“Bang.”

It sounded like some firework exploding—muffled and indistinct, nearly drowned out by the deafening drums and gongs.

When this dull sound arose, she was leaning close to his ear whispering sweet nothings between young lovers. He listened with a smile but gave his personal guard captain a look.

The personal guard captain, hearing the sound seemingly nearby, gripped his sword and stood, vigilantly searching all around.

On stage, the water sleeves of the dan role actor flew dancing. The long sleeves were cast out mournfully, flying in a graceful arc through the air, then in a beautiful reclining fish pose like the moon reflected in an arched bridge, slowly falling, half-covering a delicate face, lightly extending wide sleeves—one glance conveying a passage of romance and fragrance.

“Bravo!”

Theater enthusiasts clapped their hands red.

Another dull sound, masked in the storm of applause. The dan role actor on stage was about to rise when suddenly there was an “oh my” cry.

The audience below hadn’t yet noticed, but the Eternal Spring Troupe’s manager had already changed color. He was about to find some way to cover it up when the stage lights suddenly dimmed. The personal guard captain, having determined that sound definitely came from the stage, waved his hand and led the personal guards quickly rushing onto the stage.

Jin Siyu rose abruptly, looking toward the stage.

“Hiss hiss hiss!”

All the palace lanterns on all four sides suddenly extinguished completely.

“Pop pop pop!”

The lantern riddles hanging from the large trees overhead immediately exploded the instant the lights went out. Starry sparks shot everywhere through the sky, falling in clusters onto the warm pavilion, instantly igniting the pavilion built entirely of brocade curtains.

Crackling sounds continued endlessly. Sparks and flowing light scattered in all directions, dazzling the eyes. Some shot a full ten zhang away. The servants blocked outside by personal guards cried out in alarm and scattered to avoid them. With too many people, you pushing me and me stepping on you, it instantly became complete chaos. All garrison troops and personal guards responsible for protecting Pu Garden immediately rushed toward the warm pavilion in the first moment.

But the personal guards had to watch both the stage and the warm pavilion, while also restraining and blocking the panicked, scattered crowds. Dazzled and dizzy by the exploding lanterns’ shooting sparks, they could barely distinguish direction. In the chaos they collided with each other, then were pushed apart by the crowds. The originally neat formation like iron bars rapidly dispersed—clusters here and there, not knowing which direction to go.

Chaos erupted on all sides, trouble arising at the elbows. Alarmed cries and shouts rose and fell continuously. Pu Garden was like a pot of boiling porridge—people were rice grains bubbling and churning, you squeezing me and me squeezing you. Many people opened their mouths not knowing what they were shouting, just venting the terror of this moment in confusion. With too many people, most of them shouting, the sound waves resembled landslides and tsunamis, obscuring all other sounds.

At this moment when sudden change had just erupted, at the most chaotic and bewildering time, only one person remained unruffled.

Jin Siyu.

He only did one thing.

He grabbed hold of his Shaoyao.

Almost at the moment that seemingly present yet absent dull sound arose, he’d already shifted his seat to block Shaoyao’s escape route. When the dan role actor on stage cried out, he’d just smilingly handed over newly shelled melon seed kernels, yet immediately seized Shaoyao’s hand with smooth motion.

The position was seized with extreme precision—the wrist pulse point.

At that position, let alone someone who’d lost martial arts, even someone with martial arts would lack strength to resist once grabbed.

The moment Miss Shaoyao’s hand was grabbed, she showed no panic. She lowered her eyes to look at her own wrist, then raised her eyes to look at him. For an instant, her expression was actually desolate.

She smiled and said: “You’re hurting me.”

Jin Siyu was startled. Though tonight’s uprising was beyond his expectations—after all, this weather was too unsuitable for rescue—he who’d never completely let down his guard had always kept himself from leaving Shaoyao’s side. The uprising must be for her. As long as he could control Shaoyao, no matter how great the chaos, it would inevitably return empty-handed. As for the army outside the city, he wasn’t completely unprepared either. When the time came to catch turtles in a jar, pursuing and killing in snowy night—they’d equally be unable to escape.

