Chapter Thirty-Three: The Gift Prepared Three Years Ago

Come on, then—

A cold glint flashed through Yan Ziyu’s eyes. A slender needle gleaming with a sinister green light appeared in her hand. The moment he dared to strike, she would let him experience the power of its poison.

“Westwind, stop!”

A cool, ethereal voice drifted over. The man’s raised hand suddenly froze in midair. He glared viciously at Yan Ziyu, then withdrew it with an angry snort.

“Yes, Prin—Master.”

Westwind had instinctively called her “Princess,” but after receiving a frigid glance, he immediately changed the form of address.

Prin—princess?

The princess of which country? Scarlet Sun or Flourishing Moon?

A sharp light flickered in Yan Ziyu’s eyes. It seemed she had grasped something, yet at the same time, it felt as though nothing had truly come within reach.

This woman…

The breathtaking woman in an ice-blue dress slightly knitted her brows as she studied Yan Ziyu from head to toe. Shock and disbelief filled her eyes.

How could she be here?

While the woman examined Yan Ziyu, Yan Ziyu openly returned the scrutiny. The two women sized each other up without the slightest attempt at concealment.

Smack!

A loud slap suddenly rang out. Everyone jumped and turned toward the sound.

“Don’t you bully Little Fish! I’ll beat you to death! Don’t you bully Little Fish!”

After hearing Westwind call Yan Ziyu a vile woman, A-Li seemed to become an entirely different person. A crimson light flashed through his eyes. He leaped up and slapped Westwind hard across the face, the force knocking several white teeth from his mouth.

“No one is allowed to bully Little Fish!”

With that, he sprang up and kicked Westwind in the stomach. His entire bearing had changed, radiating domineering force and fierce possessiveness.

Pfft!

The kick sent blood spraying from Westwind’s mouth. Just as he was about to strike back, his entire body suddenly shuddered for no apparent reason. Then he fell stiffly to the ground.

Page 1 of 3

What had happened?

Yan Ziyu frowned. The woman in the ice-blue dress also knitted her brows slightly and nodded toward the maid behind her. The maid hurried over, crouched down, and checked Westwind’s breath. Her expression changed.

“Master, Westwind is dead!”

Dead?

Everyone was shocked. He had been perfectly fine just moments ago—how could he have died so suddenly?

Hiss…

The crowd drew in a collective breath and could not help turning their eyes toward A-Li. Clearly, they all believed that he had killed Westwind.

The woman in the ice-blue dress also shifted her gaze to A-Li. The moment her eyes touched his face, a flicker of astonishment passed through them, causing her expression to waver for an instant. A-Li had no favorable impression of this accomplice of the villain. He glared back viciously and even gave two cold snorts.

“Master, Westwind was ambushed.”

The maid pulled a silver needle from the back of Westwind’s head. Black blood still dripped from its tip.

“Mm.”

The woman’s indifferent expression did not change in the slightest. She answered faintly, then turned to Yan Ziyu. A subtle shift touched her otherwise detached gaze.

“Though the mountains remain unchanged and the rivers flow on, Miss Yan is indeed very different from the rumors. I shall remember Westwind’s death. Ning’er, take Westwind back.”

Yan Ziyu frowned at her words. Did this woman know her?

But she quickly let the matter go. If she herself knew about Yan Ziyu despite being far away in another country, how could this woman possibly know nothing about her?

“I shall be waiting for you at any time. May I ask your name, Miss?”

Yan Ziyu gave a slight nod, a faint smile in her confident eyes.

“You will find out soon enough. And treat your friend well, or you will regret it.”

Leaving those words behind, the breathtaking woman in the ice-blue dress cast a deep look at Yan Ziyu and A-Li. A meaningful smile curved at the corner of her lips before she turned gracefully and departed with haughty elegance.

Watching the woman appear and then leave, Yan Ziyu felt as though she had witnessed a dream. Had the blood covering the ground and the thick scent of it in the air not reminded her that everything had truly happened, she might have believed it had all been an illusion.

