Time stops for a moment all around.
Everyone, including Khan Apa, could only watch as Feng Xiao uses the cloth on Fo Er's body to wipe off the blood on the sword, before putting the sword back into his waist and walks towards the Second Prince.
"Don't come closer! I'm warning you, if you take another step forward, I will kill you! Men! Help me!" He does not care about the fact that the other does not understand a word of it, he simply pours all these words out as if he's shouting pointlessly.
When he watches the other walking closer to him with each other, the Second Prince becomes afraid for real. He abandons all thoughts and immediately climbs behind Khan Apa, looking back at Feng Xiao with a face filled with fear and wariness.
Göktürk soldiers moves forward with knives, warning Feng Xiao not to take another step, and the latter really did heed their advice and stops walking. He raises a hand, and in it, holds a round grape.
"I only want to return this grape to you." Feng Xiao says innocently, "Since you do not want it, I will simply take care of it."
As he says, he closes this thumb and index finger, pinching the grape until it explodes. The grape turns into a splattering mess and falls down, before it is blown away by the wind.
The Second Prince shivers even more.
Khan Apa rises to his feet, his face looks stern and expressionless.
He puts away the Kucha concubine's hand that was on his lap, as he also leaves the table that is filled with delicious and exquisite dishes, walking towards Feng Xiao.
The Second Prince who is hiding behind him refuses to be exposed like that, so he immediately panics and searches everywhere for a place to hide. Suddenly, he runs into the First Prince.
The First Prince is behaving very calm and peaceful today like usual. Compared to the Second Prince's who is not level headed, it seems that the First Prince possesses a more reliable aura suited for leadership.
The Second Prince realizes he is casting his own image away, so he silently grits his teeth and quickly return to his seat, pretending as if nothing has happened.
Everyone stares at Khan Apa walking towards Feng Xiao, but the accusation and interrogation in their imagination never happened.
They only see the Khan's face morphing into a smile, as he tells Feng Xiao and says, "I cannot imagine that today's I could witness such an interesting and eventful battle. According to our Göktürk words, you are the champion bestowed upon by the Wolf Gods, and is indeed worthy of the respect of all!"
Feng Xiao cannot understand a lick of Göktürk, so Cui Buqu approaches forward and meticulously translates everything to him in Han.
Khan Apa's smile is overflowing with familiarity, possessing even a few degrees of respect. Compared to the coldness and distant Khan before, it is like two completely different people.
With everyone present in the Royal Court added together, they could not even be Fo Er's match, that is why Khan Apa is incredibly polite and respectful towards Fo Er in the beginning.
But this is not just because of the incredibly powerful Eastern Göktürk at his back, but it is because Fo Er himself was the number one fighter of Göktürk, and the Göktürks honour the strong, so they are willing to bend the knee towards a strong opponent.
Now, however, Feng Xiao has killed Fo Er.
This also means that Feng Xiao is stronger than Fo Er.
Regarding such a simple thesis, let alone Khan Apa, even normal Göktürk would have understood.
So the massive change of attitude of Khan Apa is not strange at all.
Not only that it isn't strange, for even the big Kedun, the First Prince, and all the Göktürk officers, also felt that this was certainly the way it should be.
After all, Feng Xiao could kill Fo Er so easily, so who can guarantee that he would not kill any one of them here?
Naturally, some people would worry that this matter would sought after by Khan Ishbara, but towards Khan Apa, to form a good relationship with the Sui Empire's ambassadors is the most important thing at hand now.
Pertaining to who he would choose to ally with, right now, is no longer a topic for debate.
"Thank you for praising me, Khan. However, the one I have killed is the number one fighter of Göktürk, a champion who served the banners of Khan Ishbara, are you not afraid that Khan Ishbara would seek revenge, and send his army to swallow up your entire court?"
Khan Apa's gaze moves from Fo Er's corpse to Feng Xiao's smile and feels his body grow cold all of a suddenly. He could not help but tugs at his robe, but laughs dryly, "It is my honour to see a match between top martial artists. Knives and swords possess no eyes on the battlefield, so Khan Ishbara would definitely understand this!"
He quickly orders his men to drag Fo Er and his Vice Commander's corpses away. Two Göktürk guards, one on the left and one on the right, lifts up the corpses and brings them away. The Göktürk people do have the practice of seeking out a matter until the end, and it is a given that Khan Ishbara so not have the interest to collect corpses. For the number one fighter of Göktürk's death to end in such a pitiful way, it is unavoidable that people would sigh in pity when they hear of this.
However, among those who will sigh in pity, they do not include Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu.
To be soft-hearted towards your enemies, is equivalent to be cruel to yourself.