He hadn’t expected that from the moment the sound arose, she hadn’t moved. Her face showed the same surprise as everyone else. He hadn’t expected that when he grabbed her like this, her eyes showed not terror but desolation.

Could it be… he’d truly misunderstood her?

This thought flashed through his mind like a meteor. He was startled and hadn’t yet had time to think when suddenly he heard a “boom.”

Different from all previous sounds—majestic and surging, deep and fierce, like a celestial god striking heaven’s enormous drum, raising a rumbling sound that shook the four seas and eight wildernesses!

The sound was close at hand.

Jin Siyu turned his head. Having experienced countless storms and always remaining composed, this Great Yue prince’s pupils dilated in an instant!

Surging!

True surging!

Large swaths of waves roared and rolled, rushing forth with the momentum of a fierce tiger breaking from its cage. Crystal-like violent currents carrying broken ice swept over the lakeside flowers and grass with unstoppable force, swept over fallen lanterns and curtains, swept over crowds on all sides. The violent current rushed fiercely, heading straight for the warm pavilion!

Biyi Lake directly facing the warm pavilion had been blown open!

In an instant, everyone forgot to react. Stage tricks, lantern riddles, assassins—these were all common methods. After some chaos they could be restrained. But no matter who thought until their head burst, no one imagined that someone would be so thunderously violent and earth-shaking, blowing open Biyi Lake under such circumstances!

What a grand gesture!

Because the lakeside backed onto water where no one could openly cross, no guards had been stationed, though many household guards stood scattered along the shore watching the opera. Now as the lake water rushed back and rolled up suddenly, many people were immediately swept away.

Some personal guards reacted extremely quickly, fearlessly rushing forward with raised swords. But swords could only cut at solid things—they couldn’t move against the majestic, unstoppable force of nature. As the water current surged forth, it was like being struck in the chest by a giant hammer. They were pressed underwater with no ability to resist. That water momentum didn’t slow at all. With a “crash,” it had already toppled the warm pavilion!

All this happened in an instant. Most of the people, too shocked, hadn’t yet reacted. Jin Siyu only had time for that one glance back before seeing the fierce water current scatter the overhead warm pavilion. The frame and curtains came crashing down on his head. The impact made his head dizzy, his breathing catch, his vision spark with stars. The enormous natural force unquestionably knocked his hand apart. In the water his hand slipped—the wrist of Shaoyao he’d been firmly gripping all along was already gone.

Jin Siyu immediately reached back to catch her. His hand held only empty water current. Recalling he’d vaguely heard Shaoyao cry out just now, he forced his eyes open and drew his sword from his waist. He saw water currents surging on all sides. All the brocade curtains that had been set up on the warm pavilion scattered in the water, slowly swimming—deep red, pale yellow, bright purple, emerald green, brilliant as if countless enormous brocade carp swam around him. The winter lake water was bone-chillingly cold, freezing him until he felt everything from fingers to heart tip stiffening. Yet his mind hadn’t scattered. He knew this kind of water current would only last a moment. Quickly escaping this range would be fine. But people moved slowly in water. Dimly he seemed to see someone underwater—with a fish-like flick already before him, reaching out to hook his waist.

Jin Siyu’s heart jumped in alarm. His response was remarkably quick. Knowing the opponent wasn’t attacking vital points but grabbing his belt must have its reason, his long sword flashed and flicked, casting off his own belt.

The belt fell to the ground with a faint hum. With water currents surging violently, nothing could be made out. Yet Jin Siyu’s lips curled in a cold smile. Before the smile finished, cold light flashed bright—water-parting thorns stabbed straight at his chest!

