Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot-Chapter 315 - 295: Old Friends Reunite

On the other side of the forest, Bai Yuwei idly counted the leaves above her head.

"Seriously, why won’t they let me follow? I was the one who captured him, and now I’ve been left out!"

"Central Plains people are so unfair!"

"Who are you calling unfair?"

Meng Qianqian strolled over with her hands behind her back, imitating a pompous tone.

Bai Yuwei turned around, sized her up, and scoffed, "Don’t imitate Lu Yuan!"

Meng Qianqian swayed her head dramatically, adopting the air of an old scholar, and lectured, "It’s called proximity influence. Husband and wife are one entity. Not only do habits subtly affect one another, but even their appearance becomes more alike over time."

Bai Yuwei initially thought to retort, saying she’d better not start looking like a man, but swallowed the words mid-thought.

Lu Yuan had inherited his aunt’s beauty and was undoubtedly a rare handsome man.

Of course, in her heart, her brother was the most, most, most stunningly handsome man in the world.

"Wait, did I forget something?"

"Hmm?"

"Oh no! The Prince Consort!"

She had been so caught up lecturing Xun Yu that she completely forgot about the Princess’s marriage plans.

Meng Qianqian slapped her own head, muttering, "One pregnancy of lucklessness lasts three years, one pregnancy of lucklessness lasts three years."

Bai Yuwei was stunned, "You’re pregnant?!"

Meng Qianqian’s face was devoid of expression, "Luck, as in fortune."

Bai Yuwei: "..."

"What exactly did you do to Xun Yu?"

Earlier, Meng Qianqian had hoisted him off in a sack and wouldn’t let her sneak a peek. Bai Yuwei had no idea what trickery she was up to.

Meng Qianqian smiled lightly and enigmatically, "Found him a good place to be."

Bai Yuwei grumbled in dissatisfaction, "So secretive."

Meng Qianqian patted her shoulder, speaking earnestly, "As your sister-in-law, I don’t want to lead you astray."

Bai Yuwei: Who was that fierce woman earlier, beating Xun Yu so badly he cried for his teeth?

Meng Qianqian clapped her hands, "Alright, time to find Tan’er."

Bai Yuwei frowned, "She doesn’t have my tracking Gu on her."

Meng Qianqian’s lips curved slightly. She raised her right index finger, curled it, and blew a piercing whistle at the sky.

A moment later, a hunting eagle emerged from the azure heavens, circling powerfully before diving down with the majestic aura of the lord of the skies.

Meng Qianqian donned her silver-thread gloves and gently raised her wrist.

The eagle flapped its wings, braking abruptly in midair, and landed stably on Meng Qianqian’s protected wrist.

Bai Yuwei broke out into a cold sweat.

The eagle’s earlier dive had been so fast, it felt like it was going to attack them—but instead, it had executed a flawless stop.

This was her grandfather’s hunting eagle.

And yet, even in her grandfather’s hands, it had never been this well-trained.

"You know how to train eagles?"

Bai Yuwei asked, stunned.

"Seems like it," Meng Qianqian replied, stroking the eagle’s feathers.

Bai Yuwei stared at the fierce raptor—loyal only to her grandfather—now acting as docile as a baby bird before Meng Qianqian. She couldn’t help but ask, "What do you mean ’seems like’?"

Meng Qianqian pondered, "Hmm... I guess that’s what it means."

Too much was lost to her from her past life.

She truly couldn’t recall all the skills she had learned.

Meng Qianqian scratched the eagle’s head, "Do you know where Tan’er is?"

Bai Yuwei skeptically asked, "How could it possibly understand your words?"

The eagle let out a loud "Coo!"

Bai Yuwei: "...!!"

It responded to her straight away!

Yet when she called it on normal days, it always acted deaf!

Bai Yuwei was so angry she felt like smacking it!

"I want to go back to Miaojiang!"

"Don’t, little sister! I’ll coax you!"

"Who wants you to coax me?!"

"Then let it coax you."

Meng Qianqian held the eagle up toward Bai Yuwei.

