FRGNM -Chapter 107 The Surprise Attack

“Mm, it’s him. So? That brat—why do you care?” Luo Mingyu replied casually, lifting his teacup to sip.

The man in green beside him slammed his hand hard against Luo Mingyu’s head. “You really need to pay attention to these minor kingdoms. You always say it’s none of your business, that they can’t develop. Do you even know about the Crown Prince of Beining? At least you should! No wonder you’ve lived hundreds of years without a woman!”

“What nonsense! My woman’s right there lying down! Who said I’ve lost out?” Luo Mingyu nearly toppled his tea in surprise, coughing and gasping.

The two had trained in battle aura together and were still as close as before. Their playful quarrels were normal. Perhaps only around Qingyi would Luo Mingyu show such a carefree, relaxed side.

“Listen carefully. I’ll tell you who Crown Prince Nangong Mo of Beining really is!” Qingyi said, tapping Luo Mingyu’s head, letting the teacup slide across the table. “You’re already the young master of Qiongyu Immortal Island, so you should understand what kind of power Duanyun Kingdom represents on the continent.”

“Stop, we were talking about Beining Kingdom, so how…”

“Listen first.” Qingyi pressed Luo Mingyu’s head gently. “Mingyu, you’ve made a fatal mistake.”

Luo Mingyu’s eyes narrowed slightly. If even Qingyi said so, he should reflect carefully.

“The ruler of Duanyun Kingdom is Murong Ming, the first person on the continent officially recognized as a Zizun. He’s still alive today. No one truly knows the extent of his power. To maintain balance on the continent, he chose seclusion, not meddling in politics. That’s why Duanyun’s power appears so strong yet is quickly managed if trouble arises. Under Murong Ming, many kings died one by one. The current ruler, Murong Hua, is Murong Ming’s child.”

“What? That old man’s already ancient! He could still have children?” Luo Mingyu raised an eyebrow.

Unaware, his fair-skinned hand shot out and pounded Luo Mingyu’s head. “Battle aura practitioners don’t care about age. He met a woman he liked at that time, and only then chose to marry. Murong Hua is his son. And Murong Hua’s daughter, Murong Qing, is his beloved. Do you know who she is?”

“You just said… Murong Hua’s daughter, his beloved.”

“….”

Being around this man, intelligence seemed to drop. Qingyi cleared his throat. “Murong Qing is Murong Hua’s daughter, and she is also Crown Prince Nangong Mo’s biological mother. Now do you understand who Nangong Mo is?”

“Oh, that’s easy. Nangong Mo is Murong Qing’s son, Murong Hua’s grandson, Murong Ming’s… damn. He’s Murong Hua’s grandson, Murong Ming’s great-grandson!” Luo Mingyu nearly jumped in shock, taking a deep breath.

Qingyi nodded gravely. The situation was serious. The forces behind Nangong Mo were the entirety of Duanyun Kingdom. Luo Mingyu should feel the danger—because that meant…

“So my generation is many times older than Nangong Mo. Back when I faced Murong Ming, that would make him my grandson?” Luo Mingyu raised an eyebrow, smirking.

“Pft!” Qingyi nearly spat blood. If he could see Luo Mingyu’s expression, he’d have smashed him with a brick.

“Your focus is wrong, Mingyu!” Qingyi slammed the table. “Nangong Mo is Murong Ming’s great-grandson, Murong Hua’s grandson. You should consider why someone with such power would have betrothed Miss Ruoxi to Nangong Mo.”

“Huh?” Luo Mingyu frowned, finally noticing the point. Indeed, if Nangong Mo’s identity was as described, the engagement would require confirmation from both families. So, the only option was to go to Duanyun Kingdom and ask Murong Qing directly.

But Qingyi shook his head. “No need to worry about that. Nangong Mo’s mother, Murong Qing, died in childbirth. Miss Ruoxi’s parents are unknown. And only she herself can undo the Three Talents Array. Everything depends on her fate.”

“Then why did you just explain all that? What a waste!” Luo Mingyu snapped, patting Ling Ruoxi’s cheeks. “Hey, if you’re not dead, get up! Time to eat!”

“….”

Qingyi sighed, though internally he’d recorded Ling Ruoxi’s identity. He wasn’t concerned about who had targeted her, but the culprit was far from simple—someone well-hidden, difficult to investigate. What happened to her parents back then? Why now was Duanyun Kingdom arranging her marriage?

