PART 8. MOON KINGDOM
PART 8. MOON KINGDOM
Chapter 71
I can’t be your fairytale
After three months of struggle, Yuwen Yue recovered from his physical wounds, but not from the pain in his heart. As cold as he seemed, the anguish he felt was far worse than the initial injury.
Beside the clear streams of water, Yuwen Yue meditated, and once again, memories of the bloody war flashed through his mind.
Yuwen Yue thought:
“I have not broken a single promise.
I knew it was you who let us and Mo’er go.
On that fateful day, I swore that if we met again, I would let you go as well.
I kept my noble promise, yet you tried to take my life—twice.
The first time, you knew it was me. The second time, you still knew, but pretended you didn’t.
Yan Xun, the scars in your heart have turned to callous revenge, wrapped in eternal hate, beyond repair.
I hope you find forgiveness in your heart, so Xia Chong’s life will not have been in vain.
Because if it’s Chu Qiao’s life, you never stood a chance.”
“Master! Xinger! Xinger! Xinger!”
After a moment, a noisy bird came and broke his thoughts. Yuwen Yue creased his brow and stared at the bird. It stopped chirping, landed on his shoulder, and fell silent.
Another cavalryman approached and said, “Master, your horse is ready. Shall we go?”
Inside Xiu Xiu Mountain Palace, the strong smell of wine filled the grand halls. Yan Xun lay sprawled on his thick fur and chaotic throne, sadness and regret darkening his eyes.
He had become slack, alcoholic, and negligent in his duties since Chu Qiao’s passing. The King of Yan grieved for many days and nights before shutting himself away from the world.
“My Lord, please eat something. You need to recover your strength,” said A’Jing.
Zhong Yu, who watched over him, pitied his gaunt form and bloodshot eyes. She gently added, “You need an antidote for your heart. I can give it to you.”
But Yan Xun, paying no attention to his closest aides, shouted, “Go away! Another round of wine, you fools!” He barked at the servants who couldn’t stop the King’s drinking. His clothes were dirty, his hair unkempt, his aura foul with the stench of alcohol, and his belly full of spirits.
Zhong Yu turned away, tears in her eyes. She could no longer bear to see the King’s sorry state. She left, her unspoken words like a dagger in her heart. She couldn’t destroy Wu Dao Ya’s plan.
A’Jing rose from his kneeling position and continued to manage Yanbei’s affairs. The King, lost in madness and scarred both inside and out, had yet to reach his breaking point.
Yuwen Yue, accompanied by Yue Qi and Zuo Zong, mounted his horse and headed toward the Liang borders to visit his Uncle Xie. When they arrived, Master Xie Tai Shan informed Yuwen Yue of Chu Qiao’s condition, saying, “She cannot remember any of us—not me, not Empress Lu Zhi, nor Emperor Xiao Ce.
Xiao Ce has spent many days and nights with her, trying to reintroduce her to her own Yehua Palace, telling her she is a fallen star princess and the future shining phoenix of the Liang Empire.”
But despite his efforts, Xiao Ce, burdened with a heavy heart, knew deep down that every time Chu Qiao looked at him, there was a void in her soul that he could never fill.
Yuwen Yue, feeling a sharp pain in his heart, asked, “Uncle Xie, do you know any remedy for her condition? She is my wife. She should remember her husband, not that playboy prince!”
Master Xie Tai Shan responded, “Unfortunately, her memory loss is incurable.”
“Who says it’s incurable when even the dead can be raised?” Yue Qi interjected.
Yuwen Yue, thinking for a moment, asked, “Are you talking about that eccentric priest living in the Thousand Caves?”
Zuo Zong, chuckling with excitement, said, “We must buy a mooncake!”
Yue Qi replied, “A mooncake for whom, the hamster pets?”
Yuwen Yue, rejecting any temporary or unnatural healing methods, said, “I want a permanent cure for her memory. Who can help me find the way?” No one responded, leaving Yuwen Yue deep in thought.
As the gloomy sunrise quietly painted the sky, winter began to sprinkle snowflakes across the open field of Daoming Palace.
Slowly and with grace, Chu Qiao, dressed in a fine orange silk kimono with long sleeves, found an unusually large bouquet of fresh flowers scattered throughout her palace.
There was no mistaking it—she already knew who had stolen her heart. Smiling, she bent down to smell one of the lovely flowers.
From a distance, she saw a masked man on horseback.
Suddenly, she felt dizzy and leaned slightly against a palace post. A glimpse of memories flashed before her eyes.
Moments later, when she turned back in the same direction, the man had vanished. She walked slowly down the palace corridor, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious figure again.
She found him standing with Emperor Xiao Ce, nodding to him. Chu Qiao thought she had seen this man before, but it was her first time noticing him in the palace. Xiao Ce’s face shifted from cheerful to serious.
Chu Qiao thought to herself, “Maybe this man is an enemy, a faceless general, or the head of spies who doesn’t want to expose his identity.”
Mei Xiang and Ping’An, following close behind her, noticed Chu Qiao’s curious gaze. Mei Xiang said, “Master, I heard that man over there is from the eastern territories. He requested an audience with the Emperor yesterday, but the Emperor told him to wait until today. So, the masked man has returned.”
“It’s quite unusual for a man to wear a mask unless he’s hiding scars or…is his face ugly?” Chu Qiao joked.
Mei Xiang added, “Master, I also overheard the palace maids saying that he took off his mask in front of the Emperor. They said he’s incredibly handsome, not ugly at all. The Emperor was angry at first, but after seeing his face, he said, ‘Who else but you?'”
Chu Qiao, intrigued, asked, “So, they were friends or longtime companions?”
Ping’An interjected, “I can assure you they’re not.”
Chu Qiao, puzzled, asked, “How can you be sure?”
Ping’An replied, “I heard the palace maids say this man has never been to the Liang Palace before, but some maids gossiped that he looks like the former Master of the Eyes of God from the Wei Empire.”
Chu Qiao, listening closely, asked, “Master of the Eyes of God?”
Ping’An nodded, “Yes, the palace maids who accompanied the Emperor to Wei said this man resembles the Master of the Eyes of God, though it’s impossible—he’s supposed to be dead.”
Chu Qiao shifted her stance, her curiosity piqued, as the masked man slightly turned his head toward her. Yuwen Yue stole a glance at her from afar.
Chu Qiao, now more intrigued, asked, “What do they call him in his household?”
Ping’An answered, “They say he’s the fourth young master of the Yuwen household.”
As she slowly began piecing together the identity of the man, Chu Qiao asked, “What was the former Master of the Eyes of God’s name?”
Ping’An replied, “I heard his name was Yuwen Yue.”
The name struck a chord with Chu Qiao, but she couldn’t recall where she had heard it before. She reacted, “Why is this man interested in me?”
Ping’An, not wanting to overwhelm her with too much information, suggested, “Master, perhaps you should get to know him first.”
Chu Qiao gave Ping’An an incredulous look and said, “I don’t even know why I’m here, and now you want me to add him to my ‘get-to-know’ list?”
Ping’An smiled innocently and replied, “He seems harmless.”
Chu Qiao, annoyed, raised her hand as if to flick his forehead and said, “Do you expect me to befriend every harmless person I meet?”
After a brief pause, she added in a bored voice, “He seems harmless, so why bother?”
Suddenly, Xiao Ce’s coughing announced his presence. Ping’An immediately bowed to the Emperor and moved behind Chu Qiao.
Chu Qiao, noticing him, asked, “Your Highness, did you just arrive, or were you eavesdropping on our private conversation?”
Xiao Ce, known for his honesty with Chu Qiao, responded with a soft, playful tone, “You’re blushing…”
Then, with his usual flirty look, he leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “I can even hear your heart racing.”
Returning to his normal posture, Xiao Ce, with a childlike expression, teased, “Too bad the gossip wasn’t about me.”
Chu Qiao, unimpressed by his joke, retorted, “How could they gossip about you? The moment they do, they risk their necks in the garrison yard and the scrutiny of your ministers.”
Xiao Ce, with his foxy eyes, continued, “Once, I had the Seventh Yue, then the fallen snowflake, and now, at last, the fallen star. She’s about to be taken by her moon.”
Chu Qiao playfully hit Xiao Ce’s shoulder and said, “What are you talking about? Is this what you learned at Li Garden’s poetry readings?”
Xiao Ce grinned and replied, “I learn quickly, Qiao Qiao.”
Then, with a serious expression, he said, “If you’re uncomfortable with him, I can kill the man or exile him to Huai Song.”
Chu Qiao chuckled, “Why kill a harmless man? And why exile him if he’s innocent?”
Xiao Ce winked and replied, “That would make me a bad ruler, wouldn’t it? I’m not an arrogant emperor. Can you spare some time today? He wants to meet you again.”
As Xiao Ce gave in to Chu Qiao’s decision to reunite with Yuwen Yue, he felt a deep sense of fear and jealousy sinking in. He thought to himself, “How many more chances do I have left with her?”
Chu Qiao, thinking for a moment, said, “If he’s harmless, then why not give him a chance?”
Xiao Ce, looking at her, sighed, “How could I say no to you?”
Softly, he whispered to himself, “Once again, I’m just a tool. I’m worse than a slave.”
Chu Qiao overheard him and asked, “Who’s a slave?”
Xiao Ce, startled, replied, “Did I say that?”
“I heard something about a slave,” Chu Qiao said, raising her voice but with a playful expression.
Xiao Ce, diffusing the tension, said, “Nothing, I was just thinking that I’m a ‘Slave Emperor.'”
Chu Qiao chuckled, offering advice, “Well, you are a slave to your empire. You can’t escape it. You must rule, or the people will suffer.”
Xiao Ce responded, “Don’t worry, Qiao Qiao. As long as you stay by my side, I know we can rule together in peace, and the chaos will melt away.”
Just then, Yuwen Yue arrived. Xiao Ce stepped aside, watching as Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue locked eyes. He whispered to Ping’An, “You know what to do.”
But Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue, lost in each other’s presence, didn’t hear him.
Chu Qiao, in a formal tone, said, “You can remove your mask, or there will be no tea ceremony.”
Yuwen Yue’s cold, godlike presence sent a chill down her spine. His aristocratic stature, the scent of plum blossoms, and his Adonis-like features were undeniable as he slowly removed his metal mask.
His face revealed youthful, clear skin, and eyes as calm as still waters.
Chu Qiao, momentarily distracted, finally saw the godly face in front of her. Unsure if she was still in the real world, she coughed and said, “Ahem… Let me remind you, I only agreed to meet you because you seem harmless. If you’re not, the Emperor will either kill you or exile you.”
Yuwen Yue casually, replied, “I heard your private conversation earlier.”
Chu Qiao, caught off guard, asked, “Did you hear—”
Yuwen Yue cut her off, stating his reason for visiting: “I’m here to visit the fallen star, or rather, the girl once known as Xinger.”
“Xinger? Me?” Chu Qiao asked, raising her voice.
Yuwen Yue nodded, “I suppose you’re searching for my real name and who Xinger was.”
As the two walked toward the gazebo where the tea ceremony was prepared, Yuwen Yue glanced at the blooming lotus flower in the pond.
Chu Qiao noticed it too and asked, “Did you see that?”
Yuwen Yue, with his cold expression, replied, “I did. It lasted only a moment.”
And they continued walking.
Chu Qiao, listening to every word this man said, felt her heart race. She carefully sat on the pillow in front of the tea table while Yuwen Yue remained standing, waiting for her response. The servants were nearby, though far enough to give them privacy.
Chu Qiao broke the silence, asking, “Are you going to stand there forever?”
Yuwen Yue, captivated by Xinger’s beauty and presence, squinted his eyes and replied simply, “No.”
In a short, cold voice, Yuwen Yue sat on the pillow, his posture upright.
Chu Qiao began pouring the tea, and as she did, Yuwen Yue’s mind drifted back to memories of their time in the Green Hills courtyard. He became lost in thought.
Noticing that Yuwen Yue seemed fixated on her hand and the teacups, Chu Qiao, slightly annoyed, asked, “Are we just going to stare at these teacups?”
Yuwen Yue snapped out of his reverie, picked up his teacup, and waited for Chu Qiao to do the same. Once she lifted her cup, they both drank in silence. Yuwen Yue placed his cup back on the table and glanced at Chu Qiao, who, after drinking, returned his gaze.
For a moment, an inexplicable silence fell between them—an unspoken peace that was fleeting yet profound whenever their eyes met. Time seemed to stand still, as though they had left the earth and entered another realm, created solely for these two lost souls.
Chu Qiao broke the stillness, taking a deep breath. “I can tell,” she said, “the man sitting in front of me seems more lost than the woman in front of him.”
She was right. Yuwen Yue had come seeking Xinger, but it seemed that he, too, was lost in her presence. He couldn’t even find the words to remind her who she was.
Chu Qiao pressed further, asking, “You came because of Xinger?”
Yuwen Yue, his throat dry, forced himself to respond. In a soft, cold voice, he said, “Yes, I came to find Xinger.”
“Who is Xinger?” Chu Qiao asked.
“She’s sitting in front of me,” Yuwen Yue replied, not taking his eyes off her. His words were filled with both truth and love.
Chu Qiao lowered her gaze, seeming to understand what Yuwen Yue was saying, but she quickly denied it. “I’m sorry, I’m not Xinger.”
Yuwen Yue, noticing the ring on Chu Qiao’s finger, softly said, “Look at the ring on your finger. It’s Xinger’s engagement ring.”
Startled, Chu Qiao looked at him and asked, “Are you saying I’m engaged to someone just because of this ring?”
Yuwen Yue, his voice sincere, answered, “Yes.”
Chu Qiao paused, then slowly removed the ring. She placed it in the center of the tea table and said, “I’m not Xinger. Here, take the ring.”
Yuwen Yue felt a sharp pang in his chest, both from his physical wounds and from the emotional rejection. In a voice laced with pain, he said, “No, keep it. It’s alright if you don’t recognize it yet.”
Chu Qiao remained silent, sensing Yuwen Yue’s pain. She asked softly, “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” Yuwen Yue replied. “It’s just the wound on my back. I’m still recovering.”
Chu Qiao’s face shifted from stern to concerned. “You’re hurt? Did someone—”
“I’m not hurt,” Yuwen Yue interrupted. “I just fulfilled a promise, and this is the price I paid.”
Chu Qiao fell silent, feeling his pain yet unable to remember anything. She wondered if she had done something to hurt this man.
Yuwen Yue, noticing her contemplation, reassured her, “Don’t worry. This isn’t something you need to feel burdened by. What happened was meant to happen.”
Chu Qiao looked down but couldn’t hide her concern. She tried to comfort him, saying, “Whoever did this to you, I condemn it. You seem like a good man.”
Yuwen Yue smiled faintly and responded, “The person who did this to me was also a good man once, but the tragedies his family endured turned him into a villain.”
Chu Qiao, suddenly serious, asked, “Maybe you slaughtered his family, and this is his revenge?”
Yuwen Yue, his voice sincere, said, “I didn’t kill his family. I tried to help, but I watched as his family was slaughtered and thrown into the bonfire of envy.”
In a sorrowful tone, Chu Qiao said, “If I had been there, I would have killed you.”
It was as if, in that moment, she had known Yuwen Yue for a long time and remembered some deep connection between them.
Yuwen Yue looked directly into her eyes and said, “You were there, but you didn’t kill me.”
Chu Qiao stared at him, searching for a hint of a joke, but found none. It felt as though this man was giving her a glimpse of her past life. “So I was there… if I didn’t kill you, then what did I do to you?”
Yuwen Yue, his voice steady but filled with emotion, asked, “Does it matter for you to know what you did for me?”
“Maybe?” Chu Qiao responded, still curious. She poured more tea for both of them and sipped hers, waiting for him to answer.
Yuwen Yue hesitated, the memories too painful to speak of. But since Chu Qiao wanted to know, he finally said, “A long time ago, there was a Yuwen maid named Xinger. She was the bravest girl who fought for the fourth young master of the Yuwen household but then died at a frozen lake.”
Chu Qiao placed her cup down and said, “Qinghai Prince, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Yuwen Yue knew that Chu Qiao wanted to end the conversation there. He said, “Though you’re confused for now, it’s only temporary. When you’re ready to find yourself, I’ll leave you with this.”
“A map?” Chu Qiao asked, raising an eyebrow.
“This map leads to where your heart seeks. I’ve visited you many times, yet it seems my presence is no longer needed here. I can’t stay much longer, but when you’re ready, this map will guide you.”
Chu Qiao looked into Yuwen Yue’s eyes, filled with regret and sadness. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I can’t be your fairytale.”
Yuwen Yue’s cold eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “Not today, but I still hope we can be together tomorrow.”
Chu Qiao didn’t respond—she didn’t know what to say. Yuwen Yue stood up, gave her one last look, then turned and left the serene gazebo by the pond.
Yuwen Yue would later recall that moment: “I walked as if iron weights were tied to my boots. Each step felt like a hammer pounding my heart. I didn’t want to leave. My heart wanted to explode into a million pieces. I wanted to kiss her, hold her, tell her I needed her and that I’d abandon my empire for her.”
But Chu Qiao didn’t want any of that. She couldn’t remember their past, and she was already living a new life in Emperor Xiao Ce’s arms. This was Yuwen Yue’s last chance—and had he lost her forever?
After Yuwen Yue left, Chu Qiao felt lost and desolate. She unwrapped the map and found a small gift wrapped within it.
Yuwen Yue hadn’t known that Zuo Zong had slipped in his treasured Kam handkerchief, embroidered with the Yuwen household’s intricate gold-threaded inscription.
The handkerchief looked new, as though it had never been used. As Chu Qiao held it, memories began to stir in her mind, but the man who sparked them was already gone. Was it too late?
Chu Qiao wiped her teary eyes with the handkerchief and suddenly recalled the map of Chu Jing Kingdom, the Viper, and the peddler who used to visit her on Xue Fu Street—the first time she had met Yuwen Yue, the fourth young master of the Yuwen household.
But she kept these memories to herself, pretending not to remember.
In the Realm of Nowhere…
A snowflake fell on his delicate nose. The man slowly opened his eyes as frostbite began creeping through his skin. Yuwen Yue had slept for what felt like an eternity amidst the vast snowfall. He thought he had lost himself in a dream of endless nowhere. He wasn’t alone—an old man in rugged clothes appeared before him, looking down. The old man asked, “Are you ready to live in another realm?”
Yuwen Yue, dumbfounded, said, “Who are you?”
“Is that important?” the old man replied.
Yuwen Yue suddenly sat up from where he had been lying. He glanced around for his horse, but it was nowhere in sight.
The old man continued, “Forget it. You can call me Sifu.”
“Sifu? Is that your name?” Yuwen Yue asked.
“Of course not. Sifu means ‘Master,'” the old man responded, taking a few steps and sitting on the snow-covered ground.
“Why should I call you that?” Yuwen Yue said, irritation creeping into his voice.
“Fine, don’t call me Sifu. What would you prefer?” the old man said, testing Yuwen Yue’s patience.
“Sifu is fine,” Yuwen Yue replied, resigned.
“Good,” said the old man, pointing to the far horizon.
Yuwen Yue frowned and asked, “Why should I go in that direction?”
The old man replied, “She told you, didn’t she? You can’t be her fairytale. So, you must follow that path.”
Yuwen Yue paused, wondering how this rugged old man knew what Xinger had said.
The old man added, “Didn’t you hear her? You can’t be her fairytale because life isn’t a fairytale. You need to be real.”
Annoyed but somehow enlightened, Yuwen Yue said, “What’s wrong with me? I am real.”
The old man stood up and declared, “Go to that far distance, and I will teach you humility under the rod of discipline. You can’t even shoot with your left arm anymore. You must lose your mortal abilities to gain immortal ones.” Sifu frowned at him and then turned to walk toward the horizon.
Yuwen Yue, feeling pressure but not intimidation, called out, “What if I don’t follow?” He stood alone in the vast snowfield.
The old man’s voice carried back to him, “Your destiny is set. Time cannot be undone.”
Suddenly, the rugged clothes of the old man transformed before Yuwen Yue’s eyes. The old man revealed himself as none other than the master who had trained Yuwen Yue in the Woolong Mountains.
“How did this happen? This must be a dream,” Yuwen Yue questioned.
Yet, despite his doubts, Yuwen Yue began walking, following the snow-covered footprints left by Sifu, now far ahead.
Across the endless white expanse, two small figures walked through the Valley of Hellfrost. Qi Hui, determined to guide Yuwen Yue, led him through this desolate winter wasteland. Their destination lay at the highest altitudes of the hinterlands. Time was meaningless here—it could have been hours or days, and neither would know.
Suddenly, Qi Hui stopped and waited for Yuwen Yue to catch up. Yuwen Yue, feeling strong at first, felt his energy waning as he approached. Collapsing into the snow, he said, “I can’t do this…” and fell unconscious.
The wind howled fiercely, biting deep into his bones. Hellfrost was a place of death, where only those with the divine favor of the gods and blue blood in their veins could survive.
Qi Hui, ever wise, said, “This is what happens when mortal strength fails, and immortality begins.”
Seeing the end of Hellfrost near, Qi Hui tied a rope around Yuwen Yue’s body and began pulling him across the frozen ground. Yuwen Yue, blinking weakly, heard the old man’s voice as he spoke, “This is the path of meekness—bearing another’s burden for a common good. Without the good, there is no true humility. You are learning the limits of your mortal body. Flesh and blood are bound by the earth’s gravity, the moon, the sun, the stars, and the sea of frost. Without a true companion, you would never make it through.”
Yuwen Yue closed his eyes, humbled. His once-cold ego was shattered as he allowed himself to be saved by his master. He realized that to learn the virtue of humility, he must first submit to it.
Months, or perhaps years, passed. Having lost track of time, Qi Hui and Yuwen Yue finally reached the end of Hellfrost.
Standing on the edge of a frozen cliff, they looked down at the icy waterfalls below. Master Qi Hui spoke, “Here, I leave you with the power of humility in your left foot. Use it well, for it will shield you from arrogance, aggression, false pride, and vanity. It may seem empty, but it holds the power of freedom—the freedom of proving nothing.”
“Humility listens more and speaks less,” the Master added.
Yuwen Yue bowed respectfully and said, “More than just meditation, my body has undergone purification. I have freed myself from false coldness. Now, I can align my mortal strength and meridians, balancing the realities of mortality and immortality. With emptiness, I gain everything.”
Master Qi Hui transferred the power into Yuwen Yue’s left foot while Yuwen Yue stood in a Tai Chi position, his left foot lifted and angled over his right knee. Cold air swirled around him as the power flowed into his body. When the transformation was complete, Yuwen Yue found himself alone.
Hellfrost had vanished, replaced by a field of blooming dandelions in the Happy Valley. Yuwen Yue no longer worried about his next destination. He knew he was headed to meet another master.
