[Fantasy] The Harem is in Chaos (Complete) - 17

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Chapter 68, Making Her Miscarry...

"Hey, do you really think you're a pig? Sleeping day and night!"

"Get up, take me to eat."

"Get up quickly, I'm out of money, and you stole yesterday's food. I've been starving all day, do you know that?"

"If you keep pretending to be dead, I'll lose it! Do you hear me?"

...

On the second floor of the inn, Li Yue lay on the bed covered by the blanket, while Su Yingge stood beside her, chattering incessantly.

Li Yue was already in a low mood, but his annoyance made her even angrier. She threw off the blanket, jumped up, and grabbed Su Yingge's collar, asking, "Su Yingge, are you gay?"

Su Yingge was startled by her sudden action and stared wide-eyed, saying, "You're either lying dead or coming back to life. Can't you do anything else?"

"I'm asking you if you're gay!" Li Yue shouted impatiently.

"Whether I am or not, what's it to you?" Su Yingge asked curiously.

"If you really are gay, then marry me." Li Yue looked at him, but her eyes held a hint of confusion.

Su Yingge was startled, then raised his hand to touch her forehead, only to be brushed away by Li Yue.

Seeing her expression, Su Yingge frowned, about to speak, but Li Yue released him again, laughing teasingly, "Scared silly already? Coward!" She turned and went to the table to pour herself a glass of water.

Su Yingge watched her retreating figure; her expression and tone just now didn't seem like a joke, but rather like she was suppressing something. "What were you doing squatting outside the clinic just now?" he asked.

"Mind your own business," Li Yue replied, finishing her water and turning to walk towards the door.

Su Yingge leaned forward, his long, slender fingers precisely pressing towards her wrist.

Li Yue spun away, standing by the door, looking at him without a trace of emotion, and said, "Young Master Su, I don't want to seduce you, so, if there's nothing else, please stay away from me, okay?" Stepping out

of the room, she looked up at the azure sky; the sun was shining brightly, the sky cloudless—a beautiful day.

She closed her eyes, let out a soft sigh, and decided to give herself some time to think carefully about whether or not to keep the child.

Su Yingge stood outside the door, watching her figure disappear down the corridor. He instinctively felt that something had happened between her departure yesterday and their reunion today, and this event was clearly causing her great distress. What exactly happened?

Hmm, he would ask the doctor at the clinic; perhaps he would have an answer.

Li Yue had been wandering around all day and only returned to the inn at night.

She planned to go to the palace tonight to investigate the security situation at the Dowager Consort's palace and the best route out of the palace. Before taking action, one must fully understand the opponent's situation; this was an experience she had gained over the years from numerous assassination missions, and it was also the secret to her repeated escapes unscathed.

Pushing open her room door, she found Su Yingge sitting inside.

The room was dark, and in the dim light, she could only vaguely make out his figure, sitting stiffly at the table, motionless.

She frowned, closed the door, lit the oil lamp on the corner of the table, turned to look at Su Yingge, and asked, "What exactly do you want?"

"Ye Qianxun, or Huangfu Jue?" he asked without raising his eyes.

Li Yue walked past him, rummaged through her bundle and pulled out her night clothes, coldly saying, "What's it to you?"

A gust of wind whistled behind her, "Answer me!" He pulled her over and pressed her against the bed frame, his face somewhat ashen.

Li Yue's brows furrowed halfway, about to erupt in anger, but seeing his unsteady breathing, she smiled slightly, "Su Yingge, you really like me, don't you?"

Su Yingge's gaze froze.

Li Yue pushed away his hands that were pressing her down, stared at him and said, "I don't want to hear your answer, because you're not suitable for me at all. Go home." She

turned around and began to change into her night clothes in front of him.

"You're planning to give birth to this child, and neither of them is willing to marry you, so that's why you asked me to marry you this morning?" Su Yingge was silent for a moment, then her voice turned indifferent.

“That’s right, but I’ve changed my mind.” Li Yue quickly changed her clothes and tied her leggings, turning around to tie her hair as she said, “An unfit father is worse than no father at all.”

“I advise you not to give birth to this child.” Su Yingge actually wanted to be alone to calm down, but he didn’t know why he was staying here talking to her like this.

“You’re meddling too much.” Li Yue quickly tidied herself up, grabbed a short blade, and was about to leave.

“Is it worth it?” He frowned, watching her back as she asked.

Li Yue stopped, and after a moment, slowly turned around, smiling proudly, and said, “I only care about whether I want to do things, I never care about whether it’s worth it.”

*

Scaling walls and scaling rooftops, relying on her extraordinary ability to combine maps with the actual terrain, Li Yue stealthily made her way through the palace’s backyard under the cover of night, and soon arrived at the Dowager Consort’s palace, “Shuanghua Palace,” marked on the map.

This should be a cold palace; not only was it in a remote location, but there were only four guards outside the palace gate, and not even a single patrol team. The palace was silent and devoid of any sign of life.

This suited Li Yue perfectly, saving her a lot of trouble during the rescue.

With her light-footed skills, she could easily slip into the palace, avoiding the guards' notice. After moving around the dimly lit, empty hall for a while, she heard a soft cough and followed the sound.

Turning past the jade screen depicting the Five Relationships, a large rosewood bed, over five feet wide and draped with pale yellow gauze, came into view. A middle-aged woman reclined on the plain-patterned pillows, her face lightly made up, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, her long hair loose, and her figure thin—clearly someone who had been ill for a long time.

Another elegantly dressed young girl sat on the edge of the bed, holding the beautiful woman's hand and whispering something. Upon closer inspection, it was Jiang Hanyu.

This must be Consort Xian, Huangfu Jue's mother. In such a state… even if she managed to escape the palace and flee the pursuers, whether she could survive until she reached Zhuwu Gate was another matter. If Su Yingge could lend a helping hand, it shouldn't be a problem. But… seeing how he was just now, she decided against it.

Life and death are predestined, wealth and honor are determined by fate; one cannot force it.

Looking again at this scene of motherly love and filial piety, Li Yue suddenly felt a pang of sadness

. How lucky Huangfu Jue was to still have his mother at such an advanced age. She missed her own mother too, but sadly, she couldn't protect her back then.

And now? Could she help Huangfu Jue protect his mother?

Perhaps it was the regret she felt for her own mother that was weighing on her mind; at this moment, her belief in bringing the Empress Dowager Xian alive to Huangfu Jue was incredibly strong. She wanted to see them reunited, so… perhaps she could imagine what it would be like to be reunited with her mother if she died.

Of course, there was also Jiang Hanyu…

She already harbored resentment about rescuing Jiang Hanyu, and now, knowing she was carrying Huangfu Jue's child, trying to rescue his future queen or empress made her feel even more ridiculous.

But she wouldn't go back on her promise.

Now that she had confirmed the two were here, she didn't linger any longer and left Shuanghua Palace.

As soon as she left the palace and slipped into the alley she had come from, she saw Su Yingge leaning against the corner waiting for her from afar. In the moonlight, his pale figure was faintly visible, quite handsome.

Li Yue rubbed her forehead, and before she could speak, he exclaimed, "I haven't eaten yet." His expression and tone were exactly the same as before, as if everything that had just happened at the inn was just Li Yue's illusion.

Since he was so open, Li Yue naturally didn't need to be coy and simply stated her condition: "I'll provide you with food and lodging, and you help me save someone's life."

"Okay." He agreed even more readily than Li Yue.

So the two of them went back to the inn for a late-night snack as if nothing had happened.

*

Li Yue's plan was this: she would have the twenty experts from the Xi Wang Mansion split into three groups as a feint. Once she succeeded, these three groups would immediately sneak out of the city and head straight for Zhu Wu Gate, diverting the pursuers' attention. Meanwhile, she and Su Yingge would take Consort Jiang Hanyu eastward, detouring south along the Fei River, traversing the desolate grasslands and dense forests of southern Xiwu, and finally arriving at Zhu Wu Gate.

Although this route was much longer, it would be easier to conceal their presence, and she was very familiar with the terrain around the Fei River, making it easier to shake off any pursuers from the imperial court.

The twenty elite soldiers sent by the Prince of Xi's mansion were indeed highly loyal. Knowing full well that their mission as a diversionary force was fraught with danger, they still diligently worked with Li Yue to devise the best route to delay the pursuers and how to disguise themselves to appear more authentic.

Thinking of these fearless experts serving someone like Huangfu Jue, she felt genuinely sorry for them and became even more curious about Guan Du's identity. These people couldn't be recruited simply by virtue of a prince's name. Who exactly was Guan Du, and how deep of a power base had he built for Huangfu Jue?

For the next few days, she stayed in her room to recuperate. Su Yingge still bothered her every day, ignoring her morning sickness and other symptoms. She didn't know what he was planning, and she didn't want to guess, but she was wary of him.

She didn't want others to make decisions for her.

The appointed date arrived in the blink of an eye.

Using their superb lightness skills and the cover of night, Li Yue and Su Yingge effortlessly infiltrated Shuanghua Palace. To avoid unnecessary trouble, their first action upon entering was to subdue Jiang Hanyu and the Dowager Consort, then each take one and prepare to escape.

However, carrying two people was not as nimble and agile as coming in. As they scaled the palace wall, they were unfortunately spotted by a squad of palace guards, and alarms rang out as a large contingent of imperial guards gave chase.

Li Yue had prepared for the worst, letting Su Yingge take the two away while she stayed behind to fight. After all, these men were not top-tier imperial warriors; she could hold them off for a while to buy Su Yingge time to escape.

Unexpectedly, Su Yingge was like a weasel, releasing poisonous smoke as she ran. Within a mere dozen feet, none of the imperial guards in pursuit had survived.

