the time.

"I've talked to them about you on several occasions."

Xiao Chu carefully adjusted his words, not wanting the other party to realize that the conversation was about marriage.

"Whether directly or indirectly, they are clearly wary and distant towards you; I've pondered this repeatedly, and it seems it's not directed at you personally, but rather at your status as a Star Lord..."

As the apple of the eye of the Xiao family of Shenjing and the eldest daughter of the reigning emperor, Xiao Chu still felt that she did not understand her father—because Xiao Ce's ambitions were so far-reaching and otherworldly that even his closest confidants could hardly understand them.

The emperor, with his heart of iron, was already aware of this. If it were just about acknowledging a short-lived son-in-law, he wouldn't have put the emperor in a difficult position at all. After all, death is an inevitable part of being human, and the overwhelming grief it causes will eventually be diluted by time.

Unless the death of a beloved was caused by the father.

Xiao Chu was a clever man who could be fooled for a while but not forever, and once the plan of the Xiao family of Shenjing and the Supervisory Council succeeded, it would be impossible to hide it from them.

Hong Fan remained outwardly calm, but his heart was already pounding.

Where does the destiny star come from, and where is it going?
All his worries and anxieties stemmed from this since last year's Dragon Festival.

Far from the eye of the storm in Shenjing, Hong Fan knew less than Xiao Chu about many things, but he had exclusive and absolutely accurate intelligence.

The First Emperor is dead.

While Zi Wuchang certainly represents the death of a demon god's spirit, considering that Zi Wuchang's existence is different from ordinary beings and resembles a group of bacteria, its resurrection is not unreasonable.

According to official historical records, the power of the Destiny Star was cut off by the First Emperor from the Thousand-Eyed Demon God; since the Demon God has risen again, it is only natural to take it back.

Even if Hong Fan was unaware of the current situation of the Thousand-Eyed Demon God, the stance of the gods, or the relationship between the Xiao family and the Demon God, no matter how they were arranged, the Star Lord who usurped divine power would only be on the opposite side.

This doesn't even include the Dragon Soul Tree.

If the Dragon Soul Tree is directly related to the Ancestral Dragon, then everyone in the world can be a dog for the Thousand-Eyed Demon God, except for him, who may not be qualified.

"I understand."

Hong Fan nodded calmly.

"There is ample time……"

Even with Wu Xiangling's intervention, his words of comfort still carried a hint of rust.

Hong Fan had fully experienced how passionate and sincere Xiao Chu's feelings were during their embrace; he also believed that the other party had felt his feelings in return.

If it weren't for their identities and circumstances, perhaps the two would have already made vows of eternal love and stayed together for life.

Unfortunately, love is relative.

For ordinary people, it is as high as the sky and as wide as the sea, enough to support a lifetime of greatness.

For Superman, life is as fleeting as the wind and as ephemeral as water, only able to shine for a moment.

The altitude gradually decreased.

He and she locked eyes for a very brief moment.

The mountain clouds retreated to the edge of the world, and the grasslands embraced the two at their feet; looking further, the roots of the rainbow had disappeared, leaving only the remnant arc at the top hanging in the void.

Xiao Chu put her boots back on and braided her hair back into a plait.

The tiger-eating beast and the dragon-horse were already waiting tactfully.

The two rode back.

Before meeting Hu Zhuang, whom they had been waiting for, they had already negotiated a new batch of rifles and artillery orders between Shengyu Army and Kaiming Company in concise and restrained language.

······
The residence is right next to the Fengsui City Commandant's Mansion; the Four-Sided Pavilion is modeled after the Shen Mansion in Xijing, only much smaller in scale.

Shen Tiexin knelt with his hands on his knees, looking at the homemade food box that had been returned because its owner was not there, and fell into a silent rage caused by jealousy.

She stayed in the city for several months, and although she often met with Hong Fan under the guise of business, she never had the opportunity to go out together.

As it turned out, that person accomplished it as soon as they arrived.

Princess Xiande's visit was not kept secret, but it was not a big deal either.

Besides Shen Feiche, the battalion commander of the Red Sand Army, there are more than ten members of the Shen clan who are each performing their duties. Now, this force has naturally become Shen Tiexin's flank, making every effort to facilitate the marriage between the young lady and the lord.

Obtaining firsthand information was not difficult for Shen Tiexin; the difficulty lay in how to handle it.

Under the pavilion, Lingxi, with her cheeks puffed out, was beyond furious.

She complained that Young Master Hong was biased and encouraged Miss to take the initiative, while privately reminiscing about her family's bold and fearless style when they were in Xijing.

