28 Mountain Forest Lodging

A line of thousands of people walked along a secluded path. The reason for choosing the small path was to avoid many eyes, and everyone knew that if they openly went south, they would likely be divided by various forces before even reaching the south.

“Your Highness, there is an inn ahead. Shall we rest there tonight?” Leng Yufeng returned on horseback from the front. They had been traveling for three days, spending the nights in the forest. Although they were not closely connected, seeing the Crown Prince’s increasingly pale face, Leng Yufeng couldn’t help but scout ahead.

“This remote place actually has an inn; it seems this inn is no ordinary one!” A trace of coldness mixed with the gentle smile on Huan Mo Che’s face, but he still looked at Shang Wu Xin beside him. He knew her choice was the most important and unquestionable.

Shang Wu Xin glanced at Leng Yu Feng with some confusion. Actually, at this moment, camping in the forest was the best choice. She also believed Leng Yu Feng understood this very well, but why was Leng Yu Feng doing this? She did not sense any malice.

“Can you confirm it’s safe?” Shang Wu Xin asked. She wouldn’t ask what dangers there might be; she knew that since Leng Yu Feng said so, he must be confident. Although this man had been cold and silent these past few days, he was meticulous in thought.

Leng Yu Feng looked at the prince’s exquisitely unmatched face. These past few days, he hadn’t dared to stare at the prince excessively, but the prince seemed to possess an irresistible charm that attracted him. On those nights, he couldn’t sleep and secretly opened his eyes to look at the prince sleeping beside him. The darkness of night concealed the burning in his eyes but could not resist the wildly beating heart.

“Alright!” Leng Yufeng assured. He originally wanted to say more, but only the cold two words came out. However, standing beside him, Huan Mochen could clearly feel the warmth in his friend’s words. Frowning slightly, Huan Mochen felt a subtle discomfort in his heart.

Shang Wuxin nodded, and Bai Shaolin led the people to arrange accommodations first. After all, they were not just a few people but thousands, and even an inn couldn’t accommodate them all. Huan Mochen looked as if he had been ignored and smiled as he said, “It will probably take another seven or eight days to reach the south!”

“We’ll probably be busy from now on!” Leng Yufeng sighed, but his tone was full of eagerness. They had traveled quickly these past three days, but after this forest, they would enter the territory of mountain bandits. The journey ahead would no longer be so easy.

Shang Wuxin rode his horse and led everyone to this remote inn. The inn looked very old and had only a few rooms, but fortunately, there was a courtyard where the soldiers could rest at night. Shang Wuxin glanced at the inn; his eyes remained unfathomable, black and deep, like a dark pool, without a ripple.

Bai Shaolin had already been waiting outside the inn early on. Seeing Shang Wuxin leaving, he stepped forward and called out, “Young master!” Because Shang Wuxin had long instructed everyone not to reveal his identity, but now, after glancing at the innkeeper, he understood the situation clearly.

“Oh my, distinguished guests, please come in quickly! Quick! Waiter, bring the tea at once, the kitchen is already preparing the meal!” The innkeeper was a middle-aged woman still full of charm. She looked at the group as if she had seen silver coins, speaking as if she wanted to get close to Shang Wuxin, but was stopped by Leng Yufeng and Huan Mochen.

“Our young master does not like people getting close. You just focus on preparing the food!” Bai Shaolin said hurriedly, noticing the displeased expressions of General Leng and Young Master Huan.

The shopkeeper chuckled a few times with a smile, then instructed the waiter to treat them well. She went to the kitchen to hurry the meal, while the waiters also looked at the group with smiling faces, continuously serving tea and water to the soldiers.

“Young master, your room is ready!” Bai Shaolin said. Although he tried his best to find a good room, this inn was all there was. He had someone clean it up before feeling it was acceptable for the prince to rest in.

Shang Wuxin nodded slightly, then glanced at Leng Yufeng and Huan Mocher, and the three of them entered the prepared room together.

