https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-647-The-Lute-Princess-Enters-the-Tent-at-Night/12625747/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-649-Chu-Liuxiang-is-Full-of-Questions/12625749/
Chapter 648: Farewell to Chu Liuxiang
Chapter 648: Farewell to Chu Liuxiang
"Are you still planning to watch the spectacle?"
"I'll consider it."
"So, do you still intend to go to the Kingdom of Kucha alone?"
"I can afford to wait a few more days."
"You're a shameless scoundrel, consuming everything and then denying it!"
"That's a necessary skill for survival in the capital," he replied with a grin.
The next morning, Jin Ban Hua stepped out of his tent, full of vigor. He stretched lazily towards the sun, earning admiring glances from Liao Gang and Ye Jin.
Following behind him, the Pipa Princess trailed with a flushed face, her hips swaying gracefully, exuding allure.
Jin Ban Hua turned back and asked, "I heard the new King of Kucha has recruited martial arts experts to deal with you?"
"He's a traitor of Kucha!" Pipa Princess emphasized, then nodded, "Yes, they've sent several assassins, but we've killed them all. However, we've also lost many of our own, so we have no choice but to recruit more experts from the Central Plains."
Pointing at Liao Gang and Ye Jin, Jin Ban Hua raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Don't worry, I won't even need to lift a finger. With these two companions of mine, any assassin who comes will meet their end!"
Liao Gang and Ye Jin: ???
Pipa Princess walked hand in hand with Jin Ban Hua, strolling through the oasis.
Perhaps due to their close encounter the previous day, Pipa Princess suddenly became much more talkative.
"My father may not be a wise ruler, but he treats his subjects and family well."
"Although the Western Regions are remote, they border the Four Directions. I once learned martial arts from a master from the Central Plains and learned a great deal about it."
"I don't like the way Du Huan looks at me, but I admit his martial arts skills are impressive. How did you subdue him with just one move?"
"First, you grip his wrist, then, depending on his movements, target his joints and shake his strength out of him. He'll have no choice but to kneel." Jin Ban Hua explained matter-of-factly, "That's the basic principle of the capture technique."
Although Pipa Princess's martial arts skills were not inferior, her knowledge of Central Plains martial arts was limited, and she listened with a confused expression, "Really?"
"Of course!" Jin Ban Hua nodded earnestly.
As he finished speaking, he spotted Du Huan on his way to the Kucha King's grand tent.
Du Huan, of course, noticed Jin Ban Hua as well. His eyes flickered with shock, anger, and fear before he decisively turned and hurried towards the grand tent without a backward glance.
"Looks like your father will have to comfort him now," Jin Ban Hua teased.
"That traitor has sent quite a few experts from the Central Plains. My father also needs to win them over," Pipa Princess sighed, then turned to Jin Ban Hua and suggested, "Let's not go there. Instead, let's go bathe in that small lake over there."
Jin Ban Hua refused, "Why would I want to bathe? The lake water isn't even clean. If anything, I'd rather go fishing."
"The fish in the lake are very clever and hard to catch," Pipa Princess said.
"That's because you don't know how to fish properly," Jin Ban Hua boasted, "When I bait my hook, the fish will rush to get caught by me!"
...
Music and laughter echoed from the grand tent, as Jin Ban Hua and Pipa Princess sat side by side on the shore of the small lake.
Jin Ban Hua had made a fishing rod and cast it into the lake.
Pipa Princess, on the other hand, had removed her shoes and socks, dipping her delicate, fair feet into the lake while splashing the water playfully. She smiled at Jin Ban Hua and challenged, "I bet you can't catch any fish from this lake."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jin Ban Hua lifted his hand, and a large grass carp leaped out of the water, sparkling with pearlescent droplets in the sunlight, before being pulled to the shore.
"Do you have all the seasonings here? We can make a braised fish for lunch," Jin Ban Hua asked.
The Pipa Princess clapped her hands in delight and directed her maids to scoop up the grass carp, nodding enthusiastically. "Of course, it's been so long since I've had fish. How did you catch it?"
"It's simple," Jin Ban Hua explained. "You hold the fishing rod and sense the water flow around the bait, synchronizing your movements to mimic a living creature. It's easy to lure the fish that way."
The Pipa Princess wore a baffled expression. "Really?"
"Of course!" Jin Ban Hua asserted matter-of-factly. "Watch, I'll catch a few more to prove it."
True to his word, he reeled in three more large fish, which flopped about on the grassy shore.
The Pipa Princess applauded, and even her two maids gazed at him with admiration in their eyes.
Liao Gang and Ye Jin exchanged glances, perplexed. Although they weren't avid fishermen themselves, they knew a few fishing enthusiasts back in the capital, and they often returned empty-handed. Fishing didn't seem as easy as this young master made it out to be.
As Jin Ban Hua cast his line once more, a figure leaped down from the poplar tree by the lake.
"Brother Jin?" The newcomer asked, sounding incredulous.
Jin Ban Hua looked up and recognized the man. Despite being covered in dirt, his hair was neatly combed, and his face was clean.
"Chu Liuxiang?" Jin Ban Hua raised an eyebrow, surprised to see him arrive so soon.
"What are you doing here?" Chu Liuxiang asked.
"Why shouldn't I be here?" Jin Ban Hua countered.
Chu Liuxiang's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Are Rong'er and the others here as well?"
"Of course not," Jin Ban Hua replied decisively.
Chu Liuxiang's face fell, and he pressed further, "Did you come to the Great Desert with Hei Zhenzhu?"
"Yes," Jin Ban Hua nodded with a smile.
"Then, did Hei Zhenzhu kidnap Rong'er and the others? Where are they now?" Chu Liuxiang continued his interrogation.
"They did leave with Hei Zhenzhu," Jin Ban Hua nodded earnestly. "As for their current whereabouts, they are in a distant oasis in the Great Desert."
Chu Liuxiang paused, processing this information, before finally turning to Jin Ban Hua with another question, "Then why are you here?"
Jin Ban Hua was forthright in his response, "I came to witness the rebellion in the Kingdom of Kucha. It's quite the spectacle!"
"The rebellion in the Kingdom of Kucha? You came to watch the spectacle?" Chu Liuxiang was bewildered.
In recent days, they had encountered an ambush upon entering the Great Desert and later faced a group of black-clad men attempting to seize the Star of Ultimate Joy. The sinister schemes of Shi Guanyin had left a deep impression on him.
Now, as they finally found an oasis, Chu Liuxiang was both relieved to see the familiar face of Jin Ban Hua and concerned about the rebellion in the Kingdom of Kucha.
His mind was in a whirl, sensing a connection between these events but unable to untangle the threads just yet.
However, Chu Liuxiang did feel a measure of relief, knowing that Jin Ban Hua was on good terms with Hei Zhenzhu. Seeing Jin Ban Hua so relaxed, he surmised that Su Rong'er and the others were likely safe.
"You've asked quite a few questions," Jin Ban Hua said. "Now, may I ask you something?"
Chu Liuxiang smiled faintly, "Of course."
"Why didn't you go looking for Hei Zhenzhu? Why did you come here instead?"
"I came to find Hei Zhenzhu!"
"You didn't go looking for her on the horse she rode?"
"Hei Zhenzhu kidnapped Rong'er and the others. I didn't want to expose my trail, so I didn't dare ride her horse into the Great Desert. That would be like carrying a sign, asking to be caught," Chu Liuxiang explained.
Jin Ban Hua nodded in understanding, "Makes sense. You truly are a clever one!"
(End of Chapter)
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