Baili Weisheng was determined to go down into the sea, and Ziqing had no choice but to let him.

Just as he was about to leave, Xinyun suddenly grabbed his hand. “Take me to see it, won’t you?”

Baili Weisheng froze, and for a moment, everyone around them froze too. But the very next instant, Baili Weisheng violently yanked his hand free from Xinyun’s grip, retreating several steps and blurting out, “No!”

How could this woman be so forward? A man’s hand wasn’t something you could just grab whenever you pleased—didn’t she know that?

Watching Baili Weisheng’s reaction, Xinyun’s heart lurched, and her small face immediately turned pitiful and innocent, her head slowly lowering—the very picture of someone who inspired sympathy.

Under normal circumstances, when a man found himself in such a situation, he’d apologize—even if reluctant, for the sake of decorum and his own dignity as a man, he’d at least offer some words of comfort.

But this scoundrel Baili Weisheng, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes, simply turned on his heel and walked away, not even sparing her a second glance, let alone an apology.

Ziqing glanced at Xinyun and chose to say nothing. She knew that Baili Weisheng holding back a few sharp remarks was already something of a mercy.

Once Baili Weisheng had left, Jun Beiyue and Xuanyuan Lige didn’t so much as glance at Xinyun either, both fully absorbed in studying the massive log before them, trying to figure out how to build a boat without any tools at all.

Compared to Jun Beiyue and Xuanyuan Lige, Ziqing, having once been a mercenary, actually had some relevant experience. But with absolutely no tools on hand, she too had to think this through carefully.

Seeing that no one was paying her any attention, Xinyun’s face darkened. Without a word, she quietly slipped away, secretly following after Baili Weisheng.

Ziqing naturally noticed her leaving. Once the woman was gone, she murmured under her breath, “That girl’s not actually falling for the foul-mouthed scholar, is she?”

For a good while, Jun Beiyue and Xuanyuan Lige both acted as though they hadn’t heard a word, ignoring her entirely.

Only then did Ziqing wisely fall silent, somewhat put out. She knew perfectly well that these two had no interest whatsoever in Baili Weisheng, even less interest in Xinyun, and certainly zero interest in gossip of any kind!

By the time Xinyun caught up to the shore, Baili Weisheng was already long gone.

She sat down on the hilltop, gazing out at the massive whirlpool on the ocean’s surface, like some enormous sea monster. The malice from before had faded from her expression; instead, she rested her chin on her hands, lost deep in thought.

She could no longer even recall how many years it had been since anyone had last taken her diving through the deep sea, moving as easily as walking on solid ground, roaming freely wherever she pleased.

She had once foolishly believed that if she was willing to do anything, willing to give everything for him, then surely one day, they could live together in a world all their own.

But…

As some memory surfaced, Xinyun suddenly clenched her fists tight, her eyes filling with resentment.

Half a day later, Baili Weisheng emerged from the whirlpool, leaping up onto the shore in a few smooth bounds, his figure wreathed in shimmering golden scales, bathed entirely in golden light—looking, for all the world, like some divine being descended from the heavens, handsome, noble, untouchable!

At that moment, Xinyun’s heart began pounding uncontrollably. In a daze, she seemed to see him again—the one who had always lived deep in her heart.

Those golden scales, that handsome face, those eyes as brilliant as starlight—everything about him seemed cast from the exact same mold!

She seemed to have drifted back to those days long past.

Xinyun sat there, once again lost in a besotted trance.

Baili Weisheng had, of course, already spotted her long ago. He eyed her warily, half tempted to go over and check whether this woman had simply mistaken him for someone else. But remembering the sudden hand-grabbing from earlier, a shiver of dread ran through him, and he turned and walked away instead, unwilling to invite any more trouble.

By the time Baili Weisheng made his way back, Ziqing and the others had made essentially no progress on building the boat. Xuanyuan Lige and Jun Beiyue sat off to the side, while Ziqing alone tinkered away at the wooden log.

“Find anything?” Jun Beiyue asked.

Baili Weisheng shrugged. “It’s not connected—it just leads straight down to the seabed.”

“And then?” Ziqing asked as well.