Li Yue breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself: No wonder this guy is too lazy to learn martial arts. With such lightness skills and such poisoning abilities, even Ye Qianxun fell into his hands. Ordinary people would naturally only have death to them. Tsk, truly killing without bloodshed, and without even having to exert much effort. I envy him.

Since it was night, the city gates were closed. However, the ten-zhang-long city wall was nothing to the two of them. After leaving a pile of corpses at the city gate and on the city wall, the two successfully escaped outside the city.

They ran all the way to the meeting place agreed upon with the three groups of feints, ordered them to set off immediately, and when they looked back, they found that the city walls were brightly lit, the city gates were open, and a large group of cavalry carrying torches chased after them, spreading out in a V-shape.

Li Yue and Su Yingge headed east, and just before dawn, they ran out of the Lin Yingwei City's guard area, finally stopping in a forest.

Setting down the silent Consort Xian from her back, Li Yue checked her breathing to confirm she was still alive. She then asked Su Yingge, "Check if she's alright?" She herself leaned against a tree trunk, panting.

She had always thought that her pregnancy only caused morning sickness, but after running like this last night, she realized that even though she was only a little over a month pregnant, her stamina had clearly been affected. In the past, she wouldn't have felt anything running all night, but today, she felt utterly exhausted.

Jiang Hanyu, whose acupoints had been released, finally came to her senses. She rushed over and knelt beside the Empress Dowager to check on her condition. Turning back angrily to Li Yue, she shouted, "What are you doing?"

"Shut your mouth if you want to see Huangfu Jue alive! If you attract pursuers, I'll dump you on them!" Li Yue glanced at her, then turned to Su Yingge, who was examining the Empress Dowager's eyelids, and asked, "Can she hold on?"

"The slow-acting poison has drained her body. Even if she starts recuperating now, she might live for another two years." Su Yingge stopped and began rummaging through her bundle of bottles and jars.

Jiang Hanyu was stunned.

Li Yue said, "I don't care how long she lives. Seeing Huangfu Jue alive is enough."

*

A dilapidated carriage, reeking of pus and blood, slowly traveled beside the Scarlet River.

A plain-looking man and woman sat on the carriage shaft; the man whipped the carriage, while the woman ate melon seeds beside him.

"I feel really uncomfortable on my face." Ever since the Empress Dowager was kidnapped, the Western Wu court has been issuing decrees to set up checkpoints throughout the country to strictly inspect travelers. Su Yingge, who was forced to wear a mask like Li Yue in order to pass through smoothly, complained all the way.

"Bear with it." Li Yue spat out a sunflower seed shell with a "pfft," speaking succinctly.

"And this outfit is too ugly, it damages my wise and mighty image." Su Yingge looked down at his dark blue coarse cloth robe and frowned in disgust.

Li Yue reached out and patted the dust off his shoulder, raising an eyebrow and saying, "No way, I think you're much cuter like this than your previous arrogant and deadpan look."

Su Yingge was speechless.

A pale, ordinary-looking woman's face peered out of the carriage window. Jiang Hanyu's soft voice rang out, "Young Master Su, could you please take that ointment away now? The stench is unbearable."

Before Su Yingge could answer, Li Yue glanced at her and said, "It's not too late to get it at Zhu Wu Gate. A little nasal discomfort is nothing compared to staying alive." She then asked Su Yingge, "Can you even make an ointment that smells like corpses?"

Su Yingge frowned, turning to look at her, "You're disgusting!"

Li Yue laughed, her body trembling, "If the smell alone could knock those nasty fellows unconscious, how much easier would that be?"

Su Yingge simply turned away, ignoring her.

*

The good times didn't last long. The peaceful days only lasted six days. On the morning of the seventh day, when Li Yue and her group crossed the Fei River and turned south into the winding Luoyan Mountains, stretching for hundreds of miles, they were ambushed.

Three waves of about a hundred people attacked. Li Yue recognized one or two familiar faces among them—they were subordinates of Yu Jiuxiao from Jiuhua Mountain.

These people weren't the elite of Yuexiao Manor. In three fierce battles, they had only managed to destroy Li Yue and her companions' carriage at

the cost of their lives. Yuexiao Manor had close ties with the Western Wu Dynasty, and Li Yue had long suspected they might be helping the court apprehend the person who stole Consort Xian. However, she hadn't expected them to be so paranoid, arresting any woman of unknown origin. Left with no other choice, she had to intervene.

This area belonged to Jiuhua Mountain, and since their whereabouts had been exposed, there was no other option but to flee for their lives.

She knew the strength of Yuexiao Manor well; even if Yu Jiuxiao himself were to send any of his nine subordinates, she couldn't handle them.

Like a stray dog, she fled with Consort Xian, Jiang Hanyu, hiding by day and hiding by night for several days. Li Yue was clearly exhausted and stopped beside a lake deep in a dense forest.

The pain in her lower abdomen was excruciating, so she slowly walked along the lake, pretending to fish.

Through their interactions over the past few days, both the Dowager Consort and Jiang Hanyu had come to know that Su Yingge was quite skilled in medicine. The Dowager Consort leaned against Jiang Hanyu's chest, looking at Li Yue's somewhat thin figure by the lake, and said weakly to Su Yingge not far away, "Young Master Su, Miss Qin's complexion doesn't seem very good. Is she ill?"

Su Yingge glanced at the two of them and walked away without saying a word.

Seeing this, Jiang Hanyu took a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from the Empress Dowager's forehead, saying softly, "Empress Dowager, these two have very strange tempers, don't pay them any mind."

The Empress Dowager shook her head slightly and said, "They risked their lives to save us, how can I ignore them? If it weren't for wanting to see Jue'er one last time, I really wouldn't want to be a burden to you."

Tears welled up in Jiang Hanyu's eyes as she held the Empress Dowager's hand and said, "Empress Dowager, please don't think like that. You know how much the Prince longs to be reunited with you."

Mentioning Huangfu Jue, a faint smile appeared on the Empress Dowager's lips, as fleeting as the last withered leaf on an autumn branch, and she said, "Jue'er is just too attached to me. If I weren't here, perhaps he could be stronger and more carefree... cough..."

"Empress Dowager, please don't say anymore, it hurts Hanyu to hear you say that." Jiang Hanyu lowered her tears.

The Dowager Consort looked up and saw that Jiang Hanyu was crying. She forced a hand to wipe away her tears and said, "Hanyu, I know you've suffered these past years. To follow Jue'er, you couldn't go home, you couldn't acknowledge your father. Jue'er owes you..."

Jiang Hanyu shook her head and said, "No, no. If Father hadn't betrayed us, the Prince wouldn't be in this state, and you wouldn't be in this state. He's the one who owes you. I hate him."

"Now that your brother has suffered such a calamity, your father must be going through a lot of pain too. Don't hate him. Jue'er's future will be difficult. You must learn to be strong while following him." The Dowager Consort spoke for a while, then seemed tired and closed her eyes, breathing heavily.

Jiang Hanyu's expression froze. Mentioning her brother, she couldn't help but look at Liyue by the lake. After returning to Lin'ying, she had seen the wanted poster. The portrait of the fugitive who had caused her brother's death was her—Qin Liyue!

Cutting ties with her family was one thing, but learning that her family line had ended was quite another. Her father only had one son, her brother, and now that he was impotent, the Jiang family would inevitably decline without an heir, and all of this was her fault. She hated her so much!

She didn't understand. Didn't Huangfu Jue know that Qin Liyue had castrated her brother? Why did he still send her to rescue the Dowager Consort and her? Was it to make her atone for her mistakes?

Huangfu Jue seemed different towards her than towards others. Before, he wouldn't even glance at other women…

Biting her lip, she decided to return to Zhuwu Gate and confront him.

*

The night in the dense forest was pitch black.

To avoid revealing their location, they didn't even light a campfire. Occasionally, the calls of owls and howls of wolves could be heard in the distance. Apart from that, there was only the soft, restless sound of Liyue tossing and turning.

Su Yingge opened her eyes, looking at the figure not far away, half-leaning against a tree root with his back to him, just like him.

She had tossed and turned almost all night.

He knew she was tired, but she couldn't sleep because she was in pain.

He knew she had been wary of him lately, refusing his food and remaining constantly vigilant. But she didn't know that he had added an abortifacient to the plague-smelling ointment he kept in the carriage. The carriage had been destroyed a few days earlier; otherwise, with the constant smell, she would have miscarried within ten days.

He knew his actions were despicable, but he truly didn't want her to give birth to this child. The birth of this child would bring nothing but trouble. First, if Jinlu knew, she would inevitably take her anger out on him, the one responsible for looking after her. Second, if Qu Liushang knew, he would be heartbroken. Third, even selfishly, he didn't want her to give birth to another man's child.

He was conflicted. On one hand, he felt he had genuinely fallen for this woman; on the other hand, he felt that developing feelings for her would be betraying his good friend. He traced the root of his feelings for her, ultimately concluding that she was special.

So, he wanted to see her vulnerable side, to see her wretched and painful during her miscarriage. He wanted to see her, like any other woman, bleeding, crying, wailing, and curling up. She was just an ordinary woman, not worth turning against his best friend.

Therefore, he suppressed the inappropriate pangs of heartache that welled up when he saw her in pain, patiently awaiting the moment he both longed for and feared.

She must have thought she was just too tired and had a miscarriage; she must have been in extreme pain; she must have known that he could make her feel much better if he wanted to.

But she didn't ask him.

This made him feel much better, because he couldn't imagine how he could refuse her if she asked.

Chapter 69, Step by Step, Blood...

As dawn broke, Su Yingge felt sleepy and dozed off for a while. A short while later, he woke up to find Li Yue energetically spearing a fat fish by the lake and cleaning it with a short blade.

He was slightly taken aback. Logically, she should be in more pain today than yesterday, not so lively.

Suspicious, he pretended to go help.