Khan Apa returns to his seat once more, pretending as if nothing happened, the other ambassadors naturally also follow his lead and pretended that they have not seen anything at all. They simply praise Feng Xiao's martial arts to be peerless beneath the heavens, and that he is unique, a treasure without an equal. More and more praises ensues, as if they fear that if they lost the chance to say it, then they would never have the chance again.
Although the martial arts competition had not yet end, but no stupid fellow dares to ask for a one-to-one match with Feng Xiao and test his martial abilities.
Khan Apa allows Feng Xiao to take a rest and permits two other Göktürk champions to compete on the field. Everyone continues to watch with keen interest.
The First Prince comes over personally to honour him with wine. Khan Apa smiles as he watches, but did not stop his son. He even sends the Kucha beauty back to let Jin Lian sit next to him as he talks to her in low chattering voices, listening to her as she recounts all her dangers during her travels to the Central Plains.
The Second Prince timidly pulls his father's sleeve, but the Khan returns a look to him that is grim and lectures him with a few sentences. The Second Prince immediately lowers his head and excuses himself, return to his abode to reflect on himself.
The seats of power rearranges themselves within the spur of moment.
Originally, those that dare not offend Fo Er are now at the moment of honouring them wine. Those who know how to speak Han would offer countless praises in riddles, and those who does not know Han offer the same things in Göktürk to Cui Buqu.
They do not know how well-known Feng Xiao's name is in the Central Plains, some of them have not even seen him before, but Fo Er's name is prevalent and known throughout the West, yet because of this, it made the audiences that witnessed his death just now even more shocking.
Do not think that other than people from the Central Plains, those outside of it would not know how to pull strings, or make use of advantages. The Sui Empire's strength is undeniable, but now since Feng Xiao has killed Fo Er, it is similar to fixing in the last piece that settles the doubt in everyone's hearts, stabilizing the unsteady dilemma that existed before.
Khan Apa has never said it in words, but his lecturing of the Second Prince is a hint to everyone. It is granted that latest by tonight, he would seek out Cui Buqu personally.
Although this cannot be called the end yet, but their plan has already succeeded by seventy to eighty percent, so Cui Buqu can finally let out a breath of relief.
"Master Daoist Cui, this time I have won a conquest with such pride. Do you not have anything to confess to me?" Next to him, Feng Xiao's perfect voice sounds.
"Ah?" Cui Buqu gives him a look of surprise, "Are we not just doing our jobs for the Imperial Court, to share a burden of the Emperor's worries?"
Qiao Xian has already been sent by Cui Buqu back to their yurt to treat her injuries, otherwise she would have laughed out loud.
"Stop using this trick on me!"
The corner of Feng Xiao's lip twitches, recalling that very day in the Zixia Daoist Temple and he met this person for the first time, the other's face had been as expressionless as this while submerged in the smoke of joss sticks and incense. Those followers would never have dreamed that their Master Daoist Cui is not the kind-hearted, soft and gentle man in their imagination, but that he is such a shameless, cold, and unsentimental bastard with skin as thick as the Great Walls of China.
"Just now, because I had to kill Fo Er, I sealed my own meridians that connected to my wounds. Now that my blood is flowing backwards and my qi energy is not flowing correctly, even if my wounds are not worsened, I still need at least ten days to half a month to heal completely. I have not used such a method before, so I do not know if it will have a permanent side effect." Feng Xiao did not exclaim this fact loudly, but he is leaning into Cui Buqu's ear as he whispers into it with a low voice, "Without me, even if you have an excellent tongue, surely there is no way you could make these people bend the knee?"
Both of them were extremely close. When Feng Xiao speaks, his breath undoubtedly brushes against Cui Buqu's ear. However, Cui Buqu is as rigid as a mountain, complimented with a 'even if you speak until Heaven falls to earth, I would not yield' kind of look, yet Feng Xiao's gaze very naturally falls upon his ear.
How fair.
It also looks quite soft.
How would he feel if he reaches out to pinch it a little?
When he thinks of this, he realizes that his hands work faster than his brain, and he is already pinching the top of the other's ear.
Cui Buqu jumps. He completely did not expect the other would do such a thing, so he attempts to shake himself free.
He also never expects the other to know what he would do. A hand comes to rest on his hip, blocking his path from behind.
"Unhand me!" Cui Buqu's voice is so cold that it could summon a hailstone.
Feng Xiao rubs his ear twice, discovers that they were as soft as he imagined them to be, before satisfyingly lets him go.
It certainly feels like Osmanthus cake with no Osmanthus taste.
However, the scent of Chinese medicine lingering on the other's body, can vaguely be considered to be a type of fragrance.
