The Martial Arts World is Full of Experts Chapter 18

60

Wen Tingting paused for a moment, then spoke with difficulty, "This... young lady?"

Puyang Jing seemed to realize he had been exposed.

Abruptly lifting his collar, he deftly readjusted his padded chest, maintaining a composed expression. Evidently a seasoned warrior, he displayed no hint of nervousness in this confined moment.

Lu Zhaoming, who was already tired and wanted to go back to sleep, stopped in his tracks and silently returned to Zhang Xiaoyuan's side.

Zhang Xiaoyuan felt that Eldest Senior Brother might be enjoying the spectacle.

Well, for such a good show, how could one not watch!

He even thought of taking out the preserved fruits in his sleeve to munch on while watching the drama!

Qi Chaoyun couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Chief Constable, don't misunderstand," Qi Chaoyun said. "This person is my childhood friend."

Puyang Jing took a deep breath, his face full of righteous determination.

Being a loyal subject, everything naturally had to prioritize the emperor.

The emperor instructed him, so he carried out the orders accordingly.

"Childhood friend? Please." Puyang Jing charmingly smiled. "Ah Yun, aren't we childhood sweethearts?"

Qi Chaoyun: "......"

Puyang Jing turned to Wen Tingting and said, "So, this sister is the chief of the local constables. Ah Yun often mentioned you in our letters."

As he spoke, the words above his head seemed to rapidly scroll by.

「DogEmperorDogEmperorDogEmperorDogEmperorDogEmperorDogEmperor——」

Zhang Xiaoyuan, just reading those words, felt like he understood Puyang Jing's teeth-gritting tone at that moment.

Wen Tingting: "I..."

Wen Tingting seemed a bit at a loss. If she hadn't guessed wrong, the person before her should be a man.

But why would a man...

Wen Tingting's breath caught, and suddenly she understood.

This matter wasn't actually difficult to figure out. It simply depended on whether Magistrate Qi was aware of this person's true identity.

If Magistrate Qi was unaware, then it seemed this person deliberately concealed something for some reason. Considering Qi Chaoyun was just a minor county official, known for his frugality to the point of hesitating to eat meat, he had neither power nor wealth. There wouldn't be much for this person, disguised as a woman, to covet.

In other words, if Magistrate Qi was in the dark, this might be a foolish act of a love-struck individual.

It was truly exasperating and heartbreaking!

Yet, he had just mentioned that Magistrate Qi and he were childhood sweethearts...

Magistrate Qi might indeed be aware.

Wen Tingting's face revealed fear, sensing she might have stumbled upon a colossal secret.

......

Wen Tingting, finally gathering courage, pointed towards Puyang Jing, "Magistrate Qi, he..."

Qi Chaoyun was visibly distressed. "He..."

He knew Puyang Jing was acting under the emperor's command. Understanding Puyang Jing's character, he feared he would persist in the act unless the emperor rescinded the order.

In this situation, Qi Chaoyun was unsure whether he should reveal the truth.

Watching Qi Chaoyun's expression, Wen Tingting felt she had grasped the situation.

Magistrate Qi indeed knew that the girl before him was actually a grown man!

Despite this, he kept the person by his side, even publicly claiming the individual to be his woman.

Heavens!

True emotions here! It's truly moving!

Wen Tingting raised her hand.

"Magistrate Qi! No need for explanations!" Wen Tingting laughed carefreely. "I understand! You can trust me. I won't blabber about it!"

Qi Chaoyun: "......"

......

He looked at the densely packed words "Dog Empeor" on Puyang Jing's head, feeling uncomfortably stifled. Turning to Eldest Senior Brother, who still wore a solemn expression, it seemed he hadn't caught on yet.

Qi Chaoyun struggled to explain.

"Chief Constable, perhaps this isn't what you're thinking. He and I are not... ahh!" He pondered how to phrase it, considering how to clarify the situation while preserving the relationship between the emperor and Puyang Jing. "There's something you should know..."

He figured it out.

"Magistrate Qi, it's alright! I don't mind!" Wen Tingting smiled in support of Qi Chaoyun and Puyang Jing, as if comforting them. "Besides, you're not my sweetheart or my husband. Whether you like men... cough, whoever you like, I won't mind!"

Qi Chaoyun: "......"

Pei Junze finally couldn't hold back a chuckle. He shook his fan, bowed to the group, unable to suppress his laughter in his words. "I am tired. I'll take my leave. Take your time chatting, everyone."

Walking away, still seemingly shaking with laughter, Qi Chaoyun grew anxious. He called out to Pei Junze as if to follow, then hesitated. Hurriedly, he grabbed Puyang Jing's arm and exclaimed, "Puyang! You better explain this matter for me!"