Jin Siyu hurriedly retreated with difficulty along the water current. Where could he still worry about finding Shaoyao? Though he retreated quickly, the pursuer was faster. Both sides rushed several zhang along the water current, the water-parting thorns’ cold light pursuing relentlessly like lightning. With a rip, pale red blood color faintly spread. Jin Siyu struggled to turn over. A thread of blood on his arm floated and scattered. But he couldn’t worry about the wound. He reached out and grabbed a brocade curtain. The deep red curtain floated and unfurled, blocking his form.

That person’s martial arts were supremely skilled, seemingly also extremely familiar with the human body. Each strike aimed at vital points. When the curtain blocked him, he didn’t even look, raising his hand to stab—still aiming at the heart position.

“Rip.”

The thorn tip entered flesh with a low sound. That person’s strike was shockingly precise. In the dark water, silver light flashed.

Vaguely someone groaned.

At this moment underwater, in a flash of shock, no one saw what exactly happened. Some guards at the perimeter who hadn’t been hit by water had already reacted. Some organized the crowds while others tried to rescue Jin Siyu. Liu Yuan had happened to go relieve himself when the incident occurred. Hearing the enormous sound, he ran back stunned and gaping. Watching people wrapped in water currents scattering everywhere, he quickly jumped up and down shouting: “The Prince is under the warm pavilion—quickly rescue, quickly rescue! Ah, someone’s flying up there!”

“Crack!”

One whip lash made Liu Yuan shudder with delight. Turning around, he saw his great king with one hand on his hip and one hand wielding a whip, glaring at him with furrowed brows and raised eyes.

Liu Yuan instinctively wanted to pounce and grab his trouser leg, thinking the king’s whip technique today was performing especially magnificently, lashing people until they felt deliciously tingly and soul-stirringly crazy. Eyes glowing and face flushed, he pounced over, trembling: “Ah ah, wonderful, beautiful!”

“Satisfying or not satisfying!” Old Liu the king lashed with his whip. “This place is especially satisfying for whipping people, right!”

“Yes!”

“Crack!”

Old Liu lashed at the top of his head, knocking Rabbit Liu unconscious, and smoothly stuffed him in a wall hole.

Keli was also outside tonight. Someone had carried his wheelchair out and placed it not far from the warm pavilion. These past few days, Keli already seemed about to be able to speak. Tonight he’d pointed several times at the warm pavilion, wanting to go in, but was stopped by maids. When the water current rushed over, the maid attending him was swept away. The wheelchair was overturned. Keli struggled in the water and grabbed the wheelchair, barely avoiding being swept away. He clung desperately to the wheelchair. Who knows which blockage the water opened, but he struggled and actually managed to speak a blurred sentence: “She is…”

“She is who?”

In the chaotic crowds, no one heard his words, yet someone asked him this sentence warmly and kindly. Keli raised his head and saw a man in blue clothes and small cap. Though also soaked through, he showed no trace of wretchedness, bending down to look at him indifferently.

In his eyes, ten thousand li of rivers and mountains fell in snow, coldly desolate, everywhere blooming with pale golden datura flowers.

Under that gaze, Keli suddenly felt colder to the bone than when the winter’s icy lake water had passed over his body just now.

His heart understood. He grabbed the wheelchair and tried to shield himself. However, the wheelchair had just been dragged over when he saw a hand suddenly pierce through the wooden chair surface.

As if growing from within the wheelchair, that hand calmly pierced through the chair surface, continuing forward, piercing through the gap already present in his throat.

This time, Keli didn’t have his previous good fortune again.

That hand’s finger strength was steady, hard and resolute as diamond. The finger pierced into the throat and without hesitation lightly hooked.

“Snap.”

The sound of the windpipe being hooked and broken couldn’t actually be heard. In such a noisy, chaotic environment, even explosions wouldn’t be easily heard. Yet Keli heard so clearly his own windpipe under those diamond-like fingers being hooked out and broken.

Like the sound of autumn’s dry, brittle tree branches being snapped by winter snow.

The excited and panicked demon fires in his eyes gradually extinguished. The slender, alluring eyes gradually congealed into a pool of death-colored black.