A man sat in a tree, nibbling on a grass stalk, as Yuwen Yue stood in awe of the beautiful meadow. The wind blew gently, sending the dandelions flying like enchanted little kites across the valley.
“Welcome to Happy Valley,” greeted the cheerful Master of Kungfu of Ice.
Chapter 72
Empire of the God’s
Wild dandelions bloomed across the meadow. The cold wind blew, causing Yuwen Yue’s dress to flutter. Without a sense of time, Yuwen Yue found himself walking through a land called the true earth, or the land of Ximeng. A humble encampment lay on the ground, surrounded by flying dandelions.
The master of Kung Fu of Ice said, “Though you have learned the path of humility, your skills are not enough.” Stretching his hands, he continued, “Beyond those borders is your fate. But before you cross them, you must master the winds and the clouds.”
Yuwen Yue wrinkled his brow and said, “When I was young, I used to hear the hunting wind and feel its presence in my pulse. How is it different now?”
The master of Kung Fu of Ice replied, “You have the heart, but not the spirit.”
Yuwen Yue, slightly stunned, asked, “Are these two different states?”
“You’ll understand after the eagle whispers to your ears, the impulse of the wind.”
Suddenly, a distant bird call broke the quiet. An eagle circled above, beautifully spreading its wings, hovering overhead where they stood.
As night fell, Yuwen Yue gazed at the glittering sky. He placed his hand over his forehead and suddenly closed his eyes. Moments later, the Kung Fu master shot an arrow in his direction. Reacting quickly, Yuwen Yue raised his Poe Yue Jian sword to counter it. The blue-feathered arrow landed in the grass.
“Not impressed,” said the Kung Fu master as he walked over to retrieve the arrow.
Yuwen Yue frowned and said, “This is the only weapon I have.”
“That is no excuse,” the Kung Fu master replied, loading another arrow into his bow and aiming it at Yuwen Yue’s face.
Yuwen Yue, confident and sensing no threat, did not believe the master would shoot him.
True to his judgment, the Kung Fu master ran a few steps, knelt on a bedrock, turned his upper body, raised his draw hand, pointed his bow downward, and released the arrow.
Swoosh! A crisp sound echoed in the air. The hare was shot precisely in its heel. The shot was so clean and quick it was difficult to imagine how the Kung Fu master had executed it in just a split second — even through the bamboo shaft.
“I can’t shoot at a downward angle,” said Yuwen Yue.
“I know. It has always been your weakness,” the Kung Fu master said, holding a thin bamboo shaft and short, featherless arrows in his quiver.
“A bamboo shaft in your draw hand?” Yuwen Yue asked, curious to learn how it was done.
“Why not?” said the Kung Fu master. “It silences the shot and locks onto the target, precisely aiming for the Achilles tendon. In this case, I didn’t shoot to kill. I imbued grace into my pulse, shot the arrow, but spared the animal’s life. It will live.”
Yuwen Yue walked over, picked up the hare, and examined its wound. “The best of precise shooting. It can still walk if I bandage it quickly.”
Tearing a piece of cloth from his inner robe, Yuwen Yue coldly looked at the animal. It would be painful for a while, but he quickly pulled the short arrow from its heel.
Blood gushed from the wound. He tied the cloth tightly, and the hare, breathing heavily, relaxed a little and lay down. Yuwen Yue carried the hare back to the encampment and laid it on the grass.
The Kung Fu master sat by the bonfire, and Yuwen Yue joined him. “I can visualize how you did it,” he said, “but what I don’t understand is how you didn’t kill the animal when your action could easily have done so.”
“In the mortal realms, only a few understand the Way of the Bow called Taihai.”
Yuwen Yue’s ears perked up. “You mean, shooting without shooting? Achieving the impossible? It’s like finding a pearl in desert sand.”
The Kung Fu master turned his face toward Yuwen Yue, who was now testing his quiver and bow with the half-piece bamboo shaft. He inserted a short arrow using his draw hand.
“It’s the remaining body within the remaining spirit. A forward movement from your left foot guides your hips and shoulders. This is the Way of the Bow, rooted in both coldness and humility. Without these virtues, you’ll end up killing your target and wasting life.”
Yuwen Yue, now gaining wisdom, finally understood the lesson from the master, who appeared cold on the outside but harbored a soft spot within.
Seeing Yuwen Yue testing the bowstrings, the Kung Fu master gestured for him to follow into the dark forest.
The sounds of insects greeted their ears. An owl’s big eyes focused on Yuwen Yue as it hummed its haunting voice. A platform stood ahead where Yuwen Yue could stand. In the middle, a bonfire burned slowly. Ahead stood a thin poplar tree with a target board made of driftwood, covered in bullseyes and precise archery marks.
The master of Kung Fu of Ice asked, “What are you doing up there?”
Ignoring his master’s voice, Yuwen Yue continued crafting his own arrow, eager to demonstrate his skills as the heir of the Eyes of God.
After a few minutes, the Kung Fu master shook his head in dismay and turned away to tend to the fire.
Yuwen Yue mimicked the master’s earlier movements.
When the master turned back, Yuwen Yue was already pointing an arrow at him.
With a small rock in his draw hand, Yuwen Yue stretched the bowstring with the loaded arrow, a creaking sound filling the air.
“Show me what you’ve got! Shoot!”
Yuwen Yue’s face was cold and unrelenting, but his eyes were calm, like still water. Taking a deep breath, he slowly lowered his hands. In the blink of an eye, he raised them again and, like a flash, shot the nearby owl.
The owl fell to the ground, and the Kung Fu master of Ice blinked in surprise. He walked closer to inspect the night bird and said, “Two cold weapons, destined to take two different paths. You dictated your pulse and let the wind read its impulse. It will decide to kill or heal. That is brutally cold!”
“I use my will and pass it to the wind. I can dictate who lives and who dies,” Yuwen Yue said as he put down his weapon.
The Kung Fu master frowned at the owl, observing its limp wings. The arrow had already struck the target board.
The master gently held the owl’s wings and slightly pulled them. The bird bore the silent pain for a moment, but suddenly it spread its wings as if nothing had happened. The owl returned to its normal state.
The master then approached the target board, but just as he stepped closer, Yuwen Yue exclaimed, “Be careful!”
It was too late. The old blue arrows loosened from the board, dropping one by one to the ground. Only Yuwen Yue’s arrow remained, firmly stuck in the bull’s-eye.
Yuwen Yue was trying to impress, but the Kung Fu master said in a low tone, “I thought we were on the same page. This is futile.”
“What?” Yuwen Yue exclaimed. “What you just witnessed is the Way of the Arrow. I’m sure you haven’t seen this before.”
Determined to rethink his approach, the Kung Fu master picked up the blue arrows and placed them in his quiver. He took Yuwen Yue’s bow and walked to the mounted platform. Standing straight, he said, “Watch me command the wind and hit the real target.”
He took a deep breath, positioned himself in the Taihai stance, closed his eyes, then raised his hands above his head. Opening his eyes, he reversed his draw hand and released the arrow.
Swoosh! The arrow whistled through the air, hitting a concealed target on another poplar tree, landing in the bull’s-eye.
Surprised, Yuwen Yue remarked, “You almost missed but decided to kill it.”
The Kung Fu master, having done the opposite of the Way of the Arrow, said, “If you must end it, then do it.”
“Your turn,” said the Kung Fu master.
Yuwen Yue straightened his body, stiffened his muscles, and focused on the target board. Memories flashed in his mind — Xinger drawing her bow and releasing arrows at the enemy’s head. He remembered the icy lake, the bloodshed, and the rage in Xinger’s heart. She had turned to defend him, fighting against her own uniform, her arrows condemning her enemies.
Yuwen Yue stretched his bowstring, the creaking sound echoing. He positioned his forward left foot, raised his hands overhead, and used his back-draw hand. His wrist remained steady, his pulse intense, his eyes calm, but his heart was softened. He released the arrow.
This time, the arrow fell short, missing the target for the first time.
The Kung Fu master clapped slowly and said, “A true master never perfects it on the first try. It will take a hundred arrows before your mortal mind memorizes the nature of the winds. The secret is to be inefficient before you become sufficient. You must be as diverse and flexible as bamboo. The wind takes no form, nor can any man possess its favor. But the good news is, you can win its favor.”
Yuwen Yue, eager to learn, asked the Kung Fu master, “Before, I thought I commanded the wind. Now you’re saying I must win its favor?”
“Yes, by the trade winds. The warm and cool breezes always encircle the northern and southern hemispheres of the true earth. They can be your greatest ally or your worst enemy. Remember the trade winds!”
With that, the Kung Fu master suddenly left Yuwen Yue alone, with an unclear and uncertain task.
Yuwen Yue, marveling at the concept, looked at the arrows stuck in the bull’s-eye and whispered, “This is difficult. I have to consider the trade winds and win their favor! Everything I learned in the West seems outdated in this realm. It’s not even appreciated.”
Though Yuwen Yue was the heir of the Eyes of God, possessing unmatched abilities, in the immortal realms, his talents were considered among the lowest. In front of this brilliant new realm, Yuwen Yue found himself a novice — a foolish master surrounded by astute, knowledgeable mentors.
Chu Qiao was suspended out of nowhere, her lifeless body found upside-down, lying on the golden grass. Swayed by the cold winds, a sudden piercing light penetrated her skin. The wind and clouds stirred, and ancient Chinese inscriptions formed the shape of the Higanbana flower on her back.
Nearby, a Healing Master sat in a Zen position, praying beads hanging from his hands. As he performed hand gestures and recited healing mantras, he said, “I cannot let Mimi Gongzhu die and be lost to the realm of no return. On her behalf, I offer my healing powers or my life if I fail to pass your test. Mimi Gongzhu came into this world with an innocent mind, unaware of her origins.”
Swoosh! The winds blew steadily, gathering force like a hurricane, and swept the Healing Master away.
Time was lost forever, suspended in a place called nowhere. A beautiful, divine-like woman suddenly ascended in a dreamy state, finding her enlightened self walking in a realm of eternal calmness. When she opened her eyes, the sky reflected like a mirror above her. At her feet, dozens of broken ice pieces mirrored the expanse of the heavens. Walking on water that seemed to stretch toward the endless horizon, the woman continued her journey.
Viper’s eyes widened in shock as she shouted, “Come back, Mimi Gongzhu! You cannot save a soul twice!”
Caught in the surreal realm, Viper entered the underworld once again. At the forgotten river, mist hovered above the waters. Cold and dark, the river lit up every time someone passed through. Looking into the crystal-clear aquamarine waters, Viper saw rays of light revealing a bed of ice beneath the surface. Frozen in time, the ice displayed the past life of a man—his feats, glories, conquests, and battles, his victories and defeats—all from birth to death.
As the boat reached the other side, the wind swayed the field of Higanbana flowers one last time. Their scent faded, and darkness returned. A man dressed in imperial clothes looked down and then ahead. A spark of hope flickered in his heart—for another chance, for another lifetime. Yet, Xiao Ce was on the verge of entering the afterlife, a realm of no return, where the final curtain was about to fall.
The boatman gave him a silent nod. Xiao Ce blinked, speechless, when suddenly, a beautiful woman holding a glowing whip appeared, disturbing the order. Dark and ominous, she disrupted the calm.
The boatman, his presence cold, dark, and foreboding, spoke in a low, slow voice: “An underworld spy cannot break the order of the Twelve Underworld League of Elite Spies.”
Viper turned to face the boatman. With a fierce, ominous aura, she said, “You must know, we are all granted the right to disobey once. Whether the outcome is unknown, I am entitled to use my chance.”
The boatman replied, “Only Mimi Guangzu survived the execution of the Ersatz realm. No one else returned. The rules and orders cannot be disobeyed, and yet you invoke your entitlements? For this feeble human? Why?”
The Urshan, or boatman, belonged to the dark underworld, ferrying travelers across lakes and swamps to the other side. Often solitary, these boatmen sought out desolate areas. Their touch was said to bring death, raising the dead as corrupted, swollen corpses to serve as distractions for their master.
“Because I heard his final plea in my ears, when his heart echoed in eternity. The Urshan heard it too and did not respond. But I’m here to challenge the Urshan,” Viper said.
The boatman’s cold voice replied, “Challenging the Urshan, as old as existence itself, means death. You cannot even enter the afterlife. Is this what you desire?”
Viper, resolute, brandished her glowing whip and said, “I would rather face the Ersatz realm than remain a deaf monk.”
Suddenly, Xiao Ce, who had been numb to his senses, heard the words exchanged between the boatman and Viper. The boatman began to falter, and as he fell into the river, every second of delay restored Xiao Ce’s mortal body.
The field of Higanbana flowers swayed again in the violent wind. Their bright red petals darkened to black as the river’s calm waters churned into a tempest. Viper, holding her glowing whip, called out to Xiao Ce, “Emperor of the South, listen! I cannot bear to let your hope die. I will temporarily extend your stay on earth, erasing your name from the Book of Death. Your life will be rewritten among the stars. Please send my goodbyes to Mimi Gongzhu! I finally understand her actions…”
Suddenly, the boatman touched Viper. In an instant, a tremendous dark force swallowed her, and her whip’s light slowly faded as her body sank into the river.
Peace and calm returned to the underworld. The forgotten river and the field of Higanbana flowers reverted to their pristine state. The boat returned to its point of origin, with the waters once again calm and crystal clear.
However, the boatman was gone, leaving Xiao Ce alone, still breathing in this surreal world. How many days or months had passed, no one could say—it no longer mattered.
Xiao Ce, dressed in his majestic imperial robes, found himself walking in the underworld. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of plum blossoms. His handsome face and defined eyebrows showed that he was an emperor who had trespassed the crossing between the forgotten river and the afterlife.
At the gate of the underworld, someone awaited him.
The underworld spy, dark and uninviting, stood waiting for him. From behind, he said, “A mortal man cannot stay here, but it seems you are a special case. The whip of the Viper has marked your back, placing you among what we call the untouchables.”
Xiao Ce, regaining his mortal senses and body movements, said proudly, “Of course I am. My blood bears the lineage of noble descendants.”
The underworld spy frowned and chuckled slightly. “In the end, you’re still the proud and lame human that Viper saved in exchange for her life. It’s useless to argue.”
Confused for a moment, Xiao Ce asked, “What did you say? Viper saved a lame human?” Waiting for an answer, Xiao Ce thought to himself, “Stupid spy, cursed underworld.”
The underworld spy, standing slightly apart from the foggy gates, was seven feet tall. He wore a dark hood, his eyes black as ink, and a scar marred his face. A giant sword rested on his back. “I know how foolish you think you are, and how damned you are in this place.”
He turned and looked down at Xiao Ce. “Beyond those gates lies the Moon Kingdom. Your destiny has been rewritten in the stars. Your second chance will begin the moment you enter those gates.”
Xiao Ce said nothing. He walked slowly, gracefully, through the gate of the Moon Kingdom. His confident, foxy eyes glanced back at the underworld spies, who nodded formally and then closed the gate behind him.
Just like Alice in Wonderland, Xiao Ce’s curiosity led him to walk a few more steps, only for the ground to surprise him. His body was swallowed by an ancient spiral tunnel that carried him downward until he reached the bottom, where the tunnel spat him out.
“Ouch, my back hurts!” Xiao Ce complained, feeling the pain from his fall. He found himself on a dry, parched ground but smiled when he noticed tiny, pretty purple flowers blooming in the cracks.
For a moment, he wondered where he was, and then he realized he was inside a dungeon.
“This smells good,” Xiao Ce said, feeling dizzy but basking in the ambiance. Helpless, the Liang emperor’s body spiraled to the ground.
A beautiful woman, her face hidden behind a white scarf, saw the unconscious emperor. She lifted him and carried him on her back.
Delicate hands placed a plum blossom-shaped ice piece into the incense burner. A flickering sound was heard, and the burner released aromatic smoke into the air, filling the room with a pleasant scent.
The handsome man lying in the bedchamber began to stir. Half-opening his eyes, Xiao Ce drifted back to sleep.
A beautiful woman asked, “Will he survive?”
“Skyshadow, why wouldn’t he? His life has been rewritten in the stars, at the cost of Viper’s life. He is meant to return to his kingdom and fulfill his duty to the empire,” replied Zao Baocung, finishing his healing chant. He formed a yin-yang symbol and released a mild scent into the thick smoke, directing it toward Xiao Ce’s nostrils.
Xiao Ce took a deep breath in his sleep.
He entered a dream and suddenly found himself back in time.
In the dream, he saw a simple peasant girl sitting at a table and chair in the middle of a green field.
Xiao Ce squinted his eyes in curiosity and said, “What is she doing in the middle of this field?” The green fields swayed in the wind, and the peasant girl noticed him.
Her expression was formal yet calm, like the sea, but she returned to her work.
Xiao Ce began to walk toward her, and as he drew near, he saw what she was doing. He said, “This is amazing. This is ancient imprinting. Are you giving this to someone?”
The peasant girl remained silent, continuing to carve white marble stones. They were neatly arranged as if she were creating an entire tablet. Xiao Ce studied her work closely and said, “That’s my symbol, and my name is on it. Am I in heaven? Are you sending me to heaven?”
The peasant girl did not respond, focusing solely on carving the stones.
When she finished the last stone, she blew the dust away. Xiao Ce, still marveling at her work, said, “Come with me and work as a scribe in my empire. I will reward you with silver and gold.”
“Please sit down,” the girl finally said to her royal guest. Xiao Ce, delighted by her words, sat in the chair.
“Your right and left hand, please,” she said, her voice formal yet calm.
Xiao Ce glanced at the carving tools on the table, feeling skeptical. “What are you going to do with my hands? I won’t give them unless you tell me.”
“I need the noble blood from your veins to seal this tablet,” she replied, holding a pricking needle.
“Why would I let you prick my finger?” Xiao Ce, now with a childish tone, refused to give his hands.
“Didn’t you ask for this? You’ve already crossed the river, which means you’re a dead man brought back to life,” the peasant girl said, her voice calm as the ocean.
“Wait… I remember everything. But what happens if I give you my hand?”
“It will turn back time. You’ll forget everything you saw at the forgotten river, and you’ll start a new life, following what is written in the stars.”
Xiao Ce seemed pleased by this. “Before I do, I have one question.”
“I can’t give you answers, but you can try,” the peasant girl replied.
Taking his chance, Xiao Ce asked, “Will Qiao Qiao be part of my new life?”
The peasant girl didn’t respond. There was a long silence. Finally, Xiao Ce broke it, saying, “The answer is no, right?”
“You’ve always known the answer. Why do you keep asking?”
Xiao Ce did not answer her question. Instead, he said, “Then I don’t want a new life. I’m fine with things as they are.”
“You cannot stay here. Your time is running out. If you don’t follow through, someone else will pay the price on the other side.”
Realizing that someone had already paid the price for him to be here, Xiao Ce said, “Then at least try to erase her from my heart.”
The peasant girl replied, “You will recognize her, but in your second life, you won’t feel the same as you did in your first life.”
Xiao Ce suddenly placed both hands on the table and said, “Kill me now, for the odds have never been in my favor.”
The peasant girl pricked Xiao Ce’s finger, holding his hand downward. A drop of blood ran from the wound and stained the white marble stone. The blood flowed across the carved ancient Chinese inscriptions, and when the last letter was covered, an unblinding light swept over them.
The table and chair disappeared, the peasant girl vanished, and Xiao Ce woke up in his royal bedchamber.
The Qinghai Queen threw down the paper snow sent by her spies and said, “Skyshadow was seen in daylight, a man was rescued after dark, and the bastard Healer is still alive! The Moon Kingdom has been breached. It is no longer under the curse’s dark spells. I will summon the realms!”
Filled with anger, her daring eyes ablaze, the Queen stormed toward her bedchamber. She pushed a secret door knob, entering a cave-like passage.
After walking through the long tunnel, she reached another door. She ignited the torches with a snap of her hands, and they lit instantly. The door opened, revealing a hunchbacked man waiting inside. “What can I do for you, my Queen?” he asked.
“Didn’t you see? The Moon Kingdom has been breached, and it seems this bastard Healer is behind it!” the Queen fumed. In her fury, she threw hot water from the wishing pond onto the hunchbacked man.
“Forgive me, my Queen,” the hunchback said as his skin burned. He rushed to a nearby waterfall and plunged his body into the cold water.
“I told you to destroy the Moon Kingdom by revealing its secrets to the Wei Empire and shutting it down. But it seems the celestial warfare orchestrated by the Yuwen household failed! You are a failure!”
“This is not my fault, my Queen! I am not responsible for this! It is the Jianghu spies! Please, give me another chance! Restore my armies, my original face, and body, and end this curse. I will ensure the Moon Kingdom is reduced to rubble and ashes this time,” pleaded the hunchbacked man.
“You claimed the leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree was dead, and the Twelve Hanshan Spies League had been scattered and crippled, unable to defy my orders. But what happened now? Have you forgotten the punishment you deserve?”
The Qinghai Queen’s shadow twisted into a monstrous form, resembling the ancient evil dragon with tails unfurling behind her.
“Do not devour your servant, my Queen! I will destroy the Moon Kingdom this time, and you shall have peace. Please, just one more chance!”
Hearing his desperate plea, the Queen’s shadow receded. She returned to her beautiful form, her face now calm. “Fine,” she said. “Gather the five realms and do not let the conqueror break the shackles I’ve worked so hard to maintain for decades. You must not let anyone win, or I will turn this empire into hell.”
The hunchbacked man fell at her feet and promised, “Trust your servant one last time. I will not let anyone triumph over my Queen.”
Faking her pity, the Queen knelt and cupped his disfigured face in her hands. “Poor Qinghai King,” she said. “I will not restore your face or body, and you will suffer until your Moon Kingdom is destroyed. You deceived me into believing it was ruined, but what is this?” The Queen held up a mooncake engraved with the Moon Kingdom’s symbol and sneered. “Your son is just like you, a failure. Your moon will fall, and as the sun devours the moon, there will be no more light in the dark. The land of Ximeng will be mine!”
Chapter 73
Bulletproof weapon
The sound of horse hooves was heard from a distance, and a woman, wearing a white hood and thick cape, swiftly brushed past the forest leaves as she rode at a fast pace.
In her thoughts:“I must kill her! I must find her and kill her!”
Along with the restoration of the fortune of the Eighth Princess Chun’er, the reappointment of Yuwen Huai to oversee the Judicial System of the Wei Empire was announced.
Upon the return of Prince Zaru, the Black Seal was finally deactivated. With the ongoing military chaos within Wei, the Emperor was devastated when he learned that two of his powerful royal sons had divided the empire’s military strength.
Looking into the lake mirror of Chisui, he said: “I have won several times but lost twice as much. Don’t you think?”
