But if it's the King of the Southern Barbarians, then it makes sense. After all, he's a simple-minded, physically strong creature, and considering that I rescued Gu Baizhi from his clutches, it's not surprising that he wants to attack the Western Qin Kingdom. Qin Muxue thought to herself.
But whether the Southern Barbarian King truly intended to attack her or something else, Qin Muxue had no choice but to leave her beloved wife.
Qin Muxue turned to look at Gu Baizhi. Then she hugged Gu Baizhi in her arms again. The blush on Gu Baizhi's face had finally faded a little, but it turned red again after Qin Muxue hugged her in front of outsiders.
"Wait for me at home, don't wander off, wait for me to come back..." After saying that, Qin Muxue buried her head in Gu Baizhi's hair, inhaling Gu Baizhi's fragrance.
"Alright, alright, the border is in dire need of attention, so you should hurry to the front lines. Don't... don't hug me like this..." Gu Baizhi said shyly.
But Qin Muxue remained in that position for a long time before reluctantly letting go of Gu Baizhi and riding the dragon towards the border of the Southern Barbarian Kingdom.
As Gu Baizhi watched the two figures gradually disappear into the distance, she felt an immense sense of relaxation.
"These past few days, I can finally enjoy a life without being bullied by Qin Muxue. Ever since I came to the Western Qin Kingdom, I've been bullied by Qin Muxue every time I see her. Now I can finally have a few days of peace and quiet," Gu Baizhi thought to herself.
So he happily skipped and hopped his way to his palace.
Gu Baizhi returned to her room, lay on her bed, and quietly stared at the ceiling. She felt utterly bored. Gu Baizhi herself was a playful and gluttonous person. The four years she spent on Bailian Peak had truly stifled her.
However, Gu Baizhi still considered it for a while, because she was unfamiliar with this area and if she encountered a danger that she couldn't handle, she might really trigger the defeat CG.
But her playfulness and gluttony ultimately triumphed over Gu Baizhi's rationality.
"I am a Golden Core cultivator after all. Although I am not as good as Qin Muxue, who is in the mid-stage of the Divine Power Realm, I am definitely good enough for daily self-defense. I will just go out to play for a while. I should be fine." Gu Baizhi thought to herself.
Ultimately, emotion prevailed over reason, and Gu Baizhi decided to go to Qinzhong, the capital of Western Qin, to have some fun and release the negative emotions she had felt these past few days due to being bullied by Qin Muxue.
Gu Baizhi changed out of her extremely gorgeous dress and took out a piece of clothing she often wore from her storage ring, putting it on. Although the clothes looked simple, Gu Baizhi always looked stunning in anything she wore.
This was also what troubled Gu Baizhi. Although she was dressed simply enough, almost everyone on the street would stare at her for a long time. To avoid attracting too much attention, Gu Baizhi took out a silver-trimmed veil from her storage ring. Ever since she was ambushed in Tianlan City, Gu Baizhi hadn't dared to wear a veil. But to avoid feeling embarrassed walking on the street, she still chose to wear one.
After putting on the veil, Gu Baizhi turned to look at herself in the mirror. This aloof and restrained feeling, this sense of distance, was exactly the effect Gu Baizhi wanted.
She secretly slipped out of the palace and followed the crowd away from the royal palace. In this way, she slipped into the market in the center of Qinzhong City without anyone noticing—the largest market in the entire Western Qin Kingdom.
The market was extremely lively, with vendors shouting and various street performers all around.
Gu Baizhi strolled through the market. Although an absurd number of people were still staring at her, she no longer felt embarrassed or shy as before. She was completely immersed in the bustling atmosphere of the market.
A dessert vendor caught Gu Baizhi's eye. It was a small shop selling persimmon cakes. She had never imagined that persimmons could be made into cakes. She bought two persimmon cakes from the vendor.
These persimmon cakes are quite large; one is very filling.
Gu Baizhi placed a persimmon cake in front of her mouth and took a small bite. Gu Baizhi's eyes first slowly widened, then narrowed with satisfaction, fine lines spreading out at the corners of her eyes, like the surface of a lake touched by a spring breeze.
"So delicious~" Gu Baizhi thought happily to herself.
"I didn't expect Mrs. Gu to like sweets. If you have the chance, Mrs. Gu can come to my palace for a visit. I will prepare the best desserts for you."
One sentence immediately pulled Gu Baizhi back to reality from the delight of the food.
"Who are you?" Gu Baizhi asked warily, because she had a feeling from the moment she met this woman that she was not a good person.
"Mrs. Gu doesn't recognize me? It's Xiaoxue's fault for being so ill-mannered; she got married but didn't even introduce her to her older siblings. I am Qin Wan, Qin Muxue's older sister," she said dignifiedly and elegantly.
"What's your purpose in coming to see me? It can't be just to treat me to dessert, right?"
"Mrs. Gu is indeed shrewd. Let's chat at the teahouse up ahead."
Although Gu Baizhi sensed something was amiss, she still followed Qin Wan into the teahouse.
"Mrs. Gu, would you like something to drink?"
"Whatever, just keep an eye on it. Also, don't call me Mrs. Gu anymore, just call me Gu Baizhi," Gu Baizhi said while wiping the teacup in her hand.
"Miss Gu, it seems you and my sister don't have a very good relationship~" Qin Wan said with a hint of amusement.
Gu Baizhi didn't reply, but silently wiped the teacup in her hand.
"Miss Gu, it's alright if you don't answer. I can tell from your tone that you were forced by her. If you want to escape Qin Muxue, I will do my best to help you, as long as you cooperate with us."
"No..." Although Gu Baizhi was indeed forced into becoming a wife by Qin Muxue, compared to Qin Muxue, the woman named Qin Wan in front of her was even less trustworthy, because there was always an aura about her that made Qin Muxue feel uncomfortable.
"If Miss Gu doesn't agree, then I won't force you, but if—" He then reached out to touch Gu Baizhi's face, but Gu Baizhi dodged him.
Gu Baizhi turned her head away and stopped looking at Qin Wan.
"You've crossed the line…" Gu Baizhi said softly.
"It's such a pity. Such incredibly fair and delicate skin, and I can't even touch it myself. It's such a shame. I have something to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. I also ordered some desserts for Miss Gu. I hope Gu Baizhi enjoys her meal," Qin Wan said.
Gu Baizhi wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt like the woman was smiling. She didn't dwell on it, finished her tea, ate some dessert, and prepared to leave.
But as soon as she stepped out of the teahouse, she felt something was off. There were quite a few people around her looking at her with strange eyes.
Gu Baizhi didn't think much of it and was just about to leave when a cultivator suddenly drew his sword and thrust it at her.
"Where did that demonic cultivator woman run off to? Brothers, catch her! There's a huge reward for whoever catches her!"