Chapter 94

94 Do you remember the first time we met? Part I

“Be benwang’s consort.”

Bai Yu frowned. Do people of Da Chu have traditions of trading rabbits for spouses?

“How about it? Will you marry into the white jade palace?” Chu Zhaoran bent his face down, whispering to her with a sly smile.

Spurred on by her silence, his lips came down, intending to cover over hers. Bai Yu turned her face away, then said stiffly. “I’m not marrying a man who doesn’t love me.”

Chu Zhaoran revealed a smile once again. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek before he whispered. “It is benwang who loves you the most.”

“And Your Highness do something like this to a beloved woman?” His mouth was caressing her cheek, his body pressed on top of her, and she had no way of escape with her two hands held tight. She only had to use words in order to escape from this man.

However, it seemed that this second prince truly loved to cherish women. He released her wrists and moved his face away, though his arms still caged her beneath him. The man acted as if he did not notice that they were uncomfortably close. “Any man would want to do this to his beloved woman.”

“It’s only our first time meeting, yet Your Highness have eaten my tofu*” Bai Yu watched the handsome face that showed a wily smile. “How can I believe that Your Highness’s love is true?”

“That painting, benwang had it painted immediately after you had received Lady Meihua title three years ago...” His golden eyes looked at her, playfulness in his gaze abruptly turned into seriousness. “...From then on, benwang had always left the position of first consort for you, Bai Yu.”

.....

“I-”

Bang!

“Protect Wangye!”

The door was pushed open by a group of men wearing black. The sound of swords clashing was heard. Soldiers of the white jade palace rushed to protect their prince.

Chu Zhaoran clicked his tongue. His annoyance was palpable, opposite to Bai Yu’s relief.

“Capture them alive!” Chu Zhaoran’s authoritative voice boomed. One hand pulled Bai Yu up to sit on the bed while he took a sword given by a soldier. Then, he took his position in front of the bed, guarding Bai Yu behind him.

Amidst the fighting between the black-clad men and the soldiers, Bai Yu hurriedly looked around to find the magic hare still in its cage, on the same spot next to the bed where she had dropped it. She looked at Chu Zhaoran, who was fighting against three men at the same time.

The sole woman in the room was completely ignored. It was clear who was the target.

The moment that Chu Zhaoran was pushed back to the entrance, other attackers and soldiers went to gather there as well. Bai Yu took the opportunity to leave the bed, but when she was reaching for the cage, it suddenly floated. Someone had beaten her to it. Bai Yu was preparing to use her magic and was stopped by the person who took the magic hare away from her.

Familiar golden eyes calmed Bai Yu down in the middle of confusion.

“Go.”

He said only one word before dragging her behind a screen divider in the corner of the room. The fight still continued, though it seemed that Chu Zhaoran’s men had the upper hand. If everything ended like this, then they would have no way of escape.

Bang!

A window swung open by a force from outside. A silver-haired man glided inside with magic. His blue eyes turned to her and Ouyang Feilong and gave them a nod, then he unsheathed his sword and joined the fight.

Ouyang Feilong held her hand tight. His other hand was holding the magic hare cage. They both ran at full speed toward the open window and successfully escaped.

Shortly after they ran out of the prince’s bedchamber, they met a man wearing a dragon mask who seemed to have been already waiting for them.

Being caught by Chu Zhaoran was not a part of their plan, escaping to the rendezvous point where the grand army was waiting was. What they had not expected was that Yue Nan was still within the palace, though they all knew that they had to return to the valley they had hidden in. And so, Bai Yu was safely taken out of the white jade palace.

“Are those Wangye’s men?” She asked while Ouyang Feilong was riding a horse heading back to the valley. Bai Yu sat in front of him after he had refused to let her out of his sight.

“No.”

“So we were fortunate.” Bai Yu was relieved. Those people had come at the right time to interrupt Chu Zhaoran. It was also because of them that she could easily escape after being caught.

“Benwang doesn’t think so,” he said in a solemn voice. The brows on his beautiful face were tightly furrowed.

“What do you mean?”

“Those men were Chu Zhaoran’s.”

“If they were his men, then why would the prince want to attack himself?”

“War.”

Bai Yu frowned. What does that have to do with war?

Whoosh. Clang!

“Protect the dragon! Protect the miss!”

As five horses were heading toward the valley, an arrow suddenly flew from the side. Bai Yu who was considering Ouyang Feilong’s words could not react in time. The arrow was aimed at her. It was fortunate that Ouyang Feilong used his sword to block it in time.

Four horses of soldiers under the black dragon unit immediately surrounded the horse she and Ouyang Feilong was riding on. Several more arrows were rapidly fired in succession.

“Magic barrier!”

He calmly told her. Bai Yu removed a hairpin and used it as a medium for her to conjure magic around her body and the cage in her arms. Then, Ouyang Feilong’s golden magic covered both of them in another layer.

Rains of arrows continued without a sign of ceasing. Still, it could not harm any of them who all had magic to protect themselves.

“Go!”

Five horses continued, protected by golden magic and magic of other colors in various layers. Bai Yu hugged the cage against her chest. Her heart pounded and rushed for her fear of not being able to bring it back to Da Yang.

Even though they rode their horses away, they still could not escape the ambush. In front of them was a group of over a hundred men wearing black. They were all equipped with either swords or bows, and each of them had blue-level magic. Only a few were green, but even with a relatively low level of power, the number of them was worrying.

“Sir,” a soldier said after Ouyang Feilong had signaled them to stop. The horses were turned with their backs facing each other as the attackers quickly surrounded them.

“Do not lower your magic,” Ouyang Feilong continued to give an order. Bai Yu glanced at the side of his face, feeling of admiration welling up in her...So this was how he usually was when in battle. The commanding air around him was something Bai Yu had never witnessed before.

“Give him the hare.” Bai Yu obediently handed the cage to one of Ouyang Feilong’s men. She feared that they would not successfully bring it back to Da Yang, but in this situation, she trusted Ouyang Feilong’s plan.

“Benwang will open up a path. You rode back to the west wing of the white jade palace.”

“Yes, sir.”

Yue Nan’s men were waiting there in case that Bai Yu escaped the other way that Ouyang Feilong’s soldiers were not stationed. It had not been long after they left the palace, and Yue Nan was still there, thus, his men must still be waiting until they received a signal.

The magic hare was as important to Ouyang Feilong as to her. If they let it be taken away, then that meant Bai He’s life was lost as well.

“Rest assured. Benwang and you are their targets.”

As soon as he said that, Ouyang Feilong immediately rushed his horse forward. Golden magic emanates from his sword so brightly, it split the group of men into two, creating an opening for the horse that carried the magic hare to easily get away.

Ouyang Feilong did not follow but turned back to the group of men again. Three men of the black dragon unit came to stand beside him.

A sword was handed to her from behind and Bai Yu accepted it without a question. She knew that they were outnumbered. She could not sit aside and watch him protect her.

“Do you remember benwang’s words?”

“Obey Wangye’s every word. Don’t let myself be injured. And don’t leave Wangye’s sight.”

“And return to Da Yang with benwang.”

“Yes.” Bai Yu gripped a sword in her hand. “Return to Da Yang with Wangye.”

———————–

*Eat tofu: Groping, molesting