Li Yue was pale, with dark circles under her eyes from a sleepless night, looking haggard, yet her eyes were still bright. Hearing footsteps, she tossed the cleaned fish to Su Yingge, saying, "Go grill it, I'll catch another one. Who knows when we'll have another meal?"

Su Yingge caught the fish, watching her wander along the lake again, and blurted out, "You should rest."

Li Yue turned back, looking at him curiously, then suddenly smiled, "There's rest after death, but it's best to move as much as you can while you're alive."

"Stubborn!" Su Yingge turned and stormed off.

Li Yue didn't care and continued catching fish.

After breakfast, Li Yue took out a map from her bosom, spread it on the grass, and lay down to study it.

The escape route had already been drawn on the map, but because Yuexiao Manor had discovered their tracks, the route might need to be changed. However, in any case, the Dragon Gate Canyon, more than three miles away, was a necessary route. The enemy was likely to have set up an ambush there. Still relying on your bare hands? How could that be enjoyable? Forum reputation guaranteed! High-grade silicone video Fan Bingbing's lower body real state molded into a highly realistic vulva shape, soft and delicate skin! Built-in large particle protrusions, close to the female physiological structure, experience a more realistic feeling... well-proportioned, irresistible! Click to enter.

But at this time, retreating was absolutely impossible. There were wolves in front and tigers behind. They had no choice but to fight to the death.

After checking everything, including the map, rope, short knife, dagger, steel claw, wound medicine, and bandages, Li Yue looked up at the Empress Dowager and Jiang Hanyu sitting not far away.

Because Su Yingge was willing to go with them, she sent all twenty of Xi Wangfu's assassins as a diversionary force, fearing that too many people would arouse suspicion. Now it seems that she was overthinking it.

However, she never imagined that the people of Yuexiao Manor would go to such lengths.

Taking a breath, she turned to Su Yingge beside her and said, "You stay here and watch over them. I'll go ahead and scout. If I haven't returned in an hour, it's up to you whether you stay or leave. They... are not your responsibility."

Hearing this, Jiang Hanyu stared wide-eyed, seemingly incredulous, while the Dowager Consort remained calm, looking at Li Yue with slight worry.

Su Yingge frowned and asked, "You're willing to risk your life just for Huangfu Jue?"

Li Yue shook her head, stood up, and said, "It's not for him."

"Then why?" Su Yingge looked at the woman squatting by the lake washing her hands, unable to suppress the surge of jealousy in her heart.

"You wouldn't understand." Li Yue didn't turn her head, her tone indifferent.

Yes, those who haven't experienced it will never understand. They won't understand how much she longed to die in her mother's place on that night eleven years ago, nor will they understand the profound impact that helplessness had on her life, nor will they understand the deep tremor in her heart when she saw those soft eyes that were so similar to her mother's.

Yes, the terminally ill Consort Xian, Huangfu Jue's mother, a woman vastly different from her own mother in both status and experience, yet possessed the same gaze—a shimmering gaze concealing a hint of melancholy, a trace of longing, and a dash of despair.

She didn't know if this was the gaze unique to her mother; she only knew she couldn't resist it. For this, she was willing to risk her life, without reason, she simply was.

"Child." Lost in thought, a faint voice suddenly reached her ears.

She paused, turning around to find Consort Xian looking at her. Seeing her turn, Consort Xian said with difficulty, "You are outnumbered and weak. Don't risk your lives for me; it's not worth it. Take Hanyu with you. She can walk on her own; she won't hold you back."

Child? She called her child?

Li Yue was momentarily stunned. In her memory, no one had treated her like a child since she was six, yet in this mother's eyes, seventeen-year-old Li Yue was still just a child.

She believed she was a good mother, and Huangfu Jue was fortunate to have such a mother! Unfortunately, she had no idea whether she could reunite him and his mother alive.

Without a word, she stood up and sped towards the Dragon Gate Canyon.

"Hey, I haven't agreed yet!" Su Yingge called out, seeing her leave.

"Agree or not, it's up to you, no one's forcing you!" As she spoke, Li Yue reached the other side of the lake, paused briefly, and then disappeared into the dense forest on the opposite bank.

*

The sun hadn't risen yet, and the dense forest was exceptionally dark. Li Yue focused her mind and darted through the forest like an arrow. However, as she approached the Dragon Gate Canyon, she sensed something unusual.

On this warm spring morning, the forest was unusually quiet; not even a bird chirped.

There was only one possibility for this: a large group of people had visited this place, and the birds that roosted there had been startled and flown away.

She had always assumed her opponent would ambush her in the Dragon Gate Canyon. If she could think of that, so could they. Wouldn't setting up an ambush in this dense forest right next to the canyon make it even more impossible for her to defend herself?

Realizing this, Li Yue spun around and retreated rapidly, but it was too late!

A soft creak sounded in her ears, and a large silver net descended from the sky. At the same time, the air crackled from all four directions as nearly a hundred darts, carrying a pale blue glint, whistled towards her. The ground beneath her feet suddenly collapsed, revealing a pit several feet deep filled with dense, black spikes several feet long. A fall from that point would be instantly riddled with holes.

This was a deadly trap!

There was no time to think. Almost instinctively, Li Yue threw her dagger, using the momentum to propel herself upwards, simultaneously drawing the short sword from her leggings and attacking the net. This was her only way to escape.

The short sword was an ordinary object, but with the addition of her internal energy, the seemingly unbreakable net immediately cracked open. Li Yue reached out and grasped both sides of the crack; a chill quickly spread from her palms to her arms, and her hands immediately went limp.

She was startled—the net was soaked in medicine! Taking advantage of the last vestiges of feeling in her hands, she tore it open with force, half her body extending beyond the net. Her waist twisted ninety degrees, and with a flick of her right hand, a steel claw hooked onto a branch of a nearby tree. Using the momentum, she swung towards the outer edge of the killing zone!

Everything happened in an instant. From the moment she realized she was ambushed to the moment she used the momentum to escape, the darts shot at her from all around only just clattered and fell to the ground below her.

However, just as she breathed a sigh of relief at escaping the killing zone, a burst of black, sharp light suddenly shot out from the tree trunks around her, striking her like lightning in mid-air!

She was terrified; her arms and upper body were still limp and powerless, making it impossible for her to deflect these powerful crossbow bolts fired by the traps.

In a split second, there was no time for careful thought; she could only act instinctively, making the simplest evasive maneuvers. Releasing the steel claws, her body twisted into an unbelievable arc in the air, curling into a ball and plummeting straight towards the ground. Just before hitting the ground, she suddenly straightened up, facing downwards, and used her right hand to push off the ground

, flying parallel to it. Danger struck again. Before her hand could fully retract, a sharp arrow shot straight out from the spot where it had touched the ground. Due to the extreme distance, by the time she saw it, the triangular, sharp arrowhead was almost at her throat!

With her last ounce of strength, she spun rapidly to the side in mid-air, the sharp arrow piercing her shoulder.

She reached out and grabbed the triangular arrowhead, stopping its penetrating force. This triangular weapon was designed for bleeding; if the arrow had pierced her body, she would have bled out quickly.

The tingling sensation in her right arm intensified. Gathering the meager amount of true energy she could muster, she snapped the arrow, made of black iron, in half. Before landing, she planted the broken arrow in the ground and used the momentum to lunge into the bushes three meters away.

As she landed, she thought, if there were hidden weapons in these bushes, she, Qin Liyue, would have perished in this dark and sunless mountain forest without even knowing why.

The bushes were only three or four meters away from the killing spot, but there were no traps. She landed safely, and the next instant, she quickly sat up, pressing several acupoints to slow the spread of the anesthetic.

"Clap clap clap!" Applause rang in her ears. She looked up and coldly stared in the direction of the sound.

A middle-aged man in a dark blue silk robe, followed by twenty or thirty men in blue robes, appeared behind the bushes on the other side of the killing formation, about thirty or forty feet away from Liyue.

The middle-aged man lowered his hands, glanced at the ravaged forest, its branches and leaves scattered by the hidden weapons of the Thousand Faces Killing Formation, then looked at Li Yue, who sat cross-legged in the grass with a calm expression. He walked over with a half-smile, saying, "Young Master was right. Even if this Thousand Faces Killing Formation can't kill you, it can definitely trap you. Qin Li Yue, long time no see, how have you been?"

"I wondered who was sneaking around setting up this formation. So it's you, Long Zhong. Two years ago, you were my defeated opponent. This time, Yu Jiuxiao deliberately sent you to avenge that arrow wound, didn't he?" Li Yue looked at him with a cold smile.

Long Zhong's smile vanished, his gaze turning venomous as he looked at Li Yue and said, "Back then, I only spared you because you were the Second Young Master's subordinate, out of respect for him. You think you're so great!"

"Heh, now that I'm no longer Yu Wuchen's subordinate, do you dare to spar with me one-on-one?" Li Yue's upper body was numb, but her lower abdomen ached slightly. Not wanting to sit and wait for

death, she tried to provoke him. Long Zhong, however, wasn't fooled. He glanced at the broken arrow in her shoulder, squatted down, and grabbed her chin, saying, "Forget it. You're injured today. Anyway, the Eldest Young Master is going to take you back alive. We'll have plenty of time. Now, tell me, where is Consort Xian?"

Li Yue laughed, a loud, hearty laugh.

Long Zhong was bewildered by her laughter and glared at her, asking, "What are you laughing at?"

"Laughing at Yu Jiuxiao's stupidity!" Li Yue shouted, suddenly pulling out the broken arrow from her shoulder and throwing it aside with lightning speed.

Long Zhong was utterly astonished that she could still move. Turning his head, he saw one of his men had been pierced through the throat by the broken arrow. Turning back again, he saw that Li Yue had already leaped more than two zhang away, her shoulder untouched by blood. It turned out that the broken arrow hadn't actually pierced her shoulder blade; it had simply been broken in half, creating a visual illusion.