“You already lived two extra months and seventeen days. That’s quite good.” That person indifferently withdrew his finger, wiping it clean on Keli’s woman-like beautiful face, and unhurriedly walked away.

Water everywhere, chaos throughout the grounds. People lying on the ground were stepped on back and forth by confused feet. No one knew of this corner’s judgment and ending.

In another corner, cleaning servant light as smoke swept over, dodging left and right to avoid all the confused people. He beckoned once, and a group of people who’d come along the water from the lakeside followed him, rushing straight toward a corner of the rear courtyard’s northwest garden. There stood a pair of stone lions guarding the entrance. Servant Ning Cheng didn’t move the left door but hugged the right stone lion’s head and turned it three times. With a click, the lion sank down, revealing a narrow doorway.

Ning Cheng waved his hand. That group of people descended with light steps. Shortly after, they carried out a woman—disheveled hair, dirty face, pale complexion. It was Hua Qiong.

She didn’t cry out or struggle. Frowning, she examined the masked Ning Cheng. Her voice was low and weak but her tone quite clear: “You’ve come to rescue me?” She turned her head to look at the distant chaos, narrowed her eyes and asked again: “Military secret code. Report it.”

Ning Cheng had originally held his chin high. He had considerable objections to dividing forces at such an urgent, fiery moment to rescue this woman who seemed completely unrelated to him. But hearing this sentence, he actually laughed instead.

“Worthy indeed of being her good friend. Worthy indeed of His Highness wanting to rescue you.” He grinned. “He said if we don’t rescue you and take you along, then rescuing Feng Zhiwei would also be rescuing in vain.” As he spoke, he removed his mask.

The two already knew each other from Nanhai. Hua Qiong glanced at him, snorted coldly, but said: “Zhiwei is alright then?”

“Don’t know if she’s alright or not. She’s not my mission.” Ning Cheng said. “My mission is just to rescue you out of the city. But I now feel something’s not right.”

The two exchanged glances, both eyes showing traces of unease—the place imprisoning Hua Qiong, even if the left and right lions were arranged to make the real seem false and the false seem real, even if tonight’s excitement drew everyone to watch, even if Biyi Lake’s water rushing back attracted all the guards, there was no reason for not one single person to remain here.

Where had the people gone?

“Never mind, we’ll go our way.” Ning Cheng stomped his feet. “Here and in Feng Zhiwei’s courtyard, the underground is all iron plates. We couldn’t dig tunnels. Finally we decided on the lake-bombing strategy. We observed that Biyi Lake’s terrain was a tiny bit higher than other places. We spent two months quietly digging a tunnel to the artificial mountain by the lakeside. Taking advantage of the chaos, we bombed three times consecutively, blowing open a not-very-large gap, first rushing Jin Siyu’s warm pavilion. Unfortunately we couldn’t make all the lake water pour out, otherwise flooding this entire Pu Garden—how satisfying that would have been.”

Carrying Hua Qiong on his back, he swept along the route, while very skillfully avoiding hidden sentries and mechanisms on all sides, laughing: “Many mechanisms in this courtyard—either we figured them out, or King Helian ruined them with a piss… hehe!”

Shadows swept past, fast as chasing light and treading electricity. Some people felt wind seeming to sweep overhead. When they looked up, they saw only the vast starry sky.

The fiercest water current had already passed. Several inner courtyard personal guard captains and prominent figures who’d just gone to eat New Year’s Eve dinner waded through mud and water running over, shouting: “Rescue the Prince! Activate all mechanisms! Close the gates! Alert the city inside and out! Block roads… ow!”

That last cry’s content was clearly off. Looking again, the person was already clutching his belly and rolling on the ground. A group of junior guards, leaderless, stupidly spread their hands to move that shapeless warm pavilion. Suddenly they saw black shadows flash—several figures burst from the scattered warm pavilion, each heading in different directions. Guards rushed over, pushing away those messy bamboo frames and heavy brocade curtains, dragging out an utterly wretched Jin Siyu covered in blood and mud from beneath the curtains.

