Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)
Chapter 117: Counterfeit Peng Xiu

Chapter 117: Counterfeit Peng Xiu

Han Xin wiped the sweat off his brow, his face still troubled. "What if she is pretending? She poisoned someone and wrote love letters to others. If she is not pretending, then there must be two different people."

Han Zhan couldn’t agree more. Peng Xiu’s behaviour was incredibly strange and it was difficult to get a read on her. "Maybe under your influence, you can change her," he suggested.

Just then, Jun De ran over, a message in hand that had arrived with a messenger bird. The tension between the cousins was momentarily forgotten as they turned their attention to him. Jun De handed the general the message, saying, "General, it is addressed to you. It just came in now."

Han Xin unfurled the small paper, his brow arching in surprise. How was this possible? The message claimed that the Peng Xiu he had rescued wasn’t the real Princess Xiu, but an imposter.

He couldn’t make sense of how she could look so strikingly similar to Princess Xiu. Yet, if he believed the message, it explained why their investigations and the person they met seemed like two different people.

Han Zhan, noticing something was wrong with his expression asked, "What does it say?"

Han Xin handed the message to Han Zhan, who quickly read it. He should have been focused on figuring this out, but instead, he felt a wave of relief. There was nothing wrong with him. The Peng Xiu he liked was the Peng Xiu he had met. Whether she was counterfeit or not, he didn’t care. They would figure it out in the future.

"This... how is this possible?" Han Zhan said, bewildered. "We need to find out who sent this."

But when he saw the smile on his cousin’s face, he froze. Han Xin, with a newfound determination, said, "You should take care of it," before handing the axe to Jun De and walking back to the camp. He was going to wash up before dinner and then meet up with this Peng Xiu.

Nothing was going to stop him now from pursuing her. Han Zhan stared at his cousin’s retreating back and suddenly feeling scared for Peng Xiu. He had on the same expression as he had when he was ready for war. As inexperienced as he was at pursuing people, he would scare that young woman away.

Xiang Yu had no idea that his cover was somewhat blown. He was lounging in the carriage, his feet propped up on the seat, looking utterly relaxed. Mei, however, was not as composed. She held up the dress that had been nearly ruined during Xiang Yu’s tussle with General Han, her frustration evident.

"Master, you almost ruined this dress and it’s new," she said, her voice tinged with annoyance.

Xiang Yu glanced up from his book, his expression nonchalant. "It’s not that bad. After some washing it will look good as new," he replied.

Lian, who was also seated and reading, looked up with curiosity. "Master, what does it feel like to win against the general?" she asked.

He was about to answer when Baihe appeared at the carriage door. "Your Highness, General Han asked to speak to you," Baihe said, his voice trembling slightly. That’s because Han Xin’s cold gaze almost frightened him half to death.

Xiang Yu’s brow arched in mild surprise. "Tell him I am busy," he said, returning to his book.

Baihe hesitated, clearly intimidated by the general, but eventually turned to leave. Mei watched her master with a mix of curiosity and concern. "Master, why don’t you want to see him?" she asked.

Xiang Yu didn’t look up. "What do you mean, I don’t want to see him? I am busy reading," he said.

Lian giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Master, you took his money and don’t even want to see him."

Xiang Yu corrected her, "Borrowed , I borrowed his money. There is a difference."

Just then, Baihe returned, looking even more nervous. "The general said it’s important," he said.

Xiang Yu sighed, closing his book with a snap. "Fine," he said, getting up reluctantly. As he walked out, Lian and Mei exchanged amused glances, stifling their smiles.

They quickly pulled Baihe into the carriage, eager to know more. "What was the general’s mood like? What does he want from our master?" they asked in unison.

Baihe, looking bewildered, shook his head. "I have no idea what you are fussing over," he said.

Mei patted Baihe’s head, a teasing smile on her lips. "You innocent innocent child," she said, her tone affectionate.

Xiang Yu stepped out of the carriage, unaware that Baihe was being grilled for information. He scanned the area but did not immediately see Han Xin. It was only after taking a few steps that he spotted him standing awkwardly at a distance away from prying eyes. Xiang Yu walked over; his expression curious. "What is it?" he asked.

Han Xin cleared his throat, his eyes flickering with a mix of nerves and determination. "I wanted to check if you were okay after our sparring session," he said feeling extremely nervous.

Xiang Yu, fully aware of Han Xin’s interest in him, wasn’t oblivious to the signs. Growing up in an environment where he saw many men pursuing women, he recognised the telltale signals. It was just that he had a handful of women who pursued him and each time, he would shut them down directly.

This was the first time a man was interested in him. Granted, he was only interested in him because of who he was disguised as but still. "I am great, General. You shouldn’t worry so much," he replied, his tone light.

Han Xin’s gaze remained fixed on Peng Xiu, though his expression was carefully controlled. "I um... I wanted to give you something to make up for before," he said, gesturing towards a box resting on a nearby boulder.

Xiang Yu’s brows arched in surprise the situation feeling a little awkward. He watched as Han Xin walked over, picked up the box, and handed it to him. Xiang Yu smiled slightly. "Thank you," he said, but Han Xin’s expectant look made it clear he wanted him to open it.

Inside the box was a dress, adorned with beautiful royal blue and gold embroidery. The fabric felt soft and luxurious under his fingers. Xiang Yu was silent for a moment, taken aback by the gesture.

Growing up, he had seen countless men gift his mother things, and for a moment, he felt bad. How was he any different from his mother? He bit his lower lip, thinking unlike his mother’s situation, Han Xin wouldn’t even get anything in return.

Han Xin, misinterpreting the silence, lowered his head. "You don’t like it?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Xiang Yu quickly raised his head, realising what Han Xin was asking. "No, I like it. It’s beautiful," he said, his voice sincere. This was the first gift he had ever received other than from the twins and he hadn’t expected Han Xin to do something so thoughtful.