“Ah Dai! Ah Dai!”
Yun Qingxue searched inch by inch, leaving no patch of land unchecked, until dawn broke…
The eastern sky paled, and the morning light slowly pierced through the clouds, dispelling the darkness as the surroundings became clear and bright.
All night, Yun Qingxue had tirelessly searched the area for any trace of Ah Dai, yet she found nothing.
Her heart gradually sank into despair. She had even scoured the land scorched by the violet lightning…
But she couldn’t find him—no matter how hard she tried, Ah Dai was nowhere to be seen! She refused to entertain the thought that he might no longer be in this world…
The sound of hooves approached from the south, a grand procession moving swiftly as if in fast-forward, covering great distances in the blink of an eye.
Before long, the group arrived near Yun Qingxue.
“Halt.”
A luxurious carriage carried the voice of a man—gentle and clear.
The procession obeyed instantly, stopping beside Yun Qingxue.
Yet she seemed entirely unaware, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on a patch of charred earth—the very spot struck by lightning the night before, where she had stood at the center…
Yun Qingxue believed… Ah Dai had likely vanished at that very moment.
Though she refused to dwell on it… the force of that lightning strike had been devastating.
The curtain of the ornate carriage lifted as Chen Qing and the Prince of Ning stepped out one after another.
“Your Majesty, the Flower King,” Chen Qing greeted Yun Qingxue with a warm smile.
“Flower Goddess.”
The Prince of Ning also offered a refined and courteous greeting.
Yun Qingxue turned her head, withdrawing her gaze from the scorched earth, her eyes cold as she regarded Chen Qing and the Prince of Ning.
This Grand State Preceptor—it was all because of his malicious attack that Ah Dai had disappeared! It was all his fault!
If Ah Dai had truly vanished from this world… that adorable Ah Dai…
She would avenge him!
“Your Majesty, the Flower King, I thought you had already departed.”
Chen Qing smiled kindly, feigning surprise that Yun Qingxue was still here.
“My friend is missing, so I came to search,” Yun Qingxue replied icily.
Chen Qing frowned. When he had pursued them yesterday, he had only encountered the Flower King and her guards. How could there be someone else?
“Pray tell, what friend? The Flower Goddess may speak freely. This prince shall have his men assist in the search,” the Prince of Ning offered with a harmless, gentle smile.
“That would be most kind. I shall trouble the Prince and the Grand State Preceptor, then.”
Yun Qingxue accepted without hesitation.
“The Flower Goddess need not stand on ceremony,” the Prince of Ning replied gracefully. “But may I ask, what distinguishing features does your friend possess?”
“Distinguishing features…” Yun Qingxue smiled faintly, though her eyes remained cold. “My friend is a spirit serpent that has yet to take human form.”
“Oh?” The Prince of Ning looked genuinely surprised. Both he and Chen Qing had assumed Yun Qingxue’s friend was of the Flora Tribe—a plant spirit. Yet it turned out to be a serpent demon!
“What distinguishing features does the spirit serpent have? If the Flower Goddess shares them, it will aid in the search,” the Prince of Ning continued with a smile.
“It is a translucent, violet serpent,” Yun Qingxue described Ah Dai’s appearance.
Chen Qing’s expression stiffened.
Violet? Translucent?
“May I ask where Your Majesty, the Flower King, met this friend of yours?” Chen Qing pressed urgently.
Yun Qingxue saw no reason to conceal it. The more prestigious Ah Dai’s origins sounded, the more effort these people would put into finding him.
“Jin Lin gifted him to me,” Yun Qingxue replied with a faint, hollow smile. As if fearing these high-ranking humans might not recognize the name, she “helpfully” added, “Jin Lin is the King of the Aquatic Tribe.”
“The Dragon King?” The Prince of Ning looked slightly startled.
Yun Qingxue nodded. “Indeed. That little spirit serpent was raised by him. He nurtured it for nearly two centuries before I visited the Aquatic Tribe. Seeing how fond I was of it, he gifted the serpent to me!”
“Ah…” At this point, Yun Qingxue sighed. “Now, because of last night’s events, I’ve lost Ah Dai. If Jin Lin were to find out… I would have no choice but to truthfully recount what happened!”
“Everyone, search for that spirit serpent at once!” the Prince of Ning commanded his men. With his intelligence, how could he miss the veiled threat in Yun Qingxue’s words?
The assembled forces obeyed, launching a thorough, inch-by-inch search of the area.
“Ah Dai!”
“Ah Dai!”
Yun Qingxue called Ah Dai’s name again and again.
From dawn until sunset, the Prince of Ning and Chen Qing’s men combed every inch of land for miles around. Yet not only was there no sign of a translucent violet serpent—they didn’t even find an ordinary, non-venomous snake!
Yun Qingxue’s heart sank into utter despair…
Though she refused to believe it, her beloved Ah Dai was likely gone forever.
Qian Dai had left…
And now, Ah Dai, who had always stayed by her side, had vanished because of her weakness…
Ah Dai…
It was my fault!!!
Yun Qingxue’s heart twisted with agony. She stole a glance at Chen Qing, who was whispering with the Prince of Ning, and a flash of murderous intent flickered in her eyes before she quickly masked it.
Ah Dai had met his fate because of this man. Forget the saying “Revenge is a dish best served cold”—she would seize the first opportunity to avenge him!
Chen Qing wanted to kill her, didn’t he? Fine, she would give him the chance. But in the end, who would die by whose hand remained to be seen!
“Call your men back. There’s no need to search anymore,” Yun Qingxue said as she approached Chen Qing and the Prince of Ning, suppressing the grief of losing Ah Dai and keeping her voice steady.
At her words, Chen Qing immediately recalled all his subordinates with a sound transmission spell.
“Grand State Preceptor.”
Once everyone had returned, Yun Qingxue smiled coolly at Chen Qing. “As I recall, last night you mentioned inviting me for tea and conversation?”
Chen Qing was taken aback, unsure why she would bring this up now, but he smiled and replied, “I must apologize for last night’s offense. I did indeed sincerely wish to invite Your Majesty for tea, to make amends.”
“Since I currently have no urgent matters to attend to, and the State Preceptor extends such a sincere invitation, I shall gladly accept,” Yun Qingxue seized the opportunity without hesitation.
After searching for so long without finding Ah Dai, it was all but certain that he had met a tragic end.
At this moment, though Yun Qingxue wore a serene smile, her heart was consumed by hatred over Ah Dai’s uncertain fate!
She would avenge Ah Dai. She would get close to Chen Qing and find a way to kill him! She had to kill him—for Ah Dai!!!
“That would be splendid.”
Chen Qing was inwardly surprised but maintained a kindly smile.
Though he didn’t understand why she had suddenly changed her mind, keeping her under close surveillance was far better than letting her go.
“Flower Goddess.” The Prince of Ning stepped forward with a smile. “This prince has long admired you. Since you are free, might I have the honor of inviting you to the capital as my guest?”
Yun Qingxue considered briefly before replying, “Certainly.”
Chen Qing and the Prince of Ning exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable, but both inwardly pleased.
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