CHAPTER 533: 532

Su Bai arrived at the training ground, and her foster father was already there.

From a distance, she saw his usual grey robe, standing under the Chaoyang, only his face bore signs of the passage of time, yet his body remained as upright as a robust middle-aged man.

For a moment, she felt he was very unfamiliar.

"Su Bai, you are late." He stood there, nodded to Su Bai with a smile.

Su Bai forced a smile and waved at him: "Foster father."

Yan Li’an said his real name was Song Huaxu.

But he always claimed to be a nameless Taoist, considering neither name nor past important. It used to seem carefree, but now, it sounded more like an excuse.

"Why did foster father come so early today?"

In the past, when she trained the soldiers, Song Huaxu never appeared.

He visited yesterday and today as well, an unusual diligence.

Song Huaxu’s gaze was as vague as the twilight, ethereal and distant, hiding the deepest layers within.

He revealed a kindly smile: "War is upon us soon, and this is your first time in such a large-scale battle, naturally, I have to pay extra attention to you."

"Then thank you, foster father."

"Ah yes, there is one more thing." He pulled a small medicinal pill from his chest: "The rainy season is upon us, and this year I specially found a precious medicinal ingredient that can alleviate the pain in your bones."

The pill was brown and glossy, resting in Su Bai’s palm; small and rounded, quite adorable.

Yet she did not swallow it immediately as before.

Seeing this, Song Huaxu slightly raised his eyebrows: "What’s wrong?"

"I had breakfast with His Majesty today and my stomach feels a bit uncomfortable now; I will take it with warm water later in my tent," Su Bai carefully put the pill away in her chest, and Song Huaxu did not ask further, but as he left, his eyes held a few inscrutable meanings.

Su Bai did not see this scene.

Military drilling was mostly monotonous and erratic.

Today the weather was particularly hot. Fearing that excessively demanding training might backfire, Su Bai decided to end early, although she stayed until dusk before returning.

Inside the palace.

Chu Qi sat darkly on his high seat, with Song Huaxu beside him.

"Is it true?"

"Although she tries her best to hide, she is, after all, a disciple I personally trained. I could detect even a slight change," Song Huaxu picked up his teacup and took a gentle sip, assuming the air of a reclusive sage.

Chu Qi half-squinted his eyes; in the dimly lit hall, it was hard to discern his emotions.

"But didn’t you say your hypnosis technique was infallible? Why would she awaken?"

Song Huaxu looked at the tea leaves in his cup: "Human malleability is too powerful, and Yan Wanqing is among the best humans. Her brother, Yan Li’an, once woke from hypnosis; now it’s her turn, and I’m not at all surprised."

"What exactly caused her to awaken?" Chu Qi was puzzled.

It had been three years without issue, but Yan Wanqing had to awaken just before the grand battle.

This time, Xiao Pingfeng personally went to war, clearly indicating a do-or-die fight with Chu Kingdom. After three years of wasting manpower, material, and financial resources, he was not willing to delay any longer.

Especially holding Yan Wanqing as a trump card, capable of striking directly at Xiao Pingfeng’s heart, Chu Qi would not allow such an accident to occur.

"When Yan Li’an woke up, it was because Yan Wanqing constantly stayed by his side using their past to awaken him," Song Huaxu slowly said.

"Are you suggesting someone in the palace has caused her to waver?"

Chu Qi immediately understood, and furiously slapped his throne: "How could this be? With such stringent security in the Chu Imperial Family, they still managed to infiltrate, only we don’t know yet who this person hiding in the palace might be."

"Ordinary people can’t produce this effect," Song Huaxu rubbed the smooth edge of the teacup, his eyes hiding myriad winding vines: "It must be someone close to her."

"...Could it be Xiao Pingfeng?"

Chu Qi’s heart jolted.

But upon further thought, it should not be the case.

If Xiao Pingfeng had infiltrated, the first thing he would do would be to sever his own head. Why would he then hide in the shadows motionlessly?

If not Xiao Pingfeng, then it must be a close relative of Yan Wanqing.

"A person from the Yan Family," Song Huaxu enunciated each word, his smile deepening at the corners of his lips.

"Just unsure who it might be, truly a bit exciting." He was excited about the Yan Family, which he had almost single-handedly decimated.

Most of the men of the Yan Family had died, leaving only the eldest son, Yan Li’an, and the youngest, Yan Zizhuo.

He had interacted with Yan Li’an before. The man was unfathomable, extremely crafty, yet possessed a face as harmless as any animal or human.

His approach to matters was unpredictable, entirely dependent on his mood.

Even more unmethodical than Yan Wanqing.

Years ago, when he was surrounded and attacked by many who wanted to destroy the Divine Church of Light, he had no choice but to escape by faking his death. Xiao Pingfeng and Yan Wanqing did not believe he had died, and had people search for a long time. He hid well, but Yan Li’an almost discovered him regardless.

Thus, facing this man, only four words came to his mind.

A formidable younger generation.

He hoped the visitor was not him.

Otherwise, it could indeed be quite troublesome.

The Yan Family sisters, the fifth and the sixth, one with unparalleled martial arts strength, the other unmatched in medical skills and stealth; these two were not fearsome, as his body was immune to all poisons, and his crippled body could withstand attacks from Yan Hongzhao.

Song Huaxu quickly reviewed the Yan Family members in his mind.

His thoughts settled slightly.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I shall handle everything for Your Majesty, and it will certainly not affect our war with Dawei."

Chu Qi heard his promise, but his expression did not improve in the slightest.

"You made the same promise back then that Yan Wanqing would definitely not regain her memory, yet now she has begun to suspect," he said. No wonder the one who always rejected him came over this morning to dine with him.

Originally, he thought it was as unlikely as a barren tree blooming, only to find out it was just a scheme ensnaring him more deeply!

Chu Qi was utterly dejected.

Back then, he created chaos, stole Yan Wanqing’s body, intending to bury her in the Imperial Mausoleum, so that he could be laid to rest beside her after a hundred years. That was when Song Huaxu appeared, declaring that Yan Wanqing was not dead.

He even suggested that Yan Wanqing could forever stay by Chu Qi’s side.

Chu Qi was irresistibly moved by this idea.

Thus, Song Huaxu created Su Bai.

Su Bai, who had lost all her memories, yet still kept her distance from him.

He had tenderly cared for her for three full years, and she still remained cold!

"I have already sent her a medicinal pill to reinforce the hypnotic effect," Song Huaxu declared confidently.

Chu Qi sneered, "Did she eat it in front of you?"

"If she doesn’t eat, wouldn’t that just prove there’s an insider in the palace? You want to rest without worries, enjoying both beauty and the realm. This insider must be caught sooner or later, mustn’t they?" Song Huaxu cleverly revealed a venomous smirk.

"So it’s like that..." Chu Qi suddenly realized, "Not for nothing are you called the nameless Taoist with your brilliant maneuvers."

One move leading to the next, no wonder he could train a student as excellent as Yan Wanqing.

Although Yan Wanqing was always straightforward, Song Huaxu always seemed to be the type who would not die well after committing endless evil, causing Chu Qi to scorn him utterly.

If it were not for Yan Wanqing, he would have long since had this Taoist torn apart by five horses.

Chu Qi forced a smile, clapping his hands in laughter, "Very well, once we win this war against Dawei, I shall appoint you the State Preceptor of Chu Kingdom!"