That strike had cut across Tie Ci’s palm while simultaneously throwing out the severed finger and knocking out A’Chong. Because the action was so fast and sudden, even that god-like person in blue hadn’t been able to detect it.

This was also because the Crown Princess acted decisively enough—any hesitation would have aroused suspicion.

No wonder the Crown Princess had insisted on restraining A’Chong and picking up the “severed finger.”

Feng Huan then realized with amazement, “But you didn’t harm A’Chong at all! Then why still kneel and apologize!”

“I can’t let them think I didn’t harm A’Chong, because I needed them to be certain that I really dared to kill A’Chong in mutual destruction,” Tie Ci said. “What’s a few kowtows?”

Feng Huan was stunned for a long moment, feeling speechless.

He stood behind Tie Ci and silently bowed to her with cupped hands.

But Tie Ci was listening to the movements in the darkness. As she offered tributes to those venomous creatures, the fine rustling sounds in the darkness gradually disappeared.

She repeated the kneeling motions, with Feng Huan following behind her, giving her timely support when her movements became increasingly stiff. He didn’t forget to comment that these venomous pets were ugly, so their masters must be ugly too. Listening to his chatter, Tie Ci felt he had made quite a bit of progress these past days, even learning to be considerate, so she asked, “What’s going on between you and A’Ji? Really… hmm?” She made a gesture with her fingers.

Feng Huan was stunned for a moment, then after a while his eyes lit up as he said, “Your Highness even knows about this! Just as my father said…” He suddenly became alarmed, coughed once and quickly shut his mouth.

Tie Ci chuckled.

How those dukes, marquises, nobles, and ministers from the Xiao and Rong factions talked about her behind her back—she didn’t need to guess.

The Crown Princess appears righteous on the surface but acts lewdly in private.

The Crown Princess is skilled at buying people’s hearts, but actually has deep schemes.

As if they themselves were so upright and honorable.

Tie Ci mused thoughtfully, “If you and A’Ji really get married, are you planning to stay here? I’ll need to prepare a gift…”

“Bah, who’s marrying her? Who wants to be with her? Stay here? How is that possible? A village girl from the mountains who plays with poisonous snakes—is she worthy of me!” Feng Huan cursed behind her with great momentum.

“That’s up to you then,” Tie Ci paused. “Just keep your word.”

She stopped before the last grave. The tomb looked no different from ordinary ones, but there was no burial mound for venomous creatures, and its location was the most remote. If Tie Ci hadn’t been thorough and insisted on pushing aside a thicket of thorns, it would have been impossible to discover.

Feng Huan said, “This location suggests it’s probably an ownerless solitary grave, not a Mo tribe ancestor. We don’t need to worship this one.”

Tie Ci glanced at the ground before the grave and still respectfully kowtowed.

After three loud kowtows, she spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed sideways.

Feng Huan was greatly alarmed and rushed forward to help her, “Your Highness, Your Highness!”

But Tie Ci quickly opened her eyes, lying there and stopping him, saying softly, “Don’t move me, I’m dizzy. Let me stay dizzy for a while.”

Feng Huan stared at her with wide eyes, “Your Highness, you get dizzy too? Aren’t you omnipotent, able to ascend to heaven and descend to earth…”

Tie Ci just wanted to give him an eye roll.

She had been poisoned by toxic gases since entering the stronghold. Although she had taken her master’s antidote pills and half the antidote A’Kou gave her, it was still causing depletion. Not to mention later using teleportation abilities extensively in a short time.

Rong Pu had repeatedly warned that as her innate abilities awakened, the reverse flow in her meridians became more severe. He feared it would lead to irreversible disaster in the future and told her to avoid using her innate abilities as much as possible. Even if she used them, she should try not to use teleportation, which caused the greatest depletion. But today she had not only used it, but also frequently quick-teleported with two people, causing tremendous depletion.

Her whole body felt weak, but her chest surged with blood and qi, making her head buzz. When her true qi reached her dantian, it couldn’t circulate. She thought drowsily, what was this irreversible disaster? Was it qi deviation? Or meridians shattering inch by inch…

Something suddenly cool touched her lips, and something fell into her mouth. Tie Ci wanted to spit it out but it was too late. Feng Huan beside her said in alarm, “Your Highness, your blood seems to have melted a stalk of grass, and something fell into your mouth. Are you alright?”

