My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

Here is the English translation of the text:

The sound of hooves thundered like crashing waves, as the tall woman almost stormed her way into the military camp.

She waved her hand to dismiss nearly everyone, leaving only Min Ning to follow closely behind her.

Along the way, she felt that grasping and kneading sensation repeatedly, along with a subtle twisting and sudden pull.

Qin Qingluo's expression was dark; even if she were to turn into ashes, she'd still recognize that feeling.

As they approached the tent, the tall figure abruptly staggered, nearly falling to the ground. Her calves trembled, and Qin Qingluo clenched her teeth hard, fury burning in her serpent-like pupils.

She felt as if the foot inside her shoe was lightly scratched and slowly grazed by someone.

"Prince, are you… feeling unwell?" Min Ning asked with concern when she saw what had happened.

"It's nothing." Qin Qingluo narrowed her serpent-like pupils, gazed at Min Ning for a long moment, and then said, "Follow me."

She had a particular bond with Zhu E, and precisely because of this, she could also ensure their mutual safety.

The commander's tent was close at hand; although she was unclear about the circumstances inside, she was confident that Zhu E was not in mortal danger. Moreover… the movements of that person's hand hadn't gone too far.

Thus, Qin Qingluo allowed Min Ning to follow her.

She didn't have many chips to trade with Chen Yi, but she bet that Min Ning could be a usable pawn.

Qin Qingluo glanced sideways at Min Ning, who was dressed in official Feiyu robes.

The technique of disguising herself as a man was neither fine nor crude, something in-between. It could fool ordinary people but not Qin Qingluo, who had been presenting herself as the Prince of Annan for years.

Min Ning sensed her gaze and tightened her grip on the scroll in her hand.

"There's no need to panic; I merely… have some chronic ailments." Qin Qingluo coughed twice afterward.

Min Ning looked at her. Her pale complexion suggested severe illness; her cheeks, though slightly flushed, likely resulted from congestion.

"Do you have any medicine, Prince?" she asked.

"None, only… an 'old friend,'" Qin Qingluo replied through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, she trembled fiercely, her eyes widening. Her legs instinctively clamped inward, almost causing her to collapse to the ground.

She stared fixedly at the tent.

Inside the commander's tent, it seemed there was a pair of mocking eyes watching her.

A moment ago, it felt like she was being urged—why was she still outside the tent?

Qin Qingluo could only scream the name of that person in her heart.

She steadied herself silently. Her armor rubbed noisily with metallic sounds as the tall woman walked up to the tent. Seeing the shadow cast upon the curtain, it seemed the person inside had just stopped their hand movements.

The Prince of Annan slowly said, "Min Ning, go inside first."

Min Ning nodded slightly, still confused by Qin Qingluo's earlier words. When did Chen Yi start treating illnesses, let alone curing this distant prince's chronic ailment?

Initially, when she had seen the painting, Min Ning didn't believe Chen Yizhen to be any kind of old friend. Chen Yi had made great contributions by saving the emperor and had even killed spies from the An Nan Royal Mansion. Reasonably, he should be a sworn enemy. Yet Qin Qingluo called him an old friend, treating her with courtesy along the way. Min Ning touched her forehead, finding her thoughts tangled and difficult to unravel.

Could it be… Qin Qingluo painted the wrong person? Or perhaps that old friend simply bore a resemblance to Chen Yi?

A few strokes of ink, after all, could hardly capture a person's spirit.

Moreover… Chen Yi had stayed in the Capital City for years. How could he have any involvement with the Prince of Annan?

Min Ning calmed her mind, slowly lifted the curtain, and entered, only to find herself wide-eyed in shock.

She drew out the painting from her chest pocket and compared it closely for some time.

A female prince's low voice reached her ears:

"Look… isn't he strikingly similar?"

As she spoke, Qin Qingluo snatched the painting from Min Ning's hand, raising it slowly until the image and Chen Yi's face nearly aligned.

"Tell me, isn't he my old friend?"

Min Ning was dumbfounded for a moment, blinked, compared them again, and said:

"He really does… look so alike."

Qin Qingluo's lips curled into a cold smile before she locked her gaze firmly on Chen Yi.

Min Ning felt bewildered, but realization washed over her suddenly. She shivered slightly, looking at Chen Yi in disbelief.

Why did she feel that the atmosphere here seemed a bit… off?

Chen Yi didn't speak, only glanced at Min Ning before shifting his gaze to Qin Qingluo.

The tall woman returned with a cold glare, her hand slightly raised as if poised to unleash swift and deadly force, enough to kill Min Ning on the spot.

Chen Yi merely chuckled and then snapped his fingers.

Qin Qingluo's legs quivered violently; her nerves tightened between moments unguarded. Her knees buckled, dropping her down on one knee.

"What need is there for such a grand gesture?" Chen Yi quickly moved forward, speaking with a leisurely tone.

Qin Qingluo's trembling gaze drifted to the area behind the curtain, her face pale as paper.

Just one snap from Chen Yi, and Aunt Zhu… did that…

Qin Qingluo felt her heart plummet into despair.

Chen Yi slowly stepped closer, looking down at her with a smile lingering on his face.

The towering woman remained silent, her trembling fingers swept by a chill coming from below.

Aunt Zhu had fallen for him to such depths…

What kind of enemy had she brought upon herself…?

Chen Yi reached out and gently helped the female prince up before turning toward Min Ning to ask:

"Why are you here?"

