Failed Unique Technique

d that of Young Master Shi... how long can it be kept a secret" Ye Li pondered for a moment. "I estimate this war will end within three months; by then the child wouldn’t even have reached four months...352. Failed Unique Secret Technique

People didn't pay attention to how Mo Jingli would deal with Empress Li. Perhaps Mo Xiaoyun and Princess Zhenning might care a little, but they wouldn't do anything for the woman who was once their mother. Everything that Empress Li had done exceeded what they had been taught since childhood. Moreover, even if it meant maintaining the peace they fought so hard to achieve, they wouldn't do anything for this woman anymore. Many days later, after Mo Jingli left Licheng and returned to Jiangnan, someone found a dead body outside the city that had long since perished. Covered in wounds, no one knew who the person was until Mo Xiaoyun and Princess Zhenning buried him near the city without setting up any tombstones. Ye Li only smiled faintly when she heard her subordinate's report.

On the day Empress Li was taken away by Mo Jingli, Thunder霆 Lei also personally visited Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao to bid farewell before returning to his base. Since Thunder霆 Lei had already left, there was no point for the Western Capital emperor’s envoy to stay either. The next day, he too returned to the Western Capital. In the entire Licheng city, only Princess Anxi, Mo Jingli, and Ren Qining remained. Princess Anxi was pregnant this time and it wasn't easy for her to personally come to Licheng. Plus, the nearby Great Chu and Western Capital countries were busy competing with each other, while Southern Zhao was far away and had nothing important going on. Hence, Princess Anxi didn’t feel rushed to leave. As for Ren Qining and Mo Jingli, they ran more often to the Eastern Mansion than Ding王府 (Ding Manor), their intentions clearly evident.

House Xu

The Nobleman Qingchen had been busy with affairs of state for several months, pushing them onto Mo Xiuyao. Now that he finally had some free time at home to rest and read books, though the Nobleman Qingchen was exceptionally intelligent, in the past year or so, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were occupied fighting battles outside while after that, Ye Li became pregnant. As a result, most of Ding王府 (Ding Manor)'s political affairs fell on the shoulders of the Nobleman Qingchen. It was impossible not to feel exhausted since Nobleman Qingchen wasn't naturally inclined towards power and authority. Having sent away most of their distinguished guests recently, he now had some leisure time at home, so without hesitation, he handed over his duties to Mo Xiuyao and enjoyed himself playing the newly acquired Phoenix Zither.

Mo Xiuyao understood how hard Nobleman Qingchen worked these past few years. Thinking about future occasions where they would need to rely on him even more, it was natural not to offend him. Although he didn't want to, Mo Xiuyao had no choice but to take over all political affairs and give the Nobleman Qingchen a break.

The white Phoenix Zither produced ethereal melodies under fingers that seemed to carry a faint ink fragrance, making the originally tranquil courtyard even more serene. Even those in the mansion outside felt comfortable and at ease upon hearing such music, as if their worries vanished instantly.

"Nobleman Qingchen's zither playing is truly beautiful." In another courtyard, Qin Zheng was hosting Mu Gongting and Hua Tianxiang with tea. Hearing the zither music from outside, Mu Gongting sighed.

Although Mu Gongting wasn't skilled at playing the zither, both Qin Zheng and Hua Tianxiang were highly accomplished in their artistry. Hua Tianxiang said, "After hearing Nobleman Qingchen play, I'm afraid I'll never dare to show off my skills again." Although they had confidence in their own abilities, upon truly listening to Nobleman Qingchen's zither playing, they realized the difference and distance between them. Qin Zheng nodded and smiled, saying, "Lord Feng San is known for his exceptional zither playing that surpasses even Brother Qingchen."

Hua Tianxiang added, "Lord Feng San expresses himself through the zither sometimes in a somewhat mournful way, but it can't compare to Nobleman Qingchen's music which brings joy and contentment."

Mu Gongting waved her hand and said, "I don’t really understand what you're talking about. Anyway, Nobleman Qingchen’s zither playing is just beautiful. How lucky you are, Zhengzi (Qin Zheng), to be able to hear it so often."

Qin Zheng smiled helplessly, saying, "This was the first time I heard Brother Qingchen play the zither in years. He has been too busy even for his mother to find him. By the way, I heard that King Ding and Ah Li gave the Phoenix Zither just sent by Mo Jingli to Nobleman Qingchen. That’s probably what he is playing now."