Tai Wei, the palace eunuch, sensing the Emperor’s heavy heart, said: “I am not in a position to offer any words of encouragement, but Your Majesty, you have done many good deeds to protect the people who tried but failed to ruin this empire.”
“I lost the Imperial Concubine Ning’er, but I fulfilled her last wish to forgive the prodigal daughter who tried to take my life. Deactivating the Blackguard’s seal and restoring the Eyes of God led to Yuwen Huai’s rise to power again,” the Emperor sighed and continued. “I was able to rescue Prince Zaru of Batuha, the only heir to their throne, but lost Prince Yuan Yang, my son from my youthful days. I was able to turn the Thirteenth Crown Prince’s mourning for Chu Qiao into the enthronement of Xiao Ba. Unfortunately, Yuan Song has been silently undermining his own throne. I failed to protect the youngest imperial concubine, Lan’er Shuyi, which led to her difficult path and the loss of baby Prince Hao’er. One night in my dreams, I saw her sitting on my bed, but like a nightmare, she disappeared from my chamber. I asked the guards, and they told me no one had come that night. Was it a ghost? The Qinghai princes were released as if nothing had happened. They enjoyed their fortunes on wine and women in Wei, without even knowing their brother almost died. I never saw him again, but after reading his letter, I recognized the strokes of the Chinese characters, reminding me of the late Yuwen heir.”
The Emperor ordered a summary of the Wei Empire’s history to be written. He said to Eunuch Tai Wei: “Let the scribes hold their ink on the final sentence…”
The Emperor looked upward and saw the heavy snow falling into the river, glistening.
As his eyes were drawn to the vast, snow-covered land, he suddenly remembered the late heir of the Eyes of God. Eunuch Tai Wei was somewhat surprised when he heard the Emperor say: “Like a son of my own, he could have been the next brother-in-law to the Crown Prince.”
Tai Wei hesitated, then asked: “Pardon me, Your Majesty, are you referring to the rebel son of Yanbei?”
The Emperor’s mood shifted upon hearing the question and snapped: “Are you listening or not?”
Tai Wei immediately kowtowed before the Emperor, saying: “Forgive me, Your Majesty, I was momentarily distracted. Please do not be angry with your servant.”
The Emperor’s anger softened as he replied: “A different fate may have unfolded had the maidservant not found herself in the noble Yuwen household. The same goes for if she had not crossed paths with Wei’s royal household.
But no matter where she goes, it seems that in the hearts of the people, whether royal or commoner, there is always a place for her.”
Still kowtowing, Tai Wei was confused. He wanted to ask again whether the Emperor was referring to Chu Qiao, rumored to be alive, or Xia Chong, the puppet Crown Princess of Wei who had died.
The Wei Emperor’s ministers, scholars, political allies, royal families, and Shrine elders had long been debating the rumors, leading to a temporary cold war among the aristocratic factions. Though the truth remained uncertain, they secretly hoped Chu Qiao was alive.
According to the rumors, Chu Qiao had survived and taken over the Phoenix Crown, becoming the Empress of the Liang Empire.
However, Yan Xun, knowing these rumors would reach the Wei Empire through illegal channels faster than a bullet train, forged a fake “snow-spy” letter and sent it to the Eyes of God.
In his cunning way, he spread conflicting news to confuse the Wei Empire and strike a blow at the royal family, claiming Chu Qiao had died and been buried in the Xiu Xiu mountains.
The rumor that the new Empress in Liang, who resembled the late Wei Crown Princess Chu Qiao, was fake news spread quickly.
After the “snow-spy” letter reached the Eyes of God and the Palace, the Thirteenth Prince, Yuan Song, began openly challenging his father’s stance on the matter.
He desired to visit Southern Liang, a decision strongly opposed by Minister Wei Guang, the Wei Valve elders, and other scholars. They gathered in the Shen Jin Palace to petition against the Crown Prince’s decision.
In the end, the majority ruled, and the people of the empire prevailed. A decree was issued, preventing the Crown Prince from leaving Wei’s borders.
Later, Yan Xun heard that Yuan Song had been detained in his palace.
The ex-Afterlife Camp spies, led by Meng Feng, kept their distance from the Crown Prince to avoid exposure as his secret allies when the royal guards sealed the entrances and exits to the Thirteenth Prince’s palace.
The Bathuja family found peace once more when Prince Zaru returned to their homeland in the cold Northland, with its ice and snow-capped mountains.
Before his departure, the Wei Emperor presented him with a reward for enduring many nights of pain and shame under Yanbei’s camp. The Emperor also held a send-off banquet in his honor.
Although Prince Zaru regained his position and entitlements, he was no longer the same. His entire being, tested and shaped in the fiery pit of darkness, had been irrevocably changed. He was somewhat enlightened, as his brutal heart had been softened by the shame he experienced, saved by the masked prince whom he never had the chance to meet.
Though his rescue was possible, the details were kept confidential by the palace.
Yet, a few officials, such as Wei Guang, knew how it had been planned and executed.
The Wei Emperor understood that using a weapon of mass destruction, the Black Seal, could bring about karma for the next four generations.
However, the Qinghai princes were like scapegoats for karma, a shield used to protect the present empire. The Emperor schemed, using blackmail to lure Ra Yue into his trap.
Ra Yue was correct—it was a trap, a competition. Yet, he seized the dark opportunity to find Chu Qiao. When Ra Yue heard that his brothers and Qinghai troops were marching eastward, he knew the Emperor had honored their one-time deal.
Ra Yue remained elusive, keeping his location hidden from his royal brothers.
He also didn’t reveal that another Qinghai force, led by Yue Qi, was stationed across the hinterlands, ready to defend or attack as needed.
Occasionally, Ra Yue sent spies to search for his brothers and letters to update them, but he never mentioned his grave condition. He also visited the Liang Empire to catch a glimpse of Chu Qiao.
When Ra Yue received his brothers’ letters in response, he wrote back, claiming he was enjoying his adventure in Yanbei’s cold northern grasslands and paddling through the Pengcheng waterways near Liang state.
In truth, he was keeping an eye on Chu Qiao while recovering from his severe wounds.
The result of his hardest battle with Yan Xun had been the exchange of whom? The lame and useless Prince Zaru.
Between the sun and the light snowfall, Yuwen Yue would often play a bamboo flute to a sad tune when he wanted to reflect on the death of Xia Chong or express his longing for his estranged wife, Chu Qiao.
It was the hardest period of his life, where he could do nothing but trust the winds of change to lead him back to his true destiny, with Chu Qiao in it.
After his last visit, Yuwen Yue knew that everything had been left to fate, and when he returned to attend Chu Qiao’s enthronement, he understood that it was over.
But whenever something ends, another beautiful opportunity often begins.
Will the lost be found? Will the tangled threads of fate be untangled on the path of destiny?
Only the will of man can decide, while on earth, as the heavens work with the grace of granting it once more.
A handsome man entered, his presence commanding. He wore a splendid golden Hanfu, with long kam sleeves that kissed the floor, and a heavy jade headdress pinned to his hair. In his right hand, he held the blind dragon scales.
He walked with grace and took his seat at the center of the massive round table. Placing his left hand on the heavy imperial seal engraved into the table, Yuwen Huai recalled his former glories and envisioned his future. He then placed the dragon scales in the center of the table.
The famous Justice’s Imperial Seat, appointed solely for him, was destined to govern forever as the sovereign of all in the land of Wei.
Twelve lower minister justices and hundreds of palace officials, led by their spokesperson Wei Guang, rose from their seats to welcome the honorable Lord of Justice, Yuwen Huai.
The Eyes of God had been rebuilt and restored, though its heir had not.
A large void was left in the Wei Empire. Many Yuwen relatives presented themselves as candidates for the next heir, but none passed the Emperor’s decrees. None of them displayed the exemplary character of the late Yuwen heir, nor could any guards demonstrate the skills required to run the empire’s intelligence center, where Yuwen Gao had become increasingly rigid in its ways.
The Eyes of God began to operate at half capacity, bringing only partial information to the Wei palace. Through the sweat and effort of the Thirteenth Crown Prince, the Eyes of God underwent a major overhaul.
Yuan Song summoned all the Mohist masters in the land of Wei. They came to rebuild its destroyed foundation and redeploy it, but no perfect leader was found to govern and maintain it.
For now, it remained the empire’s beacon of intelligence, and the Wei Emperor hoped that one day, the next Yuwen heir would rise to take charge.
Lan Shuyi arrived at the Qinghai palace.
She tapped her white horse’s flank, sending it galloping away until it disappeared from sight.
With swift movements, she changed back into her palace spy clothes, concealing her identity as the second prince Ra Zheng’s secret, invisible spy.
Looking back at her past, she remembered that she was the only sister of Chief Justice Yuwen Huai, born of a different mother. Her mother had been persecuted by the Yuwen relatives and beaten to death.
Unable to cope any longer, she decided to run away. Yuwen Huai’s guards were sent to search for her.
It wasn’t long before they found her at the Pengcheng docking harbor.
The ship’s long horn sounded as it began to leave the berth. Not far and—
Whoosh!
A whistling arrow was heard—neither far nor near—as Yuwen Yue released a Bingxue (snow or ice) arrow that struck Lan Shuyi in the back. She fell onto the ship’s deck, and the crowd began to panic.
At that moment, Yuwen Huai stood behind Yuwen Yue, watching as he took the shot. He smirked and said, “Well done, my brother. It will be a whitewashed story.”
If Yuwen Huai had known that Lan Shuyi would return to haunt him, and that Yuwen Yue had tricked him to free her from further assault, he might not have been so smug. Yuwen Yue deceived him into believing that she was dead. Coldly, Yuwen Yue said, “Why are you so worried?”
Yuwen Huai looked directly at Yuwen Yue and replied, “Worried? No. Let’s go.” Both Yuwen cousins spurred their horses and rode back to the Wei Empire.
The people gathered around the girl’s body lying on the deck while others panicked. Suddenly, a beautiful woman in a white hood and a thick fur cape approached. The crowd parted slightly to make way for her. Lou He immediately saw Lan Shuyi’s frail form.
Lou He, feeling pity, examined the young woman’s innocent face and checked her pulse. After a moment, Lou He said, “Whoever did this has a long story to tell.”
Xia Chong, Viper, and Trailkoya were with Lou He at the time, and she ordered them to take Lan Shuyi to the cabin. The ship sailed from Liang’s Pengcheng harbor toward Qinghai, entering the city port of Luoyang.
The journey would take seven days by sea. Lou He knew that Lan Shuyi was no ordinary person and had no intention of saving this unfortunate Yuwen sister.
In the end, Lou He decided to treat her, perhaps planning to leave her behind when they docked in Luoyang.
However, Lou He’s plans were disrupted by the sharp spy network of Zhan Ziyu. The night before they were due to disembark, the afterlife campers attacked their cabin.
Zhan Ziyu brandished a knife, but Lou He, acting on instinct, controlled the wind, causing all their swords to fall to the ground.
“Impressive!” Zhan Ziyu remarked. But before he could react, Lou He swiftly broke the lamp in the cabin, covered her face with her scarf, and opened a small bottle. The air filled with a potent scent, and everyone, including Zhan Ziyu, collapsed to the floor. Lou He quickly took Lan Shuyi and fled.
As they distanced themselves, Lou He glanced back through the cabin window, catching a glimpse of Zhan Ziyu regaining his balance. He looked furious, banging his fists against the window.
Mocking him, Lou He shouted, “There’s always next time!”
She mounted her white horse, taking Lan Shuyi and the other underworld spies with her. Just as Dong Fangyi had a mysterious personality, so did Lan Shuyi’s identity.
It was almost by accident that she became the maidservant of the Leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree.
Lan Shuyi spent time with Lou He, training in spy skills, though she was never able to complete her Gongfu training, leaving her vulnerable to attacks. Despite becoming a leader among the maidservants, Lan Shuyi remained in the Moon Kingdom and occasionally traveled with Lou He.
She knew Chu Qiao better than anyone and became Lou He’s second eyes, tasked with watching over the Chu Jing Princess.
After Lou He was murdered, Lan Shuyi became a stray spy, looking after the innocent Chu Qiao.
Trapped near the Wei borders, Lan Shuyi was forced to reveal herself to protect Chu Qiao from their pursuers.
Yuwen Huai’s guards, thinking she was a beautiful maiden lost in the forest, began harassing her. They grabbed the frightened woman and took her to their young master, Yuwen Huai.
Upon returning to her household, Lan Shuyi could not escape Yuwen Huai’s fabricated stories about her missing years. He sneered, “Lan Shuyi, I never thought you would grow up so well. Just look at you.”
Yuwen Huai smirked as Lan Shuyi, terrified by her brother’s voice, curled into a childlike pose.
Laughing at her tearful eyes, Yuwen Huai said, “Come here, little sister, I have a surprise for you.”
He took out a torture whip and asked, “How did you escape? Why would Yuwen Yue keep you alive? I saw it with my own eyes. You’re supposed to be dead!”
Lan Shuyi, trembling in horror, pleaded, “Tell me what you want, and I’ll do it for you!”
Yuwen Huai, with an evil grin, said, “Will you really do anything I ask?”
Lan Shuyi, using her spy skills to deceive him, replied, “Just tell me, and it will be done.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, too bad I don’t have anything in mind right now—except to send you to the lovely pavilion,” Yuwen Huai laughed darkly.
Lan Shuyi, desperate and afraid, cried, “There must be something I can help you with! Just tell me, and I’ll fulfill your wishes. Please, let me out of here!”
Yuwen Huai, with dreamy eyes, thought for a moment, looking up at the ceiling covered in iron thorns. He approached Lan Shuyi and whispered in a husky voice, “Become a spy for me!”
Lan Shuyi, shocked, asked, “What? A spy? For what? For whom?”
Yuwen Huai, clearly enjoying the thought, replied, “Sister, you are pretty and young. You are not just an ordinary woman; you are a Yuwen bastard, just like me. You have potential. If you become a spy, your true value will emerge.” Grinning evilly, he continued, “Can you handle it?”
Lan Shuyi asked again, “For what? For whom?”
“Seduce the Emperor and become his concubine!”
Lan Shuyi, horrified, grabbed a small dagger and said, “Brother, just kill me now. I don’t want to be a concubine!”
Yuwen Huai, undaunted, replied, “No, you will become Wei’s concubine, or I will find the child you hid in the bush a day ago and feed her to the Jile Pavilion.”
Hearing the threat, Lan Shuyi immediately agreed to work for Yuwen Huai.
Yuwen Huai wasted no time and wrote a letter to the Shen Jin Gong that night, sending it with a messenger the next morning.
When the palace eunuch read the letter, it arrived just in time—they were looking for a servant maid to serve the Emperor.
Lan Shuyi entered the Emperor’s court for the first time. After a night in the Emperor’s bedchamber, she was promoted to Imperial Concubine. A few years later, while still living in the palace, she met Chu Qiao again.
Lan Shuyi had prayed to the gods that Lou He would grant her wish to see Chu Qiao again, and it came true. Chu Qiao had grown into a beautiful woman. The rest of the story goes that Lan Shuyi bore a baby prince named Hao’er, but he was later killed by Yuwen Huai, who locked the child in a treasure chest.
The baby prince was officially pronounced dead, but Yuwen Huai had planned it all. When he saw the child’s eyes, he remembered Chun’er and hesitated to kill him. Due to his special feelings for Princess Chun’er, Yuwen Huai decided to keep the baby prince alive and sent him to the secret Yuwen mansion in the far northwestern mountains.
The Yuwen guards took a long journey to the northwest mountains and hid Lan Shuyi’s child far away from the royal empire.
While Lan Shuyi remained in the Wei palace, Yuwen Huai used her as a strategic spy within the royal family. Huai had personal interests in Princess Chun’er and harbored hopes of influencing events to marry her, though he knew the Emperor’s blessing was unlikely.
Still, Yuwen Huai vowed to grasp even the smallest chance to achieve his ambition, swearing to move heaven and earth if necessary.
Meanwhile, Lan Shuyi, grieving over the loss of her child, smashed all her idols and threw her offerings of the dead outside her palace. The maidservants, witnessing her rage, cried and trembled in fear but did nothing to intervene.
Lan Shuyi, filled with anger and sorrow, cursed Lou He and vowed to kill Chu Qiao, the Chu Jing Princess. Rumors spread among the other concubines that Lan Shuyi had gone mad after her child’s death, though they were untrue.
Yuwen Huai knew this torment would drive his sister to madness, and he intended it to teach her a lesson. He resented her for snubbing him and abusing her power to take revenge on him.
Months passed, and Lan Shuyi’s behavior worsened. Her unstable emotions led her to order the emasculation of her male guards. Still unable to cope with the loss of her child, she asked the Emperor to use his power to find her son, though she withheld the fact that Yuwen Huai had taken the child.
After months of searching, Lan Shuyi gave up hope that her child was alive. She fled Wei, leaving behind only a letter for the Emperor.
Upon reading the letter, the Emperor reflected on it. He had lost yet another pawn in his empire.
Meanwhile, Yuwen Huai had changed significantly after years away from the Wei Imperial Justice seat.
Things had changed, and the present circumstances did not afford Yuwen Huai a comfortable position.
Instead, Yuwen Huai faced insurmountable problems: unrest in the military, a cold war among Wei’s royal clans, and an enemy that had likely grown to include their own Prince Yuan Yang, who had allied with his most hated rival, Yan Xun.
As the thought of Yan Xun crossed his mind, Yuwen Huai clenched his fist. “My first justice will be to bring Yan Xun’s head to this table,” he declared. The Wei ministers considered this an ambitious goal, but a cold, calm voice replied, “Glad to hear that, Your Honor,” Wei Guang said.
“I will seek justice for those who were killed in the bloodiest battles, for the aristocratic societies of this empire who suffered. They will be avenged, and the perpetrator will be killed!”
“Your Honor, what about Prince Yuan Yang? What do you plan to do?” Wei Guang asked, tapping his fingers on the table.
“Either we burn or cross the bridge,” Yuwen Huai replied. Demonstrating his deep knowledge of Wei’s constitutional laws and the rules of the empire, he added, “Treason is the highest crime in the land, punishable by death. But as we all know, just like the Mulan title of the late Chu Qiao, amnesty can be granted by the seal of the Wei Emperor, his father.”
Wei Guang, the first to offer a positive note, said, “You haven’t rusted during all those years of hibernation. You’re sharper than before. Shall we raise a toast to the return of the Great Yuwen Huai?”
Jade goblets clinked in the air, and Wei Guang ended the court session by hosting a grand banquet. The palace ministers ate, drank, and enjoyed the night with spirited wines, dancers, and musical performances.
“Whoever sows the wind will reap a storm.”
Without turning, Prince Ra Zheng continued writing at his royal table, his calm eyes focused on his Chinese calligraphy while waiting for the secret spy to report.
“Your Highness, I have been unable to locate the seventh Prince, Ra Yue, or his troops. Meanwhile, Liang’s Emperor Xiao Ce has returned to his empire safe and alive. According to Jianghu spies, Skyshadow played a key role, with great assistance from the Healer of the Moon Kingdom, who was seen using healing powers to overcome the forces of darkness and revive the Liang Emperor.”
Ra Zheng stopped writing and turned to see Lan Shuyi, who was in a kowtow position. He said, “You arrived after everything has already happened. You withheld information and failed to report on time. Where is the useful information now?”
“Forgive me, Your Highness! I had to secure myself and hide from the sharp eyes of the Blackguard spying near Yanbei, Wei, and Liang borders!” Lan Shuyi pleaded.
Ra Zheng suddenly leaped up, took a sword from its holder, and unsheathed it, calm as ever. He held the blade in front of Lan Shuyi and said in a slow, husky voice, “As a former maidservant to Lou He, a second set of eyes watching over the Chu Jing princess, an imperial concubine of the Wei Emperor, a mother who lost her child—shall I continue?”
Lan Shuyi, hearing the cold words from the Qinghai Prince, became emotional and replied, “Your Highness, I can never repay what you have done for me. You captured me and brought me to where I am today. Without your greatness, I would not be in this position. I have tracked and spied on the Jianghu spies and identified their leader, Sand Drizzle Master, now renamed Dong Fangyi, who has become Yanbei’s military counselor. The former Chu Jing General, now known as Wu Dao Ya, leads the Datong Way, a secret trading network in Yanbei that brings wealth to the rising empire—an empire my former master, Lou He, died protecting. Wu Dao Ya’s counterpart, the Chu Jing Kingdom’s remnant warrior Viper, now named Zhong Yu, is the right hand of the King of Yanbei. I can also confirm that Viper has found the Chu Jing Princess, though I still don’t know what she looks like. Liang’s high-ranking spy leader Xiao Yu has become the Queen of Yanbei, and Tao Ye, one of their top Skyshadow spies, has not been recovered from Wei, where she was captured by the late Yuwen Heir. Rumor has it that while Tao Ye remains missing, Xiao Yu has recruited one of the Jing family sisters, Xiao Qi. It’s unclear what their intentions are, but it’s certainly part of a larger plot. The afterlife camp spies, led by Zhan Ziyu, continue their mission to eliminate all remaining underworld spies. Meanwhile, the Eyes of God has hibernated since the Yuwen Heir’s death. The Blackguard spymaster, Princess Zama, unleashed the Black Seal, a weapon like an explosive bomb, on Yanbei, which lost half of its grassroots cities, except for those defended by Viper and Wu Dao Ya. Witnesses say that Viper and Wu Dao Ya fought fiercely, alongside Dong Fangyi, who joined forces with the Blackguard spies and Princess Zama.”
Ra Zheng’s cold eyes softened as he lowered his sword. “Very well. Your reward…” He paused for a long while before continuing, “I know your son is alive.”
Instead of surprising the Prince with her report, Lan Shuyi was the one surprised. Hearing Ra Zheng’s words, her eyes welled up with tears. She wanted to ask more but held her tongue.
Ra Zheng approached her, still gazing at the beautiful spy in her kowtow position. He slowly bent down, gently held her chin, and said, “I know you’ve lost hope. But during my extended stay in the Wei Empire, I discovered many secrets about the baby prince, Hao’er. Indeed, the Yuwen household is full of secrets and tricks. They even deceived the Emperor, hiding his lost child somewhere in the far mountains. But they cannot outsmart Qinghai’s second prince, who knows more about their secrets than they do.”
He added, “Lastly, don’t ask how it was done. You won’t be able to repay me, even if you offer your life in exchange.”
Today, Lan Shuyi felt a mix of joy and fury. She longed to kill Yuwen Huai for deceiving her and plotting to kill the only Chu Jing Princess, the daughter of her former savior, Lou He.
After fleeing the Wei Empire and abandoning her duties to the Emperor, Lan Shuyi’s life had taken a dark turn. She decided to align herself with Qinghai’s second prince and his secret spy network.
