Chapter 146: Epiphyllum Celebration

Ouyang Ke’s eyes lit up, his mind churning. Ignoring Tolui, he smiled warmly and said, "What kind of man is Young Master Ouyang? A word once spoken, how could it ever be taken back? However, while he may leave, you, Princess Huazhen, must stay..."

"Fine."

Cheng Lingsu had long anticipated that he wouldn't let the matter rest so easily. Yet, this was perhaps for the best; dealing with Ouyang Ke alone would allow her a better chance to maneuver and find an opportunity to escape. With Tolui present, she would inevitably have reservations. Therefore, before Ouyang Ke could spout any more nonsense, she cut him off and agreed directly.

Ouyang Ke hadn't expected her to agree so readily. He laughed heartily, "That's more like it! With one pesky eyesore gone, the two of us can have a proper chat."

Ignoring him, Cheng Lingsu turned her back, retrieved a handkerchief containing blue flowers from her tunic, shook it lightly in the air, and bound Tolui’s split, bleeding knuckles. She then tucked the two blue flowers back into her tunic. Briefly explaining the situation to Tolui, she urged him to leave first.

With a livid expression, Tolui took two steps back, fiercely yanked the sabre planted in the earth beside his feet, and fixing his gaze on Ouyang Ke, slashed his blade violently through the empty air before him. "Your martial arts are formidable, and I am no match for you. But today, in the name of Genghis Khan’s son, I swear to the gods of the grassland: once I have hunted down those who ambushed and plotted against my father, I will surely fight you to the death! To avenge my sister, and to show you what the true heroes and heroines of the grassland are made of!"

Though he was also the son of a Mongol tribal leader, Tolui was affable and possessed a profound sense of loyalty. Unlike Jamukha’s arrogant son, who was blind to everyone else, Tolui’s inner pride was no less fierce. He was Genghis Khan’s favorite son, deeply attuned to his father's broad vision and grand ambitions. He intended to help his father transform every place beneath the blue sky into pastures for the Mongols!

For this goal, he had trained in the army since childhood without missing a single day. Yet, after years of arduous training, not only had he fallen into enemy hands, but today he couldn't even safely take his sister—who had come to his rescue—back with her! Tolui knew Cheng Lingsu was right; at this moment, he had to prioritize his father’s safety and return swiftly to mobilize troops to rescue the ambushed Khan. But the mere thought of leaving his sister behind to be forcibly detained here choked him with a humiliation so fierce it nearly stopped his breath.

Mongols valued their word above all else, especially solemn oaths sworn to the gods revered across the grassland. Knowing full well his martial arts were inferior, Tolui had nonetheless made this vow with unyielding determination. His expression was pious and awe-inspiring, his words ringing with heroic grandeur. Though not a master of martial arts, the shoulders of one long tempered in military camps carried a natural, regal aura identical to Genghis Khan’s—towering and majestic, inspiring a secret tremor of awe even in Ouyang Ke, who hadn't caught every specific word.

A warm wave washed over Cheng Lingsu. The hot-blooded spirit unique to Genghis Khan's daughter seemed to echo Tolui's unwillingness and resolve, surging within her like a torrent and making the corners of her eyes grow faintly warm. Without a trace of emotion, she sidestepped to block the direction from which Ouyang Ke might strike, and murmured softly, "Go quickly. Go back. I have my own ways of escaping."

Tolui nodded, stepped forward, and opened his arms to give her a brief embrace. Without casting another glance at Ouyang Ke, he turned and sprinted toward the camp gates.

Along the way, several guards left behind saw him dash out of the camp and tried to intercept him, only to be cut down one by one, falling to the ground in heaps.

***

Not until she saw with her own eyes that Tolui had seized a horse at the edge of the camp and galloped far away did Cheng Lingsu finally relax, letting out a soft sigh.

In her previous life, her master, the Medicinal King of Poisonous Hands, used poisons to make medicines and cure the sick. Yet he had held an absolute belief in karmic retribution, leading him to convert to Buddhism in his later years to cultivate his mind and attain a state free from anger or joy. Cheng Lingsu had been his youngest disciple taken in during those twilight years and was deeply influenced by him. Following this cycle of rebirth, despite having clearly died, she had somehow been sent here. She could only believe that, amidst the unseen forces of fate, there must be another purpose.

Originally, she had no desire to become overly entangled with the people and affairs of this world. She had constantly thought of finding a chance to flee far away, returning to the shores of Dongting Lake to see what the White Horse Temple of centuries later looked like now. She would open a small medical clinic, heal the sick and save the dying, and spend the rest of her life guarding the longing and deep devotion she held for that person from her previous life.