Tie Ci assessed her condition. At this moment her chest was burning like fire, feeling stuffy and nauseous—it really couldn’t get worse, so she simply set it aside and ignored it, only turning her head to see what grass it was. But with this turn of her head, she saw that under the weeds before the grave, there was still a stone slab. She struggled to get up, pulled out the weeds, wiped the stone slab clean, and only then saw carved on it two men—one practicing sword, one playing flute. The sword practitioner was just a back view, but the back looked extremely capable and graceful with beautiful lines. The other wore dark robes and thin shirt, holding his flute elegantly with a gentle smile—it was the blue-clothed Uncle’s appearance, only younger.

The face was very similar, but the expression was completely different. Though the current lips might also hold a smile, that smile was cold, faint, empty—having the form but not the spirit. Beautiful, yes, but lacking warmth.

The scene of two people practicing sword and playing flute was common, but this carving was skillfully done. With just a few strokes, it depicted the atmosphere of intimate understanding between the two—floating clouds stretching afar, rows of pines like jade, music stopping the clouds, sword shadows like rainbows.

A very beautiful scene.

Then buried deep in Li Mountain before an unmarked, unnamed solitary grave.

Tie Ci felt an inexplicable surge of mournful qi, murmuring, “Ten years of life and death, two vast uncertainties. Without thinking, hard to forget. A thousand li of solitary grave, nowhere to speak of desolation. Even if we met, you probably wouldn’t recognize me—dust covering my face, temples like frost.”

Suddenly she turned back and saw under the flower-shaped archway of the cemetery, in that patch of seemingly frozen darkness, a tall figure had suddenly appeared.

That figure stood there quietly, as if he had stood there for a lifetime.

Meeting Tie Ci’s gaze, he walked over, carrying a solitary lamp that flickered and swayed. The weak light could only illuminate the small area under his feet. The gnarled branches in this dark cemetery seemed to instantly come alive, writhing and connecting on the ground. Night owls cackled eerily, flying arrogantly overhead.

Feng Huan shrank behind Tie Ci, but behind Tie Ci was a grave, so he kept turning back to look at the grave, afraid a hand might suddenly reach out from inside for atmosphere.

The person in blue approached carrying the lamp, hung it on a tree branch extending from the grave, lifted his robes and sat beside her, continuing, “In night dreams I suddenly return home, by the small window, she’s arranging her hair. Looking at each other wordlessly, only a thousand lines of tears. I expect year after year at the heartbreaking place, on moonlit nights, by the short pine hill.”

Tie Ci wasn’t surprised he would continue with the second half. This “River Town Song” was originally one of the classic elegiac poems that had been passed down for hundreds of years. Legend said it was first composed by a queen of some dynasty and country to commemorate her royal consort who had preceded her in death, on one of his death anniversaries.

According to the queen herself, this wasn’t her work—she hated writing poetry most. The poem was written by someone surnamed Su, but everyone searched the entire continent at the time and found no literary master surnamed Su who could write such tender and deeply emotional elegiac verse. This became an eternal mystery.

After all, everyone knew that queen was indeed unlearned and incompetent.

But Tie Ci knew more. Her master said the poem indeed wasn’t written by the queen, but was a famous work by a great poet from her hometown, which showed that queen was also from her hometown. At the time, her master had clicked her tongue in admiration, saying how when others crossed over they got complete sets of emperors, generals, ministers and nobles, and even married into complete sets of emperors, generals, ministers and nobles. How come when it got to her, she got no benefits at all, just suffering and carrying missions…

Tie Ci had heard but not understood. She was still young then, only moved by the legend of the queen and royal consort, and saddened for the legendary genius national teacher who didn’t live long. It was said he could control ice and snow, but due to hereditary family conditions had a short lifespan—truly heaven being jealous of talent and deep affection.

At this moment, sitting before this solitary grave, she had spoken from the heart, not expecting to resonate with the person in blue.

The person in blue sat beside her, his gaze falling on the grave front where the grass had been completely cleared. He said nothing, extending his hand to beckon to the wind.

There came the sound of beating wings in the air. Two birds with red beaks and yellow feathers slowly flew over, carrying a tray on their backs with a wine pot and cups.

The two birds landed, and the person in blue took down the tray. His fingers were long and snow-white, making the light pink orchid mantis ring very conspicuous.

The wine pot’s lid handle was centipede-shaped, with a long lid handle extending all the way into the wine pot. But when the person in blue went to open the lid, Tie Ci saw with her own eyes that the handle moved.

It was alive. Its lower half had been soaking in the wine all along.

The person in blue poured her a cup of wine. Tie Ci thanked him and took it, drinking it all in one gulp without hesitation.

