Chapter 24: Demon Moon

  Nan Yue Lan Sheng heard the sound of laughter filling the room, spinning non-stop, which was quite unexpected. Although she had thought that a children's song like "Two Tigers" might make these people feel fresh, she never expected it to have such an explosive effect. She wasn't very good at singing, couldn't remember all the lyrics, and sometimes sang off-key, so "Two Tigers" was the first song that came to mind, and after all, they weren't here to hunt...

  Is it that funny? Looking at the stumbling Peacock Palace people in front of her, she was quite puzzled. Of course, this unexpected result was beneficial to her, and it really belonged to the magical mistake.

  "Sing it again."

  The sound had just arrived, and the wind fell beside him. Nan Yue Lan turned his head, and his chin was already held tightly by someone, his line of sight forced to meet theirs.

  Just as Wu Guo was about to make a move, a green sword hovered above his neck, and a red figure suddenly appeared behind him, sticking close to him, causing his face to turn pale and red with anger.

  The man who had caught Lan's chin had a pair of amber-gold eyes, with eyelashes that were long and dense, as if they had been lined with black ink. His hair was wild and untamed, tied up in a high ponytail, with a few strands framing his face and a few loose strands floating around him. A few strands of precious stones and silver threads were woven into the ponytail, giving off an air of elegance and lightness. The sharp contours of his face, with its high forehead, straight nose, and angular jawline, were softened by the gentle curve of his lips, which seemed to be smiling mischievously. A circular blue jade earring hung from his right ear, with a faint phoenix shape visible within the stone. He wore a dark green silk robe that was not tied at the waist, giving off an air of carelessness, yet it fit him perfectly. The silk robe had no patterns or embroidery, and its texture was very light, almost transparent. She could see his sturdy chest from where she stood so close to him. His sleeves were rolled up to his shoulders, revealing muscular arms with beautiful lines. Yet, despite having such a good physique, this person's aura was completely different from the warm and sunny atmosphere of the day, giving off an eerie and ghostly chill.

  Her gaze swept over the man's magnificence, but Nan Yue Lan's eyes were fixed on his left arm. Three bright red scratch marks, like a cat's claw, but only similar.

  The man followed Nan Yue's line of sight to his arm, gave a sly smile, and then leaned in close to her ear, like a snake spitting out its toxic breath, "Want to try grabbing me like that too?"

  The laughter subsided, and the fifth prince's even more excited voice rang out, "Sixth brother, how is the taste of this stunning beauty?"

  Sixth Prince! It was then that Nan Yue Lan realized whose seat she had taken.

  The sixth prince ignored him, continuing to whisper in Nan Yue's ear, "Follow me into the tent to spend the rest of this wonderful night, will you? I promise to let you accompany me until dawn." A quiet conversation that everyone could hear.

  Nan Yue Lan thought to herself, today she's already caused a stir with the peach blossoms, first there was the Crown Prince of Dong Ping, and then there was the Sixth Imperial Son, both of whom approached her with amorous intentions. But in the end, it was all just playful teasing that absolutely didn't allow her to misunderstand. Was she born looking like a mouse, while these men were cats, easily arousing their instincts?

  "Sixth brother, take it easy, there's still a hunt tomorrow, save some energy, don't end up at the bottom." The fifth prince teased, and then burst out laughing.

  "Sixth brother, this young lady is not a fake nun from the wild temple, and cannot be treated lightly." The third prince also advised, his tone insincere, as if mocking Nan Yue Lan.

  The sixth prince straightened up, his dark eyes gazing at Nan Yue Lan for a long time before suddenly revealing a look of disdain. He snorted and sat down beside her, "I was blinded by the flowers earlier, thinking she was a beauty. In this desolate mountain wilderness, what's lurking around isn't just wolves and tigers, but also fox spirits and flower demons. And we can't be careless with women either? If third brother has taken a liking to her, just say so, I'm still willing to give in."

  "Sixth brother speaks as if Miss Nan Yue is your woman." Xuan Ran specially pointed out the identity of Nan Yue Lansheng.