Yet, once Genghis Khan fell into peril, the Mongol tribe where she had lived for a decade would also face catastrophe. Her mother and brother, who had genuinely cared for her and raised her, along with the clansmen she saw and lived among every single day—they would all suffer. Having spent ten years sharing their lives, how could she possibly stand by with folded arms?

Thinking of this, Cheng Lingsu let out another melancholy sigh.

Seeing that Cheng Lingsu had been staring in the direction of Tolui’s departure, lost in thought and sighing repeatedly, Ouyang Ke raised his chin and sneered, "What? Is it really that hard to part with him?"

Catching the underlying implication in his words, Cheng Lingsu frowned. Dragging her thoughts back, she blurted out, "I am worried about my brother. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Oh? He is your brother?" Ouyang Ke raised an eyebrow, a flash of fleeting joy dancing across the corners of his eyes. "Then... the fellow before him must be your sweetheart?"

"What nonsense are you..." Cheng Lingsu abruptly paused as realization dawned. "You mean Guo Jing? You were already there... You knew the moment we arrived?"

"Not 'you all'. Just you! The moment you arrived, I knew." Ouyang Ke looked quite pleased, clearly enjoying her reaction.

Though Cheng Lingsu had dismounted far away, his internal energy was profound, and how could his hearing compare to that of ordinary Mongol soldiers? He had discovered her almost the exact moment she sneaked into the main camp. Just as he was about to reveal himself, he saw Ma Yu step forward and take both her and Guo Jing away.

Years ago, his uncle Ouyang Feng had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Quanzhen Sect, leaving the lineage of the Western Poison with a lingering resentment and wariness toward Quanzhen Taoists. Recognizing Ma Yu's Taoist robes and recalling his uncle's past warnings, Ouyang Ke had abandoned the idea of appearing. Instead, he remained hidden in the shadows, watching their back-and-forth exchanges.

***

He had originally expected Cheng Lingsu to persuade Ma Yu to storm the camp together for a rescue. Unaware that Ma Yu was the leader of the Quanzhen Sect, Ouyang Ke simply figured that aside from millions of troops, the camp also held Wanyan Honglie and several martial arts experts who could pin Ma Yu down. Perhaps he could even take the opportunity to eliminate him, depriving the Quanzhen Sect of a master who anchored their power. He had never expected that not only would the Taoist refuse to storm the camp, but he would actually take Guo Jing with him and leave Cheng Lingsu behind all by herself.

By this point, Cheng Lingsu was gradually piecing the clues together. "Wanyan Honglie came here in secret, likely to take the opportunity to provoke strife between Jamukha and my father, keeping the Mongol tribes at war with one another so his Great Jin Dynasty can be free of troubles from the north."

Ouyang Ke had no interest whatsoever in such power struggles, but seeing Cheng Lingsu speak with such earnestness, he nodded along and offered a compliment, "Drawing inferences from one instance—you truly are remarkably clever."

Reaching up to brush aside a strand of hair blown loose by the wind, Cheng Lingsu’s gaze was as clear and piercing as the waters of the Onon River on the grassland. "You are Wanyan Honglie’s man, yet you let Guo Jing go back to deliver a warning, and now you've let Tolui go back to mobilize troops. Aren't you afraid of ruining his grand scheme?"

Ouyang Ke laughed heartily, reached out, and gently tapped her chin with his folded fan. "Afraid? What do his schemes have to do with me? If I can win a beauty's smile, what does any of that matter?"

Instead of smiling, Cheng Lingsu furrowed her brow and took half a step back, dodging the frivolous folding fan aiming for her chin. Reaching out with a quick motion, she caught the ebony fan tip squarely in her palm. A piercing, bone-chilling cold instantly radiated through her skin, making her want to let go at once. Only then did she realize that the ribs of his fan were forged from dark iron and were as cold as ice.

"What? Do you like this fan?" Ouyang Ke flicked his wrist with seeming casualness, parrying Cheng Lingsu's hand and retracting the folding fan. With a swift snap, he flicked it open and gently waved it before his chest. "If you fancy something else, I wouldn't mind giving it to you, but this fan..." He paused slightly, then chuckled softly again, "If you like it, as long as you follow me step-for-step from now on, you'll naturally be able to look at it all the time..."

***

*Author's Note:*
*I must say, Ke-er my boy, Little Lingsu just took a fancy to your fan, and you're too stingy to give it away~ How miserly~*
*Ouyang Ke: That was given to me by my father... ahem... my uncle...*