Chapter 538

Chapter 538 – Advising Each Other

I can’t find Yaoyao!

Huangfu Chen stood on top of the lsland Tower, looking out at the distant territory divided by Zhao Mingxiao. That was the only place he hadn’t looked, but Zhao Tianji said that he had already sent people to slip in to look. However, they didn’t even find the shadow of the little girl.

Yaoyao must have been captured by Zhao Mingxiao. He is an ambitious and cunning man. He should know that Yaoyao is a princess. Once he establishes his country, Yaoyao will be the best hostage to threaten Mo Rongzhan with.

“The news of Zhao Mingxiao declaring sovereignty has spread.” Zhao Tianji walked behind Huangfu Chen, his eyes fell on the distant stone forest. “Mo Rongzhan is outside the stone array now.”

Huangfu Chen stilled for a moment then looked in the direction of the stone forest in shock. “Mo Rongzhan is here?”

Zhao Tianji nodded lightly. “And he has brought quite a few people with him. If he can’t break the formation and attack strongly, he might be trapped in the stone formation.”

“He won’t be trapped.” Huang Fu Chen said indifferently, his tone incomparably certain, “It’s the Zhao Jia Island that should be worried.”

“What do you mean?” Zhao Tianji raised his eyebrows to look at Huang Fu Chen. Could it be that Mo Rongzhan is also a formation expert? The people on their island took decades to be able to unlock the stone formation, and so far they have not been able to break it. Could Mo Rongzhan really get in?

Huangfu Chen’s mouth had a light smile at its corners, “Do you know why I could unlock the formation? Do you know who laid this stone formation?”

“Some guard who was with Qi Yanling, our ancestor’s daughter-in-law*. I heard he was a descendant of the Jiang family? Ah Shi** or something like that.”  Zhao Tianji’s lips curled as he spoke. Nobody on Zhao Island liked Qi Yanling, much less some man with her who had laid out the formation.

[*Zhao Zhao, the founder of Zhao Jia Island, is Zhao Tianji’s ancestor. On the other hand, since her own son exiled her to the island, and since Qi Yanling was the empress of the erstwhile dynasty, she also becomes Zhao Zhao’s daughter-in-law.

**Ashi is the given name, Ah Shi is like Ah Zhan, etc, colloquial/endearment, depending. Here it is not endearment. Would be odd considering the animosity between ZTJ and the stone array.]

“That’s right, it’s Grandpa Jiang*.” Huangfu Chen pointed to the stone forest in front of him and said, “Do you think that your grandfather spent decades changing the formation and really could make it difficult for Grandpa Jiang?”

[*not HFC’s actual Grandpa, it is the Asian address of respect depending on the opposite person’s age.]

Zhao Tianji’s eyes widened in shock. “Jiang… Ashi is still alive? Bullshit! Isn’t he over a hundred years old?”

“Of course!” Huangfu Chen faintly glanced at him, “Do you think that back then the people chasing after the descendants of the Jiang family asking for immortality medicine was a farce?”

“——” Zhao Tianji’s jaw dropped. “There really is a fucking immortality medicine in this world?”

Huang Fu Chen smiled. “Naturally, there is none, just some inner strength and therapy to maintain health.”

“Then… that Qi Yanling… is still alive?” Zhao Tianji’s shock was understandable considering how Qi Yanling was Enemy No.1 of their Zhao Jia Island.

“The immortal should have passed away,” Huangfu Chen said with a smile, knowing well the reason for his friend’s astonishment.

Zhao Tianji pursed his lips, he was unable to say what he felt in his heart. He turned his head to look at the calm stone forest yonder. What kind of storm was brewing outside the now calm stone array?

“If Zhao Mingxiao threatens Mo Rongzhan with Yaoyao,” Huangfu Chen’s eyes flashed a cold glint as he spoke, “he will certainly die.”

“Before he goes to war with Mo Rongzhan, I must suppress him, otherwise—” Zhao Tianji glanced around as he said, “there will be more islanders who will be dragged down by him.”