  "What about the daughter of the Nan Yue family?" The Sixth Prince's expression was cold, not caring which one it was. "They will be treated as treasures again and in the future they will have to obey us, the Xun family. Who made them women, having to take their husbands as heaven."

  "This is indeed, I heard the Empress Dowager say that Father Emperor has been thinking of taking in a new consort again two days ago." The Third Prince said half of it and found himself accidentally leaking out the information, so he quickly laughed it off, "Sixth Brother, you came out really fast, could it be that you've been too busy with your romantic escapades and don't have the energy to win over that beauty?"

  The sixth prince clapped twice and a small eunuch presented a tray with neatly stacked white handkerchiefs.

  Nan Yue Lan suddenly felt a bad premonition, and saw the young servant lift up a corner of his white handkerchief, shaking it open with one hand. The handkerchief had a bright red stain on it. She could guess what it was, but felt nauseous and immediately turned her head away. She couldn't understand the whistling and cheering of the men, nor did she comprehend the admiring glances of the dancing girls. She wasn't a conservative person, but when a woman gave herself to someone, only to be treated as a trophy by men, it was simply...

  "What are you thinking?" The sixth prince's hand suddenly fell on her nape, forcing her to stare at the blood-stained handkerchief. He never missed an opportunity to stir up trouble and watching others suffer was his greatest pleasure.

  "What's the point of pretending to be a good girl anyway?" Nan Yue Lan said coldly. Her neck was covered by that big hand, making her feel suffocated, she gritted her teeth. Since help wasn't coming, she might as well speak the truth and try to escape the devil's clutches.

  "Finish what you're saying." His hands were restless and kept rubbing against each other, feeling quite good.

  "Why jump into the net." Everything below her neck was frozen stiff, she became a fossil, feel free to do as you please, no sensation.

  "It's that simple, use your smart brain to think about it and you'll know, unless you've become stupid." His palm left hers, he took over her wine glass, biting the rim of the cup, his lips touched and turned around in a circle, his light eyes flashed coldly, and when she furrowed her brow, he dropped a heavy stone, "Have you become stupid, Lansheng?"

  In an instant, Nan Yue Lan Sheng's eyes widened and she stood up suddenly, "Third Highness!"

  The third prince, Zhang Er, couldn't reach his head, "What's going on?"

  "The little girl has sung to entertain the crowd, Your Highness, may I take my leave?" She wanted to leave! If she stayed any longer, there would only be one outcome - being torn apart alive.

  "Alright, I promised earlier." The Third Prince recalled this, "Miss Nan Yue's song was extremely wonderful. If I don't let you go, wouldn't I become someone who speaks but has no credibility? Go, help us pass on a message to the National Master, and we'll play together another day."

  You're so childish! You're over 30 years old and still acting like a teenager! Nan Yue Lan gave a slight bow and turned to leave.

  "The southern month's daughter can calculate the ability to avoid evil, tonight let us meet, how can we not leave a word to avoid evil?" No longer moving his hands and feet, the Sixth Prince's viciousness spread according to the square inch.

  The third prince and fifth prince are quite straightforward.

  "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you all, but this humble girl has no special abilities." Would she be able to kick Sixth Prince's feet and run away with a chance of success of less than one in a thousand?

  "Your eyes and ears are all filled with a hint of spirituality, you were born as the daughter of a great national teacher, don't be modest." This was said by Xuan Ran, who had been silent for quite a while. "Just say something casually, it's not that I'm forcing you or anything, but if what you say is accurate, I'll let my third brother lend you that beautiful horse carriage for ten days to half a month."

  Nan Yue Lan's restless mood suddenly settled, "I'll send a message to the Third Prince, to thank him for his sincerity."

  The third prince smiled with his eyes open, and his attitude towards Nan Yue Lan became more and more gentle. "Speak."

  "Recently, I request Your Highness to ride horses more and sit in carriages less."

  No more waiting for others to intercept, bowing his head and retreating quickly.