The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 405 Emergency Situation
Zhao Ti was quite tired during the journey, after all, he hadn't slept for very long the night before.

Upon entering the school, he felt even more tired and listless. When asked why, he simply said that he had been studying hard for the autumn exams and had forgotten to check the time until dawn.

The day passed in a daze. After school, I was eager to go home and rest. I parted ways with Mo Xun by the Jade Belt Bridge and walked along the river towards Sihai Street.

Just as they had walked a short distance and turned into Sihai Street, a clear voice suddenly came from the side: "Young Master Zhao."

Zhao Ti turned his head and was taken aback; it was Zhuge Qingqing.

"Miss Zhuge...you haven't left Yuzhou?" he asked in surprise.

"Does the young master want me to leave so badly?" Zhuge Qingqing's face was still veiled, but her eyes shone like stars.

“No, that’s not it…” Zhao Ti said awkwardly, “I thought Miss Zhuge was just passing through and had already left.”

"My daughter will be leaving tomorrow," Zhuge Qingqing said softly.

Zhao Ti breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, but he couldn't show it on his face. He said regretfully, "If you ever travel the world again, please come to Yuzhou as a guest. I will certainly do my best to be your host."

Zhuge Qingqing smiled and said, "Young Master Zhao, can't you fulfill your duties as a host now?"

Zhao Ti said, "Of course, but I am unprepared today and do not have much money on me, so I am afraid I will not be able to entertain Miss Zhuge with great hospitality."

Zhuge Qingqing said, "The essence of hospitality lies in the word 'affection.' It is the affection that is being shown, not the hospitality itself. Besides, I am wearing a veil, so it is not appropriate for me to eat. Please just buy me a cup of fruit and sweet soup."

Daqian Sweet Soup is a specialty, sold in both local markets and markets. It is made by juicing seasonal fresh fruits, adding rock sugar, and briefly boiling it with well water. After cooling, it is served chilled.

Zhao Ti nodded: "We still have enough money to buy fruit and sweet soup. Miss Zhuge, please come with me."

Zhuge Qingqing smiled, her eyes crinkling like crescent moons, and followed Zhao Ti forward.

Zhao Ti grew up here and was naturally familiar with everything on Sihai Street. Although there was no place that sold sweet soup separately, there was a teahouse a hundred paces away that did.

They arrived shortly after and asked Zhuge Qingqing to choose first. After some deliberation, she finally chose a plum-flavored drink, while Zhao Ti chose a peach-flavored drink.

The sweet soup was supposed to be served in an elegant cup, but Zhuge Qingqing said she didn't want to drink it here, so she asked the shopkeeper to put it into two small gourds, which the two of them carried forward.

Zhao Ti hesitated to ask to go home, partly because it would be impolite, and partly because he feared that Zhuge Qingqing would follow him, just like last time. It was alright at night then, and no one noticed, but now he didn't know how to explain it if his parents saw him during the day.

"The scenery along the river to the north is quite nice after you cross this street. Would you like to take a walk there, young master?" Zhuge Qingqing said.

“Okay.” Zhao Ti nodded. Not far north of Sihai Street, near the Yujiang River, there was a sparse but continuous grove of trees with many flowers, plants and strange rocks, where one could enjoy the scenery and rest.

Although he was extremely tired, he had no other choice. He thought he would just go and make the trip. After all, he hadn't drunk the sweet soup yet, and the other person would certainly not want to drink it in public. He decided to see it through to the end and wait until they finished drinking before asking them to leave, so as not to offend them and tell them to leave as soon as possible the next day.

As they spoke, the two walked along the street. There were many pedestrians on the street, looking hurried, as it was almost time for dinner. Some were going home, and some were buying rice and vegetables. There were more people than at any time during the day.

As the crowd surged, the two stood very close, and a faint fragrance wafted from Zhuge Qingqing, causing Zhao Ti's heart to pound wildly.

Thinking back to that day when the other person used their lightness skill to pull me forward, they were even closer than they are now, but I didn't feel it this way. I don't know why now.

At this moment, he walked on the outside, with Zhuge Qingqing on his left. He carried a small gourd filled with sugar water in his right hand and swung his left hand back and forth, seemingly very relaxed.

Just as he was about to reach the end of the street, his left hand suddenly rose up on its own for no apparent reason. Zhao Ti was taken aback, but he then used his arm to lower the hand, and there seemed to be nothing too unusual about it.

Zhuge Qingqing asked, "What's wrong with Young Master Zhao?"

Zhao Ti shook his head: "It's nothing. It's probably just that my hand is a little stiff from reading and writing too much."

Zhuge Qingqing said, "Young Master, you are diligent in your studies, but you should pay attention to rest. You are not as strong as others because you do not practice martial arts. Studying not only consumes physical strength but also mental energy. You must take good care of your health in your daily life."

Zhao Ti glanced at her in surprise upon hearing this, wondering why she was so concerned. He said, "Thank you for your advice, Miss Zhuge. I understand."

