Chasing after her husband? Is it even possible to win him back?

"Is it that obvious?" Chu Xunfeng was silent for a moment, then clicked his tongue, not bothering to hide it, "I do have that idea."

"But you gave up?" Ao Hanli stared intently at Chu Xunfeng. This was no small matter. "Why?"

"That's the reason." Chu Xunfeng looked at Ao Hanli with utmost honesty, and also with a hint of bewilderment.

Xu Bailing looked up at Ao Hanli, who seemed completely bewildered, and burst out laughing.

The dragon girl's behavior told the young lady something: this dragon girl was very perceptive and a little shrewd, but... not much.

Ao Hanli was stunned for a few seconds before she came to her senses. Chu Xunfeng was referring to the attitude with which she was questioning him at that moment.

Seeing that Ao Hanli understood, he continued to explain, "If he wants to enter officialdom, he should do so openly and honestly, and walk that path himself."

“If I push him, it won’t be a good thing for either of us.”

"All I should do is remind him that he has many paths to take, rather than pushing him down a path he doesn't understand at all. Besides, making this decision for him will affect his entire life and his family. I can't bear this responsibility, nor do I deserve it."

"Making decisions for others is a heinous crime."

May he be struck by lightning.

Ao Hanli stared at Chu Xunfeng's face with a complicated expression, but in the end, she withdrew her gaze and chose to let the matter drop.

Furthermore, they decided to keep this matter to themselves and not tell anyone.

Even she herself didn't realize why.

She simply made that decision.

Chapter 42, Silent Understanding

Remember, you have resources, a lot, but not much, so make the most of them.

In that main room, Chu Xunfeng's calm voice seemed to be deeply engraved in her mind. Almost two hours had passed since she left Queya's house, but those words still echoed in Xu Bailing's mind.

Lingering.

Xu Bailing, walking on the fine sand, held her sword in one hand. Her gaze fell on Chu Xunfeng, who was holding a silver spear and talking to Ao Hanli. Her eyes dimmed slightly.

Xu Bailing has been in a bad mood lately, and everything she shows is just a facade.

She was concealing her inner unease and agitation.

Xu Bailing used to be able to keenly perceive other people's emotions. In the territory of the White Tiger God, in that cave, her heart and Chu Xunfeng's heart were once very close. She could taste the fluctuations of emotions in Chu Xunfeng.

At that time, Chu Xunfeng took the initiative to extend his hand to her. He moved closer to her, and she took his outstretched hand in return.

But... after that, in Baidi City, the father's choice and the White Tiger God's interference separated the two hands that had been clasped together.

She didn't know or understand what Chu Xunfeng had been thinking about during his time with the demons, or whether he had the same longing for her. Their hearts, which had been so close, suddenly separated. Xu Bailing, who had only ever observed people's hearts, was no longer as emotionally detached as before after experiencing the taste of emotions.

However, she still held onto a glimmer of hope that Chu Xunfeng was waiting for her.

Therefore, she took the initiative to find Xu Jiujing, followed the demon clan, and entered the capital. When she first met Ning Qiuning, she was very straightforward and in a superior mood.

At that time, she still felt that she and Chu Xunfeng were very close, and that they were only temporarily separated.

but......

Contrary to her expectations, Chu Xunfeng stepped back, withdrawing his hand and calming his mind.

He didn't want to go to Baidi City anymore; the distance between them had grown considerably.

The anxiety of gaining and losing is the most direct manifestation of Xu Bailing's thoughts.

Chu Xunfeng's words that reminded Queya had lingered in Xu Bailing's mind for so long. He was talking about Queya, but wasn't he also talking about himself?

Ao Hanli had already left the training ground and stood beside Commander Xiong. She glanced at Xu Bailing, who seemed to be lost in thought, with some confusion. "Miss Xu?"

Awakened to reality by the dragon girl's shout, Xu Bailing's gaze immediately fell on the young man who was holding guns in both hands and had already assumed a fighting stance.

Xu Bailing took a deep breath and assumed a fighting stance.

Commander Xiong looked at Xu Bailing, frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed his brows and glanced at Chu Xunfeng, "Get ready and start. I'll stop you when you can't stop yourself."

Few people watched the martial arts competition at the training ground today. Most of the city guards had dispersed to the capital to maintain order. The shouts and cheers were gone, and only the warm spring breeze was blowing.

"Young Miss, please!" Chu Xunfeng held his gun, seemingly intending to defend himself.

After all, he was using a weapon that wasn't quite right for him, and the weapon's structure couldn't resonate with Ao Hanli's weapon. The intent within his intent pool was difficult to penetrate the spear, greatly reducing his weapon cultivation strength.

Xu Bailing took a step forward and attacked with her sword.

Chu Xunfeng maintained a solid defense, continuously parrying swords with his silver-bearded spear.

For a moment, the sound of clashing weapons filled the training ground, seemingly indicating a close and evenly matched battle, however...

Standing outside the training ground, Commander Xiong watched the two fighting, but the more he looked, the deeper his brows furrowed. Ao Hanli also gradually sensed something strange, and squinted her eyes, frowning in dissatisfaction.