"He actually thought I'd fall twice in the same formation? No wonder you're so stupid, like master, like servant!" Li Yue said, suddenly staggering backward and grabbing a tree trunk for support, as if she were under the influence of anesthesia and couldn't stand steadily.

Seeing her like this, Long Zhong didn't get angry but laughed instead, walking towards her as he said, "Won't fall twice? Then why aren't you attacking? What are you standing there for..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Yue flicked her hand, and a fine white powder flew towards him. He hurriedly retreated, but some inevitably got onto his face. He was horrified, not knowing what it was.

Seeing that he had been hit, Li Yue turned and ran. Her upper body was indeed numb, but fortunately, she had sealed her acupoints in time, preventing the anesthetic from spreading throughout her body, and she could still feel her legs.

"Trying to run? No way!" Long Zhong chased after her again.

Li Yue was startled, thinking: Why isn't Su Yingge's poison working anymore? Just as she was about to turn around to fight, a commotion suddenly broke out behind her.

Long Zhong caught up and struck out with a palm, which Li Yue narrowly dodged. Hearing the commotion behind her, he couldn't help but turn around to look. He saw that half of the twenty or thirty men who had come with him to capture Qin Li Yue were already lying on the ground, and a man in a dark blue cloth robe was flying towards them with the lightness of flowing water, his movements as graceful as a bird flying through the forest.

Before he even arrived, a silver needle flew towards them. Seeing his unparalleled lightness skill and the mysterious deaths of half his men, Long Zhong dared not be careless and hastily spun around to dodge. Su Yingge landed back-to-back with Li Yue.

"Why are you here? Where are the other two?" Li Yue asked in a low voice.

"What do they have to do with me?" I only care about you. Su Yingge was wary of her surroundings, but the last part of her sentence remained unspoken.

Seeing that things had come to this, Li Yue could only save her life first. While Long Zhong was still observing, she whispered, "I've been drugged."

As soon as she finished speaking, she smelled a foul stench that made her almost vomit. Miraculously, the numbness in her body disappeared instantly.

"Good, both of them are here. The Empress Dowager must be nearby. Men, take them down first." Long Zhong observed for a while, and seeing that Su Yingge did not strike first, he guessed that her martial arts skills were not very high, so he regained his confidence.

Looking at the crowd surrounding her, Li Yue whispered, "With so many poison needles, why didn't you just clear them all out at once? Kill half and leave the other half, isn't that troublesome enough?"

Su Yingge retorted irritably, "That was the last one. Don't you even consider how much that bastard Ye Qianxun wasted?"

As she spoke, Long Zhong drew his long sword and slashed at the two of them. Li Yue pushed Su Yingge aside, dodging as she shouted, "Then why are you here if you don't know martial arts?"

"Did you have to tell them? You protect this one and that one, but you can't protect me?" Su Yingge knew no martial arts, so she could only rely on her superb lightness skill to dodge the crowd's attacks, narrowly escaping death.

Li Yue was fighting Long Zhong with all her might, but the increasingly obvious soreness in her lower abdomen distracted her, and she felt somewhat powerless, making the fights particularly difficult.

"Why isn't your poison working?" In the midst of the melee, Li Yue and Su Yingge bumped into each other back to back again. During a brief rest, Li Yue shouted.

Su Yingge glanced at the porcelain bottle she had tossed into the grass, exasperated: "Can salt kill people?"

Long Zhong, unable to strike Li Yue after a long while, grew annoyed and swung his sword horizontally, only to be deflected by a short blade conjured by Li Yue's true energy. Li Yue seized the opportunity, stabbing Long Zhong in the chest while loudly complaining: "You fucking put salt and poison together? What if you grabbed the wrong one?"

"Do you think I'm as stupid as you?" With Su Yingge's lightness skill, escaping at this point wouldn't be a problem, but he deliberately lingered around Li Yue, dodging a dozen or so knife tips.

Li Yue's attack missed, and upon hearing this, she was both angry and anxious, shouting, "Go to hell!"

Seeing that Long Zhong couldn't subdue Li Yue alone, one of his men turned his blade and attacked her back. Li Yue was preoccupied with Long Zhong and unable to react. Su Yingge, turning her head, saw this and, disregarding her own perilous situation, charged straight at Li Yue. Her right arm grazed the blade, bleeding profusely.

Li Yue was sent flying by the impact. Both Long Zhong and the attacker missed their attacks, but Li Yue wasn't much better off. She fell heavily, feeling a sudden, sharp pain in her abdomen, so intense she could barely stand. Seeing this, Long

Zhong, sword raised, gave chase, while his remaining men continued to deal with the injured Su Yingge.

"Li Yue!" With the blade flashing before her eyes, Su Yingge's eyes widened in fury as she stood rooted to the spot, shouting at Li Yue.

Li Yue looked up at the sound of his voice and saw that he was also in danger. She couldn't help but shout, "Go away ! It's no fun to be buried alive with someone! Idiot!" Her stomach was really hurting, the pain was excruciating. She wanted to stand up and avoid him, but her trembling body wouldn't obey her.

At the critical moment, a single blade flew in like a whirlwind, deflecting Long Zhong's broadsword. Someone shouted, "Stop!"

Everyone stopped and looked in the direction of the voice. A cold-faced man in black was rushing towards them with more than thirty men.

"Long Tian, what do you want to do?" Long Zhong frowned and shouted.

When they got close, Long Tian stopped and showed his token. He said, "I am here on the Second Young Master's orders to protect Miss Qin."

"What? The Eldest Young Master wants me to take her back!" Long Zhong also showed his token.

"I don't care. The Second Young Master wants to protect her." Long Tian's attitude was firm.

"Long Tian, don't forget who's in charge of the manor now?" Long Zhong said angrily.

"I only know that the Second Young Master is my master. I will do whatever he tells me to do." Long Tian said expressionlessly.

"Are you planning to fight amongst yourselves?" Long Zhong brandished his sword.

Long Tian slowly drew his longsword and said, "If you refuse to give up, then this is the only way."

Enraged, Long Zhong swung his sword, and the two sides immediately engaged in a chaotic battle.

Seeing this, Li Yue, suppressing her pain, stood up and grabbed Su Yingge, whose arm had already been bandaged, and ran away.

Long Zhong saw this and tried to chase after them but was held back by Long Tian, roaring in anger.

*

"How exactly did you settle them? Are they safe?" Li Yue asked Su Yingge as she ran.

Su Yingge said, "Don't worry, that place is very secluded, no one should be able to find them." Turning his head to look at Li Yue's bloodless face, he endured for a long time before finally asking, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Li Yue said curtly, then fell silent.

After running for a while, Li Yue couldn't keep up anymore. She stopped and looked up, frowning. "Is that the safe place you were talking about?"

Su Yingge looked up as well, and saw the Dowager Consort lying on the ground not far ahead, with Jiang Hanyu kneeling beside her, gently shaking her. She was stunned and murmured, "How did they get down?"

"Down?" Li Yue's gaze shifted upwards, looking at the towering tree beside them, over four zhang tall, and her scalp tingled.

"Yes, I hid them in the treetop before coming to find you," Su Yingge immediately confirmed her guess.

Oh my god! Li Yue rushed over.

The Dowager Consort was bleeding from her mouth and nose, motionless as if dead, while Jiang Hanyu was crying her eyes out.

Su Yingge was busy checking on the Dowager Consort's condition. Li Yue's heart trembled as she asked Jiang Hanyu, "What happened?"

"The tree... there was a snake in the tree..." Jiang Hanyu cried.

"A snake? And then you both fell down?" Li Yue raised an eyebrow, incredulous.

Jiang Hanyu lowered her head, sobbing silently.

Li Yue sighed, realizing without a doubt that the sheltered Princess Jiang must have been terrified by the snake and failed to support the Dowager Consort, causing them both to fall.

For nearly half a month, they had evaded numerous investigations and relentless pursuits, only to be caught in the end by a snake… Her stomach pain seemed to intensify. In that instant, she felt an urge to kill!

“How is he? Can he be saved?” Seeing Su Yingge rummaging through his belongings, a glimmer of hope rose in Li Yue’s heart.

"She's not quite dead yet. I'll let her wake up for a moment. Say whatever your last words are," Su Yingge said simply.

Li Yue's heart sank to the bottom.

Jiang Hanyu burst into tears.

After a while, the Dowager slowly woke up, but it took her a while to recognize the people beside her. Her gaze remained calm. She looked at the weeping Jiang Hanyu, then at Li Yue, who stood stiffly to the side, her face ashen, and gently spoke: "Hanyu, don't cry. I want to speak with this young lady alone."

Jiang Hanyu and Li Yue were both stunned. Neither of them expected that, in this life-or-death situation, the Dowager would speak to Li Yue instead of Jiang Hanyu.

Su Yingge stood up and said to the stunned Jiang Hanyu, "Let's go."

"I...I broke my leg," Jiang Hanyu began to wipe away her tears again.

"What a nuisance!" Su Yingge walked over, grabbed her by the collar with her left hand, and carried her a short distance away like a cat or a dog to examine her injury.

Li Yue knelt down beside the Dowager Consort, bowing her head to look at her without speaking.

The Dowager Consort's lips curved slightly as she said, "Child, don't blame yourself. Actually, I know that my life is a burden to Jue'er. If I die, it will be a relief for me, for him, and for everyone..."

Li Yue lowered her eyes, and after a moment, asked, "Do you have something to say to Huangfu Jue?"

The Dowager Consort forced herself to speak, "Although I don't know what your relationship with Jue'er is, he must treat you differently... From childhood to adulthood, apart from Hanyu, who grew up with him, he never even glanced at other girls. Yet he entrusted you to save me; you must hold a very high place in his heart. Jue'er has been spoiled since childhood, and his feelings for me are very deep. You are a good child. If my death causes you to turn against each other, it would be too unworthy..." As if in a final burst of energy, the Dowager Consort, who usually tires out after just a few words, spoke so much in one breath before stopping to rest.

