Dong Yeyun couldn’t speak.

His unimpeded communication with the blind old man had given him the illusion that he wasn’t mute, but Zhou Caicai’s words brought him back to reality.

You can no longer speak.

Dong Yeyun shook his head at Zhou Caicai. Her hand gripping his sleeve tightened as she sniffled and asked: “What do you mean by shaking your head? Speak to me!”

“He can’t,” the blind old man kindly explained. “His tongue has been cut off. He’s a mute now.”

Zhou Caicai instantly seized Dong Yeyun’s wrist, using almost all her strength. She knew he would suffer being imprisoned in the imperial capital, but she hadn’t imagined it to this extent.

She was furious, the anger stuck in her heart, unable to dissipate. Already severely injured, she felt her blood beginning to flow in reverse.

Dong Yeyun raised his hand to press on her shoulder, gesturing for her to calm down and let her anger subside. Then he pointed at his shoulder and crouched down in front of Zhou Caicai.

Zhou Caicai wiped her tears and lay on his back, asking through gritted teeth: “Who did this?”

“When we get out, you must tell me who did this. Write it down for me. I absolutely won’t let those people off!”

Dong Yeyun, carrying Zhou Caicai on his back, looked up at the blind old man.

The blind old man said, “I never agreed to take anyone else out with you. There are many people confined here.”

[Then I won’t leave either.]

The blind old man stared at him.

Zhou Caicai finally looked at the old man standing in front. A blind man and a mute, yet they could converse with each other, knowing exactly where to direct their attention.

She weakly pressed on Dong Yeyun’s shoulder, wanting to say that survival was most important—whoever could get out would have hope.

Dong Yeyun still looked at the blind old man.

*

When the Fifth Prince executed Chu Xiao, everyone present heard her screaming at the top of her lungs, questioning how Chang Hanhe could be so heartless.

Her despair and resentment at the moment of death were quite moving, but the onlookers remained indifferent.

When Chu Xiao was pierced by the final arrow and fell down the black well, Chang Hanhe turned away in the snow, his jawline tense, as if unable to bear witnessing the scene.

Qing Ying looked at him with disdain, thinking this man was merely putting on an act.

Chen Zhou said to her, “See that? That’s what men are like.”

Qing Ying turned to look at him.

Chen Zhou raised an eyebrow: “Men other than your senior brother, that is.”

Qing Ying laughed at this, silently adding to herself: Senior brother is still as narcissistic as before. That’s good.

Chang Hanhe’s mind was in a daze. His fingers clenched into fists within his sleeves, as if at this moment he was at odds with the entire world. As he turned to leave, his figure appeared lonely and desolate.

But he was mistaken.

“Where are you going?”

The young woman standing between the black well and the palace wall raised her hand, pointing a confinement array at the departing figure. The imperial guards surrounding them rushed toward Chang Hanhe to protect their master.

But Ming Li had forcibly elevated her stellar meridians to eight meridians at full boundary. The confinement array set with a pilgrim’s power violently smashed through the guards protecting their master, armor fragments shattering and scattering.

Chang Hanhe sensed the murderous intent from behind. Glimpsing the flying golden armor fragments from the corner of his eye, he turned back in disbelief.

Lu Yi flashed forward to intervene, but Chen Zhou and Qing Ying acted simultaneously. The two positioned themselves on Lu Yi’s left and right, fixing him in place so he couldn’t move.

The star lines of the confinement array met Lu Yi head-on. To his shock, they rapidly flew past, bypassing all the imperial guards, shattering golden celestial iron armor, and with a sharp whistling sound, knocked back the trembling Chang Hanhe, pinning him to the palace wall.

Chang Hanhe’s back hit the palace wall heavily, causing his internal organs to shake. His stellar power protection was completely useless against this overwhelming eight meridians at full boundary power.

The star lines of the confinement array pierced his shoulders like swords, fixing him to the cold palace wall. The pressure swept across the archers on the wall, knocking them down one by one, giving no one any opportunity to rescue them.