The two then walked out of Sihai Street, went into Tongjiang Road, and soon arrived at the Yujiang River.

When the weather is nice, the banks of the Yujiang River are very lively, whether it is day or night, but this time is an exception, because it is dinner time and there are hardly any people to be seen, as everyone has gone home to eat.

The two strolled along and soon came to a long grove of trees, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, with a pebble path leading into it.

Zhuge Qingqing smiled sweetly: "Does Young Master Zhao often come here?"

Zhao Ti thought for a moment, not knowing what she meant, and said, "I used to come here often when I was a child to play, but later I went to study at the state school and had no other distractions, so I stopped coming."

Zhuge Qingqing smiled and said, "Young master, please come in and have a seat."

Zhao Ti nodded, and the two walked into the woods. It wasn't very dense, but rather sparse with flowerbeds and other structures, and mostly with artificial hills and large rocks where people could sit and rest.

The two walked along the gravel path, but did not see a single person. They could only hear the sounds of birds returning to their nests, the rustling of insects preparing to emerge at night, and the occasional appearance of crows watching from above.

"Let's sit here for a while," Zhuge Qingqing said, looking ahead.

“Okay…” A huge stone slab lay across a large tree ahead. Zhao Ti walked over first, brushed off the dust, and then turned back to say, “Miss Zhuge, please.”

Zhuge Qingqing said, "Young Master Zhao, there's no need for such formalities. You should be the first to sit down."

Zhao Ti shook his head, thinking to himself, "But now you're all about formalities and etiquette. That night, when you dragged me away, you didn't care about anything, acting like a witch from a folk tale."

He said, "Miss Zhuge, let's go together."

After the two sat down, Zhao Ti shook the candied hawthorn in his hand: "You should drink it quickly, it's not so cold anymore." The candied hawthorn is usually chilled with ice, and the ice is mostly frozen in winter and stored in cellars, which can last until autumn before melting and becoming unusable.

As he spoke, he first raised the gourd and took a sip, the sweet and cool taste refreshing and invigorating.

Zhuge Qingqing glanced at him, then slowly lifted a corner of her veil, revealing her pointed chin, as white as snow under the moon, which made one's heart flutter.

She took a small sip, her eyes revealing a joyful expression. Her eyelashes drooped slightly like butterfly wings, making her appear exceptionally beautiful and delicate.

Zhao Ti took another big gulp, leaving only half of the gourd. He wanted to urge Zhuge Qingqing to finish it quickly so he could go home soon, but seeing her savoring it slowly, he didn't dare to remind her.

One was that her words were too abrupt, and the other was that the other party was not some delicate, refined lady; she possessed astonishing martial arts skills and was armed with divine weapons. Although she appeared gentle at the moment, who knew if she harbored any murderous intent towards him or might suddenly attack him?

"Young master, what are you thinking about..." Zhuge Qingqing looked at him with her beautiful eyes when she saw him silent.

Zhao Ti said, "How can I say that? Hurry up and drink so you can leave. I'm in a hurry to go home." He replied, "It's nothing. I just remembered the article that the teacher explained in class today."

Zhuge Qingqing asked, "I wonder what kind of article it is? Could you tell me about it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti couldn't help but groan. As the legitimate daughter of a noble family, you must have been well-versed in literature and martial arts since childhood. What kind of writing do you expect me to give you? Even the lectures given by the local school teachers are probably already tiresome to me.

He said, "Well... I really don't know what to say. I can barely manage poetry, but my writing and scholarship are really my weaknesses. How could I possibly be of any use to Miss Zhuge?"

Zhuge Qingqing said, "Young master is too modest. As the saying goes, if you only write one good poem in a long time, you can say it was a lucky coincidence or a sudden inspiration. But you wrote 'Luo Fu Ci' and 'Qing Qing Ge' in one day, and before that, you also wrote the masterpiece 'The evening sky threatens snow, shall we drink a cup together?' This is because you have accumulated a lot of knowledge and experience, and your talent has finally blossomed. If your poems are good, how can your writing be bad?"

Zhao Ti thought to himself that he absolutely could not explain the article to her. The article was too long and he would not finish explaining it in a short time, which would delay his return home. He said, "It is indeed not good. Understanding is one thing and explaining is another. Even if I understand the meaning of the article, I cannot explain it well. Just as not everyone can be a teacher, learning does not necessarily mean being able to explain it."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qingqing looked at him for a few moments and said softly, "If you don't want to tell me, you should just say so. Why use such an excuse?"

Zhao Ti scratched his head: "Miss Zhuge, I really..."

"Then, young master, please tell me about the poem 'The sky threatens snow at night.' Since it was written by you, it shouldn't be a problem to tell you about it, right?" Zhuge Qingqing said.

