Chapter 87: Losing Face

Heading to the capital.

Huang Rang remained in Di Yiqiu’s fief. Di Yiqiu was going to handle the matter of Huang Shu, so Huang Rang let him go.

Now that Liang Mi’s seeds were about to mature, they couldn’t be careless to prevent anyone from causing trouble.

Huang Rang was on high alert here, and the court had also dispatched officials and soldiers to patrol. However, the land was vast, and there were always areas that couldn’t be guarded.

Just at this moment, the tenant farmers who were busy applying the final layer of fertilizer to the soil suddenly exclaimed, “It’s on fire! It’s on fire!”

Huang Rang’s heart sank; as expected, some people never change.

Smoke began to rise in the distance, but because it was broad daylight, the flames were not particularly conspicuous.

Huang Rang ran towards the source of the commotion and saw that a corner of the field, where the mature Liang Mi was growing, was on fire. The summer fields had been smeared with tung oil in the corner, and the fire spread almost instantly.

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Dk Wldt qlzz pkzldv qsa y xsxldv yde nswze sdzu vwad cynj vs kdpvawnv vbl yppyppkdp, “Qs.”

They all understood what needed to be done.

On the edge of the field, Huang Rang was simultaneously directing tenant farmers to put out the fire while keeping an eye on her surroundings.

Between the fields, there were irrigation channels, but it was quite inconvenient to fetch water. Huang Rang was in a dilemma when suddenly, a column of water shot up from the burning land!

The water column rose high into the sky, quickly dousing the flames until not a trace remained.

Only a small portion of the field had been blackened.

Huang Rang was the first to be soaked through by the water.

She turned to look at the towering water column and realized it must be some kind of magical artifact. Whether it sensed the flames or the high temperature, it immediately sprayed water towards the source.

A magical artifact…

Huang Rang thought of that person again, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

—Di Yiqiu had thought ahead.

Meanwhile, under the land ahead, a massive mound of earth rose up.

Within the mound seemed to be a hidden creature that emerged directly.

Again?

Huang Rang reached into her pocket and placed the magical artifact that Di Yiqiu had given to “Third Dream” on the ground.

Just as she was about to showcase her skills, she took a step back, and her back bumped into a chest.

Her heart was filled with thoughts of Di Yiqiu. When she turned around, she almost cried out in surprise.

But at this moment, the person standing behind her was not Di Yiqiu.

“Xie Hong… Master Xie,” Huang Rang hesitated.

—Could she not hesitate?

In her moment of peril, she had run into her ex-husband!

At this point, she was drenched from head to toe, with even her hair dripping water, while Xie Hongchen was dressed in white, his hair adorned with a jade crown. The water droplets seemed to instinctively avoid him. The First Sword Immortal looked ethereal and untainted. He always appeared so clean and elegant.

“Stand behind me,” he said with a nonchalant tone, drawing his sword, and the group of assassins dared not challenge him.

In the world of immortals, he was the ceiling.

The crowd didn’t waste any time with pointless words and scattered in all directions.

However, the First Sword Immortal still made them keenly aware of the difference.

—Xie Hongchen moved like a flash of light, cutting down two people and capturing five.

The entire assassins’ group, without exception, was dealt with here.

In the shadows, Old Master Xi, upon seeing him appear, didn’t even bother to watch the fight; he simply turned and left.

Huang Rang wiped the water droplets from her face and said, “Today, I’m truly grateful for Master Xie’s rescue.”

Xie Hongchen’s gaze briefly swept over her, then he turned away and said, “Mr. Third Dream has received a lot of help, so Miss Ah Rang will naturally turn misfortune into blessings.”

Huang Rang inwardly chuckled but maintained a gentle demeanor as she replied, “How did Master Xie know I was here?”

Xie Hongchen didn’t dare to look at her directly. By this time, the water column in the sky had dissipated, and even a rainbow appeared in the sky.

Huang Rang stood under the rainbow, appearing like a heavenly nymph who had accidentally descended to the mortal realm.

Xie Hongchen retrieved an item from his storage treasure and handed it to Huang Rang. He hurriedly said, “Take this, Ah Rang Miss, to dry yourself.”

Dry herself? Huang Rang accepted it, but when she turned around to take a look, Xie Hongchen had already departed.

It seemed like he was intentionally avoiding something…quite peculiar.

Huang Rang lowered her head and realized her entire body had stiffened. She had been soaked by the water column, and her outer clothes clung tightly to her body, revealing the wrapped chest beneath. What’s more, her wrapped chest today was of a particularly vibrant color.

…Me!! This!!

Huang Rang widened her eyes, staring for a while before slowly using the artifact given by Xie Hongchen to dry her clothes.

—The heavens are watching. From now on, as a virtuous woman, I must perform more good deeds and accumulate good karma. Please protect me from any further embarrassment in front of my ex-husband.

Please…

Far away, in a field path.

Master Xie had already walked quite a distance, but the image of the beautiful woman was still imprinted in his mind.

Those eyes were as watery as if they could see into people’s hearts.

The scene when she was soaked by water just now was something he couldn’t bear to recall.

Master Xie’s lips curled slightly as he walked through the tall, wild grass on the narrow path. Unexpectedly, he slipped and almost tumbled into the field.

…

Xiancha Town.

Di Yiqiu had invited “Lord Huang” back to the Celestial Court, claiming to treat his illness. Regardless of “Lord Huang’s” cries for help, several burly bailiffs approached him and forced him into a carriage.

