野荷塘

“Your Highness left without saying anything! It was very troublesome for General Mo!”

Shen Li laughed and patted him on the arm . “This lord was at fault . Later just pick a tavern, it’ll be my treat . You can drink to your heart’s content . ”

Another general to the side quickly chimed in . “Your Highness can’t play favorites!”

“Yeah! I know! Everyone should get a share!”

“Alright! You are all invited!” Shen Li saw the training platform and remembered her reason for coming . She raised her voice and said, “This king is in good mood . I will practice with you all today! How about ten moves each! Then all the generals can go drinking!”

To fight and lose against the Azure Sky King was an honor for the soldiers . The atmosphere became boisterous and lively as the generals gathered up their recruits, selecting the most promising ones to spar against the Azure Sky King .

The soldiers used every trick up their sleeve, trying their hardest to best Shen Li, but none could land a second hit . Ten people tried in the course of two hours, but none were able to reach the ten move marker .

There was a glistening sheen of sweat on Shen Li’s forehead and she was warm all over . Her eyes were bright and lively from the exertion . The current soldier sparring was the best, able to get in five moves . She praised him . “You have potential . ”

She immediately moved behind him after speaking . He was quick and sidestepped that attack but couldn’t avoid Shen Li’s next move . He lost his footing as she swept her leg under him . She grabbed him by the shoulder and pressed him against the platform floor .

He admitted defeat and quickly got off the training platform after Shen Li gave him some pointers on his defense .

“Next!”

A cool breeze burst through and Xing Zhi appeared in their midst laughing . “I would like to request a battle . ”

Those in the audience had no clue he was there until he spoke . It left everyone in an uproar . When he did arrive? To appear without anyone noticing, showed how powerful he was .

Shen Li’s expression turned cold . She wiped at the sweat on her brow and looked at Xing Zhi . “Pardon? What does immortal high god wish to do?”

"The atmosphere is so lively and boisterous I wanted to join in and be a part of it . I’ve lived in solitude beyond the heavens for so long, it’s rare for me to see such a crowd . Don’t tell me Your Highness is unwilling to bear competition?”

“I dare not put immortal high god’s body at risk . . . ”

As soon as she finished speaking Xing Zhi flashed over to her on the training platform . He used the same technique she used on the foot soldier earlier, limiting her mobility by grabbing her shoulder . Shen Li shifted his hold by pushing against his hand with qi . Then she made an about face and slammed her lower palm into his face . But she missed . Xing Zhi had already turned his cheek away avoiding the hit . He took advantage of her forward moment and turned it against her, grabbing her wrist and twisting her arm behind her back, trapping her .

Xing Zhi grinned . “Your Highness was saying something about not daring to injure me?”

Shen Li was angry . She braced her feet and bent forward at the waist, raising her free arm up to grab his shoulder . With a yell she attempted to summersault him off her back . But her hand grabbed only air . Xing Zhi had already disappeared .

Shen Li heard soft footfall behind her . She swiftly turned around and forcefully jabbed her elbow at Xing Zhi’s abdomen . The hit landed but it felt like she was hitting fluff . The strength of her attack had been completely dispersed .

Their fight was reminiscent of her conversations with him . Every word she used to corner him would be deflected . She couldn’t pin him down .

The more she thought about it the more stifled she felt, and the more reckless her attacks became . The more reckless her attacks became the easier it was for Xing Zhi to handle her .

She realized he was playing her like a fiddle in the palm of his hand . Along with this realization came another: she didn’t have to play along . There was no reason for her to spar with him . She stood still and stopped attacking . Xing Zhi also stopped .

He hadn’t attacked once since that first back hold . All along he had been defending, parrying everything she threw at him . He was just toying with her and she had played along, orchestrating a one man show the entire time .

As if on cue, Xing Zhi stared at her as he closed the distance between them . He cradled the nape of her neck with one hand while grabbing her wrist with the other .

She looked up at him expectantly at this .

“We passed ten moves some time ago Your Highness . ”

Shen Li yanked her wrist out of his grip and retreated a few steps . “What does immortal high god wish?”

“Earlier I heard Your Highness say anyone who lasted ten moves would be invited for drinks with you and the generals, however I have no interest in drinking, so I would like to make a request of Your Highness instead . ”

Shen Li’s face was cold, but because of the situation she acquiesced . “Immortal high god did defeat me, whatever god wishes, simply state it so . ”

“I wish to ask Your Highness three questions . ” Xing Zhi swept his gaze at the crowd around the training platform . He saw Mo Fang with Fu Rongjun on one side . He smirked . “My first question to Your Highness is, who is General Shang Bei to you?”

It was a shock to be called out by name . Shang Bei could only star blankly as those near him looked at him suspiciously, sizing him up . Shang Bei broke out in a nervous sweat . “Immortal high god! I’m a happily married man! Please don’t ask such misleading questions!”

Shen Li frowned . “We are comrades . ”

“And who is this general to you?” Xing Zhi pointed at an older white haired general in the crowd .

“Also a comrade . ”

“And lastly, who is General Mo Fang to you?

Shen Li was silent . Out of the corner of her eye she could see Mo Fang and a little away farther away, Fu Rongjun . Then it hit her .

Xing Zhi was trying to expose her words from earlier . Mo Fang had confessed to her but she had firmly and clearly rejected his feelings, denying any possibility of reciprocation .

