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The pouring rain, mixed with mud and stones, rushed down the mountain. The sound of people grew more distant, heading straight for the summit. The opportunity had finally arrived, but the price was so heavy, so unbearable.
I must escape, because I cannot die.
The weather triggered a relapse of her heart condition, the pain several times worse than before. Yan Chu acted as if she didn’t feel it, desperately running down the mountain, but she didn’t expect to step into a void. She tumbled down the slope.
Pain spread throughout her body; she didn’t know where she was hurt.
Yan Chu didn’t care. In a way, this self-inflicted pain alleviated the suffering in her heart.
“Are you sad seeing this result?” The hem of a black robe came into her view.
“It’s you!” Yan Chu was overjoyed and forced herself to sit up. “You’ve come.”
“It’s me, my disciple has come to save you.”
Hope was rekindled. Yan Chu grabbed the black robe. “Hurry and save Qiuying! Save her!”
Xiao Yan refused to move. “Why should I save her?”
“I beg you!”
“There are so many of them. How can you be so cruel as to send your disciple into danger?”
Her most solemn and humble plea was met with a theatrical, childish response. Yan Chu could no longer control herself, her expression verging on madness. “Why are you like this? Why can’t you save her?”
“Master, this is meaningless,” Xiao Yan said with a look of difficulty. “By betraying the emperor, she is sure to die. If she sees me again, the emperor will be even less likely to spare her. The Land of Eternity won’t protect her.”
Yan Chu said, “No, save her. I can’t let her die!”
“She is not my master, so her life or death is of no concern to me.” Xiao Yan curled his lips, bent down, and picked her up. He easily avoided the guards at the foot of the mountain and stopped a few miles from Jingshan.
Through the curtain of rain, he looked at the top of Jingshan. The dense imperial guards were already moving down the mountain, declaring the final outcome and bringing a deep sense of despair.
Yan Chu closed her eyes weakly and said one word at a time, “Put me down.”
Xiao Yan said, “You’re angry.”
“You’re a heartless bastard!” Yan Chu struggled out of his arms, clenched her fists, and cursed coldly. “You’re a lunatic! A demon! Get out, get away from me!”
Xiao Yan said, “You ungrateful woman, have you forgotten that I saved your life? You should be grateful, not angry.”
As if hit by a sudden blow, Yan Chu stared blankly at the beautiful and hateful demon in front of her.
“You’re blaming me for saving one person less,” Xiao Yan lifted his hand to brush the rainwater from his forehead, looking a little hurt. “Master, you’re too partial. I’m also your disciple, but you’re asking me to risk my life for someone else. Is she more important than me?”
His tone and expression made it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood, but the sarcasm was palpable.
Yan Chu nodded in confusion. “You’re right, I was wrong.”
When her own life had to be saved by someone else, what right did she have to blame others? Going through the process of loss again, she realized that it still hurt. Everything that was happening reminded her of her neglect and mistakes.
“It’s my fault, I caused it,” Yan Chu murmured to herself, turned, and walked forward in a daze.
She didn’t know how far she had gone. Her vision became blurred, and her consciousness slowly faded. Her legs moved forward uncontrollably, like a zombie.
I must return to the city. I must be safe.
A hand gently pushed her back, and she fell forward, completely unaware.
Xiao Yan picked her up again and laughed softly, “Well then, shall we go see the person you trust?”
The familiar palace still held familiar scents, but the familiar person was gone. The once seductive smiles and flattery would probably never be seen again.
In the sound of the rain, the flowers outside the railing were in full bloom. Emperor Yan stood by the railing, and the attendants behind him did not dare to speak.
Colluding with an enemy state—the evidence was conclusive, but the person had changed from someone else to her.
He finally couldn’t help but probe, and this result dissatisfied him, or perhaps he was satisfied with it.
The fragrance of the flowers was like a thorn. He had not misjudged her. He had kept her by his side for many years, watching her sow chaos in the imperial harem and frame Xiao Qi. He had given her the greatest indulgence, yet he still could not earn her loyalty. She truly was a beautiful snake who could not be tamed.