A death had occurred in the middle of an otherwise orderly auction. Although the party involved had chosen not to pursue the matter further, the crowd remained uneasy. Some even demanded that the Rare Goods Pavilion revoke Yan Ziyu and A-Li’s qualifications to attend the auction. More and more people voiced their agreement, and the entire auction house descended into noisy, ceaseless argument.

It was not until Jade Peak appeared that the matter was finally settled.

Inside Yan Ziyu’s private room…

“Were you the one who killed that man?” Yan Ziyu asked Jade Peak directly.

Page 2 of 3

Jade Peak raised a brow slightly.

“Everyone present believes that your friend killed him. Why would Princess Consort think it was I who did it? Could it be that you possess evidence proving I was responsible?”

He did not answer her. Instead, he looked at her with a smile and countered her question.

“Instinct. A-Li did not strike very hard. That man was a martial artist—how could he have been unable to withstand such a minor injury? Besides, I sensed no killing intent from A-Li, but there is some on you… Would you say that counts as evidence, Young Master Bai?”

Yan Ziyu reached up and smoothed the lock of hair against her chest. Her calm, indifferent tone carried a trace of mockery.

Clap, clap, clap!

“Truly worthy of being the Howling Prince’s consort. Your powers of observation are remarkably keen. Still, I do not mind telling Miss Yan that this matter was indeed not my doing. If I wanted to take that man’s life, why would I need to attack him from the shadows? He was nothing more than a dog. Why would I, Bai Yufeng, lower myself to scheme against him?”

Bai Yufeng smiled with refined elegance as he lowered the folding fan in his hand and applauded. His face was filled with admiration and arrogance.

If it was not him, then who had done it?

Was the person who had struck from the shadows friend or foe? Had they intended to help her, or harm her?

For now, she was completely at a loss and could only take things one step at a time.

Yan Ziyu nodded, as if agreeing with his explanation. He truly had no need to act in such a manner. Moreover, the incident had occurred within his own Rare Goods Pavilion. She knew it could not have been him. She had merely been laying the groundwork for what she intended to say next.

“I believe that a man of Young Master Bai’s character would never stoop to such a despicable act. However, there is something I do not understand, and I would like to ask you for an explanation.”

Under Bai Yufeng’s composed gaze, Yan Ziyu asked her question directly.

“Regarding what Young Master Bai said yesterday, what exactly is so important about today’s auction that you repeatedly insisted I attend? I looked over the auction list earlier, and there does not seem to be anything particularly special on it. Could you simply tell me what it is?”

Bai Yufeng shook his head and chuckled.

“I knew Miss Yan would ask that. I have no intention of concealing the matter. In truth, preparations for several items in this auction began three years ago. The master once said that they were gifts prepared for a friend. If Miss Yan truly is the person the master has been waiting for, you will certainly be delighted to receive that gift.”

A gift that had been prepared three years ago?

Could the owner of the Rare Goods Pavilion—the man who was very likely from her own world—really be capable of predicting the future? Otherwise, why would he have begun preparing a gift three years ago?

“After hearing that, I am becoming more and more eager to see this ‘gift.’” What could it be? She was truly beginning to look forward to it.

“I believe you will not be disappointed.”

Bai Yufeng gave her a mysterious smile, then fell silent.

Before long, the auction began as scheduled. As one item after another was sold, Yan Ziyu remained silent, uttering not a word. A-Li also seemed to have become more subdued after what had happened and obediently sat to one side without speaking. Bai Yufeng acted as though nothing had happened at all, remaining completely detached as he leisurely sipped his tea.

At last, just as Yan Ziyu was about to fall asleep, she heard something that caught her interest.

“Everyone, the next item to be auctioned is highly unusual. It is a document written in a special script. It is said to record, in the language of the Western Regions, the location of a hidden treasure realm. However, because the writing is so strange, no one has been able to decipher it to this day. This is a rubbing taken from one section of the original. Without further ado, as this item may very well contain the location of a hidden treasure realm and is utterly unique, its starting price is three hundred thousand taels of silver. Those interested may place their bids…”

Yan Ziyu could no longer hear what the auctioneer was saying. At that moment, her eyes and heart contained nothing but the object spread open in someone’s hands—a pure white sheet embroidered with an assortment of strange symbols.

Those strange symbols had once been so familiar to her.

Page 3 of 3