Hua Tianxiang curiously asked Mu Gongting whether she wanted to see the Phoenix Zither. Though they couldn't get it from Brother Qingchen, they could ask Qingze to borrow it for them to admire.

Mu Gongting shook her head and sighed, "I don’t know much about zithers, but I actually want to see the Flame-Extermination Sword." Thinking that one of Great Chu's national treasures, the first sword in all under heaven—the Flame-Extermination Sword—was in King Ding’s residence while she couldn't even get a glimpse of it made her feel down and listless.

Qin Zheng and Hua Tianxiang rolled their eyes, knowing this would happen.

In a certain part of Nobleman Qingchen's courtyard, a beautiful white-robed woman stood on a tree branch gazing at the white-robed man playing zither calmly in the courtyard. Admiration, adoration, and love mixed with pain flowed through her beautiful eyes. She had originally wanted to go straight into his courtyard but upon hearing such melodious music as soon as she entered the mansion, she followed it and saw a graceful and ethereal white-robed man under the tree. Suddenly, something hit her heart hard, leaving her uncertain and anxious. Could this man truly be hers However, just thinking about that possibility made her feel infinite joy and fulfillment. At this moment, even her identity and mission no longer mattered; she only wanted to be with him.

When the song ended, Nobleman Qingchen stopped playing and leaned against a tree enjoying his rare tranquility.

"Nobleman Qingchen," said the white-robed woman as she gracefully landed on the ground, gazing at him with gentle eyes.

Nobleman Qingchen frowned slightly, looking calmly at the white-robed woman before him and saying in a calm voice, "Miss Eastern, it's not proper to come uninvited."

Oriental Mysterious Eye's gaze dimmed slightly as he murmured, "I have something to discuss with Nobleman Qingchen. I was impolite for a moment and hope you can forgive me."

Xu Qingchen carefully placed the Phoenix zither into its case and stood up, looking at Oriental Mysterious Eye, saying, "In recent days, all matters in the city have been handled by Prince Ding. If Miss Oriental has anything to deal with, she should go to Prince Ding’s residence." Oriental Mysterious Eye hurriedly shook his head, saying, "No, I came here not because of the Vast Wilderness Mountain but rather to privately talk to Nobleman Qingchen."

Xu Qingchen frowned and said, "I seem to have no close relationship with Miss Oriental. There shouldn't be any private matters to discuss either. Miss Oriental should please go back." With that said, he picked up the zither case and prepared to enter the house.

"No, Nobleman Qingchen…" Seeing Xu Qingchen about to leave, Oriental Mysterious Eye called out anxiously, "Nobleman Qingchen!" In his haste, he even used his light-footed skills and leaped gracefully in front of Xu Qingchen. Oriental Mysterious Eye's martial arts skills were praised by Mo Xiuyao himself, which was proof that they were indeed excellent. However, Xu Qingchen happened to be a weak scholar without any fighting prowess, making the disparity between their abilities evident. With Oriental Mysterious Eye blocking Xu Qingchen’s path, there was no way for him to leave.

"What does Miss Oriental mean by this" Xu Qingchen's handsome face fell slightly.

"Nobleman Qingchen, you... don’t even want to look at me once" Oriental Mysterious Eye gazed sadly at the man before her. Although she had never interacted with anyone since childhood and only observed people around her as well as many who were infatuated after she descended the mountain, she knew that she was indeed outstandingly beautiful. But why did Nobleman Qingchen not even want to glance at her

Xu Qingchen frowned and remained silent. Oriental Mysterious Eye whispered softly, "Nobleman... Nobleman Qingchen, will you just look at me"

Xu Qingchen’s handsome brows furrowed tighter. Despite Oriental Mysterious Eye's low and gentle voice making him feel extremely uncomfortable as if something in his mind was about to break through, he couldn't help but want to gaze towards her.

However, Xu Qingchen wasn’t like others; after a brief moment of confusion flashing across his eyes, they returned to their usual calmness. With an indifferent expression, he stared at the woman in white before him, and her originally not absolutely beautiful face suddenly seemed incredibly lively and lovely. In that instant, it was as if all colors had faded away except for the vividly bright woman standing before him.