She was just a concubine. As a dignified emperor with countless beauties in his harem, why should he care about a woman who did not belong to him?
Emperor Yan reached out and snapped a flower branch, saying indifferently, “Consort Ying has passed away due to a relapse of her old illness.”
He paused.
“All of her attendants will be buried with her.”
When the wind and rain reached the Land of Eternity, they became much gentler and more elegant. Envoy Lan held an umbrella, leading an old man with a youthful face and white hair across a stone bridge into a small pavilion by the stream.
The room was very quiet. The embroidered bed was clean and soft, and Yan Chu was covered with a thick brocade quilt. Her face was as pale as ice, and there was a thin layer of frost on her hair and eyelashes. There were bloodstains on her forehead where she had been hit, and she looked extremely haggard.
Envoy Lan respectfully said, “Lord of the Game, the feather doctor has been invited.”
As a doctor, the old man was very sensitive. Feeling the cold air coming from the bed, he quickly glanced at the unconscious Yan Chu, frowned slightly, and then looked away. He bowed to the person in the chair first. “Lord Xiling.”
Lord Xiling calmly accepted the bow. “For so many years, it’s been difficult to find any trace of the feather doctor. We are very grateful for your trouble this time.”
The feather doctor smiled obsequiously. “I am happy to help, but Lord Xiling is so skilled in medicine. Why would you need an old man like me?”
“This woman has both a new illness and an old condition. I am still uncertain. I need the feather doctor to take the trouble to diagnose her.” Lord Xiling deliberately emphasized the words “old condition” and personally pushed a cup of hot tea toward him.
How could the feather doctor dare to drink this cup of tea? He quickly thanked him and suggested seeing the patient first. After Lord Xiling nodded, he put away his smile and became serious. He quickly walked to the bed and sat down in the chair that had been prepared. He carefully examined the patient’s complexion, then reached out to take her pulse, closing his eyes to feel it carefully.
After a long while, his hand finally withdrew.
The feather doctor reopened his eyes and looked at Lord Xiling in surprise. Seeing that he showed no reaction, he had to bite the bullet and tell the truth. “This woman was afflicted with the Ice Dissolution technique, and her heart meridian is damaged. Her physique as a citizen of the Yan Kingdom can no longer bear it. After that, she was hit by a Wind-Execution Arrow from the Mu Feng Kingdom, and an extreme cold entered her body. I suspect she may have been injured by the ice flow of the Extreme Ice Kingdom. Now, the new injury has triggered an evil cold, and the cold air has spread to her internal organs under the catalysis of the Ice Dissolution technique. She also practiced the Refined Fire Healing technique, so I’m afraid...” He stopped there.
Lord Xiling motioned for him to continue.
“I’m afraid she won’t live for more than five years,” the feather doctor said cautiously, then added, “There are many elixirs in the Land of Eternity, and Lord Xiling has profound cultivation. If you are truly determined to extend her life, it might be possible.”
Seeing that Lord Xiling’s expression had not changed, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, “And she seems to have forgotten her past. It seems she mistakenly took...”
“That’s enough,” Lord Xiling interrupted him. “Is that all?”
The feather doctor understood and immediately stopped talking about amnesia, continuing to give his diagnosis. “Also, this woman had an abortion many years ago. If I’m not mistaken, she took the Rouge Pill, but because of the overdose, her uterus was damaged, and she will probably never be able to conceive again.”
The room was silent.
Lord Xiling said, “Is there nothing else?”
The feather doctor bowed. “That’s all I can diagnose. Lord Xiling also understands medicine, so I don’t think you need me to prescribe any medicine.”
Lord Xiling nodded. “See the feather doctor out.”
Envoy Lan reminded him, “Should we also ask the feather doctor to take a look at Princess Fuling...”
Lord Xiling repeated, “See the feather doctor out.”