Li Yue remained silent, her heart churning with turmoil. This mother, even in her dying moments, was still thinking of Huangfu Jue. She even worried that her death would cause Huangfu Jue to turn against her… What kind of maternal love was this!

Li Yue's hand involuntarily went to her slightly twitching abdomen. She could feel warm liquid slowly flowing from her body, accompanied by waves of pain.

"Child, take off the Buddhist beads from my wrist and give them to him. Tell him, 'Beautiful jade is hidden in stubborn stone, lotus rises from mud, one must find enlightenment in the midst of troubles… that is enlightenment.' Then he… will not resent you…" The Dowager's breath grew weaker, but her eyes gradually cleared.

Listening to the increasingly shallow and faint breathing beside her, until it became silent, two warm tears slid from Li Yue's eyes. In that instant, she only wished that the pain in her abdomen was enough, not enough to ease the pain in her heart.

Eleven years later, another mother had passed away in her hands. She was ultimately not strong enough; she couldn't protect her, she couldn't…

She bit her lip, struggling to control her surging emotions. She removed the smooth, worn-out prayer beads from the Dowager Consort's wrist, paused, and then took the bottle containing the maggots from her belt.

Looking once more at the Dowager Consort's thin yet still beautiful face, she suppressed her heart-wrenching grief, uncorked the bottle, and shook the maggots onto her. Then, decisively, she rose and walked towards Su Yingge and Jiang Hanyu.

Jiang Hanyu had been watching the Dowager Consort. Seeing Li Yue suddenly remove her prayer beads and approach, she couldn't help but ask, "How is the Dowager Consort?"

"Dead." Li Yue replied expressionlessly.

Jiang Hanyu froze, then, ignoring her fractured right leg that had just been bandaged, she crawled towards the Dowager Consort, crying.

"Don't go!" Li Yue grabbed her.

Su Yingge saw her release the maggots and couldn't believe she had foreseen this scene more than a month ago.

"Why? Let me go! I need to see her! Let me go!" Jiang Hanyu cried and struggled uncontrollably, but her strength was no match for Li Yue's.

However, she quickly stopped crying because she was horrified by the sight that had befallen the Dowager Consort.

Countless maggots crawled densely all over the Dowager Consort's body, and her clothes were stained crimson with blood. Soon, she could see nothing but a swarm of wriggling maggots.

"Ugh—" After a brief moment of stunned silence, Jiang Hanyu suddenly turned her head and vomited violently.

Li Yue was in excruciating pain and had no time to pay attention to her.

"What did you do to her? How could you do this to her? I will tell Huangfu Jue! I will definitely tell Huangfu Jue!" After vomiting up the little food left in her stomach, Jiang Hanyu stared at Li Yue with tears streaming down her face and resentment, crying out in anguish.

Li Yue sneered, saying, "Then you'd better make sure you see Huangfu Jue alive." Her life was still in someone else's hands, and she was already threatening him? Her intelligence… she and Huangfu Jue were truly a perfect match.

She stood up and said to Su Yingge, "You take her." Warm liquid continued to flow; she could feel her underpants were soaked.

Finally… she still couldn't keep this child?

From knowing about the child's existence to losing him, less than half a month had passed. She hadn't even had time to fully process the fact that she was pregnant, and he was already eager to leave.

He must have realized that she had come at the wrong time…

It's better that he left like this; what joy is there in living, what sorrow in dying?

"Why me?" Su Yingge cried out in dissatisfaction.

Li Yue, almost numb, said as she walked, "If you're a man, don't talk nonsense!"

Su Yingge shut her mouth, resentfully using her uninjured left arm to lift Jiang Hanyu, and followed.

After walking a few steps, she noticed blood on the grass. She paused, looking towards the trail of blood.

The woman, her back ramrod straight, walked ahead nonchalantly, leaving a trail of blood with every step…

Chapter 70, Remembering for a Lifetime…

Su Yingge, seeing Li Yue's bloody footprints, paused for a moment before realizing what had happened. A sharp pain shot through his heart, as if stabbed by a knife. He abandoned Jiang Hanyu and strode after Li Yue, scooping her up in his arms.

Li Yue was pale, dizzy from his sudden embrace. When she regained her senses and saw Su Yingge's handsome face above her, still stained with drops of blood, she smiled and said, “What’s wrong with you now?”

Su Yingge looked down at her, suppressing the surging guilt in his heart, and said, “Are you even human?” Although he wasn’t a woman, as a healer, he knew all too well the reactions a woman should have during a miscarriage. Yet this woman was walking while having a miscarriage, bleeding profusely without uttering a sound.

“I won’t die,” Li Yue said, struggling to get down.

“I’ll carry you,” Su Yingge refused to let go.

"I can walk by myself, you take the one with the broken leg." Li Yue forcefully pushed him away, reached out to hold onto a tree trunk, paused, and continued walking forward.

It was her willfulness that had harmed this child, so even if it hurt, she had no right to pity herself. She would remember this pain and never repeat it.

Su Yingge looked at her blood-stained skirt, his heart felt like it was being ripped apart, and for the first time, he regretted his selfish decision. Seeing her like this, he, as the culprit, couldn't even utter a word of comfort.

After standing there for a moment, he stiffly went back to help Jiang Hanyu.

"I don't need your help! I can walk by myself!" Jiang Hanyu had been thrown without warning, falling and looking disheveled. Her temper flared, and she refused Su Yingge's help, holding onto the tree herself.

"Why didn't you say so earlier if you could walk!" Su Yingge snorted coldly. Just as he was about to turn around to look for Li Yue, he heard a soft thud of a person falling to the ground. He turned around and saw Li Yue lying face down in the grass. He was shocked and rushed over to help her up. He saw that she had fainted.

That

night, the three of them slept in the reeds near the lake. Su Yingge cared for the unconscious Li Yue until dawn, then, exhausted, dozed off for a while.

He awoke with a start, finding the woman who had been lying beside him gone, but hearing the soft sound of water.

He parted the reeds to find Li Yue in the lake in the dim morning light, her snow-white face like a white lotus against the dark, azure background.

Su Yingge swiftly pulled her from the lake and threw her onto the lush reeds on the shore, angrily saying, "Are you crazy! You just had a miscarriage and you're soaking in cold water? Do you want to die?"

"So what if I die? Who cares?" Li Yue lay among the green grass, a faint smile playing on her bloodless lips, devoid of warmth, yet pure as a gardenia blooming in the drizzle.

"I care!" Su Yingge blurted out without hesitation.

Li Yue looked at him calmly with her dark eyes.

Su Yingge's originally pale face flushed crimson under her gaze. She turned her head slightly, her voice urgent, "If you die... who will test the poison for me?"

This man truly loved her; even seeing her recent miscarriage, he still loved her.

But she felt no joy, only exhaustion, and wanted to rest.

"Let's build a fire, dry our clothes, and then we'll set off," Li Yue said, propping herself up.

*

After that day, no one from Yuexiao Manor appeared again. Without their pursuit, the journey became simpler and easier.

Seven days later, they encountered a convoy from the Xi Prince's Mansion. Li Yue instructed them to take Jiang Hanyu away, while she and Su Yingge followed closely behind.

Back at Yiqing Residence in Zhuwu Gate, Li Yue fell asleep immediately. However, Su Yingge woke her up in the evening to drink her medicine. Unable to resist his nagging, Li Yue reluctantly drank it. Unable to sleep again, she got up, washed, and dressed before going to the Xi Prince's Mansion to report.

The atmosphere at the Prince Xi's residence was unusually oppressive tonight, a fact Li Yue noticed as soon as she stepped through the gates.

Twenty assassins had perished, and the Dowager Consort had died en route; the dejection within the residence was understandable.

The light was on in Huangfu Jue's study. Lin Jiu, looking dejected, stood guard at the door. Seeing Li Yue approach, he bowed as usual.

Hearing faint sobs coming from inside, Li Yue asked Lin Jiu, "Is Huangfu Jue here?"

Lin Jiu nodded, saying, "However, Miss Qin, it's best you don't go in right now."

Li Yue smiled faintly, pushed open the door, and went inside.

There were four people in the study: Guan Du, Yan Ji, Huangfu Jue, and Jiang Hanyu.

Guan Du and Yan Ji sat in their usual seats, their expressions grave and silent. Jiang Hanyu sat opposite them, sobbing softly with a handkerchief covering her face. Huangfu Jue sat behind his desk, head bowed, his pale hands supporting his forehead, his expression unreadable.

Hearing the door open, the four of them turned to look.

Guan Du and Yan Ji's expressions changed slightly, while Jiang Hanyu wiped away her tears, her eyes filled with hatred. Huangfu Jue raised his face, his pale cheeks streaked with tears, his dark eyes fixed on Li Yue, staring at her intently without any emotion.

The news of his mother's death had left this man heartbroken, to the point that he had forgotten how to express hatred; his eyes were empty and numb.

Li Yue naturally knew that Jiang Hanyu had already complained, so she didn't waste any words. Meeting their gazes, she walked to Huangfu Jue's desk and said, "You all probably know the whole story, so I don't need to say anything more. This is what your mother left you." She placed the Buddhist beads on the table, and seeing that no one spoke, she turned to leave. She

had only taken five or six steps when she suddenly heard a man's hoarse roar: "I must be crazy to believe you, you woman who killed your father and mother!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Guan Du's eyes darkened, while Yan Ji shook his head slightly. Jiang Hanyu, upon hearing that Li Yue had killed her father and mother, was so shocked that she forgot to cry, staring blankly at the woman who had suddenly stopped in her tracks.

When she heard him utter those words, Li Yue's spine stiffened. Killing her father and mother was the greatest nightmare and the deepest pain of her life.