"Nobleman... Nobleman Qingchen… don’t I look good Would you please take a look at me" Oriental Mysterious Eye looked deeply into Xu Qingchen’s eyes and whispered softly.

Xu Qingchen stared fixedly at Oriental Mysterious Eye, remaining silent for quite some time.

Seeing him staring without moving, Oriental Mysterious Eye felt a surge of joy. She stepped forward slightly with her smile becoming more tender, "Nobleman Qingchen… do I look good"

"You... are very beautiful..."

Oriental Mysterious Eye was overjoyed and stepped closer to Xu Qingchen, stopping just one step away. A faint flush appeared on her forehead, making her even more alluring, "Nobleman…"

“Miss Oriental, what exactly do you want to say” Xu Qingchen's voice softly echoed calmly.

"Pft—" Hearing Xu Qingchen’s voice, Oriental Mysterious Eye suddenly widened her eyes and a mouthful of blood spurted out. Xu Qingchen took a step to the side, conveniently dodging her spewed blood. In an instant, all the enticing charm on Oriental Mysterious Eye's face vanished, replaced by more discomfort and weakness. The secret technique that controls people’s minds is like a double-edged sword; if one can control someone completely, they can make them infatuated or even follow their commands. But once the person being controlled is firm-minded and not affected, it will injure the user instead. Oriental Mysterious Eye was interrupted by Xu Qingchen at her most crucial moment, suffering harm as a result. For a moment, her complexion became pale and her breaths were chaotic, indicating serious internal injuries.

"Nobleman Qingchen…" Oriental Mysterious Eye stared in shock at the white-robed man before her, unable to believe she had failed. That day during the banquet, with just a little use of her technique, she managed to stir many high-ranking officials and nobles' hearts. She never thought she would fail on a man who could not even defend himself, especially after using one of her most advanced secret techniques. Such a technique usually makes ordinary men completely forget their past grievances and submit under her spell. Did this man truly despise her so much

"Unconventional methods, Miss Oriental should consider your own dignity." Xu Qingchen glanced unhappily at the white-robed woman before him and said calmly. He had already witnessed Oriental Mysterious Eye’s unique and strange attraction to men during the night banquet for Scholar Qingyun, but he didn’t feel it after their subsequent meetings. Even without knowing about Vast Wilderness Mountain's unique secret techniques, Xu Qingchen should have felt something was off; how could he fall victim to her tricks

At this moment, what was unfortunate wasn't Xu Qingchen but rather Oriental Mysterious Eye.

This mind-controlling secret technique is harder to master than martial arts. Oriental Mysterious Eye had a considerable talent for it and surpassed even her teacher, Eastern Hui in this aspect; however, the cost of failing was equally significant. Her face, which turned pale due to spitting blood just now, began turning red gradually. The originally resentful eyes also became foggy, "Nobleman Qingchen…"

Xu Qingchen frowned and looked up at a spot on the wall, saying in a cool tone, "Are you not coming out yet"

No sooner had he spoken when two black-clad men leaped down from the wall and bowed respectfully to Xu Qingchen, "Greetings, Young Master Qingchen." Xu Qingchen looked at them with a half-smile, asking, "This is how A Li wants you to protect my safety" It was shameful enough that people could enter the Xu Manor as they pleased. But it had been so long already and even the guards tasked specifically with protecting him hadn’t noticed anything—that seemed too fake.

The two guards exchanged a glance, somewhat ashamed as one of them said, "His Excellency said as long as no harm comes to your safety… disrupting your luck isn’t preferred…" So it wasn’t that they weren’t doing their jobs; the Duke himself wanted to see what would happen. Of course, if Young Master Qingchen had really fallen for Ouyang’s tricks earlier, they would have taken action.

Xu Qingchen already knew how Mo Xiurao was and thus didn’t blame them. He looked at Ouyang who had collapsed on the ground and was now moaning intermittently, asking, "What happened to her" One of them stepped forward and took a look before lightly coughing in embarrassment and saying, "This… It’s likely that Miss Ouyang used some kind of seductive technique. This… Young Master Qingchen broke through her charm and she sustained internal injuries which are now counteracting themselves so that… she’s…” Young Master Qingchen doesn’t know any martial arts and he frowned as he looked at Ouyang, asking, "Is the injury serious"

The guard lowered his voice to say, "As long as she found someone to be with her, it wasn’t too bad."