Puyang Jing wore a look of resignation from early on, but even at this moment, he dutifully followed the imperial order, playing his role as a secret concubine. He forced a smile towards Qi Chaoyun and said, "Ah Yun, you've changed. You used to call me... Jingjing."

Through gritted teeth, he uttered the last word, as if even his voice trembled. At this very moment, after the overwhelming "Dog Emperor" on his head, another sentence followed.

「What nonsense did this Dog Emperor come up with!」

「DogEmperorDogEmperorDogEmperorDogEmperorDogEmperorDogEmperor——」

Countless repetitions of "Dog Emperor" later, Zhang Xiaoyuan, after a long stupor, suddenly realized... Could it be that what Puyang Jing was spouting was... ordered by the emperor?

The emperor turned out to be such an emperor.

Zhang Xiaoyuan stared in disbelief.

Qi Chaoyun was completely stunned. Evidently, he wasn't adept at handling such situations. After a while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Puyang, stop messing around."

Puyang Jing continued expressionless, "Ah Yun, I know your father forbids you from being with me."

It seemed like he had completely resigned from acting seriously. He mechanically recited, "I also know your father arranged a marriage for you. I don't want to burden you."

Puyang Jing: "I know your father chose a general's daughter for you. I also know the two of us are... destined to be connected yet separated."

After saying this, he discreetly glanced at Wen Tingting, as if gauging her reaction.

Wen Tingting, upon hearing the words "general's daughter," froze, wide-eyed in disbelief, as if recalling — the Lord Prime Minister's surname was Qi.

"I know your father is forcing you to find her, to marry her." Puyang Jing forced a sorrowful expression. "I don't need status. I just want you."

Qi Chaoyun: "......"

Wen Tingting finally raised her hand.

"Magistrate Qi..." she awkwardly inquired, "your father... is the Lord Prime Minister?"

Qi Chaoyun: "Yes..."

Wen Tingting's mouth tugged at the corner.

"What a coincidence," she stiffly remarked, "my father... is General Wen Suyuan, the Grand General of the Fast Cavalry. You and me."

She pointed towards Qi Chaoyun and herself.

"We're arranged to be married."

Qi Chaoyun: "......"

61

Although Zhang Xiaoyuan had long known the identities of the two, witnessing their exposure face-to-face still excited him.

He turned to look at Lu Zhaoming, who was also looking at him. In a hushed voice, Lu Zhaoming asked him, "Can you still stand?"

Lu Zhaoming reached out to support his arm, bringing him closer. He lightly embraced his shoulders and whispered, "Lean on me."

"You're..." Puyang Jing's surprise was quite exaggerated, but he quickly composed himself. Taking a step forward, he said to Wen Tingting, "Miss Wen, I know I was wrong, but I..."

Wen Tingting hastily interrupted him, "Master Puyang... Miss Puyang, rest assured! I have no intentions towards Magistrate Qi."

Puyang Jing: "Then you..."

"I understand the hardships you've faced along the way. I wish you both well!" Wen Tingting said, "I won't spread this matter. The annulment of the engagement is my reluctance to marry, unrelated to your feelings towards Magistrate Qi."

Qi Chaoyun felt increasingly uneasy.

Hadn't Wen Tingting already realized that Puyang Jing was a man? So, what did she mean by saying this?

"In ancient times, there were tales of breaking a peach and cutting sleeves. Nowadays, there are many admired gentlemen in the capital," Wen Tingting said, "As long as you two genuinely love each other, it's not something to be ashamed of."

Qi Chaoyun: "......"

"Miss Puyang... uh, Young Master doesn't need to maintain this appearance any longer. No one in the county office will gossip." Wen Tingting smiled at the two and patted her chest, making a cracking sound with her fingers. "Rest assured! If anyone dares to spread rumors about you and Magistrate Qi, I'll be the first to smash their heads!"

Puyang Jing: "...Thank you."

Wen Tingting: "I wonder, what's Young Master's real name? Puyang Jingjing? This should be... a pseudonym, right?"

Puyang Jing awkwardly responded, "I... have a single-character name, Jing. You can call me Puyang."

Suddenly, Wen Tingting's smile stiffened, as if she remembered something.

"Single-character name, Jing?" Wen Tingting said stiffly, "Li Qingjing?"

Puyang Jing felt uneasy.

"Commander of the Heavenly Mysterious Guards, Puyang Jing..." Wen Tingting struggled to say, "My father... mentioned you..."

Puyang Jing: "I..."

Wen Tingting looked horrified.

"My father said you and the Emperor were inseparable and very close." She suddenly paused, as if understanding something. "When you left the capital, you and Magistrate Qi..."

She closed her mouth, and the next moment, Zhang Xiaoyuan saw a few lines of text appear above her head.

「Spring... the garden is full of color, unstoppable...」

「Emperor, your red apricot is out of the wall! Ahhh!」