“Brother Xiao!” she cried out.

Suddenly awakening from her dream, Cangcang reached forward as if trying to grasp something, only to realize she was on horseback. She quickly grabbed the saddle to avoid tumbling head-first off the horse.

Opening her eyes, she found herself under the blazing noon sun, with the dreary and barren official road stretching endlessly before her.

Ignoring the mocking gaze of the young man in black beside her, Cangcang rubbed her eyes, her mood sinking.

In her drowsy dream just now, she had dreamed of the person she hadn’t heard from in many days.

It seemed many days had passed since he had silently vanished from her life.

During the day, she would often think of his smile and his clear, mellow voice. This was the first time she had dreamed of him.

In the dream, he was still the same as before, smiling gently at her, but his face behind that smile was as pale as that night of nightmares when she saw him in the courtyard.

She happily tried to call out to him, but his face gradually faded, dissolving traceless like white clouds, dispersing before her eyes.

What would it be like to never see him again?

Cangcang dared not think about it. She just hung her head, her fingers unconsciously picking at the sturdy leather saddle.

That person probably didn’t know that after leaving him, almost all her time was spent reminiscing about the moments they shared.

Her chest felt tight and bitter. Cangcang quickly raised her hand to wipe away whatever was about to slide down from the corner of her eye.

“Such weakness,” she muttered to herself, “completely spineless…”

Noticing this, the young man in black turned his head. Seeing her childish gesture, he paused briefly before his lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile. Without any mockery or sarcasm, the smile on his stern lips unexpectedly revealed tenderness.

“We’re changing course to Suzhou.” He stated this matter-of-factly, then frowned at himself—why did he think to comfort her? She couldn’t possibly know that person would also be going to Suzhou.

A listless “mmm…” came from beside him, as the young girl continued hanging her head, unclear whether she had heard what he said.

Shaking his head with slight amusement, the young man in black raised his whip, striking Cangcang’s mount precisely: “Time to move!”

The stallion suddenly accelerated, causing the startled Cangcang to cry out in surprise.

Xu Lai never imagined things would turn out this way—he was now driving a carriage, fleeing like a fugitive on the official road.

After giving the horse another crack of the whip, he glanced back at the carriage compartment and asked, “Awake?”

A light cough answered him. Inside the carriage, Xiao Huan, half-covered in fox fur with disheveled hair, supported his head with narrowed eyes, half leaning against the small table in the carriage. A purple-gold hand warmer rested on his knee.

Silently lamenting how he had been reduced to a driver and bodyguard, Xu Lai still motherly added, “There’s a relay station ahead. We’ll stay there tonight.”

Nodding, Xiao Huan, who had slept through the afternoon after taking his medicine, finally showed his usual gentle smile on his face, which had appeared somewhat aloof due to drowsiness. He looked at Xu Lai: “Brother Xu, you must be tired too. Shall I take over driving?”

Had he not mentioned it, Xu Lai wouldn’t have noticed, but now his neck, shoulders, waist, and legs all ached. Gritting his teeth, he still put up a tough front: “Never mind that, just don’t frighten me by having another attack!”

Smiling, Xiao Huan didn’t insist. He just removed the hand warmer from his knee and moved to sit near the carriage door, leisurely watching the scenery outside, smiling as he said, “What nice weather.”

Following his gaze toward the pleasant autumn scenery—distant mountains, nearby trees, and several crimson clouds burning beside the setting sun at the horizon—the exhausted Xu Lai couldn’t help but agree: “Indeed, beautiful weather.”

Several days had passed since their hasty escape from Wuchang City.

When Xu Lai heard that another batch of assassins was coming after them with murderous intent, his first reaction was that they couldn’t stay there any longer!

Without hesitation, he rushed to the horse market and bought two swift horses. After getting the horses and considering for a moment, he went back to exchange them for a carriage.

When he hurriedly returned to the inn with the carriage, he found Xiao Huan in a drowsy state after taking his medicine pills. As Xu Lai half-carried him into the carriage, he regained consciousness for a moment and said to Xu Lai: “Thank you for the trouble, Brother Xu.”

At first, Xu Lai wondered why he was being so polite, but after several days, he finally understood the meaning behind those words of “thank you for the trouble.”

Throughout the journey afterward, whether it was traveling, stopping for meals, or fending off pursuers, Xiao Huan remained completely uninvolved. While Xu Lai fought desperately with assassins outside the carriage, Xiao Huan sat perfectly composed inside, not even lifting the curtain once.

One time, after Xu Lai had nearly exhausted himself subduing several formidable experts, he turned back, panting, only to see Xiao Huan standing beneath the carriage with his hands behind his back, giving him a slight smile, completely at ease: “Brother Xu, when that person used the Thunderclap Palm just now if you had used the Slanting Shadow technique, you would have won much sooner.”

Xu Lai nearly fell over in exasperation.

As the sunset glowed, Xiao Huan suddenly smiled at Xu Lai, a trace of warmth in his half-closed dark eyes, pointing ahead: “Brother Xu, we’ve reached the relay station.”

Ahead on the road, a wine banner fluttered outside the lit relay station.

The wine craving that had been stirring in his throat immediately emerged, restless. Xu Lai repeatedly urged the horse forward. As soon as they reached the relay station entrance before the carriage had fully stopped, he jumped down and tossed the whip to the approaching attendant: “Two premium rooms! Make sure my horse is well-fed!”

Watching him with amusement, Xiao Huan also adjusted his dark fox cloak and jumped down from the carriage. The two walked side by side toward the inn, which had already gathered quite a few travelers.

At the inn’s entrance, Xu Lai suddenly stopped in his tracks. Xiao Huan halted at the same moment. On the white wall before them, two lines of striking red ink characters stood out:

“All martial artists of the Central Plains are mere commoners.

The Lingbi Sect challenges the Four Great Manors at Tiger Hill.”

Written in a grand calligraphic style with ink dripping down, it looked shocking to the eye.