The implication was clear. Envoy Lan did not dare to say more, thinking that he might have other arrangements. He respectfully said “Please” to the feather doctor, and the feather doctor also bowed and left. The two walked out of the room together.
The person on the bed was still unresponsive, her breath faint.
After a long time, Lord Xiling also got up and walked out of the door.
Behind him, the table and chairs suddenly collapsed, and the teapot and cups turned into dust.
In the small garden, the pavilions were exquisite. Red flowers bloomed among the green leaves on the trees. In the rain, the flowers looked deeper in color than usual, and one or two petals occasionally fell from the branches.
A young woman sat in a wheelchair, with a maid holding a silk umbrella beside her.
Her purple clothes had been replaced with a pure and beautiful white robe. Her face was powdered, her eyebrows were dark, and her cherry lips were like flower petals. She sat there motionless, her expression calm, but a hint of anxiety could be seen in her eyes. Her delicate fingers were tightly clenched.
Noticing her tension, the maid holding the umbrella comforted her, “This time, the Lord of the Game has found the feather doctor. The princess’s leg injury will definitely be healed.”
The woman bit her lip and didn’t speak, feeling even more annoyed.
Just then, another maid in yellow rushed in to report. “Princess, the feather doctor has left.”
Hearing this, the woman’s eyes flickered. Her clenched fingers quietly relaxed, and she let out a soft breath. Her brows gradually unfurrowed.
“He’s gone?” The first maid was surprised. “Then what about the princess’s legs?”
The maid in yellow said, “Envoy Lan told us not to worry and that the Lord of the Game has a way to cure her.”
“I see,” the first maid was relieved and couldn’t help but say, “It’s rare to find the feather doctor. I thought it was for the princess, but I didn’t expect...”
The maid in yellow looked uneasy and whispered, “Since she didn’t die, could the Lord of the Game... already know?”
Hearing their conversation, the woman in the wheelchair looked quite upset.
The design of this plot was not afraid of him knowing, as long as Yue Xiluo died, everything would be resolved. She hadn’t expected a mishap, that the person was still alive. It would be difficult to act again, and his resentment toward her had deepened. She hadn’t gained any advantage at all.
After taking the medicine, Yan Chu remained in a coma. She would occasionally wake up in a daze for a moment, covered in a cold sweat, and then lose consciousness again. This went on for two days and two nights before she gradually got better.
After she was truly sober, she didn’t ask anything. She just sat quietly by the window, watching the stream flow, her expression unreadable.
She knew she had never been so clear-headed.
She clearly saw that many things in her heart were drifting away, and she no longer wanted to hold on to them. After losing everything, what was left was easier to change.
The dusk brought the sound of a zither. The melody was familiar. The person playing the zither on the弈崖 (Yi Cliff) must be the same, but the trust had begun to waver.
Envoy Lan walked in and saw her. “Your body is weak, it’s not good for you to sit for a long time. You should go back to bed and lie down.”
Yan Chu slowly stood up and bowed. “Thank you for all your trouble. I am very ashamed.”
Envoy Lan hurriedly said, “You are too polite. This is all at the Lord of the Game’s command.”
Yan Chu asked, “Was it Xiao Yan who brought me here?”
Envoy Lan nodded. “Your old illness relapsed, and Lord Yanxie sent you here for treatment.”
“Where is he?”
“Lord Yuanjun left after bringing you here.”
Yan Chu thought for a moment and asked, “Is it still possible for that withered flower pot that Lord Xiling gave him to bear fruit?”
“The flower has been broken, but it is not withered or dead. The possibility of it bearing fruit is very small. I can’t believe Lord Yuanjun, with his strange temperament, is interested in it. The Lord of the Game was right,” Envoy Lan paused and then advised, “Since it has happened, you must take care of yourself.”
Yan Chu smiled. “What are you trying to say, Envoy Lan?”
“Nothing, just... the Lord of the Game said that your old injury is very serious, and you shouldn’t take it lightly.” Envoy Lan smiled and gave a perfunctory answer, then reminded her to take her medicine on time.
