Chapter 197 - 74: The Letter of Divorce

Words : 1635 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

In the flower garden of the Prince Mansion, several lively sparrows twittered melodiously from within their golden wire cages. In Fa Xiaoyi’s hand, there was a map of the Yanpo Forest’s terrain. As it’s recorded in the secret history of the Royal Family of Shang Kingdom, several prohibition Dark Arrays were set up around the perimeter of Yanpo Forest, which outsiders should not enter lightly. Fa Xiaoyi also paid attention to the Dark Arrays in the forest and found that they had been deliberately sabotaged by someone in advance. Who exactly intended to undermine the national fate of Shang Kingdom, Fa Xiaoyi pinched his brow and was about to call a beautiful maid over to relieve his muscles when he heard that Yue Jinghua had come to visit. Upon hearing Yue Jinghua’s name, Fa Xiaoyi subconsciously felt his buttocks swell inexplicably, he grunted moodily and said in a deep voice, "Let her in." As the Prince of Shangguo, Fa Xiaoyi, even without real power in the court, was adept at business and had accumulated considerable wealth by leveraging the richness of Shang Kingdom. The Prince Mansion was nearly extravagant, and as Yue Jinghua walked along, she felt the rockeries, bonsais, terraces, and pavilions within the Prince Mansion were exquisitely beautiful, each no less luxurious than that of the King of Shang. It was as if Fa Xiaoyun was blinded by lard, and being forced to abdicate in a coup was only a matter of time. "Prince Fa, hope you are well," Yue Jinghua laughed dryly a few times. The rumors outside were one thing, but the truth of Cuiwei Lake was another matter. As for those who knew the truth, there were only Yue Jinghua, Fa Xiaoyi, Xie Yu, Hongling, and others. "Thanks to Miss Yue’s concern, this Prince is ’very well’," Fa Xiaoyi had a hypocritical smile on his face, but his stiff movements, and the lower half of his body that tensed unconsciously as soon as he saw Yue Jinghua, almost made Yue Jinghua laugh out loud. Her eyes craftily swept around, taking in Fa Xiaoyi’s courtyard, "I’ve heard that the Prince’s residence is filled with splendid flowers. Seeing it today, it is indeed as impressive as the rumors suggest, tsk tsk, look at how beautifully these little daisies bloom, such perfection." "Yue Jinghua, you’ve got some nerve, such cunning schemes. I’ve really underestimated you," Fa Xiaoyi became angry, slamming his palm down and breaking off a corner of the stone table beneath him. "That day, you tricked me on the pleasure boat, then arranged for rumors to spread like wildfire in the city. With all your meticulous planning, what exactly are you after?" Upon seeing Yue Jinghua, Fa Xiaoyi wished he could flay her skin and devour her whole. "If Prince wants to know what I’m after, shall I tell you a story first? There was a woman who was betrothed to someone else from a young age. Although she was later disfigured and lost her abilities, she was completely devoted to her fiancé. But inadvertently, this woman discovered that her beloved repeatedly conspired with others to set traps for her, even trying to lead her to her death. Now, if you were that woman in the story, what would you do?" Yue Jinghua’s own voice was soft and sweet, deliberately slowed down further, the grievances of a woman narrated most vividly. At the moment, she stood amidst a cluster of blooming marigolds, her unscarred half-face set off beautifully by the hues of the flowers. Listening to her, Fa Xiaoyi felt an unusual sensation crossing his heart, with the innocent voice from years ago still lingering in his ear. However, he soon recalled that day on the boat, where he engaged with two ugly child prostitutes, and his narrow mind like Fa Xiaoyi’s immediately flushed with rage upon this memory. He scoffed coldly, "So you knew all along. Good, this Prince is tired of making explanations. But Yue Jinghua, you really are foolish. Do you think that after learning so much, you can still leave the Prince Mansion unscathed?" Fa Xiaoyi moved subtly closer to Yue Jinghua, staring into her eyes, trying to find a trace of fear. But Fa Xiaoyi was disappointed. Yue Jinghua’s eyes were pitch-black, without the slightest panic. She didn’t even flutter her eyelashes. With a flick, she shot something from her hand, Fa Xiaoyi sidestepped to avoid it, catching Yue Jinghua’s "Hidden Weapon." A crushed yellow chrysanthemum. When he looked up again, all he saw was a pair of deep eyes, dark as ancient wells. In Yue Jinghua’s gaze, there was no disdain, no anger, only calmness—a calmness so chilling it was as if the man before her was already a dead person. Subconsciously, Fa Xiaoyi felt a sudden tightness in his heart. It was too late, far too late. Fa Xiaoyi stood petrified on