“This…” Xu Lai stroked his chin, frowning as he studied it, “I never heard the Sect Leader mention anything about unifying the martial arts world.”

Before Xiao Huan could respond, two travelers wearing long swords at their waists, appearing to be martial artists, passed by them while conversing.

“Hasn’t the Lingbi Sect always kept to themselves in Southern Yunnan? Why are they suddenly attacking the Central Plains martial arts world?”

“Not quite sure, but I heard the Four Great Manors are preparing to join forces against them, and the masters of Shaolin and Wudang will also be present.”

“Really? Then we must go to Tiger Hill to see this.”

“Indeed, it concerns our very survival. In just one day, every relay station along the road has been posted with such challenge letters.”

“Troubles are brewing again…”

Carefully examining the large characters on the wall, Xiao Huan smiled: “It seems your Sect Leader hopes to meet me in Suzhou…”

Xu Lai also frowned unusually: “Well, at least we now have a destination—Suzhou…”

The fifteenth day of the eleventh month, beneath Tiger Hill in Suzhou.

It was only the beginning of the eleventh month now, with more than ten days until the appointed battle between the Lingbi Sect and the Four Great Manors, yet Suzhou City was already gathering numerous martial artists coming to attend the meeting.

In the inn, loud greetings could be heard at any time: “Manor Lord Wang! What a pleasure to meet you!”

“Deputy Chief Escort Shen! Wang was just about to visit your escort agency. What a pleasure!”

“Hero Feng! Cheng has long admired your name!”

“I dare not accept such praise! It is Feng who has long admired you and regretted not meeting earlier!”

“Master Gao!”

“Daoist Feixiang!”

The voices kept coming, even the dreary autumn rain couldn’t dampen the bustling atmosphere.

A carriage with a black awning slowly wound through the streets of blue bricks and tiles, stopping at the entrance of an inn.

The driver wore a straw rain cape, his wide-brimmed hat covering half his face. After parking the carriage, he removed his rain cape, revealing white clothes underneath, then took up an oil-paper umbrella and held it at the carriage door.

Only then did the carriage curtain lift, and a person wearing a dark cloak stepped out. His young face bore an aloof expression, and he walked directly to the inn’s counter, his voice carrying weariness: “One premium room.”

Unable to discern his background, the innkeeper hurriedly agreed and quickly arranged an upper-floor premium room.

The young man in the dark cloak seemed impatient to wait, not saying another word before heading upstairs.

The person in white beside him quietly gave instructions to the attendant about caring for the carriage, then hurriedly followed the cloaked young man upstairs, not even having time to remove his wide-brimmed hat.

Only after their figures disappeared up the stairs did the stunned martial arts heroes come to their senses. One of the more straightforward ones immediately snorted: “What arrogance!”

Closing the door shut out the slight commotion from downstairs.

The young man in the dark cloak unceremoniously sat on the large bed, propping one leg on the footstool: “Come, massage my feet.”

The person in white who had entered with him finally removed his hat, placing it on the windowsill to dry, and lowered his head in acknowledgment, walking over to bend down.

The young man in the dark cloak quickly pulled his foot back, laughing: “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. I couldn’t possibly let the great Martial Emperor massage my feet.”

The person in white slowly continued to bend down, removing his own rain-soaked grass sandals, his voice carrying a smile: “Who said I was going to massage your feet…”

After a brief pause, Xu Lai burst out laughing, removing his fox cloak and throwing it on the bed, unable to hold back a sigh: “Who would have thought those assassins would think to post your portrait on Suzhou’s city walls… What a nuisance!” He immediately recalled their encounter with that Jian Liu Branch disciple outside Suzhou yesterday.

That young female disciple had been waiting on the official road they had to pass, and when she saw their carriage approaching from afar, she came forward to intercept them. Her tone was surprisingly relaxed, and her first words were: “Our Branch Leader has been punished by the Sect Leader to face the wall and reflect at headquarters.”

Her second statement: “The Sect Leader says Branch Leader Xu should also go face the wall with our Branch Leader.”

And finally: “The Sect Leader has already left for Tiger Hill with the four guardians from headquarters and Branch Leader Liu from the Holy Hall of Light. They should arrive in a few days.”

After saying these three things, she turned and left quite stylishly, leaving Xu Lai and Xiao Huan looking at each other in bewilderment.

Sighing heavily again, Xu Lai felt a headache coming on. He wasn’t really afraid of facing the wall—when he had helped Xiao Huan against the Sect Leader’s orders, he had already anticipated this. He just hadn’t expected the Sect Leader to personally come to Suzhou this time.

Meanwhile, Xiao Huan was already speaking with a smile: “Only one room… does this mean someone has to sleep on the floor tonight?”

Nodding, Xu Lai still had furrowed brows: “What is it?”

Xiao Huan smiled quite cheerfully: “How about we play a game of chess to decide who gets the bed?”

After a pause, Xu Lai’s brows relaxed, though his lips curved into an exaggerated bitter smile: “You might as well just tell me directly to sleep on the floor…”

Xiao Huan laughed at his bitter expression. After a while, he suddenly spoke: “Brother Xu, how about you take me to meet your Sect Leader?”

His body tensed for a moment, but Xu Lai remained silent. After a long while, he finally spoke calmly: “What do you want to do?”

“I’m not going to seek death…” Xiao Huan laughed, then continued: “It’s fine, I just haven’t seen the venerable one in a long time and would like to meet once.”

“A long time,” murmuring these words, Xu Lai asked, “How long?”

After careful thought, Xiao Huan answered: “About six years ago, I believe we met once.”

“Six years ago, the second year of Deyou.” Xu Lai smiled, “That was the year the Sect Leader brought me back to headquarters as a disciple. Come to think of it… time flies.”

He then got up from the bed: “If we’re playing chess, let’s play. I’m going to lose anyway, but I’m not afraid of you!” Stroking his chin, he seemed to remember something and added, “When you meet the Sect Leader, make sure to compliment her youth. Never use the word ‘venerable’… the Sect Leader will be furious if she hears that.”