Raising her head and closing her eyes slightly, she slowly turned around, looking at the man whose gaze had finally turned to hatred.

She had never been one to shirk responsibility, and therefore, she actually felt some guilt towards him for the death of the Dowager Consort. So, she would rather he hate and resent her to share his pain than use the Dowager Consort's dying words to absolve herself.

But he shouldn't have, he shouldn't have reopened her deepest wound with a tone that trampled her underfoot.

Though her heart was filled with cold anger, a sweet smile curved her lips as she spoke gently, "When you slept with me, why didn't you despise me for being a woman who killed her father and mother?"

Jiang Hanyu froze, the handkerchief in her hand falling to the ground.

Seeing the hatred mixed with a hint of remorse in Huangfu Jue's eyes, her smile vanished. She slightly raised her chin, her gaze hardening as she said, "Hate me, resent me, despise me? Huangfu Jue, today I, Qin Liyue, swear to the heavens that in my lifetime, I will help you overthrow this world, seize this empire, and allow you to achieve your wish of ruling the world. And every time you ascend the dragon throne and receive the homage of the officials, remember me, remember this woman who helped you ascend to the throne, yet also killed your father and mother! If I break this oath, may I be like this chair!" With a flick of her right hand, a sandalwood chair beside her shattered into pieces.

The resounding words and the sound of the shattering chair echoed endlessly in the quiet room, shaking the nerves of everyone present.

Amidst the stunned gazes of the crowd, she moved with the grace of a cat to Huangfu Jue's desk. She gently placed her hands on the table, leaned forward, and looked down at the man whose face was still streaked with tears. Her expression was cold and resolute, her words firm and unwavering: "When you raise your army, do not forget to inform me. I await your lifelong remembrance!"

With that, she laughed loudly, turned, and walked straight to the door, reciting aloud: "Laughing loudly, I stride out the door; how can we, men of such talent, be mere commoners!" She had already gone far away, but the lingering sound echoed in the air, never fading.

*

The moonlight was like snow.

On the roof of Yiqing Residence, Liyue reclined, drinking wine, with Tanlang beside her on her left, his head nestled affectionately on her shoulder.

Not long after, Su Yingge arrived uninvited, occupying the seat to her right. After gazing at each other for a while, he snatched Li Yue's wine pot, saying, "I remember warning you that you can't drink during this time."

Li Yue held on tightly, saying, "I swear I didn't hear you."

"Then you heard me now?" Su Yingge forcefully pulled the wine pot away from her.

Li Yue got annoyed and kicked him, saying, "Why are you getting more and more nagging? Aren't you annoying?"

Su Yingge was caught off guard, and his arm hit the roof ridge, reopening the newly healed wound on his right arm. The overflowing blood quickly stained his sleeve, and he jumped off the roof without a word.

Li Yue tilted her head back and took a sip of wine, paused, and threw the wine pot down, where it shattered on the blue brick floor below with a "crack."

Su Yingge quickly came back up, having changed his clothes.

"When are you leaving?" Li Yue asked, lying on her back with her arms behind her head.

"Will you come with me?" Su Yingge asked instead of answering.

Li Yue shook her head.

Su Yingge was silent for a moment, then said, "The Murong family of Dongyi has a martial arts manual called 'The Heart Forging Technique.' If you want to improve your martial arts, first obtain that manual, then come to Tianyi Island to find me."

Li Yue laughed and said, "The Murong family? You're too confident in me, aren't you?" She killed Murong Xian; the Murong family probably wants to kill her now but can't find her.

Su Yingge looked up at the waning moon in the night sky, his voice as ethereal as the night wind, saying, "As long as you say you want it, someone will naturally offer it to you with both hands." A hint of imperceptible melancholy lingered in his tone.

Li Yue turned to look at him, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Su Yingge snapped out of his reverie, looking at her, a sudden resentment appearing on his face, and said sullenly, "If you're afraid, then don't go." I'll have someone go get it for you.

"Afraid? Ha, you've grown up and still don't know how to write that word." Li Yue sat up, stretched, and twisted her neck, saying, "I've been to Nanfo Shengyang and Xiwu Linying, but I haven't set foot in Dongyi Yong'an yet. It's time to go and see for myself." She patted Tanlang's head, laughing, "I'll let you see the little bitches there too."

Upon hearing this, Tanlang's dog-like eyes instantly shone brightly, and he licked his nose with a lewd expression. Li Yue felt nauseous at the sight.

Su Yingge looked at her. She had gone to the Xi Prince's residence in the evening. Given Huangfu Jue's personality, he would never give her a kind look now that the Dowager Consort was dead, yet she returned as if nothing had happened…

Oh well, this woman could never be understood with normal logic.

“Su Yingge, is there a medicine that can render a woman infertile for life?” Li Yue suddenly asked.

Su Yingge was startled. Only when Li Yue turned to look at him did he look away, gazing at the courtyard below, and said, “Of course there is. You… want it?”

Li Yue smiled faintly and said, “Yes, can you help?”

Su Yingge lowered his eyes, then turned to look at her after a moment, saying calmly, “If you still want it after Yong'an returns, I will prepare it for you.”

Li Yue placed a hand on his arm and said, “Thank you in advance.”

Su Yingge remained silent.

Dongyi Yong'an…

Su Yingge looked up: Murong Juan, I did this on purpose. Consider it your last chance. If you still can't seize it, then… don't blame me.

*

Late at night, Huangfu Jue's study.

Guan Du arrived at the door, told Lin Jiu to rest, and then pushed open the door and went inside.

Huangfu Jue was slumped over the table, not reacting to the sound of the door opening.

Guan Du stood at the table for a while, then called out, "Your Highness."

Huangfu Jue trembled, raised his head, looking extremely haggard. After a long while, he came to his senses, forced himself to sit up, and asked in a low voice, "Father, is something wrong?"

Guan Du clasped his hands together and said, "Everyone is grieving over the matter of the Dowager Consort."

Huangfu Jue's eyes flashed, and his previously dry eyes welled up again. He silently lowered his gaze.

Guan Du paused, then continued, "But I've come not to comfort you, but to scold you!"

Huangfu Jue was stunned and looked up at him.

"Son, prince, and king—these are all your identities, but the fundamental condition for achieving all of this is not your birth, but because you are a man. As a man, you can be filial, you can be tender, you can have hatred, you can have love, but you cannot be malicious, you cannot be mean, and you certainly cannot take for granted the sacrifices others have made for you! When you resent and blame others, you need to ask yourself what you have given back to others?" Guan Du stared at him, his words unforgiving.

Huangfu Jue covered his head with his hands, closed his eyes for a long time, and struggled to say, "I know she doesn't owe me anything, I just... I just can't tolerate the horrific things she did to my mother, making it impossible for me to even see her one last time... I can't even give her a proper burial..." As he spoke, he choked up and tears streamed down his face.

“Your Highness, you are no ordinary person, and your status does not allow you to remain at the level of an ordinary person. This refers not only to status and power, but more importantly, to your mind and willpower. Your willpower is weak. For ordinary people, this is just a common flaw, but for you, it can be fatal. I ask you, if you were asked to exchange your life for the Dowager Consort to have a complete corpse, would you be willing?” Guan Du asked.

“Of course I would!” Huangfu Jue shouted without thinking.

Guan Du looked at him, silent.

Huangfu Jue gradually calmed down under his gaze, but didn't think he was wrong, murmuring, "She's my mother. I'm thinking of her, isn't that right?"

Guan Du remained expressionless, only saying, "Then let me ask you, if you die, who will guarantee that the other party will keep their promise and give the Dowager a grand funeral? Me? Yan Ji? Or someone else? Now I can tell you clearly, if you really die like that, no one will avenge you, no one will uphold justice for you, because you shattered our hopes, took away our beliefs, and made our years of hard work go to waste. Of course, we won't hate you either, because ultimately, the reason we helped you with all our might wasn't solely for your sake."

Huangfu Jue stared at him blankly, clearly speechless at his words.

"Do you know why I chose Qin Liyue specifically to rescue the Dowager Consort? Among our tens of thousands of subordinates, there are those whose martial arts and wisdom surpass hers. However, no one can guarantee that the Dowager Consort will be brought back alive. Firstly, this mission will inevitably be met with a full-scale pursuit and interception by the imperial court and Yuexiao Manor. Secondly, the Dowager Consort's health is already extremely weak, and whether she can even survive until she reaches Zhuwu Gate is also a question. When I was choosing people, my only criterion was: if the rescue fails and the Dowager Consort dies, who can handle things most cleanly and efficiently? Even if it's just her corpse, once it falls into the hands of the imperial court, the Xiwang Mansion will be doomed, because no one knows better than me how deep the bond between you and your son is. Therefore, I chose Qin Liyue, and she did not disappoint me." Guan Du revealed the truth with a calm expression, but to Huangfu Jue, it was like a thunderbolt.

"Just because of a small friendship, she traveled thousands of miles and risked her life to save us. Given her character, she wouldn't have treated the person she risked her life to save that way unless she truly had no other choice. Today, she came looking much thinner, her face as pale as paper, clearly recovering from a serious injury. You ignored her, fine, but how could you... how could you publicly accuse her of 'parricide'? I thought you loved your mother deeply and could understand the pain behind her killing her mother for love, but I never expected that as a man, you could be so cruel, worse than the most vicious woman! How could you... how could you trample on her deepest wounds? What right do you have?" Guan Du became slightly agitated as he spoke, his voice trembling with anger.

Huangfu Jue clutched his head, his face contorted in pain as he cried out, "Stop talking! Stop talking..."

Guan Du realized he had lost control, took a deep breath, and composed himself. Looking at Huangfu Jue, slumped behind his desk with disheveled hair, he sighed after a long silence, "I've always thought highly of Qin Liyue, and I even tried my best to bring you two together. Today, I finally realize I was wrong. You are not worthy of her."

