BSI Chapter 382 Xu Longxiang is starting to get interested in the Moon Goddess?
Chapter 382 Xu Longxiang is starting to get interested in the Moon Goddess?
The woman in white led Xu Longxiang and Fan Li to the door of a side hall, then bowed and withdrew.
The palace door was pushed open, revealing a simple interior: a rosewood wooden table, two armchairs, and a bronze lamp.
A teapot and teacups were placed on the table, and sandalwood incense burned in the corner, its smoke curling upwards, creating a serene atmosphere.
Fan Li walked in, his gaze sweeping from the roof beams to the window frames, from the curtains to the floor.
His footsteps were light, like a vigilant cat, carefully examining every possible hiding place.
There were no hidden doors, no eavesdropping devices, the window paper was intact, and the roof was solid.
The weight that had been hanging over his heart for so long finally lifted, and his tense shoulders relaxed.
Xu Longxiang, on the other hand, seemed relaxed.
He walked to the table, sat down, picked up the teapot, and poured himself a cup of tea.
The tea was golden yellow, steam rising gently. He picked it up and drank it all in one gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing as he made a soft swallowing sound.
Fan Li's expression changed slightly upon seeing this scene.
He strode forward, lowered his voice, and spoke with a hint of barely suppressed tension.
"Your Highness, please be careful! What if there's something in this tea? That would be troublesome!"
Xu Longxiang put down his teacup and smiled.
The smile was faint, yet it carried a calm and unhurried certainty.
"Don't worry. The Moon Goddess sincerely wants to cooperate with our Northern Territory, so nothing will happen. She wouldn't dare to attack me now, and attacking me would bring her no benefit, only make her enemies."
Fan Li certainly knew this.
The Moon Goddess Cult is now surrounded by enemies on all sides, with 50,000 troops from the imperial court pressing in. If it were to turn against the northern border again, it would be courting its own demise.
It's always good to be cautious, because if something goes wrong, it'll be a real problem, and you won't even have time to regret it!
He opened his mouth, wanting to say a few more words of advice.
But when he saw Xu Longxiang's face finally relax, and saw the fire in his eyes that had been burning for so long finally calm down, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
His Highness has been in a bad mood lately.
From her elder sister being forcibly taken as a concubine, to her childhood sweetheart being sent to the deep palace, to her beloved marrying her enemy, and then to the destruction of Li Yang and the loss of all allies, His Highness is like a string that has been stretched for too long, ready to snap at any moment.
There was no need for him to spoil His Highness's mood at this time.
However, as an advisor, he still had to say what needed to be said.
Fan Li sighed softly, sat down opposite Xu Longxiang, and lowered his voice even further.
"Your Highness, although the Moon Goddess Cult wants to cooperate with our Northern Territory, we must firmly uphold our bottom line. We must never allow the Moon Goddess Cult to enter the Northern Territory and spread its doctrines, otherwise the consequences will be dire, and our foundation will be shaken!"
Xu Longxiang nodded, his smile fading slightly, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"Don't worry, I know."
He picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup of tea, but didn't drink it. He just held it in his hand, looking at his reflection in the tea.
The face in the cup was thin and tired, with dark circles under the eyes, but the eyes were still bright.
He suddenly raised his head, looked at Fan Li, and a smile appeared on his lips.
The smile was different from before; it carried a hint of inexplicable, subtle interest.
"Mr. Fan, what do you think of this Moon Goddess?"
Fan Li was slightly taken aback.
He looked at the glint in Xu Longxiang's eyes, his heart stirred, and his brows furrowed slightly.
"Your Highness, what do you mean?"
Xu Longxiang smiled, a smile that carried a rare, nonchalant casualness.
"Of course I'm referring to her as a person."
Fan Li remained silent for a moment.
He thought about it carefully, his mind racing, re-examining the white-clad woman he had seen in the main hall, the words he had heard, and the oppressive aura he had felt.
"Unfathomable".
He spoke, his voice steady and solemn.
