Unfortunately, just as I parted from Lord Kaixuan, I encountered Second Sister in the corridors. She looked at me suspiciously: “What are you doing out here again?”

I replied: “I miss Father and Mother, and couldn’t sleep. Can’t Second Sister sleep either? Why don’t you accompany me for a walk in the courtyard?”

“I still have matters to handle. You can wander around by yourself first.” Second Sister still wore that troubled expression, though she spoke much more gently than before.

Watching her hurry away, I secretly climbed onto the roof tiles and headed in the direction of the heavenly prison. Ever since the spider demon incident, when I practiced my sky-ascending technique again, Father and Mother no longer stopped me. Now I could fly out of Zichao Palace much faster.

What I hadn’t expected was that when I reached the heavenly prison in the western part of the palace, I would once again see Second Sister’s back. She slipped into the prison like a wisp of smoke, and after half an hour, two jailers escorted her out. One of them said obsequiously, “Your Highness, please rest assured. Before tomorrow’s execution, we will extract the information.”

Second Sister said, “Keep a close watch on him. There must not be the slightest mishap.”

The two jailers responded with repeated assurances as they saw her off, then began whispering among themselves. I hid behind the treetop, eavesdropping on their conversation—

“Did you see? The Second Princess and His Highness Chenzhi have completely torn their faces apart. So it was His Highness Chenzhi who killed His Majesty. Ah, human hearts are truly terrifying…”

“Yes, now that His Majesty has become the late king, we Suzhao people can’t see the light of day, and we still have to be ruled by this young girl, the Second Princess. I’m afraid we won’t have good days for the next several decades.”

“Shh, what young girl? She’s about to become the new king. Be careful of walls having ears, or you might be assigned to sweep streets in a blink.”

“Between sweeping streets and guarding death row, I really can’t tell which is worse.”

“Speaking of death row, this is a case of capsizing in the gutter. Who would have thought that one day I’d be guarding His Highness Chenzhi here, and even have to help the Second Princess torture him severely? I don’t know what he was thinking. Clearly, in Suzhao, he already stood shoulder to shoulder with the two princesses, yet he still wanted to help the Heavenly Realm eliminate us. I suppose immortals are indeed naturally blessed.”

“Enough, someone like him is going to die tomorrow. Look at the torture instruments the Second Princess gave us – you probably haven’t even seen this kind of ice-thorn whip. When it hits the body, the flesh gets torn off in strips, and the thorns automatically dissolve into the blood and flesh. When a few are broken off, several new ones form, continuing to beat like this – it’s truly a fate worse than death. But in my opinion, Fu Chenzhi deserves it! He killed our king and queen. Come on, let’s go in and whip him until he confesses everything!”

I jumped down at the right moment and strode forward: “Hey, you two.”

“Ah, Little Princess.”

“Greetings, Little Princess.”

“Second Sister is worried about you two, so she sent me to personally interrogate Fu Chenzhi.” I extended my hand, “Give me the whip.”

“This…”

“This what?! Hand it over!” I scolded them, successfully intimidating the jailer into surrendering the whip. “Don’t follow me in, or if you overhear state secrets, ten heads wouldn’t be enough to chop off.”

Fortunately, Second Sister hadn’t inherited the throne yet, so they didn’t know who to listen to. With a little deception, I entered smoothly. It was near the end of the night watch, and the prison was deathly silent. Only the moonlight was like water, azure and boundless, streaming through the window frames and casting silver-white rectangular patches on the ground.

Finally, I saw Fu Chenzhi in the deepest part of the heavenly prison. This day, the Tianying Star was particularly brilliant, shining alongside myriad radiances, coldly and spilling over his body. He sat slumped in the corner, his hands and feet bound by thousand-gold iron chains. His robe had hundreds of tears, and the exposed skin already bore traces of severe beatings. Hearing footsteps, he showed no reaction.

I gripped the bars and called: “Brother…”

He suddenly raised his head, looking at me in shock. There was still a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, but no matter how disheveled he appeared, he always emanated an aura of cold night fragrance: “Weiwei… why are you…”

I looked behind me, then quickly used the key to open the cell door, crouching down to face him, completely at a loss: “Aren’t you going to explain anything? Are you just going to wait here to die?”

He smiled: “I already explained, but no one believed me.”

“You’re an immortal with profound magical powers – you can escape!”

“No, if I escaped, it would prove I truly had guilty intentions. Then, you would also be disappointed in me.”