“Did you notice?” Shang Wuxin asked playfully. She had originally planned to wait longer, but she didn’t expect some people to lose patience so quickly.

Huan Mocher sat to Shang Wuxin’s left, poured her a glass of water, and carefully observed it to make sure there was nothing unusual before feeling at ease. After pouring himself a glass, he said directly, “The skills of both the innkeeper and the waiters in this inn are quite good!”

From the moment Huan Mocher entered this inn, he knew it was no ordinary place. Even though the innkeeper disguised himself with the greedy and petty look of a merchant, the sharp glint and vigilance in his eyes made Huan Mocher instantly aware. Moreover, the innkeeper’s steady footsteps when leaving were those of a martial artist. The waiters, on the other hand, were clumsy in wiping tables and pouring tea. More importantly, Huan Mocher noticed that the waiters all had thick calluses on the webbing between their thumbs and index fingers.

Shang Wuxin’s eyes swept over Huan Mo Che, and she was somewhat surprised by him. She had always known that Huan Mo Che was not ordinary; even though he appeared to be a noble young master from a prestigious family in the capital who was showered with affection, it was only at this moment that Shang Wuxin realized Huan Mo Che was not just extraordinary but profoundly unfathomable.

Seeing that the Crown Prince’s gaze finally settled on him, Huan Mo Che suddenly held his breath. He wished the gaze would linger a little longer, but unfortunately, the Crown Prince’s clear, ice-like black-and-white eyes paused on him for just a moment before moving away.

“These people are not bandits!” Leng Yufeng said firmly, but after thinking for a moment, he still explained, “These people are clearly well-trained, definitely not something bandits could achieve, and this is obviously targeted at us. Bandits wouldn’t know that we are sending supplies to the south!”

After Leng Yufeng finished speaking, he and Huan Mochen looked toward the Crown Prince. They also wanted to see what the Crown Prince would do, and with their intuition, they knew this matter would not be so simple. However, within a single breath, Shang Wuxin’s cold voice sounded, carrying a subtle but unmistakable trace of hostility.

“Go tell Bai Shaolin to pay attention to tonight’s meal. If it’s drugged, tell him he doesn’t need to return to the capital!” Shang Wuxin said with a half-smile. Not needing to return to the capital meant that if Bai Shaolin couldn’t even handle this small matter, he would be directly discarded.

Originally, this matter should have been handled by Leng Yufeng, but Huan Mochen insisted on doing it himself. He had never cared to get involved in court affairs before, but now he felt that only by involving himself in these matters could he get the Crown Prince to pay more attention to him.

“Tonight…” Shang Wuxin murmured softly, “This is getting interesting…”

Leng Yufeng looked at the crown prince who was bowing his head, seemingly lost in thought. He wore a white brocade robe with black edges, his jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall, tied up with a jade hairpin and flowing down his back. His brows held an unfathomable chill, his lips rosy and pale, his eyes deep and profound, exuding an extraordinary nobility with a hint of icy, seductive aura—cold and stunningly beautiful. Leng Yufeng found himself somewhat mesmerized as he gazed, even imagining how the prince would appear if he were not so cold and aloof.

“Hmm?” Shang Wuxin suddenly lifted his head and looked toward Leng Yufeng, stopping at some distance away. “General Leng, aren’t you going to rest?”

Leng Yufeng was so frightened that he took a few steps back. He had never retreated before, whether facing thousands of enemy soldiers or life-and-death situations. But now, just because the prince approached, Leng Yufeng nervously stepped back a few paces, afraid the prince would discover his faintly unbearable thoughts, and even more afraid that he might lose control… As for what he might lose control of, he didn’t even know himself.

Leng Yufeng hurriedly left the room without even saying goodbye. Shang Wuxin looked at Leng Yufeng, who seemed frightened, with some helplessness. Had he been too scary, to have frightened this brave general like this…