It was a do-or-die alliance. Once the tattoo was inked on her back, it became a bond—there was no turning back. Lan Shuyi had earned her place in the prince’s circle by proving her worth, displaying the underworld spy skills taught by her former master, Lou He.
An advantage that none of Qinghai’s other secret spies possessed.
Chapter 74
Inside war
Before the arrival of Lou He, the Ximeng Continent league of spies lived in relative peace until she disrupted the quiet and cold underworld of Jianghu spies. Three groups of spies belonged to the Wei Empire: the Eyes of God, led by Mohist masters Yuwen Gao, Yuwen Hao, and Yuwen Yue; the Jile Pavilion spies, led by Yuwen Xi; and the Blackguard, commanded by Princess Zama of the Batuha family.
Two groups belonged to the Liang Empire: the Skyshadow spies, led by high-ranking officials Xiao Yu and Zhan Ziyu; and the Afterlife Camp spies, an order of assassins for hire, created by Daoist masters.
The remaining spies served the Qinghai Empire: the Secret Invisible spies, led by Second Prince Ra Zheng, and the Queen Gorge spies, known for their savage nature and ability to devour humans, both alive and dead.
Lou He’s underworld spies and Jianghu spies of rivers and lakes, were independent agents who ruled over the five realms. They were the guardians of the Underworld and the most powerful and influential spies in all of Ximeng continent.
Deceived by the Queen of Qinghai, Lou He, the Queen of the Moon Kingdom, was sent to gather the Jianghu spies to watch over Yanbei. When she returned to her homeland, she was met with devastation. She found countless underworld spies dead, and everything in ruin except for the gate to the Underworld—a portal only the leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree had the power to control.
The survivors of the massacre retreated to the Thousand Caves, led by General Wu Dao Ya, healer Zao Baocung, Sand Drizzle Master Dong Fangyi, and Zhong Yu. They escaped death during the Celestial warfare led by Yuwen Hao.
When Lou He returned to the Moon Kingdom, she wept bitterly and tore her clothes upon finding the body of King Chu Teng Gao, murdered in the palace alongside the royal family in a gruesome bloodbath. Among the survivors were her only child, little Chu Qiao, and two others, Little Viper and Trailkoya.
After the war, Lou He abdicated her royal position as Queen of the Moon Kingdom. However, she vowed to return to her former life and resumed her role as the leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree. She did not settle in any one place for long.
From Woolong Mountains to Longji Mountains, Lou He left no trace of her movements and never returned to the Moon Kingdom. She remained a fierce opponent of the Wei Empire and continued to be the archenemy of the Eyes of God. She also influenced the rulers of Yanbei, King Yan Schicheng and Queen Bai Schicheng, who were Wei’s closest kin in the cold North.
In secret, Lou He and Wu Dao Ya provided the Yan rulers with protection and critical intelligence, helping them grow into powerful leaders of Yanbei.
The Wei Emperor eventually awarded Yan Schicheng the prestigious title of Duke of Yanbei, a tributary state in the North tasked with defending the border against the Gurus people. This title was significant because a tributary state was not meant to wield royal authority but to remain loyal to the Wei Emperor.
Historically, Yan Schicheng and the Wei Emperor, Shen Jin Gong, shared a strong bond. Both men descended from nomadic ancestors and had a close childhood, cementing their connection when Yan Schicheng saved the life of the Wei Yuan Crown Prince, who later became the current Wei Emperor.
However, the Shen Jin Emperor struggled to balance the favoritism shown to the Yan family. Other protectorates and vassal states, like the Batuha family, grew resentful of Yanbei’s elevated status, leading to political and social tensions.
To quell this unrest, the Wei Emperor issued a decree demanding that all tributary states voluntarily submit their crown princes as a symbol of loyalty. Yan Schicheng was the first to comply, offering his son, Crown Prince Yan Xun, as a show of allegiance. Other states followed suit.
While this decree provided temporary stability, it failed to eliminate the underlying resentment. Ultimately, Shen Jin Gong ordered the execution of the entire Yan household, ending their dynasty in bloodshed.
All of this unfolded because the Wei Emperor harbored misconceptions and grew resentful of Yan Schicheng’s rising hero image as the Duke of Yanbei. Yan Schicheng’s growing popularity and his kingship over Yanbei stirred jealousy, which was further exacerbated by the Batuha family, who exploited the situation. They fueled the Emperor’s doubts, ultimately leading to the downfall of Yanbei and preventing them from becoming strong rulers of the North.
Lou He remembered those days vividly, as if they had just happened. She fought one of the fiercest battles of her life against the hostile Mongol gulf—the Gurus people. As the Gurus grew in power and sought to expand their territory, they attempted to invade the land of Ximeng under the guise of their “monkish” war. This war was waged by fake monks who infiltrated Ximeng continent, intending to convert the land and its people to their beliefs and reshape their way of life. The nomadic tribes, led by Yan Schicheng and his Yan armies, along with Military General Dong Fangyi and the spymaster Lou He, fiercely opposed the Gurus, brutally eliminating the monasteries that were rapidly spreading in the upper plains of the snow-capped mountains of Yanbei.
Amid the beauty of spring waters and the scent of cherry blossom trees across the mountains, a spectacular monastery stood tall, hidden by thick vines and magical plants. Its secret stairs, enveloped by the lush forest, made it nearly impossible to breach.
Lou He’s horse suddenly became uneasy. She tapped its ears gently to calm it, sensing something was off about the ground beneath them.
“Master, this place is tranquil and nearly impossible to climb to reach the top of the monastery. Are you sure you don’t want me to call for help?” Lan Shuyi asked.
“If I needed help, I would have asked you to do so,” Lou He replied, her long white hood covering her head. She dismounted gracefully, looking like a white fairy as she gently tapped her horse’s ears again. The horse stepped back, obedient to its master’s secret code, standing by her side.
Lan Shuyi, about to say more, stopped in surprise as Lou He closed her eyes and placed her palms downward on the thorny plants in front of them. As her hands touched the plants, their leaves began to shrink rapidly. She observed this strange reaction closely as the plant replicated this behavior with its nearby counterparts before finally stopping.
Lou He studied the plants, wondering if they would return to their original state if left undisturbed. They didn’t. The plants remained shriveled, not blooming again. Fascinated by these magical Mimosa leaves, Lan Shuyi dismounted, tempted to touch one of the plants. But Lou He immediately warned, “Don’t touch anything unless I tell you.”
“What do you think of this plant, Master?” Lan Shuyi asked, seemingly ignoring her master’s warning. As she bent down to smell the soft pink flower, the scarf on her face fell.
Lou He, with her sharp hearing, detected a faint rushing sound. The Mimosa leaves recoiled once more, responding to the accidental movement of Lan Shuyi. Like a chain reaction, the entire field of Mimosa plants shrank, revealing a dangerous path of thorn-like stairs on the mountainside.
A rocky climb would have been easier than navigating these thorny stairs, which, despite their soft pink flowers, were treacherous. The stairs seemed to invite one to step on them, but they were nature’s deadly trap.
Neither Lou He nor her servant knew if the thorns were poisonous, but they knew they could not risk it. Calm despite the danger, Lou He understood that the plants might have triggered an alarm in the monastery. She mounted her horse again, and Lan Shuyi followed suit. Lou He realized now why Dong Fangyi had used a secret hum to signal his location—coordinates she was tracking.
Her instincts were right. The Gurus had noticed the disturbance below and felt the chain reaction in the Mimosa field revealing the path to their monastery.
A chanting monk began to hum, causing the lush Mimosa plants to bloom once more. Lou He quickly grasped that the plant’s shrinking and blooming behavior concealed the deadly staircase beneath them. Though the field now looked serene and undisturbed, she sensed a lurking danger.
The Mimosa plants reminded her of silent killers—deceptively fragile, yet deadly. Even in their shy, recoiling state, they were the perfect cover for the dangers that lay hidden.
Closing her eyes, Lou He sharpened her senses. She felt the presence of dark magic hovering over the field. “Lan Shuyi, go and call for Xia Chong’s help,” she ordered.
“What about you, Master?” Lan Shuyi asked anxiously, but Lou He remained silent. Without another word, Lan Shuyi rode off, leaving Lou He behind.
“Are you sure this time the leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree will be captured?” Princess Zama asked Dong Fangyi, her voice dripping with doubt.
“I don’t deserve such doubt,” Dong Fangyi replied sharply.
Meanwhile, Lou He channeled her powers, bypassing the thorny staircase and deceiving greenfield. She transformed into a simple white ninja, her face covered, and took secret paths up the mountain. As she approached the top, she saw the monastery.
Though it resembled ancient Chinese temples, the inscriptions seemed unfamiliar and out of place for a true Chinese Buddhist temple. Lou He proceeded with great caution and whispered, “Sand Drizzle Master, I am here.”
She felt a soft wind blow over her face, more of a warning than a threat, but her curiosity pushed her forward. The monastery was eerily empty, save for a single floating candle in the center of the room. Lou He couldn’t shake the strange feeling as she moved closer to the candle.
Suddenly, she stepped on an ordinary stone, and a loud bang echoed through the temple.
It was a trap!
There were no Gurus, and no Dong Fangyi to save her.
Lou He was swallowed by the underground tunnel, unable to react to the swift chain of events before she reached the bottom. The air in the tunnel was unexpectedly fragrant, but her senses quickly shut down, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Princess Zama received a snow paper message and said, “Gather the Blackguard spies and hand her over to the Eyes of God. A catch like this is grand, but we don’t know if her powers will help her escape the torture chambers of the garrison.”
Dong Fangyi approached Princess Zama and said, “Now that the deal is done, can I claim my reward?”
Princess Zama replied, “Here you go. The secret of the Black Seal remains hidden, but you now possess the information on how the Blackguard spies operate and how to neutralize the Eyes of God. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Dong Fangyi couldn’t hide a slight smile at the corner of his lips but maintained a poker face, saying, “You are a secret traitor to your kingdom.”
Princess Zama responded, “With a prize like this, do I look like a traitor or more like a hero? It seems you’re speaking more about yourself than me. Handing over your underworld leader is an irreversible act.”
Dong Fangyi retorted, “Oops, I didn’t hand her over. She came to the monastery and was trapped.”
Princess Zama replied, “Whatever the story, it doesn’t change the fact that you betrayed your own leader. So, who’s the real traitor here?”
Dong Fangyi laughed and said, “Why pass judgment today and focus on the crimes of this act? Do we want to kill each other now?”
Princess Zama answered, “You’re right and wrong. Right, because we’re just exchanging goods for results. Wrong, because I’ll reserve the time to kill you—but not today.”
Dong Fangyi smirked and said, “You can’t kill an underworld spy.”
Princess Zama looked at him and said, “Why not? They’re still human, after all.”
Dong Fangyi, with a sarcastic grin, replied, “You truly don’t understand. A human is all flesh, but an underworld spy… well, they’re more than just human, though they can still die.”
Princess Zama, dismissing the conversation, said, “In this world, once a human dies, it all ends. That’s a fact.”
Dong Fangyi countered, “But in our world, even if an underworld spy dies, it’s only the beginning of the end of something greater.”
Just then, Shi Da interrupted and said, “Master, we have captured the leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree. What shall we do before she wakes?”
Princess Zama, glancing at Lou He’s covered face, instructed, “Bring the Black Seal shackles and bind her head to foot. Deliver her to the Eyes of God, and they will turn her over to the Emperor’s torture chambers.”
Shi Da nodded and immediately carried out the orders.
Meanwhile, Zhan Ziyu’s Afterlife Camp spies trailed the Blackguard and followed them to Wei. The Eyes of God confirmed Lou He’s identity and sent a report to the Wei Emperor, awaiting the final verdict on her execution.
Lou He was soon turned over to the Wei Imperial Garrison courtyard, where shadows lurked, secretly following her to the torture chambers.
Not long after, Lou He awoke to find herself suspended in midair, her body bound in Black Seal shackles enchanted with dark spells. She was inside a foul-smelling prison cell, reeking of oil and grease. She tried to summon her powers but couldn’t. Her pulse was bleeding, leading to blood loss, which weakened her and disrupted her Chi flow.
One of the unspoken rules of the underworld spies was that it was forbidden to spill their own blood.
By morning, the Emperor passed a decree declaring that Lou He would be executed. She was branded a rebel to the throne and a traitor to the people of Wei. The bounty on her head was immeasurable, prompting the tightening of prison security to prevent any chance of escape.
The Jing family received news of the execution and informed Chu Qiao. Living with her uncle, Chu Qiao decided to rescue her mother using her Gongfu skills. She planned a secret nighttime assault on the Wei garrison courtyard, swiftly breaking the necks of the Imperial guards.
However, when Chu Qiao reached the torture chamber, she called out, “Mother?” Dressed in black, her face concealed by a mask, she found not her mother but a decoy—Xia Chong.
Xia Chong, dressed in white and suspended by chains at the corners of the prison walls, spat a deadly needle at Chu Qiao and shouted, “Go find her in hell!” Acting as if possessed, Xia Chong drove Chu Qiao away. Unhurried, Chu Qiao left the garrison yard.
Suddenly, a woman in a black hood emerged from the garrison yard. She killed many Imperial guards before finally encountering a faceless enemy, dressed in all black, accompanied by a squad of unnamed spies prepared to attack.
Chu Qiao is bold, took a simple sword and fought her way through, killing everyone in her path before confronting the hooded leader.
As the leader raised his hand, Chu Qiao noticed a jade ring on his thumb. He manipulated the elements around him, using his inner Qi to counter her attacks, while his squad watched as he prepared to end her life.
The leader, recognizing her, said, “You are the daughter of Lou He.”
Panting but determined, Chu Qiao demanded, “What did you do to my mother?”
With a cold smile, the leader replied, “Do you want to see her? Pity. She’s in hell now.”
Filled with rage, Chu Qiao shouted, “You killed her!”
The leader continued to mock her. “Such incredible Gongfu and skill she had, but she foolishly believed she could free the slaves and stop the war. That was nothing more than a daydream. If I said she was killed by you, do you think people would believe it?”
Chu Qiao, furious, screamed, “Then I’ll kill you today!”
The leader smirked and said, “You won’t be able to escape today!”
Under the bright moonlight and mist-covered ground, the leader soared as high as he could. Above, Chu Qiao closed her eyes, gathered her inner strength, and summoned the winds around her, forming her kungfu of ice powers.
The ground released its moisture, transforming into morning dew, and even the bloody droplets turned into bloody dew. The air grew cold and still, and from the compass of her hands, she created sharp needles of ice.
Confused, the enemy couldn’t tell where the ice needles were coming from. They flew from all directions, targeting his body from every angle.
This was the “rain of ice needles,” and the leader, too late to evade, felt the sting of frost pierce his toes and legs. The other assassins were wounded, and the leader, now in a bloody state, stood in shock at the power of her ice kungfu.
Suddenly, many Wei Imperial guards rallied outside the garrison to attack, but another mysterious woman, standing nearby, stepped in to help Chu Qiao.
On the battlefield, Chu Qiao stood like a madwoman, struggling to control her powers. Just then, Viper lashed her whip around Chu Qiao’s waist, pulling her away from the fight. The faceless leader, retreating with the help of his assassins, shouted, “Capture Chu Qiao!”
If not for Viper’s timely intervention, Chu Qiao might have unleashed her dark powers, killing everyone on the battlefield. The timing was perfect, but despite surviving the battle, Chu Qiao didn’t find her mother alive.
Believing Lou He to be dead, Chu Qiao was left as the heir to the Wind and Cloud Decree. This was Viper and Chu Qiao’s first encounter since their separation in the Chu Jing Kingdom when they were children. From that day on, Viper became Chu Qiao’s secret protector and spy.
Lou He’s body was never found, leaving her fate a mystery.
It can be concluded that the leader who attacked Chu Qiao that night was none other than the Daoist Grand Master of the Afterlife Camp spies, Zhan Ziyu. This was revealed when the faceless enemy exposed an inch of his skin, showing his thumb adorned with a jade ring. In the secret circle of the 12 Hanshan Spy Network, Zhan Ziyu was identified by such a ring.
That day, Chu Qiao swore to find him and avenge her mother’s death. Yet, no one could confirm whether it was truly Zhan Ziyu who assassinated Lou He or if the culprit was Sand Drizzle Master Dong Fangyi.
After Lou He’s disappearance, the underworld spies dispersed and became stray agents.
However, Viper and Trailkoya soon reunited to prevent Chu Qiao from losing control of her powers in future ambushes. From then on, they worked together, gathering the non-governmental spies who had gone into hiding, living humble lives under the guise of ordinary humans.
Some spies retreated into a simple life: Zao Baocung, a renowned healer from Chu Jing Kingdom and lover of hamsters, became a merchant of ancient relics.
Lan Shuyi returned to the Yuwen household and faced great difficulties. She became the Emperor’s consort, only to escape the Wei palace and later join Ra Zheng’s secret spy alliance, becoming a true spy.
Zhong Yu adopted the face of Yanbei’s General and occasionally used her Chuyi Jian Martial Arts, wielding the powers of wind and feather.
Meanwhile, Wu Dao Yao changed his tactics, transitioning from a military leader to a trade mastermind. He now operated as the CEO of what became known as the Datong Way.
Chapter 75
Seven Seas
The branches of the willow tree on top of the cliff swayed in the trade winds.
From its branches, adorned with red ribbons, Yuwen Yue finally tied the knot in one of the highest branches.
The master of Kungfu of Ice warned him: “Remember one wish… The higher you place it in this tree, the greater its chance to come true.
In this realm, there are no second chances.”
Yuwen Yue uttered a name: Xinger . . .
So be it.
Flashing in his memory, the master of Kungfu of Ice warned: “If you are not strong in your heart and wise in your mind, you still have a chance not to walk these paths.
But if you are ready, you must protect yourself first before you can protect others, your kingdom, and your coming generations.”
Yuwen Yue never displayed hesitation and did not waver in his will.
Yuwen Yue, learning all he could from his cognizant masters, once again reflected on his divine training. He possessed powers beyond what he had ever imagined by unlocking the Poe Yue Jian sword.
It can shed light in dark places. It can transform and deliver a dark entity and break its curse. It relies mostly on the strength of his heart and the belief in his mind to restore the former state of its subjects.
His martial arts were forged in the fiery pit of trials and purified through his will.
The cold wind blew on his face, signaling that it was time. Time to leave his battle zone, which had become his comfort zone, and start redeeming the meandering paths.
With his white Hanfu, his bow and arrow on his back, and a familiar sword on his waist, he looked divine—like a god ready to bless or curse. Although days or weeks had passed, his garments had never worn out.
Yuwen Yue thought: “This is truly a magical realm where humans are incorruptible, and everything is the opposite of the human world.”
There were countless nights of walking in total darkness. He was not blind, but he became blind. He was oppressed by several strong forces he had never encountered before, but he used his human mind and combined his spirit to conquer them all.
Relying on the human mind alone, one cannot comprehend these extraordinary abilities he acquired. He concluded: “These realms are not for the faint of heart.”
Reserved for testing the divine material of his existence, Yuwen Yue had to pass through them all.
Among all these perilous journeys was another young man who taught him perhaps the hardest lesson to learn.
Staying strong amidst the abyss of darkness, the deathly hallows of bloody messes, the beastly creatures not of this world, and the spiritual realm that controls and rules the mind of the gods—it was an entirely new world.
“Yuwen Yue… drink…”
A deep voice, like something from hell, suddenly awakened his tired eyes.
A young man, covered in a black hood, did not reveal an inch of his face. He sat leaning against his back. Not facing each other, Yuwen Yue looked in the opposite direction, and they talked in the wind.
It was awkward in manner.
In this wooden prison, where Yuwen Yue was held captive, the young man handed him a pouch containing an elixir.
Facing the endless horizon, Yuwen Yue, suspended in a wooden cage at the mountain cliff, let the wind pass between them and took the pouch.
Yuwen Yue looked into the far distance, his gaze cold and gloomy like a sheep’s eye. He asked, “Must you do this?”
The young man, his voice deep like something from hell, whispered: “I must know the mind of the gods and what fate lies for me. Remember, it is not yours to unlock but mine to understand.”
Yuwen Yue squinted. His cold heart already knew what the young man meant.
A lone underworld assassin, the young man would have to face a one-on-one fight. There could be no doubt of his courage, passion, and loyalty—things he would die for.
The young man knew his fate, and through this faith, he swore allegiance to become either a friend or a foe. Yuwen Yue did not speak and sat in silence, not yet ready or comfortable enough to open the windows of wisdom after tonight.
Day turned into darkness, and so the entire Ximeng continent was swallowed by the night.
From above, dark hawks circled, painting a ring of embers in the skies, issuing a threat to the air.
The howling fox cried out in bitter anguish from the darkness, spreading fear, and dreadful darkness crept across the ground.
If you come closer to the middle, you would see a body of lava and fire. Like a catch basin of seven seas, this is where the endless firefalls lie.
Seven druid priests from the cliff of the mountain began to walk towards the seven pontoon bridges.
Arranged in a circular pattern, all seven bridges connected to the firefalls. The rustic, mossy, wooden bridges led the seven druid priests to the edge, where the firefalls cascaded.
The sound of the firefalls was magnificent, like an earthquake shaking the earth and making the mountains tremble. Suddenly, all seven druid priests removed their hoods, revealing their godly faces.
With long, white, straight hair, white eyebrows, and shining faces, the priests stood in silence. The only priest who opened his eyes appeared aware, as though awakened from a long sleep. His calm blue eyes were like a clear lake under a blue sky.
With a gentle motion of his hand, an invisible rod and staff materialized in his grasp. This druid priest tapped the pontoon bridge where he stood and said, “It has been a long time since these realms were put to challenge. Your worth will be tested in the furnace of fire, and death is the only price.
“Do you accept?”
“I accept.”
Yuwen Yue suddenly started awake from his sleep, as if the voice had whispered in his ear.
The ground on the mountain cliff began to receive thin raindrops, which quickly turned into a heavy downpour. His clothes were now wet.
As soon as the voice faded, the firefalls spun into a terrible hurricane, sweeping the area. Chaos erupted, and the raging sea swallowed all seven pontoon bridges surrounding the firefalls.
Eyes closed, the scene slowly zoomed out to reveal a monk dressed in white. He was undisturbed by the chaos around him, sitting untouched and unchanged in a Zen position. He seemed to be sleeping, but he was not. Suddenly, a man in black monk attire appeared.
His presence emanated dark eternity, with many Chinese inscriptions tattooed on his neck.
A belt made of wooden beads hung from his waist. It began to spark, its brilliance turning into hot coals, ready to burn his body and everything around him.
Yuwen Yue suddenly felt a rush through his blue veins. He began to move in his suspended wooden prison. Each time he moved, his Poe Yue Jian sword, like a low-hanging fruit, dipped perilously close to the fiery seven seas below.