"Her strength is unfathomable, and her cunning and intentions are equally unfathomable. Your subordinates dare not even breathe loudly in her presence!"
Xu Longxiang nodded and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.
He suddenly spoke, his voice very soft, as if talking to himself. "I wonder what she looks like under that mask."
Fan Li was stunned.
His mouth opened slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but then he closed it again.
Weren't they discussing the Moon Goddess herself? Weren't they analyzing her strength and cunning? How did they suddenly switch to talking about her face?
Looking at Xu Longxiang's face with a faint smile, and at those eyes that were a little brighter than before, he suddenly felt a strange, indescribable feeling welling up inside him.
His Highness is very interested in this Moon Goddess, and the interest goes beyond that between allies; it seems to have progressed to another stage.
Fan Li didn't know what to say.
His heart was filled with mixed feelings, like a jumble of flavors, a mixture of sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy, making it impossible to distinguish what each tasted like.
His Highness has too many people in his heart: his sister, Jiang Qingxue, Zhao Qingxue. Each one is like a thorn stuck in his heart, impossible to pull out or rot away.
Now that there's another Moon Goddess, he's really afraid that His Highness might be driven mad by these women one day.
But then he thought about it again and felt a little happy.
In any case, it would be a good thing if His Highness could help the Moon Goddess overcome those shadows.
It's better than constantly thinking about people you can't have.
Fan Li smiled, a smile that carried a hint of relief and indulgence.
"If Your Highness wishes to know what the other person looks like, I may take this opportunity during the banquet to request a meeting."
Xu Longxiang's eyes suddenly lit up!
The light surged from the depths of his pupils, like the sun, hidden behind dark clouds, finally revealing a glimmer of light.
He straightened up, his voice carrying a hint of barely suppressed urgency.
"Is this alright?"
Fan Li smiled and nodded, stroking his beard.
"Of course. After all, we've already formed an alliance with the Moon Goddess, and I think it's perfectly reasonable for us to want to see her true face. It's the most basic expression of sincerity. If she doesn't even have this much sincerity, then this alliance is not worth discussing!"
Xu Longxiang nodded, his smile deepening. "Alright, then I'll trouble you for a bit, sir."
Fan Li nodded slightly, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured himself a cup of tea.
The tea had gone cold, but he didn't care. He picked it up and took a sip, the bitterness spreading from the tip of his tongue to his throat.
The two did not speak again.
The hall quieted down, with only the faint hissing sound of burning sandalwood and the occasional rustling of bamboo leaves in the night breeze outside the window.
The candlelight burned quietly in the bronze lamp, casting the shadows of the two people on the wall, one sitting and one standing, like two silent statues.
About half an hour later, there was a soft knock on the door.
A woman in white entered, bowed respectfully, and said in a soft, courteous voice, "Distinguished guests, dinner is ready. Please follow me."
Xu Longxiang stood up, straightened his robes, and fastened the short sword at his waist.
He glanced at Fan Li, who nodded slightly.
The two followed the woman in white out of the side hall, through the corridor, and toward the banquet hall.
Lanterns lit up one after another along the corridor, their flames flickering gently in the night breeze, casting the shadows of the three people onto the snow-white walls, sometimes long, sometimes short.
The sound of string and wind instruments drifted from afar, melodious and gentle, carried on the night breeze, as if floating from another world.
Xu Longxiang walked ahead, his steps lighter than when he arrived.
A faint smile played on his lips.
The banquet was held in a side hall to the right of the main hall of the Moon Goddess Cult.
The side hall was much smaller than the main hall, but it was decorated with great care.
A snow-white tablecloth covered the long table, and the silver candlesticks gleamed softly in the candlelight.
The table was laden with dishes, including Southwest specialties like cured pork, sour soup fish, and wild mushroom stewed chicken, as well as Northern-style roasted lamb chops and hand-grabbed rice, clearly showing that a lot of thought had been put into the preparation.
On the side of the hall, dozens of women dressed in white held colorful ribbons and danced gracefully to the sound of string and bamboo instruments.
