Chapter 389: Reunion

The person who arrived wore a brown cloak, had short black hair, and a tall frame. He turned, and upon seeing Yu Zhizhi, he bowed slowly. "Ms. Zhi Zhi."

Yu Zhizhi looked at the stranger, yet felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

She stepped into the main hall, recalling what the Seventh Prince of Moon Ascending, Cang Jie, had said when he came to bid her farewell earlier today. So...

’Was this man before her the teacher who was going to replace Cang Jie and teach her Spirit Art?’

Yu Zhizhi bowed in return.

The man introduced himself. "From today on, I will be teaching you some simple self-defense Spirit Art. You can call me Teacher Wei Ke."

Yu Zhizhi gave a slight nod. "Alright."

She watched the man with curiosity. It was supposed to be their first time meeting, but why did she feel like she knew him?

From outside the hall, attendants brought in tea.

They departed quickly, not daring to interrupt the lesson.

Yu Zhizhi was still holding Prince Canglan’s outer robe. She walked over to a nearby chair, folded it neatly, and placed it down.

Vic’s gaze followed her.

He saw the robe, which carried Cang Lan’s aura.

"Teacher Wei Ke." Yu Zhizhi turned around and said softly, "We can begin now."

The beginner’s Spirit Art lesson wasn’t difficult. It involved simple manipulations of air currents, allowing one to push away an opponent when in danger.

Yu Zhizhi’s spiritual power wasn’t high. However, this simple form of Spirit Art had been modified so it didn’t require much spiritual power. It could still produce a temporary effect, buying a precious few moments.

In the Moon Rising Empire, Spirit Art lessons were arranged for all female members of the Royal Family.

Yu Zhizhi practiced it over and over. A gentle breeze swirled around her—a marvelous feeling. A faint smile danced in her eyes.

This breeze held no aggression; it was as if she were just playing around.

The man leaned against a pillar, watching her quietly.

After several attempts, Yu Zhizhi grew a bit bashful, her cheeks turning slightly red. "Teacher Wei Ke, how can I make the breeze sharper?"

"That depends on your innermost thoughts," the man said in a slow voice.

Spirit Art moves with one’s will.

Yu Zhizhi grew frustrated. Manipulating the wind seemed much more difficult than her usual Healing Skill and Evolution Skill.

Perhaps because those two were talents she had awakened, using them felt perfectly natural.

Whereas this Spirit Art, controlled purely by spiritual power, felt like learning to ride a bike for the first time—all wobbly and unstable.

A single lapse in concentration, and she would fall.

The man raised his hand slightly. A nearby Luminous Pearl slowly lifted into the air before suddenly shooting toward the Rabbit Clan girl—

Startled, Yu Zhizhi instinctively threw up her hands. In an instant, the gentle breeze around her sharpened, blocking the Luminous Pearl’s "attack."

She was stunned.

’Huh? I actually did it!’

’I just sensed danger and wanted to stop it...’

’Is this what Teacher Wei Ke meant by my innermost thoughts?’

A look of excitement spread across Yu Zhizhi’s face. "I did it!"

Vic gave a slow nod.

Without realizing it, three hours had passed.

He glanced at the pitch-black sky outside. "That will be all for today."

"Thank you, Teacher Wei Ke." Yu Zhizhi bowed in farewell, then turned and left the main hall with a spring in her step.

Compared to her previous lessons on theory and court etiquette, Yu Zhizhi much preferred today’s Spirit Art class. It all felt so magical.

She felt happy at the thought of continuing her practice in the future.

’Now I’ll have something to do for a while!’

This time, instead of going to Cang Lan’s chambers, she returned to her own quarters.

Her maids had already drawn a hot bath. After soaking, Yu Zhizhi changed into a comfortable nightgown, lay down on the bed, and turned onto her side. She gently caressed her lower abdomen.

’...It should have worked, right?’

’I’ll have to wait a week for the results before I can make a final decision.’

But before then, Yu Zhizhi also had to figure out how she could find a chance to leave...

’If I don’t leave, I’ll have to marry the Big Tiger. If he loses control someday, I could lose my life.’

’Staying by the Crown Prince’s side is just too dangerous.’

But Yu Zhizhi remembered that the area around the Extreme Ice Palace was teeming with Demons. Moreover, the path leading out was treacherous and fraught with hidden dangers.

’Can Little Octopus and I really get away safely?’

’What if...’

’What if I write another letter to the Purple Fox and ask him to help me leave? Would he agree?’

The thought appeared for only a moment before Yu Zhizhi dismissed it.

’He probably wouldn’t.’

’The Purple Fox is the State Preceptor of the Moon Rising Empire. How could he possibly help an outsider to ’act against’ the Empire’s Royal Family?’

’Besides, he’s already repaid the debt for when I saved him.’

The Purple Fox was the one who had arranged for Yu Zhizhi to come to the Extreme Ice Palace and meet Cang Lan.

She lay on the bed, slowly tugging at the corner of her pillow. No matter how much she wracked her brain, she couldn’t think of a better plan.

’The wedding day is getting closer and closer...’

Just as Yu Zhizhi was thinking, she heard a noise outside the door. Assuming it was an attendant, she called out, "I’m going to sleep now."

She glanced up and saw a tall, slender figure. She froze for a second before scrambling to sit up. "Who’s there?!"

The visitor stepped into the light.

He wore a brown cloak, its hood pulled up. He stopped at her bedside and slowly reached up to pull the hood down. In that very instant, the face of ’Teacher Wei Ke’ in Yu Zhizhi’s eyes began to transform.

Finally, she saw him clearly—

Yu Zhizhi exclaimed in delighted surprise, "Louis?!"

She immediately jumped up from the bed and threw herself into his arms.

Louis caught the little rabbit who had launched herself at him. He hugged her gently, then turned and sat down on the bed.

"We knew you had come to Moonrise. We hurried to the Extreme Ice Palace as soon as we saw the news. But given who we are, we couldn’t just show up openly, so we had to use other identities."

Louis explained softly, gently stroking the little rabbit’s ears. He lowered his gaze, his eyes fixed deeply on her.

Yu Zhizhi was overjoyed. She never expected to see Louis here.

She hugged him even tighter. Afraid this was all a dream, she gave her finger a light bite.

OW!

’This time, it isn’t a dream!’

Louis could feel her reliance on him. A ripple went through his heart as his embrace tightened. He closed his eyes, savoring the brief moment of warmth.

"So Teacher Wei Ke, who taught me Spirit Art this afternoon... that was you?" Yu Zhizhi asked, her curiosity piqued.

"It was me."

"I thought you seemed familiar, even though I was sure we didn’t know each other..."

’So that feeling this afternoon wasn’t just my imagination!’

’Louis was the one teaching me Spirit Art!’

A faint smile touched Louis’s lips, but then he thought of the approaching wedding. He took the little rabbit by her shoulders and asked earnestly, "This marriage to Cang Lan... was it your decision?"

From the day the engagement was announced and Spider and Lou decided they had to find her, the entire reason Louis had agreed to the trip was to ask her this question face-to-face.

’Was there some hidden reason behind it all?’

’Now that the little rabbit was in Moonrise, there was no way they could leave her to fend for herself.’