The sword must not touch the seven seas of fire, or his only weapon of defense would melt into the oblivion of eternity. He knew he could escape this prison cell alive and unharmed, but he was still figuring out how to touch the rope without being burned.
Yuwen Yue, his face hidden by a white cloak and his body draped in a white Hanfu, had been battling the fire within his own body. It had become his curse, like a raging fever.
His body could withstand the overwhelming heat, but his heart remained as cold as frozen ice. Every time he touched the burning rope, it scorched his cold hands, while his sword swung dangerously close to the gates of hell below.
He still remembers that moment. After reaching the ends of Happy Valley, Yuwen Yue saw a vast dead grassland. It was another realm—a dark, eerie place with scorched earth and dry, parched grounds.
The master of Kungfu of Ice said, “This will be your final test.”
But what Yuwen Yue didn’t know was that this would be the last day he would see his master, his sifu, his companion, and guide.
That final test meant that the master of Kungfu of Ice had crossed a boundary that should not have been crossed, but he had chosen to trespass.
Plang! Plang! Plang!
Sounds of various sharp objects—axes, hatchets, and machetes—filled the air, but the Kungfu master of Ice met them all with his bow and arrows, sending them crashing to the ground.
When he ran out of arrows, Yuwen Yue jumped in front of him and countered the last knife flying in their direction. Suddenly, there was silence.
A mist of fog brushed their cheeks, but this was not a time to rest.
“Tap the middle of your sword!” the master of Kungfu of Ice said calmly.
Yuwen Yue tapped the center of his Poe Yue Jian sword, and to his astonishment, a blinding light erupted from it. He raised his hands. The sword became a beacon of light, revealing a group of fierce, faceless enemies.
The group of black-hooded assassins, now visible, began walking toward them. The master of Kungfu of Ice said, “We may be outnumbered, but we are not afraid.”
The underworld assassins approached slowly. One of them stepped forward, looking down at the ground, and said, “Today, I’ve come to take your life! Crossing these boundaries means death! Yet you did not submit to your fears!”
Suddenly, the man in the black hood transformed into a fast-moving mist of smoke, and the body of a person seemed to vanish.
In the blink of an eye, Yuwen Yue could not see what had happened. He felt the most painful emotions well up in his heart.
“Master!” Yuwen Yue cried in vain.
It was too late. His master’s heart had been pierced by a large ice needle. His godly master, still bound to a human body, now weakened, said with his fading strength, “Pass this test for me! I will await my retribution on the other side…”
“No, you cannot die! Not yet!” Yuwen Yue, his calm eyes now filled with anguish, wiped the blood from his master’s chest.
“We both know this is my fate. I’ve waited for you a long time, and now my time is up. Listen, I want you to have this,” said the master of Kungfu of Ice.
He took something from his waist and handed Yuwen Yue a tiny wooden flask. “Take this and bring it to the leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree.”
Yuwen Yue had no choice but to accept his master’s dying wish. He said, “You can trust me.”
The master of Kungfu of Ice gave a bitter smile as his body slowly melted like ice until it was gone.
Yuwen Yue’s brow furrowed. Like a wounded wolf, he ran, ready to attack the underworld assassin.
The assassin, his face concealed by a cloak, did not fear the Poe Yue Jian sword. He walked slowly, waiting for Yuwen Yue.
When Yuwen Yue finally reached the assassin, he saw his golden eyes just as another tall, mysterious underworld assassin appeared, striking both of their heads.
The new figure walked calmly between their unconscious bodies and took the tiny wooden flask.
Another underworld assassin, with a double axe on his back and a scar on his face, said, “What about the Poe Yue Jian sword?”
“Is it necessary?” asked Di Fu.
“Maybe,” replied the assassin, flashing his hellish eyes.
Di Fu, unfamiliar with the human sword, said, “Whoever owns this sword is a weak master!”
“And what about Tracker?” Scarface, one of the underworld assassins, asked.
“I want you to end his life,” Di Fu said, smirking as he picked up his machete.
“What? This is not the order of Master Sand Drizzle!” Scarface shouted angrily.
“No matter what you do, you already know how his life is going to end.”
“Spare me now!” Di Fu said in a calm but deep voice, then vanished without a trace.
Scarface was about to kill Tracker when Skyshadow, a woman, produced a cloud of black smoke and quickly took both Tracker and Yuwen Yue.
With the speed of quicksilver, she laid their unconscious bodies down in another area, still a parched ground. Skyshadow took the Poe Yue Jian sword and kept it.
Zao Baocung tied up Tracker and locked him in a prison with no walls.
While he helped Yuwen Yue stay at one of the Moon Kingdom’s mansions, he said, “Good to see you again, Qinghai Prince.”
Zao Baocung knelt on his knees as Yuwen Yue woke up.
Yuwen Yue stood and took the Poe Yue Jian sword from Zao Baocung. He asked, “Where am I?”
“My Prince, you have arrived in the Moon Kingdom,” Zao Baocung replied.
Yuwen Yue tried to remember something but couldn’t. He asked, “Priest, I am supposed to kill the man who killed this… this…”
Yuwen Yue couldn’t finish his sentence. He was struggling to remember everything in time.
Zao Baocung went to the incense burner, crushed a gold sugar cube, and sprinkled it. The smoke quickly spread in the air, reaching Yuwen Yue’s nostrils. It smelled sweet, like vanilla and plum blossoms.
Zao Baocung said, “You will sleep again, and when you wake, you will remember what happened in the Happy Valley realms and your journey to the underworld.”
Yuwen Yue slipped back into sleep while Zuo Zong remained by his side.
Yue Qi had witnessed everything and asked, “Was that necessary? Turning the Fourth Young Master’s memories on and off like that?”
Zao Baocung answered, “You have no idea what happened, and you don’t know how your soul was snapped back to Earth!”
“Okay, I got it!” Yue Qi gave up arguing with Zao Baocung. As they stepped outside the mansion, they saw a young man hanging there.
Yue Qi spoke first: “Isn’t it wonderful to capture an underworld spy and display him like this?”
Zao Baocung saw Tracker and felt a pang of pity. He said, “Why punish him when you can just kill him right away? Let me do it!”
Yue Qi quickly stepped in front of Zao Baocung. “Easy, not today.”
“Why not now?” Zao Baocung raised an eyebrow.
Yue Qi came closer and whispered, “He hasn’t confessed yet. I’ve tortured him, but he’s stronger than I expected. He pretends to be indifferent, but his arrogance and pride are always there. I’ve tried everything to break his spirit, but he’s stronger than any iron in this world. He even said, if I wanted to kill him, I’d have to do it fast because my hands are too soft. In his next life, I won’t have the chance.”
Zao Baocung asked, “And what did you do after he said that?”
Yue Qi looked at his hands and replied, “My hands are soft, so I fed him to the band of brothers in the prison with no walls.”
Zao Baocung’s eyes widened like an owl’s. “Did he fight back?”
“He did, but he stopped when he saw the youngest of them all,” Yue Qi said.
“Who is the youngest of them all?” Zao Baocung couldn’t hide his curiosity.
“The stick warrior monk,” Yue Qi answered with a sly smile.
Zao Baocung, shocked as if he had seen a ghost, said, “Trailkoying is here?”
“Does it matter? Do you know him?” Yue Qi asked, still smiling and smirking.
Zao Baocung replied, “Those three brothers have a very sad story.”
“What? Did you say brothers?” Yue Qi asked again.
“Continue torturing him, but I can assure you, he will never confess. That young man would rather die. If I were you, I’d kill him now!” Zao Baocung said.
Yue Qi, devoid of emotion, agreed. “Okay, as you wish. He’s useless anyway, just as you told me.” But Zao Baocung had a different plan.
Dusk came, and the silhouettes stole the sun from the horizon. Darkness gradually took over the skies.
“What is your name?” Tracker remained unmoved, offering no answer.
“Where did you come from?” Yue Qi asked, twitching his palms, but still heard nothing.
“Why did you try to kill our young master?” Tracker smirked, then returned to his stoic, poker face, without saying a word.
Yue Qi tossed two dice on the ground while his captive meditated upside down, seemingly waiting for the hour of his death.
The band of brothers had all been injured, but none were killed, except for the young stick warrior.
The martial arts of the underworld assassins were unmatched. The captive assassin clearly belonged to the elite. Zao Baocung knew the story of the three brothers who had chosen different paths. Only two of them were still alive, while Trailkoya had died protecting the Secret Princess, Chu Qiao, and fighting Yuwen Hao. Chu Qiao was the leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree.
Yue Qi finally decided: “Alright! I will give you the honor!”
Tracker didn’t move but continued to listen.
“You versus me!”
The band of brothers erupted in excitement, throwing more driftwood onto the bonfire, causing the flames to soar high into the sky, as though they could burn people alive.
The stick warrior remained silent and still, not revealing his blood relation to the captive underworld assassin.
“Release him!” said Yue Qi.
Tracker was released. He coughed, having been suspended upside down for so long that his insides felt full of acid.
“If you beat me, I will let you go. But if you don’t, I will kill you,” said Yue Qi, taking off his breastplate, armor, and weapons, including his sword.
The man-to-man fight began. The Skyshadow woman watched silently from the rooftop, smirking. “You do not know what the word ‘underworld’ means!”
Yue Qi initiated his martial arts stance, while Tracker stood arrogantly, watching without moving. Yue Qi struck first, and Tracker spat out blood but did not fight back. Yue Qi grew frustrated, feeling like the antagonist trying to please a protagonist. He gave Tracker a brutal low blow.
Tracker rolled on the ground in pain and complained, “Still soft hands, can’t fight with soft hands!”
Yue Qi had never been so insulted in his entire career. He had cheated death many times and survived countless troubles, but this fight was pushing him to his limits.
Pang! Yue Qi kicked Tracker again as he lay on the ground.
Tracker’s face was covered in blood, yet no one could understand his proud, defiant expression.
Frustrated by Tracker’s fierce, prideful look, Yue Qi suddenly grabbed the youngest stick warrior, who was around 12 to 14 years old, and said, “You won’t fight me? How about this?”
Yue Qi, testing Tracker’s limits, leaped into the air with his sword drawn, ready to chop off the stick warrior’s arms.
All eyes widened in shock. The crowd froze in stunned silence.
Suddenly, time seemed to stop. Only the sound of blood droplets hitting the ground could be heard.
Three drops reached the earth, and with the last of his strength, Tracker unleashed his underworld powers.
His eyes gleamed like brilliant gold, and his body emitted an intense heat. Ancient tattoos began to reveal themselves on his skin, though they were no longer as black as before. But it was too late—his wounded arms were pouring blood from Yue Qi’s sword cut.
Tracker, feeling as light as a feather, was about to fall.
Meanwhile, the Seventh Yue found himself being dragged by a fierce wind. He was pushed far away, while Yuwen Yue struck him on the back with his sword, causing Yue Qi to grind his teeth in pain.
Zuo Zong carried the trembling young stick warrior, while a tall, calm Yuwen Yue, dressed in white, gave the bloody underworld assassin a look of pity.
With gentle strides, Yuwen Yue approached. After verifying his target, he placed his index finger on the assassin’s shoulder and tapped his back.
Then, with a soft touch, he lifted the underworld assassin’s hair to examine the nape.
Once everything was confirmed, Yuwen Yue said, “Since you’ve been cut by the Seventh Yue by order of My Palm, if you persist with your stubbornness, I’m afraid you’ll never see your brother again.”
Tracker, unable to withstand the blood loss, passed out. Yuwen Yue exchanged a knowing glance with Zuo Zong, who understood what to do next.
Zao Baocung approached and said, “Your Highness, I will take care of him.”
Yuwen Yue replied, “He is going to be added to My Palm.”
Yue Qi was surprised to hear this and watched as Yuwen Yue explained, “He will take over My Palm for the underworld while you remain in charge of the human world.”
“Nuò,” (meaning “yes, this is a promise”) said Yue Qi.
A few days later, Tracker awoke in a prison with no walls. His wounds had been stitched, preventing further blood loss, and his strength had returned.
A voice was heard, “Brother, how are you?” The stick warrior looked him in the eye.
Tracker didn’t respond. “Go away! I am not your brother!”
Another calm voice spoke, “I didn’t wake up today to be kind to your rudeness.”
Tracker didn’t bother looking at the divine-like figure in front of him and remained cold, distant, and arrogant, showing no reverence in his brilliant golden eyes.
Yuwen Yue, dressed in his battle gear, said, “Prepare the horses. This savage beast needs to learn what loyalty means.”
Yue Qi fetched the horses while the Skyshadow woman unlocked the prison to free the underworld assassin. Yue Qi shoved Tracker, whose skin felt like burning coal.
“What are you, really? Your skin is like coal! Are you even human?” Yue Qi exclaimed.
Tracker sneered in response.
Zuo Zong handed Yuwen Yue his sword, and Yuwen Yue gave him further instructions. Zao Baocung released the Yuwen parrot, which landed on Yuwen Yue’s shoulder.
This was to be a journey where Yuwen Yue and Tracker would walk alone.
At first, Yue Qi hesitated, but Yuwen Yue said, “Who dares not to follow me?”
Yue Qi had felt something strange about Yuwen Yue ever since the day he left Jinwu Palace, abandoning the enthronement of the new Empress Dowager of the Liang Dynasty.
Yue Qi and Zuo Zong returned to Ximeng to search for the Qinghai prince, but they failed to find Yuwen Yue. In the meantime, Yue Qi took command and instructed the Qinghai army to wait for Yuwen Yue’s return.
It took a while until a druid priest arrived at their military camp and informed Yue Qi that they had found Yuwen Yue.
Yue Qi asked the druid priest, “Did you also find Xinger? And what about the playboy prince— is he dead?”
Zao Baocung removed his cloak and simply said, “No.”
Yue Qi asked again, “Is that a no for both questions?”
Zao Baocung responded in a deep voice, “Yes.”
Yue Qi didn’t say anything but felt the urge to hit his head in frustration. He raised his hand but then lowered it.
The priest, observing this, loosened up and became his usual chatty self, much like when they had first met. He said to Yue Qi, “Why do you always force me to ruin my serious face? When I’m in this costume, I don’t want to be put to shame.”
With a faint smile, Yue Qi replied, “I’m saving this palm for you!”
“Aha, I save a soul, and this is what I get—rudeness!” The priest pouted like a child in front of the large Qinghai army.
“And do you regret it now?” Yue Qi teased, enjoying the moment with Zao Baocung.
“No, I don’t regret it! I repent! The Qians (heavens) warned me, and I didn’t listen!” Zao Baocung said, his face amusing but slightly eerie in his druid outfit. Only Yue Qi could tease him like this.
“I’m glad you didn’t,” said Yue Qi.
Zao Baocung turned his back, while Yue Qi smiled, swaying his head from side to side.
The sun had already set on the horizon, and Tracker, stubborn as ever, refused to ride the horse prepared for him.
“I don’t ride horses! I prefer to walk!”
Yuwen Yue heard this and said, “I hear you prefer to be dead. So be it.”
“You’re dead! You’re dead! You’re dead!” repeated the Yuwen parrot.
Tracker wanted to harm the bird, but Yuwen Yue pointed his sword at him. Tracker didn’t flinch or show fear.
Yuwen Yue spoke in a calm but deep voice, “Try harder, and you’ll regret this day in the afterlife.”
Tracker stayed still, thinking of a way to escape.
Before long, the two of them reached the dense, cold forest. Tracker smiled slightly, then smirked. “Do you even know where we are? Can your fear handle it?”
The jade-skinned, handsome god dismounted from his horse and said, “Do you dare?”
Chapter 76
Black Forest
Yuwen Yue silently walked beside his horse while Tracker executed his escape. He jumped and leaped from the nearby forest tree, but Yuwen Yue knew exactly how he was going to land.
He flew like an angry but cold lion, and suddenly he was looking into Tracker’s eyes. Without any warning, he sprinkled a drop of the potion from his hand.
Tracker was momentarily blinded and couldn’t see clearly. He walked like a drunken man, while Yuwen Yue stood behind him.
“What did you do to my eyes?!” Tracker asked angrily.
Yuwen Yue said, “Don’t worry, death won’t come yet.”
“I cannot see!” Tracker was now scratching his eyes.
“I know,” Yuwen Yue replied in a cold voice. He grabbed Tracker’s head and put green silk over his eyes, blindfolding him. “On your knees!”
“Are you going to execute me in this manner with that sword?” Tracker asked, without fear, still managing to question the manner of his executioner.
“Is there a problem with it?” Yuwen Yue sneered, clearly annoyed.
“Fine! Give me death!” Tracker shouted defiantly, his voice sounding horrible. He took a knee and became ten times more aware of his surroundings.
Yuwen Yue drew a circle around where Tracker was kneeling. Using his Poe Yue Jian sword, the circle began to emit a bluish-white light. He said coldly, “You will pay for your rudeness with this hard lesson. You will learn how to be loyal to your master.”
Tracker coldly responded, “And anyone who tries shall earn it as well!”
The circle began to bore a hole in the ground. Suddenly, it cracked open to reveal a fiery pit with molten lava boiling beneath. A foul stench emanated from the pit, and Tracker’s only foothold began to spin rapidly until he could no longer maintain his balance.
As Yuwen Yue had said, the cone-shaped ground where Tracker knelt was slowly losing the tip of its base. As it did, the temperature rose higher and higher. Tracker’s skin began to bruise and burn, but he still didn’t call for help.
Yuwen Yue, waiting for the outcome, didn’t bother to ask him, “How long can you hold on to your vow?”
Tracker’s body had almost reached its limit. “I prefer to die than to abandon my vow!” he declared.
Yuwen Yue looked down at him and responded, “Then why can’t I believe a word you’re saying?”
Tracker couldn’t hold on any longer, and he cried out in pain.
“Ahhhhh!”
Yuwen Yue knew Tracker couldn’t endure anymore when the fiery monster dragon swept toward Tracker’s body.
Swoosh! Bang!The sound of a slashing sword and something closing was heard.
Yuwen Yue took Tracker’s head. His body, like a bamboo leaf, was weak but had not abandoned its vow despite the near-death experience.
Yuwen Yue calmly said, “Fool.”
Tracker didn’t respond. He was barely alive, his breath faint. Yuwen Yue grasped his nape and made a small cut. Blood began to drip from his pale skin. “Since you can’t speak your vow, I’ll take it from you!” he declared.
“Noooo!” Tracker cried, but it was too late. Blood was already dripping from his neck, and he became pale, nearly dying.
Yuwen Yue closed his eyes and asked coldly, “Abandon or die?”
Tracker, almost dead from blood loss, firmly replied with a smile, “Both.”
Suddenly, Yuwen Yue sat in a Zen position and began to chant healing words. For every word that came from his mouth, the wounds began to close until they were completely healed.
Everything returned to normal, and though Tracker had lost his internal Chi flow, his pulse was restored in time, bringing him back from the brink of death.
Yuwen Yue set up a bonfire beside him and waited for Tracker to wake up.
After many hours, Tracker awoke. He found himself lying on the ground, and the tattoos on his arms and the swirling snake embedded on his nape were gone.
Yuwen Yue, staring at him, said in a short, bland voice, “You said both. Remember?”
Tracker, in his usual rude manner, responded, “You don’t have to remind me!”
Irritated, Yuwen Yue replied, “Seems I should’ve let you bleed to death!”
Tracker didn’t respond, only touching his nape, now free of any underworld shackles, with the ancient snake tattoo gone.
Tracker couldn’t believe what had happened, but it did. To experience this kind of power was like a second life.
In the underworld realms, such power was possessed only by the leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree, but in this case, Tracker had to acknowledge this godly figure. While sleeping, he asked in an unheard, soft voice, “Who are you?”
Tracker had lost his underworld chains and the shackles of dark powers, but gained a new insight. Thanks to the potion Yuwen Yue used to clear his eyes, he had seen true light once again.
This reminded him of a time when Yuwen Yue poured a similar potion into Chu Qiao’s eyes to make her one of his spies of sacrifice. He had done it to steer clear of Chu Qiao’s blind spots and train her to become one of the best spies.
Tracker couldn’t come out during the day, for all his work had to be done at night.
But now, he could open his eyes and see the sunlight. What was amazing was that he hadn’t lost his golden eyes, like a wolf’s, usually visible only at night.
Yuwen Yue woke up and found the Yuwen parrot and his horse still in order. But Tracker was nowhere to be seen—he had gone somewhere.
Not bothered, Yuwen Yue walked a few steps and noticed some sunflower seeds scattered on the ground.
The Yuwen parrot flew to the ground and started pecking at the seeds with its beak. Yuwen Yue closed his eyes, thinking, and then suddenly opened them.
He knew Tracker had left him a trail to follow, just in case he would be out of sight for a long time.
With his newfound life, Tracker was thirsty for the first time.
With his hands and feet now functioning normally, he walked a few steps and heard the sound of water gushing nearby. To confirm it, he walked a bit further and hid, extending his neck to peek at the picturesque view.
Breathing in and out, he saw a clear stream of water. Suddenly, the sun’s rays were covered by clouds, and a thick fog hovered densely over the stream.
Yuwen Yue pulled the reins of his horse, while the Yuwen parrot, flying ahead of him, ate all the sunflower seeds, leaving no trace behind. The handsome god and his animals followed the trail.
The cold forest was dense, with thick fog hovering around it.
Tracker, ten times sharper at night but not as keen during the day, failed to sense the dark presence surrounding him, leaving everything unnoticed.
Returning to his human senses for the first time since drinking from the stream,Bang!It was too late to turn back. The clear stream suddenly turned to blood, and Tracker was poisoned. His eyes dilated, and he passed out.
Yuwen Yue dismounted from his horse, sending the Cangwu bird to a high fir tree. He bent down to listen to the ground.
By counting the sounds in his mind, Yuwen Yue already knew someone was coming.
He recognized the small footsteps approaching, knowing a dark entity was about to harass their path. He whistled, calling the Yuwen parrot. The Cangwu bird flew back to his hand.
Yuwen Yue whispered to the Cangwu bird, then pulled out a plum blossom flower, letting the bird smell it. The Cangwu bird fell asleep, and Yuwen Yue tucked it into his Kam sleeves. As the bird slept, Yuwen Yue drew his Poe Yue Jian sword.
A few seconds later, the thick fog began to strangle his horse.Blag!The horse fell.
Yuwen Yue, still looking for clues, saw what had happened, but it was too late—the thick fog violently wrapped around his neck.
Moments ago, Yuwen Yue had stood with his Poe Yue Jian sword, but now…
He heard horrific screams and the loud beats of dreadful drums. He tried to open his eyes but couldn’t. Suddenly, a strong wind blew in his direction, shaking his body.
His Poe Yue Jian sword hung upside down, poised to tear his chest.