Jin Siyu’s body was covered in blood, his face pale, wet hair plastered to his forehead. He looked quite terrible. The personal guards’ vision went dark, thinking it was over—how to account if the Prince died here? Suddenly they saw Jin Siyu open his eyes.

The personal guards were overjoyed, calling out repeatedly. Jin Siyu pressed his chest and heart area, his face showing a trace of cold smile. He coughed several times, struggling to shout fiercely: “Chase!”

The personal guards hastily jumped up to give chase but didn’t know which direction to chase properly. They could only divide forces to pursue those several black shadows. No one noticed that at the instant the black shadows scattered and Jin Siyu struggled out, several figures threw themselves toward Biyi Lake’s artificial mountain direction.

Jin Siyu wiped the mud from his face, gazing at the warm pavilion and stage toppled by water, and the crowds scattered in panic throughout Pu Garden. A trace of resentment and vicious color passed through his eyes. Suddenly he raised his sleeve and pulled out a short signal flare, hooking the string and pulling.

“Crack.”

A golden light blazed into the sky, brighter, more vivid, more magnificent than all the city’s fireworks—straight as a golden sword, instantly piercing through night’s darkness.

Helian Zheng, who with subordinates rushing in taking advantage of chaos had knocked down all outer courtyard guards and was heading for the rendezvous point outside the city, looked up in shock.

Ning Cheng, carrying Hua Qiong and not caring about anything, following the path Helian Zheng had opened straight out of Pu Garden, looked up toward heaven.

In some corner, a man who’d silently led one person away from a chaotic crowd furrowed his brow.

Over there, Jin Siyu being helped up by personal guards looked toward the direction outside Pu Garden, hearing reports about Keli being killed and Hua Qiong being rescued. His hand tightly gripped a jade-like object of strange color. He laughed coldly: “Good, good. Toppling Biyi Lake, bombing lantern riddles, injuring actors, destroying mechanisms, poisoning guards, rescuing who should be rescued while not forgetting to kill who should be killed… multiple prongs striking together—what a grand gesture! But I still want to see whether you can walk out of this Pucheng!”

“Walking out of Pucheng is easy.” Someone in an old building outside Pu Garden squatted at a tunnel entrance, saying to two people climbing out: “I’m afraid walking far won’t be easy.”

The speaker was Zong Chen. His outer robe concealed water-resistant gear underneath. His hands held a pair of water-parting thorns. Seeing Gu Xiaodai emerge carrying Feng Zhiwei, he looked at her face and quickly stuffed a pill in her mouth.

Feng Zhiwei had been covering her mouth coughing. In the midst of busyness, she waved her hand to express thanks. Zong Chen gazed at her and sighed: “Jin Siyu guarded too tightly. In the end we could only decide on this plan. It was precisely because we considered your body might not withstand winter lake water pouring down like that that we delayed again, waiting until you were better before daring to act. How do you feel now?”

Feng Zhiwei smiled again and waved her hand, indicating not so great.

Gu Xiaodai came over, found dry cloth already prepared in the old building’s cabinet, and wanted to help her rub her hair dry. Then he tried to undo her clothes wanting to help her change into dry clothes, but was strongly refused by her. After declining repeatedly, Gu Xiaodai stood stunned with stopped hands, not understanding why Feng Zhiwei was suddenly so distant.

Zong Chen came over and handed a cloak to Feng Zhiwei—a very large, very wide cloak that could almost submerge all of Feng Zhiwei. She buried herself inside it, unable to even let speaking breath through.

Feng Zhiwei thanked him, then only asked: “Why won’t walking far be easy?”

“Jin Siyu seems to still have hidden cards. He’s a cautious person.” Zong Chen said. “Though we chose a most impossible, most relaxing day to act, I suspect even under these circumstances he still made some preparations. For instance, I know Jin Siyu’s personal guard battalion seemed to have movement two days ago, but I don’t know where they went.”

