CHAPTER 587: CHAPTER 566 SECOND UPDATE

"I have matters to attend to," Ju Nanyi grumbled, unable to understand why his anger had been so easily provoked by the other party. Even as he turned his head back and realized he had lost his composure, the sense of grievance intensified.

He had been thinking of taking her with him, taking her away from all this to lead a carefree and joyous life. Now, he realized that it was pure folly on his part, for what she truly desired was a lavish and decadent lifestyle, always yearning for the dizziness of wealth and intrigued by the thrill of bloodshed, yearning for unrestrained freedom.

"The Empress has another important task for her visit to Bu Er Temple," Ju Nanyi said calmly, standing at a distance of about three meters, wearing the blue guard uniform that was no different from the others, yet he exuded an air of a cold moon and a gentle breeze.

It was then that Zheng Nianru took a glance at Ju Nanyi, realizing that it was official business, and so encountering Ju Nanyi here was not accidental after all. It must be that he had tracked her movements and had deliberately waited here. Since it was an important mission, the less who knew about it, the better.

"Lord Ju, it’s getting dark. Let’s go to my place and talk it over slowly," Zheng Nianru said, pulling her cloak around her. The cold wind rustled the fluffy collar, and the red agates by the young girl’s ears shimmered, casting shadows.

When Ju Nanyi came to his senses, the woman had already turned and walked away, with Nanny Yun closely following and Fu Dong awaiting Ju Nanyi, gesturing for him to go.

At that moment, Ju Nanyi did not know what to feel. It was as if under his gorgeous robe, only he knew it teemed with lice.

In the courtyard, Xing Yu was present, and the scene was bustling. No one expected Zheng Nianru to return so early. Chased by Xing Yu, Nian Xia rushed to the gate and nearly collided with Zheng Nianru who was returning. But what was even more dangerous was the backrest of the chair thrown vigorously by Xing Yu, heading straight for them.

"You little minx, rebelling..." Nanny Yun shouted, only to stop halfway upon realizing there were outsiders present and, more importantly, she should have moved to block the chair back. But by then, it was too late. Fu Dong was a moment too late to react, but another figure was quicker, catching the object before her and tossing it back to Xing Yu, who instinctively caught it and quickly retreated.

Fu Dong, feeling embarrassed, wanted to thank Ju Nanyi for his timely intervention, only to notice that he was very calm, showing no reaction to the situation at all, which made her feel even more uncomfortable.

Ordinarily, outsiders would not be here. Xing Yu loved lively scenes and always made a racket at her own home. They were already accustomed to it, but Lord Ju’s mental composure was extraordinary. He did not show even a hint of surprise.

Zheng Nianru was also surprised. Ju Nanyi’s actions made her momentarily drift back to the past. Xing Yu was just as boisterous, and sometimes when she threw things, Ju Nanyi would catch them and throw them back in the same manner. However, at the beginning, Ju Nanyi was not like that, even showing some astonishment at the behavior of her slaves.

But then, in the next moment, Ju Nanyi was still standing there quietly, making Zheng Nianru think that she must be overthinking. In that instant, she even doubted whether Ju Nanyi had risen from the dead with memories of his past life.

But that was impossible because when she was reincarnated, Ju Nanyi had not died. He was healthy and disaster-free. Although the Nanzheng State was on the brink of collapse and her son had defeated the entire Nanzheng, Ju Nanyi had plenty of ways to secure his latter years. Moreover, if he had memories, the most likely thing he would have done was to kill her first, not stand there so quietly.

Therefore, Zheng Nianru found her sudden thought laughable. Ju Nanyi was simply Ju Nanyi, and perhaps it was precisely because of the current estrangement between them that he could return the throw so casually. That Xing Yu used to hit her was not just Ju Nanyi tolerating her but extending that tolerance to those around her, out of love for her.

Zheng Nianru glanced at Xing Yu, who immediately fell silent, and followed behind Nanny Yun without daring to cry out, even after being hit on the forehead by Nanny Yun.

Zheng Nianru turned and walked towards the house.