*

The next morning, Guan Du and Yan Ji arrived at Yiqing Residence, intending to apologize to Liyue on behalf of Huangfu Jue for yesterday's events, and also to inquire about her injuries.

Unexpectedly, they were greeted only by a farewell note from Liyue: "I'm leaving. If you wish to find me in the future, go to Tianyi Island."

Yan Ji sighed, "We're too late after all."

Guan Du's heart was heavy. He knew that from this day forward, the Xi Wang Mansion would only owe her more and more. Financial debts are easy to repay, but debts of gratitude are hard to repay!

He summoned the servants serving in the garden and asked, "Has Miss Qin taken any medicine these past two days since she returned?"

The maid serving her replied, "Yes, she has, but I don't know what kind of medicine it is."

Guan Du instructed, "Go and fetch the dregs."

The maid agreed and quickly brought a packet of leftover medicinal dregs.

Guan Du took the dregs back to the palace and summoned the palace physician, asking him to identify what kind of injury the medicine was treating. Although Li Yue had left, their duties still couldn't be neglected. If they knew what kind of injury she had suffered, sending some appropriate medicinal herbs and tonics to Tianyi Island would be appropriate.

Four doctors gathered together, meticulously sorting and classifying the dregs of the medicine. After a long examination, they concluded that this was the kind of medicine doctors usually prescribed to replenish qi and blood after a miscarriage.

Upon hearing the word "miscarriage," Guan Du and Yan Ji were immediately stunned.

Li Yue had miscarried? Whose child could it be?

Ye Qianxun? Li Yue shouldn't have forgiven him for what happened at the Holy Realm, otherwise she wouldn't have developed such a relationship with Huangfu Jue, so it was impossible.

Su Yingge? No, their relationship didn't seem like that at all.

Qu Liushang? No, according to reliable sources, he returned to Dongyi before the new year, and when Li Yue came, she showed no signs of pregnancy.

After considering everything, it seemed there was only one possibility left, and judging from the timeline, it seemed to fit perfectly.

That was, this child... was their prince, Huangfu Jue's?!

Thinking of this, Guan Du and Yan Ji exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.

But the truth is, Li Yue's health was indeed very poor, consistent with the speculation that she miscarried en route. Jiang Hanyu, upon returning, made no mention of her condition in his description…

If all of this is true… Guan Du looked up to the sky, instantly filled with immense regret and sorrow.

Chapter 71, Spring in Yong'an…

Just as Li Yue and Tan Lang were leisurely traveling to Yong'an in Dongyi, a sudden, deafening explosion erupted from Jiuhua Mountain in Xiwu. The violent explosion nearly shook the entire Jiuhua Mountain. People within a radius of several kilometers came out of their homes, craning their necks to see what had happened in this sacred martial arts land.

Inside Yuexiao Manor, disciples and servants ran around nervously, in a state of panic. The entire manor presented an unprecedented scene of chaos and disorder.

At Linfeng Pavilion, Chuxiu walked solemnly to Huayun Pavilion and said to Yu Wuchen, who was quietly reading, "Young Master, Master and Madam request your presence in the main hall."

Yu Wuchen put down his book without a word, stood up, and walked calmly towards the front courtyard in his snow-white robes.

The main hall of Yuexiao Manor—the Golden Cup and Silver Terrace—large enough to accommodate a hundred or so people for a banquet, was now occupied only by Yu Zhanhua and his wife, and Yu Jiuxiao.

All three wore gloomy expressions. Upon seeing Yu Wuchen enter, Yu Jiuxiao was furious, but restrained by his parents' presence, clenching his fists until they cracked.

Yu Wuchen ignored them, walking calmly to Yu Zhanhua and his wife and bowing

to his parents. "Wuchen, did you blow up Feiluan Terrace?" Yu Zhanhua, with his thick eyebrows and large, handsome face, was clearly a straightforward and magnanimous man, so he didn't mince words with his son, asking directly.

"Yes." Yu Wuchen looked up, his gaze clear and devoid of shame as he admitted.

Yu Zhanhua and his wife were stunned, while Yu Jiuxiao, standing nearby, couldn't help but exclaim, "Are you crazy! Do you know what the Flying Phoenix Terrace means?"

Located to the west of Yuexiao Manor, the Flying Phoenix Terrace has existed for a century. One could say that Jiuhua Mountain had the Flying Phoenix Terrace before Yuexiao Manor. On this magnificent ancient round platform nestled halfway up the mountain, martial arts heroes held a grand martial arts gathering every five years, where dozens of renowned martial arts leaders were chosen amidst the clash of swords. Today, the Flying Phoenix Terrace is no longer just a round platform; it has long since ascended to an insurmountable martial arts legend in the hearts of martial artists, a sacred place for achieving one's lifelong martial arts dreams, to be worshipped but not desecrated.

"I know, but so what? I don't like it," Yu Wuchen said calmly.

Yu Jiuxiao choked, while Yu Zhanhua remained relatively calm, saying, "Wuchen, this matter is extraordinary. I hope you can provide a reasonable explanation."

"Father, you don't need to ask him. I know he's deliberately opposing me for that woman's sake!" Yu Jiuxiao stared at Yu Wuchen, his face ashen. At the martial arts tournament this autumn, his father, Yu Zhanhua, was to announce his abdication—a tacit understanding throughout the martial arts world. As one of the most outstanding members of the next generation, Yu Jiuxiao was highly likely to surpass all others and ascend to the pinnacle. He looked forward to that day and was giving his all. But now, with the Flying Phoenix Platform bombed, not only could the martial arts tournament not be held as scheduled, but Yu Zhanhua and Yuexiao Manor's prestige in the martial arts world would inevitably suffer a significant blow, which would be extremely detrimental to his succession as the leader of the martial arts alliance.

"A woman? Wuchen, is what your brother said true?" Yu Zhanhua seized on the key point, his face darkening.

"Yes. I warned my brother before, but he wouldn't listen. I had no choice." Yu Wuchen maintained a nonchalant expression.

"How hateful!" Hearing this, Yu Jiuxiao could no longer contain himself and jumped out of his chair, ready to teach Yu Wuchen a lesson.

Yu Wuchen stood still, and Yu Zhanhua shouted, "Jiuxiao! I taught you martial arts not so you could fight your brother!"

Yu Jiuxiao's fist was about to hit Yu Wuchen's face, but Yu Wuchen neither dodged nor flinched, not even blinking. This infuriated Yu Jiuxiao, but he dared not disobey his father's words. He immediately stopped his attack, turned around, and sat down in the chair angrily, his neck stiff and silent.

"Wuchen, you have lost your temper this time. She's just a woman, yet you went and bombed the Flying Phoenix Terrace? Do you know what consequences this will bring to my Yuexiao Manor?" Yu Zhanhua frowned and scolded him.

“I didn’t think that much. He touched someone I care about, and I can’t disregard brotherly affection to retaliate against him. So I can only touch what he cares about. It’s that simple. Besides, if women are really so insignificant, why did you, Father, risk your reputation more than ten years ago to marry Liu Zixian, the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world?” Yu Wuchen looked up at Yu Zhanhua.

Yu Zhanhua’s expression changed, and he couldn’t speak. Madam Yu, who was standing to the side, couldn’t hold back any longer. She slammed her hand on the table and said, “Enough! Lianqiu’s fate is still unknown, and you two brothers are already fighting amongst yourselves? What, is Lianqiu not your sister? You’re just going to abandon her because you can’t compete with Blood Shadow Palace?”

Yu Lianqiu was Liu Zixian’s daughter. Because Liu Zixian died in childbirth, Yu Lianqiu was actually raised by Madam Yu, who always treated her as her own daughter. This made her famous in the martial arts world, and many martial artists used Madam Yu as an example to persuade their wives when they wanted to take a concubine.

“My brother is in charge now. He’s willing to send his men to be dogs for the court. How can I rescue Lianqiu? Am I supposed to send my caravan with gold and silver to the Blood Shadow Palace to ransom her? If Ye Qianxun is willing, just name your price, and I’ll go myself,” Yu Wuchen said.

“Who’s a dog for the court? That’s Shuhua’s brother. Is it wrong for me to help?” Yu Jiuxiao felt like he was about to die of anger.

Yu Wuchen smiled coldly and said, “What a great relationship! Isn’t Huangfu Jue Shuhua’s brother too? Lianqiu was kidnapped. It’s such a long journey from Nanfo to the Blood Shadow Palace. If the court were willing to lend a hand, would Ye Qianxun have been able to take Lianqiu back to his lair so easily?”

Yu Jiuxiao was furious. He opened his mouth, but found himself unable to find a rebuttal.

"Alright, the matter of Lianqiu needs further consideration. The martial arts tournament is imminent. You two brothers should work together to see if you can rebuild the Flying Phoenix Terrace before the tournament begins." Yu Zhanhua seemed a little tired, rubbing his temples as he quietly instructed his two sons.

Although Yu Jiuxiao was furious with Yu Wuchen, he knew that without his support in terms of finances and materials, he alone would definitely not be able to rebuild the massive Flying Phoenix Terrace before autumn. So, he readily agreed as soon as his father spoke.

"Father, I'm sorry, I'm not interested in rebuilding the Flying Phoenix Terrace. Whoever is interested can build it." Yu Wuchen refused Yu Zhanhua's suggestion.

Yu Jiuxiao had actually used the Thousand Faces Killing Formation against Liyue, and blowing up the Flying Phoenix Terrace was a warning to him. If he were to contribute money and effort to rebuild it for him... had he lost his mind?

Yu Zhanhua was taken aback by his refusal, and Madam Yu also frowned deeply. Yu Jiuxiao, unable to bear it any longer, shouted, "Yu Wuchen, don't go too far!"