Feng Zhiwei made an “mm” sound, her expression thoughtful. She was about to say something when she heard continuous sounds of wind. A squint-eyed tall man led several people rushing in. Upon seeing Feng Zhiwei, he opened both arms with a low cry: “Eternal Blue Heaven, my little aunt!” About to make a wolf-pouncing gesture, he was kicked out by Gu Xiaodai.

Feng Zhiwei smiled faintly, something very strange in her eyes. Zong Chen had already asked Helian Zheng: “Ning Cheng and the others left the city?”

“Their route differs from ours. He’s taking Hua Qiong straight out of the city. I already warned him—if he dares play tricks, I’ll trip up his master.” Helian Zheng ground his teeth ominously.

To disperse targets, everyone originally hadn’t agreed to leave together. Zong Chen nodded: “Long nights bring many dreams. Zhiwei, if you can hold on, leave immediately.”

Feng Zhiwei nodded but still didn’t speak. Helian Zheng smiled: “My wife is still waiting for me at home, not far from here. I had San Sun go fetch her. You go first. I’ll wait for her here.”

Feng Zhiwei’s questioning gaze turned over. Helian Zheng smiled at her showing a mouthful of white teeth: “Reporting to the Grand Consort, I’ve just married my third concubine in Pucheng. If you don’t mind, another day I’ll have her present milk tea to you.”

“Third? You have the nerve—clearly the fifth already.” Zong Chen laughed and cursed, but without any delay, gestured for Gu Nanyi to carry Feng Zhiwei. But Feng Zhiwei suddenly said: “Xiao Dai’s body is wet. Carrying me won’t be comfortable. Sir, you wore water-resistant gear earlier that didn’t get wet. I’d like to trouble you.”

Both Gu Nanyi and Zong Chen were startled. Gu Nanyi looked down at his soaked clothing without making a sound, quickly circulating energy to dry his clothes. Zong Chen looked at Feng Zhiwei once: “Alright.”

Turning to Helian Zheng: “Once you get her, come quickly. Time is of the essence.”

Helian Zheng smiled and nodded, watching them leave. The smile on his face suddenly vanished.

Behind him, footsteps approached. Helian Zheng didn’t turn around. With hands behind his back, he gazed abstractedly at the backs of Zong Chen and the others disappearing into the night, saying indifferently: “Still haven’t found her?”

San Sun lowered his head: “Yes. We searched everywhere. Miss Jiarong isn’t here. Probably…”

He didn’t continue. Everyone knew clearly—the places Jiarong could go, besides this “home,” was Pu Garden.

Helian Zheng looked up toward heaven. After only an instant of contemplation, he said: “You all go catch up with them. Leave the city immediately.”

San Sun didn’t move, looking at Helian Zheng’s back: “King, you…”

“Go!”

No one moved. San Sun didn’t even speak anymore. He knew he couldn’t drag the king away, but the king shouldn’t think of driving him away either.

Helian Zheng sighed, turning around: “It’s fine. Over there is still chaotic. Taking advantage of the chaos to go in, grab the person and come out—nothing will happen.”

Still no one paid him attention. Helian Zheng smiled helplessly, feeling his kingly dignity was increasingly lacking.

A line of shadows turned back and headed straight for Pu Garden.

“King, why do you…” In their swift advance, San Sun couldn’t help asking this question. He’d clearly seen the king’s eyes showed he very much wanted to go with Master Zong and the Grand Consort.

Helian Zheng pressed his lips, silent.

For a long time, in air filled with firecracker sulfur smell, a sentence drifted past that seemed like talking to himself.

“She called me husband.”

—

In air filled with firecracker sulfur smell, Feng Zhiwei lay on Zong Chen’s back, rushing swiftly out of the city.

“Pucheng can now be called a dead city.” Zong Chen said. “All channels that could smoothly transmit messages have already been controlled by our people.”