Princess Chang Xi, intimidated by the stellar power pressure, hesitated. Just as she was about to step forward, Fang Hui, who had rushed over, pulled her away.

Qian Li, watching these two, couldn’t help but think of Jiang Wuyue, immediately feeling a chill all over. He quickly shook his head—these two were truly childhood sweethearts!

That detestable Fang Hui.

He had concealed for so long that he was the childhood sweetheart of Her Highness the Princess of Great Qin, all while freeloading off him, and even making him spend so much money on medicine each month.

No, I need to find a way to make him pay me back for the medicine.

Qian Li’s thoughts had already strayed far from the battlefield before him.

Lu Yi anxiously looked back toward the palace wall: “Fifth Prince!”

Then he looked back at Ming Li: “Holy Ming! What is the meaning of this?”

Ming Li’s gaze swept over Qing Ying, standing with Chen Zhou, then fell on Lu Yi, who was immobilized by the two using their circulating qi meridians: “I hear he’s been interrogating my brother these years. Fifth Prince, why don’t you tell me what you’ve learned?”

Chang Hanhe coughed up blood. The pressure alone made it difficult for him to breathe, and his eyes were bloodshot. After hearing Ming Li’s words, he found it even harder to comprehend.

Ming Li met his shocked gaze and said, “The person who came to rescue Liang Pingshan, Dong Yun, is my brother, Dong Yeyun.”

Everyone in the western palace wall area was stunned by these words. Lu Yi and the various members of the Martial Supervisory Alliance showed hesitation, clearly unaware of this fact.

These people even took some time to recall.

Yes.

Ming Li did have a brother.

Dong Yeshou had a son.

But why Dong Yun?

Chang Hanhe, in his shock, slightly pulled at the corner of his mouth. His eyes, mixed with blood, looked toward Ming Li: “Impossible…”

He had investigated Dong Yun. Apart from occasionally returning to live in Seven Star City, he had no connection to Bei Dou. Besides, according to Ming Li, he was her brother, the son of Dong Yeshou… Shu Sheng couldn’t possibly fail to recognize him, and the Emperor couldn’t possibly not know!

So why had no one ever mentioned it?

Chang Hanhe thought of a possibility. The snow and wind seemed to penetrate through his skin, making him feel a bone-deep cold. Amid a prolonged ringing in his ears, he recalled Emperor Wen Xiu’s words.

—If Chu Xiao dies, then the Crown Prince dies.

After tonight, he, Chang Hanhe, would be the Crown Prince of Great Qin!

Father Emperor simply disliked that he had a weakness, not wanting Chu Xiao to become his vulnerability that others could threaten. That’s why he made him choose. Yes, all previous emperors were like this—they had to be strong, without weaknesses.

Father Emperor couldn’t possibly have concealed Dong Yun’s identity from him.

I am Father Emperor’s most beloved child!

Everything Father Emperor did was to make me qualified to be the Crown Prince!

Chang Hanhe exploded with stellar power, trying to break free from Ming Li’s confinement array. The star lines of both arrays entangled and fought against each other. He tilted back his head, blue veins showing at his temples, and shouted angrily: “Lu Yi! Chang Xi! She’s attempting a jailbreak and harming the royal family, showing contempt for Father Emperor—are you just going to stand and watch?!”

“Hurry and summon Shu Sheng!”

Although Lu Yi was in the death-life realm, he was blocked by Chen Zhou and Qing Ying. These two, even individually, were not easy to deal with. Now, working together, they made it impossible for him to move in the short term.

The archers who had been on the palace wall were swept down by Ming Li’s stellar power pressure. The death-life realm experts who had come with Chang Hanhe and killed Yao Chao with a single arrow didn’t dare approach due to Ming Li’s life and death technique.

