Demon, come and cultivate for me.

Zhou Chu turned his head and glanced at the two thick candles on the table, their flames burning brightly and illuminating the entire room.

"It's alright."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji buried her face deeply in his chest.

Zhou Chu gently placed Zhao Ji on the bed and set up an array to prevent anyone from accidentally breaking in and ruining the whole thing.

The formation not only blocked entry and exit, but also blocked all sound.

Despite the deafening shouts of battle from within the formation, nothing could be heard outside.

A single spark fell into the dry woodpile, igniting a fire that raged all night long, crackling and burning until dawn.

As dawn broke, Zhou Chu dressed, packed his bags, and prepared to set off.

Zhao Ji was still lying on the bed, her eyes glazed over, savoring the sensations of the moment.

"It's time to go."

Zhou Chu picked up her clothes from the ground, sat down on the edge of the bed, helped her up her soft, boneless body, and got dressed.

As Zhao Ji stood up, a smear of crimson on the bed sheet caught Zhou Chu's eye.

"What are you looking at?" Zhao Ji followed his gaze, looked down, and blushed instantly.

"You're so embarrassing! Get out of here!" Zhao Ji pushed Zhou Chu off the bed.

This woman changes her expression so quickly; she didn't seem to know what shyness was last night.

Zhou Chu shook his head and pulled down the bed curtains, leaving only Zhao Ji inside to get dressed.

A moment later, the two finished getting ready and, ahead of the others, came out of the room and waited at the door with their horses.

Chi Dingzi was the first to get ready, leading his horse out the door, followed by Chen Xiangzi with dark circles under his eyes.

Finally, there was Xu Yuan, full of energy.

Neither Chi Dingzi nor Xu Yuan appeared when the thieves broke in last night.

Zhou Chu knew that once Xu Yuan fell asleep, he couldn't be woken up even by thunder.

What Zhou Chu found strange was the red thorn.

With such a commotion outside, how come this guy didn't hear it?

With such low vigilance, how did he become a close bodyguard to the Crown Prince?

"Didn't you two hear any noises outside last night?" Chen Xiangzi asked.

Xu Yuan said, "I think I heard it. I thought I was dreaming."

Akadeko didn't speak, he just nodded.

"You heard it but didn't come out to check?" Zhou Chu asked.

This time, Akashi spoke, but only uttered one word: "No."

No? What the hell?

Wouldn't a normal person offer an explanation? Even making up a reason wouldn't be a problem.

Zhou Chu couldn't understand why the Crown Prince had sent this guy along; he was like a wooden stake.

"Please wait a moment, guests." The voices of the elderly couple who owned the house came from the courtyard behind them.

The group turned around and saw the elderly couple carrying flatbread and braised meat over.

"We really owe you all a lot last night, otherwise all the savings we've accumulated would have been gone." The old man said with a very sincere expression.

Last night, Zhou Chu left the old couple's belongings behind and did not allow the government officials to take them away.

Although there were only forty-odd taels of silver inside, it represented all the savings of the elderly couple.

If it's taken by a lackey, getting it back won't be so easy.

Even if you try to use connections to get it back, you can only get half back at most; the other half has to be used to pay tribute to the person who intervened.

They had to swallow their anger and suffer in silence.

After everyone left, the old couple didn't rest at all. They lit a fire and prepared pancakes and smoked meat for Zhou Chu and the others.

This food is enough for them to eat for two days on the road.

Zhou Chu accepted the elderly couple's kindness without hesitation and then took his leave.

On the way, the five people were still the same as before.

Zhao Ji rode at the very front.

Chen Xiangzi looked around, then stared blankly ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

The taciturn Chi Dingzi remained as silent as a wooden stake, never speaking to anyone, as if he were the only person in the world.

Xu Yuan and Zhou Chu walked side by side, chatting about everything under the sun.

When the topic of heading south came up, Xu Yuan suddenly asked Zhou Chu:

"You say there are countless talented and extraordinary people in the capital, so why did the Crown Prince specifically choose us to go south to find the Imperial Seal?"

Zhou Chu had already begun to think about this problem and had come up with an answer before setting off.

He shared his thoughts with Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan said, "Great minds think alike. I think so too. What the Crown Prince values ​​is that we few have no power base and are easy to control."

But isn't the Crown Prince afraid that we'll find the Emperor's Seal and then pocket it?"

"No," Zhou Chu said, glancing at Zhao Ji and Chi Dingzi in front of him.

Xu Yuan immediately understood what Zhou Chu meant.

The five people sent by the Crown Prince to Baiyue appeared to be acting arbitrarily, but in reality, they were in a situation of mutual restraint.

Zhou Chu and Xu Yuan were from the same hometown, but Chen Xiangzi was from the State of Chu. This meant that the three of them would not band together to possess the Emperor's Seal after obtaining it.

Even if the three of them reach an agreement, the other two members of the team would still be an obstacle.

Zhao Ji was a princess of the royal family of the Great Yan Kingdom, and she and the crown prince were siblings. This blood relationship also served as a form of protection.

Even if Princess Zhaoji harbored ulterior motives, the Crown Prince still had one last trump card: the taciturn and silent Chidingzi.

Xu Yuan said that when he was staying at the Crown Prince's residence, he heard other retainers say that Tai Sui had done a great favor for the taciturn man.

As for what great favor he had done, no one knew; all that was known was that this taciturn man had sworn to give his life to the Crown Prince.

Even if the crown prince ordered him to kill his own father, he would not hesitate to do so.

Some say that the Silent Gourd possesses unfathomable cultivation, and that anyone who strikes will surely lose their life.

Among the retainers of the Crown Prince's residence, even those who had served him the longest had never seen him make a move.

No one can really explain what makes this guy so formidable.

Ultimately, Chi Dingzi in the team is like the crown prince's eyes and sword.

If anyone harbors any evil intentions, his treasured sword, which he never shows to anyone, will surely behead that person without hesitation.

Zhao Ji was no exception.

While talking to Xu Yuan, Zhou Chu suddenly had a thought.

Is it possible that Zhao Ji suddenly showed him goodwill at night because she had her eye on the Emperor's Seal and was trying to win him over in advance?

If that's the case, then this woman's anxiety is extraordinary.

But then I thought about it again and realized that was unlikely.

The social norms in this world are still very conservative. It is completely illogical for Zhao Ji, a royal princess, to give up her virginity for something she has never seen before.

Zhao Ji seemed to sense a gaze fixed on her from behind. She turned around, smiled at Zhou Chu, and gave him a clear, natural smile.

Zhou Chu raised the corners of his mouth and gave a polite smile.

After Zhao Ji turned her head, Xu Yuan reached out and patted Zhou Chu's elbow, whispering:

"Brother, you're pretty good. It seems the princess has taken a liking to you."

What kind of talk is this? What do you mean by "it seems like you've taken a fancy to someone"?

Remove "seems to be".

Remove "see" as well...

Zhou Chu could only think these words in his heart; he certainly couldn't say them aloud.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Xu Yuan asked again:

"How are things going with that girl from the Xie family? She's such a good girl, don't let her down!"

Mentioning Xie Ning, Zhou Chu suddenly remembered that the day before he set off, the girl had personally said that she would come to the city gate to see him off.

But on the day she left, I didn't see her.

Was it because you overslept that day and missed your appointed time? Or were you confined to your home by your family and not allowed to go out?

He hadn't paid much attention to it a few days ago, but now that Xie Ning was suddenly mentioned, Zhou Chu found himself feeling a subtle sense of loss.