Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 1045 - 650: Unnecessary Worries_2

Chapter 1045: Chapter 650: Unnecessary Worries_2

When Xu Yuan entered the inner chamber, Li Junwu was seated cross-legged with her eyes closed, regulating her breathing.

As soon as he stepped in, Xu Yuan’s brow involuntarily furrowed upon seeing the inner armor discarded beside her.

He knew Li Junwu had been injured by the backlash of the Military Array Force, but he hadn’t expected the injuries to be this severe.

Walking over to her side, Xu Yuan bent down, picked up the inner armor, scrutinized it for a moment, then shifted his gaze to its owner, his long, narrow eyes narrowing slightly.

Her tightly closed, delicate lashes trembled faintly. Her face was pale, and though Li Junwu bore no visible wounds, the barely congealed bloodstains nearly covered the entire surface of the inner armor.

"Handling a lady’s intimate garments is not exactly a commendable habit."

Li Junwu’s voice echoed lightly in the empty, silent chamber, carrying a hint of teasing: "But given the urgency of the military situation, I’ll let it slide this once."

Xu Yuan met the gaze of her now-open eyes and said in a flat, detached tone:

"Given the way you looked when you returned, I thought your injuries weren’t too severe."

Li Junwu, unconcerned, casually tugged at the black robe draped over her body, fanning herself briefly:

"This blood is from a Secret Technique for healing. The inner armor sticking to me was uncomfortable, so I took it off."

As she spoke, she arched her eyes in a smile and attempted to change the subject: "Changtian, do you know any water-creation spellcraft? Help me wash this inner armor, will you?"

Xu Yuan ignored her, keeping his focus on the inner armor in his hand, his voice steady and ancient-sounding as he spoke:

"Life-Defying Blood Therapy—commonly used for injuries to the visceral meridians. It accelerates the aging of organs and meridians to heal wounds, at the cost of one’s lifespan."

Li Junwu’s eyes froze for a moment before she averted her gaze, grumbling:

"Tsk, how is it that you know everything?"

Xu Yuan stared at her without saying a word.

The chamber was filled with a faint haze of smoke, and the subtle scent of her entered his nostrils.

Li Junwu remained silent for a few breaths, then sighed and slowly propped herself up, rising to her feet. Locking eyes with him, she spoke with resignation:

"Didn’t we agree on this earlier? With the condition I was in before, even standing was a challenge. There was no way I could step forward to stabilize the soldiers’ morale."

"The more severe your injuries appear, the more they can galvanize the cohesion of Zhenxi Army."

"That only works if there are no spies in Zhenxi Prefecture!"

"....."

Her voice suddenly rose, reverberating through the chamber. Xu Yuan found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

The narrative of the Commandery Princess being gravely injured while defending the city could indeed change how the soldiers viewed their once-repudiated leader. But at this crucial juncture, this very narrative might turn into a double-edged sword, cutting against them.

Li Junwu took a deep breath, her gaze unwavering as she stared into his eyes, her voice resolute:

"Without a central figurehead, Zhenxi Army will fall apart. So I must step forward—even if I can’t actually command an entire district’s forces, the soldiers below need to believe that I can!"

The threat of Emperor Bai loomed, morale was faltering, and there were only two solutions.

One was to send the Qilin Wolf to disrupt Emperor Bai, demonstrating that the city was under the Heavenly protection of a Saint. Unfortunately, the Qilin Wolf refused to antagonize Emperor Bai. Thus, Xu Yuan and Li Junwu were forced to choose the second path.

To create a god.

Despite the many internal issues, it was undeniable that Zhenxi Army remained Dayan’s elite troops.

The root cause of unrest in the city was the lack of a leader capable of giving the soldiers the confidence and faith that victory was assured.

But prior to this, the calculated manipulation by the Wen Surname Confucian Scholar had already forced Xu Yuan and Li Junwu to eliminate the only two generals with such influence and authority.

Therefore, they had no choice but to push someone else to the forefront to stabilize morale.

Xu Yuan, as an outsider, could never assume this role. Commander Jin lacked sufficient prestige, and his cultivation technique wasn’t suited to leading an entire district. Thus, only Li Junwu, as the inheritor of Zhenxi Prefecture, could step up.

With a hint of irritation, Xu Yuan rubbed his head, then tossed the bloodstained inner armor aside and plopped down onto the ground:

"Alright, I get it. This really is your responsibility."

The inner armor hit the ground with a metallic clang, echoing in the chamber.

Looking up at her slim figure clad in a fitted black robe, Xu Yuan spoke calmly:

"I’ve already taken care of the matters you were worried about. I’ve assigned Huang Shiwei and the others to handle the unrest in the city, and all regiments of The Second Town will gather at the government office within an hour."

Hearing this, Li Junwu smiled faintly. She lowered herself, her hands brushing against the hem of her skirt as she slowly sat down beside him. In a soft voice, she asked:

"Given the situation earlier, Emperor Bai’s retreat probably indicates internal discord on their side, doesn’t it?"

Xu Yuan chuckled, glancing sideways at her:

"In this regard, you’re surprisingly perceptive."

Li Junwu raised her chin slightly:

"Something that simple is still within this girl’s grasp."

"The rift among the Six Saints is more than mere disagreement; ’internal strife’ would be a more accurate term. Did you figure that part out?"

"Huh?"

"Seems you’re not as perceptive as you think."

"Tsk." Li Junwu frowned in dissatisfaction and bumped his shoulder: "You’re definitely withholding something from me."

Xu Yuan’s eyes crinkled as he smiled sidelong at her: "You’re falsely accusing me. I even told you about the Levitation Stone ring; how could I possibly hide anything from you?"

As he spoke, Xu Yuan’s gaze lowered slightly, and for some reason, he recalled moments spent with that woman in Northern Border City. He chuckled to himself as he said:

"But a woman who’s too clever can be rather troublesome."

Li Junwu stared at his sidelong profile for several breaths, then snorted coldly:

"It seems the Prince Consort and Princess aren’t getting along very well."

Xu Yuan’s eyes opened slightly, yet instead of denying it, he teasingly replied with a tinge of surprise:

"So you figured out who I was talking about... You really are a woman after all; your intuition is sharp."

Li Junwu’s eye twitched, and she grumbled in irritation:

"It’s not intuition. There’s only one person for whom you’d use that tone and such a comment—Li Qingyan, who else could it be?"