Fortune Across the World

Chapter 162: Hidden Currents on the Lantern Festival Night (Part 1)

Despite the beginning of the new year, Ding Qiyu's chaotic thoughts left her unable to relax, pushing herself into focused, efficient work. While crafting the Xuanyuan Fire Whips, she also designed other mechanisms to better safeguard Qianli Palace, preparing them for the female disciples guarding the mechanism path. This was to ensure they could handle any enemies recklessly breaching the mountain path and eluding the traps.

Since that New Year's Eve, Ding Qiyu had deliberately avoided being alone with Le Zhuyi. Their interactions were limited to official matters, with no other personal exchanges. When Zhuyi invited her for drinks in the evening, she found excuses to decline.

Ding Qiyu used the fire whips and mechanism designs as reasons, and Zhuyi, sensing the change, stopped pushing. Unsure of what Ding Qiyu was avoiding or why she was distancing herself, Zhuyi suppressed her own feelings of loss and hurt and stopped inviting her. Instead, she would sit alone by the cliff near the bamboo courtyard, drinking in solitude from the spot they used to share.

Whenever the faint aroma of Sweet Yao wine wafted into the bamboo house, Ding Qiyu, diligently working on new mechanisms at her desk, would lose focus. Yet she dared not look out the window, fearing she might see a lonely figure and stir up unresolved emotions.

...

In a secluded mansion in Chengzhou City, Jiangnan, a young woman stood in the hall, anxiously waiting for someone. Fidgeting with a long whip in her hand, she seemed tense.

The hall door opened, and before she could turn around, someone embraced her from behind. The newcomer greedily kissed her neck, whispering, "Mengxiao, it's been too long. I've missed you." The voice was hoarse, the tone slightly off, speaking tender words devoid of genuine affection.

The young woman waiting was Le Zhuyi's senior sister, Le Mengxiao, and the man who had entered and embraced her without permission was Chen Xuting, heir to Zhenxiao Sect, Qianli Palace's archenemy.

Zhenxiao Sect's leader, Chen Miao, had declared himself the martial world's leader, forcing other sects to submit. Qianli Palace was the only thorn in his side. With longstanding grievances against Le Palace Master, Chen Miao was determined to conquer Qianli Palace, subjugating its women under Zhenxiao Sect.

Le Mengxiao smirked silently, a flicker of impatience crossing her face. She turned away from Chen Xuting, pushing him off with a feigned pout, "Business first. I can't stay long."

Chen Xuting shrugged, dropping his playful demeanor, extending his hand toward Mengxiao, "Alright, business it is. Did you get the mechanism layout?"

At the mention of this, Le Mengxiao bristled with frustration, "No! Zhuyi guards the mechanism layout closely. Besides, even if we had the old layout, it's useless now—they've been redesigned."

Chen Xuting interrupted dismissively, "Ha, no excuses. Didn't get it, that's all." He had long suspected she couldn't handle it alone.

"You—"

Seeing her anger flare, Chen Xuting softened his tone, half-embracing her as if consoling, "Forget it. If we can't find it, we'll attack directly."

To reclaim what rightfully belonged to her from Zhuyi, Mengxiao had to rely on Zhenxiao Sect. Suppressing her anger, she asked, "How do you plan to attack? The terrain is treacherous, and there are mechanisms everywhere. Without the mechanism path, there's no entrance."