Anyway, if he wanted to kill her, he had plenty of methods and wouldn’t need to go to the trouble of poisoning wine.

She asked, “May I ask your name, senior?”

“You may call me Duanmu or Sanlang.”

“May I ask Senior Duanmu, how is my friend?”

“The toxins in his body are complex. I’ve ensured he won’t be in mortal danger. The rest needs time to slowly resolve. I’ve given him the method—whether he can solve it depends on his own ability.” Duanmu paused, then added, “Actually, I already gave you the solution, but you messed it up yourself.”

Tie Ci raised an eyebrow, “Senior Duanmu’s way of doing things seems to always avoid giving people a clean resolution.”

Duanmu said indifferently, “That’s probably because this world also never gives me clean resolutions.”

Tie Ci said nothing more. She believed that as long as Murong Yi could wake up, he would definitely be able to handle what came after.

She felt a bit thirsty, so she pulled the wine pot over and poured herself another cup, acting as if she completely didn’t see the centipede trying hard to probe its body into the wine.

Duanmu watched her, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

Tie Ci said, “Since my friend’s poison is no longer an issue, let me negotiate a new deal with you, senior.”

Duanmu slowly drank his wine, gazing at the solitary grave ahead, “Is it necessary?”

This person seemed very indifferent to joy, anger, sorrow and happiness, with a kind of world-weary fatigue. Even these words full of disdain came without any earthly fire.

“Then please tell me, senior, what would make you willing to negotiate with me?”

Tie Ci seemed to casually shift her body, revealing A’Chong’s sleeve behind her, still stained with dark bloodstains.

Duanmu glanced at it and said casually, “Make the severed finger return to normal, and I’ll negotiate with you.”

Severed limbs cannot regenerate—this was the firmest refusal.

Feng Huan, hiding to the side, smiled.

He couldn’t help thinking, the Crown Princess is so clever.

So she was waiting here all along.

He secretly poked Tie Ci’s back, whispering, “Your Highness, tell him to forget the last condition.”

He thought Tie Ci’s deal must be about this—surely she wouldn’t really go through with trading life for life.

Tie Ci also smiled, shifted her body, and raised A’Chong’s completely intact hand.

Duanmu was stunned.

He carefully examined A’Chong’s hand for a while, his gaze falling on Tie Ci’s palm. Only then did Tie Ci let him see the deep wound in her palm.

Tie Ci stared at him, feeling his expression suddenly become distant, as if through her wound, he was looking into the distant past.

Some similar memories made his eyes burn intensely, yet instantly extinguish.

His gaze fell on the solitary grave, gently stroking the cold earth of the grave mound, “Speak.”

“I want to gain your assistance and that of the Mo tribe to help me stabilize Yannan.”

Feng Huan was stunned.

“This is called demands, not negotiation.” Duanmu smiled slightly, raised his hand, and the two birds flew over to take the tray. Duanmu also stood up.

Tie Ci said behind him, “I’ll help you find the person in your heart.”

The person in blue turned around abruptly.

No one could see his movement, only feeling a roaring wind. The next instant, Tie Ci’s entire body flew up, her back heavily crashing into the earth wall of the cemetery. With a thunderous crash, the earth wall collapsed into a pile of scattered soil.

Everything happened so suddenly that Feng Huan only let out a sharp scream after a long moment, not caring about anything else as he ran toward the earth wall.

He knelt by the pile of earth, trembling all over, tears streaming down his face, desperately reaching out to dig through the pile of soil, “Your Highness! Your Highness!”

But this wasn’t the end. The ground was still shaking, countless fragments of earth scattered, and holes appeared in the ground as if many things were about to burst from the earth. Feng Huan saw with his own eyes a tree root nearby suddenly swell and thicken, like a giant python, stabbing lightning-fast into the pile of earth.

Feng Huan frantically increased his speed, trying to dig Tie Ci out from under the pile of earth. In this terrifying, desperate moment, from the corner of his eye he caught sight of the cemetery and was horrified to discover that many graves had exploded, except for the last solitary grave from before, which remained completely intact amid the earth-shaking tremors.

But soon he couldn’t spare attention for anything else. Several pale tree roots had already stabbed into the pile of earth. Feng Huan closed his eyes, not daring to watch the next scene of blood and gore exploding.

Suddenly everything around him became quiet, the tremors stopped. Feng Huan opened his eyes and saw a black shadow sweep over like wind. Still in mid-air, cold light flashed at his waist as he struck directly at that solitary grave!