Fang Hui held Chang Xi and said, “You can’t withstand life and death. Going would be useless. Besides, you must oversee and protect the guardian array, not to rescue people.”

Chang Xi looked up at him: “Why did you come?”

Fang Hui was momentarily at a loss for words and turned his face away: “I came to see Ming Li.”

Qian Li looked at the two with one eye open and one closed. Hearing these words, he wanted nothing more than to push Fang Hui to the ground and pummel him.

The imperial guards stationed at the Eastern Palace had not been reassigned. No matter how much commotion there was at the western palace wall, they continued patrolling the Eastern Palace expressionlessly, protecting the safety of its master.

Only Emperor Wen Xiu could reassign them.

At this moment, Emperor Wen Xiu could sense the stellar power fluctuations coming from the western palace wall. He coughed, covering his mouth with his palm, which was mixed with black blood, carrying a fishy smell. Indifferently, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and looked up at the window with a smile.

Tonight was truly lively.

Chang Hanhe had made his choice, showing him an interesting scene, but he wouldn’t live much longer.

The old man confined below should also have discovered the truth by now. When he brings the person out, and Ming Li sees her brother in such a state, her expression should be quite interesting.

Thinking carefully, the Bei Dou pilgrim had always appeared calm and indifferent, as if nothing in this world could provoke her fear or anger.

Everything was proceeding according to Emperor Wen Xiu’s plan. Everyone would react in ways he could foresee.

While satisfied, Emperor Wen Xiu also felt empty. Watching the palace maids methodically clearing the accumulated snow from the red plum blossoms, he wondered somewhat absently: Who’s next?

The only healthy child remaining… seemed to be Princess Chang Xi.

This child closely resembled the Empress.

Emperor Wen Xiu pondered, slowly turning his head to look toward the Martial Supervisory Alliance headquarters, his eyes flickering.

—She resembles the Empress.

*

The situation at the Martial Supervisory Alliance headquarters was no better than that outside the western palace wall.

While the western palace wall had only one person with pilgrim-level power, there were several at the death-life realm. At the Martial Supervisory Alliance, two pilgrims at peak strength were bombarding each other with stellar power.

Both masters of sophisticated eight-meridian techniques, whichever one used, the other could counter with a technique of equal power.

After the pilgrim’s body technique meridian was enhanced to its peak, the added flash movement speed was so fast that it couldn’t be captured by the naked eye. The speed and distance covered in an instant were unimaginable.

Xiang An’ge was the first to use the special-level technique: Life and Death. The circulating qi of heaven and earth within range silently surged toward Shu Sheng.

Hovering in the open sky, Shu Sheng looked down at Xiang An’ge below and smiled: “I thought you wouldn’t use circulating qi meridian techniques against me.”

This wasn’t a wise decision.

Who in the world didn’t know that when it came to the circulating qi meridian, the current Shu Sheng was the strongest?

Shu Sheng raised his hand and pointed out Life and Death. The same range and domain, one in the sky, one on the ground. The circulating qi of heaven and earth within range was torn apart, with invisible qi slaughtering everything within the domain.

Rocks and earth flew and shattered, flowers and trees broke, tall buildings collapsed, and even the fine snow turned into sharp blades, killing each other.

At this moment, if any living thing entered the Life and Death range, it would be torn apart along with bones and flesh, scattered into the world like fine snow.

The two forces were evenly matched, neither yielding, both dominating and filled with killing intent. But Life and Death ultimately relied primarily on the circulating qi meridian. As time stretched on, one stream of the circulating qi of heaven and earth gradually became more dominant.

Xiang An’ge glanced at the exquisite and imposing pavilions of the Martial Supervisory Alliance. Before his Life and Death were completely consumed by Shu Sheng, he raised his hand and pointed again, severely damaging and destroying these pavilions.

It seemed he was venting his frustration on the Martial Supervisory Alliance headquarters.

Shu Sheng was somewhat helpless about this. He had originally intended to block it, but suddenly looked toward the western palace wall.

