aircannonsinc Chapter 388 Xu Longxiang decides not to leave, he will stand with the Moon Goddess!
Chapter 388 Xu Longxiang decides not to leave, he will stand with the Moon Goddess!
The five people straightened up, turned around, and walked out of the courtyard.
Their steps were steady, their backs straight, and they did not look back.
The morning light shone on their white robes, making the silvery crescent moons glitter.
The Moon Goddess stood before the stone table, watching the five figures recede into the distance.
She remained motionless, like a statue enshrined in a shrine.
Only after the five figures disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest did she slowly sit down and lean back in her chair.
She closed her eyes, and the morning light filtered through the bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows on her face.
For some reason, even though she and Xu Longxiang had already discussed it, she still felt a little uneasy, as if something terrible was about to happen.
Her fingers tapped lightly twice on the stone table, without rhythm, like a heart that had lost its beat.
She opened her eyes and looked at the two empty silver cups on the table, the pot of wine that had gone cold, and the empty stone bench opposite her.
She reached out and took the silver cup he had used, holding it in her palm.
The silver cup was icy cold, with a faint, lingering aroma of wine.
She held it for a long time, then let go, stood up, and walked out of the courtyard.
The white robe trailed on the ground, making a soft rustling sound, like a sigh that no one could hear.
........
After leaving the courtyard, Xu Longxiang walked much faster than when he arrived.
He walked through the bamboo grove, down the corridor, and pushed open the door to the room.
Fan Li was sitting at the table drinking tea. The tea had gone cold, but he held it in his hand without drinking it. His gaze was fixed on the increasingly bright morning light outside the window, lost in thought.
Hearing the door open, he turned around and saw Xu Longxiang walk in, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He had originally thought that His Highness would drink until dawn, or even longer, before returning, but he did not expect him to return so quickly.
He put down his teacup, stood up, and glanced at Xu Longxiang's face.
His Highness walked hurriedly, his brows furrowed with an unusual urgency.
Fan Li's expression changed slightly, and his brows furrowed.
"Your Highness, has something happened?"
Xu Longxiang nodded, walked to the table, sat down, picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Sir, your foresight is truly remarkable. Han Zhong's army is attacking."
Fan Li frowned even more deeply and tapped his finger lightly on the table.
"Han Zhong is a cautious strategist, extremely skilled at intelligence gathering, and never fights unprepared battles. Even if we have an agreement with him this time, we must still be prepared. On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes; anything can happen."
Xu Longxiang put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest twice.
"I've already discussed it with Miss Suxin."
He explained the Moon Goddess's plan in detail.
The first pass was a feint attack, the second pass was guarded by the five men, the three secret passages were used to disperse and withdraw, the main force hid in the dense forest to the north, and the five men died in battle at the pass to report to the court.
After listening, Fan Li remained silent for a moment, tapped his fingers twice on the table, and then nodded.
"The Moon Goddess's actions were clearly the result of careful consideration. With that, I am relieved."
Xu Longxiang's lips curled up slightly. "That's right."
Fan Li stood up, straightened his robes, walked to the clothes rack, took down the dark blue cloak, and draped it over his shoulders.
"Then we should head over to Han Zhong's place."
Xu Longxiang did not move.
He sat in the chair, his fingers pausing on the armrest, his gaze falling on the shallow water stain in the teacup.
"Sir, I've decided to stay. You can go by yourself."
Fan Li's hand paused.
He turned around, looked at Xu Longxiang, and his eyes were full of surprise.
This is not quite what they had agreed upon beforehand.
Their original plan was to leave immediately if a battle broke out, and never linger in a dangerous place.
"Your Highness, a battle is about to break out here, it's too dangerous. Although we've already made arrangements with Han Zhong, anything can happen on the battlefield. Stray arrows, friendly fire, routs, chaos—any of these can be fatal."
Xu Longxiang didn't look at him; his gaze remained fixed on the cup of cold tea.
He knew that Fan Li was right.
On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes; even if Han Zhong intended to go easy on them, accidents could still happen.
That's precisely why he wanted to stay.
He had thought things through very clearly on his way here.
The more dangerous the situation, the more he spent with the Moon Goddess, and the closer he became to her.
Sharing hardships is the fastest shortcut.
He's been through so much, he understands better than anyone else.
However, when Xu Longxiang faced Fan Li, he used a different set of words.
He raised his head and looked at Fan Li, his gaze steady and sincere.
"Sir, if we all leave, the Moon Goddess Cult will doubt our sincerity. And most importantly, once we leave, our contact with the Moon Goddess Cult will be severed. If they make any moves or if anything changes, we won't be able to contact them in time. But if I stay here, I can keep in touch with you in Han Zhong's place, and we can inform each other of any developments."
Fan Li opened his mouth, then closed it again.
He thought about it carefully, and sure enough, what His Highness said made sense.
The Moon Goddess Cult has just formed an alliance with the North, and this is a time when trust is needed.
What would the Moon Goddess think if the envoy from the North left when the army was pressing in?
That newly established trust will likely be shattered completely.
Moreover, Your Highness is right; both sides need a liaison.
With him in Han Zhongjun's army and His Highness at the Moon Goddess Cult's headquarters, Mo Ya's relay of messages back and forth was indeed foolproof.
He nodded.
"Your Highness is right."