“But as long as Prince An still lives,” Feng Zhiwei’s posture was somewhat strange. Her head was far from Zong Chen’s back, as if fearing her breathing would blow on his hair. She said slowly: “Everything still has variables.”

Zong Chen stopped talking. After a long while, he sighed: “I’m sorry. I couldn’t kill him. Even though I stabbed his vital point, I still couldn’t kill him.”

“This isn’t your problem.” Feng Zhiwei pressed her lips, her head tilted. Through somewhat scattered hair, her temple showed slight blue. “If he were that easy to kill, when I helped him change clothes earlier, I would already have acted. He wore protective armor. Your pair of water-parting thorns count as divine weapons, but they still couldn’t completely pierce through.”

“Mm… Fortunately he should already be poisoned.” After a long while, Zong Chen said: “Just a matter of dying early or dying late.”

Feng Zhiwei was silent. After a long while, she suddenly said softly: “Sir, do you think I should die early or die late?”

Zong Chen jolted violently, abruptly twisting his head. He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.

“Sir’s medical arts are unparalleled in the world. You couldn’t possibly not see my problem.” Feng Zhiwei smiled. “What kind of poison could even leave you helpless?”

“Since I insisted on rescuing you, naturally I have confidence I can save you.” Zong Chen said in a deep voice. “Don’t you still trust me?”

“I don’t distrust you, sir.” After silent contemplation, Feng Zhiwei suddenly withdrew her hand: “My apologies, sir. Just now I found a booklet in your waist pouch.”

She waved a thin booklet before Zong Chen’s eyes—just one or two thin pages. The cover read “Discussion of World-Ending Things.”

Zong Chen’s back stiffened again.

“This isn’t poison.” Feng Zhiwei looked at the booklet’s contents, saying softly: “This is Twin Life Gu, the legendary long-lost gu. It’s said to originate earliest from the Fufeng Clan before Great Cheng—the first generation Fufeng Queen never married, spending her entire life’s strength only making this gu. No one has seen it. No one knows the method of making or resolving the gu. They only vaguely know the gu’s name is Twin Life—one flourishes, both flourish; one is damaged, both are damaged. Once separated, the gu-afflicted becomes a poison person… In legend, the Queen made this gu not to harm people nor save people, but only to dispel the eternally unresolvable loneliness in her heart… Before departing she said: even if gu creates twin lives, how many people in the world can live together and die in the same grave? In legend she destroyed this gu. Who’d have thought… there’d still be some…”

“Lost for several hundred years…” After a long silence, Zong Chen finally said bitterly: “Even I didn’t recognize it. We just all had some doubts in our hearts—why was Jin Siyu so confident and fearless? Why did he dare take you as concubine? I admit his precautions were already very careful and meticulous, with nothing suspicious. But I always felt he should be even more careful. Until just now when the lake water toppled the warm pavilion and I went to assassinate him, my water-parting thorns should actually have been able to pierce through his not-very-remarkable protective armor. But at that instant I suddenly saw a spot of deep blue at his temple.”

Feng Zhiwei was silent, her smile slightly cool.

“I suddenly thought of the legendary Fufeng Twin Life. I remember vaguely seeing in some book that this kind of gu is colorless and tasteless without any manifestation, but after exposure to cold, congealed blue spots appear. So I hesitated, and Jin Siyu escaped. Afterward, the more I thought about it, the more doubtful I became. I turned back to find this book. Later I saw you—the same place also had it. Only then was I certain.”

Feng Zhiwei sighed.

“Zhiwei, this gu has never been used, so no one has researched a solution.” Zong Chen turned his head earnestly. “But you must believe me. Give me time—I can solve it.”

“But before then?” After a long silence, Feng Zhiwei smiled without mirth. “A poison person in your team, even she herself doesn’t know what manner will transmit poison—perhaps contact, perhaps sharing food, perhaps even merely breathing… Too terrifying, Zong Chen. We’ll be completely wiped out.”