“That’s it. Nothing else. I’m guessing the real problem is with this boat!” Baili Weisheng said, and was about to help, but Ziqing waved him off, telling him to sit down instead.

“Why?” Baili Weisheng asked, confused.

“Only she can move this wood,” Jun Beiyue explained. Baili Weisheng, not quite believing it, struck the log with a palm strike—but just as before, it caused no damage whatsoever.

Ziqing shot him a glare, gesturing for him to step aside, saying nothing. Clearly, this woman was starting to feel rather frustrated.

Such a massive log, with no tools available, and only she could move it at all—this was undoubtedly a thankless, exhausting task!

Was she really supposed to chip away the unwanted parts with palm strike after palm strike?

Seeing Ziqing’s grim little face, Baili Weisheng wisely retreated to sit beside Jun Beiyue and the others. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Xinyun had returned as well, sitting far away from them, clearly in a foul mood.

Baili Weisheng nudged Xuanyuan Lige with his elbow, whispering, “Hey, what do you think’s wrong with that woman?”

Xuanyuan Lige shook his head, indicating he had no idea.

“Don’t you think she’s acting strange? Could it be that someone I know just… happens to look like me?” Baili Weisheng asked again.

“Not interested. That woman isn’t trustworthy,” Xuanyuan Lige said bluntly. Baili Weisheng tried to pull him into further conversation, but Xuanyuan Lige simply leaned back and closed his eyes.

Baili Weisheng turned to look at Jun Beiyue instead, only to find that he too had already dozed off at some point.

At this moment, Baili Weisheng found himself unable to help but miss someone—Xiong Xiaobao!

If that little rascal were here, things would surely be far more entertaining—he wouldn’t have to sit around bored stiff with these two brooding types!

What Baili Weisheng had no way of knowing was that his once-beloved little Bear Cub, his old friend, had already become Jun Buli, the sovereign emperor of Da Zhou.

One day within the illusion of Lament of Parting equaled a full month in the outside world.

Ziqing and the others had been gone for just over ten days—yet in the outside world, more than a year had already passed!

In that year and more, Jun Buli had ruled the imperial court with an iron, even ruthless fist, bringing every civil and military official firmly to heel. Nearly every faction that could have posed any threat to the standing of Prince Yao’s estate had been thoroughly brought under his control.

Whether infants still in swaddling clothes or elderly mothers in their eighties, anyone who could serve as a valuable hostage had been spared none—all of them placed under house arrest at Prince Yao’s estate!

Over that same year and more, he had forced Emperor Tianhui to write an edict, passing the throne to him. Three months ago, he had formally ascended the throne, taking the reign title Xizheng. On the day of his coronation, the two bronze guardian lion-beasts standing at the entrance to the Xuanwu Hall were removed and replaced with the four living poison beasts.

That day, every civil and military official, every general from all four borders who passed through that entrance, felt their hearts pound with terror and reverence.

Under such circumstances, whatever decision Jun Buli made, whatever order he issued, no one dared voice the slightest objection. The entirety of Da Zhou had, in truth, become his alone to rule.

And so, this youngest emperor in all of Da Zhou’s history came to be known as a tyrant! Three months into his reign, he still hadn’t implemented any new policies, and already the whole of Da Zhou was uneasy.

Especially the matter of building the northern border’s official road—those with hidden agendas naturally seized upon this to stir up considerable public discontent.

Facing this immense pressure, Jun Buli refused to yield an inch on the northern border matter.

Young as he was, shouldering such heavy responsibility, he had no choice but to strike first and bear tremendous pressure, resorting to forceful measures!

At this moment, he sat in the imperial study, coldly surveying the ministers before him, all harboring their own hidden schemes yet not daring to voice their anger. He knew full well these men obeyed him outwardly while remaining defiant at heart, but he believed that one day, he would make them submit completely, just as his father once had.

“Bang!” Suddenly, he slammed his hand on the desk and stood, saying coldly, “Send word—withdraw the entire road-building crew from the northern border!”

At these words, the assembled ministers were overjoyed, assuming the young emperor had finally buckled under the pressure. But to their shock, the very next moment, Jun Buli said coldly, “I will dispatch the poison beasts to continue the roadwork instead. Anyone who interferes does so at their own peril!”