This courtyard was a connected complex of five rooms, much broader than the usual three—because of the urgency, the setup inside the rooms was focused on the essentials, making them appear somewhat empty.

Zheng Nianru took the main seat. Xue Liu had already served the tea while Ju Nanyi followed her in. Some familiar arrangements were almost in Zheng Nianru’s style.

"Speak," Zheng Nianru gestured for Ju Nanyi to take a seat, having realized at least one thing, there wasn’t the same relationship as in her past life, so she should be more polite to Ju Nanyi.

Nanny Yun personally led Ju Nanyi to the nearest seat. Ju Nanyi’s gaze slid past the chair at the head of the table, and without much hesitation, he sat down. The tea that Xue Liu poured for him was in a different cup from the one Zheng Nianru was holding in her hand.

Ju Nanyi glanced at the teacup. He remembered that Zheng Nianru had a teacup set matching the one she currently held, which was delicate and translucent. When the light was good, the tea shone through it clearly, so she loved it very much and often kept it with her.

Clearly, she had not brought it out today, which meant she didn’t consider him as one of her own.

Ju Nanyi wondered if Zheng Congyuan might also be using a similar cup for his tea, but he couldn’t recall anything, his thoughts in turmoil.

"Lord Ju, does the tea not suit your taste?" Zheng Nianru asked, seeing that Ju Nanyi was fixated on his teacup, puzzled. And wasn’t there an important matter? Why wasn’t he speaking about it?

"Empress, this trip to Bu Er Temple, on the surface, my mission is to escort the Empress to Bu Er Temple... to pray ..." Ju Nanyi hesitated, "In reality, it is to accomplish another important matter."

Zheng Nianru did not speak, gesturing for him to continue.

"Qiandao Temple saw nearly a hundred mages disappear overnight, including Master Huo Yi and Master Yu Sheng. I have sent people to investigate and found that the supplies being delivered to Bu Er Temple did not match the number of people there. Hence, I suspect that all those people are currently inside Bu Er Temple."

"So, Lord Ju, you want to rescue these people?" Zheng Nianru understood; if there were anyone who could contend with Ghoul Ravine and Young Master Yin He, it would have to be Master Huo Yi and the others. Although, Zheng Nianru felt the hope was slim if they couldn’t deal with Ghoul Ravine, it would still be good if they could cure Zheng Congyuan’s "poison."

"No, rescuing them would be too conspicuous. It is not yet advisable to confront Ghoul Ravine openly. My plan is to sneak in quietly, gather information, and then assess the possibilities of striking back," Ju Nanyi didn’t intend to hide anything from Zheng Nianru, speaking candidly.

"What would you have me do?" Zheng Nianru understood and realized she was being asked to help.

"Your Highness only needs to pretend to delay Young Master Yin He of Ghoul Ravine... that’s all," Ju Nanyi stated, "Rest assured, Empress, I will not make you do something you are unwilling to do. Just pretend to keep him busy... Once I meet Master Huo Yi, I will immediately resolve the Empress’s situation and successfully leave Dharma Temple..." Ju Nanyi immediately added.

Zheng Nianru was somewhat skeptical, not about Ju Nanyi’s ability—he was very capable—but Young Master Yin He was strong as well. How could he guarantee a safe retreat?

"Don’t you think that if I completely occupy Young Master Yin He’s attention, your chances of success would increase?" Zheng Nianru suddenly spoke up. She wasn’t one to hesitate. She believed in Master Huo Yi’s abilities and hoped he could neutralize Zheng Congyuan’s poison, so why should she take such a risk?

Ju Nanyi was momentarily stunned, not understanding the implication in Zheng Nianru’s words. But the next moment, he lifted his head in panic, looking at Zheng Nianru in shock. He, he understood.

Was she considering making a feint real? Ju Nanyi’s fingers trembled.

"After all, I am reasonably attractive, it wouldn’t be too difficult to make do," she reasoned. So why risk it when reliable allies are so few and sacrifice is needless.

Ju Nanyi’s face turned from red to white, his hands shaking uncontrollably, anger flooding his brain, rendering him incapable of thought.