Chapter 15: Sku One!

As he turned around, Bai Muge realized that the young woman before him was none other than Li Shixuan, the princess of the Great Tang. Yet today, Li Shixuan had clearly taken great care to disguise herself. Though her clothes were sumptuous, they had about them the air of a young wanderer of the rivers and lakes. If Bai Muge were not so thoroughly familiar with her, he would never have recognized her at a glance.

How did this girl come here? And at such a coincidental moment? Bai Muge did not believe this was a mere chance encounter. Given the current instability, there was no way the Young King of Tang would permit her to leave the palace. “Shixuan, what brings you here?” Bai Muge asked, suspicion in his voice.

The Azure Dragon Gang, secretly backed by the Prince of Zhen Nan, was still at large in the capital. Should she be kidnapped by them, the consequences would be unthinkable. Moreover, at this moment, neither Hai Dafu nor Cao Zhengchun was by Bai Muge’s side. His gaze, almost unconsciously, settled on the female attendant behind her—a face entirely unfamiliar. At least, none that he recalled seeing before.

Li Shixuan, seeing his wariness, gave a cheerful laugh and pushed Bai Muge into the building, exclaiming, “Don’t worry, Brother Mu! The Emperor—my second brother—knows I’ve left the palace and even assigned a female officer to protect me. She’s highly skilled!”

“Is she as skilled as the sun is high in the sky?” Bai Muge pressed, still unconvinced.

“Uh…” Li Shixuan was momentarily at a loss, hesitating for some time. But she quickly realized he was only teasing her out of concern.

Though Brother Mu always speaks so sharply, he truly does worry for me! she thought, her eyes twinkling. She replied, unfazed, “Well, she’s not as high as the sun, nor as formidable as Hai Dafu, but she is a second-tier master. Ordinary people won’t get close to me!”

Bai Muge was silent. With a mere second-tier master for protection, this girl had summoned up such courage? Who did she think she was fooling? She had certainly sneaked out of the palace on her own. At that level, should she encounter the Azure Dragon Gang, she’d have no chance to defend herself.

He sighed helplessly. There was no helping it; since she had already slipped out, he would have to ensure her safety. After all, she had always treated him kindly.

“Let’s head upstairs first,” Bai Muge instructed. “Stay by my side and don’t wander off!”

“Alright!” Li Shixuan replied joyfully. Her daring escape from the palace had been emboldened by what she’d learned from the Young King, Li Chen: Bai Muge was forming the ‘Heavenly Dragon Society’ today. And with someone like Hai Dafu at his side, what was there to fear? As long as she could remain with Bai Muge, she was content.

On the second floor of the Fragrant Pavilion, many diners caught sight of Bai Muge and looked on in surprise. For the past two months, he had rarely visited this place. This time, not only had he returned, but he’d resumed the appearance of a cripple in a wheelchair, just as he’d been two months ago.

Still, everyone present knew Bai Muge was the son of Bai Zhan, the Minister of Revenue. Open mockery or derision was out of the question, unless they had tired of living. Their private speculations, however, remained their own.

“Young Master Bai, the usual?” The attendant followed at his side, bowing and smiling obsequiously.

“The usual,” Bai Muge replied, waving him off. “You may return to your duties.”

“Yes, Young Master Bai.” The attendant bowed and withdrew, “Please wait a moment, your order will be right up.”

When the attendant had drawn the curtain and left, Li Shixuan excitedly looked around, her eyes sparkling with delight, her fair fists gently clenched in front of her. “Brother Mu, I never imagined the restaurants in the capital would look like this.”

After gazing about the place, she turned her shining eyes on Bai Muge and, in a sweet, childish voice, exclaimed, “Suki!”

Bai Muge’s mouth twitched. He was beginning to regret ever having taught Li Shixuan those ‘anime words.’ Was he supposed to respond: “Yane yane”?

Yet looking at her now, so wide-eyed and adorable, her childish voice only made her more charming. Perhaps, he thought, this wasn’t so bad after all.

Unbeknownst to them, at that very moment, in a private room by the window behind Bai Muge and his companions, sat two strikingly beautiful young women. Two exquisite and razor-sharp swords lay within easy reach.

“Miss,” one of the maidens hissed, voice low and teeth clenched, “that scoundrel Bai Muge is just next door. Should we go over right now and kill him?”

The girl addressed as ‘Miss’ was Chen Rushuang, only daughter of the leader of the Azure Dragon Gang. They had come to the Fragrant Pavilion after receiving word from their comrades, intent on assassinating Bai Muge. After all, with the strict patrols in Chang’an, the gang dared not act openly. Otherwise, they would quickly be arrested by the city’s military patrols.

But if Chen Rushuang herself took action, things would be far simpler. No one would suspect that a woman could be an assassin of the Azure Dragon Gang.

Chen Rushuang shook her head and replied, “Feng Qi, we must not be reckless. Our target is Bai Muge alone—we must not harm the innocent.”

“But Miss…” Feng Qi, her maid, puffed her cheeks in frustration. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we miss it, there might never be another!”

Chen Rushuang remained firm. “That young woman is innocent. We are members of the Azure Dragon Gang, yes, but we are not like the others.”

Hearing this, Feng Qi could only pout and fall silent. She knew her mistress’s temperament well—she was not one to kill indiscriminately.

Moreover, they had noticed the female attendant behind Li Shixuan. She was clearly an expert. If they acted rashly now, they might well fail. Besides, they knew nothing of Li Shixuan’s true identity.

After a moment’s thought, Chen Rushuang conceived a plan. “Feng Qi, watch for my signal,” she instructed. Then she suddenly stood, and, feigning panic, rushed toward Bai Muge’s private room.

With a crash, just half a pace from Bai Muge’s door, she stumbled and fell right in front of him.

“Miss, are you alright?” Feng Qi cried, hurrying over toward Bai Muge’s room.