"It doesn’t matter," the old monk waved his hand, his voice indifferent.

"Well, okay then," Feng Xuxu turned to look at the chessboard, picked up a piece, and casually placed it down.

The old monk furrowed his brows as he leaned forward, but then his face broke into a smile, his fingers occasionally combing through his white beard, nodding and saying, "Good, haha." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

When the old monk looked up again, his turbid eyes widened in surprise, followed by a hearty laugh, and finally, he let out a long sigh.

Feng Xuxu and Mei Lenglei exchanged glances, observing the old monk.

"Why do you laugh one moment and sigh the next?" Perhaps tired from walking, she sat opposite the old monk, looked at the waterfall, then at the clear water beneath her feet, and the fat fish swimming back and forth without stopping.

The old monk merely glanced at Feng Xuxu without a word.

Feng Xuxu didn’t mind and continued talking to herself.

"Old monk, I didn’t expect you’d find such a scenic spot to play chess. This place is beautiful and can cultivate one’s temperament; you have quite the eye.

"There’s more than one scenic spot in the world." After a long silence, the old monk finally spoke, his words loaded with deep meaning.

Feng Xuxu blinked, taken aback for a moment, then shook her head with a smile.

"What are you laughing at, benefactor?"

"Nothing much, just that I haven’t had the chance to see the world yet," she said with a hint of regret.

"There will be time eventually."

"What?" Feng Xuxu didn’t hear clearly from a distance.

"Benefactor, would you care to listen to a word of advice?"

"Please speak, Master."

"Unless absolutely necessary, do not cause unnecessary suffering." His profound gaze was fixed on Feng Xuxu.

"...Okay." Although she didn’t know why the old monk was saying this to her, she eventually promised.

"One who cultivates good deeds will ultimately receive good fortune," the old monk stood up, holding his prayer beads, and murmured as he walked away.

Mei Lenglei, puzzled, stepped forward and asked her master, "Miss, what did the old monk mean by his last words?"

"Take it at face value, let’s go," she said with a shake of her head, herself only half-understanding.

Crown Prince Residence

"Second brother, how do you plan to deal with Dugu Mo’s issue?" In the study, Crown Prince Dugu Han stood up and asked Dugu Chen, who was seated.

"Hmph, lock him up; let him neither live nor die." One who offends my taboo must pay the price.

"What about Father..."

"My affairs do not require his intervention," said Dugu Chen, cutting off his brother mid-sentence, the word ’Father’ making his head ache.

"Big brother, Eunuch Wei mentioned that he is preparing to abdicate and become Emperor Emeritus?" Recalling the intelligence received that morning, his lips curled slightly, crossing his legs, he looked at the Crown Prince.

"Yes, after your grand wedding, he will abdicate." The thought of his father brought a mix of hatred and love.

Dugu Chen merely nodded in response.

"With what you’ve done, those old men in court don’t dare to speak out too much, and the other Princes have also become much more compliant," observed Dugu Han, noting the calm that had settled in the court, unlike the past when they often confronted him directly.

"Hmph, after ten years of life and death, enduring ten years of hatred, I wasn’t going to count old scores upon my return. But they dared to covet my woman, unforgivable. If it weren’t for my wedding, I’d have already sent those old fools who oppose me to meet the King of Hell."

"Haven’t you thought of the consequences? What if it incites public outrage, how would you solve that?" asked the Crown Prince, shaking his head as he looked at his brother, who was normally wise but became completely different when it came to Feng Xuxu.

"The consequence is that those who obey me shall live, and those who defy me shall die," Dugu Chen said unconcerned, preferring the swiftness of martial force over words, unconcerned about others’ opinions.