Earth and sand flew, and half the grave mound disappeared in an instant.

The person in blue turned around sharply!

The next instant the ground churned, exploding with countless venomous insects and scorpions. Those thick, pale tree roots swished out from the pile of earth and lashed toward that tall, agile black shadow instead.

Lightning flashed, wild thunder poured down, as if heaven itself had been truly enraged.

Feng Huan recognized it was Murong Yi and stared in amazement.

From this Duanmu fellow’s tone, this person had just passed through life-and-death crisis, with poison still not completely cleared—how had he run out? And upon arriving, he did nothing else but went to dig up graves first?

Lightning like white pillars rolled and stabbed toward Murong Yi.

He flicked his hand and threw out a cold gleam.

The metal object immediately drew the lightning away. With a tremendous crash, the ground instantly split open in a great crack.

With a clang, the sword stuck in the ground, lightning following the crack and continuing forward, reaching the solitary grave in an instant. Half the grave mound immediately collapsed.

A wild wind rose, rolling with ice and snow howling as it struck. Murong Yi was swept from the grave mound like a broken butterfly, then with another thunderous crash also smashed into the pile of earth.

He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Feng Huan had just dug Tie Ci out when heaven dropped Murong Yi on them, and he was knocked rolling away.

Murong Yi hit the ground but didn’t lose consciousness. He immediately pulled Tie Ci from the pile of earth and patted her chest, shaking out the mud that had blocked her mouth and nose.

At this time, venomous creatures were crawling everywhere around them, but for some reason, none of the venomous creatures bit them.

But just because the venomous creatures didn’t attack didn’t mean there was no crisis. From heaven to earth, the tremors continued, and the person in blue’s endless methods still awaited them.

Murong Yi and Tie Ci had never in their lives encountered such a powerful opponent, and it seemed each time was stronger than the last. The Three Madmen and Five Emperors they’d encountered before weren’t even worthy of being lackeys compared to him.

Was this the legendary strongest combat power among the Three Madmen and Five Emperors?

No, what was strong about him wasn’t just combat power…

The wind grew more urgent, lightning writhed like golden snakes in the clouds, thunder rumbled dully approaching from the horizon, temperature was dropping rapidly. In just a few breaths, both of them were covered with a layer of frost.

A cough—Tie Ci woke up.

As soon as she awakened, she felt killing intent from all directions and immediately shouted, “I swear by the national fortune of my Tie imperial dynasty—the person you’re looking for really isn’t dead! If I speak falsely, may the Tie imperial clan end with me!”

The wind fell silent.

After a long moment, the wind gradually weakened, thunder gradually faded, lightning disappeared, tree roots withdrew, venomous creatures burrowed back underground, and all around returned to calm. However, the completely devastated cemetery obviously couldn’t be restored.

The frost didn’t immediately melt either. The two were soaking in the cold mud. Tie Ci shivered slightly, and Murong Yi pulled her into his embrace.

The person in blue still stood far away. The solitary grave he cared about had been split by Murong Yi’s strike, yet he seemed to be afraid of something and wouldn’t approach.

Feng Huan tremblingly took a cautious look and discovered that grave was indeed empty.

Since it was empty, naturally no corpse was found, so there was still hope of survival. Why was this Duanmu so adamant that the person was dead, to the point that when Tie Ci proposed to help him find this person, he considered it mockery and rarely struck out in fury?

After a long while, the person in blue took down his lamp from the tree—after all this upheaval, that lamp was amazingly still lit.

He regained his composure, beckoned with his hand, and A’Chong returned to his grasp. His great sleeves fluttering, he carried the lamp and once again disappeared into the darkness.

A cacophony of sounds arose in the cemetery. Looking carefully, it was actually some large scorpions, centipedes, venomous snakes and such, busily moving earth and piling soil, rebuilding their old ancestors’ graves.

Seeing how practiced their movements were, they probably did this kind of work quite often.

Murong Yi and Tie Ci supported each other as they stood up, both covered in blood and earth, yet they smiled at each other.

Feng Huan lay on the ground looking up at them, inexplicably feeling those smiles shine brilliantly.

People who could immediately smile after such a brutal encounter—they were truly strong, weren’t they?

Lovers who could unhesitatingly throw away their lives for each other at any time—they were truly in love, weren’t they?

That smile, as if their eyes held only each other, fearing nothing even of heaven and earth.

He felt moved, then watched as that pair of strong, fearless, faithful lovers, indeed with eyes only for each other, supported each other and walked away.

Forgetting all about him…