After a moment’s pause, Xiao Huan smiled and nodded repeatedly: “I’ll remember that…”

The light rain continued to fall steadily from the sky.

A crowd had gathered at a certain spot within Suzhou’s city walls.

Among the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, looking up at the portrait on the wall now splattered with raindrops, a purple-clad young woman with twin buns under her red plum-patterned oil-paper umbrella couldn’t help but sigh: “So this is… Xiao Yunzong?”

“Yes,” under another umbrella pressed close to her, a white-clad young woman with a long sword on her back, though unclear whether she knew the purple-clad girl, agreed, “One thousand silver taels bounty for his head… didn’t expect him to be quite handsome.”

“Right? You think so too?” Finding a kindred spirit, the purple-clad girl immediately brightened up.

“Mm, if his nose were a bit higher, and his eyes a bit larger,” still critically picking apart details, the white-clad girl shook her head while speaking, “though this is quite good too… very nice…”

“The real person is much more handsome than the portrait,” suddenly, a third voice joined in. Behind the purple and white-clad girls appeared a somewhat subdued voice, though still clear and bright with a young girl’s characteristic sweetness, “The real person is far more handsome than this portrait.”

The purple-clad girl’s eyes immediately lit up as she turned around: “You’ve seen him? Where did you see him?”

The speaker was a red-clad young woman about their age. When the purple-clad girl addressed her, she just bit her lip, unexpectedly stomped her foot, and jumped up, grabbing the portrait posted on the wall and tearing it down.

Crumpling the already torn white paper into a ball and throwing it into the mud, the red-clad girl stomped on it viciously. As if still not satisfied, she ground it further with her foot.

After finishing this, she lifted her head, looked at the stunned crowd around her, and let out a fierce “hmph”: “What are you looking at? Haven’t you ever seen someone step on paper before?”

Pushing through the people around her, she grabbed the black-clad young man standing beside her who was smiling without speaking, and left without looking back.

Because she walked so hurriedly, she didn’t see the gaze that followed her figure from not far behind, under a white paper umbrella painted with ink bamboo.

Curving his delicate lips slightly upward, the person under the umbrella smiled leisurely, his low voice carrying the unique gentleness of youth: “The young lady of the Ling family… truly interesting.”

Turning gently, the person began to walk, and so the ink bamboo-painted umbrella moved with him.

Step by step through the muddy streets, not a speck of dirt touched those white satin shoes.

Above the pristine shoes was snow-white clothing, sleeves rolled up, with intricate elegant patterns spiraling up from the right sleeve, encircling the half-sun embroidered in gold thread on the collar.

A clear, melodious voice carried through the rain: “The youth hears rain from the tower above, red candles dim behind gauze curtains. In prime years hearing rain from a traveler’s boat, broad rivers and low clouds, broken wild geese cry in the western wind. Now hearing rain beneath temple eaves, temples already touched with frost. Joy and sorrow, unions and partings all without feeling…”

Chanting softly thus, Liu Huaixue, the Right Hall Master of the Lingbi Sect’s Holy Hall of Light, walked slowly, a gust of wind catching his sleeves, carrying autumn rain’s chill: “Let droplets fall before the steps until dawn.”

The fourth day of the eleventh month, western Suzhou.

The endless autumn rain continued to fall, and walking with an umbrella in the rain, one could hear the patter of raindrops striking above.

Cangcang rarely had such moments to stroll alone through the streets.

It wasn’t that she was always boisterous; she simply preferred liveliness.

She liked having sounds to listen to nearby, having people to talk to beside her, having someone to see her smile when she wanted to laugh, having someone to notice her sadness when she wanted to cry, that was all.

Nor was she as stubborn as she appeared; she simply disliked a predetermined fate.

Just as she disliked being married off as an empress to someone whose face she hadn’t even properly seen, so she ran away from home, and then suddenly discovered that the person whose face she hadn’t properly seen was actually quite wonderful, so she started sticking close to him, following him around—simple and direct.

Always clear about what she wanted, always able to reach firmly for what she desired, she simply lived without betraying her own wishes.

If she liked something, she liked it; if she didn’t like it, she didn’t. To hesitate over things others considered important but were actually insignificant was the most foolish thing of all.

Stepping through shallow puddles, walking slowly through the empty alleyways, Cangcang felt she had thought about many things, but immediately forgot them all, left only with the increasingly loud sound of rain falling on her umbrella, as if falling somewhere far away.

It was probably near dusk, and there were few people on the streets. Occasionally, some peddlers in straw rain capes passed by with their carrying poles, not stopping to solicit business, quickly passing her and disappearing into the rain and mist.

It had been quite a while since she had sneaked out for a walk in the afternoon while that black-clad young man who never told her his name was out.

Not worried about him being unable to find her, her arm growing tired, she switched hands holding the umbrella. Cangcang meandered along, not planning to stop.

A faint medicinal fragrance wafted from the street corner, mixed with the scent of rain, somewhat ethereal.

Cangcang turned her head to see an herbal medicine shop, its black sign with red characters, wooden door half-closed, a blue cloth curtain hanging at the entrance—the kind of ordinary medicine shop easily found anywhere in the empire.

When they were in Hangzhou and both fell into the water, wasn’t it this kind of medicine shop where he got medicine for her cold?

In a daze, she turned and casually walked into the shop.

Before the neatly arranged medicine cabinets sat a servant in a cotton jacket, who smiled politely when she entered.

Cangcang smiled back, hearing from deep within the shop someone who seemed to be the shopkeeper speaking, somewhat helplessly: “Add another five taels? Customer, please don’t joke, I’m just a medicine shop owner, how can I measure out such amounts for you?”

Then another person lightly coughed twice, speaking in an unperturbed tone: “I’m not joking with the shopkeeper… five taels of hawthorn will do…”

A third person burst out laughing, interjecting: “Five taels of dried tangerine peel, five taels of hawthorn, five taels of rock sugar, why don’t you just boil these together and drink them, no need for other medicines…”

The second person coughed softly again, actually seeming to consider this suggestion: “If only these alone would work…”

During their conversation, Cangcang turned, directing her gaze toward that direction.

