20demayo Chapter 425 Giving the Moon Goddess to someone else? I, Xu Longxiang, don't actually have that
Chapter 425 Giving the Moon Goddess to someone else? I, Xu Longxiang, don't actually have that
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the main gate of the Moon Goddess Cult.
Xu Longxiang lifted the carriage curtain, bent down and stepped out. The bandage on his right arm was soaked with blood, a large, dark red patch that was shocking to behold.
His face was pale, his lips were chapped, and there were dark circles under his eyes, but he did not stop walking and staggered toward the main altar.
He took a couple of steps, then suddenly remembered something, turned around, glanced into the carriage, and spoke in a hoarse and hurried voice.
"Miss Suxin, I have some things to take care of first, I'll come find you later."
Chen Ruoyao leaned against the car wall, nodded slightly, and had a perfectly placed faint smile on her lips.
"Young Master Xu, please go ahead and attend to your business. I also have some matters to attend to."
Xu Longxiang nodded, turned around, and quickly disappeared through the gates of the main altar. His dark python robe flashed by in the twilight, like a crow blown away by the wind.
The carriage curtain fell.
The smile on Chen Ruoyao's lips gradually faded.
A complex light flashed in her eyes, a mixture of doubt, unease, and an irrepressible, restless ambition.
She did not get off the bus.
Instead of returning to the main hall of the Moon Goddess Cult headquarters as usual, she leaned against the car wall, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
Then he opened his eyes, lifted the carriage curtain, and said something to the driver in a low voice.
"Turn around. Go to the back mountain."
The coachman paused for a moment, then nodded, turned the horse around, and the carriage headed towards the back mountain along the small path on the side of the main altar.
The wheels crunched over the gravel, making a "crunching" sound that echoed through the silent mountain forest.
The carriage stopped at the foot of a mountain.
Chen Ruoyao lifted the car curtain and stepped out. The twilight shone on her, gilding her moon-white dress with a dark golden light.
She raised her head, gazing at the vast, twilight-shrouded mountains and forests before her, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
Her figure blurred, transforming into a white afterimage as she flew towards the foot of the mountain.
Her footsteps were very light, making no sound as she stepped on the fallen leaves, like a white fox moving through the forest.
She needs to confirm something.
Who is that woman who looks exactly like her?
.......
In the side hall of the Moon Goddess Cult's main altar.
Fan Li was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a silver needle in his hand, and had inserted a row of dense needles into Dark Crow's chest.
Dark Raven's complexion has improved a lot; there's a bit of color back in his face, and his lips are no longer as dry and chapped as they were a couple of days ago.
"His Highness is back."
Dark Raven suddenly raised his head, his gaze falling on the doorway.
As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps came from the end of the corridor, hurried and heavy, as if someone was running.
The door was suddenly pushed open, and Xu Longxiang strode in, his face grave and his brows furrowed.
His right arm was wrapped in bandages, from which a patch of dark red blood seeped out, a shocking sight.
Fan Li's heart skipped a beat.
He put down the silver needles and stood up, his expression equally solemn, his voice urgent.
"Your Highness, what's wrong? What happened?"
Xu Longxiang walked up to him, plopped down in a chair, picked up the iced tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp. Tea spilled from the corner of his mouth and dripped down his chin, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.
Without hesitation, he immediately recounted everything that had happened on the street that day, from the spoiled brat provoking the Moon Goddess Cult, to his maid massacring believers, to him recognizing his own identity, to him being forced to take action.
Then he was defeated by two women working together, and finally that纨绔 (a spoiled, dissolute young man) threatened to return to the capital to file a complaint.
He spoke very quickly, each word carrying an barely suppressed anxiety and unease.
Upon hearing this, Fan Li frowned deeply, his expression extremely grave.
Dark Raven also frowned deeply, his fists clenched, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged.
"Sir, what should we do now?"
Xu Longxiang's voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of urgency that he himself was unaware of.
"If what the Moon Goddess said is true, and there's an even more powerful being by their side, then we'll probably have a hard time killing them. The enmity between us will only deepen, which will likely cause even more trouble!"
Fan Li nodded, remained silent for a moment, and then tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, making a "tap-tap" sound.
"Your Highness's concerns are valid. If we are not absolutely certain that we can kill him, then it is indeed inconvenient to make enemies further."