Yan Chu knew her condition very well. The onset of this injury was more serious than usual, and she probably didn’t have much time left. “I want to see Lord Xiling.”
Envoy Lan hesitated for a moment, then agreed. “I will go and inform the Lord of the Game for you.”
After he left, Yan Chu immediately bathed and changed her clothes, waiting quietly in the room. However, there was no news from Lord Xiling. In the evening, when the maid was serving dinner, an attendant came to convey a message. “Lord Xiling is busy and can’t see you right now. He asks you to rest assured and get well first.”
In the bedroom of the Dingwang Estate, the maids unfolded the new clothes to look at them. The silk was beautiful and smooth, and the embroidery was exquisite. Liuyu sat on the bed, trying to look appreciative, but her eyes kept glancing at the door, a trace of schadenfreude on her lips.
Xiao Qi had rushed into the palace after returning from Jingshan, and the woman was not with him.
Yue Xiluo, didn’t you know how to be a show-off? You didn’t die once, so I’ll let you die a second time! You lost a hundred years ago, and you are destined to lose now!
Triumph spread in her heart, almost beyond her control.
A shadow moved outside the curtain, and a maid entered the room to report. “Madam, the King is back.”
Seeing that Liuyu was about to give instructions to prepare his clothes, the maid quickly smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Madam. Someone from the Land of Eternity has arrived, and the King is still in the hall meeting with the guest. He will be in later.”
Liuyu said “Oh” and casually asked, “Why did the Land of Eternity send someone?”
The maid said, “I heard that Miss Yan Chu has been kept by Lord Xiling and won’t be able to return to the estate for a few days, so they sent someone to let us know.”
“What!” Liuyu’s expression changed dramatically, and she suddenly stood up.
“Madam?” The maid was confused.
Liuyu knew she had lost her composure. She bit her lip and slowly sat back down.
Yue Xiluo wasn’t dead, so something must have gone wrong. Could it be that the two attendants who led her away were not the people she had arranged? She didn’t go to Jingshan, but returned to the Land of Eternity instead? Was it a mistake?
Half surprised, half unwilling, Liuyu’s face was tense, and her fingers subconsciously started to exert force, almost tearing the new clothes.
Lord Xiling must have noticed this matter. Then Xiao Qi...
While she was worrying, she suddenly heard footsteps outside. The beaded curtain was lifted sharply, rattling as Xiao Qi walked quickly into the room, smelling of rain and carrying the coldness of the wind.
Liuyu felt a little guilty and subconsciously dropped the clothes. “You... you’re back?”
Xiao Qi said in a low voice, “Everyone, leave.”
The maids knew something important was happening and quickly exited the room.
Liuyu forced a smile and went to help him change his clothes. “Where have you been?”
Xiao Qi grabbed her hand. “Who gave you that letter?”
Liuyu’s heart sank. She turned her face away and pretended to be confused. “What letter? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Xiao Qi said, “The letter you had someone present to His Majesty the day before yesterday.”
Liuyu said, “She provoked someone from the Land of Eternity herself. What does that have to do with me!”
Xiao Qi frowned. “Is it someone from the Land of Eternity? Is someone from the Land of Eternity trying to harm her?”
Emperor Yan had given a sufficient reason for the crime of treason, except that the criminal had temporarily become Consort Ying. The only thing he didn’t understand was that the letter actually had the official seal of the Mu Feng Kingdom’s general’s residence. This was something that ordinary people couldn’t do. It couldn’t have come from Liuyu. It turned out that the mastermind behind the scenes was from the Land of Eternity, which made sense.
Liuyu saw this and her face turned cold. She said sarcastically, “Didn’t you say she wasn’t Yue Xiluo? Why are you so nervous?”
Xiao Qi was choked with anger. “You know very well...”
“I don’t know anything,” Liuyu interrupted him. “Or, have you known all along that she is Yue Xiluo?”