The dark clouds and thick fog vanished, and the sun shone brightly. Tracker, now awake, found himself lying in the center of a fiery arena surrounded by black smoke. In the middle was a large yin and yang symbol, a bloody pool filled with floating skulls and bones.
The Gnome King said, “Do you want to save your master, underworld assassin?”
Tracker, angry but calm, responded in a deep voice, “Who is my master?”
“I think he is your master,” the Gnome King smirked, signaling another gnome guard to blow a horn. The horn sounded, and the audience was stunned.
The arena, filled with fire and smoke, was located underground, with its walls ablaze. The gnome audience sat in layers, watching from above. Their faces were blackened from the smoke below.
Large, black mythical birds flew around the arena, and swarming bats blocked the sunlight from above.
An ancient tale of the underworld was unfolding as bones and skulls scattered across the fiery circle.
Tracker, smirking in dismay, said to himself, “Not again!”
Instead of fighting, Tracker ran for his life, while the Gnome King laughed loudly, and the audience looked on in horror.
Tracker knew his powers were limited, and he couldn’t risk being cut open. It was better to flee than to fight, lest he end up like a foolish monk.
The difference now was that his eyes were crystal clear. Faster than laser technology, he could see anything in sharp detail, even in his limited human body.
Tracker’s eyes, like the latest telescope, could zoom in and out, allowing him to observe everything in precise detail.
Yuwen Yue opened his eyes and saw that his Poe Yue Jian sword had been taken by a dark figure.
The dark lady, her back covered by a dark hood, placed Yuwen Yue’s sword on her back.
He stood up suddenly, his curious eyes fixed on her, and asked, “Who are you?”
“Welcome to the underworld, Fourth Young Master! Your underworld palm is being dragged by the ancient undertale force!” the dark lady replied.
Yuwen Yue, focusing on the sword on her back, said, “I asked you a question, yet you rudely show me only your back.”
“Am I rude, Fourth Young Master? Have you forgotten what I just did?” the dark lady, still with her back turned, didn’t reveal her face.
Suddenly, Yuwen Yue leaped into the air, flying like a bird in slow motion. He grabbed a bow and arrow from a sleeping horse nearby.
The dark lady, unsurprised, met him with her martial arts.
Their bodies danced beneath the passing fog and dark clouds. They spun, tumbled, kicked, rolled, flew, and crawled. Time no longer mattered.
Yuwen Yue suddenly grabbed the Poe Yue Jian sword from the dark lady’s back, but she resisted. She pulled out her whip and struck Yuwen Yue’s hand.
However, instead of Yuwen Yue feeling pain, the force of the whip bounced back to the dark lady.
Stunned, she attempted to whip him again, this time aiming for his neck. But Yuwen Yue quickly caught the whip and yanked it from her hands.
Unable to control the situation, the dark lady was dragged by her own whip and shocked by the energy flowing from Yuwen Yue’s hands.
Yuwen Yue’s face remained emotionless. He took control of the whip, using it to retrieve the Poe Yue Jian sword from her back.
In a swift move, Yuwen Yue seized the sword and flew into the air. The dark lady tried to regain control of the whip, but her hands were electrified, and she fell to the ground.
Time seemed to stop. Yuwen Yue, empowered by the energy in his hands, took the sword from the whip. It was as if the whip obeyed Yuwen Yue more than its original owner.
Now, Yuwen Yue held the sword in his right hand and the whip in his left. In his palm, the whip transformed to a golden color, blinding the dark lady.
The Gnome King and his audience shouted as the chants grew louder. Tracker was running around the arena when the undertale force swept his feet from under him.
The force pinned Tracker down like a thin sheet of paper, planting him to the ground.
Bruised and wounded, he tried to stand but found himself unable to move.
The undertale force, made of black smoke on land but resembling a gigantic water dragon in water, did not show its face.
The black smoke returned to the yin and yang pool, only to emerge moments later, transforming into a human-like figure. Its feet formed first, then its body, but its head remained that of a fierce dragon.
Tracker had never seen the undertale force in this form before. The arena trembled in its presence, and everyone, including Tracker, feared for their lives.
The undertale force approached Tracker, sniffing his neck. In a horrible voice, it said, “You abandoned your vow! I shall eat you now!”
Yuwen Yue had heard the legends of the underworld, but now he was seeing them unfold before his eyes.
Like an intruder breaking in, he leaped into the arena and dipped his Poe Yue Jian sword into the yin and yang pool. He took a potion from his long, flowing sleeves and poured a single drop into the pool.
The undertale force reacted with displeasure. The parched ground cracked, and water began to flood the area, threatening to drown everything.
Tracker, realizing too late what was happening, said, “I’m inside a gigantic water well,” just before being swallowed by the rising waters.
Quick to act, Yuwen Yue threw his sword as if targeting an insect on the far side of the well. Then, using the whip in his left hand, he swung himself to safety while the water swallowed the undertale force. He hadn’t forgotten about Tracker.
“It’s not your time yet!” Yuwen Yue declared.
Balancing himself on the handle of his sword, which was now embedded in the well’s wall, Yuwen Yue used the whip to pull Tracker from the water, which had turned into a sea.
The whip stretched magically, gently lifting Tracker and placing him on the grassy ground. Tracker lay still, unmoving. Yuwen Yue returned the whip to his waist, still standing on the sword’s handle. Carefully, he drew his bow and arrow.
He stretched the bowstring, looked up at a 45-degree angle, and gently whispered, “Trade winds.”
As birds swirled around, the echo of his words reverberated, affecting the wind. A crisp whizzing sound was heard. The arrow spiraled toward its target, aiming for the perfect spot on solid ground above.
This arrow would determine Yuwen Yue’s fate, and there was no room for error. He reminded himself,“There are no second chances!”
The arrow found its mark and reached the desired spot.
Yuwen Yue looked up, preparing to climb using the arrow’s rope. Confident in its security, he finally let go of his footing on the sword’s handle.
Suspended vertically against the gigantic well’s wall, he held onto the sword’s grip and unsheathed it from the wall.
Yuwen Yue reached the top, but the dark lady awaited his return. She had tied Tracker’s neck with a rope.
Her face was completely hidden by her dark hood.
Yuwen Yue couldn’t see her face, but he raised the whip in his hand and said, “I believe this belongs to you.”
The dark lady replied, “It does, but you used it to save this poor underworld assassin!”
Tracker had not yet awakened and appeared to be dead.
Yuwen Yue said, “Dark lady, or should I call you by your name, Viper!”
“My name is Viper?” the dark lady said, surprised.
“You knew me when you called me the fourth young master!” Yuwen Yue continued.
“Your memories were traded in a place of oblivion. Whenever you use your powers, fragments of your memories return to you in the present, but you lose them again when you stop using them,” Yuwen Yue explained.
“You are deceiving me!” Viper accused, tightening her grip on Tracker’s neck.
“In mere seconds, Tracker’s soul will cross the forgotten river, and you don’t want to send him there,” Yuwen Yue said in a cold but calm tone, ready to snatch Tracker away.
“In the blink of an eye, I will make you remember!” Yuwen Yue said.
He took a golden celadon bottle hanging from his chest and sprinkled the golden ash of memories into her eyes.
Suddenly, Viper froze, seeing flashes of her childhood and past memories. Yuwen Yue took this opportunity to snatch Tracker away. Viper, like a blind woman, fell to her knees.
Yuwen Yue laid the whip in front of her and said, “You won’t see for many days and nights, but here, take your weapon of defense. I hope we meet again someday.”
Yuwen Yue took Tracker and, with his horse fully awake and alert nearby, grabbed the reins and rode as fast as he could.
“Hold on!” Yuwen Yue urged.
Tracker, pale with a weak pulse, half-opened his eyes and saw Yuwen Yue drawing his sword through the bloody mess around them.
They had finally escaped the Gnome army and evaded its attacks.
The Gnome King was furious, firing a flaming arrow, but Yuwen Yue and Tracker were already out of range.
They had freed themselves from the black forest at last.
The sun was bright, the passing clouds were gone, and the sky was blue.
Chapter 77
Barrels of Souls
Dusk painted the skies orange with hues of blue, and darker twilight befell the underworld realms. After the rainfall, the clouds passed quickly.
A sudden peace embraced the misty mountains and quiet rivers.
Yuwen Yue suddenly heard a bird tweet.
A suspended wooden cage on a cliff hung like a pendulum clock waiting for the hour of death. He looked up but then looked down as well. Yuwen Yue gazed at the seven seas of firefalls.
A man in the middle was surrounded by a dark force. One of them was the strongest underworld assassin, waiting to be attacked.
Opposite him stood a young man who had lost his underworld chains when his powers were refined by light.
Wanting to challenge the underworld, he promised to hand over Di Fu, chief of the underworld assassins.
He began to work as a dark palm. Under Yuwen Yue’s command, he was slowly transformed to be the light to the dark palm. Teaching him to control his dark powers, he succeeded through meditation.
Yuwen Yue never gave up on showing him the opposite of his character, and the young man struggled to deal with it every day.
Learning Tai Chi every day, he mastered meditation.
Teaching him what is humane and what is not, the conduct of unbecoming and becoming a gentleman, and learning cultural refinement through justice and injustice made him forsake his underworld assassin behavior, returning to his human soul and mind.
All of these teachings were never introduced to the underworld realms. What is taught there is all about evil, with no remorse and only punishment, where all kinds of sins are committed.
Tracker was human at first, but because he sought revenge, he became a half-bred underworld assassin who took the vows of hell.
Tracker’s past life was full of killing and betrayal.
As long as he betrayed, it became his strength but spelled weakness for the good. Being an enemy of the good, he always sought out evil people to accomplish their vilest sins, never feeling remorse afterward.
Now, it is his turn to experience evil himself.
Betrayed by Di Fu, at the time he was abandoned alone, he eventually recognized the glistening Poe Yue Jian sword. He softly whispered, “This is not a coincidence, I found the Qinghai crown prince Ra Yue.”
Tracker summoned the seven elders of the seven seas and disturbed the balance of good and evil.
To challenge Di Fu, Tracker will have to open these realms to show who can win and who will lose, then make him pay for abandoning him.
Revenge is not accepted in the underworld realms because challenging the underworld realm means dying in the Abyss.
Only one rule can never change: no one can extinguish evil. For it holds the balance of the good, which defines the rewards of the loyal and faithful.
Aside from undivided loyalty, Tracker also thrives on his prideful heart.
As long as he preserves pride in his heart, he will never be pitied. He will never be seen as a weak underworld assassin. He earned his status when he first performed his vow to be an underworld assassin. His first challenge was to defeat Scarface. One must go through fiery hell, and Tracker, earning his first challenge, became second to Di Fu. When Tracker sent many underworld assassins to the abyss, including Scarface, who tried to fight him with evil versus evil, he did it on purpose.
He did this to rise in the underworld principalities and powers, and at the right time, he could use it for his revenge.
He vowed revenge for Trailkoya’s life, his brother who was slain by the Master of the Eyes of God.
During the fight, Tracker fought Scarface, and defeating him meant forcing him to bow to Tracker and save himself from death in the Abyss.
Scarface still remembers that day. He had the most perfect handsome face that could turn people to evil. Scarface used his perfect face to confuse and lure good people, turning them to evil.
Jealousy was written on his neck. The art he mastered became his weakness, even if he had earned it for a thousand years, when he received the scar on his face.
Instead of spreading jealousy to good people, he became jealous of himself. He was no longer beautiful, and insecurity began to creep into his vile confidence.
Tracker marred his face and left a permanent scar. Scarface became the ugly evil, and anyone who looked at his face would turn good instead of evil.
Instead of gaining more power, Scarface gained weakness when he lost the challenge to Tracker. He was punished for a decade and became the gatekeeper of the underworld realms.
Going back to the time when Yuwen Yue asked, though he already knew Tracker’s weakness: “What is your weakness in the underworld realms?”
“The thing that you ask for!” Tracker said to Yuwen Yue in the rudest manner.
Yuwen Yue smirked slightly and said, “Loyalty. That is why you always betray.”
“Why ask if you knew it all the time?” said Tracker, who took a stone and threw it into the river.
Yuwen Yue coldly said, “Because one day, you may need to stop betraying, and I may need to harm the underworld when I force your loyalty to be displayed.”
“Keep dreaming, it will never happen,” Tracker said, smiling.
Yuwen Yue, feeling disrespected but honest, replied to Tracker’s reaction, “I am awake. Only the Masters who sleep dream.”
Tracker looked at Yuwen Yue like he was going to kill him but smiled in return, not refuting his Master’s words.
That day his Master’s words became true. Tracker, facing his challenge once again to take over Di Fu and the seven seas of fire, owes him a chance.
Di Fu, with his eyes closed, spoke in a horrible voice. He said, “Tell me, are you really the master of betrayal?!”
Tracker, sitting in the middle of the seven seas with his eyes closed, meditated. His ears rang when he heard the voice of Di Fu.
Tracker, in a calm voice, responded, “I am.” Then he paused for a second, breathed for a second, and said, “I betray to fulfill my vow.”
Di Fu was not happy with what he heard and became angry. In a loud voice, he said, “What is your vow? Did you forget?”
“Momentarily forgot,” Tracker hummed softly in a cold, calm voice, trying to resist the evil rising within him.
It was Tracker’s turn to ask his former Chief. He boldly asked, “Why did you abandon me?”
For the first time, Di Fu would be honest. He said, “If I tell the truth, one of us will have to die.”
“Then you will die!” Tracker said, and he began to swing his hands and peacefully demonstrated the hand signal of the yin and yang until it floated in the wind.
Di Fu felt its power. Darkness and light entered the yin and yang sign. It tortured him for a while.
Tracker suddenly opened his eyes, and as fast as lightning, he struck Di Fu. Di Fu found his hands captured inside the yin and yang floating in the wind; he could not escape.
“Why endure it?” Tracker boldly said, giving him a mocking look.
To injure Di Fu’s pride, with a deep, horrible voice, Tracker said, “If you lose your human image, it will be a desperate act! And then what next? You won’t gain another human body again. You will be bound to the Abyss forever. That is your death!”
Tracker let go of his anger at that moment, returning to peace, and sat in a Buddha position. With his left palm steady and straight, he continued to torture Di Fu with shame.
Di Fu’s face showed dark madness as he began to draw invisible Chinese inscriptions in front of Tracker. But Tracker, controlling the yin and yang with his mind, was fighting evil with evil, forcing Di Fu to draw out more underworld power.
As the yin and yang sign tightened, it captured Di Fu’s hands. Like invisible handcuffs, the two circles inside the yin and yang spun faster, burning Di Fu’s human hands. At any moment, Di Fu would be forced to reveal his true nature and begin to grow, transforming into a body of fire.
As Di Fu increased his hellish power, the mountains and rivers were consumed with fire. The forest lake turned into a raging lake of fire, and black smoke filled the air.
Describe the pit of hell.
Yuwen Yue, for the first time, saw what hell meant. He looked at the Cangwu bird for the last time until it was slowly burned before his eyes.
Without a sound, his heart was torn into bitter pieces.
The feeling of losing hope flowed through his veins.
Under these realms, Yuwen Yue defied the laws of the underworld. He was a human being with godly superior abilities. He had bravely descended into hell.
Yet, he could not even save a simple animal that had accompanied him on this journey and sacrificed its life.
After a few moments, Yuwen Yue realized the elixir potion Tracker had given him earlier was cracked. The Cangwu bird may have eaten some of it.
He realized the bird had taken half of the flask and spread it over the suspended wooden cage, saving his life.
When Yuwen Yue’s situation seemed hopeless, with no help coming from anyone, he began to see the world around him.
Yuwen Yue’s tired eyes looked down. He saw Di Fu’s hands burning, yet he could do nothing to stop it. He saw Tracker lingering, sitting in a Buddha position, fighting Di Fu’s refusal to become a lake of fire.
He remembered Tracker whispering into his ear: “When the world becomes a hopeless place, look around and take this elixir and drink it.
If you are who you believe yourself to be, this elixir will unleash your human godly existence.”
The underworld realm is full of fire. It is going to burn him alive, and the flames began to consume the wooden cage.
As soon as the fire touched the wooden cage, instead of burning, the cage dramatically transformed into gold.
Yuwen Yue felt safe, but his body, unable to withstand the heat, forced him to sit in a Buddha position inside the golden cage and close his eyes.
Buying more time, Yuwen Yue began to chant. Suddenly, in a timeless space, two souls were called to meet again.
It was the only safe passage of time where Yuwen Yue could communicate, when suddenly…
Two handsome figures, free of chaos, were facing each other.
Their eyes were closed.
Both sat in a Buddha position, but suddenly, two pairs of eyes opened.
One was a master, and the other a servant.
The master spoke, “Do not fret. To defeat evil, you must do nothing.”
The servant looked at the master and silently revealed through his eyes.
“I haven’t told you… I must lose in order to end Di Fu. If I win, I will only replace Di Fu and have to fight my Master. I did not accept Di Fu’s place. Even the gods know this.”
The Master recalled, in his vision, the opposite of what he heard: “I accept.”
The servant paused and gave the master a prideful look before continuing to silently reveal…
“I accept… I accepted death.”
“The day I saw the Poe Yue Jian sword, I knew it was Qinghai Crown Prince Ra Yue.”
“Bearing the shame forever, I killed the Kungfu Master of Ice in exchange for you. I betrayed my underworld vow and started to betray Di Fu. But unless I kill one of you, Di Fu would not believe that I intended to betray the trapped Masters of this realm instead of him. I am sorry I had to choose. I had to deceive Di Fu and kill the Master of the Kungfu of Ice.”
The servant paused for a while and then continued…
“At the moment of your pain, I had already devoted my loyalty to you. Thank you for freeing my curse. Thank you for allowing me to live in the human world once again. Goodbye, Master. Please save Mimi Gongzhu; she is waiting on the other side. I promised to take you out of these realms, but it seems I will betray one more time. Now I know what my fate holds. The gods have revealed it. This is the path I must take. I will walk it and shall see the light.”
“Master, please take care of my brother. This is my last wish.”
A calm, handsome, godly face showed pity at the servant’s last wish and silently expressed his final words.
“Very well. On your spirit tablet, I will inscribe the words: Loyal to a Master, and a Loving Brother.”
Time began to fast forward. The skies cleared, the sun shone brightly, and the clouds moved faster than usual, snapping the two souls back to the present.
The world in a dark fireplace.
One must end. One must continue.
Yuwen Yue drank the elixir.
Time stopped, and the sound of tiny raindrops filled the air.
A handsome human god appeared in the middle of the chaos.
The divine-like figure opened his eyes. His face was like white jade, and his body, penetrated by light, watched Di Fu drawing a Chinese inscription. It dispelled the chaos, reversing the Yin and Yang sign and freeing his hands.
Di Fu, no longer consumed by the lake of fire, retained his human image.
Looking at his hands, which had been burned, he saw they slowly returned to normal, as though nothing had happened.
The moment of Di Fu’s defeat turned into a moment of victory as Tracker turned off his underworld powers and embraced his human nature.
Yuwen Yue, in a godly trance, could not violate the rules of the human world.
Yuwen Yue could only watch as the two underworld spies clashed with their swords.
Once again, the dark skies cleared, the raging fires disappeared, the seven seas vanished, and the black smoke turned into a cold, dense fog.
Both underworld assassins found themselves in the black forest.
Suddenly, the shy moonlight came out that night. Tracker saw the beautiful moonlight, as if it smiled at him.
He knew his enemy was stronger than him, ten times his human capacity; he wouldn’t be able to stand.
The two figures began to fight.
Using their martial arts, both in human form, with flesh and blood, they tore each other’s fate apart that night.
Tracker was severely beaten—his face bloody, his limbs broken—but he still managed to stand. He was no match for Di Fu’s dark Kungfu. Di Fu said in a hellish voice, “Any death wish you want to express?”
Tracker spat out blood and, in a calm, deep voice, replied, “I have no death wish, but whatever I say will haunt you forever!”
Di Fu, with an evil grin and a dark laugh, said, “Bold! Your loyalty stinks, and you will die with it!”
Without hesitation, Tracker took the sword from his back and pounded it into the ground. In a calm voice, he said:
“This is my grave! I am only human. I am no longer a vessel. I am loyal to a few and ruled by no one.”
Di Fu felt as though a thousand swords cut his body. The pain in his ears became unbearable, and his rage unquenchable. Slowly, Di Fu withdrew the glittering sword from his back and plunged it into Tracker’s chest.
“My Palm!”
A loud voice cried out, above the heavens, calling his name! His coldness vanished, and his chest heaved rapidly, seeking revenge for the lone underworld assassin.
Suddenly, a great wind swept through the black forest.
Nobody moved. The sound of footsteps echoed as a handsome godly figure approached in front of Di Fu’s eyes.
He walked slowly toward Tracker’s lifeless body and scooped up the earth, letting the desert sands slowly fall, covering Tracker’s body until it was buried.
Di Fu, stunned, found himself in the middle of a scorching desert.
The divine-like figure had never experienced such hatred.
He continued to command the wind, and it turned into a violent sandstorm, forcing Di Fu to endure the punishment of nature.
The figure spoke: “On Earth, there are only two types of human beings: One is a teacher, and the other is a learner.”
“But in the spiritual realms, there are only two paths: Good and Evil.”
With a wave of his hand, the divine being turned the desert sands into a landmass of ice. He spoke again: “I am the good teacher, but you continue to learn evil.
“I shall punish you, but not with death. Death is too easy. Death will not come until you have paid for every drop of blood shed from Tracker’s body.”
Di Fu’s body was slowly consumed by ice, trapped inside the frozen mass. He would forever endure the snow needles that grew within, tearing at his flesh. Blood would flow, but no expression of remorse would be allowed. Di Fu’s power was suppressed by ice. The cold extinguished all the heat and fire within him. Under the wind and cloud decree, his condition became permanent.
The Master of Sand Drizzle suddenly saw a vision of Di Fu’s call for help. He said, “The time of the Star is near. All the prophecies of the Sun and Moon Kingdom shall be fulfilled.”
Finally, Yuwen Yue faced another underworld assassin gatekeeper, who introduced himself: “I am Scarface, and I believe this one belongs to you.”
“It is,” said Yuwen Yue, his face emotionless, not even bothering to look at Scarface.
Then Yuwen Yue spoke again: “I passed all the tests; you should open the gate.”
Chapter 78
Bring me out of the dark
A loud sound of death hollows heard when the underworld gate slowly opened.
Like in the ancient of days, there is an indescribable gothic view, all made of copper, silver, and gold.
Scarface took the neck of the Dragon on his right hand and the neck of the ancient serpent in his left hand to fully open the gate valve.
They were all made of cast iron, fireproof, fortified with precious minerals, one can see its reflection made of heavy metal like a mirror.
A divine-like being is walking into a dream, the magnificentworld of endless Higanbana flower field meets his eyes, swaying and dancing with the butterflies.
