Chapter 171 - Is It Funny That the Reincarnated Senior Sister Is Also Being Pursued?

"The little one... has no objections," Chen Yuan said with a bitter tone. However much he might flex his muscles, before imperial authority, he was merely a small boat, and whatever Xiao Cheng Yin said was as good as a royal decree. Fortunately, since it was the Second Prince who took action, that person shouldn’t blame him. It's just a pity to see that his rare opportunity for promotion has been dashed. It seems that it will all go down the drain now. Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel some resentment. It was all because of those two little girls. If it weren't for them, he would have taken the mad demon to report long ago. And these trash on the ground, they couldn’t even handle a few guards from the Wei Yang Palace, causing them to delay until those two little girls arrived... "I wonder what Miss Bai Lian and Miss Mu think?" Xiao Cheng Yin turned to Bai Lian with a smile and asked, full of playful meaning. Bai Lian glanced at Mu Xinghe and noticed that he was also looking at her, apparently awaiting her opinion. She couldn't help but fall into contemplation. Although in the game, Xiao Cheng Yin was quite scheming and overly flattering towards Mu Xinghe, in a sense, he was one of the more normal personalities among the many princes of the Great Xia Empire. It could be said that even if he was a pseudo-gentleman, he at least always wore the mask of a gentleman, not doing anything that would harm his reputation. So, despite her dissatisfaction with Xiao Cheng Yin, she had no reason to refuse his proposal to take custody of the mad demon on behalf of them. Furthermore, the Wei Yang Palace did not have the kind of powerful forces like the Hui Yang cultivator behind Xiao Cheng Yin. Relying solely on a few guards of the "Teng Yun" realm, even if they were to detain the mad demon in the Wei Yang Palace, they might not necessarily be able to hold it. Moreover, it was very likely to bring danger to the Wei Yang Palace for no reason. After weighing the options, it seemed that giving the mad demon to Xiao Cheng Yin became the best choice. It’s just a bit strange that Xiao Cheng Yin's timing was just too coincidental. Although Xiao Cheng Yin did mention that he came here for hunting, this place was not specifically designated for royal hunting, and it was quite far from the Chong Ning Palace where Xiao Cheng Yin resided. There was no need for him to come here for hunting. At this moment, she suddenly felt a gaze and subconsciously looked in its direction. What came into view was the masked girl who had been following Xiao Cheng Yin since his appearance. The masked girl noticed her gaze, and instead of evading it, she smiled with a gaze locked onto her, as if she could see right through her. The intense gaze was so overwhelming that Bai Lian found it difficult to bear and could only slightly avert her eyes. However, she couldn’t help but feel puzzled—who was this masked girl? Due to her inheritance of memories from the game, she had a deep impression of the women she had interacted within the game. Even if she didn't remember more details, she knew there was such a person. Yet, she had absolutely no memory of interacting with the masked girl in front of her. Could she be someone new, a character she hadn’t encountered before? But if it was a character she hadn’t encountered before, why did she feel an inexplicable sense of familiarity, especially from those bright eyes? This sense of familiarity was quite weak, lacking any source, as if it appeared out of thin air. Unable to comprehend this, she had no choice but to temporarily suppress this question and say, "Since Your Highness is willing to take custody of the mad demon, I would be grateful for your assistance." “It’s nothing, just a trivial matter,” Xiao Cheng Yin said to the side, “Hu Bo, please take care of detaining the mad demon and these bodies back to the Chong Ning Palace for proper arrangements.” “Yes, young master,” a hoarse, elderly voice sounded. A shadow flashed behind Xiao Cheng Yin, and both the mad demon and the bodies of the black-clothed individuals disappeared without a trace. After giving the instructions, Xiao Cheng Yin shifted his gaze back to Bai Lian, and with a gentle smile, he said, "Miss Bai Lian, now that we have met by fate, we are friends. It feels too formal to address me as 'Your Highness', doesn't it?” "If it's alright with you, you can call me Cheng Yin." Bai Lian was momentarily stunned. He was addressing her by her name right after they met? It seemed a bit too intimate, but was this a custom of the Great Xia Dynasty that she had missed? Yet, it was only about calling each other by their names, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. “In that case, if it’s okay, please call me…" Her lips parted slightly, but she found that even though it was normal for two men to call each other by name, she found it difficult to say it out loud. Obviously, she felt that calling each other by name was not a big deal in