Imperial Treasure

Chapter 506 - 333: Favoring to Be My Enemy?

Chapter 333

Ah Guna had slept continuously for two days at Sui Yi’s family home, and on the third day, he woke up.

As soon as he awoke, he saw Sui Yi’s face.

"Would you like some porridge?" Sui Yi placed the porridge on the chair beside the bed.

Ah Guna gazed at her steadily, as if trying to figure something out, his eyes too deep, tumultuous undercurrents swirling.

It wasn’t until he nodded, not waiting for Sui Yi to help, that he reached out himself, stubbornly picking up the bowl and spoon.

He ate spoonfuls on his own.

After finishing a bowl, Sui Yi didn’t ask if he wanted more, sitting there, quietly waiting.

She didn’t ask, but that didn’t mean Ah Guna wouldn’t speak.

He closed his eyes and said, "You’ve already seen it."

"Mhm," Sui Yi’s gaze fell on his right palm, where a section of the index finger was missing.

For an archer, it was a crippling blow.

Ah Guna tried to control the tremors in his facial muscles and the rest of his body, gritting his teeth.

"It was her,"

"Who?"

"The High Priestess."

Sui Yi’s previously nonchalant expression froze, her voice coming out a bit hoarse and more hollow, as if her mind was elsewhere, or as if her spirit had left her body.

"Who?"

Ah Guna repeated his earlier statement and added,

"Imperial Crown, she has returned..."

"Or rather, she never left."

Each time he mentioned Imperial Crown, Sui Yi’s thoughts turned to the Jade Bi, and the nerves in her brain began to throb with a vague pain.

Perhaps, as Ye Luanyun had said...

Some things really were beyond control.

——————————

Well, Sui Yi’s house, although maintained with secluded elegance by her, was still a humble dwelling. The walls were thin and unstable, offering no soundproofing. Of course, the most important thing was that Sui Yi, being forthright, hadn’t even closed the door!

So, although the two of them didn’t speak loudly, their voices couldn’t escape Gong Jiu and the others waiting idly in the main hall.

Gong Jiu and Flower Demon were feeling apprehensive when they all noticed the sudden change in Jiang Chenyu’s expression.

To be honest, accustomed to seeing this lady, who seemed like a Miss from a distinguished family, composed with elegance, her current unease appeared quite strange.

Dongfang Bubai’s expression was ambiguous and unsettled, his gaze drifting.

It seemed that these two...

Gong Jiu exchanged glances with the others, on guard in secret.

Although they were both familiar with Sui Yi and were friends, there was still a significant difference in intimacy and closeness. These two mysterious "zongzi" had always warranted full vigilance from Gong Jiu and the others.

What did they, know?

Just as Gong Jiu and the others were puzzled, Jiang Chenyu suddenly rose to her feet and stood at the doorway, tapping on the door.

"May I come in?"

Sui Yi nodded.

Then she entered, approached Ah Guna, looked at him deeply, steadied her mind, and with a cool voice, asked, "The High Priestess...the person you saw, does she look exactly like the images and sculptures our tribe worships?"

When Ah Guna saw Jiang Chenyu, initial confusion crossed his face, but as he heard her question, his expression changed, "You know about our tribe’s matters?"

"By all logic, it’s my turn to ask you now," Jiang Chenyu’s presence was imposing, undisguised in its commanding nature, at odds with her appearance, temperament, and style but revealing her serious intent.

Sui Yi thought to herself that she had finally seen the side of Jiang Chenyu that had always been hidden.

Ah Guna kept his eyes fixed on her, glanced at Sui Yi, saw that she did not stop the woman, and with an indistinctly observing posture, he pursed his lips.

"Not exactly the same, the aura has changed slightly."

That meant the appearance was consistent.

After all, her own appearance was still somewhat different from the woman depicted on the Jade Bi... Sui Yi thought to herself that perhaps she truly was not the High Priestess.

If that was the case...

Sui Yi let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.

Yet it was only a slight relief, as Jiang Chenyu asked again, "Can you be one hundred percent certain it was her?"

Ah Guna closed his eyes, "She is the Imperial Crown, a divine unsubstantial as the Gods and Spirits, venerated within our tribe’s faith; I’ve never seen her before, if not for that appearance and aura being too..."

"Appearance is easy to change, one can do so effortlessly," Jiang Chenyu interjected.

Ah Guna was indifferent, his voice as taut as a blade, "That power to kill, to turn the world upside down...who else could be similar?"

Having witnessed such bloodshed...he feared that kind of strength more than anyone.

Sui Yi caught on to something and raised her eyebrows, looking at Jiang Chenyu with a slight start.

In the silence, Sui Yi said, "There’s something strange."

What’s strange?

With Sui Yi’s tranquil composure, the other two felt an absurd sense of the situation.

You, after all, should be the most disturbed and anxious, yet why are you...

"Ah Guna, originally a follower of faith, opposed her as an enemy, yet you, who have always been the enemy of the High Priestess and have gone to great lengths to find her, are so reluctant to believe it’s her..."

Sui Yi went on speaking as she rose to her feet, looking unwilling to do so. But as she stood, she moved close to Jiang Chenyu, within arm’s reach. She stepped to one side, tilted her head, and whispered into Jiang Chenyu’s ear, "Or is it that you prefer to make an enemy of me?"

It was still the same demure Sui Yi, with the same indifferent voice, yet falling in Jiang Chenyu’s ears, there was a thick note of sarcasm and mockery.

Is this Sui Yi?

It was her.