By the counter backlit by the light stood two young men, one in white robes idly playing with the bronze pestle on the counter while laughing, the other in green robes pressing his curved fingers on papers on the counter, his other hand holding a brush, appearing to be writing prescriptions while asking the shopkeeper to measure medicines.

Behind the counter, the shopkeeper held a small brass scale heaped with dried hawthorn pieces like a small mountain.

Hearing movement at the door, they all turned to look.

By the blue cloth curtain stirring in the wind and rain stood Cangcang, raindrops slowly sliding down her oil-paper umbrella.

The hand playing with the bronze pestle stopped, and the white-robed youth opened his mouth as if to say something, but finally just smiled and closed it.

After that moment of stillness, the young man in green robes moved his brush slightly, then put it down and stepped toward her.

“Cangcang.” Xiao Huan smiled but said nothing more, stopping before her.

Up close, his profile appeared somewhat pale in the backlight. Cangcang looked down at her toes, then looked up: “Are you sick?”

Smiling, Xiao Huan looked at her too: “A little, it’s nothing.”

“Nothing indeed, just coughing up blood twice recently, and this morning after getting up, constantly coughing and breaking into cold sweats, barely able to stand,” Xu Lai tactlessly interrupted, walking over with open hands, “Let me be clear, last night it wasn’t me who made him sleep on the floor. He went to great lengths to lose two games of chess to me, a notoriously terrible player, working very hard to lose the bed to me.”

Her round eyes suddenly grew wider. Cangcang shifted her gaze to Xu Lai for a moment, then back to Xiao Huan’s face. She took a light breath and said: “I was taken away, and you never came looking for me…”

She tilted her head slightly, then quickly added: “Though that person was actually sent by my father to take me home, so I wasn’t in any danger.”

“Also,” she smiled somewhat proudly, “I’ve cursed you many times these past days, and yesterday even tore down your portrait from Suzhou’s city wall and stomped on it in the mud!”

Her smile quickly faded, showing some anger: “Whether you were tied up with other matters or knew I wasn’t in danger, I’m very unhappy that you didn’t come looking for me for so many days! I’ve thought many times that if I ever saw you again, I would definitely scold you severely, then turn and leave!”

She lifted her chin, putting on an air of bestowing favor: “However, considering you’re sick and probably can’t run very fast to chase me, let’s skip all that.”

Having said all this in one breath, she lowered her umbrella, stepped forward, and embraced the person before her.

The familiar scent of herbs and fresh wood reached her nose, and Cangcang felt her lips curve upward: “Brother Xiao,” she said clearly and lightly, “I missed you.”

A pair of arms slowly encircled her body as well, not very warm, yet extraordinarily reassuring. A light cough came from above her head, then he said: “Mm.”

Her arms holding him didn’t move, her smile unconsciously spreading wider and wider, until a teasing voice came from beside her: “Young lady, the shopkeeper and assistant’s eyes are about to pop out…”

Only then did Cangcang startle to awareness, immediately lifting her head from Xiao Huan’s embrace, but not even glancing at Xu Lai’s gleeful expression beside them as she grabbed Xiao Huan’s hand: “Brother Xiao, are you very ill?”

Before Xiao Huan could speak, her expression grew serious: “Are you afraid I’ll worry about you? It’s alright, even if you never get better, I’ll always stay by your side!”

The medicine shop grew quiet as everyone watched her rise on tiptoe, hold Xiao Huan’s shoulders, and lightly kiss his somewhat pale thin lips.

The next moment, Cangcang’s hands began moving up and down Xiao Huan’s body: “How did you end up coughing blood? Does your chest hurt? Does your stomach hurt? Oh my, I always thought you were delicate, but I didn’t expect you to be this fragile… but don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you.”

Another “pfft” of laughter, as Xu Lai patted Xiao Huan’s shoulder, lowering his head to clear his throat: “Brother Xiao, the young lady cherishes you deeply, you must treasure this…”

The shopkeeper’s voice suddenly grew lazy: “Customer… your hawthorn pieces, five taels per dose, that’s correct, right…”

A certain young lady seemed to suddenly remember something, her bright eyes growing round: “Oh right, Brother Xiao, why are you adding so much hawthorn and rock sugar to your medicine, are you afraid of bitterness…”

“Cough cough cough…” someone’s coughing suddenly grew severe.

“Mm, young lady, you should see his expression when taking medicine pills every day,” the other person continued exposing his weakness without mercy, “though if it were medicinal soup, I imagine his expression would be even more spectacular…”

“Cough cough… cough cough…”

“Customer, your rock sugar is wrapped up…”

“Um, Brother Xiao, actually no matter how much rock sugar you add to medicine, what’s bitter will still be bitter… Ah! Your face really changed color, and so quickly!”

“See? Didn’t I tell you?”

“Cough cough… cough cough…”

“Five taels of dried tangerine peel per dose… all wrapped up…”

The narrow medicine shop at the street corner suddenly became lively. Behind the blue cloth curtain, the trembling autumn rain continued to fall endlessly, though the gradually lighting street lamps cast a warm yellow glow over the cold streets.

With no candles lit around, Liu Huaixue walked slowly to the dim corridor and cupped his hands, bowing his head: “Master, they have arrived.”

“They?” The woman standing in the corridor watching the rain keenly noticed something different in his words and turned her head. The rain’s light illuminated her graceful smile, as pure as the bright moon.

“Yes, they,” still keeping his head lowered, Liu Huaixue’s refined lips seemed to curl into a faint smile, “Brother Xiao came hand in hand with Miss Ling.”

The woman actually laughed: “Since when did you become such good friends with him to call him ‘Brother Xiao’?”