♚

“Husband, do you really want to be like this with Ah Ji? ” Mu Qing looked at the man standing in front of her and suddenly discovered that Zhao Mingxiao, whom she had known for over a decade, had become very strange.

“Since he doesn’t treat me as a brother, why should I care about that so much?” Zhao Mingxiao said in a cold voice.

“How could Ah Ji not treat you as a brother? He’s been away from Zhao Jia Island for several years now, not once caring about what you did, isn’t that enough?” Mu Qing asked. “You’re too impatient.”

“You think I would fail?” Zhao Mingxiao turned around. Everyone thought he was too hasty, but he had been preparing for many years now… If he waited any longer, Mo Rongzhan’s Jin Kingdom would be even stronger, and by then he would have even less chance to establish the country.

“What do you think are the chances of winning?” Mu Qing said. “The people on our island have never experienced war, even if they are familiar with water, being familiar with water is different from fighting on water—”

“Do you think they’ve only been going out to sea to catch fish all these years?” Zhao Mingxiao sneered and demanded rhetorically. “Mu Qing, I have waited and prepared for this day for a long time, no matter who it is, they can’t spoil it for me.”

“Back then… it was you who replaced the letter I wrote to Huangfu Chen, right?” she asked in a low voice.

Zhao Mingxiao’s eyes were laced with a layer of frost as he stared down at Mu Qing. “Now that he has returned, you want to go back to him again?”

Mu Qing looked at him in a daze. “How can you think like that? Since I have already married you, how can I still think about other things? You wrote a letter to Huangfu Chen under my hand and tricked him into going to Spirit Snake Island. You set a trap in Spirit Snake Island to kill him… not because you wanted to marry me, but… for today, didn’t you?”

Zhao Mingxiao gently stroked Mu Qing’s sideburns. “Don’t think too much, Mu Qing, you will be my queen in the future. I will give you the most glorious life, and will take you out of this Zhao Jia Island.”

But these are not what I want! Mu Qing laughed bitterly in her heart. “I’ve already gotten used to the life on Zhao Jia Island and never thought of leaving.”

Zhao Mingxiao’s face sank slightly, obviously a little unhappy. “Then what exactly do you want?”

“Did you capture Yaoyao ?” Mu Qing asked in a low voice.

“Ah Ji asked someone to look for you, didn’t he?” Zhao Mingxiao said coldly.

“Yaoyao is innocent, why do you need to arrest her?” Mu Qing said.

“She is the princess of the Jin Kingdom, with her in my hands she can be a hostage,” Zhao Mingxiao said.

“But… she is Huangfu Chen’s apprentice disciple. If you do this, you will infuriate him,” Mu Qing said hurriedly, she knew better than anyone that Huangfu Chen was not as harmless as he seemed on the surface.

Zhao Mingxiao impatiently waved away his hand. “Who is Huangfu Chen? What is wrong with provoking him? In the future, you are not allowed to see Ah Ji’s people again, otherwise… don’t force me to lock you up.”

“Husband!” Mu Qing’s expression changed.

“Master—” someone outside called anxiously. “Your Majesty, there is bad news, there are people outside the stone array… there are two warships—”

Zhao Mingxiao’s face suddenly changed and he strode out. “What did you say?”

“The guards over at the stone forest came to report, that someone is breaking into the stone formation.”

“Do you know who it is?” Zhao Mingxiao didn’t pay any more attention to Mu Qing. He boldly went outside to see what kind of person dared to break into the stone array.

“The battle flag has the word ‘Jin’ written on it,” the person who came to report said.

Jin? Zhao Mingxiao jerked to a halt. “It’s a warship of the Jin Kingdom?”

“It seems to be… seems to be, Master, will they break the stone formation?”

Zhao Mingxiao coldly snorted, “Do you think just anyone can break through the stone formation? Go get Ye Shi.”

“Yes!”

Mu Qing called out to Zhao Mingxiao who had already walked to the gate, “Ah Xiao, go get Ah Ji, if you guys don’t join forces, how can you withstand the warships of the Jin Kingdom?”

Zhao Mingxiao didn’t say anything but turned around and left.

♚♚♚