I was nearly driven mad by his way of thinking: “Is my disappointment more important than your life? Even if you’re an immortal, you don’t have nine lives. You’re throwing a tantrum at your reflection, making things difficult for yourself.”

He smiled gently again, but only answered with one word: “Yes.”

“Crazy, crazy, you’re truly crazy!” I grabbed his hand and said seriously, “I believe you. No matter what you say, I believe you. So, if you encounter the same situation in the future, don’t consider what I might think – run first, understand?”

Fu Chenzhi was stunned, staring at me without blinking. I knew my royal brother’s heart was already moved to tumultuous waves, and I couldn’t help but feel capable, sighing: “Why didn’t you tell us earlier that you were an immortal?”

“To tell the truth, I only discovered it after meeting my current master. That was the first time I left Suzhao, and he told me that my birth parents had erased my memories and abandoned me in Jiuzhou – there must have been some reason. Until I uncover the truth, I cannot reveal my identity.”

“Who exactly is your master?”

“He holds a very high position. I cannot say.”

I probed: “Could he be an Immortal Lord?”

Fu Chenzhi shook his head silently. I said: “Could he be an Immortal Venerable? That can’t be so formidable.”

He still shook his head.

“This… going higher would be a god, which is impossible.” Seeing Fu Chenzhi remain silent, I was surprised for a moment, then waved my hand: “Don’t tease me, I don’t believe it.”

He still gave no answer. Time was running short, so I didn’t intend to continue asking. I went to the door to confirm no one was coming, then used the key to unlock Fu Chenzhi’s hand and leg shackles.

Those two guards had fallen asleep. I was about to open the cell when he stopped my hand: “Don’t. You won’t be able to clean this up.”

“It’s better than you dying!”

“But…”

“But what but – if you keep ‘but’-ing, you’ll die. If you die, I’ll be very sad. Would you be willing to see that? Don’t be wishy-washy.” I pushed away his hand and quickly unlocked the door. At the location Lord Kaixuan had indicated, I knocked a few times and indeed found a tunnel.

After escaping the cell, it was already the chou hour, and there was still no news from Lord Kaixuan. It seemed Second Sister was determined to execute Fu Chenzhi. I sighed: “It looks like you really can’t continue staying in Suzhao. Run quickly.”

But he remained motionless: “Weiwei.”

“Yes?”

“Come with me.”

“I can’t. I’m Father’s daughter – I cannot leave Suzhao.” Seeing him remain silent for a long time, I became frantic with worry: “Stop being willful. I can’t possibly go with you. Hurry up – if you’re late, you won’t be able to escape.”

Fu Chenzhi said, “I will return. Someday, I will become very powerful, return to Suzhao, and prove my innocence.”

I smiled: “Good! This is my brother!”

“I will also learn water manipulation.” Fu Chenzhi took out the small deer ice sculpture I had given him from his chest, waving it in front of me. “When that time comes, I will also make an ice sculpture for you, and every day take you to admire the moon by the Luoshui River, and taste wine under the peach trees. If you want to fly, without water manipulation or riding Yiniao birds, I can hold you, soar through clouds and mist, travel a thousand li in a day, and visit the most beautiful landscapes across all six realms of heaven and earth.”

“Good!” I hadn’t expected my royal brother to be so romantic. I was moved to the point of shedding old tears: “I only hope you won’t marry a sister-in-law too quickly.”

“I won’t. So, before I return, you also cannot marry anyone.”

“Then come back soon.”

“Alright.”

I extended my little finger. Just like when we were children, he hooked it twice with mine. I said: “It’s a promise – breaking it makes you a puppy.”

He raised his eyes and looked at me solemnly: “Weiwei, I like you.”

Those eyes were filled with starlight and moonbeams, yet more dazzling than the heavens themselves. Having read so many poems and literary works in childhood, phrases like “eyes that cut autumn waters,” “one glance intoxicates the azure mist,” “bright autumn waves dripping,” “charming eyes curved like scissors” – none could describe the beauty of his eyes at this moment. I couldn’t help but stare, somewhat mesmerized, thinking that my brother was truly beautiful, then smiled: “I also like my brother.”

“My liking is different from your liking.” Immediately, Fu Chenzhi suddenly grasped my hand, lowered his head, and said in a deep voice: “My liking for you is the kind between a man and woman.”