Young Master Qingchen’s handsome face froze for a moment and he looked down thoughtfully before saying, "Take her back to Ouyang Madam." Since they weren’t responsible for this, there was no need to intervene. As for how Ouyang Hui would treat Ouyang’s injuries—that wasn’t their concern either; after all, they didn’t know anything about seduction.

After hearing Xu Qingchen’s instructions, a guard picked up Ouyang and leaped over the wall, with Ouyang eating tofu from him in her delirium during the process.

In the quiet courtyard, Xu Qingchen was sitting under a tree playing his zither while deep in thought. Not far away, a black-clad guard stood at the corner of the wall silently staring up at the sky. Shortly after, commotion could be heard from outside the gate. The guard leaped onto the wall to take a look before returning and reporting to Xu Qingchen, “Young Master, Father, Mother, and Madam Ouyang are here.”

Xu Qingchen looked at him coolly and said, "Hold them back for half an hour before letting them in."

Although the guard didn’t understand Young Master Qingchen’s intentions, he obediently followed his orders. Under the tree, as Xu Qingchen was lightly stroking the zither case, a trace of coldness flashed across his handsome eyes.

The guard was indeed very obedient and precisely half an hour later when Xu Qingchen had just stood up to go out, Ouyang Hui rushed in with Xu Hongyu and Lady Xu. Xu Qingchen said coolly, "Father, Mother, Madam Ouyang, why are you here" As he didn’t have any plans to leave today, he was dressed casually, which looked somewhat out of place to those who just entered the room. Ouyang Hui’s expression changed slightly as she stared at Xu Qingchen and asked, "What did you do to my Yooe"

Xu Qingchen hadn’t said anything yet when Lady Xu couldn’t take it anymore. She frowned at Ouyang Hui before asking coldly, “Why are you blaming him for what happened to your daughter” What had Young Master Qingchen done to her Did she think he could harm Ouyang in any way Was she worried that Ouyang would do something to trick him Lady Xu stepped forward and looked at Xu Qingchen from head to toe before asking, "Qingchen, has the Miss Ouyang come"

Xu Qingchen was taken aback for a moment before nodding and saying, “Miss Ouyang arrived about half an hour ago.”

Lady Xu’s heart jolted as she grabbed Xu Qingchen and asked worriedly, "Have you done anything to her"

This time it was Ouyang Hui who wasn’t happy. Although Ouyang had originally intended on using a seduction technique against Xu Qingchen, Lady Xu’s words made it sound like Xu Qingchen did something bad. Just hearing about Ouyang’s plan for the first time in her life, Ouyang Hui was so angry that she wanted to strangle Ouyang who she raised herself. Ouyang Hui didn’t have much knowledge of seduction techniques although they were unique secret arts of Cangmang Mountain; still, Ouyang Hui despised such abilities. In her youth, she only dabbled in them briefly before giving up. The first condition for successfully using a technique to charm someone was that the man must lack mental resolve. But how could a person like herself ever look down on people lacking mental resolve and resorting to desperate measures to seduce others This kind of thing was completely useless to Ouyang Hui.

When she found out about Ouyang’s plan to use a seduction technique against Xu Qingchen, Ouyang Hui wanted to cut open Ouyang’s head and see what was inside. Could Xu Qingchen ever be controlled by such techniques He looked refined on the outside but his heart was cold, and Ouyang Hui didn’t believe that even Mo Xiurao could be controlled by such tricks. Afraid of something happening to Ouyang, she hurried over as soon as she heard about it only to find out that Ouyang had been there for half an hour already without leaving. For a moment, Ouyang Hui wasn’t sure whether Xu Qingchen was affected or not. That’s why she tried to ask him some probing questions but her mother-in-law interrupted.

"Young Master Xu, my apprentice came here to visit you long ago and hasn’t come back. Do you know where she went" Ouyang Hui asked seriously.

“This…” Xu Qingchen thought about it for a moment before hesitantly looking at the three people present.