“Don’t people say that being friends with Xu Lai, the Left Hall Master of Lingbi Sect’s Holy Hall of Light, means being friends with Liu Huaixue, the Right Hall Master?” Liu Huaixue smiled, “Moreover, he is Master’s son, so calling him Brother Xiao is only proper.”

The grey-robed person who had been standing silently in the corridor laughed: “Luomo, these children you’ve raised are quite something, daring to talk back to you.”

“Are any of the two you raised not daring to talk back to you?” The woman retorted without ceremony, yet without anger, her lips still holding a smile.

“That’s true indeed…” After carefully considering his two disciples, the grey-robed person laughed heartily.

Smiling and dismissing Liu Huaixue, Chen Luomo, the Sect Leader of Lingbi Sect in her light gauze robes, turned to the grey-robed person: “Brother Li specially rushed here from the capital, surely not just to see how my children talk back to me.”

Li Lu smiled, standing against the wind, his wide sleeves fluttering slightly: “I don’t have that much leisure… I came only to give a warning—seven days ago, two battalions of Imperial Guards were secretly mobilized, and now at least ninety percent of their forces have gathered within Suzhou City.”

Raising her brows, Chen Luomo smiled: “Oh? Finally unable to resist showing imperial might?”

Li Lu also smiled: “You should understand that the descendants of the Xiao family never believed in playing fair and square—only a fool would have pieces but not use them. However, the one who mobilized the Imperial Guards this time isn’t your son. Isn’t there another person who can command the two battalions of Imperial Guards?”

“Sister Liu…” Uttering this name she hadn’t called in so long, Chen Luomo laughed softly, “She’s been watching everything through the Gu Operating Camp all along, quite far-sighted indeed.”

Sighing lightly, Li Lu smiled faintly: “Those of us on our side, standing with our Ling girl, do things for her benefit. Those on Empress Dowager Liu’s side, standing with their Emperor, do things for his benefit. And you, Luomo, stand in the position of destruction, doing things to ensure neither our Ling girl nor the Empress Dowager’s Emperor fares well. The Scholar’s Manor, the Empress Dowager, the world’s greatest Lingbi Sect—any one of these forces mentioned would be enough to frighten people. Yet all their actions are merely to prevent a young couple from being together.”

As he spoke, he looked into the distance.

They stood at the highest pavilion in the courtyard, from where they could see, past the lotus pond and rockery, the reception hall in the distance. Several young figures walked into the bright lamplight, with a pink-clad girl hanging both arms around a young man in green robes, bouncing around restlessly. Even from this distance, their laughter seemed audible.

Smiling slightly, Li Lu said softly: “They’re just two children, just two children…”

Following his gaze toward that brightly lit place, Chen Luomo remained silent.

“Luomo, even now, I still hope you’ll reconsider,” Li Lu continued speaking as he turned, seeming ready to leave, “No matter when those two would never do anything to harm you, nor would they have any retaliation or complaints about your actions. Yet in this world, only you can destroy them… Luomo, no matter how much you despise that one, this one is your son. Besides absorbing the cold poison from your body and suffering twenty years of torment in your place, he has done nothing wrong.”

He began walking away, his grey sleeves floating behind him, quickly vanishing into the darkness.

Without turning to look at him, Chen Luomo continued gazing at the lamplight across the hall.

In the brilliant candlelight, that young man was lowering his head, saying something to the young lady holding his hand, with a hint of a smile on his lips.

As if sensing something, he looked up in this direction, his young face under the lamplight bearing an unnatural paleness.

After a pause, he smiled slightly. Just like when he was twelve, the last time she saw him—a gentle, pure smile.

He looked like his father, nine-tenths similar in features, perhaps even completely alike in bearing.

However, that composed brow, which unconsciously revealed coldness when not smiling, was exactly like her own.

He truly wasn’t his father, he truly had never done anything wrong, yet had to bear the bitter fruits of those wrongs.

“Who told you to be born to the Xiao family…” She didn’t know how many times she had said these words, but this time, she used a voice so soft even she could barely hear it.

Stepping back, she saw those pure black eyes reveal a hint of confusion at her movement.

Chen Luomo turned around, letting her figure sink into the pavilion’s darkness.

As the gauze-clad figure passed by the white-robed young man standing beneath the pavilion, a cold, faint voice rang out: “Tell Xiao Huan to meet me in the back hall, alone.”

His body trembling slightly, Liu Huaixue straightened up and cupped his hands in acknowledgment.

The light gauze passing by him brought a gust of cold wind.

The departing beautiful woman’s cold voice lingered in the wind: “There may be no wrong now, but who can guarantee there won’t be in the future.”

“Brother Xiao?” Waving her hand in front of Xiao Huan’s eyes, Cangcang noticed he seemed to have been looking outside, “What are you looking at?”

The figure in the night had already disappeared. Xiao Huan smiled and turned to look at Cangcang: “I think I saw the person we’re here to meet.”

“The person we’re here to meet?” Cangcang was confused, “The owner here?”

After meeting Xiao Huan at the medicine shop, she had naturally followed him back to their inn, then to this courtyard hidden in the winding streets. She had only heard Xiao Huan say they came to meet someone by appointment. She had no understanding of who that person was or why they were meeting.

“Something like that,” Xiao Huan smiled, trying to explain to her, “An elder of mine.”

“Your elder? Do you have relatives outside too? Are they from the imperial family?” Cangcang guessed wildly, but clearly hadn’t put much thought into it, “Taking so long to come out and see people, never mind them.” She grabbed Xiao Huan’s hand, very interested, “Brother Xiao, you still haven’t told me what happened after you encountered those mysterious descendants of the Tang family? What happened?”

She was now pestering Xiao Huan to tell her about his and Xu Lai’s “adventures” after they parted.

“Later, those people just left.” Xiao Huan smiled, completely glossing over the important parts. Events causing huge waves in the martial arts world became as mundane as daily routines when told by him.

“Ah…” Sighing in disappointment, Cangcang still held his hand, continuing to ask with interest, “Then did they come back later?”

Xiao Huan still smiled, patiently answering again: “They didn’t come back.”

