144: Who exactly are you?

"Great beauty, do you enjoy appearing behind people to eavesdrop like this so much?" Duan Zhengchun said helplessly.

"The Empress Dowager didn't deliberately hide either; I just wanted to see how you would handle this little monk."

"Originally, The Empress Dowager thought you would show womanly compassion and let him go, but I didn't expect this outcome," Li Qiushui said with a smile.

"Actually, I didn't want to kill him, but he made the first move, and that strike was intended to end my life."

"I naturally won't let anyone go who dares to strike at me or wants to kill me," Duan Zhengchun said.

"The Empress Dowager likes your decisive and ruthless character; I just wonder how your actual strength is." Li Qiushui's figure drifted lightly in front of Duan Zhengchun.

A rich fragrance wafted into his nostrils.

"If you want to know, we'll find out after a spar," Duan Zhengchun countered unceremoniously.

Li Qiushui didn't expect Duan Zhengchun to be so bold as to offend her like this.

"Then it remains to be seen if you truly have that strength," Li Qiushui said with a smile.

It had been so many years; that heartless man had been missing for twenty years, and for his sake, she had remained chaste all this time.

Aside from him, this was the first man who had made her heart flutter.

His strength was even the most powerful she had seen, second only to her Master.

"This Prince dislikes others doubting my abilities the most." Duan Zhengchun reached out, pinched the veil on Li Qiushui's face, and tore it off directly.

A surge of anger rose in Li Qiushui's heart; she hadn't expected Duan Zhengchun to be so daring as to tear off her veil.

"What? Feeling shy now? Are you afraid I'll see the scar on your face?" Duan Zhengchun said with a smile.

At the mention of the word 'scar,' Li Qiushui's expression changed instantly, and a terrifying aura erupted from her body.

Kumārajīva's corpse was sent flying by this aura.

The smile on Li Qiushui's face vanished as she stared intently at Duan Zhengchun.

"How did you know?"

"Although your Disguise Technique is brilliant, great beauty, you didn't really think such a disguise could fool me, did you?" Duan Zhengchun looked at Li Qiushui with a faint smile.

Hearing Duan Zhengchun's explanation, Li Qiushui immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The fact that she had been disfigured by her Senior Sister was a matter between her and her Eldest Senior Sister; no third party knew about it.

If Duan Zhengchun really knew, it would be too terrifying.

After all, that was something from twenty years ago; at that time, Duan Zhengchun would have been just born at most, so how could he possibly know about her affairs?

"Prince Duan, I wonder, what Realm have you reached now?" Li Qiushui asked curiously.

"What Realm? Asking such a question at this time, isn't there an ulterior motive?" Duan Zhengchun said with a smile.

"Since you already know your Elder Sister's interest lies elsewhere, then what are you waiting for?"

Duan Zhengchun did not take Li Qiushui to the Imperial Palace but instead headed outside the Imperial City.

"Where are you going?" Li Qiushui felt the direction was wrong and was puzzled.

This man perfectly matched her aesthetic preferences.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have stood up to speak for Duan Zhengchun in that situation, nor would she have given him her personal Jade Pendant when she left.

After so many years, her state of mind, which had always been as calm as an old well, began to throb wildly at this moment.

Soon, Duan Zhengchun brought Li Qiushui to the side of a small waterfall.

Looking at the environment around the small waterfall, Duan Zhengchun nodded with satisfaction.

"How is it here? The environment is nice, isn't it?" Duan Zhengchun said with a smile.

"Your Elder Sister is not one of those weak women; are you prepared?" Li Qiushui asked with a smile.

"Always prepared," Duan Zhengchun said with a smile.

"However, before that, can you answer a question for me?" Li Qiushui asked with a smile.

"Great beauty, do you want to ask about the Northern Darkness Divine Art?" Duan Zhengchun looked at Li Qiushui with a face full of smiles.

Li Qiushui was startled; this Duan Zhengchun was too mysterious. A Dragon had truly emerged from the Duan Family.

Before she even asked, the other party had already anticipated what she wanted to ask.

What did this mean? It meant he was very familiar with her situation.

"You really aren't as simple as you appear on the surface. Since you asked that, you must already know my identity."

"Then, where did your Northern Darkness Divine Art and Wading in Rippling Waters Technique come from? What is your relationship with my Senior Brother Wuyazi? Or perhaps, what is your relationship with my Master Carefree Master?" Li Qiushui said with a serious expression.

"Great beauty, you're mistaken. I have no relationship with them. Actually, there's a relationship between us," Duan Zhengchun looked at Li Qiushui with a smile.

"Be serious. You still haven't said what exactly the relationship is." Li Qiushui took a deep breath, trying to keep her tone calm.

"Isn't it simple? Great beauty, aren't you aware of what you did back then?"

"The Langhuan Blessed Land of Mount Wuliang in the Kingdom, surely you know of that place?" Duan Zhengchun said with a smile.

"What? Impossible! The Empress Dowager has been to the Langhuan Blessed Land before; all the Secret Manuals inside had been moved away, leaving only that bitch's Jade Carving."