“Wuyou, stop right now! There is a cliff ahead. Quickly! Stop right now!”

Ye Luosha, who had been chasing all the way, saw this and turned pale with fright.

“Di Wuyou, stop for me right now! What are you doing? There is a cliff ahead. Stop immediately!”

When Di Wuyou slowly opened his eyes, he glanced at what was not far ahead and gently pulled on the reins.

At the most critical moment, the horse stopped; where its front hooves landed, pebbles were sent flying and tumbled off the cliff.

The horse was startled, its front hooves kicking up, and almost its entire body reared upright.

Di Wuyou, clutching the cloth sack in his arms, leapt and stood at the very edge of the cliff.

“Wuyou, what are you doing? Come back at once!” Ye Luosha, having caught up, let out a sharp breath of relief and dismounted.

Behind her, Di Wuya, Di Feimu, Elder Shi, Emperor Ji, and Leng Yue arrived in succession.

Except for Elder Shi, who had difficulty moving, everyone dismounted.

Di Wuyou looked at everyone, and the grip with which he held the cloth sack tightened further.

“Come back!” Di Wuya fixed his gaze on the young man at the cliff’s edge and let out a cold snort.

“Elder Brother.” Di Wuyou met his gaze and called out “Elder Brother” for the first time in his life.

Shifting his gaze, he looked at Di Feimu and called out again: “Second Brother.”

“Wuyou, come back. No one will blame you. Come back quickly!” Emperor Ji, still seated on horseback, said softly.

“Elder Brother.” Di Wuyou’s gaze returned once more to Di Wuya.

He looked at Di Wuya, and on his face, beyond respect, there was also a measure of fear.

“I’m sorry! It was I who mistook the enemy for family and caused Mother’s death. I’m sorry!”

“If you have something to say, come back and say it!” Di Wuya said in a deep voice.

“That is right, Wuyou. Whatever troubles you, you can discuss it with your Elder Brother and Second Brother. Come back quickly!” Ye Luosha drew a deep breath and stepped forward.

“Do not come any closer!” Di Wuyou stepped back half a pace.

“Wuyou, speak calmly!” Emperor Ji’s eyes widened.

“All right, I will not come closer. Do not step back any further.” Ye Luosha immediately halted. “Speak calmly. Stop! Stop right where you are!”

“Wuyou!” Di Wuya’s ice-cold voice rang out.

Di Wuyou looked at him, and his feet ceased retreating.

“Elder Brother, it was Long Feiyan — it was Long Feiyan who saved me. On the surface, I appeared to be working for Feng Qiongcang, but in truth, I am Long Feiyan’s disciple.”

“It was she who told me that my parents both died at Mother’s hands. This time I came here not only to avenge Jiu’er, but also to avenge my father and mother.”

“Elder Brother, I’m sorry! I did not know… I was wrong.”

Di Wuyou suddenly knelt down and took a jar out from the cloth sack, holding it in his arms.

Inside the jar were Zhan Liyue’s ashes.

“Mother, I am sorry! It was Wuyou’s fault; it was I who caused your death.”

“Mother, I am sorry! I have wronged Imperial Father, I have wronged Elder Brother and Second Brother, and all the people of the Di family. I am sorry!”

When Di Wuyou raised his eyes, they were filled with tears of remorse.

Ye Luosha had been about to approach, but because he suddenly raised his eyes, she stopped once again.

“Wuyou, do not let your thoughts run wild!” She drew a deep breath and spoke softly.

“Back then you were still an infant; you knew nothing. No one will blame you!”

“Wuyou, listen to me. Think more on what your mother said while she was alive. Come back first — all right?”

“If you feel you have wronged everyone, you can always…”

“Say no more.” Di Wuyou cut off Ye Luosha’s words and shot a sharp glare sideways at Yu Jingfeng, who was approaching from the other side.

“Do not come any closer, any of you. I…”

Di Wuyou sensed two different presences drawing close, suddenly turned, clutched Zhan Liyue’s ashes to his chest, and leapt off.

“Elder Brother, Second Brother — the Di family’s future rests with you both. I am going to look after Imperial Father and Mother; do not grieve for me!”

Di Wuya and Di Feimu, seeing that the situation was dire, swiftly moved closer simultaneously.

Yet, to their dismay, both had come one step too late.

Two tall figures stood at the cliff’s edge; Di Wuyou’s figure vanished in an instant before their eyes.

Ye Luosha and Emperor Ji moved at top speed, the two of them nearly simultaneously grabbing the man each had before them.

“Wuyou.” Ye Luosha pulled Di Feimu back behind herself and knelt at the cliff’s edge. “Wuyou, how could you be so foolish?”

“It is not your fault! It is Long Feiyan’s fault — Long Feiyan’s! Why must you take everyone else’s wrongs upon yourself?”

“Wuyou, with a leap like this, how am I to answer to your mother? Wuyou.”

“Wuya.” Emperor Ji gripped Di Wuya’s arm tightly. “At this moment, you cannot make even the slightest mistake!”

Di Wuya broke free from Emperor Ji’s grip and stared at the bottomless cliff without blinking, without a single word.

After Ye Luosha’s voice faded, on the cliff there was nothing but the gentle wind howling past.

After an unknown amount of time, Di Wuya’s deep voice sounded: “Yu Jingfeng.”

“Here.” Yu Jingfeng strode over and knelt on one knee.

“The matter I asked you to investigate — how has it progressed?”

“In response to Your Highness the Crown Prince: it has been found.” Yu Jingfeng raised his eyes and looked at the side of Di Wuya’s face.

“Long Feiyan has already arrived at the Imperial Capital — and so has… Miss Jiu’er.”

“Long Feiyan.” Di Wuya looked toward the horizon and clenched his fist tightly.

Ye Luosha stood up and turned to look at the person beside her, tears in her eyes. “Wuya, when did you begin to suspect Long Feiyan?”

Di Wuya did not respond; he did not even turn his head.

Yu Jingfeng glanced at him, stood up, and shifted his gaze to Ye Luosha.

“In response to General Ye: from the moment Her Majesty the Empress said that Yanu… was the Third Prince, His Highness the Crown Prince had me begin investigating Long Feiyan.”

“The specific details have not yet been fully uncovered, but Long Feiyan has indeed returned to the Imperial Capital.”

“It was truly her — she who saved the Third Prince yet caused the death of Her Majesty the Empress, and even now the Third Prince.”

For everything that had happened before, His Highness the Crown Prince might still have been able to give Miss Jiu’er a proper explanation in the future.

But the events of these past few days had utterly and completely severed the future between these two people.

Miss Jiu’er had already returned to the Imperial Capital, and Yu Jingfeng truly could not imagine the scene of these two meeting again.

“Pass down the order: anyone who sees Long Feiyan — kill without mercy!” Di Wuya swept his robe aside and turned to head back.

“Yu Jingfeng, instruct the men to go and search for the Third Prince. Find him alive, or find him…”

Di Wuya did not speak the final word; he leapt onto his horse, turned, and rode swiftly back.

Yu Jingfeng drew a deep breath and nodded.

With the Third Prince’s internal injuries not yet healed, from such a towering cliff, how could there still be any chance of survival?

“Yes.” He looked in the direction Di Wuya had departed and cupped his hands in salute.

The people on the cliff left one by one; in the end, even the horse Di Wuyou had ridden was led away.

Everyone’s heart was deeply heavy, but with a great battle imminent, many things were beyond their control.

Of course, among all those present, the only one who was pleased was none other than Leng Yue.

With things as they stood, Di Wuya and Feng Jiu’er were impossible in this lifetime — how could she not be pleased?