Elder Shi’s sword strike aimed directly at Zhan Qingcheng’s back.

No matter how peerless Ninth Prince’s martial arts were, he could not, in the end, escape the one word: love.

Below the cliff, every step was already treacherous. The speed at which Feng Jiu’er had been shoved off was simply too fast. For Ninth Prince to save her, he inevitably had no way to guard his own safety.

Elder Shi’s sword — there was no chance it would fail to enter Zhan Qingcheng’s body.

Feng Jiu’er’s heart turned to a wasteland, her chest feeling as though someone had viciously torn it apart.

The sealed acupoints, at the height of her agony, were suddenly and forcefully broken through.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, watch out!”

Yet her cry was already beyond any use to Zhan Qingcheng.

The moment he leapt down without a second thought to save her, he had already known — this departure of his would perhaps have no day of return.

The chill at his back, the fierce wind of the blade — it was not that he was unaware. He simply had no time to spare a thought for it.

His tall frame sheltered her within his arms. With a powerful sweep of his long arm, the Heaven-Cleaving Blade struck the cliff face. After a brief check in their momentum, the two of them immediately vaulted upward toward the top of the cliff.

Yet the sword aimed at his back — there was no time to evade it.

The sword wind sent a shiver through the air! Within the cold gleam of steel, a black silhouette swept past, carrying an innately glacial aura, like a blade’s edge striking straight for him.

Yet Zhan Qingcheng felt no pain from the long sword entering his body. Even so, the approach of the figure behind him prompted him, on instinct, to send a reverse blade strike.

Surprised to find himself uninjured by the sword, after his single slash, he immediately gathered Feng Jiu’er in his arms and scaled the sheer cliff face with his feet, turning to sweep up to the cliff top.

In the dark of night, a figure was struck by Ninth Prince’s blade wind and crashed heavily down onto the cliff top.

At the top of the cliff, the smell of blood instantly spread.

“Your Highness!” Yu Jingfeng and Long Yi came rushing forward.

Zhan Qingcheng had no time for them. His long fingers swept lightly across the back of Feng Jiu’er’s neck. Jiu’er only felt a warmth wash over her entire body — those acupoints not yet fully broken through were instantly released.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle!” Feng Jiu’er clutched his sleeve tightly, heart a frantic mess as she checked his injuries.

Yet — there were no injuries? That sword just now had truly not wounded him? How?

“You—”

“Mu’er!” That howl, desolate and despairing.

Ye Luosha gathered Mu Mu into her arms. The moment she saw the severity of his wounds, her entire heart was utterly shattered.

“Mu’er! Mu’er! Why — why would you — Mu’er!”

She had never imagined it. Even in death she would never have imagined it. Her Mu’er could actually be so foolish! So senseless!

Why had he blocked Elder Shi’s sword for Zhan Qingcheng? Why had he not dodged away from Ninth Prince’s blade?

A blade and a sword — both aimed at his life, both drinking his blood!

“Mu’er, Mu’er…” Ye Luosha gripped his hand with force, channeling all of her cultivation into his body.

Yet the blood on him continued to flow without cease. Her internal energy could only stabilize his pulse for a brief moment — it was utterly useless beyond that.

Elder Shi’s hands were trembling. His entire body shook.

His sword had been meant to wound Ninth Prince. So why — why had it ultimately fallen upon the Young Palace Master?

He had destroyed the Young Palace Master with his own hands. He had destroyed him!

A mouthful of stagnant blood surged up. Elder Shi sank to one knee on the ground. Watching the blood pouring endlessly from Mu Mu’s body, the pain nearly brought him to the point of fainting.

When Jiu’er turned to look, what met her eyes was a ground drenched in blood — and the man lying within that pool of blood, staring at her with a dazed expression.

Why? How had it come to this?

Just a moment ago, she had seen Mu Mu lunge toward Ninth Imperial Uncle. Like Ninth Imperial Uncle himself, she had assumed Mu Mu was seizing the moment to strike at him.

Ninth Imperial Uncle’s strike had only sought to force him back. Given Mu Mu’s level of skill, how could he possibly have failed to dodge that blow?

Yet he had simply not dodged it. He had even been struck by Elder Shi’s sword as well!

That sword from Elder Shi had originally been meant for Ninth Imperial Uncle!

Why…

“Mu Mu…” The sea of red before her jolted Jiu’er back to clarity in an instant.

She wrenched herself free of Zhan Qingcheng and ran over, kneeling at Mu Mu’s side. Silver needles poised at her fingertips, she immediately sealed his acupoints.

Yet — it was no use. The sword at his back had pierced too deep; Ninth Imperial Uncle’s blade had also cut too deeply.

It would not do. The bleeding could not be stopped — no matter what, it could not be stopped. It truly would not do.

Past memories surged back into her mind. Jiu’er’s eyes reddened in an instant.

His head of white hair, now stained crimson with blood, cut even deeper into Jiu’er’s heart.

That full head of white hair — all of it had turned white because of her!

Yet why? Why had he used her to move against Ninth Imperial Uncle? She would never allow anyone to harm Ninth Imperial Uncle. Why had he chosen to move against the person she held most dear in this life?

“Save him!” Ye Luosha had already exhausted every last ounce of her lifelong cultivation, yet she remained helpless, only able to watch as Mu’er’s breath faded bit by bit, disappearing moment by moment.

She truly had no way left.

“You are the Phoenix Maiden — save him. I beg you, save my Mu’er. I beg you!”

Feng Jiu’er was the Phoenix Maiden, was she not? Phoenix Maidens were extraordinary, were they not? The Phoenix Maiden should possess power they did not — was that not so?

When the Phoenix Maiden had been on the verge of death before, she had triggered the power within the Phoenix Maiden, and the Phoenix Maiden had revived on her own.

The Phoenix Maiden was a miracle. She herself was a miracle. So she could bring a miracle to Mu’er as well — could she not?

“Feng Jiu’er, save him — save him!” Ye Luosha did not dare withdraw her internal energy, even as it was nearly depleted.

“Feng Jiu’er, save him! My Mu’er, for your sake, was willing to cast everything aside. I beg you — I beg you, for the sake of what he has done for you, save him! Save him!”

She could see no hope. She was on the verge of despair.

Her Mu’er was dying, bit by bit. He would not last much longer.

“Feng Jiu’er, Feng Jiu’er, I beg you…”

“There is no… need for you… to save me.” Mu Mu’s breath came in broken fragments, yet he still gathered the strength to push away Jiu’er’s needle-holding hand.

“I only… wanted to… kill Ninth Prince. To you… I am an enemy. I sought to kill… Ninth Prince. I am your… enemy…”

He could not catch his breath, only managing a light cough — and what he coughed up was nothing but blood.

“Mu Mu…”

“You should… hate me.” Mu Mu drew a shallow, labored breath. The look in his eyes as he gazed at Feng Jiu’er was ice-cold. “Go on hating me. If I still live… I will still… use you… to kill Zhan Qingcheng…”

“No!” Ye Luosha was nearly past the breaking point. Hysterical, desolate, she released a low, ragged cry: “Mu’er! Why must you be so foolish? Do you want to die filled with hatred for the rest of your life — just so she will not feel guilty over your death in the years to come?”

She looked at Feng Jiu’er. The tears she had lost twenty years ago — for the first time, in front of another person, they streamed down in torrents.

“Do you truly think he used you? I and Elder Shi came in pursuit — my Mu’er had no knowledge of it whatsoever. He genuinely intended to take you away. In this lifetime, he has never once betrayed me. This was the first time — and the only time. All of it — because of you!”