Heroic Wife Reborn

Chapter 120: Have You Been Kissed by a Zombie?

Yu Xiaoxiao stood in front of Cheng Guan and rolled up her black sleeves again. Before she could start fighting with Beiyuan, however, there was a sharp, piercing whistle that rang out from outside the building. Besides Yu Xiaoxiao’s facial paralysis, everyone else’s expressions blanched at the sound. Beizhou was flaming at the eyeballs, but still became the first to run out of the rooms with Beiyuan in tow.

“Wh-what’s going on?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked.

Cheng Guan didn’t feel like rejoicing after escaping death, but merely creased his brows with a solemn expression. Just then the whistle was an exclusive warning signal of Eternal Life Temple. However, only Junior Master Fenglin and his attendants were visitors from Eternal Life Temple at this Safeguard Temple. Judging from Beiyuan and Beizhou’s expressions and actions, something must have happened to their leader?

Yu Xiaoxiao saw that Cheng Guan was ignoring her and looked towards Wang Yue instead. “What’s the matter?”

Wang Yue had never gone to Eternal Life Temple, so he had no idea beyond shaking his head cluelessly. Yu Xiaoxiao thought it over before going to pick up the last veggie-bun from the plate. It was obvious Cheng Guan looked like he had no appetite, so for the sake of saving food, she’d polish it off. The heady scent of fresh vegetables and shiitake mushrooms made State Preceptor Cheng guan suddenly sneeze. He recovered and instantly looked towards Yu Xiaoxiao. “Princess, you should hurry back. Be good and listen.”

Yu Xiaoxiao swallowed a mouthful of veggie-bun and said, “Something must have happened. State Preceptor, just what’s going on with you monks?”

Cheng Guan only gave a long sigh before telling Wang Yue. “Go make preparations. I, your master, may have to pay a night visit to the palace.”

Wang Yue nodded at his master before running outside. Yu Xiaoxiao urked and asked, “State Preceptor, are you going into the palace to see my father?”

State Preceptor Cheng Guan was too lazy to argue schematics of father versus imperial father now and replied, “Yes.” If anything happens to Junior Master Fenglin in Fengtian’s capital city, then Xianzong has to know. If Mo Wen 1 blames His Majesty, then Fengtian can at least be prepared.

Yu Xiaoxiao lowered her voice and said, “State Preceptor, listen to my words, but definitely don’t be disillusioned by your faith, ah.”

Cheng Guan was in a mess right now and simply asked, “What’s going on?”

Yu Xiaoxiao picked up the plate of vegetables and started picking them off. “That Junior Master Fenglin of yours is Consort Zhao’s lover.”

“What did you say?” Cheng Guan cried.

Yu Xiaoxiao munched on vegetables as she continued, “That junior master of yours is having an affair with Consort Zhao, ah!”

As if struck by lightning, Cheng Guan stiffened in place. “Prin, princess, you can’t–you can’t just spew nonsense about things like that.”

Yu Xiaoxiao replied, “Are you saying I’m supposed to catch them in the act of adultery first?”

Fenglin and Zhao Yingshan? Forget about this life, it sounds impossible for them even in the next life, Cheng Guan mused. Just how old is Consort Zhao compared to Fenglin? Wait, that’s not right. Cheng Guan slapped himself upside the head. Is this the time to be thinking about that?!

Yu Xiaoxiao saw Cheng Guan walking away and quickly followed after him. “Are you going to interrogate your junior master?”

Cheng Guan turned to the princess, who was currently stuffing food into her mouth, and sighed again. “Princess, now isn’t the time for jokes.”

Yu Xiaoxiao replied, “Then what is it time for?” Truthfully speaking, she’d came tonight to eavesdrop on Wen Fenglin, but ended up eating at Cheng Guan’s. This was already the second time she’d tried. Looks like it wasn’t easy to sneak after Wen Fenglin.

“If anything happens to the junior master, our Fengtian will be in big trouble,” Cheng Guan said as he led Yu Xiaoxiao towards Junior Master Fenglin’s chambers. Since I can’t hide this from the princess, I might as well have her follow along.

Yu Xiaoxiao was very surprised. “What could ever happen to Wen Fenglin?”

“Wen Fenglin?” Cheng Guan echoed.

“Oh, that’s your junior master. I just gave him a random surname.”

Can surnames be given at random? Cheng Guan shook his head. He’d sighed more tonight than he did in his entire lifetime.

Junior Master Fenglin’s quarters were already cordoned off by his attendants. Meanwhile, the Safeguard Temple monks in charge of looking after its courtyard had all been chased out. Cheng Guan and Yu Xiaoxiao arrived at the doors only to find it locked from the inside.

“State Preceptor?” asked the monk previously in charge of preparing for the parinirvana incident. Seeing Cheng Guan walk up to them unharmed made him look like he’d seen a ghost.

Cheng Guan nodded towards him but didn’t speak. Yu Xiaoxiao stared at the locked doors and asked, “State Preceptor, are we going in?”

“We monks greet Your Royal Highness,” all of the Safeguard Temple bowed despite the apprehension in their hearts.

Yu Xiaoxiao waved a hand. “No need to be polite.”

Why is she saying ‘no need to be polite’ when we’re paying her respects? The monks were all befuddled. Is this another new custom of the imperial house?

Cheng Guan had no time to wonder about Her Royal Highness’s unique habits and called out to the door, “This monk Cheng Guan asks if junior master is well?”

No reply.

“Junior master?” State Preceptor Cheng Guan tried again. Although the other man had been trying to kill him, this now concerned matters of Fengtian state. He didn’t want to see Junior Master Fenglin in danger.

Yu Xiaoxiao saw the fruitless results of State Preceptor Cheng Guan’s shouts and pulled him to her side. “I’ll take you inside.”

“Princess?” Cheng Guan didn’t have time to react before his surroundings shifted. The princess had already taken him to jump over the walls and land inside the courtyard.

“Cheng Guan!” a few monks on guard duty roared at the sight of him before coming to crowd around them both.

Yu Xiaoxiao whispered to Cheng Guan, “Are these people trying to silence us because they’re angry and humiliated that we discovered their junior master’s affair with Consort Zhao?”

Her words did massive damage to State Preceptor Cheng Guan’s three views,2 rendering him unable to answer.

Before a fight could break out in the courtyard, Beiji emerged from the rooms and shouted, “Stop.”

All of the monks stilled and withdrew to stand on the sidelines. Beiji glanced at Yu Xiaoxiao and Cheng Guan before turning on his heel to stride inside.

“Shall we go in?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked Cheng Guan.

With things as they were, Cheng Guan could only bring Yu Xiaoxiao inside with him. He only hoped that Junior Master Fenglin was alright. Currently, the junior master was lying on the long divan in the chambers, his body bloodless and his lips as dark as a raven’s over his swollen throat. At the sight, Cheng Guan was frozen to the spot. How could Junior Master Fenglin have gotten poisoned? Weren’t the drugs supposed to be delivered to me?

Yu Xiaoxiao examined Junior Master Fenglin’s condition but wasn’t sympathetic as she asked, “Why are your lips so dark? Did you put on some black lipstick or get kissed by a zombie?”

1. The Great Master monk of Eternal Life Temple and Fenglin’s master.
2. 三观 san guan – “three views,” also known as “worldview.” What people considered common sense, and what Chinese divides into the common (sensible) views of the world, ethics, and life. To ruin one’s three views is to turn their perception of the world…upside down and inside out!