Xiao Qi closed his eyes for a moment, trying to soften his voice. “Yuer, you said you didn’t mind back then, that as long as you could be by my side, and as long as she could accept you into the household, it would be enough.”
Liuyu said, “Yes, I said that. But now you care about her more than me. You clearly can’t forget your old feelings for her!”
Xiao Qi said, “Don’t you know whether I care about you? It’s precisely because I can’t forget my old feelings that I don’t want to fail you. I have never fulfilled my duties as a husband to her, I neglected her, and I abandoned her life. The entire Yue family died for me, so for a hundred years, I have been ashamed to face her memorial tablet. Now that she has finally come back alive, I should treat her better, and the Yue army cannot have any problems. It is best if she can forgive us. After all, you and I have wronged her, and it is right to make amends.”
“Amends?” Liuyu sneered. “How will you make amends? By restoring her status as the princess and making me bow and greet her every day?”
“I knew you felt wronged, which is why I welcomed you into the household with a floral crown ceremony. Your status is now equal to that of a princess, and you only lack the title. If you were dissatisfied, you should have discussed it with me. You should not have tried to harm her life!” Xiao Qi’s voice finally carried a hint of anger. “She is my wife. As long as she is willing to publicly acknowledge her identity, she can kick you out of the Yunze family just for the crime of plotting to murder the lady of the house, and even I wouldn’t be able to protect you. Don’t you understand that the laws of the Yan Kingdom are known to everyone?”
Liuyu’s face turned pale when she heard this, but she still argued, “There is no Yue family to support her now, so what are you afraid of! She is clearly trying to reclaim the Yue army to take revenge on us, but you can’t bear to kill her...”
“You!” Xiao Qi raised his hand.
“You’re going to hit me?” Liuyu flinched slightly, her eyes instantly turning red.
It was hard to imagine that the weak woman he had always wanted to protect would become like this, speaking of killing so easily. Xiao Qi was also muddled with anger. When he calmed down, he knew it was wrong. He finally put his hand down and let out a soft breath. “To harm a person’s life just out of jealousy, Qin Chuan Liuyu, when did you become like this? So vicious!”
With that, he flicked his sleeves and left.
Liuyu stood there blankly for a long time before she sank back onto the bed weakly, clenching her fists tightly.
Vicious? He called her vicious? Yue Xiluo had clearly come back to take revenge on him, but he called her vicious! He even called her Qin Chuan Liuyu! Had he forgotten that she had changed her surname to Yunze when she married into the Yunze family?
On the弈崖 (Yi Cliff), the person playing the zither sat in the wind and rain, their back looking lonely. The zither’s sound was heavy and carried a hint of coldness, with a vague murderous intent. The woman in the wheelchair pursed her lips even tighter, her face becoming even paler.
An attendant cautiously stepped forward to remind him, “Lord of the Game, Princess Fuling has arrived.”
The zither music stopped abruptly. The woman’s fingers gripping the fan tightened even more.
Lord Xiling motioned for the attendant to take the zither away, and then he stood up and looked at her. “Wanyu.”
Fuling Wanyu was silent for a moment, as if she had made up her mind. She moved the wheelchair forward and said expressionlessly, “I did this. I wanted to kill her. You don’t have to blame anyone else.”
The coldness in his eyes flashed and disappeared, but Lord Xiling’s expression was still gentle. “After all these years, you still haven’t forgotten.”
“I had already forgotten, but you haven’t. She harmed me like this, and you still...” Fuling Wanyu became emotional. “You even punished my people for her. What am I supposed to think! Xiling Fengqi, who risked violating a great crime to save you when the Xiling clan was wiped out a hundred years ago! How many people from my Fuling clan died to help you seize power and become emperor, to help your Xiling clan unify the Five Spirit Realms? Now you act without any regard for my feelings. Are you worthy of them?”
Lord Xiling’s tone became flat. “I have not forgotten the kindness of the Fuling Grand Tutor. The Fuling clan has been prominent in the Ice Kingdom to this day, and you have also become a princess.”