“Ah?” This was merely an instinctive reaction – in reality, I had stopped thinking. The distance he suddenly closed also made my cheeks involuntarily flush. I said: “What… what kind of joke…”

“It’s not a joke. From before, I have been clear about my feelings, and I have never hesitated for even a moment.” He lowered his eyes, his long lashes unable to conceal the emotions threatening to overflow, but in the end, all he did was gently kiss the back of my hand: “I will return and marry you as my wife.”

In the clear moon and gentle breeze, his figure transformed into a wisp of light smoke, disappearing into the thin mist and clouds.

I suddenly clenched my hand.

What just happened? My royal brother said… said he wanted to marry me? Was it my hallucination? At this moment, my body felt as if it had been pulled by some strong force. No, this wasn’t the time for wild thoughts. I covered my head and shook it vigorously, then slipped onto a side path, intending to return to Zichao Palace, when I heard someone shouting behind me: “Fu Chenzhi is over there! Quick, catch him!”

A large group of jailers pointed at me, shouting at the top of their lungs. I looked up at the sky but didn’t see Fu Chenzhi’s figure, so I shouted back at them: “All of you go back! Fu Chenzhi is not here!”

However, they all rushed over and surrounded me. I said: “What are you doing? Want to rebel?”

“Fu Chenzhi, you betrayed your country and destroyed your family, and you still want to escape? Come back with us!”

“Quick, notify the Second Princess – this traitor is trying to flee.”

I pointed at myself: “Are you drunk or under a spell? First, take a clear look at who I am…”

No, something was wrong with my fingers. I looked down and saw that both hands had grown much larger, with slender fingers and distinct knuckles. Though these hands weren’t mine, they weren’t unfamiliar at all. These were Fu Chenzhi’s hands. Besides this, I didn’t know when it had started, but the ground also seemed farther away than usual, apparently due to my legs becoming longer. Touching my face again, the baby fat had also disappeared, replaced by a lean and sharp sensation. Following from my forehead to my nose, mouth, and chin – it wasn’t me.

Finally, before they escorted me back to the prison, I saw my reflection in a roadside puddle – I had become Fu Chenzhi!

Back in the darkness, one of the jailers roughly pushed me to the ground, spat at me, rolled up his sleeves, and said: “Fu Chenzhi, you dog thief, where have you been all these years away from Suzhao? Who have you met?”

At this moment, if I said I was the Little Princess, probably no one would believe it, and it would only anger them further. Who was it that changed me into this appearance? Could it be… A chill ran up my back as I said, “Go call the Second Princess here. I want to speak directly with her.”

“Bah, the Second Princess is very busy right now and has no time to see you! Will you confess or not? If you don’t, we’ll get rough!” The jailer kicked me hard in the leg, making me hug my leg and tremble with pain: “Speak! Who have you colluded with? Who else is coming to Suzhao?”

“I’ll confess, I’ll confess. I’ll answer everything honestly.” I raised my hands in surrender.

I could only make things up now, and the lies had to sound convincing. However, just as I finished thinking of my response, I didn’t get a chance to speak. Because the two jailers who had earlier escorted Second Sister out also came in. One of them, holding the ice-thorn whip, stopped in front of me and shook it. The ice thorns clinked against each other, making tinkling sounds and flashing with blue radiance in the darkness.

He snorted coldly: “How can it be so easy? This shameless pretty boy deserves to die a hundred times over. Let me whip him once first for fun.”

“Big brother, this is no joke.” I shrank backward: “This will kill someone. If Second Sister sees my corpse tomorrow morning, I’m afraid you won’t be able to explain it either…”

He didn’t respond further, just raised the whip and struck down at me. How sharp were those ice thorns? Before I felt the pain and screamed, I first saw blood splash on the wall, mixed with bits of red flesh…

I think that no matter how much time passes, the memories of this night will be the most unbearable to recall. I fainted countless times in between, later being splashed awake with salt water. Several times, I even wanted to bite my tongue and commit suicide, but the jailers pinched my jaw and forcibly stuffed something in my mouth to block it. Trying to crash into the wall didn’t work either, and attempting to cut my wrists with ice thorns was quickly stopped with blood clotting… In short, after this night, for me, public beheading was just a matter of drawing the last breath.

The next morning, when dawn illuminated the earth, I was locked in a cart and pushed to the marketplace. Along the way, almost all the people of Suzhao gathered at the roadside, throwing vegetables and eggs at me. Tsk, such a waste. The executioner was sharpening his blade, and Second Sister was surrounded by officials like stars around the moon, sitting on a high platform. Lord Kaixuan stood beside her, still looking terrified and respectful.