the context of the two men. Perhaps her years of living as a woman were gradually influencing her inner male mindset. Even if she insisted on a male chauvinistic approach, she couldn't change the fact that she was now a girl. She suddenly realized that she couldn’t act as freely as she had before, as a man. "...Cheng Yin, please take care of me,” she said. Cheng Yin... Xia Cheng Yin was taken aback by this address, then chuckled wryly. "Calling me 'Cheng Yin' has a somewhat martial artist's flavor," he said. "Since childhood, I have longed for the martial arts world but have never set foot in it. Now, it seems like I'm living out my martial arts dream." "If Cheng Yin has a longing for the martial arts world, why not pay a visit?" Bai Lian asked. "Easy to say, hard to do," he said, his voice deep and somewhat melancholic. Bai Lian raised an eyebrow. "'Not in control of yourself, your body can’t be controlled by you?'" Hearing this, Cheng Yin was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Miss Bai truly lives up to the name of White Lotus Fairy." "Okay, okay. 'Not in control of yourself, your body can’t be controlled by you.’ I'm always saying that I’m not in control of myself, yet it’s clear I am unwilling to give up my position as a prince. So, why am I saying that my body’s not in my control?" "However, Miss Bai, you omitted one thing." "What?" Bai Lian was puzzled. Cheng Yin looked at her meaningfully and said, "As a prince, how can one act as they wish?" Bai Lian's naïve mind was somewhat bewildered by his words. What does this have to do with that? Is he speaking in riddles? And this is what she hates the most about the Xia Dynasty’s plot! Each person is either full of official jargon or likes to speak in riddles. The dialogue text is long and stinky enough, and it’s always hidden in various hints, even if looking for clues can be overwhelming. If it wasn’t for the plot’s connection to Xia Kingdom and many of the female leads, she would have hated it until she used the Ctrl button to death. No, if she continues chatting with Cheng Yin, she might trigger Xia Kingdom plot PTSD. After all, there is no 'skip' button in real life. She should leave quickly and go off somewhere alone with her older sister Mu. She looked at Mu Xinghe and found that Mu was probably thinking the same thing as her. Although he should be a Taoist who stays calm and unassuming, she could feel some restlessness from Mu Xinghe. Although she didn't know where this restlessness came from, her subconscious was telling her that she might be in danger if she continued like this. After spending this time with the female leads, she had more trust in her intuition, as often when she ignored the sense of danger, she was bullied by the female leads. Just as she was about to say goodbye to Xiao Cheng Yin, she heard him say, “Miss Bai, you have come a long way from the Taihua Sword Sect. I have failed to welcome you properly, and I feel guilty. Coincidentally, my third brother invited several great masters from the Maitreya Sect a while ago, and they should be giving a sermon in the city right now, helping the people dispel disasters. Why don't we go together?” "This also allows me to greet you two properly." Upon hearing this, Bai Lian’s deliberate refusal was put on hold. She hadn't forgotten that the main purpose of her visit to the Xia Kingdom this time was to investigate the true intentions of those disguised as Maitreya monks and secretively infiltrating Xia Kingdom, and to expose their true identities to prevent the occurrence of a religious dispute from its roots. However, since the other party could infiltrate deep into the capital, they must have made sufficient preparations and were highly vigilant. Approaching rashly might lead to being discovered, and her preparations would be in vain. But if she approached the other party in the name of Xiao Cheng Yin, those secret sects might relax their guard, and she could quietly investigate. Thinking of this, she threw her sense of danger to the back of her mind. “Well, I heard that those masters were incredibly knowledgeable in Buddhism. I was just thinking of seeing the profound meaning of superior Buddhism,” she said, “So, I’ll trouble you, Cheng Yin, to lead the way.” “Agreed,” Xiao Cheng Yin nodded and gestured, “Miss Bai, if you please.” Meanwhile, left aside, feeling as if his existence had no purpose, Chen Yuan watched as they departed, bidding them farewell with a bitter smile. He had thought that as a prince, Xiao Cheng Yin would stand on the same front as him in facing Bai Lian and Mu Xinghe. However, not only had Xiao Cheng Yin not played any role, he had even surrendered directly. As the saying goes, outsiders see the clear picture. Xiao Cheng Yin's ardent look towards Bai Lian was crystal clear to him. If Bai Lian teased him even a bit, the prince would probably capitulate directly to her will. As the saying goes, heroes struggle before the beauty, but with Bai Lian's appearance, probably eighty percent of men in the whole world would be willing to die at her feet. Bai