“Did you run into them again?” Cangcang’s eyes were still bright.

“No.” Xiao Huan smiled and shook his head.

“Did you ever think about looking for them…”

Xu Lai, who had been listening to their conversation from the side, finally couldn’t stand this bland dialogue and interrupted Cangcang: “Young lady, is listening to him talk interesting?”

Cangcang didn’t even turn her head, giving a crisp reply: “Not interesting, but Brother Xiao’s voice sounds nice.”

Just as they were talking animatedly, a white figure walked in from outside the hall.

Liu Huaixue in his snow-white clothes smiled as he stood in the hall: “The three of you seem quite lively…” He then swept his sleeve in a cupped-hand salute, his face turning solemn, “Young Master Xiao, our Sect Leader requests your presence.”

Xu Lai and Xiao Huan both fell silent for a moment, but Cangcang stood up, and patted her clothes, her hand still naturally holding Xiao Huan’s: “Finally seeing someone, Brother Xiao, let’s go.”

Liu Huaixue smiled politely: “Miss Ling, our Sect Leader wishes to see Young Master Xiao alone, please wait here.”

“Why only see Brother Xiao alone?” Cangcang frowned, “Your Sect Leader isn’t some recluse, what’s the big deal about seeing one more or less person?”

Somewhat helplessly amused, Liu Huaixue had to explain: “Miss Ling, these are our Sect Leader’s instructions…”

“Is your Sect Leader very powerful? Calling us here to put on airs? Trying to use status to pressure people? Does being from the imperial family make one superior?” Cangcang coldly snorted, immediately retorting. She only knew the other party was Xiao Huan’s elder and assumed they were some imperial relative.

“Cangcang,” Xiao Huan stood up at this point, smiling as he patted her shoulder, “It’s alright, just wait here for me.” He smiled again, “I won’t be long.”

Seeing his smile, Cangcang’s puffed-up expression softened, and she reluctantly pouted before nodding at him: “…Don’t be too long!”

Patting her shoulder again in reassurance, Xiao Huan smiled and nodded.

Releasing his hand and letting Xiao Huan follow Liu Huaixue into the inner hall, Cangcang’s gaze followed the green-clad figure until it disappeared into the depths of the corridor.

She didn’t notice that behind her, Xu Lai’s eyes suddenly narrowed the moment Xiao Huan and Liu Huaixue left.

The look Liu Huaixue had given him when passing by still lingered in his mind, and Xu Lai quietly clenched his fist.

His tacit understanding with Liu Huaixue had long reached a point where words were unnecessary, and Liu Huaixue’s meaning just now was clearly “the situation is grave.”

Was the Sect Leader finally going to make her move? Would she be able to do it?

Unable to find any clarity in his troubled thoughts, Xu Lai looked up and saw Cangcang still stubbornly staring at the corridor. He couldn’t help but smile and tease: “What? Can’t bear to be apart from your Brother Xiao for even a moment?”

“I don’t want to see him hurt again,” unexpectedly, Cangcang didn’t jump up to argue with him, but spoke quietly, “Last time when I saw him injured, I had a nightmare. I dreamed I lost him, and no matter how far I ran, I could never find him again. When I woke up and ran out to find him, I saw him sword-fighting with that person in black, his arm bleeding heavily, and later he was coughing so badly he couldn’t even straighten his back.

“This time too, I had waited so long without seeing him come to rescue me, and I was so angry. But as soon as we met, you said he was sick and coughing blood, and suddenly I couldn’t be angry anymore. What does it matter that he didn’t come find me? Compared to his illness, it’s not important at all.”

She thought carefully as she spoke: “Actually, I had planned to ignore him when we met again, to make him angry too, and only forgive him reluctantly after he begged properly. But never mind that—if I make him sad, I’ll feel even worse, just like that time when I saw him bleeding, I don’t know why I felt so terrible. I would rather take a hundred days of music theory classes that I hate most, and copy the Buddhist sutras I hate most a hundred times until my hands are raw than see him like that again. I was only away from him for a few hours then… This time too… I was only away from him for just over a month…”

She looked up at Xu Lai with a smile, “I’m afraid of seeing him leave and get hurt again. I like him so much.”

The last time she told Xiao Huan “I like you so much,” her childish words had made Xu Lai laugh. Now she was saying it again, lifting her head slightly in the lamplight, her bright crystal-clear eyes reflecting light as she said quietly, “I like him so much.”

Curving his lips, Xu Lai smiled again, but this time his smile was gentle as he nodded to her: “Don’t worry, you still have me.”

Across half a pond and a screen wall, those laughing voices still carried over.

In the empty waterside pavilion, Chen Luomo reached out to brighten the colored glass lamp before her and sat down to wait.

A clear voice soon joined the laughter in the hall—it was Liu Huaixue who had gone to invite that person. Everyone in the hall fell silent for a moment. Then the voices grew loud again, seemingly the young lady arguing to come along.

The commotion didn’t last very long; the young lady quickly quieted down, apparently persuaded by a few words of comfort.

Chen Luomo couldn’t help but smile: How could any young lady resist that kind of gentleness?

That faintly smiling lips, that soft and deep voice, when his eyes bright as the night sky reflect your figure, you would do anything for him.

Light footsteps gradually approached, pausing slightly at the door, showing a moment’s hesitation.

The smile lingering on her lips didn’t fade as Chen Luomo spoke: “Come in.”

The pearl curtain was gently lifted aside with a subtle rustle, and a young man in green robes entered.

With familiar features and gentle expression, the young man walked into the lamplight, looked up with a smile, and spoke respectfully: “Mother.”

Mother—he had always called her that. She couldn’t remember how old he was when she first saw him, that delicate pale child who immediately smiled upon seeing her and called out sweetly: “Mother.” Completely disregarding that she was pointing the Willow Wind Finger at his father emperor’s chest at the time.

Smiling faintly, Chen Luomo examined him carefully: “Huan’er, how long have you been out this time?”

