I was reborn after cheating on the aloof and powerful man.

Chapter 120 The Wind Rises

"Plum blossoms, crabapple blossoms, hibiscus, and blue lotus—I like them all!"

"Ah, senior sister, you won again. This isn't fun!"

"Little Flower, Little Flower still has the most left..."

The steel puppet, Little Flower, was like an innocent child, covering its head and shaking it incessantly, as if it really didn't want to admit that it was the dumbest one when playing Flower Cards.

The sickly young man next to the little puppet silently put down the three flower cards he had left in his hand, pursing his lips and remaining silent.

He reached out and gathered the cards together, then skillfully began shuffling them, clearly wanting to play another round.

"Alright, I'll let Senior Mu in. You guys keep playing. I'm going out for some fresh air."

Seeing everyone looking listless, Fei Xi chuckled and waved her hand, then lifted the carriage curtain to greet Senior Mu.

The two switched places. As soon as Mu Yin got into the car, he put the puppet Xiao Hua behind him and sat down at the card table again.

The sickly young man, who had been about to get up, lowered his head and continued shuffling the cards.

But his mind was no longer on the cards. He slipped through the gap in the carriage curtain and quietly approached the person chatting outside the carriage.

……

“I remember there’s an ancient temple about 30 li ahead called Chongyang Temple. The abbot of Chongyang Temple, Master Huijue, is an old friend of my master. We’ll stay there for the night. At this pace, we should be near Ninghai City in three more days.”

"Alright." The arrogant young man driving the carriage didn't say much, but nodded.

The further north you go, the more unpredictable the weather becomes. One second it's sunny and scorching hot; the next, a downpour is pouring down.

The icy rain soaked people to the bone, making it feel like this was not the temperature one would expect in summer.

Fei Xi is sensitive to the cold and has a weak constitution, so she has stayed in the carriage for the past few days and has not stepped out of the carriage.

Seeing that the weather had cleared up, she could no longer resist and sat down in her seat to catch the train, fully immersing herself in the sunshine and breeze outside.

Fei Xi chatted idly with the person next to her while swinging her legs and fiddling with the tassels on the carriage curtain.

"Shall we go to Ninghai City?"

“No need. Once we reach Dongshan Pass, we’ll go straight into the valley. Senior Mu said that the Tianbao Flower blooms twice a year, once in March after Qingming Festival and again in August after White Dew. I don’t want to miss this year’s second blooming season!”

As Fei Xi spoke, she glanced at her junior brother Ji beside her, then took out a token from her bosom and tossed it to him.

"The climate in Linhai Valley is unpredictable, and we don't know if we can cross it safely. We don't have much time, so we shouldn't cause any unforeseen problems. Junior brother, please take this token, just in case."

The token in his hand was a jade plaque with two dragons. The back of the plaque was decorated with auspicious clouds, while the front was engraved with the character "顾" (Gu).

Ji Zhongxuan took the token, glanced at Fei Xi who was squinting and smiling slightly, nodded thoughtfully, gave a simple "hmm," and then fell silent.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the afternoon sun was warm, making Fei Xi feel a little drowsy.

She was always worried about her master's safety.

The heavy weight that had been pressing on her chest seemed to have been lifted up by someone, allowing her to feel a little lighter and relax without realizing it.

Not far away, emerald green and crimson hues create a picturesque scene, and looking up, one can see white clouds drifting lazily by.

Fei Xi leaned against the carriage door frame, her thoughts drifting with the gentle breeze.

The last time she went to the desert was many years ago when her master took her to collect the Hibiscus Bone, a substance found only in the desert, to replenish her vital energy.

She was still young then, and was often in a daze. Her impression of the desert was that it was filled with yellow sand.

The daytime heat is like being roasted on a fire, while the nighttime cold is like being scraped by a knife; the temperature difference between day and night is so extreme that it can only be described as extreme.

As for the true situation in the desert, Fei Xi didn't really remember it clearly.

If Senior Mu hadn't told her, she estimated it would have taken her a long time to figure out that the poison her master had been afflicted with was the venom of the Desert Golden Crow Scorpion.

Senior Mu Yin is the Right Protector of the Heavenly Craft Pavilion.

Legend has it that besides its sect in Wuliang Mountain, not far from Ninghai City, the Heavenly Craft Pavilion also has a secret headquarters hidden deep in the desert.

Only the most core disciples and elders of the Heavenly Craft Pavilion know where that place is.

These past few days, after interacting with Senior Mu and witnessing his familiarity with the desert, Fei Xi felt that the rumors were true.

