Chapter 567: So Asuka is…

Yet Ye Wenxin couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her, carefully observing her every move. The Hundred Flowers Dynasty wasn’t known for cultivators, so who could possess the skill to evade her senses, even for a moment?

She immediately pulled out the book fragment and silently contacted the Heavenly Book to inquire about the source of the gaze.

“Another trivial question? I am the Heavenly Book, not a machine to answer every little thing you ask!” grumbled Wen Susu, clearly exasperated. She was starting to understand why Ghost Mother would choose Liu Churan over Ye Wenxin.

Ye Wenxin had no sense of subtlety or charm. Once someone became her tool, she would keep treating them as such. But Ye Wenxin was unmoved by the Heavenly Book’s insinuations. She just wanted answers, so she repeated her question.

“So, what was it?”

“Ugh, it’s nothing that can harm you! Why do you care!?” Wen Susu snapped back before cutting off the connection.

Ye Wenxin couldn’t help feeling that Wen Susu’s attitude was unbefitting of someone asking for help. After all, she had come to the Hundred Flower Dynasty for her request. Yet the supposed requester seemed to have no idea what was going on. Ye Wenxin sighed and pushed her irritation aside as she arrived at a massive city gate.

The two guards there appeared visibly alarmed when they saw Ye Wenxin arriving on a giant furball. One seemed ready to blow a horn to summon reinforcements. Before she could explain herself, she caught a glint of cold steel from afar.

An arrow came flying toward her.

Ye Wenxin caught it and looked up. A woman in blue scholar’s robes stood atop the city wall. The high collar covered her neck almost entirely. With a stern face and tightly knit brows, she stared down at Ye Wenxin. Yet that face was all too familiar; Ye Wenxin knew her name.

“Ms. Asuka?” she called out, recognizing the woman as none other than the real Ms. Asuka. She had once been a teacher at the academy, which struggled to stay afloat after the dean’s departure. Asuka eventually left to join the Hundred Flowers Dynasty, where she now served as a scholar for the Flower Lord.

Yet this Asuka was different from the kitsune’s portrayal of Asuka. She dressed so conservatively, not even willing to show her neck. Silk gloves adorned her hands, suggesting either mysophobia or a secret she wished to conceal.

Ye Wenxin’s first impression was that Asuka looked every bit like a serious career woman—fastidious, obsessive-compulsive, and restrained or lacking any interest in intimate matters. Overall, someone meticulous and strict.

Still, she carried herself with undeniable grace and intellect. And at that moment, standing with a bow and arrow in her hand, she even exuded valiance. Ye Wenxin’s eyes narrowed, noting the golden aura around Asuka with little surprise. Yet her luck differed from others. It manifested as a white swan unmarred by any other color but gold.

It wasn’t Ye Wenxin’s first encounter with a chosen one, but she hadn’t expected the Asuka she had been searching for all this time, would be one of them as well.

“I’m Ye Wenxin from Liu City. I come in peace,” Ye Wenxin announced, gently patting the furball’s head. The furball immediately burrowed into the ground, allowing her to land gracefully. She offered a polite bow to convey her goodwill.

Although her first meeting with Asuka involved a drawn weapon, Ye Wenxin didn’t let that discourage her from establishing a friendly rapport.

Still standing on the city wall, Asuka’s expression softened. “And the other envoys? Why are you the only one returning from Liu City?”

Asuka’s speech was slow and deliberate, punctuated with authority. Her voice wasn’t particularly loud, but Ye Wenxin’s sharp hearing caught every word. She smiled and replied, “They’ll be here shortly.”

Right on time, the other furballs descended from the air, using the city wall as a pad to smoothen their landing. Their passengers staggered off, heads still spinning from the wild ride. Some immediately stumbled to the ground, retching.

The furballs shrank to their smallest forms and circled the unfortunate envoys in worry. They seemed to be saying something.

“They’re saying, ‘Please don’t die. If you die, Mommy won’t play with us anymore,’” came an unexpected voice in Ye Wenxin’s mind, startling her. She quickly recognized it as Wen Susu’s.

“What brings you all of a sudden?”

“I sensed a disturbance and couldn’t resist checking it out,” Wen Susu replied, her voice faint. Maybe the long distance was weakening the connection.

A touch of worry crept into Ye Wenxin’s thoughts. “Will she notice you?”

“Of course not. As the Heavenly Book itself, I have ways of concealing myself. But you ought to be cautious around Asuka. She currently holds a fragment of the Heavenly Book’s power. If you must lie in her presence, make sure it is flawless. Otherwise, I’d advise against deception altogether.” Wen Susu’s voice echoed in Ye Wenxin’s mind in all seriousness. Ye Wenxin nodded, already wary of Asuka after confirming she had a female lead’s luck.

Taking Wen Susu’s advice to heart, Ye Wenxin resolved to mind her words and actions around the woman. A misstep in front of someone with perfect insight could mean losing her trust entirely.

At the same time, Ye Wenxin began planning how she might slip into Asuka’s quarters that night to retrieve the Heavenly Book’s missing pages and fulfill the primary purpose of her journey here.

“Lady Asu, Lady Wenxin is an envoy from Liu City. However, the official document is delayed, so it’s currently not available for presentation.” Envoy Hua Ju explained on Ye Wenxin’s behalf.

Envoys usually needed a pass from the host kingdom to enter. However, given Liu City’s recent independence and its delicate ties with the Golden Age Dynasty, acquiring such paperwork promptly would be no easy task.

Hua Ju’s explanation left no room for doubt. Asuka didn’t pursue the matter further. She straightened her collar three times and ran her fingers through her hair three times before saying, “As it happens, the authorization just arrived today. Let them in.”

Asuka instructed the guards. As the gate opened, a forest spread out, starkly contrasting with the surroundings outside. The palace grounds were a verdant expanse of greenery where animals and demonic beasts roamed freely.

Ye Wenxin followed Hua Ju. She noticed that Asuka, who had previously observed them from above, was now standing at their side.