“Almost three months now,” he answered immediately, smiling faintly.

She smiled and continued: “I see your complexion isn’t very good, how is your health?”

“It has flared up twice recently.” His tone remained respectful.

She nodded, speaking without any concern: “Two consecutive attacks of that poison is not a good sign, you must be careful.”

He smiled and bowed his head: “Thank you, Mother. I will be careful.”

Question and answer, all very ordinary conversation.

“What are you thanking me for?” She smiled faintly again, maintaining that calm voice, “I simply don’t want you to die when I’m not prepared for it.”

His smile didn’t diminish, and the pale-faced young man still spoke in an elegant voice: “I won’t die. I cannot die yet.”

A somewhat familiar phrase—pausing slightly, Chen Luomo remembered eight years ago, when the twelve-year-old boy wearing white mourning clothes stood before the enormous imperial coffin in the ancestral temple and calmly told her: “Mother, don’t kill me, I cannot die yet.”

At that time, that boy looked straight at her, his pure black pupils clear as water, showing only deep sorrow, neither fear nor terror.

Suddenly laughing out loud, Chen Luomo stood up supporting herself on the chair. Her thin gauze robes fluttered with her movement as she walked step by step toward the young man, a sharp edge crystallizing in the smile on her lips: “Cannot die? Do you think that saying such things to your mother makes you seem tragic and pitiful? Do you think this makes you appear forbearing and affectionate? Are you trying to say that I am cruel and heartless, constantly speaking of causing my own son’s death!”

Her questions grew increasingly intense, as cold killing intent gathered in her eyes!

“No.” Answering firmly and calmly, the young man standing before her still looked directly into her eyes. “I don’t feel tragic or pitiful, nor do I consider myself forbearing or affectionate. Mother has never been cruel or heartless.” Smiling faintly, he spoke each word clearly, “Since I can remember, every time we met, Mother has asked if I would be willing to give up the throne and the Xiao family to follow Mother to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Mother wanted to cleanse the cold poison from me, and promise me a life of peace and happiness. It was my stubborn insistence that refused to cherish this.”

She laughed coldly: “So you remember! Great Clan Leader of the Xiao family’s Vermilion Bird branch, His Majesty Emperor Deyou of Great Wu! You’re quite capable, of forcing your mother to kill you while making everyone think she’s the heartless one! Well done, how ruthless! Truly worthy of being the good son of Emperor Ruizong Xiao Yu, who died by severing his meridians! When it comes to being cold-blooded and ruthless, I can’t match even half of what you father and son are capable of!”

“I have not forced Mother to kill me,” facing her anger, the young man still stated calmly, “It’s just that Mother believes Great Wu’s destiny is exhausted and it would be better to end the nation early, while I believe there is still hope for the country and don’t wish to see the realm fall into chaos and the people scattered. So Mother and I simply have different views, opposing positions. As for Mother wanting to kill me, it’s simply what Mother must do for her purposes—Huan’er has never considered this as Mother being cruel.”

Looking at him intently with a cold smile, Chen Luomo spoke softly: “Yes, you haven’t considered me cruel, you just think I’m more cold and heartless than others…” Her beautiful face seemed unable to contain it, revealing a trace of sorrow, “Huan’er, you haven’t been a parent yet, perhaps you don’t understand a parent’s feelings, but if you have someone you cherish deeply, then take that feeling of protecting and treasuring her, and experience it the same way, feel it to your core. I can tell you, Huan’er,” there was desolation in her smile, “A parent’s love for their child can only be more than that, never less.”

Quietly watching her, the pale-faced young man before her finally lifted the hem of his robe and knelt on both knees: “Huan’er is unfilial, ten thousand deaths cannot atone.”

Smiling and shaking her head, Chen Luomo didn’t bend to look at him: “This meeting, I had originally planned to ask you one last time if you would be willing to return with me to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, let me cure your poison, and thereafter you need not concern yourself with politics and grudges, do the things you like to do, live freely without worry. You’re still so young, I hoped to see you become like Alai and Axue, carefree and bold, enjoying life to the fullest.” She paused slightly, “Now it seems, I need not ask this question. Questions that are destined to bring heartbreak and disappointment when asked are better left unasked.”

Her nearly white gauze robes billowed in the cool night breeze as Chen Luomo turned and walked past him: “Don’t speak of seeing me again. Unless one day you die or I die, in this life, we shall never meet again.”

As she reached the doorway, a very soft voice came: “Mother, is there truly no turning back?”

Shaking her head again, her cold voice no longer carried the earlier fluctuations: “You should understand, Huan’er, your stubbornness is very much like mine.”

Pausing again at the door, she spoke: “That Ling family girl, you care for her deeply, don’t you?”

Walking out of the waterside pavilion without looking back, her voice was cold as ice: “Do you remember what I once told you? Since you’ve chosen this path, don’t be greedy for anything else. You can’t protect anything, no matter how much you want to guard it, all because you’re a member of the Xiao family.”

Behind her, the young man in green robes knelt on the ground, his back straight, motionless for a long time.

“Brother Xiao?” Having anxiously waited for the Sect Leader to leave, Xu Lai immediately peered in from behind the pearl curtain. Seeing Xiao Huan kneeling, he hurried over to help him up, “You really should have said something conciliatory, I’ve never seen Master so angry.”

Taking his hand to stand, Xiao Huan smiled slightly: “You heard everything?”

“Couldn’t hear from other places, but I was just outside the door eavesdropping.” Xu Lai smiled, then sighed, “Master truly means well for you.”

“I know.” Looking up with a smile, Xiao Huan then coughed lightly, “I am too unfilial, always making her sad.”

“You…” seeming at a loss for words, Xu Lai also paused before sighing again, “Never mind, perhaps I should say nothing.”

Smiling and coughing several times, Xiao Huan didn’t respond, but his coughs grew increasingly muffled as he covered his mouth with his hand, doubling over with each cough.