the spot like someone had used Petrification on him, not daring to move a step. Just as Yue Jinghua threw the "Hidden Weapon", and Fa Xiaoyi stepped back to dodge, like a ghost, suddenly, a cold Great Sword with the scent of death appeared on his neck. The blade of the Great Sword was blunt, and the sword body damaged, but no one could ignore the aura of death emanating from it. Flying through the air with a sword, it is said that only supreme masters deeply versed in the mysteries of swordsmanship can perform such Dark Techniques. Who could it be, one of the Ten Strongest, or an expert from one of the four great secret organizations? Or perhaps the Mercenary Guild or the Divine Court? Fa Xiaoyi had always suspected that Yue Jinghua could not have possibly ambushed him that day on the boat by herself. Undoubtedly, there must be some unknown master hiding behind Yue Jinghua. Fa Xiaoyi dared not to move, but covertly scanned the area. There was no ripple of Dark Energy, as if in the courtyard, there were only him and Yue Jinghua, yet how could the Great Sword that had suddenly appeared behind him be explained. "Senior, please put away your sword. Your killing aura could startle Prince Fa," Yue Jinghua had barely finished speaking when the Great Sword against Fa Xiaoyi’s neck suddenly vanished. It disappeared so completely that if not for the residual coldness of the sword’s blade on his neck, Fa Xiaoyi would have thought the previous moment was but an illusion. Appearing and disappearing like a ghost, traceless in coming and going, the thought flashed through Fa Xiaoyi’s mind, could it be one of the Ten Great Killing Gods? Perhaps Yue Jinghua had invited one of them to back her up. He should have realized earlier, those good at concealing their presence, possessing such a murderous weapon full of lethal intent, must undoubtedly be from the Assassin Alliance. The Assassin Alliance, killing without a blink, regardless of status or rank, chopping off one’s head as if cutting through vegetables. Fa Xiaoyi dared not look back, mechanically taking a seat. Yue Jinghua was not polite, poured two cups of tea, and while speaking, occasionally glanced behind Fa Xiaoyi, as if there truly was some concealed supreme master behind him, "Prince was startled, the old senior has a bit of a strange temper, not pleased and he tends to avail himself of a Flying Sword." Tea steams, fogging up in plumes. Only Yue Jinghua’s voice could be heard, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, "These past few days, I’ve also come to understand. Male and female relations are about willingness on both sides, in my earlier years, I was young. Blinded by pig fat, mistook a toilet stone for a pearl treasure. Now that I’ve come to terms with it, it’s time to clarify things," as she spoke, she pulled out a piece of paper from her bosom and laid it in front of Fa Xiaoyi. Fa Xiaoyi glanced at it, everything before his eyes a blur, unable to make out what exactly lay in front of him. There was a sensation as if countless needles were pricking his temples, causing him great pain. All he could hear was Yue Jinghua saying something. In the days before, including Yue Jinghua’s abnormal behavior, Fa Xiaoyi had always thought she was employing a strategy of advancing by retreating. In contrast, Yue Jinghua remained calm from beginning to end, like a piece of tenacious rock, sitting quietly across from him. Those deep, dark eyes before him, so candid, yet Fa Xiaoyi’s heart was filled with a strange mix of feelings. "I have already signed and affixed my seal, I ask the Prince to sign," Yue Jinghua pushed that letter slightly closer. Those eyes of hers, like a kaleidoscope, glinting with endless light, caused Fa Xiaoyi to feel momentarily dazzled. In Fa Xiaoyi’s mind, a man’s faint warning buzzed, buzzing and whining, giving him a splitting headache: "Fa Xiaoyi, remember this, if one day you betray Huahua, His Lordship guarantees that no matter where you are, at the ends of the earth, I shall see you executed." Yue Nian, Yue Jinghua, this father and daughter duo are truly... Before him, the smiling girl, somewhere between beauty and plainness, and that matchless man whose lips always bore a carefree smile, repeatedly overlapped in his vision. Fa Xiaoyi felt an excruciating headache coming on, as though thousands of sharp needles passed through his brain. Almost in a mess, he grabbed the Wolf Brush handed over by a servant and lifted his hand, and scribbled down his signature on that piece of paper haphazardly. He did not notice when he was writing down his name with a brush, the strange glint in Yue Jinghua’s eyes as she watched him, as if she were looking at... a moving mountain of Big Gold.

Chapter 197 - 74: The Letter of Divorce

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