Lady Xu saw his awkward look and felt uneasy as well. She was afraid her son really fell into Ouyang’s trap, while Xu Hongyu frowned slightly and asked, “Did Miss Ouyang leave When did she leave What business does she have with you Why wasn’t the gatekeeper aware of her visit” Although Xu Hongyu himself was a respected scholar, he still sided with his family. He certainly didn’t want his son to marry such a woman as Ouyang. His first question was about why Miss Ouyang visited without entering through the front door. With this alone, even if Young Master Qingchen and Ouyang really did something, Xu Family could refuse to have her enter their home by marrying her properly. Who would want to marry a woman who visited strange men from an improper entrance

Hearing what Xu Hongyu said, Ouyang Hui’s expression darkened but she couldn’t say anything since they were on the wrong side already.

Xu Qingchen calmly observed the three people with varying expressions and said indifferently, "The Miss Dong did come to visit, but she suddenly fell ill. I had her leave about a while ago."

"When!" Eastern Hu asked anxiously.

After some thought, Xu Qingchen replied, "It must have been... around two clock hours ago."

"What happened to her" Eastern Hu inwardly gasped as she heard Xu Qingchen's words. He said, "I’m not very clear about it either, but I saw Miss Dong spitting blood and looking rather pale. My guess is that she might have sustained internal injuries from jumping down from the wall."

Eastern Hu gritted her teeth inwardly; with Eastern You’s martial arts skills, even if she fell from a mountain cliff there wouldn’t be any internal injuries, "Where did they go Why didn't anyone see them leave" Xu Qingchen answered frankly, "Miss Dong came over the wall. The guards might have thought that she wanted to keep her visit private so they also left through the wall."

"Young Master." A person jumped down from the wall, and it was none other than the black-clad guard who had brought Eastern You out earlier. This pure-hearted guard’s expression, which had turned slightly rosy after being harassed by someone earlier, was dumbfounded to see a group of people suddenly appear in the courtyard, "Senior First Master, Senior Mistress."

"Where is You" Eastern Hu asked sternly.

The guard hesitated for a moment before saying, "I escorted Miss Dong out."

"Did you send her back to her inn so quickly" Unless he had used lightness kungfu, it was impossible to make the trip from Xu Manor to Eastern Manor and back within such a short time. Besides, in broad daylight, no one would use lightness kungfu to carry a woman around outside. The guard shook his head and said, "I ran into Prince Li on my way out; he said that he was heading towards the Eastern Manors to visit your wife anyway so he offered to take Miss Dong back."

"You let You go with Mo Jingli!" Eastern Hu asked harshly.

The black-clad guard looked aggrieved, "Miss Dong agreed for Prince Li to escort her home." He thought that since this Eastern girl had barged into their manor without permission, they didn’t have to send her back. Even if they did, they would miss the opportunity to help Miss Dong after she returned.

Xu’s Senior Mistress could not be bothered about what happened to Eastern You as long as nothing was wrong with her son. She smiled and patted Xu Qingchen on the shoulder as she scolded him lightly, "You really are a child; you should change your clothes before coming out when guests come over."

"I understand my mistake," Xu Qingchen did not argue with his mother and smiled faintly.

Eastern Hu was in no mood to watch their tender display of mother-son affection, she turned her face towards Xu Hongyu and bowed formally, "Brother Xu, I bid you farewell!"

Xu Hongyu nodded calmly, "No need for the escort."

After sending off Eastern Hu, Xu Hongyu looked at Xu Qingchen thoughtfully and asked, "Did Mo Jingli just happen to run into Eastern You or did she encounter him by chance"

Xu Qingchen smiled gently as he said, "Father, what difference does it make"

Xu Hongyu pondered for a moment before saying calmly, “What’s the difference Is there any” Xu Qingchen replied with a smile, “Eastern You is still of sound mind. Even if something happened to her, it wouldn’t have anything to do with our Xu family or Prince Ding's manor.” Seeing his son composed manner, Xu Hongyu nodded in satisfaction and said, "Well done." Eastern You had deserved whatever had befallen on her for scheming against the Xu family; they weren't soft-hearted people who would repay kindness with kindness.

---

To all my dear readers, Happy New Year! Welcome to 2014. I’m amazed that this book has been running from 2012 until now and thank you for your support. Lots of love~amily controls nearly 60% of the shops in Xiling."Ye Li nodded. It was no wonder business wasn't thriving in Xiling given a single family held such a monopoly on their commercial sector, and naturally...