The two exchanged blows for more than twenty rounds. Chu Xunfeng did nothing but defend and never attacked. He was wielding a weapon that was completely unsuitable for him. He did not use any maneuvering or leg techniques until he seized a fatal flaw in Xu Bailing and kicked the spear horizontally.

Xu Bailing was forced back three steps, and before she could catch her breath, Chu Xunfeng swung a whip kick at her.

Chu Xunfeng leaned against the silver-bearded spear with its tip stuck in the ground, his whip kick stopping just next to Xu Bailing's cheek, his shoe no more than five inches from her face.

Chu Xunfeng was the one who directly fought Xu Bailing, so he was naturally more able to perceive the young lady's restraint in her moves.

His move was both a counterattack and a test.

The side whip kick has a large opening. With the young lady's strength, it is impossible for her to be subdued by such a move. Even Chu Xunfeng, who does not practice swordsmanship, has two or three ways to break or counter the move.

But the young lady didn't.

She seemed completely caught off guard; if Chu Xunfeng hadn't stopped his attack, she would have been sent flying by that whip kick.

Even Commander Xiong was surprised that Xu Bailing was defeated by such a move so inexplicably.

"Miss, you seem to have something on your mind." Chu Xunfeng slowly withdrew his leg, frowning as he looked at Xu Bailing, who seemed somewhat absent-minded.

Xu Bailing pursed her lips, stared into Chu Xunfeng's eyes, and said nothing.

She seemed to be trying to see something in Chu Xunfeng's eyes, but there was nothing. Chu Xunfeng's expression was normal; his doubts and worries remained polite.

"Miss?"

Xu Bailing lowered her eyes. "I'm a little tired."

She didn't see anything unusual in Chu Xunfeng's expression. He remained as calm as ever. The two of them used to be very close, but now it seemed as if they had regressed to the distance they had when they first met in Baidi City.

No, it was Chu Xunfeng who returned to his original position.

Xu Bailing pursed her lips and suddenly asked, "Why?"

The question seemed to have no beginning or end, yet it was clear that Chu Xunfeng would understand the implication of the question.

“You are the young lady of Baidi City, while I am just a rogue cultivator with an awkward status in Baidi City.” Chu Xunfeng took a half step back. “Our statuses are different now compared to when we were hunting in autumn.”

Xu Bailing suddenly raised her head and stared at Chu Xunfeng.

Chu Xunfeng stared intently at Xu Bailing, equally certain that she could understand him. Their identities had changed, so the distance between them needed to be redefined. The hazy emotions they felt during the autumn hunt should now be kept hidden in their hearts.

Either wait for it to fade, or wait for it to ferment.

Although there is a third option, firstly, the feelings between the two haven't reached that point yet, and secondly...

That kind of choice is the ostrich-like approach that only a true fool would choose, escaping external pressure. It's only temporary, not permanent.

It harms both the person and the person they are dealing with, and what they harm is the person they are facing.

Neither Chu Xunfeng nor Xu Bailing were fools.

"I will become the city lord of Baidi City." Xu Bailing narrowed her eyes, revealing a sharpness that had not appeared during their previous exchange.

"I can't make any promises, but I will go back," Chu Xunfeng promised softly.

Commander Xiong and Ao Hanli, standing outside the training ground, watched the two exchange words in silence for a while before distancing themselves again and resuming their fighting stances.

This time, Commander Xiong's brows slowly relaxed, and he nodded in satisfaction.

Only Ao Hanli, standing to the side, had a flicker in her eyes, seemingly plotting something.

Chapter 43, Seven Star Tower, Ranking of People

Ao Hanli slowly walked home.

This afternoon, the three parted ways at the training ground. Chu Xunfeng returned to his courtyard, Xu Bailing made an excuse that she was tired and returned to the post station, and Ao Hanli did not want to go home too early. She also knew the situation that the Dragon Clan was facing. There was not enough manpower, and all kinds of things needed to be handled by the True Dragons.

However, Ao Hanli knew her own limitations; she wasn't suited to get involved in those things. Not causing trouble was the best help she could offer, so she wandered around the capital until dark before returning home.

Although it can't help with decision-making, patrolling the city and walking around can be of some help, and it also allows one to see many things that those in high positions can't see.

For example, the North District has suddenly become much quieter, the South District is even more deserted, and the chaotic area at the border of the two districts...

She tried to think, but she didn't even know what she was thinking about. She would often recall the image of the toothless human youth looking down from the main room.

He seemed to have little outward change from his usual aloof demeanor, but inside... it was as if something had opened its eyes. In an instant, however, he regained his focus and did not reach out to push the missing tooth.

He wanted to use his missing tooth to get a government job.

In other words... Chu Xunfeng had ideas about the current situation of the demon race, but in the end he did not choose to influence Miss Tooth.

Back in the mansion in the southern district, the aquatic maid at the door called out to the lost-in-thought-out dragon girl, "Your Highness, Princess Hongji has arrived and is waiting for you in the reception room."

Ao Hanli paused for a moment, then nodded and walked into the brightly lit hall.