And not far from where he stands lies the forgotten river.
No living person may pass, no human being could trespass.
Yuwen Yue became the most beautiful human form that earned the chance to step into these realms without trading his memories, however spending only a limited amount of time.
The elixir that Tracker handed over to him was broken.
Yuwen Yue drank only half of it.
Transforming him into an enlightened state, it helped him discover his human form into this godly existence, offered him a beautiful escape.
Yuwen Yue holding the tiny wooden flask, he remembered the Kungfu of Ice master’s last words.
Scarface still on his knees, he did not even dare to look at Yuwen Yue’s back.
Yuwen Yue walked towards the forgotten river, and not even Xinger’s shadow was present.
Yuwen Yue simply took a plum blossom and holding in his palm said: “For my Cangwu bird.” Emotionless but calm face, he finally let go of the flower to the Forgotten River.
He saw something happening in his hands, something very strange he said: “It must be the elixir he thought.”
Everything is new to him but already knew before it happened.
He read it from the Qinghai books and listened to the Master of Kungfu of ice, every story told from the beginning until his last breath, all of it happened just as he spoke.
Suddenly an ancient Chinese boat is floating nearby.
An old man dressed on his monkish attire, with a covered hood on his entire face and body paddling the river waters without effort, calm and quiet.
Yuwen Yue knew who he was, in a voiceless voice, he impressed: “I am not here to overturn these realms. I came to say goodbye to someone and ask you to ferry me to theErsatzrealm.”
The Urshan did not speak but moved quickly towards Yuwen Yue’s back and stared at the Poe Yue Jian sword.
Yuwen Yue, handsome as ever, the eyes cold as ice but the heart warm as summer, did not move. There is no fear or even a hint of doubt in his heart.
“Your firm will and devoted heart paid you another chance to step into these realms, but your time is limited. I fear that you will die when the elixir slowly depletes in your body and when you return your mortal body to the mortal realms, it won’t be able to endure it. The wind and cloud decree can only save you once. The Mimi Gongzhu used it once to make you live well. When she was swallowed by the Ersatz realm with no definite time of return, you should have lived well. But you defied these realms and put her into danger again. If she can no longer come back, she will be trapped in theErsatzrealm forever.”
The Urshan speaking in terms of silence, but everything was clearly understood as if Yuwen Yue heard his voice in a crystal clear sound.
Yuwen Yue spoke using his silent eyes to the Urshan.
“I did not come here to listen to you or give away myself to your fears. They are not mine but yours. But you shall answer my question as well.”
“I, who existed as old as the plane existence of time shall bestow you a chance to ask one question,”
And the Urshan moved quickly, showed his face to Yuwen Yue. A handsome face is full of many ancient tattoos in his skin. It glowed like molten lava all over his face and neck.
Yuwen Yue did not look at the Urshan’s face, as if his eyes were blind. He knows to see his face is to invite him to snatch your soul to eternal damnation.
“I am about to usher your underworld Palm to the afterlife. He is here,” the Urshan is slowly walking in circles waiting for Yuwen Yue to speak.
The Higanbana flowers swayed and Yuwen Yue started to smell its fragrance, but Yuwen Yue started to crack the Plum blossoms in his hands. Suddenly plum blossom rain started to fall in the field of Higanbana flowers.
Such a beautiful and fragrant place.
According to the legends, the flower of the afterlife called the Higbanbana flower, brings back all of the dead’s earthly memories one last time before they disappear, before they reach the other side of the river.
It has been told that once an unrequited lover dies from the earthly realms, these flowers would bloom along the paths of the departed lovers.
If they were once a companion, they are never destined to meet again.
And these precious flowers represents the change of season too, from summer to fall.
However, the Master of Kungfu of Ice once told him as well:When you crack the plum blossom, it is often told that even immortalsfeasts on plums to enhance their physique and renew their vigor to surpass against the test of time. In the midst of harsh winter, before snowflakes melt, when the Cangwu bird returns, plum trees beautifully buds. When it blooms, it decorates the barren landscape ending the harsh dark wintry nights and awakening people’s memories of spring. Enduring many ugly nights, plum blooms, and makes everything beautiful, as it opens the gateway of hope, to begin another life.
Growing in the lap of his great Yuwen grandmother, Yuwen Yue was often told:As a “friend of winter,” the plum blossom mostly forms the value of perseverance. Eventually, each blossom overcomes through the change of seasons where the fragrance is formed from “bitterness to coldness,” as the Chinese saying goes. When a soul plucks these blossoms from their branches, it is often told, they will undergo the test of time and come out strong, tempered in the depth of existence, breed their inner strength and generate unyielding firmness.
During his many visits with the Liang Empire, Xiao Ce prepared royal poetry readings and Yuwen Yue would come and sit to one of their reading session, as a masked Qinghai Prince, no one knew it is Yuwen Yue, the fourth young master of the Greenhills Courtyard. He heard all the poet expressed the wish of being one with the plum blossom:
All flowers have withered, you alone blossom,
occupying the focal scenery of the small garden.
Delicate branches cast shadows aslant over clear shallow water;
secret fragrance floats lightly in the moonlit dusk.
How can I transform my body into millions,
each enjoying the blossom by a plum tree.
Yuwen Yue, as the fourth young master of the Yuwen household often read Chinese Classical poetry books, recalled about the wordless poetry by Wang An Shi and the house of Plum Blossoms in resemblance to his life:
méi huā
梅花
[sòng] wáng ān shí
[宋]王安石
qiáng jiǎo shù zhī méi ，
墙角数枝梅，
líng hán dú zì kāi 。
凌寒独自开。
yáo zhī bú shì xuě ，
遥知不是雪，
wèi yǒu àn xiāng lái 。
为有暗香来。
Plum Blossoms
By Wang Anshi (Song Dynasty)
At a wall corner some plum trees grow;
Alone against cold white blossoms blow.
Aloof one knows they aren’t the snow,
As faint through air soft fragrances flow.
The power of the plum blossoms cast in the field of Higanbana flowers dramatically turned off the Urshan’s trickling hot tattoos over his face and neck.
The underworld Urshan transformed into a godly being allowing Yuwen Yue to meet Tracker once again.
Like a turn back of time, Tracker’s body was slowly restored through the Urshan godly being. He was given a chance not to betray his Mimi Gongzhu and to fulfill his last words to his Master Yuwen Yue.
They met once again and saw each other’s faces. Yuwen Yue smirked and said: “What did I tell you when you were still alive?”
Tracker back to his human senses told his Master, “You said once because I may need to stop doing betrayal one day and You may need to harm the underworld when You force my loyalty to be displayed to you. And it is happening now.
I am here in front of you. And I have a gift for you Master!”
Tracker used his finger and pointed it to a distance.
Suddenly aCangwu bird is flying from the Plum blossom rain towards where Yuwen Yue stands.
It landed onto his shoulders picking his dress.
Yuwen Yue suddenly can utter the words he said: “Xie Xie, I owe you my Cangwu.”
Tracker bowed to Yuwen Yue and said: “Master Brother, I owe you my life and this moment. I shall usher you to the Mimi Gongzhu.”
Tracker started to move the ancient Chinese boat fetch Yuwen Yue from the other side of the Forgotten River.
Scarface stood and closed the Underworld gate and looked at the two divine beings paddling through the water path.
He silently uttered in his thoughts: “May you win the favor of the winds and the clouds in your hands.”
Tracker sailed through the waters and Yuwen Yue is standing behind him. In another space and time, like a hidden territory in the water realms, they arrived at the Ersatz realm.
Tracker stopped the sailing and the boat was suspended in the vast mirror of the lake’n sky.
There is no living thing that can be seen except for the undisturbed water mirroring the sky.
One cannot tell the difference but can see the reflection of its face.
However, facing the endless horizon, the Cangwu bird tweeted and uttered: “Seagulls, Swans, Seagulls.”
As soon as Yuwen Yue landed in its shores, many seagulls flew. While the swans continued to swim in the lake and painted the perfect, beautiful scenery.
In the blink of an eye, the Urshan came back to the boat while Tracker bowed again then slowly faded in Yuwen Yue’s sight.
No farewells but the memory lasted for a lifetime. Yuwen Yue finally waived his hands.
The Urshan did not react to Yuwen Yue but told in the gush of winds: Whatever your questions are, I hope you already got your answers.
Yuwen Yue feeling the impulse of the wind, his mind reading through it he responded back in his thoughts.
“Already got an answer. Be at peace.”
Yuwen Yue took out Poe Yue Jian sword and bestowed it through the waters.
An endless horizon suddenly showed in their sight.
The Urshan sailed through the winds and entered the horizon until it went out of sight.
“Once you enter the Ersatz realm, there is no time nor space. Void of any emotions, no entrance or exit. It is a place where only the present lives.”
“There is no past or future, nor memory does exist.”
From his ears, he listened to the Master of Kungfu of Ice like he just heard it close to his ears. Yuwen Yue knew he is fighting a battle he can’t win.
Yuwen Yue’s enlightened human form is slowly turning on and off like a bulb.
He looked at his palms and he seems to see traces of his human hands back to its original form. He is not afraid but hopes to find a solution. He started to walk to the endless sands of time.
Not knowing where to go, there is no guide to follow.
The Cangwu bird, like its master, transformed to its enlightened form but around his eyes already showing some weariness.
Yuwen Yue took the bird from his shoulders and put it in his Kam sleeves to protect the bird from weariness.
A sudden sandstorm came to block its sight and Yuwen Yue quickly closed his eyes used his hands in superb and excellent coordination, the bow and arrows steady and ready to fire a downward angle. He took down a single scorpion.
Yuwen Yue still closed eyes, works by his sense of hearing, ten times sharper than the usual, he heard another batch of scorpions crawling on the sands.
The Kungfu of ice once told him.
“If you exhaust the winds, your arrows will not be that strong. Use your sword but do not let any bite from scorpions drag you to death. Keep your eyes closed or fear will have a grip on your soul.”
Yuwen Yue freed more arrows continued to shoot at a downward angle, and suddenly finds an empty Quiver at his back.
Ran out of arrows, he can only use the sword as the last weapon of defense. He does not know where the Scorpions are coming from but it meant to test his sight, feeling only the impulse of the trade winds but tempted to open it.
Eventually, giving into temptation, he opened his eyes, sees the scorpions crawling as many as the sands.
The first scorpion crept into his veins, this stung in his feet turns off a portion of his enlightened form. The second, third stung and so forth…
Until he can no longer hold on. His light is dying but his sword remains untouched.
Suddenly three sounds of an arrow are whistling away trailing the scorpions as many as the sands.
An endless fire brilliance of golden hot arrows came to burn the scorpions on the ground. Yuwen Yue’s body was spared but he is slowly returning to his human form but there is fire all around.
The master of Kungfu of Ice said: Once you lose your godly form, your body will pass out like you never existed. When it happens, you are forever trapped in the Ersatz realm.
The will of your mind will determine your outcome, you must not face oblivion before you see it coming in your own sight.
Chu Qiao continued to shoot endless fire arrows.
And when everything was set on fire, she walked at the middle to find the godly man lying in the sand, a circle of protection was formed.
The Poe Yue Jian sword was inserted in the ground just before Yuwen Yue dropped to the sand. Looking through his dreamy eyes, he tried to capture every moment but his eyes are slowly getting hazy.
He saw a woman dressed in white with a cloak wrapped around its head and half of its face.
He thinks he lost himself forever.
“Xinger…is this you…Xinger…answer me.”
A helpless groan came from Yuwen Yue’s lips, he is not going to close his eyes.
Yet, do not want to lose this moment or even break a stare for the most beautiful woman approaching him.
Yuwen Yue took the wooden flask from his Kam sleeves and put it in his palm he said: “I have no time, but this will heal yourchibi. Take it.”
Abandoning himself, he is slowly disappearing. Yuwen Yue’s body being engulfed by unblinding light is like slowly turning off. Yuwen Yue finally reached out his Poe Yue Jian sword.
Chu Qiao heard and looked at Yuwen Yue’s body. He is fading like a memory in front of her. Chu Qiao said: “You don’t understand.”
Yuwen Yue still have little time left found the words to speak he said: “If this is the only way for me to save you, I must do. See you in a better place…”
Chu Qiao reached out Yuwen Yue’s hand but he slowly turned invisible until he can no longer be seen. No Poe Yue Jian sword, no Cangwu bird and Yuwen Yue gone out of sight.
Her bitter teardrops fell.
As soon as the teardrops fell, the fires all around were turned off and the mirror of the lake’n sky was clear when suddenly the Urshan is sailing towards her.
The Urshan reached where Chu Qiao stood, he stepped out of the ancient Chinese dragon boat he said.
“He is trapped forever. He has been warned.”
Chu Qiao asked he Urshan: “Can I turn back time?”
The Urshan walked in circles and said: “You can do anything. You are the leader of the wind and cloud decree but there are consequences. To replace him, you must exchange yourself and you will be trapped in this realm forever.
Chu Qiao sighed and said: “He must know I gained back my memories. I remember him.”
The Urshan said: “There is another way if you are willing.”
“What is it?” Asked by Chu Qiao there is a curiosity in the tone of her voice.
The clouds quickly moved by the trade winds, misty forests and mossy grounds, all living things came to move in the surface. To the dust and dew, the springtime has come.
Chapter 79
Chain of memories
In the soft morning light, Chu Qiao finds herself in a timeless space. She looks at a peasant girl sitting with a chair and table in the middle of a green field.
The green fields sway in the wind, and the peasant girl notices her.
With a formal expression, the girl welcomes the leader of the wind and cloud decree, but at her small table and the empty chair beside it, she continues her work.
Chu Qiao walks toward the peasant girl, and when she is closer, she sees what the peasant girl is working on. Chu Qiao says, “I came here to ask for your intervention.”
“How could I possibly help Mimi Gongzhu?” the peasant girl asks.
“There is a man named Yuwen Yue,” Chu Qiao says, looking at the green field as her eyes fill with tears.
“And why would the Mimi Gongzhu care for this man?” The peasant girl continues working on the wooden table.
Chu Qiao’s lips want to say more, but she finds herself empty of words. Instead, she simply says, “I am asking for a favor to rewrite this man’s destiny in exchange for this…”
Suddenly, Chu Qiao is lifted into the air, slowly performing the wind and cloud decree with the movements of her hands.
Her back trickles with fire, sending small sparks of an ancient flower. The Oracle of the Higanbana flower swirls endlessly in the air, inscribed with many Chinese characters.
The beauty and fragrance of the flower drift from her back and, suspended in mid-air, form the red Higanbana flower.
“You’re giving up your powers to the underworld realms to save him?” the peasant girl asks.
“No. I am offering it to open another chance for the man named Yuwen Yue,” Chu Qiao replies, still suspended in her divine-like figure while the Higanbana flower floats in the air.
“Is he worth it?” The peasant girl begins aligning and carving white rectangular marble stones on the table.
“If it is worthy to do so, then yes,” Chu Qiao says softly.
“The leader of the cloud and decree is the only one who can handle both powers of darkness and light. Do you accept the consequences?”
“Even if I must face oblivion,” Chu Qiao replies.
The peasant girl picks up the white marbles and throws them into the air. They gently float up, covering the Higanbana flower. The girl reads the new Oracle: “The Qinghai Prince will be restored to the human realm. So it shall be done.”
At her words, the remaining white marbles form a line in the air. A light begins to imprint on each stone.
Another Oracle is uttered to the wind: “The Mimi Gongzhu who abandons her powers will pursue the subject of her will. She will be given a quarter of the Ersatz divine incense. If the time runs out, she will face oblivion and be forever trapped in the Ersatz realm. Do you accept?”
Without hesitation, Chu Qiao casts her words to the wind: “I accept.”
“The decree is now sealed.”
This world has never been an easy place.
As the dew of the morning drops, everyone expects to meet a new beginning.
After three years, the Moon Kingdom sleeps like an abandoned child, while the Qinghai Empire expands its influence over the Ximeng Continent.
Grand preparations have been made for the royal state visit of the Qinghai Crown Prince. Every hotel around Liang State has been booked for the royal entourage.
Every street corner is blocked, and no one can pass except the royal guards.
Tons of Qinghai goods have been shipped in long caravans crossing the Liang State borders.
Baskets of flowers were showered on the aisle of Jinwu Palace as the Qinghai Crown Prince walked toward the Liang Throne.
After exchanging royal gestures and courtesies, Xiao Ce warmly greeted an old and familiar face.
This time, instead of a masked prince, the Qinghai Crown Prince revealed his face to everyone, breaking the customs and protocols of the Qinghai Empire.
The neighboring Wei State was shocked and felt threatened, but they secretly formed alliances with the Qinghai Crown Prince.
Meanwhile, Yanbei remained indifferent and found the situation amusing. The King of Yanbei remarked, “Yuwen Yue, how many lives do you have left?”
Xiao Ce squinted his foxy eyes and said, “Hello, my old friend. How’s everything?”
Ra Yue, with his usual cold and serious expression, replied, “Am I really that old of a friend? We only met when you visited the Qinghai Empire.”
Xiao Ce smirked and said, “You can never be too old with good friends. And today is my lucky day because you accepted my invitation to visit Liang State. Besides pretty girls, what can I offer you? How can I please you? Tell me.”
Ra Yue, aware of the Liang Emperor’s easygoing yet cunning reputation, replied, “May I take advantage of your majesty’s kindness by visiting Xue Fu Street?”
Xiao Ce’s eyes widened like an owl’s, and he said, “Of all the riches and pretty girls I can offer, why ask for Xue Fu Street? Is there something special about that place?”
Xiao Ce’s curiosity was piqued, while Ra Yue squinted his eyes and said, “I once heard a story about a deposed Queen who lived with the Empress-to-be of the Liang Empire.”
Xiao Ce swallowed hard before responding, “And I once heard about a prince from a land of defectors and criminals who lost his memory when he entered the Moon Kingdom and left the surreal realms.”
Ra Yue, dismissing the comment, said, “Besides Qinghai, there is no Moon Kingdom or surreal realms.”
The corners of Xiao Ce’s eyes became even foxier as he replied, “Really? Look at me. I’m alive because of it.”
Ra Yue thought this Emperor was out of his mind and wanted to brush off Xiao Ce’s half-serious jokes, so he said, “When you find one, invite me. I’ll be sure to come.”
Meanwhile, Chu Qiao had just returned from the mountain temple, where she prayed, when she encountered a royal envoy passing by. Mei Xiang, dressed in fine white satin with her head and face covered by a white veil, and Ping’An, dressed in brown sackcloth like a pauper, bowed to the ground. Chu Qiao slowly pulled her hood over her head, letting the taupe veil cover her face as she knelt.
The royal envoy didn’t recognize Chu Qiao and her companions, passing by as though they were strangers. Chu Qiao felt somewhat relieved, but her thoughts returned to the memory of the wind and cloud decree, remembering the quarter incense of the Ersatz realm.
Suddenly, the royal passenger felt a chill. He slowly pulled back the curtain of the palanquin to glance at the roadside, but by then, the three figures were already far in the distance. His cold eyes squinted as if he wanted to command the envoy to stop and check the strangers.
Yue Qi, noticing the Qinghai Crown Prince’s glance, tapped his horse and rode beside the palanquin window. “Your Highness, is something wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” came a soft, cold voice.
Yue Qi was about to move away when the Qinghai Crown Prince suddenly said, “Turn back. We must catch up with them!”
Though Chu Qiao’s powers had disintegrated within her, her sharp senses remained intact. She could still sense whether danger or threats were real. She quickly tapped Mei Xiang’s shoulder and said, “They’re coming back toward us. Stay put and be alert. Ping’An, don’t move unless I draw my sword.”
The royal envoy swiftly turned their prime horses around, galloping toward the three, who continued walking as if nothing were amiss.
Yue Qi shouted, “Stop!”
Yet the three figures continued walking, fearlessly.
Yue Qi halted his horse, and the horses of the envoy behind him kicked up dust as they stopped. From his position, Yue Qi drew an arrow from his quiver, pulled the bowstring taut, and released it, the arrow trailing a rainbow-like path through the air.
Swoosh…
Chu Qiao suddenly stopped walking, her palms twitching.
Although they appeared unarmed, Yue Qi knew better than to underestimate these kinds of unexpected intruders. His horse charged toward the three as he prepared to inspect them.
Suddenly, the leaves by the roadside began to sway, and the sound alerted Chu Qiao’s senses, causing her veins to swell as her palms readied for a kill.
Yue Qi focused on the woman covered with a white veil over her head and face. He had already marked her as a target. Now, the situation grew hostile as he moved to kidnap the lady in white.
Chu Qiao didn’t panic, and Ping’An remained calm as well. Both continued walking ahead, listening to the approaching footsteps from behind—heavy, cold, and ominous.
Yuwen Yue stepped down from the palanquin and approached Yue Qi. “Is this really a coincidence or an intruder spy?” he asked.
At the right moment, Chu Qiao leaped into action, springing into the air to protect Mei Xiang. Her sword slashed through the air, shocking the entire envoy. Time seemed to freeze as Yuwen Yue drew his Poe Yue Jian sword and countered the strike from Chu Qiao’s Canhong sword.
Yuwen Yue realized that the girl in white was merely a decoy.
The howling wind echoed in Yuwen Yue’s ears as the two swords clashed. The sound triggered long-buried memories—fragments of the Greenhills courtyard, the Eyes of God, the Wei Empire, and forgotten episodes from his past.
Blow after blow flashed before the onlookers’ eyes, but no one dared to interfere. Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao continued to spar, their swords moving as if they were not battling but engaged in a deadly dance. Their martial arts complemented one another, each move balanced by the other.
Yuwen Yue, sensing that this was a battle he could not win, eventually halted. He turned to Yue Qi and said, “Release her. We will meet again.”
The Qinghai men, exhausted and aching, dropped their swords, which were neatly piled up. Meanwhile, Ping’An clapped his hands with an innocent expression, as if he had nothing to do with the fight. The job was done.
Chu Qiao, with her hood still covering her head, looked down and said, “When we meet again, you will remember.”
Ra Yue, without looking at her, replied coldly, “Who am I supposed to remember?”
Chu Qiao heard the chilling words, and they pierced her heart like a haunting pain. Time was running out, and the danger loomed closer. How would this cold man ever recognize her before the incense of time ran out, dooming her to be trapped forever in the Ersatz realm?
Later, Xiao Ce eagerly welcomed the Qinghai Crown Prince to a tea ceremony in a gazebo overlooking a pond. The maids meticulously arranged everything, making the scene feel like a glimpse into the past.
Ra Yue found himself gazing at the lotus flowers scattered across the man-made lake. Suddenly, one lotus slowly unfolded its petals, and he was stunned. “Why do I feel like I’ve seen this before?” he thought to himself.
“Ahem…”
Xiao Ce gave a fake cough, ready to play games. Clapping his hands, he signaled for a puppet show to begin in the middle of the Chinese gazebo pond.