Jiang Chenyu did not move, only her eyes narrowing slightly, before she uttered a sentence.

"Killing people, annihilating their families, and hiding skulls in the ancient tree... She would not condescend to commit such filthy acts. If she were capable, things would not have turned out that way back then..."

Back then~~

Sui Yi already knew some of the High Priest’s past. Was it by the emperor’s command that she killed?

She was not tolerated in this world...

It seemed that Loulan had also mentioned this saying.

She lightly pressed her brow.

"Ah Guna, I am leaving today. Will you come with me, or will you stay here?"

"Previously, my arrow was aimed at you," Ah Guna reminded.

"It was off by less than a meter. If it’s due to poor aiming skills, it’s not frightening. Otherwise, it’s even less so," Sui Yi picked up a bowl, turned around, and said, "If you want to come with me, then pack up quickly."

"As for you..." Sui Yi turned to Jiang Chenyu, and the corner of her mouth lightly curled into a smile, "I used to think you were reserved and complex, harboring many worries. But now, you seem somewhat interesting."

Interesting?

This word made everyone outside, including Gong Jiu, prick up their ears.

It feels a bit like a confrontation is brewing.

Jiang Chenyu tilted her head to look at Sui Yi, "I would love to hear the details."

"You clearly loathe the High Priest to the extreme, wishing you could flay and eat her flesh, yet you place her on a high shelf and can’t bear to let others desecrate her. At first glance, one might think you are a resentful woman entangled in unrequited love and anger," Sui Yi said and then walked out the door with a light laugh.

Behind her was Jiang Chenyu’s indifferent but disturbed and rapid breathing. It seemed that she was infuriated, but only Ah Guna could see that expression.

When Gong Jiu and the other two heedless individuals rushed in to witness the spectacle, that person had already elegantly passed by them, as calm as ever.

"Hey, hey, Ah Guna, what was that woman’s expression like? Was she infuriated, her face red and ears hot, or was she staring blankly in shock?"

"Yes, yes!"

Ah Guna looked down; he was not inclined to say much. But then, Gong Jiu’s finger prodded his abdominal wound, her threatening intention very clear.

Thus, he, who had fallen from grace and was being humiliated while still in a state of grief, had no choice but to consider her question.

How to describe it...

After a moment of thought,

he said, "All of the above."

All of the above! Goodness, what a master of facial expressions!

————————

Bringing Ah Guna back to the Provincial City was in fact seen as a very risky move by Gong Jiu and the others, because that "High Priest" who slaughtered the entire underground tribe might just target Sui Yi for taking Ah Guna away.

Since she possessed such fearsome strength, naturally, Sui Yi was in great danger.

Therefore, it was necessary for Gong Jiu and the others to persuade her.

In the carriage, Sui Yi looked out of the window, and in response to their words, she only said one sentence.

"She’s been targeting me from the start."

What!

"Do you mean it was deliberate?!" Gong Jiu thought about it and realized it was true. If the other party had slaughtered the entire tribe, there was no reason to let Ah Guna survive alone...

Letting him live was to let him be rescued by Sui Yi... and surely, the other party must understand Sui Yi’s movements, such as when Old Mr. Ye’s funeral procession took place...

"Maybe we should explore the Ancient Tomb once more," Flower Demon suggested.

"We can’t anymore," Sui Yi shook her head, "We should not enter that tomb again unless absolutely necessary. Besides, the other party wouldn’t have left any useful clues."

It seemed Sui Yi was quite apprehensive about that tomb.

Gong Jiu and the others naturally fell silent, and so they returned to the Provincial City.

As soon as they arrived, everyone became busy. Sui Yi and Lin Yun had matters related to Sui Tang Square, while Gong Jiu and Flower Demon had their family affairs to deal with...

In short, none of them were idle.

Even Jiang Chenyu and Eastern Lady were elusive all day long.

Thus, time flowed by in such an orderly and quietly flowing manner...

Until the most important day in China arrived.

Spring Festival? May Fourth? National Day? Dragon Boat Festival?

NO!

It was the college entrance examination, the Gaokao~~

Months passed, and the chill of autumn or the snow of winter turned into the brilliant green mingled with the dazzling heat of summer, scorching the wide-open highways. It was the day when traffic was at its quietest and most civilized.

However, the school entrances of various institutions in the Provincial City were packed with people.

There were students, tense and faintly excited, accompanied by even more anxious parents...

The parking lanes were full of private cars, both luxury and electric vehicles everywhere to see.

Next to the stop, a bus came to a halt, and a bunch of students, along with many parents, poured out.

Sui Yi stepped down, a finger pinching the corner of a transparent stationery bag, and slowly made her way to the entrance of First Middle School.

Amidst the surrounding hustle and hurry, the leisurely and composed Sui Yi walking alone was, of course, very conspicuous.

Quite a few people looked over.

Many students began whispering among themselves.

Having been part of a small group, Xiao Ranjun approached Sui Yi, "Alone?"

"Mmhmm,"

"It’s rare that you didn’t drive here... you actually took the bus," Xiao Ranjun said, unaccustomed to taking the bus due to his rich upbringing and personality.

Sui Yi didn’t seem to care whether this person looked down on anything; she simply stated, "It’s a special bus for students taking the Gaokao. It doesn’t get stuck in traffic."

"Uh..." Xiao Ranjun was taken aback, "There’s such a thing?"

For them, the notion of being late for the Gaokao was virtually non-existent. First because of thorough prior arrangements and second because of their formidable ability to overcome difficulties. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re welcome to vote with recommendation tickets, monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)