Fuling Wanyu turned her face away. “An empty title of princess, is that your compensation? I don’t care for it!”
Lord Xiling said, “You can become a real princess at any time. Which country do you want to go to?”
Realizing she had said the wrong thing, Fuling Wanyu calmed herself down and cried with her head bowed. “You know I didn’t mean that. My father entrusted me to you back then. I was willing to follow you to the Land of Eternity and never wanted to leave. I’m just... angry and hate her. If it weren’t for her, how would I have become like this for no reason!”
Lord Xiling looked at her legs. “I will cure you.”
Fuling Wanyu said in a low voice, “I don’t blame you either. All these years have passed, but seeing you still having ties to her, saving her life, hiding her in the Land of Eternity for a hundred years, and now protecting her everywhere... how can I not care?”
Lord Xiling said, “She has already paid the price for suffering from the Ice Dissolution technique. I will not pursue this matter, but there must not be a next time, otherwise, it will ruin my plans.”
Fuling Wanyu quickly said, “Since you won’t pursue it, what about my maids...”
“I punished them not for her sake,” Lord Xiling said. “Using my name to use the official seal of the Mu Feng Kingdom’s general’s residence requires an explanation to the general’s residence. If you insist on protecting your people, you can go out and explain it to them yourself.”
Fuling Wanyu said anxiously, “They have served me for many years after all.”
Lord Xiling said, “Their actions were careless and caused trouble. There’s nothing to be sad about. I will find two more people to serve you.”
Knowing that she couldn’t save them, Fuling Wanyu had no choice but to give them up. Wiping away her tears, she said, “I was just so angry when I suddenly saw her that I couldn’t control myself and acted impulsively. You can protect anyone else, but not her. I... I just want you to understand.”
“I have always regarded you as my own little sister,” Lord Xiling said gently to comfort her, then called an attendant. “See the princess back.”
Fuling Wanyu’s beautiful eyes were ice-cold as she tightly gripped the armrest of the wheelchair.
Little sister...
Yan Chu’s external injuries were not severe. After taking the medicine, her old illness also eased. After lunch the next day, she still didn’t see Lord Xiling. She finally couldn’t help it and decided to go and ask to see him herself.
Stepping outside, she realized that this was a small pavilion built on a stream. It had railings on three sides, and the windows overlooked the stream. Sparse green bamboo lined the stream, and a small path led to a stone bridge. On both sides, there were several clusters of strange flowers that resembled peonies. The rain had not stopped in the evening, and the cold rain was like needles, embroidering countless shades of purple and red among the green leaves.
In the rustling sound, the surrounding scenery was full of desolation. She thought that Lord Xiling had arranged her here because of the peacefulness of the place, which was suitable for recuperation.
Unconsciously, she crossed the stone bridge and turned around the mountain pass. The number of people on the road ahead gradually increased. Attendants and maids in twos and threes were holding simple umbrellas, moving between the pavilions and corridors. The light colors were as pure as the rain. In the Land of Eternity, Yan Chu had been ordered not to walk around freely for a hundred years, spending most of her time cultivating in a cave. Seeing this scene, she couldn’t help but be stunned.
The exit of the Land of Eternity to the Yan Kingdom was a stone gate. The inside of the gate was misty and unclear, and once a person stepped out, they would be in the outside world.
Yan Chu hesitated at the door.
“Miss Yan Chu?” A shadow appeared over her head. Envoy Lan stood there with an umbrella. “The Lord of the Game has commanded that you stay here to recuperate and are not allowed to leave for the time being.”
His voice was extremely gentle, but the words he conveyed had an irresistible tone, and one could even feel the commanding tone the person was accustomed to using.
Yan Chu quickly asked, “When will Lord Xiling be able to see me?”
“The Lord of the Game will come to see you when he has time,” Envoy Lan said, pointing to another small door not far away to change the subject. “If you are bored, I can take you for a walk in Fengling?”
Yan Chu knew he couldn’t make the decision, so she didn’t refuse his kindness. “Thank you, Envoy Lan.”
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