Hi everyone. Sorry for the lack of release last week and the delayed release this week. I’ve been busy with trying to get my thesis together for submission at the end of February. Next is job application T^T I can’t guarantee a chapter every week at this point since it still takes me like 8 hours to translate one. At least prisma can edit in an hour, so I’m really the rate-limiting step

This chapter hasn’t been edited yet, but prisma will get around to it. Will put a note here when she has fixed it.

Chapter 19: Ice Lord Feng Ming

Bai Xi looked at the man beside her blankly. Did she just have an auditory hallucination? This man actually answered her question, really?

The man didn't repeat the sentence. He raised his head and looked at the clear, sunny sky, not a cloud in sight.

"Your person has found you?" Seeing the man's reaction, Bai Xi was certain that she did not have an auditory hallucination. This man really did say something and replied to her previous question. However, that sound… It sounded somewhat familiar? She seemed to have heard that tone before.

The man resumed his countenance. Silence is golden!

"Since your person have found you, why didn't he help you with the wound immediately? And, why haven't you left?" Bai Xi asked two questions in a row, but she didn't get a reply.

"Your person doesn't dare to help you bind a wound, or did you refuse? Is it not that he is unwilling?" The man remained silent, and Bai Xi ended up talking to herself. Her stomach grumbled in protest and interrupted her monologue.

"I really have committed a sin. I am hungry and here I am talking to a piece of wood." Bai Xi rose and left. However, after an hour, she returned with two more grilled fish in hand.

"Even if it doesn't suit your tastes, you should eat something." Bai Xi directly placed the grilled fish wrapped in lotus leaf on the floor within reach of the man. She then sat beside him and ate another grilled fish. While she wasn't exactly wolfing down the food, she certainly wasn't chewing slowly. She could not compare to the elegance the man displayed.

"The taste is okay." After hearing this sentence, a certain someone who had been immersed in eating looked up at the person who spoke, the corners of her mouth curling up. This man wasn't boring.

The man retained his elegant eating posture. A ray of sunshine pierced through the lush foliage and shone on his form, making a perfect, enchanting picture.

After the two people had finished eating, Bai Xi looked at the sky and figured she should be returning to Fo Yin Temple. She was not sure if her older brother had already gone up the mountain. "I should go." Since his people had already found him, he could leave without worry.

The pair of gold eyes focussed on Bai Xi, who had stood up. A good while after, the owner of the pair of gold eyes lightly said one word, "Ming."

"Mm?"

"My name."

"Ming¹? Eh, my name is Bai Xi." Bai Xi did not think that the man would take initiative to tell her his name. However, this also made her a little happy. This man finally was willing to tell her his name.

The man let out a light hum which could be regarded as a reply to her.

"Goodbye!" Just as the abbot of Fo Yin Temple had said, in this world there is fate. She could encounter him and treat his wound. It must be a kind of fate. She spent some of her solitary time at Fo Yin Temple with him, which could also be considered fate. Perhaps they would meet again.

However, recalling the great abbot of Fo Yin Temple, she suddenly recalled his words. According to his words, he seemed to know that she was not the original Bai Xi. Was she overthinking this?

After Bai Xi's form gradually disappeared, the man's gold eyes closed once more. His elegant face showed no change. Almost after he shut his eyes, a shadow² suddenly appeared. "Master, is your injury better?"

"You failed," the man said lightly.

"Yes," the shadow replied softly as he lowered his head.

For a long time the man did not say anything. After 10 minutes³, the man rose gracefully, as if he had not received an injury earlier. And outsider could not tell that he was currently injured, let alone the fact that he was seriously injured.

The shadow could only blame himself. He didn't dare to look at his master and could only hang his head.

"By the way, I forgot to return that dagger to you." Bai Xi, who had just left, suddenly returned. The man seemed to know that she would return. His gold eyes had already looked in the direction that she had appeared, or perhaps he had identified her by scent, a delicate fragrance that belonged to her.

"Eh, your person is looking…" The two words that followed she didn't want to say. Was she mistaken? Wasn't this the… carriage driver?

At that moment when the shadow had appeared, he also looked up and saw her gradually approaching his master. Although his master had no expression, he could tell that his master was not disgusted by this woman's approach. The main reason was that his master had looked straight at this woman and not stopped her. How could he not be astonished at this situation? Even the master's mother may not have this kind of treatment.

Bai Xi was faintly surprised upon seeing the man standing and facing the breeze, a most handsome appearance and a proud expression. His gold eyes were resplendent. He wore white crescent robes and his hair flowed like a waterfall. The brief amount of time this man and her had gotten along… and he was actually the Ice Lord.

That pair of unique gold eyes, she had not thought much of it. She had not considered it when he said his name was 'Ming'. She actually gave consideration to the one who had kicked her off the carriage. Hehe, it appears that she had lost her edge. She was completely wrong.

"I ask you, approximately two months ago, did you kick a woman who was hiding out of your carriage?" Although she was 99% sure that it was him who drove the carriage, there was still that 1% where she hoped it was not him.

"Ah? You shouldn't be that woman," said the shadow. There is not a person in this world who would dare to burst into his master's carriage. Still, that person was a woman and he couldn't forget this.

Bai Xi took a deep breath and said, "Feng Ming, your life-saving favour I have already returned, but you kicked me off the carriage and my forehead suffered. This matter is not over." After saying these words, Bai Xi threw the dagger that she had intended to return on the ground. She then glanced at the master and servant before turning to leave.

In fact, she wanted to take advantage of that man who had kicked her, but the subordinate of that man was right next to him. Their skills were clear to her. However, she would not do anything without absolute certainty. She wouldn't involve herself in something dangerous.

"Master, is it fine to not say anything?"

Feng Ming didn't speak. After he glanced at the dagger, he stepped forward against the breeze and slowly walked, as if it had nothing to do with him.

After the black shadow retrieved the dagger, he followed him. "Master, did Qing Wu find master?" He recalled that the dagger was obviously Qing Wu, but since Qing Wu had found master earlier, why not send a signal? Also, why did the dagger remain by his master's side? Ah, this really… this damn Qing Wu.

Wait, why did this woman say that she had saved the life of his master? Did this woman take care of master's wound? Ah, no, his thoughts were in disarray.

The sound of a rock hitting his head echoed, interrupting his flights of fancy.

"Ow." Black shadow touched his head, not having a single complaint. It seemed that this sort of thing was common and he immediately followed.

^{1.(銘) - this is pronounced with the same intonation as the Ming in Feng Ming's name. This character means 'inscription' or 'engraving'.↩}

^{2. (黑影) - this translates to black shadow (hei ying). I'm currently not sure if this is a name or a description of the person. I've translated it to English for now, but if it is his name, I'll change it and make a note of it later.↩}

^{3. here it says 'a small cup of tea' which I think is the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Google tells me it is 10 minutes.↩}