Chapter 374 - 320: If you see a sky lantern, it means my longing has come to play with you

"Xiao Mo, there’s no need to be so formal with me."

Qin Jingyuan smiled when he saw Xiao Mo accept his kind offer.

"Fine things are meant for fine men. Otherwise, what’s the difference between having them and just tossing them aside in a ditch? Not to mention, my sister is so fond of you.

Besides, Uncle Xiao is a Grand General I greatly admire, and you are his son. If there’s a small way I can help, of course I will."

Listening to the Second Prince, Xiao Mo didn’t reply, simply nodding with a faint smile.

"Well, I must be off to handle my duties. Why don’t you show Siyao around?" Qin Jingyuan patted Xiao Mo’s shoulder.

"Yes." Xiao Mo cupped his fist in a salute.

After Qin Jingyuan left, satisfied, Xiao Mo watched his back, his eyes narrowing slightly.

’Now that the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince have both come of age, the struggle for the throne is bound to intensify. If the Holy Emperor doesn’t name a successor soon, this won’t end well...’

"Xiao Mo, what’s wrong?" Qin Siyao asked curiously, blinking her large eyes as she watched him stand there in a daze.

"It’s nothing." Xiao Mo shook his head, pushing his thoughts aside. "Come on, Siyao, I’ll show you around the military camp."

"Mm-hmm!"

Qin Siyao nodded happily, staying obediently by Xiao Mo’s side.

Xiao Mo showed her his usual training grounds and explained how to use some of the military camp’s training equipment.

Qin Siyao listened with rapt attention as Xiao Mo explained it all.

Qin Siyao found it rather strange.

’I normally have no interest in any of this stuff, but when Xiao Mo talks about it, it all seems... a little interesting.’

When Qin Siyao saw Xiao Mo effortlessly lift a large stone weight, she wanted to try it too.

But even using all the strength she could muster, the stone weight didn’t budge an inch.

Xiao Mo smiled. "Siyao, just leave it. Be careful you don’t hurt your arms. This weight is made from Dragon-Suppressing Stone. It weighs 2,300 jin."

"Whew..." Qin Siyao paused, stunned to hear it weighed over two thousand jin, and immediately gave up.

’So it’s not that I’m too weak, it’s just that this stone is ridiculously heavy...’

She let out a deep breath, straightened up, and wiped the sweat from her brow. "Xiao Mo, is this how you train every day?"

"Our daily training isn’t as simple as just lifting it," Xiao Mo said honestly. "We have to run while dragging it, and it’s usually not even this light."

Qin Siyao: "..."

’He must be deliberately trying to crush my spirit.’

"Then what are these iron blocks tied to you?" Qin Siyao changed the subject, poking at the weights bound to Xiao Mo’s arms and legs.

"They’re made of Profound Iron," Xiao Mo explained. "It’s another form of weight training, but they also help suppress my Realm."

"I can definitely lift that," Qin Siyao said confidently.

"Oh, really? Go on, give it a try." Xiao Mo smiled, unstrapping one of the Profound Iron weights from his arm and tossing it to the ground.

"THUD!"

Qin Siyao felt the ground tremble as the Profound Iron weight hit it.

The heavy thud echoed as the weight slammed into the ground, leaving a small crater.

Startled, Qin Siyao immediately abandoned the idea, all her earlier confidence gone.

"Hey, Xiao Mo, let’s go over there!" Qin Siyao said, pointing to a small hill. Before Xiao Mo could even respond, she trotted off, as if terrified he would make her try to lift the block of Profound Iron.

Xiao Mo chuckled, reattaching the Profound Iron weight to the strap on his arm before following her.

Before long, the two were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on a small grassy hill.

The weather was perfect. Looking up, they saw a sky full of stars, like fine grains of sand scattered across a velvet curtain, or like the lanterns of ten thousand homes had floated up into the air.

The bright moon hanging high in the sky was also rounder and more brilliant than usual.

Its pure, bright light cascaded down, lending a gentle softness to the world and a touch of heroic grandeur to the grim, iron-willed military camp.

And in the camp below, even though the day’s training was officially over, some soldiers were still putting in extra practice.

"Xiao Mo, I’m sorry..."

As Xiao Mo and Qin Siyao gazed at the stars together, Qin Siyao hugged her knees, buried her face against them, and apologized.

"Why the sudden apology?" Xiao Mo asked, turning to her in confusion.

"Because... I asked my father, the Emperor, to let you into the Imperial Guard. But not only did he go back on his word, he sent you to the Iron Tiger Army instead, making you train so hard every day..."

Qin Siyao kept her head lowered, feeling more and more guilty with every word.

"Xiao Mo, why don’t you just scold me like my mother does? It might make me feel better. But only this once!"

"Is that what this is about?"

Xiao Mo wasn’t bothered at all.

"Siyao, it’s alright. The Imperial Guard wasn’t the right place for me anyway. No one would have accepted it.

The Iron Tiger Army, on the other hand, is a great fit.

Besides, I’m a Martial Cultivator. What’s a little tough training to me?

If I had to choose, I would still choose the Iron Tiger Army."

"Really?" Qin Siyao lifted her head, her eyes blinking as she looked at the young man beside her. "Xiao Mo, you’re really not mad at me?"

Xiao Mo nodded. "I’m really not mad at you."

"Hee hee, that’s wonderful! As long as you’re not mad, that’s all that matters. I knew you were the best, Xiao Mo!" Qin Siyao said, happily linking her arm through his.

Xiao Mo paid no mind to the girl’s innocent gesture.

’In another year or so,’ Xiao Mo thought, ’she’ll probably look back on how she always used to grab a boy’s arm like this and blush with embarrassment.’

"Siyao, it’s time for us to head back..."

Qin Jingyuan’s voice drifted over while Qin Siyao and Xiao Mo were still stargazing.

"I know!"

Qin Siyao called out in response before her lips formed a pout. With a dejected look, she said, "Xiao Mo, I... I have to go back to the palace. I don’t know when I’ll be able to see you next, but I’ll take every chance I get!"

"This is a restricted military area. You don’t have to come so often, Siyao," Xiao Mo said, feeling she shouldn’t force herself.

"But what if I want to come and see you, Xiao Mo?" Qin Siyao asked.

"Well..."

Just as Xiao Mo was trying to think of a way to appease her.

Qin Siyao’s eyes suddenly lit up. "Hey! I have an idea!"

"Xiao Mo, you have to promise me you’ll look up at the sky at this time every night," Qin Siyao said earnestly.

"Why?" Xiao Mo asked curiously.

"My mother told me that sky lanterns represent your thoughts of another person. So even if I can’t come see you, I’ll release a sky lantern every single night."

The young girl said happily.

"If you see a sky lantern, that means my thoughts have come to visit you!"