What she said to Fu Rongjun, about Mo Fang being hers, was just a lie to intimidate Fu Rongjun so he would stop harassing Mo Fang . But if she repeated the lie now it would give Mo Fang false hope . Not to mention all the soldiers and officers present...

Her softly spoken, “Also a comrade,” made Xing Zhi smile in satisfaction .

The crowd was confused . The nature of the questions left them scratching their respective heads . None understood the strange riddle in front of them . Fu Rongjun put one hand on his hip and laughed .

(You sure have a lot of guts immortal god!)

“Today’s practice session is over . ” Shen Li shot a mean glance at Xing Zhi . She turned around and hopped off the platform, then headed over to Mo Fang . “If Fu Rongjun bothers you again, I will properly reprimand him . I’ll be sure to give him a beating he won’t forget . ”

Mo Fang stared . He whispered, “Was Your Highness trying to help me earlier?”

Shen Li’s face darkened . She glanced at him, then quickly away, not sure what to say . In no time at all the other generals surrounded her to ask about the drinks she promised . They saw no reason to ponder on the display earlier so dropped it in favor of some good alcohol . Mo Fang stayed where he stood and watched as the group pulled her away . He whispered, “Thank you for your regards Your Highness,” without realizing the words had passed his lips .

A fierce gust blew by and Mo Fang shivered as he came back to his senses . Someone yelled, “Mo Fang, come on!”

Those in the crowd waved him over .

“Go on ahead . ” Mo Fang shook his head . “I’m going to stay behind . ”

Shen Li kept walking but gave an order over her shoulder . “Go grab him . ”

Two generals walked back, and planking either side of Mo Fang, dragged him along with them . The boisterous group made their way out of camp leaving the soldiers behind to practice .

Fu Rongjun ran over to the training platform . He didn’t dare be too rash but he simply couldn’t cover up his joy . Bowing to Xing Zhi he said, “Many thanks to immortal high god for revealing the truth!”

“I did not do it to help you . ” Xing Zhi shot Fu Rongjun a glance . “I... merely thought it would be amusing . ” It went exactly as he expected, so why wasn’t he happy?

He had wanted to break through her indifference and see a livelier her .

Fu Rongjun looked up to see an unsmiling Xing Zhi . It was on the tip of his tongue to say: immortal high god... do you like messing with other people’s feelings? But he refrained in time . He tactfully said farewell instead . “In that case this lord will take his leave . ”

He finished what he wanted to say and was turning to chase after Shen Li’s trail . He didn’t even take his first step when Xing Zhi indifferently put a damper on his mood .

“You are behaving quite presumptuously in this realm . ”

Fu Rongjun’s skin crawled for a second . He stiffly turned back to look at Xing Zhi to find the other now wore a slight smile .

“But how could I reproach the Heavenly Emperor’s grandson?”

Fu Rongjun relaxed at those words .

“I sent a letter to the Heavenly Emperor yesterday . He will naturally be the one to do so . ” And with that last parting remark Xing Zhi turned around and left, leaving a nervous Fu Rongjun alone on the training platform .

Fu Rongjun broke out in a cold sweat . He could a practically hear the Heavenly Emperor slamming the table and yelling out in anger...

Meanwhile Shen Li and the generals were drinking and having a great time till the wee hours of the morning . A tipsy Mo Fang walked Shen Li back to her residence . They bade each other farewell at the front gates and Mo Fang circled back to his own house .

Shen Li opened the gates but avoided the front entrance, instead she detoured around the side wall . Despite doing this she still ended up running into Xing Zhi . He was standing in the courtyard in his signature white robe and gazing at the full moon . Their eyes met but she quickly turned her head away without a word of greeting . She was looking for Rou-ya .

“Your Highness is an engaged woman . Engaged to a man of heaven no less . Coming home with another man so late is inappropriate . ”

Shen Li paused . The lanterns in the courtyard lit her face and gave it sculptured appearance . Her eyes were dim though . “Oh? Inappropriate? Is that what high god thinks?” Shen Li sneered . “You’re the one who gave me this marriage . Now you’re trying to bring my subordinate into it? God sure is prone to meddling . ”

Xing Zhi frowned . It was rare to hear Shen Li speak in such a tone . “You’ve drunk too much . ”

“I’m quite sober thank you . ” Shen Li’s eyes burned with resentment and anger . Her emotions were all over the place . “Let’s talk some more about what is appropriate and what is good . It would have been good today if I had successfully fooled Fu Rongjun . To help my subordinate so that mess of a man would stop bothering him . But today immortal high god really embarrassed me .

Shen Li laughed at herself . “So I concede . Are you satisfied high god?” Smirking she continued . “Do you even know what you’re doing? You act as though you’re jealous . Do you like me or something?

Xing Zhi was silent for a moment . He looked away from her and said, “From whence would these feelings arise? Your Highness is inebriated . ”

A high god like Xing Zhi didn’t seek or desire anything, least of all another person . Shen Li should have known that .

“Is that so?” Shen Li turned and walked away back towards the interior of the main manor . Her words floated coolly behind her . “Then in the future, no matter who I chose to protect, no matter how I protect them, I’d appreciate if Immortal High God Xing Zhi will hold his tongue . Kindly leave me a way out . ”

The wind blew around Xing Zhi making his hair flutter around him . He turned his head up to look at the dusky sky . It was a long time before he spoke . Talking to himself he said, “Hm . . . I will give it a try . ”