Qingyi pinched lightly, sensing waves of cold energy spreading. Instinctively, he grabbed Luo Mingyu’s wrist and drew him close, while monitoring Ling Ruoxi’s pulse. Her circulating battle aura was violently converging at a single point, resisting the drug’s effects.

The drug would normally put anyone to sleep for at least an hour. But in this case, she would awaken in just half that time.

A familiar aura surged toward him. Qingyi shivered. Tears fell from his closed eyes. At that moment, he didn’t let go of Ling Ruoxi’s hand.

“What’s wrong, old ghost?” Luo Mingyu was stunned. This was the second time he’d seen Qingyi lose composure. The first had been when his master passed, and he had wept the entire night. What was happening now?

Qingyi trembled, slightly opening his eyes. Even without battle aura, he could open them. This time, however, they were black—not the strange blue he normally revealed.

“Do you remember what I told you back then?”

“Your… eyes? Has your master returned?” Luo Mingyu’s mind jolted. Those familiar eyes—back that night, Qingyi had cried until he lost his sight, leaving only color pupils when opening them.

“He became blind, and I said… ‘When my master returns, I will see the light again.’ That day… I don’t know the year or month.”

Qingyi nodded, then shook his head. “Do you remember what I just told you about her cultivation method?”

“Mm, but you didn’t say which method Ruoxi was practicing…”

“It’s my master’s—The Poison Scripture.” Qingyi placed a hand on Ling Ruoxi’s brow. The familiar purple pattern appeared again, and the incomplete pattern slowly activated under his hands, forming the familiar purple vines.

Luo Mingyu remembered—that was a mark unique to their clan. She was practicing the Poison Scripture! Practicing the Poison Scripture grants the divine ‘Eyes of Punishment,’ allowing one to see all things. This woman—she cultivates everything!

“Impossible! She wouldn’t practice the Poison Scripture! Only our clan—or the dead—can!”

The dead could practice it, could see his Nine Nether Aura. Could it be…

He couldn’t believe it. This living, breathing person… she couldn’t possibly be dead!

“Not dead, but as if dead. I don’t know how to explain it, but she’s alive, in another way. Mingyu, Luo Mingyu, can you repeat what you just said?” Qingyi stood, looking at the unchanging man. His expression remained timeless.

“What did you say?” Luo Mingyu suddenly understood, standing with a smile. “So, you, old ghost Qingyi, are willing to stay by my side as my strategist…”

“Willing…”

“To help me clean the toilet every day?”

That last word was drawn out. As Qingyi said it, Luo Mingyu beat him to the punch, shouting ‘willing’ first. Qingyi’s face turned green, his fingers cracking from clenching. “Luo Mingyu, you brat, you’re asking for death!”

“Come on, old ghost Qingyi, we haven’t moved for a long time. Why not like before—you on the bottom, me on top?”

“You’re the one on the bottom!”

The bickering! Ling Ruoxi wanted to throw a pillow at them. She vaguely heard their laughter and indecent words, nearly dying from embarrassment.

Forcing her eyes open, she rose and leaned against the door. Across the lake, the two battle aura men had frozen the surface completely. One was under the ice, the other above, manipulating water through an array. Using only their feet, they struck the ice again and again. No battle aura, just pure strength.

What were these two men doing?

Yawning, Ling Ruoxi froze as she looked beneath the ice—wasn’t that the handsome man she had just seen? His eyes… he had opened them?

Those star-like eyes shone with a strange brilliance, making her heart race. She sat by the hut door, watching the two men play.

Blood light suddenly flashed in their eyes. Luo Mingyu and Qingyi simultaneously looked outward. The two men who had been together separated instantly—faster than a blink—and now stood by the hut fully dressed.

A sharp sword aura came their way. One simply raised his index and middle fingers, pinching the flying cold arrow.

“Who’s there?” Qingyi’s tone was calm as he glanced at Luo Mingyu, smiling faintly. “Looks like someone’s coming. Quite a tail chasing you, huh? And now they’ve brought a big group.”

Luo Mingyu smirked, rubbing his shoulder. “Perfect timing. My strength’s halfway restored. The rest’s on you, strategist.”

“Call me strategist, and you should know strategists don’t fight. We advise, we don’t engage. I’m a civil officer—this isn’t my concern. Also, three of them are Blue-level battle aura practitioners. I can’t handle them alone.”