However, Shen Tiexin was afraid and refused to confront the situation directly.

Of course, she wasn't afraid of Xiao Chu.

First-class aristocratic families hold a transcendent status, with the Xiao family even possessing the throne. However, for a prominent family like the Shen family of Xijing, who are the elite of the entire state, everyone is a subject of the First Emperor, so there's no need to fear rivalry or jealousy. "Miss, are you hesitating because you're afraid of losing face?"

The handkerchief in Lingxi's hand had been twisted into a pretzel.

"Decent?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Tiexin even felt a little dazed.

Dignity was no longer something she cared about.

Shen Tiexin was invincible and could get whatever she wanted in Xijing, but after chasing her to Fengsui City, she was humbled to the dust—even her title of "the most beautiful woman in the world" was mentioned less and less after she made her pursuit of Hong Fan clear.

While the rose is indeed beautiful, it is far from being the most outstanding of all flowers; the reason people praise it is more because of its thorny rejection.

Now that this thorny flower has pulled out its own thorns and bowed its head, it is trampling its reputation underfoot as firewood, sacrificing itself as a foil to the "Blazing Star".

Shen Tiexin, of course, didn't care about any of that.

What she cares about is Hong Fan's attitude.

Intervene, provoke, and meddle... these are all things that the Shen family's daughter excels at, so there's no technical problem with it.

But once the truth comes out, at this uncertain time, if she hears the words "I like Xiao Chu, not you," she will no longer have the right to stay here.

"Lingxi, tell Shen Xichen that the profits of the trading company can be reduced even further. Crushing the Iron-Melting Palace is the most important thing."

Shen Tiexin loosened his fist, which he had been clenching for a long time.

"You mentioned before that the railway from Xijing to Guangji City is still raising funds? Send a letter to Jia Ziyong to ask how big the shortfall is. If no one invests, then I'll fill the gap."

"understood."

Lingxi nodded, then hesitated before asking another question.

"Should we spread some word to the young master? Otherwise, wouldn't we be throwing our charms at a blind man..."

The young master was referring to Hong Fan.

Shen Tiexin shook his head.

"Why, Miss? That Xiao fellow is bullying us..."

Lingxi stamped her foot.

"Just do as I say and go."

Shen Tiexin glared at her coldly.

Seeing this, Lingxi could only shut up and walk away, holding her breath.

There was no one else in the pavilion, only the occasional chirping of cicadas.

Shen Tiexin took a few deep breaths, changed from kneeling to Vajra posture, and tried to enter meditation using the family's "Ice Realm" visualization method, but failed several times.

Really noisy.

She unleashed icy energy, withering the green trees and silencing the cicadas.

"it's nothing."

Shen Tiexin suppressed his breath and whispered.

"What difference does it make if we meet once or take a trip? In Fengsui City, I might not see him every day, but I can see him every few days. As for Xiao Chu, is it once or twice a year?"

She tried to convince herself several times, but the more she talked, the angrier she became, feeling as if she were trapped in an unspeakable suffocation, like a fish out of water.

Upon opening the food box, I found a bowl of poached chicken with red bits still on the bones, and a plate of stir-fried lettuce and pork slices, both carefully arranged and completely cooled.

A hand-sized, colorful glass bottle was squeezed into the corner of the dish, containing a dozen or so hard candies that were just as clear and carefully selected as the bottle itself.

Tears fell, freezing into ice beads on the skin.

"I've been choosing you all for so long..."

Shen Tiexin lifted the glass bottle and placed it in the light. He saw the sun shining through the glass, casting neat, angular patterns on the wooden table.

The icy liquid exhaled and exhaled, covering the bottle and sugar with a frosty white coating. Then, with a sudden smash, the ground was covered in frosty dust.

Shen Tiexin recalled the first time he saw Fengsui City after crossing Juehou Mountain—the low, dark, and barren city lay in a corner on the banks of the Ling River, with remnants of snow and yellow grass scattered on the bare earth as far as the eye could see.

The world is clearly barren and vast, yet it feels crowded when only two loves are crammed in.

A meeting of minds is rare indeed.

Shen Tiexin took out a stack of documents from the bottom cabinet of the bookshelf. The documents contained detailed information about the sons and daughters of middle-class wealthy families in Xijing.

Lingxi is already eighteen years old and hasn't practiced martial arts yet. If she doesn't choose a husband soon, it will delay her career...

As she thought this, she silently wiped away her tears.

(End of this chapter)