He raised his head, his gaze falling on Xu Longxiang's face, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
"Does Your Highness already have some ideas?"
Xu Longxiang nodded, leaned forward slightly, and placed his hands on his knees.
"On the way back, I kept thinking about how to solve it, and I did have some ideas."
Fan Li's brows relaxed a little as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
"Your Highness, why don't you tell me?"
Xu Longxiang took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the sky outside the window, which was dyed red by the twilight, his voice steady and resolute.
"This man is a spoiled brat with an eccentric personality, but he's also the easiest to win over. As long as the benefits are enough, anything is negotiable. So, if we're sincere enough and apologize to him, this incident can be seen as a chance encounter that led to friendship. This way, we can not only eliminate all hatred in one fell swoop, but also use this opportunity to connect with his father, win him over, and make him an ally of our Northern Border—a win-win situation."
He spoke calmly, but a hint of suppressed humiliation and helplessness flashed in his eyes.
For Xu Longxiang, admitting his mistake to such a person was undoubtedly a humiliation.
But he was willing to do it.
If it can help his great cause, what does this little humiliation matter?
He had endured far greater humiliations than this, so what was this?
A hint of appreciation flashed in Fan Li's eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a smile of satisfaction.
"Your Highness thinks the same way. As long as we can win him over and get him on our side, it won't be so easy for him to go back to his old ways."
Dark Raven lay on the bed, listening with a mixture of understanding and confusion, his brows still furrowed, like an unresolved knot.
He couldn't help but interject, his voice hoarse and puzzled.
"But... how can we win him over?"
Fan Li smiled, tapped his fingers twice on the table, and stared into a deep, unfathomable gaze.
"From Your Highness's description, this man is not only surrounded by many wicked servants, but also served by four beautiful maids. It is clear that he lives a life of extravagance, is fond of women, and craves pleasure. If we match our description to his own, and send him some beauties, we can win him over."
Xu Longxiang smiled, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, his voice carrying a sense of relief.
"Sir, I think the same way."
Fan Li stroked his beard, his expression becoming even more serious, and his voice deepened.
"However, we need to be careful about who we send the beauty to. Such a person must have seen many beauties, and if we offer her something unremarkable, she probably won't be interested. Moreover, the beauty we send her must be loyal to the North and be able to send us messages at any time."
Upon hearing this, both Xu Longxiang and An Ya fell silent.
The side hall was so quiet that you could hear the faint crackling of the candlelight and the rustling of the night wind through the bamboo leaves outside the window.
Xu Longxiang leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and his mind raced.
He was so familiar with this script that it made his heart ache.
That's how he sent his childhood sweetheart, Jiang Qingxue, into the palace, into the arms of that tyrannical emperor.
Now, doing it again, he's already very familiar with the process.
However, deciding who to send to this spoiled brat requires careful consideration.
There are plenty of suitable women in the North, but they are too far away to be of immediate help.
Fan Li spoke again, his voice even deeper than before.
"We need to send at least two people; one alone probably won't even entice them."
Xu Longxiang sighed, opened his eyes, and his eyes were full of exhaustion and helplessness.
"This place isn't in the northern border, it's not my territory, and I really can't find a suitable candidate right now. Going to a brothel to find two courtesans would be feasible. But firstly, it's hard to guarantee their loyalty, and secondly, the courtesans might not be able to attract him."
Fan Li frowned, tapped his fingers twice on the table, and fell into deep thought.
His gaze swept across the room, from Dark Crow's pale face to Xu Longxiang's weary eyes, from the cold tea on the table to the deep twilight outside the window.
For some unknown reason, he looked up at Xu Longxiang, opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Xu Longxiang noticed his unusual behavior and frowned slightly.
"Sir, please speak frankly."
Fan Li took a deep breath, as if he had made a great decision, and his voice was very low, so low that it sounded like an echo coming from underground.
"Your Highness, perhaps there is a way."
Xu Longxiang straightened up and stared at him.
"What method?"
Fan Li raised his head, looked into Xu Longxiang's eyes, and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"In this southwestern border region, if we're talking about unparalleled beauty in the world, there is only the Moon Goddess. If she were willing to go in person, perhaps we wouldn't need two people; she alone would suffice."