Lian's face suddenly appeared in his mind, and he felt a sudden surge of warmth within his heart. He quickly shook his head to dispel his thoughts and cursed softly. Gosh, even someone like him, who harbored a grudge against Bai Lian, couldn't help but develop a liking for her; she's not the fairy of the Taihua Sword Sect, but clearly a seductive vixen! However... During his idleness, he noticed a detail. That was the behavior of Mu Xiao Jie, who seemed to be in an unusual mood. Especially when Bai Lian was conversing with the Crown Prince with much joy, her expression was at its worst. Thinking about this, he revealed a smirking expression. Could it be... a love triangle between the two girls and one man? If it was true, then there was a good show to watch! “Retreat!” he shouted. “Boss, are we leaving just like this? What if the mad demon is not captured, and the nobles blame us?” his subordinate, Zhi Te, asked. “You big... man, does a noble have more authority than the Crown Prince? Retreat!” Chen Yuan scolded with a stern face. "Yes... Sir!" Then, he looked darkly in the direction where Bai Lian and Mu Xinghe were leaving. Hmph, just a pair of young girls, how much trouble could they cause? Offending a noble, someone will take care of them sooner or later. "Brother Cheng Yin, who is this lady?" On their way to the city, Bai Lian couldn't help but ask. She had been paying attention to the unfamiliar masked girl beside Xiao Cheng Yin for a long time. That sense of inexplicable familiarity lingered in her mind, making her particularly concerned. “Oh, this is Miss Tang, from the Yue Ming Sect, proficient in divination. She is a new advisor I have recruited,” Xiao Cheng Yin explained. The name 'Yue Ming Sect' seemed somewhat familiar to Bai Lian. It was located around the Kunlun area, and the scale of the sect was not large. They were extremely secretive, and their disciples were skilled in celestial swordsmanship. They particularly liked to wear a moon mask on their faces. But was the Yue Ming Sect proficient in divination? She had no recollection of this. After all, the Yue Ming Sect was too small in scale, and there were no characters to be won over. Naturally, she wouldn’t pay much attention to it. Perhaps she just passed by during a mission and paid a little attention. Now, it was better to focus on dealing with Xiao Cheng Yin. She didn’t know why, but ever since they had met, she felt that Xiao Cheng Yin was especially warm towards her. He consistently brought up various places in the city, even discussing which dessert shop sold the tastiest treats and which fairy clothing store had the best clothing, it was non-stop. However, she wasn't particularly interested in discussing these with Xiao Cheng Yin. After all, she used to be a man, and she didn't have any additional pursuit of delicious sweets or pretty fairy clothing, typical of regular girls. She initially thought that Xiao Cheng Yin was trying to get close to Mu Xinghe, making her cautious and pretending to be interested in chatting with him so that he wouldn’t shift his focus to Mu Xinghe. Yet Xiao Cheng Yin had ignored Mu Xinghe the whole time, and had been actively engaging her in conversation, using every opportunity to get close to her. His approach seemed very contrived and made her feel extremely uncomfortable. It was odd; did Xiao Cheng Yin have such a low emotional quotient? Even if he wanted to indirectly gather information through her, he shouldn’t neglect the female lead, right? But it was good this way; at least Mu would be safe. She watched as her attacks had no effect, and Xiao Cheng Yin couldn't help feeling a little frustrated. Indeed, Bai Lian was as cold and distant as rumors said. If an ordinary woman could chat with him so intimately, she'd likely have already tickled his heartstrings. Yet Bai Lian remained unaffected, truly deserving of the title of an unattainable beauty. If only he could pick this flower from the peak... Amid the fervor in Xiao Cheng Yin's heart, he also felt somewhat dejected. At this point, he had completely run out of topics to converse with Bai Lian. Until now, he had no knowledge of what Bai Lian enjoyed. Just then, the masked girl, who had been silent all this while, suddenly spoke: “Crown Prince, the host of the sword-forging workshop has recently acquired several famous swords from overseas. It’s said to be the relic left behind by the sword fanatic senior Luo Qing Yun from the battle of exterminating evil, and is now displayed at the workshop for all to see. Since Miss Bai is a disciple of the sword sect, why don’t we swing by to take a look?” With just this sentence, Bai Lian, who was bored, immediately brightened up. Furthermore, though Xiao Cheng Yin’s role hasn't ended yet, the relationship between Xiao Bai Lian and Xiao Cheng Yin has come to a stop and will not have any further development. After all, he's essentially a tool to promote the relationship between Bai Lian and Mu. Brothers can rest assured that I am very sensitive to plot elements and definitely won't write a toxic plot.