Cui Buqu shoots him a strange glance and says coldly, "If Lord Feng has been without a partner for too long, I can pass word to the Khan, so he may find a few beauties from the Sanmi Mountains to accompany you for a while."
Feng Xiao responds him with something completely unrelated, "I want to eat Osmanthus cake."
Cui Buqu suspects that he has been hit too hard on the head by Fo Er just now, "Are you alright?"
Feng Xiao smiles but says nothing.
Both of them were originally from the same group, so even if they appear to be close, people from the side lines would only just think that they are great friends, but in the First Prince's eyes, this scene has a completely different meaning.
He could not help sighing, "I am really envious of you both, even in a foreign country in foreign lands, you can still do what you love doing!"
Cui Buqu recalls everything he did to obtain the First Prince's trust prior to this, of all the nonsense he spoke, so he just gives a dry smile and says nothing.
Feng Xiao seems to have found the cartilage on Cui Buqu's ear, so he thinks that, it is either now or never, and pinches Cui Buqu's ear again.
His movement is quick, and before the other could protest, his hands have already slip back to his sides, then he turns towards the First Prince and smiles, "Thank you for your understanding."
The First Prince, "I understand. I do indeed understand!"
Cui Buqu: What do you understand??
He elbows Feng Xiao's stomach, causing the other to inhale a breath sharply, before rising his feet to call after the First Prince, yet he's unsure of what to say.
Feng Xiao laughs, "Haha! You dug this pit yourself, so even if your eyes are grappling with tears, you still have no choice but to jump into it!"
...
Jin Lian could feel that her position and power has changed again once more.
The most straightforward change is the way Khan Apa treats her kindly, the same as he did before she left for the Central Plains. It is as if nothing has happened, and that the Kucha beauty is simply just something pretty to look at, but the one who rules next to the Khan, is once again her.
And all these changes happened the moment Feng Xiao killed Fo Er.
Jin Lian understands this fully. She wasn't ungrateful, and did not ignore Cui Buqu and the rest after that, instead, once she hears news from Khan Apa, she would immediately send word to Cui Buqu and his people, telling them that after the banquet that night, Khan Apa would seek out Cui Buqu himself to discuss about the alliance between the Sui Empire and Western Göktürk.
"We killed Fo Er. Are they not even a little bit worried that Khan Ishbara would seek vengeance?" Cui Buqu asks.
On the other side of the yurt, Feng Xiao and Qiao Xian are closing their eyes as they rested. Cui Buqu and Jin Lian's discussion would not disturb them.
Jin Lian shakes her head, "He might think that the Sui Empire is strong, so there is no need to be afraid of Khan Ishbara."
Cui Buqu gives a deep expression.
Jin Lian asks questioningly, "Do you feel that something is not right? To form an alliance with the Sui Empire is better than pledging oneself to Khan Ishbara, the latter has a huge appetite, perhaps even bigger than the Sui Empire. Intelligent people would know how to choose, and now that you have helped him make the decision, he would no longer hesitate."
Her words made sense, so Cui Buqu did not retort, neither did he say what isn't right.
However, it is exactly because he did not know where went wrong, he feels unrest.
Night descends upon them.
A banquet even grander than yesterday is held in the King's yurt.
Yesterday night, the Khan only cared about playing with his concubine and did not even show up for the feast. But tonight is different, not only did the Khan show himself, but he even dressed himself up well, bringing the big Kedun and the First Prince, and a group of Göktürk royalty and subjects, turning the banquet truly grand and rowdy.
All except the Second Prince who hasn't showed himself.
However, this is normal. During the same morning, he was thinking of a thousand ways to push Cui Buqu and his people to the corner, yet in the end, not only he did not succeed, but that he himself was forced into the corner. It could be that his fury hasn't been quelled and he was in a bad mood, so he hasn't showed himself in the banquet.
Khan Apa is displeased at his attitude, so he sends his men to urge the Second Prince.
After three rounds of wine, everyone feels a little bit tipsy. The alcohol rushes up to their heads, making the atmosphere even more casual.
Feng Xiao carries a few injuries, so he did not drink. Instead, he drinks something else that is made from fruit juice. It is very sour, but when eaten together with roasted lamb, it brings a wholly different kind of taste.
Everyone takes turns honouring him wine, even Khan Apa himself came over in person. However, even if the one he is drinking is fruit juice and not wine, he still drank too much. Ultimately, Feng Xiao feels a little unwell, so he tells Cui Buqu and excuses himself, before rising to his feet to return to their abode so he could treat his injuries.
The wind outside is cold, the lights are flickering in the distance, and lands near them were in patches of dark.
A soft, smooth, and tender hand reaches out from the darkness and quietly touches his hip.