Reluctantly, Bai Yuwei stopped in her tracks, glaring at the eagle with a mixture of grievance and anger.

Meng Qianqian said, "Little sister, pet it."

Bai Yuwei hesitated, then slowly raised her hand and quickly stroked the eagle’s head once.

Meng Qianqian: "How was it?"

Bai Yuwei murmured softly, "It’s... alright."

Meng Qianqian: "Then pet it again."

The eagle: ...

Bai Yuwei ended up petting it three times, utterly pleased with herself, and forgot all about Meng Qianqian leaving her behind earlier.

Meng Qianqian released the eagle.

The two followed it to track down Tan’er, gradually approaching the stream.

Looking at the eagle circling above, Bai Yuwei frowned and asked, "She crossed the stream? Wasn’t she told never to cross it? How could she disobey?"

Meng Qianqian was puzzled as well.

Tan’er was mischievous, sure, but she had never knowingly broken any of Meng Qianqian’s orders. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"Let’s go check."

Meng Qianqian led Bai Yuwei across the stream using Qinggong.

They hadn’t walked far when they heard Tan’er’s annoyed voice coming from the east: "You blade-wielding bastard! Where are you running? Come out and fight me, if you’ve got the guts! Bullying the Imperial Guard isn’t much of a skill!"

Meng Qianqian let out a long sigh and followed the voice to find Tan’er, "Tan’er."

"Sister!"

Tan’er turned and ran toward Meng Qianqian.

Meng Qianqian saw she was unharmed, removed a fallen leaf from her head, and said softly, "Didn’t I tell you not to cross the stream?"

Tan’er stomped her foot, "I didn’t want to, but that blade-wielding bastard went too far—ten Imperial Guards taken down all at once! I couldn’t stand it!"

All the major forces were working hard to strategize and eliminate opponents.

As the Jinyi Guard Commander, Shangguan Ling was clearly not someone ordinary soldiers could handle.

Tan’er clenched her fist, "The Imperial Guard must win!"

Meng Qianqian smiled gently, "That’s Han Ci’s concern."

Tan’er sighed, "I’m worried Han Ci won’t be able to beat that blade-wielding bastard."

Meng Qianqian said, "Fighting on the battlefield isn’t just about brute strength. Han Ci has experience commanding troops, while Shangguan Ling specializes in covert operations and assassinations. Each has their strengths—Han Ci may not lose."

Tan’er pouted, "Alright then."

"Tan’er is the best." Meng Qianqian patted her head, "Did Xun Yu’s two guards hurt you earlier?"

Tan’er clapped her hands, "I shook them off long ago! But, Sister, why didn’t you let me fight?"

Meng Qianqian replied, "It’s not time yet."

Luo San still hadn’t been found, and nobody knew his hiding spot either.

If a fight drew out Luo San, it would be a disaster.

She wanted to handle Luo San herself.

Meng Qianqian instructed the two, "You two go protect Princess Wanping for me. I’ll be back shortly."

Bai Yuwei glanced indifferently at Tan’er, "She can go; I’ll go with you."

Tan’er immediately clung to Meng Qianqian’s arm, "You go away! I’m staying with Sister!"

Bai Yuwei felt sour seeing their close bond. Her mood plummeted.

Meng Qianqian sternly said, "Stop arguing, both of you. Go together."

Once the two young girls were sent off, Meng Qianqian grabbed her large bow, slung her quiver over her back, and strode into the depths of the hunting grounds with resolve.

The heavens were not on her side; autumn rains in the mountains came suddenly and fiercely.

By the time she reached the midway point of the mountain, heavy rain poured down, and the already narrow mountain path became treacherous.

She clung to the rock wall, advancing cautiously.

All of a sudden, the rocks beneath her feet gave way.

Her foot slipped, and she plummeted down with a deafening crash.

At the critical moment, a strong hand grabbed her firmly.

It was a hand marred by burn scars, grotesque and twisted, the marks snaking up to the forearm.

Under the downpour, it resembled a flower of the underworld blooming from the depths of Purgatory.