When Chen Yi's hand touched her, Qin Qingluo froze momentarily, her expression unchanged as she replied:

"I happened to encounter Min Ning on my way and, considering she is your colleague, brought her along."

Min Ning thought for a moment. The explanation seemed fine to her, so she nodded.

Seeing that Min Ning was well, Chen Yi joked with a smile, "Uninvited, I hope the Prince won't mind."

"I should instead blame you for your poor timing."

"Poor timing?"

"You came too late."

Qin Qingluo laughed lightly, chastising him, while Chen Yi chuckled in return, apologizing repeatedly. It was as though the two were old friends separated only briefly, their silent understanding borne from years of familiarity.

Min Ning clutched the painting as she looked between Chen Yi and the Prince of Annan.

On the surface, things appeared harmonious, truly like a pair of old friends…

As her thoughts stirred, they spiraled into avenues of doubt. At first, Min Ning didn't pay much attention, but as she pondered further, inconsistencies began to arise.

If Chen Yi and the Prince of Annan were genuinely old friends, the latter—a notorious scheming rebel and treacherous figure—shouldn't have any ties with him. Yet Chen Yi had connected with them… Was it possible that Chen Yi had been conspiring all along?

Min Ning felt her heart skip a beat.

When she asked Chen Yi about Chou Gang's affair, he hesitated before confirming its connection to the Prince of Annan.

It was clear he hadn't been home for several days, whereabouts unknown, during the same period when Chou Gang had gone missing.

Thinking about this, Min Ning suddenly felt an unbearable heaviness…

…Could it be that he had conspired with the Prince of Annan to murder Chou Gang, the Zige Bureau Minister?

The answer seemed self-evident. Min Ning's throat tightened, her fingers trembling faintly, and mixed emotions consumed her. For the first time, she felt she might have misjudged him. The thought arose before she forcibly suppressed it—had she truly misjudged him?

Yes… or perhaps not? Min Ning was unsure, her chest constricted, and she lowered her head in silence.

Meanwhile, Chen Yi had already helped Qin Qingluo over to the main chair in the tent, letting her sit down slowly.

The tall woman's gaze grew venomous, as if she wanted to tear Chen Yi apart.

Chen Yi made a motion as if to snap his fingers.

Qin Qingluo clenched her fists and rasped, "Aren't you afraid of dying?"

Her words hinted at the hidden experts from the prince's mansion scattered throughout the military camp.

"I won't die." Chen Yi spoke softly through secret transmission, his tone mocking, before snapping his fingers again.

Qin Qingluo shuddered violently, her clenched fists relaxing, only to crush the chair's armrest in her grip.

She gritted her teeth and hissed, "Such audacity."

Chen Yi smiled with utter calm, his eyes unperturbed, as he spoke:

"I wasn't threatening her."

Such a succinct remark fell into the female prince's ears, her enraged and violent gaze shrinking as she momentarily paled.

Chen Yi watched her visibly crumble with a smile.

Qin Qingluo seemed like a lost soul, her face ashen, like an aged lion surrendering in defeat, her gaze scattering into emptiness.

Until...

Chen Yi tugged at the roots of her ponytail.

Qin Qingluo trembled instantly, her fingers twitching as she glared at Chen Yi.

From a distance, Min Ning turned her head back, but the distance was too far, and with both of them conversing in secret transmission, she couldn't perceive what had occurred.

Qin Qingluo's fingers brushed against the cracked armrest. In a hoarse voice, she said, "What do you want?"

"For the Prince to enjoy themselves several times before departing," Chen Yi chuckled.

The female prince locked her murderous gaze onto Chen Yi, offering an ironic smile, "I assumed your ambitions were large. Never did I expect you to be so utterly devoid of even a shred of vision."

"My vision is certainly less than yours," Chen Yi replied dismissively to her disdain. "So... I compensate with form."

Qin Qingluo's fury was forcing her to laugh.

Then, as abruptly as her killing intent had surged, it dissipated. Her expression returned to calm, her resolve firm as she said, "When and where?"

"Anytime, anywhere," Chen Yi answered.

Qin Qingluo's demeanor remained tranquil. Suppressing her nausea with ease, she raised her chin slightly with one hand and asked, "Then what do you plan to do now?"

Chen Yi smiled and said, "First, I'll drink wine with the Princess. Night has fallen, my colleague must be hungry, so you'll serve fine wine and good food and entertain her properly. By the way, she's a woman."

To avoid Qin Qingluo misunderstanding, Chen Yi intentionally explained some of the details.

Even though she understood, the female prince's eyes flashed with intense anger. He knew about the psychic bond between the two women but never expected Chen Yi to humiliate her in such a way.

"Does this amuse you?" Qin Qingluo sneered coldly.

Chen Yi only smiled in silence.

The humiliation stemmed entirely from their enmity.

Whether it was the disgrace of losing his wife or the grudge over his shattered spear, their hatred ran deeper than the ocean.

Yet oddly enough, it was she who carried his child.

Of course, he had considered gentler approaches but ultimately abandoned them. The reason was simple—flattering her wouldn't work.

For a woman like Qin Qingluo, no matter the effort to compliment her, she'd at best appear approachable and polite. Even if offered treasures by the thousands, she might not truly respect you in her heart.

Chen Yi smiled faintly and said:

"Remember to endure it. Don't let her find out... or my loyal and courageous reputation will be ruined."

She scoffed at him:

"What a loyal and courageous Chen Zunming."