Watching him, Xu Lai’s expression suddenly changed. Without saying a word, he supported Xiao Huan to a nearby chair to sit down, pulled away his hand to look, and sure enough saw it covered in fresh blood.

Xu Lai stamped his foot in frustration: “You’re worrying everyone to death! I think Master really should disable your martial arts and keep you locked up at headquarters!”

Leaning back in the chair, Xiao Huan continued coughing but managed to curve his lips in a smile, looking at Xu Lai: “Brother Xu… return to Mother’s side…”

Xu Lai was stunned. Already irritated seeing him forcing himself while so ill, hearing this made him frown: “What? The great Young Master Xiao just drove away our Sect Leader and now wants to drive me away too?”

Unbothered by his tone, Xiao Huan smiled: “Mother is heartbroken now… having Brother Xu by her side will help.”

Xu Lai had spoken in anger and immediately regretted it. Looking up to see his pale yet still smiling face, he felt helpless but didn’t know what to say: “You… ah…”

“Young Master Xiao is right, you should return.” Liu Huaixue in his white robes silently appeared from outside, and speaking thus, gave Xiao Huan a slight bow, “I didn’t get to properly greet Young Master Xiao earlier. I am Liu Huaixue of Lingbi Sect’s Holy Hall of Light.”

Xiao Huan also smiled and stood to return the gesture: “Brother Liu is too polite. Brother Xu often mentions you to me.”

“When this person mentions me, he’s probably just exposing my shortcomings, making Brother Xiao laugh.” Liu Huaixue also changed his form of address, smiling more casually.

Then turning to Xu Lai, Liu Huaixue spoke bluntly, “Don’t you understand what Brother Xiao means? You can’t stand on that side anymore! Your previous disregard for the Sect Leader’s orders could still be called mere negligence! If you don’t return now, do you want the Sect Leader to charge you with treason, or do you want the Sect Leader to truly become angry and show no mercy to either you or Brother Xiao?”

Xu Lai was stunned by his rebuke. How could he not understand the gravity of the situation? But thinking of Xiao Huan’s condition, he couldn’t be at ease no matter what.

Seeing his hesitation, Xiao Huan smiled again: “As long as you don’t treat me like some delicate woman needing protection, just go back decisively!”

Unable to help to laugh at this, Xu Lai still frowned: “You’re certainly not a delicate woman needing protection—you’re far more troublesome than any delicate woman!”

As he spoke, he extended his arm: “Take care of yourself!”

Also smiling and grasping his arm, Xiao Huan spoke softly but clearly: “Take care of yourself too.”

Having made his decision to leave, Xu Lai no longer hesitated. He immediately clapped Liu Huaixue’s shoulder with flair: “Satisfied with lecturing me? I’m off!”

Liu Huaixue snorted lightly: “Only because you were being so wishy-washy!”

The two left together, joking as they bid farewell, their equally tall and straight white figures departing side by side.

Coming and going like the wind, unrestrained and carefree—this was truly the real character of Xu Lai, Left Hall Master of the Holy Hall of Light.

Watching their departing figures, Xiao Huan curved his lips into a smile: such a person, because of staying by his side, had actually been called “wishy-washy.”

Smiling slightly, he lowered his head and coughed several times, then took out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve to spit out the blood in his mouth. After composing himself, he carefully wiped the blood from his hands.

He wasn’t particularly concerned about coughing blood. He remembered the first time he coughed blood was when he was twelve years old; seeing the palace physician’s panicked look then, he thought he was really about to die. But year after year passed, and though the consuming cold pain would attack, it didn’t seem to grow increasingly severe.

Was there truly still time, or was what remained already not much?

Putting the bloodstained handkerchief back in his sleeve and lowering his hand, he suddenly heard those cold words echo in his ears: You can’t protect anything, no matter how much you want to guard it, all because you’re a member of the Xiao family, Xiao Huan.

Closing his eyes, waiting for another wave of dull pain to pass, that gentle smile at his lips still curved slightly, not diminishing at all.

When he opened his eyes, he stepped forward, walking out of the waterside pavilion.

In the still brightly lit main hall, the young lady waiting in the tall black wood chair quickly lifted her head.

“Brother Xiao!” The pink figure ran over without pause, her face showing anxiety. Before he could speak, “You’re finally out. That Xu Lai even went in to see you! I wanted to go too, but…” somewhat aggrieved, she pouted, “I promised to wait here for you…”

Smiling, he reached out his hand, gently smoothing the wrinkles on her forehead: “I’m sorry, Cangcang, for keeping you waiting.”

Her usually bright eyes stared at him blankly, and she showed some embarrassment, tilting her head and mumbling vaguely: “Mm… it’s alright.” Then she noticed something wrong, “Where did that Xu Lai go, and that stuck-up Liu person?”

“They had sect business and have left.” He explained lightly, not telling her more about the grievances involved.

“Oh,” she didn’t pursue the matter, just held his hand, “Then let’s go too, this place isn’t nice, I keep feeling an eerie chill that’s uncomfortable.”

Nodding and following her steps forward, the young lady suddenly stopped, murmuring: “Your hand is colder than before.”

In the lamplight, she turned back, and in the deep, cold rainy night, those large eyes looked at him steadily: “Brother Xiao, I want to be with you forever.”

“Your face is so pale too.” Murmuring, she rose on tiptoe and lightly touched his cheek, as if wanting to confirm he really existed, softly repeating, “Brother Xiao, I’m afraid you’ll leave and never come back, I want to be with you forever.”

Scattered cold rain leaked in from the corridor outside as the young lady lifted her head, her gaze firm and bright.

Slightly startled, he slowly smiled and nodded gently: “I won’t leave.”

Immediately brightening, the young lady wrapped both her warm hands around his large palm, smiling so widely her eyes disappeared: “It’s a promise then, you can’t leave!”

Even much later, after experiencing countless separations and reunions, after spending many years through springs, autumns, and harsh winters together, this young lady who eventually became the Empress of Great Wu, perhaps even she no longer remembered that she had already made that vow of “being together forever” to him so early on.