The incense powder burned slowly, emitting a strange fragrance. Even more miraculously, the white smoke that rose did not disperse but instead slowly solidified in the air into the shape of a spiritual butterfly. It flew resolutely in one direction, then grew fainter and fainter until it gradually disappeared.
Lu Chun and Lu Yu stared at the scene in stunned silence.
"I've only read about such strange techniques in books. I never thought I'd see it for real today..."
Lu Yu's eyes were fixed on it. He quickly grabbed Xu Qingfeng beside him and said with an awkward smile:
"Master Xu, can you teach me a thing or two? It would fulfill my childhood dream."
Xu Qingfeng asked, "What do you want to learn?"
"Flying through the sky, traveling underground, turning stones into gold, bringing the dead back to life. Anything will do. I'm not picky!"
Xu Qingfeng twitched the corner of his mouth. He hesitated for a while and finally patted Lu Yu on the shoulder.
"You'd better focus more on tea art and read fewer strange tales."
Lu Yu: ………
Although the spiritual butterfly formed by the smoke had dissipated in the wind, Shen Cuiyu could still clearly capture the direction in which the snake demon had fled through that subtle sense.
The carriage sped all the way and headed straight for the neighboring county. As soon as they entered the city, they saw that the streets were crowded with people, much more bustling than usual.
Xu Qingfeng lifted the curtain of the carriage and curiously asked a roadside vendor, "Sir, why is the city so lively today?"
The old man smiled and bowed his hands, pointing to the end of the long street. "It's because the county princess has come to our county. Everyone wants to catch a glimpse of her grace."
Hearing this, Dongfang Xiao gently nudged Pei Yu beside her with her elbow and whispered curiously:
"The county princess! She's a real royal relative. Isn't she related to you?"
Pei Yu's gaze casually passed over the luxurious sedan chair in the distance. His expression remained unchanged as he calmly whispered, "There are many royal women who are enfeoffed as county princesses. They live scattered in various places and don't often enter the palace." He withdrew his gaze and said in a flat tone, "I don't know her."
The streets were so crowded that the carriage could no longer move forward. Everyone had to get off the carriage first, and the coachman moved it to the side to make way.
Amid the hustle and bustle, Shen Cuiyu closed her eyes and carefully sensed for a moment. "The aura of the spiritual butterfly ends here."
Lu Chun came to her senses, and a look of eagerness flashed in her eyes. She looked around, searching in the vast sea of people.
At the same time, the county princess's sedan chair had reached them. Lu Chun's gaze passed over the noble and elegant woman, but it stopped when she saw the man patrolling the street on horseback beside her.
That man had a clear and handsome face and a tall and slender figure. Who else could it be but her husband, Wang Jingxuan?
For a moment, it seemed that everything around had quieted down. Lu Chun stood there stupidly, unable to react.
She had prepared for the worst, thinking that Wang Jingxuan had been killed by the snake demon. Now that she saw he was still alive, the stone in her heart finally dropped.
But at the same time, great doubts and uneasiness welled up in her heart. Why was Wang Jingxuan beside the county princess?
Since he was safe and sound, why hadn't he even written her a single letter?
What on earth was going on?
Seeing Lu Chun standing there in a daze, everyone followed her gaze.
On the tall horse, the man held his chin high, looking elated. His gaze swept over the crowded people below.
Perhaps because the disciples of Wanxiang Academy were all wearing the same uniforms and were very conspicuous when they gathered together, the man actually turned his head and looked over.
Through the crowd, Lu Chun's gaze met his. The man was obviously startled, and then he quickly averted his eyes!
A strong sense of sourness suddenly welled up in her throat, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. Lu Chun tightly clutched the corner of her clothes, her knuckles turning white. It wasn't until the magnificent procession disappeared at the end of the long street that she suddenly came to her senses. She quickly grabbed a passing pedestrian who was about to leave.
Her voice trembled imperceptibly as she forced herself to ask, "Excuse me... who is the young master beside the county princess just now?"
Seeing her pale face, the pedestrian thought she was just a curious commoner and kindly whispered, "You mean that gentleman? I've heard that he's a staff member the county princess has recently relied on a great deal. He's really a handsome and talented man! Both the prince and the county princess think highly of him."
As he said this, a meaningful smile appeared on his face. He leaned closer and said, "In my opinion, with his appearance and talent, he's bound to have a bright future. He might even become the county princess's confidant!"
Lu Chun felt as if her mouth was blocked. Her voice was hoarse, and she couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Everyone else looked at each other awkwardly, not expecting the situation to develop like this.
Wasn't it said that Wang Jingxuan had been captured by the snake demon? Now not only was he safe and sound, but he had also managed to get close to the county princess...
As the senior brother and the leader of the disciples, Xu Qingfeng was the first to speak. "It seems that our previous speculation was wrong. This matter may not be a matter related to the mysterious sect at all. I just checked, and there's not a trace of demonic aura on Wang Jingxuan."
But Shen Cuiyu slightly frowned. She always felt that things were not as simple as they seemed.
"The lack of demonic aura is precisely what's strange."
Shen Cuiyu's words attracted everyone's attention.
She continued:
"First of all, that demonic aura suddenly stopped here, and coincidentally, Wang Jingxuan just happened to appear here. This is too much of a coincidence."
"Secondly, before Wang Jingxuan disappeared, he and Lu Chun had taken care of that black snake for quite some time. Even Lu Chun was contaminated with the remaining aura of the great demon, but there's not a single trace of demonic aura on Wang Jingxuan. He's as clean as a newborn baby. This is simply unrealistic."
Hearing this, Xu Qingfeng was stunned for a while. He felt a chill run down his spine and nodded repeatedly. "Yes... even if he wasn't bewitched by the snake demon, after being in contact with it for so long, the demonic aura couldn't have dissipated in just one or two months!"
After some discussion, the disciples temporarily found an inn to rest and planned to go to the county princess's mansion in the afternoon to find out the truth.
But unexpectedly, before they set off, the waiter brought a letter, specifically addressed to Lu Chun.
Lu Chun hesitated for a moment and then opened the letter. She was excited when she saw the handwriting!
It was exactly Wang Jingxuan's handwriting! And there was only one line in the letter, inviting Lu Chun to meet him.
Lu Chun almost couldn't wait to go. To uncover the mystery behind this matter, the other disciples also decided to go with her.
In the side room of the posthouse, this long - separated couple finally met.
Wang Jingxuan quickly stepped forward. His face was full of guilt and excitement at the reunion. He held Lu Chun's hand and said earnestly, "Xiaochun, it's my fault. I made you worry. A month ago, I happened to encounter the carriages of the county princess and the prince being intercepted by bandits on the outskirts of the city. In a hurry, I stepped forward to help and was fortunate enough to protect them. The prince appreciated my humble contribution and, after learning that I had studied for a few years, insisted on inviting me to his mansion to serve as a temporary staff member."
His words were sincere, but his eyes subtly avoided Lu Chun's direct gaze. He continued, "The affairs in the mansion are very complicated. There are endless documents and social interactions. I've been so busy that I haven't had a single day of leisure... I should have written to tell you immediately, but due to my busy schedule, I've delayed this matter until now. It's all my fault!"