Seeing that Fan Li had been persuaded, Xu Longxiang pressed his advantage, his tone becoming even more composed.
"I will have Mo Ya act as a messenger between the two armies. He is swift as the wind and can disappear without a trace. He can relay any news from Han Zhong's side to me immediately, and he can also relay any movements from my side to you immediately. In this way, we can be absolutely certain that everything will go smoothly and we can perform this play to the most perfect degree."
Fan Li remained silent for a moment.
He tapped his fingers on the table again, his brow furrowed slightly, still somewhat uneasy.
"Your Highness, perhaps I should stay?"
Xu Longxiang's heart stirred.
How could he possibly agree?
He had other purposes for staying, and he couldn't let Fan Li ruin things.
He shook his head, his tone firm and unwavering.
"No need. My presence here will maximize our sincerity and our benefits. The Crown Prince of the Northern Territory personally overseeing the Moon Goddess Cult's headquarters is a gesture of sincerity that carries more weight than any provisions or military equipment. The Moon Goddess will see this and will naturally trust us more in future collaborations."
He paused, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Besides, with my abilities, there shouldn't be any problems."
Fan Li opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.
Xu Longxiang raised his hand to stop him.
"Sir, there's no need to say any more. Go quickly, lest you miss the opportunity for battle, which would be disastrous."
Fan Li stared at him for a long time.
His Highness's gaze was resolute, a kind of resoluteness he was all too familiar with. Once His Highness showed that look, nothing he said mattered.
He sighed, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed. "Yes. Your Highness, please take care."
He straightened up, turned and walked towards the door.
He took two steps, then stopped without looking back.
"Your Highness, take care."
He stepped out of the room, his footsteps fading into the distance and disappearing at the end of the corridor.
Xu Longxiang sat in the chair, listening to the footsteps grow farther and farther away, lighter and lighter, until they disappeared completely.
He took a deep breath.
Then he stood up, straightened his robes, fastened the short sword at his waist, looked in the bronze mirror, and tucked the stray hairs from his temples behind his ears.
A slight smile played on his lips, and a look of unwavering determination flashed in his eyes.
He stepped out of the room, walked through the corridor, and headed toward the moon goddess's courtyard.
His steps were lighter than when he arrived, as if he were walking on clouds.
The bamboo grove rustled in the morning breeze, as if making way for him.
He walked into the courtyard, where the Moon Goddess was still sitting by the stone table, holding the empty silver cup in her hand, staring blankly at the courtyard gate.
A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes when she saw him walk in.
The surprise was faint, as faint as a drop of ink falling into a deep pool, only spreading out in a very fine ripple.
Xu Longxiang took in her surprise and felt a little smug.
He achieved his goal.
This is exactly the effect she wanted.
It surprised her, it piqued her curiosity, and it made her want to ask him why he came back.
He walked to the stone table and sat down opposite her.
The Moon Goddess put down her silver cup, looked at him, and the surprise in her eyes had not completely faded.
"Why hasn't Young Master Xu left?"
Xu Longxiang leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped on his knees, a calm smile playing on his lips.
He repeated what he had just said to Fan Li: sincerity, communication, and trust.
Every word was powerful and every reason was irrefutable.
After listening, the Moon Goddess nodded, and the surprise in her eyes turned into approval.
"Young Master Xu is far-sighted and sincere; I admire him greatly."
Xu Longxiang smiled, but there was something in his smile that was hard to describe, like a test or a hint.
"Actually, there's an even more important reason."
The moon goddess raised an eyebrow slightly.
The curve it made was very slight, yet it carried a curious light.
"What's the reason?" she asked with a smile.
Xu Longxiang looked at her, at the faint smile in her cold, star-like eyes, at the slightly upturned corners of her mouth, and at her face, which was almost transparently white in the morning light.
His heart skipped a few beats.
He smiled, a smile that carried a hint of mystery and unspoken meaning.
I'll tell you when I have the chance.
The moon goddess paused slightly, then smiled.
The laughter was soft, like wind chimes gently tinkling in the night breeze, clear and melodious.
"Alright. If there's a chance, let's do what we did today again, with the moon as our companion, drinking and enjoying ourselves together."
Looking at her smile, Xu Longxiang felt the fire in his heart burn even brighter.
He sensed it.
He had already won her over.
A light appeared in her eyes, a light not of admiration between allies, but the kind of light a woman has when she looks at a man.
A slight smile played on his lips, and a hint of confidence flashed in his eyes.
His charm is indeed very strong.
From the North to the Southwest, from Jiang Qingxue to Liu Hongyan, and from Liu Hongyan to the Moon Goddess, Xu Longxiang has never failed to win over anyone he has set his sights on.
Of course, Zhao Qingxue is an exception.
Because he hadn't had a chance to start his pursuit of this woman yet.
Thinking of this, Xu Longxiang's hatred for Qin Mu intensified.
According to his original plan, Zhao Qingxue would have been his sooner or later.
However, Qin Mu intervened and beat him to it!
Xu Longxiang clenched his fist slightly, but quickly dismissed the thought.
His most important task now is to communicate with the Moon Goddess.
Xu Longxiang straightened up, shifting his gaze from her face to the increasingly bright sky outside the courtyard.
"Let's go check out the situation on the battlefield."
The Moon Goddess nodded, stood up, and her white robes slid off the stone bench like a waterfall.
"it is good."
The two walked out of the courtyard side by side.