She Holds the World After Being Reborn-Chapter 24: Tonight, be sure to choose the strongest one.

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Tonight, be sure to choose the strongest one.

Yan Wanqing had slept straight through to when the sun was past its highest point.

She had slept soundly, her body relaxed, and she felt refreshed upon waking.

Even as Cong Ge helped her change her clothes, one could hear her humming a little tune.

However, her happiness did not last long before she heard crying from outside the door.

Yan Wanqing frowned, and Cong Ge hurried out to check.

There she saw Cong Huan sitting on the ground, crying her heart out, "Miss, please go see Prince Seven, he’s been punished with military canes by the Crown Prince..."

Cong Ge wished she could silence the maid’s blabbering.

But before she could act, the curtain was lifted, and Yan Wanqing emerged in a turquoise long dress, her eyes calm, "Prince Seven was beaten?"

Seeing Yan Wanqing ask, Cong Huan quickly crawled to her and said, "The Crown Prince said Prince Seven publicly executed an Imperial Court official, violating the law, and thus he was beaten with twenty military rods."

Yan Wanqing had not expected that while she was asleep, Xiao Pingfeng had beaten Xiao Hongshen.

And that was the excuse used.

But why exact retribution after the fact? The Empress was present just now, Xiao Pingfeng clearly could have held him accountable, but he chose not to.

Yan Wanqing could not understand, but she was pleased that Xiao Hongshen was beaten.

"Miss, please go see Prince Seven. He will definitely be very happy if you do," Cong Huan said, thinking to herself that this way she could also have a chance to peek at him by following her mistress.

"What does Prince Seven being happy have to do with my sister!" spoke Yan Hongzhao, wearing a bright red robe, rushing over like a joyful swallow.

She hurried over upon hearing Yan Wanqing had awakened, only to encounter such talk.

"Sister, how could you have such maids around you," Yan Hongzhao said, looking at Cong Huan with furrowed brows, "Such betrayal and scheming to tarnish your reputation, should we find a matron to sell her off?"

"No, no, that’s not it, Fifth Miss!" Cong Huan immediately panicked; she had merely spoken a few words, all in Miss’s best interest, yet the Fifth Miss wanted to sell her off.

Yan Wanqing looked at Cong Huan’s panicked eyes and felt very at ease inside, while softly sighing, "No matter, this girl is just earnest, she means no harm. Fifth Sister, don’t take it to heart."

Then she looked towards Cong Ge, a single glance, "Take Cong Huan down to wash her face, she’s been crying so sadly, outsiders who didn’t know better would think I had been mistreating her."

Cong Ge quickly dragged Cong Huan up from the ground, at first she was reluctant to leave, but Cong Ge pinched her arm harshly, leading her out of the room.

Once they were gone, Yan Hongzhao hurriedly stated her purpose.

"Sister, let’s begin."

Yes, she had come to practice martial arts with Yan Wanqing.

Yan Wanqing couldn’t help but laugh, her sister was really impatient, "Alright, alright."

The two sisters started with the basics. Yan Wanqing soon worked up a light sweat, practicing together with her sister Yan Zizhuo and her brother Xiaoqi, tumbling and frolicking, they practiced for a good while.

By the end of it, beads of sweat dripped from Yan Wanqing’s forehead, yet she felt indescribably refreshed.

She missed the times when she was holding the Spirit Snake Longsword even more.

She truly hoped to find the antidote soon and cure the Thousand Mechanism poison.

"That’s enough for today, sister," said Yan Hongzhao, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe away her sweat, her eyes filled with pity and fervor.

Yan Wanqing nodded, by this time the maids had also heated the water, and she went straight into the house to bathe and change clothes.

As for Prince Seven, whoever wanted to visit could go, but she certainly would not.

She had left, yet she couldn’t be sure if Piji might directly strike with a knife and send him straight to heaven.

After her bath, Mrs. Sun came to tell her the Empress had invited her to a banquet to soothe the families of various officials, noteworthy was that Abbot Xun Wu was also at the banquet.

Yan Wanqing naturally couldn’t refuse, but what she thought to herself was that the main courses at today’s banquet were said to be wild game that had not escaped last night’s blaze. Wouldn’t Abbot Xun Wu find such a banquet offensive?

Elsewhere.

In a dim room, a man lay prostrate on a soft couch, his handsome, pale face covered in shadows.

"Did Yan Wanqing show any anomalies yesterday?" a hoarse, rough voice emanated from Xiao Hongshen’s mouth.

Mo Shan concealed the pained expression in his eyes, reminiscing about the day he had followed Yan Wanqing, then responded like a wooden puppet, "No, she was very normal."

Very... normal?

Could he have guessed wrong?

"Indeed, it couldn’t have been her." Xiao Hongshen laughed at his own suspicion, convinced it must have been the Crown Prince’s doing.

Thinking of his arrogant brother from last night, whose gaze looked down on him as though he were an insignificant ant, Xiao Hongshen’s heart fiercely twisted.

"When he mentioned the Jiangnan Private Camp to this temple, this temple should have anticipated such a scheme, foolishly losing a Lin Pingzhi in the process," As Xiao Hongshen thought more about it, the angrier he felt. He raised his hand and told Mo Shan, "Send someone to search Lin Pingzhi’s house thoroughly; we can’t afford any mishaps like finding account books at this point."

Mo Shan took his leave to carry out the order.

Xiao Hongshen watched as the sky outside gradually darkened, his eyes becoming increasingly obstinate, "Has the news of my injury spread?"

"It has," Mo Shan replied.

Xiao Hongshen muttered to himself, "...Why hasn’t the teacher come to see this temple yet?"

Mo Shan was forced to stiffly explain, "Princess Anping should be at the Empress’s banquet currently."

"The Crown Prince is there too?" Xiao Hongshen suddenly looked up and asked. Mo Shan nodded, "He is."

"...You go and do something for this temple," his eyes darkening, "Make sure it’s the fiercest of that kind."

Mo Shan didn’t understand, "Master, aren’t you competing for the Princess of Qin State anymore?"

Xiao Hongshen’s face was indiscernible in the dim room, but a raspy voice slowly echoed, "Do you know why I have survived up to now?"

In that deep palace where anyone uncomfortable with him could beat him, and where there was no sure meal after another, how many kids like him were there? Yet, he alone survived.

Mo Shan only saw Xiao Hongshen’s deep gaze landing on her, sending chills throughout her body.

"When unable to make a decision, this temple only clings to what should be clung to in the moment."

Between Yan Wanqing and the distant Princess of Qin State, he would choose Yan Wanqing without hesitation.

Qin Wu liked the Crown Prince, so let her like him.

The Crown Prince coveting Yan Wanqing, however, had touched his reverse scale.

Mo Shan left silently.

Xiao Hongshen remained alone in the room; his face, under the light of the candle, was alternately illuminated and shadowed as he tightly hugged the jade pillow in front of him, murmuring to himself.

"...Teacher, can only be mine, in life and in death."

"No one can take Teacher away, no one... not even if killed, can he be given away!"