Xu Longxiang's eyes widened suddenly, and his pupils contracted sharply, as if he had been pricked by a needle!
His mouth opened slightly, then closed, then opened again, then closed again.
The words rolled around in his throat countless times before finally being squeezed out, his voice sharp with shock.
"impossible!"
His voice echoed in the side hall, making the candlelight flicker.
How could he possibly let the Moon Goddess go?!
That was the woman he liked the most right now, the one he was determined to pursue, the warm fire that had just been ignited in his heart!
How could he possibly send her to another man?!
Besides, he has already sent his dearest woman, Jiang Qingxue, to the jaws of death. How could he possibly repeat the same mistake?
Isn't this insane?!
Xu Longxiang doesn't actually have that kind of cuckoldry complex!
His face was ashen, his chest heaving violently, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
Fan Li sighed inwardly as he looked at Xu Longxiang's appearance, but his face remained calm.
"Your Highness, please don't be so quick to deny it."
He stood up, walked to the window, pushed it open, and the night wind rushed in, blowing his gray beard and hair.
"I think with the Moon Goddess's abilities, that spoiled brat would never be able to get close to her. And if the Moon Goddess could control this spoiled brat, it would greatly benefit our plans. I don't think she would have any reason to refuse."
Xu Longxiang was stunned for a moment.
His pupils contracted slightly, then suddenly dilated, like a lamp suddenly lit in the darkness!
That's right! With the Moon Goddess's abilities, that spoiled brat could never get close to her. What is he worried about?
The Moon Goddess is an unparalleled powerhouse at the half-step terrestrial immortal realm. The strongest maidservant beside that spoiled brat is only at the first-grade Finger Profound Realm. The Moon Goddess could crush all of them with just a flick of her finger.
On the contrary, the Moon Goddess will definitely manipulate that person, making him dizzy and infatuated, so that he will be devoted to the Moon Goddess Cult and ultimately be used by them.
This would probably take less than two days. It was a sure-fire, risk-free deal, and incredibly secure. He had no need to worry about loyalty whatsoever.
As for the person behind that spoiled brat, Xu Longxiang thought that the spoiled brat couldn't possibly have that person watching him while he was having sex.
Therefore, there is absolutely no chance of failure.
Xu Longxiang thought it over carefully, considering it from all angles, levels, and possibilities.
There are no vulnerabilities, no risks, and no worries.
He stood up, straightened his robes, and spoke in a calm and firm voice.
"Okay, I'll go tell the Moon Goddess."
Fan Li breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this.
He turned around, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed.
"Then I'll trouble you, Your Highness. This matter is of great importance; the Moon Goddess must consider it carefully."
Xu Longxiang nodded, his eyes sharp.
"I see."
He turned and walked out of the side hall, his steps quick.
His figure disappeared through the doorway, his footsteps fading into the deepening twilight.
Inside the side hall, Fan Li stood by the window, gazing in the direction where Xu Longxiang had disappeared, a complex light flashing in his eyes.
He didn't know if his suggestion was right or wrong, but he knew that the North didn't have many options left.
Dark Raven lay on the bed, gazing at the top of the tent, and remained silent for a long time.
He suddenly spoke, his voice very soft, as if he were talking to himself.
"Your Highness... this time, you've truly fallen for him."
Fan Li didn't speak, but just sighed softly.
Unbeknownst to them, on the roof of the side hall, a figure in moon-white robes stood with his hands behind his back, the night wind rustling his robes.
Qin Mu stood on the roof tile, the moonlight shining on his face, casting his handsome features in half-light and half-shadow.
A slight smile played on his lips, and a hint of amusement and determination flashed in his eyes.
He originally came to find the Moon Goddess's stand-in, wanting to see what that fake Moon Goddess was up to.
Unexpectedly, he overheard such a scheme, which really resonated with him!
Giving him the Moon Goddess? This Xu Longxiang is really generous.
Therefore, he was not in a hurry to leave.
He has to keep acting in this scene, to act even more brilliantly, and to act even more enjoyably.
This play is getting more and more interesting.
He chuckled softly, his figure swayed, and his moon-white robe traced a graceful arc in the moonlight, like a crane flying in the night, silently disappearing into the darkness.
........
P.S.: There are still 8,000 words left, I'll post them at the party.