"This... is fine." Zhao Ti glanced subtly at the gourd containing the sugar water in her hand, thinking to himself, "Why don't you drink it? Why did you stop after just one small sip?"
He was feeling a little anxious at that moment, and then, with a slight tremor of his left hand, he suddenly shot out like lightning, grabbing straight for Zhuge Qingqing's candied hawthorn.

Huh? Zhao Ti was startled. What was going on? Why was his hand moving on its own?

He could feel that his hand was still his own, but suddenly a great force was pulling it toward Zhuge Qingqing.

Zhao Ti was surprised. "What are you trying to do? I just wanted her to drink faster, I didn't mean to help her."

He never imagined he could move with lightning speed, after all, he had never learned martial arts, how could he be so fast?

But this time it was different. His left hand was like a star chasing the moon, running away like lightning, and in just a moment he grabbed Zhuge Qingqing's slender hand...

Originally, he went to grab the gourd, but since Zhuge Qingqing was holding it, he directly grabbed her hand, which was equivalent to grabbing the candied gourd.

"Ah?!" Zhuge Qingqing exclaimed. Although she was highly skilled in martial arts, she had no defenses against Zhao Ti at all. Moreover, Zhao Ti's attack was incredibly fast. The two of them were sitting too close together. Even if they were prepared, they might not have been able to dodge it, let alone when they were completely unprepared.

“Young Master Zhao…” Zhuge Qingqing’s gaze fell on the hand being held by the other party, then she turned her eyes to the side and looked at Zhao Ti with a slightly cold expression.

Zhao Ti felt his head was about to explode. What was going on? Why was his left hand moving on its own? It grabbed out without his command.
"Miss Zhuge..." Zhao Ti said, trying to pull his arm back, but a strong force pressed against his arm, making it impossible for him to pull it back even a little bit.

You! Zhao Ti stared intently at his left hand. Although he felt that Zhuge Qingqing's small hand was as warm and smooth as jade, he had no mood to savor it. He just wanted to pull it back quickly to avoid further rudeness and disrespect.

But to everyone's surprise, not only was this hand immobilized by an unknown force, but it was also suddenly lifted upwards. Zhuge Qingqing's wrist couldn't withstand the force of this left hand and was lifted up as well, with the candied hawthorn stick stabbing straight down below the veil.

Hurry up and drink it...

For some reason, this thought suddenly popped into Zhao Ti's mind, and he was so shocked that his scalp tingled. But how could he control his left hand? The gourd was about to reach Zhuge Qingqing's veil.

Zhuge Qingqing was shocked again. She didn't expect Zhao Ti to be so bold. Not only did he touch her hand, but he was also going to... force-feed her sugar water?
But she hasn't even lifted her own veil yet!
She immediately tried to stop the left hand's actions, but the force coming from that hand was astonishing. Even though her internal strength was at its peak, she couldn't completely block it.

Seeing this, she quickly let go of the gourd and swiftly swung backward.

Even if Zhuge Qingqing reacted quickly, it was too late. The hand took the gourd and continued to shove it at her mouth behind the veil.

She instantly left the horizontal rock she was sitting on, and her left hand could no longer reach it, thus avoiding being force-fed. However, the momentum of her left hand caused the sugar water inside the gourd to spray out.

The plum juice syrup sprayed out instantly, like an arrow released from a bow. Zhuge Qingqing was completely unprepared for this and was immediately covered in the syrup.

She gasped in surprise, raised her arm and ripped off the veil, revealing a stunningly beautiful face that could topple kingdoms.

As the sun sets, the girl's beauty is breathtaking. Her delicate eyebrows resemble distant mountains shrouded in mist, her eyes are like still autumn waters, her nose is straight and elegant, her lips are like rouge freshly applied with morning dew, and her cheeks are as white and lustrous as exquisite jade.

A few strands of long hair swept across her cheeks, making her incomparably beautiful, as if she had condensed all the beauty of heaven and earth into her eyebrows, eyes, lips, and teeth, possessing extraordinary charm and unparalleled elegance.

She stared blankly at Zhao Ti, a hint of anger in her eyes, and said slowly and deliberately, "Young Master Zhao has been deceiving me all along. In fact, you possess martial arts skills?"

"I don't know martial arts..." Zhao Ti looked at the other person's stunningly beautiful face, slightly taken aback, but inwardly he couldn't help but lament that he had seen her again. Seeing someone's face meant either they would offer themselves to him, or they would kill him to silence him. Last time, he could be considered innocent when Crow secretly attacked him, but now...

He couldn't help but glare hatefully at his left hand. At this moment, there was no doubt that it was the Demon's severed hand that was behind it all. It must have been this severed hand that dragged him out of bed to dig in the dirt this morning, and now it had caused him such a disaster.

"I don't believe that Young Master Zhao is necessarily skilled in martial arts and that he deliberately used this method to force my daughter to unveil her face," Zhuge Qingqing said in a cold voice.

Zhao Ti sighed and met Zhuge Qingqing's gaze: "Miss Zhuge, it's not what you think at all. Please let me explain..."

(End of this chapter)