……

As night deepened and dews grew heavy, a series of urgent knocks came from the gate of an ancient temple deep in the mountains.

The heavy mountain gate seemed unable to withstand the disturbance and responded with a "creak," opening a small crack to reveal the head of a young novice monk.

In the dim light of the flickering lantern, the young novice saw a woman in green standing outside the door, and behind her stood a hunched figure, whose gender was indistinguishable, shrouded in a black robe.

The young novice monk guessed that what stood before him was probably a down-on-their-luck grandfather and grandson. Seeing that they weren't important guests, and his peaceful dream disturbed, he impatiently chased them away:

"Go away, go away. This is a sacred Buddhist site and we do not accept female guests to stay overnight. Please go back to where you came from."

"Young monk, please don't be offended. An old friend has come to visit. May I ask if your abbot is still Master Huijue?"

"So what if it is, so what if it isn't? My grandmaster has been keeping a low profile and not receiving any guests lately. Please don't bother me, female benefactor!"

After the young novice finished speaking, the mountain gate slammed shut with a loud bang.

Fei Xi, feeling snubbed, was about to turn around to say something when she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder blade. The old man behind her snorted coldly.

Keep hitting!

"Senior Mo, I have already controlled your illness with acupuncture. The monks in this temple are quite rude; there's no need for you to bother with them. How about we camp out tonight? What do you think?"

Her shoulder blade was gripped tightly. Fei Xi turned slightly to the side and tentatively asked in a gentle voice. The old man behind her repeated himself impatiently:

"Stop talking nonsense and keep hitting!"

Fei Xi turned her back to the old man, her eyes darkening, and said nothing more.

Raising his hand, the clanging sound startled a chorus of night birds in the silent forest once again.

Behind the mountain gate, the young monk's voice, which had sounded muffled as he apologized, was suddenly interrupted by a sharp female voice that lashed out at Fei Xi and her companion as the gate reopened.

"Where did this lowly commoner come from, making such a racket? You blind fool, how dare you offend my princess! If you don't roll on the board, you'll be served!"

As the mountain gate swung open, a woman adorned with jewels and dressed in a somewhat strange manner glared at Fei Xi with displeasure.

Two rows of guards stood behind the woman, their sharp halberds pointed at Fei Xi and the other person. It seemed that as long as the woman gave the order, Fei Xi's body would be riddled with holes.

The young novice monk stood beside the woman, constantly trying to please her. Upon seeing Fei Xi, instead of feeling embarrassed at being exposed, he angrily chased her away:

"I told you, leave now! Get out of here!"

"Hmph, what are you doing, slaves of a fallen kingdom pretending to be princesses? You snobbish bastards, can't you see that the person in front of you is Princess Shouguang, personally appointed by His Majesty?" The old man in black, hunched over, stepped out from behind Fei Xi like a loyal servant protecting his master. The last sentence of his words seemed to carry a hint of gritted teeth.

"How dare you! I don't care if you're a princess or a dog, you dare to insult my princess, all of you, get on her!" The woman was so angry that her hand was trembling as she pointed at Fei Xi.

"Unbelievable!"

The old man in black showed no awareness of being wanted; he immediately unleashed his signature move.

"Senior, Prince Rui may be in the temple. Please show mercy!"

Fei Xi, who found the woman's attire strange, was guessing who the princess the woman was talking about was when the old man in black uttered "a slave of a fallen kingdom," and a flash of inspiration struck her—she knew who the woman was.

However, the old man in black had already unleashed his killing move. Fei Xi's words only made the old man pause for a moment. Several guards who rushed to the front of the two were killed instantly by the domineering palm wind.

"Senior, getting into the valley is the priority."

The old man in black snorted coldly, seemingly agreeing with Fei Xi's words, and did not continue to make a move.

In the blink of an eye, several corpses appeared before her. The woman turned pale with fright, cold sweat beading on her back. The remaining guards dared not step forward, trembling as they dutifully shielded the woman behind them.

"May I ask if Lady Hua Lian is here? Fei Xi did not mean to disturb you, but it is late at night and I am just passing by. Please make way for me."

"It's so inconvenient! You guys..."

Before the woman could finish speaking, several figures appeared outside the mountain gate, accompanied by a series of chaotic footsteps.

Outside the mountain gate, flames surged like dragons towards the temple, while shouts of battle grew louder as they approached.

"Senior Sister, close the gate quickly! A lot of bandits have come down from the mountain!"