Their dance was graceful and dignified, every turn was just right, and the colorful ribbons fluttered in the candlelight like flowing clouds.
In the corner, musicians played the zither and flute, their melodies melodious and gentle, enveloping the entire side hall in a peaceful atmosphere.
As soon as Xu Longxiang entered the side hall, several middle-aged men dressed in gray robes came to greet him.
They wore smiles, stood respectfully with their hands clasped in front of them, and said things like "We have long admired the reputation of the Prince of Zhenbei" and "Your Highness has had a long journey."
Xu Longxiang nodded in response to each of them, a polite smile on his face, but he secretly memorized their faces.
Every high-ranking member of the Moon Goddess Sect possesses at least the cultivation level of a second-grade martial artist.
He took his seat in the place of the guest of honor.
The chair is made of rosewood and covered with a thick brocade cushion, making it very comfortable to sit on.
He glanced around; the hall was already full of people, including white-robed followers, gray-robed elders, and colorful-clad maids.
Everyone wore a smile, a smile that was well-trained and perfectly timed, but one could not discern much sincerity in it.
The moon goddess emerged from behind the screen.
She was still wearing that snow-white robe, a white jade mask, and her long hair cascaded down to her waist.
Her steps were light, as if she were walking on clouds, without a speck of dust on her feet.
She stopped in front of the main seat, turned around, and slowly sat down. Her white dress slid off the chair and spread out on the floor, like a blooming white peony.
All the white-robed believers in the hall knelt down in unison, their foreheads touching the ground, their voices unified and devout.
"Long live the leader! Long live the leader! Long live the leader!"
The moon goddess raised her right hand, palm down, fingers slightly spread.
The kneeling worshippers then straightened up and returned to their seats.
The entire process was quiet and orderly, without a single noise, like a ceremony that had been rehearsed countless times.
Seeing this, Xu Longxiang picked up his wine cup and raised it towards the Moon Goddess.
"Lord Luna, what a grand display."
The Moon Goddess also raised her wine cup and nodded slightly to him. "Young Master Xu, you flatter me. Please."
The two men tilted their heads back at the same time and drank the wine in their glasses in one gulp.
The wine is amber in color, mellow on the palate, and has a faint floral aroma; it is a unique blend of flowers from Southwest China.
The Moon Goddess put down her wine cup and gently patted it with her hand.
The maids filed in, carrying silver platters, and placed dish after dish on the long table.
With each dish served, the Moon Goddess would personally introduce it—this is steamed perch, taken from a deep mountain pool, with tender and delicious meat.
This is stir-fried cured pork with bracken. The cured pork is three years old, and the bracken is freshly picked after the rain.
This is stewed chicken with wild mushrooms. The mushrooms are wild in the forest, and the chicken is free-range from the mountain people.
Xu Longxiang would nod in approval after tasting each dish.
"This sea bass is indeed very fresh and tender."
"The cured pork is fragrant but not greasy, very good."
"This chicken soup is rich and flavorful, with a delicate aroma; it's quite rare."
His voice was sincere, not just polite, because he genuinely thought it was delicious.
After enduring wind and rain and sleeping outdoors for several days on dry rations, being able to eat a hot meal at this moment is truly a treat.
But his gaze kept drifting unconsciously toward the moon goddess's white jade mask.
Her eyes, hidden behind the mask, were bright, like two cold stars bathed in moonlight. But her lips, her nose, and her chin were all concealed behind the mask, and nothing could be seen.
He recalled her voice—that cool, ethereal, and untouched quality, somewhat similar to Zhao Qingxue's.
His heart skipped a beat, but he suppressed it.
He winked at Fan Li.
Fan Li was enjoying a dish of wild mushroom stewed chicken when he noticed Xu Longxiang's gaze and nodded slightly.
He put down his chopsticks, picked up his wine cup, stood up, faced the moon goddess, and wore a perfectly timed smile.
"Moon Goddess, my lord has already shown his sincerity. Shouldn't you also demonstrate your sincerity?"
The moon goddess's gaze fell on his face, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.
"What more sincerity do you want me to show?"