“What kind of treatment is this? You want to kill me, don’t you?” Huang Shu screamed repeatedly, not stopping until Bao Wu had entered the carriage.

Bao Wu was naturally imposing, tall, and robust, with a golden sword at his waist. He remained silent, but Huang Shu didn’t dare to shout anymore.

—In front of this star of death, he must have killed hundreds of people to cultivate those fierce tiger-like eyes.

Di Yiqiu was about to depart, assisting Xi Yin into another carriage.

Suddenly, he looked up. It was the middle of summer, the sun was scorching, and the cicadas were chirping. In front of him was a peach tree, and on its leaves, a colorful caterpillar was diligently “having a meal.”

For some reason, Di Yiqiu felt strangely familiar with this creature. He reached out and picked up the caterpillar, taking it with him back to the Celestial Court.

The carriage began to move slowly, and a crowd had gathered around, but no one uttered a word.

The head of the Huang family, Huang Shiyi, didn’t dare to stop Di Yiqiu’s carriage. The court was the most significant employer for breeding families, and the Huang family wasn’t as irreplaceable as the Xi family.

He could only watch Di Yiqiu take Huang Shu away.

In the evening, Huang Rang changed into a new set of clothes—this time she was wise and selected a very plainly wrapped chest.

Even without outer clothes, her attire was conservative and elegant, ensuring there would be no awkward moments.

She returned to the kitchen and prepared several small dishes.

As if the timing were calculated, just as she finished preparing the dishes, someone came to report, “Miss Ah Rang, the Chief has returned. Hehe.”

It seemed that the Celestial Court’s staff had a knack for sensing things.

Nowadays, everyone was accustomed to passing information to her one after another, as if they hadn’t said anything, yet it felt like everything had been said.

Well, it’s all in the unspoken words, after all.

Huang Rang didn’t make a fuss and said, “Alright, the meal has just been prepared.”

The person ran off with a grin.

Huang Rang carried the food box and made her way to Di Yiqiu’s study.

The weather was a bit warm, but Di Yiqiu was tightly buttoned up in his official attire. Huang Rang glanced at him and said, “You wear this every day; don’t you find it stuffy? Come and have your meal.”

Di Yiqiu completely ignored her nagging—this person always presented himself neatly, no matter the occasion.

Huang Rang suddenly had an idea—she could certainly dress more comfortably, but when she thought about the thickly wrapped chest underneath…she decided against it. It wouldn’t make much of a difference whether she took it off or not.

Di Yiqiu paid no attention to her little thoughts and busied himself with setting up the tableware.

“I was wondering about my father…” Huang Rang wanted to ask about Huang Shu but barely started when she noticed a colorful caterpillar on the table.

“Caterpillar…Caterpillar?” Huang Rang half-bent over, eyeing the caterpillar with amazement.

Could she not be amazed?

“Where did this thing come from?” She couldn’t believe her eyes.

Di Yiqiu calmly said, “I saw it at the Huang residence today, and it looked familiar, so I brought it back.”

Huang Rang walked up to him, utterly speechless and with tears in her eyes. “Di Yiqiu”

“Hmm?” The Chief raised his head.

Huang Rang pointed to her face and asked, “Do I look familiar to you?”

The Chief was bewildered. “What?”

Huang Rang was truly baffled. “I don’t understand. You don’t even recognize me, yet you find a caterpillar familiar.” She looked mournful. “Am I that unnoticeable?”

“Why are you comparing yourself to a caterpillar?” The Chief could never fathom this woman’s thoughts. He picked up his chopsticks and began eating.

Huang Rang looked at him again and was getting increasingly frustrated!

After cooking for you for ten years, I can’t believe I’m not even as good as a caterpillar!

She raised her hand and placed all the dishes on the table in front of the caterpillar. “Why are you eating? Feeding you is worse than feeding a caterpillar! Hmph!”

After saying that, she didn’t even eat the meal and left in a huff.

“…”

The Chief held a pair of chopsticks in his hand, with nothing in front of him.

Meanwhile, the carriage carrying Xi Yin and Huang Shu was moving more slowly.

Xi Yin had returned to the capital once again, and the familiar scenery seemed surreal. She looked around, feeling a mix of emotions.

The Xi family was located in the capital, and before she got married, she used to visit various places frequently. Little did she know that many years later, when she returned to her homeland, everything had changed.

At this moment, the carriage in front stopped.

First, a tall and burly man got out, and then he lifted something in his hand, which was tightly coiled and trembling. Xi Yin took a step back in alarm, and only then did she realize that the man was holding Huang Shu.

Huang Shu was initially terrified, but when he saw Xi Yin, he immediately began cursing, “Bitch, conspiring with outsiders to harm your husband! You’re truly heartless…”

He was about to continue his tirade, but the man punched him in the stomach.

Huang Shu’s voice was caught in his throat, and he couldn’t speak for a while.

The burly man dropped Huang Shu on the ground and said, “Come on curse some more.”

Huang Shu, clutching his stomach and turning pale, shook his head repeatedly.

Only then did the burly man lift him again and mutter, “I can see you’re really good for nothing, an embarrassment in a circle.”

With that, he hoisted Huang Shu, as if he were carrying something very light, into the Celestial Court.

Xi Yin was so frightened that she waited for a long time. It wasn’t until the burly man had gone far away that, accompanied by attendants, she finally entered the gates of the Celestial Court.