I had originally thought that when pain reached its peak, it would become numbness, but I hadn’t expected that after so many hours, the wounds on my body still hurt piercingly to the bone. Any emotional pain, the heaviness of losing parents, under such extreme physical torture, everything had been numbed to the extreme. I only wanted to die quickly and be done with it all.

Being escorted onto the execution platform, someone bound my hands and made me kneel before the Azure Dragon Guillotine. When my head was pressed down, I heard Lord Kaixuan not far away sighing to Second Sister: “Liuying, although Master Fu committed great treasonous acts, he and I were at least gentlemen friends. I truly cannot bear to witness this…”

Second Sister said, “This has nothing to do with you. Just don’t watch.”

Lord Kaixuan said, “Sigh, I only wish Master Fu a peaceful journey.”

Like being suddenly doused with cold water, my numbed mind became clear.

Why didn’t Lord Kaixuan say this to me initially? What did he say then?

—”Master Fu has the demeanor of high mountains and flowing waters – how could he possibly kill his adoptive parents?”

Yes, that’s what he said!

The person who orchestrated everything was Lord Kaixuan. This man was truly a smiling demon, making me go to the prison to rescue Fu Chenzhi, but when I returned, transforming me to look like Fu Chenzhi, then using a borrowed knife to kill, eliminating two threats at once – how vicious! With the bright blade overhead, I suddenly raised my head and shouted: “Second Sister, I am Luowei! When we were little, Big Sister once beat you up, and then you peed in her bed!”

The entire venue fell silent, with all officials speechless.

Second Sister was extremely embarrassed, slapping the armrest of her chair hard in anger: “Fu Chenzhi, you have such audacity! You heard some childhood foolishness from Luowei and now dare to impersonate her here?”

Lord Kaixuan, show your fox tail. Go persuade Second Sister to hurry up and kill me, then I can reveal even more secrets and tell her: if you don’t believe me, go find Luowei and see if she has already disappeared.

Unexpectedly, I miscalculated. Lord Kaixuan was indeed somewhat anxious, but what he said was: “Wait, Liuying, this person cannot be killed! She might be the Little Princess!”

Second Sister hesitated: “Why do you say this?”

Lord Kaixuan said: “Last night, the Little Princess came to find me, saying she wanted to see her royal brother one last time before his execution. I was soft-hearted for a moment and gave her a transformation talisman, letting her disguise herself as a jailer to visit Fu Chenzhi. Because I was afraid she might transform into you and order his release, I specifically chose a talisman that could only transform into a man. So, if this person is the Little Princess, disguised as Fu Chenzhi and willing to suffer execution in his place, it’s not impossible…”

What was Lord Kaixuan babbling about… I didn’t know what his purpose was, but I was certain of one thing: this man had come prepared long ago, and I was completely no match for him. I saw that at Second Sister’s gesture, he walked toward me, took out a talisman paper, and touched it to my head. A ball of light surrounded me, and I felt my body instantly shrink considerably.

Countless people gasped, and Second Sister also suddenly stood up from her seat, exclaiming: “Weiwei!”

It seemed I had changed back. Unfortunately, with so many wounds on my body, I still collapsed in place, unable to move. Second Sister flew over with water manipulation and held me on her lap, extremely emotional: “Why is it you? Where is Fu Chenzhi? Where did he go?”

I was too weak to speak, only closing my eyes and gritting my teeth to endure the severe pain on my body. Then, someone carried me away. Everything before my eyes became blurred and hazy. I don’t know how much time passed before I heard Second Sister angrily scolding someone.

Then, a man answered in terror: “Reporting to the Second Princess, after you left the night before last, the Little Princess came to interrogate His Highness Chenzhi under the pretext of forced confession. We waited outside for an hour without seeing her come out, and feeling uneasy, we returned to the prison to patrol. Unexpectedly, we saw the Little Princess and… and…”

Second Sister said: “And what?”

The man said: “This humble one truly… truly cannot speak of it.”

Second Sister said angrily: “Speak!”

I forced my eyes open and turned my head to finally see who was kneeling before Second Sister – it was the jailer who had whipped me with the torture device. He knelt before all the officials, glancing at me with shifty eyes, then prostrated on the ground and kowtowed loudly: “The Little Princess and His Highness have an illicit relationship. Yesterday they were intimate in the prison. When they saw us enter, the Little Princess told us to leave quickly, let them finish their business before returning, and to pretend we had seen nothing, or our entire families would be executed!”