Zong Chen resolutely shook his head: “No, Zhiwei. You must know I’m from the Xuanyuan Clan. There’s no ailment in the world the Xuanyuan Clan can’t solve. I’ll have everyone be more careful. Nothing will happen.”

“No. Gu isn’t illness—it’s not within your most skilled domain. Moreover, I can feel it. Just now when we emerged from the tunnel, Jin Siyu already activated that gu.” Feng Zhiwei said. “That’s why I wouldn’t let Xiao Dai carry me. Your clothes have water-resistant gear underneath. Whatever poison there is probably won’t penetrate the water-resistant gear to enter your body. Sir, you don’t have complete confidence, do you?”

After a long silence, Zong Chen felt faint bitterness rise in his heart. Six hundred years ago, the Witch-Gu Nation Fufeng’s Queen was already a supreme figure among shamans. That woman who loved martial arts instead of witchcraft in her youth, in a palace coup that cost her mother’s life, suddenly realized the insufficiency of her own witch-gu arts. Afterward she studied scriptures bitterly and sought all famous teachers. Already gifted with exceptional intelligence, once she’d made up her mind, with a monarch’s position and resources supporting her research, such a person spending her entire life exhausting all energy to create the only gu—how could it be easily resolved?

Even if his ancestor were resurrected, they’d probably be helpless before this gu…

“Our people are too important. What we must do is too important…” Feng Zhiwei said lightly on his back. “Sir, I absolutely cannot allow such unnecessary sacrifice to happen.”

“No!” Zong Chen immediately said. “You’re crazy? We went to such trouble toppling Pu Garden to rescue you. If you go back, that’s sending yourself to death!”

“It’s Twin Life Gu, isn’t it?” Feng Zhiwei lazily smiled. “I was originally still somewhat worried. Now there’s nothing to care about. Jin Siyu absolutely cannot kill me, right?”

“He planted this gu in you—not from the beginning.” Zong Chen said. “Presumably he acted when he decided to take you as concubine. Don’t forget, this gu has gone through over six hundred years. Whether it’s been altered by people is also unknown. I suspect this gu can only constrain you but may not necessarily constrain him. Moreover, since he dared plant this gu, he may not lack a solution. You absolutely cannot go back.” Zong Chen patiently persuaded her. “If you return this time, we have no way to infiltrate Pu Garden again. You’ll be alone, facing circumstances even more dangerous than last time. Everyone absolutely won’t agree. Follow us, wear more clothes, cover up densely, keep everyone far from you—it may not necessarily harm anyone.”

“What if it doesn’t work?” Feng Zhiwei said. “Waiting until great error is made—then saying anything will be too late. Sir, experiencing an eternally irredeemable mistake once is enough. I don’t want to experience it a second time.”

Zong Chen fell silent. Feng Zhiwei said softly again: “This kind of gu—I’ve also researched it somewhat. It’s a gu where the one who tied the bell must untie it. The key must still be with Jin Siyu. I don’t want to live a lifetime wrapped up tightly, forever unable to approach anyone. Since he has a solution, then I must go back even more—to make Twin Life not twin.”

Zong Chen was silent for a very long time, still shaking his head: “No, Zhiwei. This matter involves too much. Everyone is paying a price. The light cavalry led by Yao Yangyu should already have traveled by night to the Great Yue main camp… I have no authority to decide to let you go back.”

Feng Zhiwei didn’t speak. At this time, their group had already reached the city gate. The city gate guards had already been killed in part by everyone lurking. It wasn’t very difficult to leave the city. Yet just as they swept onto the city wall, Zong Chen and Gu Nanyi both jolted.

Outside the city gate was originally a bare small hillock—grass and trees withered, covered in thick frozen snow. Now before that hillock, a densely packed row of golden-armored long dragons surrounded all of Pucheng. Belonging to Jin Siyu’s personal guard battalion, the golden armor was covered in mottled snow. Dense forests of spears and halberds like countless cold eyes stared coldly at the chaotic Pucheng.