The thing below the black well was about to come out.

As Shu Sheng withdrew Life and Death, he tossed something to Xiang An’ge: “Take it. It’s the anchoring object to break the void gate array.”

Xiang An’ge caught it—a semicircular piece of jade.

“Why are you suddenly being kind?” he mocked.

“I’m a bit busy,” Shu Sheng said. “Things have already begun at Ming Li’s side. I want to see the moment she breaks through with my own eyes.”

Xiang An’ge raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: “You’re willing to go there and help her break through?”

“Naturally, it won’t be me,” Shu Sheng laughed gently. “She is currently full of uncertainty. Returning to the eight meridians at full boundary, she might not be able to guarantee she won’t be affected. In other words… her thoughts will change.”

“She could have initially fought you to break through, but she didn’t do so. It seems she was aware of this point, so she didn’t dare break through too early, because she was afraid.”

Xiang An’ge played with the jade anchor in his hand, glancing at Shu Sheng: “Is that what you think?”

Shu Sheng said, “What do you think?”

The two gazed at each other from above and below, neither speaking, but both vanishing with a flash of movement simultaneously.

*

Outside the western palace wall, there had originally been only one pressure comparable to a pilgrim’s. But after Chang Hanhe’s angry roar, two more pilgrim-level pressures quickly arrived.

When Chang Hanhe saw the white-clothed scholar appear before him with a flash of movement, his ferocious expression froze, then turned to wild joy.

Shu Sheng glanced at Lu Yi, who was immobilized by Chen Zhou and Qing Ying, and raised his hand to point.

Chen Zhou and Qing Ying didn’t linger in battle. They decisively retreated to a distance, but these two killing techniques were unbelievably fast and fierce.

As Ming Li pointed out, killing techniques of equal level to block them, she heard Shu Sheng say: “Nullify.”

In that instant, everyone’s circulating qi meridians were firmly suppressed, and even the killing techniques Ming Li had pointed out were canceled.

The circulating qi of heaven and earth had already severed a strand of Qing Ying’s hair that had been caught by the wind. She ran her body technique meridian to its limit, stealing a moment. A white light screen and a green figure, one in front and one behind, blocked the killing techniques in front of her.

Eight Meridians Array: Sky Wall Protection.

Ming Li’s fingertips moved with black curse runes. At the critical moment, she used Sky Wall Protection to shield her senior brother and junior sister, her gaze cold as she looked toward Shu Sheng ahead.

Both sides simultaneously descended stellar power pressure, and the star walls that had been shattered by Ming Li’s Life and Death rose again, surrounding the black well behind.

Everything happened in a brief instant. The battle between pilgrims was so fast that people couldn’t even see clearly when techniques were used.

Fang Hui looked at the Sky Wall Protection deployed by Ming Li with complex emotions. In his lifetime, he could never achieve Ming Li’s array deployment speed. If using the deployment speed of ordinary people, Qing Ying would have died a hundred times in the killing technique.

Qing Ying also secretly sighed in relief, once again feeling the terror of a pilgrim.

________________________________________

Ming Li was about to attack again when she sensed a fourth pilgrim’s pressure descending. The distant imperial guards trembled under the fourfold pressure.

Everyone looked toward the source of the fourth pressure.

Ming Li turned her head, her gaze passing through the rows of black star walls connecting heaven and earth. Above the black well, she saw a blind old man stepping out on array starry night, along with an ugly man carrying a woman.

Only the ugly man’s dark, bright eyes were still pleasant to look at. He raised his head against the pressure and snowstorm, looking toward the familiar people in the distance.

His gaze passed over Qing Ying, who covered her mouth in shock, and Chen Zhou, whose face had darkened, finally landing on Ming Li, who had turned around.

When the blind old man saw Ming Li turn around, he knew.

Dong Yeyun had deceived him.

Chang Yu Su not only had a son but also a daughter.