Jiu’er, do you like the life you have now?

Going back — will that truly make things better?

In the imperial city, you have far too many enemies. So many people have always had their eyes on you, so many who think at every moment of how to harm you…

If you could escape all of this — if you could live an entirely new kind of life — would you… be willing?

A life of peace, of quiet, of ease, of calm. No strife, no scheming, no worries, no cares.

Thinking of that bowl of fragrant, steaming fresh fish soup, Feng Jiu’er clenched her fists tight and snapped her eyes open.

“Yanu… why?”

When Feng Jiu’er sat up from the ground, her fists were still clenched.

Why him? Why Yanu? Someone she had trusted completely and without reservation.

There had been a time when Feng Jiu’er felt that if even Yanu were to deceive her, she would never trust another person again.

And yet — it turned out he had been deceiving her all along.

The girl sat on the dried grass, closed her eyes, and drew in several slow, deep breaths before she could finally, slowly, bring herself to accept it all.

She opened her eyes and looked at the woman seated across from her, who was meditating with closed eyes. A subtle, complex light stirred in the depths of her gaze.

“You… why did you save me?”

Perhaps she ought to ask why she was in the Feng clan to begin with — or something else entirely.

There were too many questions in her heart. Feng Jiu’er did not know where to begin.

Long Feiyan did not respond, and continued to regulate her breath in silence.

Her complexion was somewhat pale, and there was no small amount of blood still staining her clothes.

Feng Jiu’er gazed at her without blinking, and slowly her own expression returned to its usual composure.

“So then — the person who appeared on the roof of my quarters a few days ago was also you, was it not?”

Without waiting for Long Feiyan to respond, Feng Jiu’er let the faintest smile curve her lips, though the corners of her eyes were tinged with red.

She said nothing more, and simply watched the silent woman with a look that seemed to be waiting for something.

When Long Feiyan’s breath finally settled into calm, the words that Feng Jiu’er had been suppressing in her heart finally broke free.

“You are Long Feiyan, are you not? Tell me — are you or are you not?”

Feng Jiu’er leaned forward and gripped Long Feiyan’s arm. Her breath had grown unusually agitated.

The woman intended to save her, not to kill her. Without martial arts, Feng Jiu’er no longer felt there was anything left to fear.

Today, she had to see clearly the face hidden beneath that veil.

Long Feiyan sat up straight and settled into her cross-legged position on the stone.

Feng Jiu’er was practically draped across her, gripping her arm with both hands.

“Are you or not? Who exactly are you? Answer me — are you her or not?”

Looking up and meeting Long Feiyan’s eyes, Feng Jiu’er’s own eyes had long since begun to shimmer with unshed tears.

It had to be her. This feeling could not be wrong.

Long Feiyan took Feng Jiu’er’s hand and set it aside. Then she slowly reached up to her own cheek and, with deliberate care, lifted away the veil.

Feng Jiu’er stared without blinking at the face slowly revealing itself before her, and nearly forgot to breathe.

Her mother — she looked exactly as Feng Jiu’er had always imagined. Equally breathtaking in beauty, equally captivating in presence.

“Mother — it truly is you, Mother, you truly did not die — wuu wuu…”

Feng Jiu’er flung herself into Long Feiyan’s arms and held her tight with all her strength.

“I knew you were still here. That great fire — you were the one who pulled me out of it, were you not? I knew it. I always knew you had to still be alive.”

Feng Jiu’er could not find the words to describe what she felt in that moment. In truth, this was Feng Jiu’er’s mother — not hers, not Feng Jiu’s.

And yet, the subtle, inexplicable bond between mother and daughter had drawn her in completely, beyond all escape.

She could no longer even tell clearly whether she was Feng Jiu or Feng Jiu’er.

Long Feiyan gently stroked the small head before her, closed her eyes, and drew in a slow, deep breath.

Taking the girl’s head in both hands, she guided her to sit up straight. Long Feiyan’s expression had returned to its habitual detachment.

Her long fingers traced across Feng Jiu’er’s face, and she spoke in a voice that was slightly low: “Stop crying. Wipe your face clean.”

With those words, Long Feiyan rose to her feet.

“Mother, where are you going?” Feng Jiu’er immediately rose as well, wanting to reach for her — and yet in the end, she only dared to catch hold of the edge of her robe.

“It is time to go.” Long Feiyan’s voice remained impassive.

“Mother…” Feng Jiu’er still had the edge of Long Feiyan’s robe clutched in her hand. “Why must you leave? Why will you not go before Father Emperor and acknowledge each other? Mother…”

Long Feiyan paused in her steps, but did not turn around.

“Jiu’er, you must understand — you are a daughter of the Feng line, one destined to accomplish great things.”

“The so-called seven emotions and six desires — those belong only to ordinary people. You are not like them. You will one day become the Feng clan’s heir to the throne.”

“Wipe away your tears. From this day forth, you are not to weep so freely.”

Feng Jiu’er gazed at Long Feiyan’s profile for a moment, then slowly released the edge of her robe.

She wiped her face with the sleeve of her robe, making an effort to restore herself to composure.

Two steps forward, and when Feng Jiu’er appeared before Long Feiyan once more, her expression had nearly returned to its usual calm.

Yet her heart was still trembling. From now on, she had a mother — how could she possibly not be moved beyond measure?

Meeting Long Feiyan’s gaze — one tinged with a hint of disappointment — Feng Jiu’er instinctively lowered her head.

Drawing in a deep breath and pressing down the emotions that ought not to have surfaced, she finally asked softly: “Mother… what is it that you truly want?”

She was the Feng clan’s princess. Yet her mother had brought her here to the Feng clan in this manner.

No matter how hard she thought, Feng Jiu’er could not possibly guess what plan lay within her mother’s heart.

“In time, you will know.” Long Feiyan said, with her customary indifference.

The answer was exactly what she had expected. Feng Jiu’er felt no surprise.

“The Feng clan holds no supreme divine technique or secret manual — am I right? Then can you tell me why you abolished my martial arts?”

“You are my own mother. I do not believe you would make use of even me. And yet, I…”

“When you hold value, even those closest to you offer no absolute guarantees.” Long Feiyan cut Feng Jiu’er’s words short.

Feng Jiu’er stared wide-eyed — whether she had not understood Long Feiyan’s meaning, or simply could not bring herself to believe it, only she knew.

She took several seconds to absorb the words her own mother had just spoken. Then she closed her eyes, drew in a long, slow breath, and opened them once more.

Even knowing that her own mother had truly made use of her, Feng Jiu’er did not, for now, wish to pursue the matter further.

“Why the Feng clan? Is Yanu your person, or is he my Father Emperor’s? Or — was all of this a conspiracy between you and Father Emperor from the very beginning?”

A new life. No strife, no scheming, no worries, no cares… Yanu, you were wrong.

If she is a true daughter of the Feng line, how could she ever possess such an ideal life?

Long Feiyan was just about to speak when her gaze swept toward the mouth of the cave and suddenly her eyes narrowed.

“Remember — do not place easy trust in others, except in yourself. Not even in those closest to you.”

Feng Jiu’er’s brow furrowed slightly, and though she tried to conceal it, she could not hide the pain stirring in her heart.

She pressed her lips together, unable to bring out even a single word.

Long Feiyan looked at the girl before her, still caught in the grip of pain. Her expression remained unreadable — not a trace of what lay within her heart could be seen.

“You don’t know why I abolished your martial arts, do you? Very well — now I will give you the answer.”

With those words, she sent a palm strike charged with concentrated inner energy toward the acupoint over Feng Jiu’er’s heart…