Yu Wuchen said calmly, "I went out to travel at the age of twelve and began to build my trading team bit by bit. It's been more than six years now. Brother, what kind of support or help have you given me during this time? I've already given you face by using the trading network I built on my own to serve as the manor's information channel. Don't take other people's politeness for granted." After speaking, he turned to leave.

"Wuchen, if you don't lend a hand, this year's martial arts tournament cannot be held as scheduled." Yu Zhanhua knew his youngest son's temperament well, and even in this situation, he didn't dare to force him. He could only try to reason with him and appeal to his emotions.

Yu Wuchen paused, but didn't turn around. He only said, "I don't care. Anyway, I don't want to be the leader of the martial arts alliance."

"Then don't you consider your father?" Although Yu Jiuxiao was furious, seeing that he was unwilling to help, he was also a little anxious and brought up his father.

“Father is going to abdicate anyway, and there’s no need for a martial arts contest for abdication, so it doesn’t matter if there’s no Flying Phoenix Terrace.” Just as Yu Wuchen reached the door, the manor’s steward suddenly brought a palace invitation to Yu Zhanhua, saying, “Master, the Dongyi royal family has sent an invitation, inviting the Second Young Master to Yong’an as a guest.”

Yu Zhanhua was slightly taken aback, took the invitation, glanced at it, and looked up at Yu Wuchen by the door. Before he could speak, Yu Wuchen smiled and said, “Alright, I was just thinking of going out for a stroll.”

*

In mid-May, Yong’an in Dongyi was immersed in a misty, drizzling landscape.

Since leaving Dongyi with bandits at the age of eight, Li Yue had never returned. In her memory, Dongyi left her with one word—cold.

She hated Dongyi’s coldness. Of the three kingdoms, Nanfo was the hottest, Xiwu had a moderate temperature, and Dongyi was the coldest.

Look, it was already halfway through May, yet walking in this continuous drizzle still felt like the chill of early spring.

However…

Li Yue looked up at the ancient city before her, where every house had water and flowers, stone-paved roads and blue-brick walls, wind chimes hanging from eaves and wine flags standing tall, and couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

Entering Yong'an's city gates, she immediately noticed the city's uniqueness. It wasn't a single entity, but rather clearly divided into east and west sections: the ancient city to the east and the new city to the west, connected by a main road. At the end of the main road was the Dongyi Imperial Palace.

Without hesitation, Li Yue chose to go to the ancient city. As it turned out, her choice was right; few places could captivate her at first sight like this ancient city.

Walking on the damp, slippery stone paths, Li Yue watched the babbling water in the blue stone channels beside the road. The water was so clear, it seemed she could scoop it up and drink it at any moment. Under every eave, there was a stone slab extending into the channel. She saw children playing in the water, women washing vegetables… The ancient city was already very quiet, and the babbling water undoubtedly added a touch of tranquility to that peace.

Not far away, a slender woman in a green dress walked gracefully, holding an oil-paper umbrella. Her simple skirt fluttered in the rain, creating a poetic scene against the backdrop of the cobblestone alley.

Li Yue was somewhat lost in thought, feeling that in the alleys of this ancient city, any encounter would be a beautiful one…

“Miss, have you eaten? Our stir-fried asparagus and braised pig’s trotters are quite good.” Lost in thought, a clear, melodious voice, like a nightingale's song, suddenly drifted to her ears.

Li Yue looked up and saw a tavern beside her. A young girl, with delicate, rosy cheeks and clear, bright eyes, stood cheerfully behind a large wine vat at the entrance, a radiant smile as blue as the sky and as green as water, looking at her and asking.

What a young and carefree face! Like this ancient city, it was captivating at first glance!

Li Yue sighed, stepping onto the smooth, jade-like bluestone steps soaked by the rain. A faint aroma of wine reached her nose, and she pointed to the wine jar, saying to the girl, "Bring me a pot of wine, and a braised pig's trotter. Do you have pork hock?"

The girl, slightly taken aback by Li Yue's stunningly beautiful face, smiled and replied, "Yes, please wait a moment." She then expertly began to busy herself.

Watching the girl energetically pour wine for her from the jug, her lips pursed, and then skillfully wrap the pig's trotters and hocks she had ordered in oiled paper, Li Yue couldn't help but ask, "Little girl, how old are you?"

The girl had already tied the two paper packages with string, handing the jug and packages to Li Yue together, and smiled, "You're about the same age as me, yet you call me 'little girl,' you're really interesting."

"About the same age..." Li Yue handed over the silver, then suddenly smiled and said, "Actually, I'm already thirty years old."

The girl was taken aback, and seeing her turn to leave, she asked with innocent excitement, "Are you a Taoist priest who knows the art of immortality?"

Li Yue smiled without answering, but the girl took her silence as a secret and profound matter, her eyes filled with envy and admiration.

Leaving the tavern, the scenery around her remained the same, the rain was the same, but Li Yue's mood had quietly changed.

So she didn't want to walk any further. Looking up, she saw a small river not far ahead, with a large waterwheel on it. A stone bridge spanned the waterwheel

. She walked over, sat on the bridge railing, and tossed a pork hock to her slender husband, who looked much thinner from being soaked. She then drank wine and gnawed on the hock herself. Raindrops splashed on the river's surface, creating ripples that seemed to cycle endlessly. Li Yue stared blankly, a strange thought suddenly forming in her mind: she wanted to stay here. She loved the quiet, the damp green moss on the stone walls, the old window lattices covered in ivy, the crisscrossing, babbling waterways, and the serene peace that permeated the place. Perhaps one day she would grow tired of it, but at least she loved it now. All she needed was to buy a house, but she was currently penniless.

Yes, those tens of thousands of taels of silver notes were lost sometime, somewhere. She rarely cared about material possessions when she didn't need them. When she left Yiqing Residence, she searched the entire house but only found a few silver ingots, which she had already spent.

However, she had never been one to worry about money; at least not since she was eight. If she ran out of money, she would simply find someone wealthy she disliked and take it.

But since following Yu Wuchen, she had been retired from this trade for many years, and now she found herself returning to it in a place so suited to her tastes.

After much thought, she decided to go to the other side of Yong'an—Xincheng.

The rain intensified, and her clothes were soaked through. A slight breeze brought a chill. She wiped the water from her face, intending to find a place to change, when suddenly an umbrella was held over her head.

Li Yue paused, calmly turning around, but when she saw the face of the person holding the umbrella for her, she was no longer calm. The inn in

Yong'an

was unlike any other. Stepping through the rustic and elegant wooden door, one was greeted by a spacious courtyard filled with various flowers and plants. Every exquisite corner held a stone table and benches, suggesting that on clear days, guests would be enjoying tea, playing chess, or chatting in blissful tranquility.

Li Yue, however, had no time to observe closely; her gaze followed the man walking a short distance ahead of her.

She had never seen Qu Liushang in his black robes before, and thus, his tall, imposing figure felt strangely unfamiliar.

The innkeeper, a middle-aged man in his forties, was obsequious to Qu Liushang. Qu Liushang ignored him, leading Li Yue upstairs with practiced ease.

Reaching the second-floor stairwell, Li Yue paused, her hand resting on the wooden railing entwined with rose vines, before walking with a complex mix of emotions towards the door Qu Liushang had just entered.

As soon as she stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind her, and a hand reached out and pulled her in.

Caught off guard, Qu Liushang, who was leaning against the door, pulled her into his arms, and she could hear his rapid heartbeat.

So, his indifference and aloofness when they met earlier were all an act?

He embraced her with an expression as if he had rediscovered a long-lost treasure, so tightly that she could hardly breathe.

But she didn't struggle; she liked being held so tightly. Only in this moment could she feel that someone still cared about her.

He didn't speak, just silently held her, the only betrayals being his slightly heavy breathing and his rapid heartbeat.

Li Yue knew he missed her, but for the past few months, she had almost never wanted to think of him. She used busyness to numb herself. She had buried Yu Wuchen, buried Ye Qianxun, and when it came to burying him, she felt she had already gotten used to it.

As always, she quickly felt his warmth. Today, she was soaked to the bone, and this warmth was like a timely gift, making her feel refreshed. She relaxed against him, feeling a little sleepy for a moment.

"I thought you could take care of yourself, so you rejected me. But why did you let me see you so thin and pale? What kind of heartbreak makes you prefer to wander alone in the rain rather than take another step forward?" His voice lacked its usual lightness and crispness, as if it too was soaked by the rain, damp and heavy.

Li Yue snapped out of her daze and gently pushed him away. In the dim light, his face was still familiar, but the aura he exuded was completely unfamiliar. Before, both his appearance and temperament radiated a pure and cheerful sunshine, but now… Li Yue was certain she could smell the rust of weapons and a faint scent of blood on him.

She brushed her soaking wet hair and said, "Remember I said I don't like you prying into things."

He looked at her, then his gaze shifted, and he said, "Alright, let's change the subject. Why did you kill Murong Xian?"

Li Yue turned and walked to the basin stand beside the dressing table, picked up a cotton cloth from the stand, and wiped her long hair. Without turning her head, she asked, "Why do you ask?"

The man behind her was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was no longer as calm as before, carrying a hint of guilt and struggle. He said, "He is my third uncle."

The silhouette of the woman in the dim light of the window suddenly stiffened, short but obvious. Then she began to wipe her wet hair again, though her movements were slightly messy. Without raising her eyebrows, she said indifferently, "He is my father."

Qu Liushang's eyes widened suddenly. The sudden news rolled through his mind like a thunderbolt, instantly clearing his mind, which was cluttered with all sorts of thoughts.

He stood there, frozen, feeling numb all over from her words, staring blankly at Li Yue, completely bewildered.

Li Yue slowly turned around, facing the stunned man, a faint smile suddenly appearing on her lips, and asked, "So what should I call you now? Murong Juan, or, cousin?"

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