The puppet show started, and Ra Yue turned to watch. The puppets danced, telling a story of two lovers who had forgotten each other. Xiao Ce glanced at Ra Yue and said, “Are you going to stand there forever?”
“No,” Ra Yue replied in a short, bland voice.
“Then come over here so we can watch together,” Xiao Ce said, giving him a flirty smile.
Ra Yue, aiming to please his host, responded, “You never fail to surprise.”
Ra Yue walked from the open corridor toward the gazebo pond, with his envoy following behind. The two men watched the show in silence, but Ra Yue showed no hint of emotion. Inside, however, memories flickered like a candle, small sparks igniting his thoughts. He gave Xiao Ce no chance to see into his soul. Meanwhile, Xiao Ce, already thinking ahead, asked, “Yuwen Yue, how was your trip to Xue Fu Street?”
Ra Yue responded, “Is that what you wish to call me during my state visit to Liang? Who is Yuwen Yue?”
“Oh, my brother, you don’t wish to remember your true identity? Have you forgotten all about the Wei Empire?” Xiao Ce teased with a smile.
Yuwen Yue stared at him for a moment and said, “Are you referring to the heir of the Eyes of God?”
“Oh! Thank goodness you remember!” Xiao Ce said, throwing him a sly glance.
Ra Yue smirked and said, “I used it to my advantage to expand my influence in the Wei Empire. It has been useful. They truly believe I am Yuwen Yue, the lost heir to the Eyes of God. No one dares to question it. But I refuse to indulge the Yuwen family’s illusions in the Wei Empire any longer, or they will perish.”
“A Trojan horse, eh? You walked into their empire, and they were stunned to see your face, but they had no idea what to expect from you!” Xiao Ce laughed, teasing Yuwen Yue even more.
Yuwen Yue shot a glare at Xiao Ce and replied, “I haven’t changed?”
Xiao Ce sighed deeply, as if preparing to tell a long story. “The fourth young master of the Yuwen household was always the coldest and most indifferent of all. He had eyes but chose not to see, ears but chose not to hear, a heart but chose not to love. They used to call him ‘Master Ice Cube.’ They thought it would be better for him to drown in an icy lake than to live, denying his family and Xinger.”
“Xinger?” A bell seemed to ring in Ra Yue’s mind.
“Yes, Xinger!” Xiao Ce continued, oblivious to the effect his words had on Ra Yue.
Ra Yue paused and asked, “Why should I remember this name Xinger?”
Yue Qi leaned in close and whispered, “Your Highness, Xinger was Master Yuwen Yue’s agent of sacrifice. She was personally trained by the heir of the Eyes of God. There are many stories if you wish to hear them.”
Ra Yue understood but replied, “Yue Qi, I appreciate your help, but don’t elaborate unless I command you to do so. No offense should be taken literally tonight.”
Yue Qi, feeling ashamed, returned to his post, standing straight and emotionless. He hadn’t meant to offend his master, but he feared he had not been helpful either.
Xiao Ce, reclaiming the moment, waved his hand to end the puppet show. “Very well. As the puppet show concludes, let’s begin the banquet early. Tonight, I am your extravagant host, the master showman. Who knows what surprises I’ve prepared for you?”
Ra Yue whispered to himself, “Is there anything good that could come from this?”
Out loud, he said, “Let’s start the banquet early so we can also end it early. The Qinghai men look tired and need rest.”
Xiao Ce squinted his eyes with a sly smile. “We haven’t even started the day, and the Qinghai men are already tired? They haven’t even had the chance to enjoy Liang’s finest women yet! Where’s the vigor? Ha ha ha!”
Xiao Ce laughed heartily, but the Qinghai envoy remained serious, unmoved by the Emperor’s joke.
Ra Yue, unable to ignore the joke, said, “We didn’t know Liang’s Xue Fu Street was full of decoys. We were caught by a woman in burlap sackcloth who fought with the martial arts skills of a civet cat. The Qinghai men had to unsheathe their swords for a little while.”
“Oh! You mean the black cat, the white fairy, and the pauper boy?! You met the weeds along the road and got pricked by their thorns! What did you do, or should I ask what they did to you?” Xiao Ce laughed even louder.
Ra Yue asked, “What? You sent them as an advance party to clear our path?”
Xiao Ce responded, “Treacherous paths are the civet cat’s playground. You are alive because she chose for you to live.”
Still laughing, Xiao Ce walked away from the gazebo pond, followed by his maids and eunuchs. Ra Yue glanced coldly at Yue Qi.
Yue Qi didn’t react, silently following his master, though he remembered Ra Yue’s words.
“Have Zuo Zong investigate the woman in burlap sackcloth with martial arts skills like a civet cat. I want to remember her from now on.”
Xiao Ce and Ra Yue arrived at the banquet. The Emperor and the Qinghai Crown Prince faced a different audience now—Prime Ministers, Elders, the Royal Liang Council, and other branches of the Liang government, all gathered to honor their guests.
Sun Di, standing not far from Xiao Ce, spoke: “Before our banquet begins tonight, may I have the honor of presenting Liang’s finest musicians and dancers to welcome our esteemed guest, the Qinghai Crown Prince Ra Yue.”
The musical performers began to form a line, bowing to the royal guests. What caught the audience’s attention the most was theBianzhong, an ancient Chinese musical instrument consisting of a set of bronze bells played melodically. Hung on a wooden frame, it was struck slowly with a mallet, filling the air with a deep, resonant sound.
This wasn’t Ra Yue’s first time witnessing such an ancient performance. As the graceful hands struck the bells, the melody unfurled like the opening petals of flowers, and a group of finely dressed women dancers emerged onto the stage.
They stood like statues of Greek gods, posing as if no one was allowed to breathe, waiting for the star dancer of the night.
The women were draped in satin fabric, covering their heads with what must have been expensive silk, and a fragrance filled the air, enhancing the atmosphere of the banquet. Their eyes were adorned with pearls and luminous powder, causing them to glimmer in the dim light, though their faces remained mostly hidden.
Ra Yue, unmoved so far, finally had his attention captured when the lights were dimmed, leaving only a single spotlight illuminating the stage. Suddenly, plum blossoms began to rain down from above.
An expensive silk rope descended in the center of the stage, and from it, a beautiful woman, with a perfect figure, held on tightly as she gracefully lowered herself. Sparkles of light shimmered around her as the audience stared in awe, entranced by her entrance.
Like an angel descending fromQians(heaven) to earth, her face glowed beneath an expensive, silverish Kashmiri silk hood. The entire audience stood mesmerized by her grand entrance.
Even Ra Yue, cold as ice, couldn’t resist stealing a glance at the woman. As the music of theBianzhongplayed, she began to dance, moving her hands and feet with grace, her body arching perfectly, blending her motions with martial arts poses. Her face remained mysterious, a phantom of the night.
With no doubt in her heart, she aimed to capture the attention of the cold man in front of her, who stared back indifferently.
Yuwen Yue’s memories sparked with each strike of theBianzhongbells. The woman’s presence unsettled him, stirring long-buried memories.
Distorted fragments of the past flashed before his eyes—like a fading dream, they lingered briefly before vanishing, like smoke from incense.
He felt upset, but deep down, his heart was being pulled apart by the dance of this jade-skinned beauty before him. Her fragrance and her moves weren’t merely artistic—they were reminiscent of his own martial arts training, the empire, and long-forgotten nights in a bed filled with plum blossom incense smoke.
Unable to resist the thoughts, Yuwen Yue turned to the Emperor beside him and said, “The woman in burlap sackcloth earlier said I must remember something.”
Xiao Ce, lost in intoxication and the performance, was momentarily distracted. “What do you have to remember?” he asked, his voice distant.
Ra Yue replied, “She is the woman we encountered earlier on Xue Fu Street—her martial arts were as quick and sharp as a civet cat.”
Xiao Ce, still drinking wine, snorted with amusement. “Oh? Was she really that aggressive?”
Without looking away from the performance, Xiao Ce continued, “A hair like Rapunzel, a face like an angel, and a belly like a whore.”
Ra Yue, shocked, checked the Emperor’s sanity. “Is she a whore?” he asked in disbelief.
Xiao Ce, his silver tongue loosened by the wine, winked at Ra Yue and said, “In Liang State, calling a woman’s belly like a whore is a compliment, not an insult.”
The woman continued her martial arts-infused dance, but soon, she faded from sight.
Yuwen Yue strained to see her again, but she was gone, leaving him with a feeling of regret.
A new dancer appeared, and the scene shifted. This time, a sword was displayed in the spotlight at the center of the stage. The music changed to a sorrowful tune, and the star dancer re-emerged, her face now revealed, though her head remained covered.
Rather than dancing, she took the sword and began an exquisite, hair-raising swordplay.
Yuwen Yue was captivated, watching her hands and feet move in perfect coordination. He closed his eyes, mentally following her movements, and when he opened them, the woman was standing directly in front of him.
She spoke softly, “You must remember.”
Her words struck him like an echo from the past, and he was lost again in a daze, unsure if this was reality or a dream. He murmured, “If I must remember, you will soon forget.”
Chu Qiao, her brows creased, threw her sword into the air, stunning the audience. She caught it effortlessly on the other side and said, “I can remember anything. Test me!”
Yuwen Yue, perhaps pretending to be deaf to her words, whispered, “Whether you like it or not, you will fall for me before you even know it.”
Chu Qiao, hearing his words like music in her ears, responded, “Never let me fall, for if I do, I will make you regret it.”
Yuwen Yue, cold as ice, replied, “Then make me regret it, because I would like to see you fall.”
Chu Qiao sighed, “You never learn.”
Without hesitation, she snatched Yuwen Yue’sPoe Yue Jiansword, taking it from the cold and handsome crown prince, who remained calm and unbothered by her boldness.
His calm voice spoke slowly, “This is truly offensive, my lady. But tonight, I will show you how you can fall, because you always forget why you fell in the first place.”
Chu Qiao, hearing the double meaning in his words, realized that Ra Yue, the Qinghai Crown Prince, seemed to knowXingerfor a long time.
She replied, “If I’ve forgotten, why must I make you remember?”
Yuwen Yue stared at her beautiful face, his cold eyes blinking, speechless for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak, but Chu Qiao interrupted, “The walls have ears, illegal channels.”
Yuwen Yue, upset but still cold, engaged her in a fight using their martial arts and swordplay.
The audience, in awe, watched the spectacle, amazed by the ancientJiansword techniques.
Some murmured, “It cannot be! Wow! It’s like watching our ancestors come to life.”
Eventually, Chu Qiao slowed her movements, allowing Yuwen Yue to tap her left wrist, causing her veins to swell. She lost her grip on theCanhongsword, but before it hit the ground, Yuwen Yue swiftly caught it.
To end the short battle and please the audience, Yuwen Yue bowed before them, then before Chu Qiao.
With the conduct of a cold gentleman, he handed theCanhongsword back to her in exchange for thePoe Yue Jiansword.
It wasn’t a gesture of surrender, but rather a silent acknowledgment of the stalemate between them.
Chu Qiao bowed to the Qinghai Crown Prince, then kowtowed, returning thePoe Yue Jiansword.
Xiao Ce clapped, and the stunned audience of Liang’s nobles followed his lead, applauding in amazement.
As she left, Chu Qiao whispered, “Don’t forget you own aCangwubird, a lodge in the heart of the forest, and an empty cenotaph.”
Yuwen Yue gave her a cold look, taking the sword and walking away as if deaf to her words.
His steps were heavy, weighed down by the emotions stirring in his heart. He suddenly remembered: “Different scene, but why does this feel like it’s happened before?”
Chu Qiao watched his back with a painful gaze before taking herCanhongsword and disappearing from view.
The two parted, burdened with the awakening of unfinished business.
Meanwhile, at the borders of Liang and Wei, a master swordsman was sharpening his blade outside his barracks.
Suddenly, the cages ofCangwubirds fluttered as a handsome man leaped from the high trees, striking at the old man.
Despite his age, the master’s experience spoke for itself. With ease, he defended himself against the fierce attack, the two shadows dancing in swordplay amidst the cold morning mist.
As the mist revealed their familiar faces, the old man spoke, “You’ve taken off your mask, yet you remain unseen.”
The old master sheathed his sword, sat down, and lit a small roll of tobacco.
Yuwen Yue sheathed his own sword and replied, “Is it wrong to teach my enemies the lesson they deserve?”
The old master chuckled. “Why teach them lessons they’ll use against you?”
“I don’t teach them to learn. I teach them to straighten their crooked paths,” Yuwen Yue said, gazing at the misty mountains.
The old master puffed his tobacco. “After they fed your fake body to the foxes and denounced your name, why not just kill them?”
“Death is too easy,” Yuwen Yue replied. “I cannot forget the suffering they’ve caused.”
The old man smirked as a bird’s whistle echoed through the morning mist.
Recap of Qinghai Empire…
Meanwhile, in Qinghai, Queen Zhejue rejoiced at the reports from her spies that the Moon Kingdom was on the brink of extinction, soon to be just a memory.
With Crown Prince Ra Yue’s return from Liang, a decree was about to be passed, finalizing the plan to eradicate the Moon Kingdom and disprove its prophecies.
Ra Yue, however, was playing a different game. He had been working in reverse, concealing his true intentions and making difficult-to-read moves to outsmart Queen Zhejue.
As the King of Qinghai remained an absentee ruler, Ra Yue realized that his curse was irreversible.
If the Moon Kingdom fell to ashes, his father’s body would rot. Ra Yue whispered, “Everything in Qinghai is ruthless and enchanted. The impossible becomes possible.”
“You must not forget, the Moon Kingdom is the key to the lost Qinghai power,” whispered Ra Zheng, his secret spy hidden in the shadows.
Lan Shuyi knelt with her face hidden beneath a dark cloak. She spoke, “I’ve seen Jianghu spies gathering, led by none other than Zhong Yu. It seems they are protecting a child named Huan Huan.”
Ra Zheng, intrigued, leaned forward. “Who is he?” he asked.
“She is not a ‘he,’ my lord,” Lan Shuyi replied, her tone short and precise.
Ra Zheng stood up, gently taking hold of Lan Shuyi’s delicate face. “Why are you giving me this thrill?” he asked.
Lan Shuyi looked back at him and said, “Huan Huan is very mysterious, my lord. They say she was raised by the Datong Way. What I know is that she’s very close to Wu Dao Ya, whom she looks to as a father figure after King Yan Shicheng’s death.”
“You’ve been clever and useful in kidnapping Xiao Ba, but you still can’t uncover anything about this Huan Huan?” Ra Zheng smirked, continuing, “If I were to reveal your son Hao’Er’s whereabouts, would you then find a way to break the Jianghu spies’ secrets or infiltrate the Datong Way?”
“My lord, Crown Princess Xiao Ba is an easy target. She’s no problem at all.”
“You say that because you don’t know her as I do,” Ra Zheng said. “I’ve seen her suffer in the cold-blooded empire of Wei. She hides immense pain in her heart and loves a man who’s already lost his head. That man only sees a shadow of a ghost in her. I can’t bear it.” Ra Zheng took a sip from his teacup, its gold finish glinting in the dim light.
Lan Shuyi was taken aback by this revelation. She sensed a deep care in Ra Zheng, Qinghai’s Silver Prince.
The kidnapping was not a crime driven by greed or violence. Ra Zheng had planned to steal Xiao Ba away from the Wei Empire, with Lan Shuyi orchestrating the abduction while Ra Zheng played the hero, rescuing the damsel princess.
Before Xiao Ba could suspect that it was all a charade, Ra Zheng whisked her away after she was pricked with a sleeping needle on the night of her abduction.
Ra Zheng left no room for mistakes.
He ordered his Qinghai men to stage the crime scene meticulously, ensuring that Great Summer would mourn the second loss of the Crown Princess of the Wei Empire.
Before the royal palanquin departed, he spoke to Lan Shuyi.
“Your ex-husband, the Emperor of Great Summer, will fall this time. With the second loss of a crown princess, the Crown Prince will not recover, and unrest will stir among his people. This is sweet revenge.”
The next day, a young maidservant entered Xiao Ba’s royal residence, offering, “Good morning, Princess. Would you like a cup of tea?”
An older maidservant, around fifty years old, followed with a serious expression, whispering, “What’s so good about the morning?”
Xiao Ba didn’t respond but asked, “How long am I to stay here? I want to return to my empire. My Crown Prince, Yuan Song, must be worried about me.”
Two pairs of eyes observed the beautiful princess as she stared longingly from her window. The eunuch behind her whispered, “The lady says she wants to return to the Wei Empire, and the Crown Prince is surely worried.”
Ra Zheng, overhearing this, grew upset. He slammed his fist against the wall, walking briskly out of the room.
The young maidservant, sensing the princess’s loneliness, said softly, “When the time is right, the Silver Prince of Qinghai will meet you.”
“Meet who? Silver Prince?” Xiao Ba asked, her curiosity piqued.
The older maidservant responded sarcastically, “You don’t need to know. You should be grateful to your savior instead of thinking about someone who doesn’t care about you!”
Those last words hit Xiao Ba like a dagger to her heart, and her face grew gloomy.
Ra Zheng, consumed by jealousy over Yuan Song, called to his servants, “Bring my bow and arrows! Now!”
The servants, eager to please the Silver Prince, hurried to remove his princely garments and dress him in his warrior armor. Minutes later, Ra Zheng emerged, his face still handsome but now hardened with fury, like a predator ready to hunt.
The old eunuch bowed and said, “My lord, isn’t it time to meet your familiar guest from childhood?”
Ra Zheng, fastening the last of his armor, snapped, “No!”
The eunuch, unaffected by Ra Zheng’s outburst, calmly replied, “You have all the time in the world, my lord.”
Ra Zheng mounted the prime horses waiting in the palace corridors, followed by his royal guards as they rode to the royal garrison.
His chest pounded as he held his breath and then released a silver arrow with a perfect arc.
“Missed!”
A deep male voice echoed through the woods, and a man wearing velvet red hunting garments stepped out, standing atop his panting horse.
The startled hare bolted away.
“Who invited you to disturb my hunt?” Ra Zheng demanded coldly, loading another arrow and pointing it at Ra Zhun’s horse.
Ra Zhun, feeling the thrill in his veins, responded, “Do you think you’re challenging a beginner?”
“No,” Ra Zheng replied icily, “I’m challenging a weak spot, my color-blind brother.”
Ra Zhun loved wearing red, but he had been born with a curse that made him unable to distinguish between yellow, red, and brown. Every day, he trained his eyes to see by wearing these colors, hoping to cure his affliction.
With a playful tone, Ra Zhun said, “Oh, you’ve noticed my improvement, brother! You don’t want to try me!”
Mockery filled the air, and Ra Zheng, consumed by jealousy and frustration, released another silver arrow.
The Velvet Prince of Qinghai leaped into the air, his two PersianShamshirswords flashing. With agility, he spurred his horse into a fast run, rejecting the silver arrows with expert precision, just inches from piercing his chest.
“Impressive!” Ra Zheng mocked, still unwilling to let his brother grow too confident. “Close to death, yet you survive.”
Ra Zhun, annoyed by the mockery, replied, “You praise me, yet insult me even more. What is it you truly want?”
Ra Zhun flung several small daggers in a spiraling pattern toward Ra Zheng, forcing him to leap from his horse. With a graceful flip, Ra Zheng tumbled back into the air.
A loud crack signaled a tree collapsing nearby, cut at its bark. The royal guards scattered from their defensive positions.
Ra Zheng laughed heartily. “Oh, my brother! This is child’s play! Look what you’ve done—poor pine tree!”
Ra Zhun, pleased with his handiwork, replied, “What’s done is done. I had no choice.”
Ra Zheng’s voice softened, but his words remained sharp. “You don’t need to force nature to suffer your damage! Is this what Father’s training in the Persian Empire has taught you? It’s disappointing!”
Ra Zhun, absorbing the criticism, laughed. “Are you jealous or angry because Father prefers me? Your hunting skills are outdated. The old ways don’t match my new methods!”
“Don’t be too sure of yourself,” Ra Zheng retorted. “The ancient ways are tried and true. They’ve stood the test of time. Don’t underestimate them.”
Whistling, Ra Zheng called for his horse.
“I am the future, and you are the past,” Ra Zhun teased. “I’m moving forward, while you’re stuck rewinding. What good will that do you?”
Both brothers whistled for their horses, which came obediently to their sides.
Meanwhile, Queen Zhejue of Qinghai, as radiant as the rising sun, was seen bathing in the pool of light. The pool, shaped like the human eye, had a thin line separating hot and cold water. Below was a cone-like structure mounted on the diamond-shaped tiles of the Queen’s palace.
It was said that anyone who swam too deep into the cone never returned.
Rumor had it that the Queen’s lover, a merman, had been imprisoned in the pool for his unfaithfulness after returning to Qinghai with another woman. The tale, however, was her twisted version of the punishment she’d inflicted on the King of Qinghai. To this day, her heart remained bitter, and her thirst for revenge unquenchable.
Behind her mask of grace, Queen Zhejue harbored a desire to conquer the entire Ximeng continent. She believed Ra Yue, the son of the Qinghai King, was her key to success, thinking they were both cold and ruthless enough to unite the fractured tribal and political factions.
Only Qinghai would remain strong and standing.
The Qinghai Empire had not recovered since the King was cursed, his body barely alive after the Moon Kingdom’s fall.
The celestial warfare had ended with the Yuwen bloodline hailed as heroes, and the Jianghu spies defeated. The half-bred underworld spies had taken on different roles, but the ruins still held the cursed King in limbo, unable to die or live in peace.
The curse could only be broken with thePoe Yue Jiansword and theBroken Moon Sword.
It was said that the true beauty of pain can only be realized when the door to happiness is finally opened.
Reports of Jianghu Spies
A group of spies gathered in a secret cave nestled in the farthest steppes of the snow-capped mountains of Yanbei. Each spy dropped a snow paper into a stone pot suspended above a star-shaped fireplace.
The leader hadn’t arrived yet and had never given any notice of their coming. Whenever the leader showed up, it was always an ambush visit.
Their heads were covered in white hessian burlap fabric, their faces angelic, and their eyes lined heavily with white eyeliner. They looked divine when they gathered, but in their spy roles, they resembled fierce ninjas.
Jianghu spies never reveal themselves to ordinary people. They intervene only for the side they choose to support. Often, they secretly visit leaders or Emperors to foretell the future, issue warnings, or alert them to threats if they don’t heed the spies’ advice.
Jianghu spies maintain the balance between good and evil. They can either strengthen or destroy an empire. Unlike the underworld spies, who are half-human with supernatural abilities, Jianghu spies are fully human, possessing no supernatural powers. Instead, they rely on superior skills and belong to a league of non-governmental spies. Unlike theAfterlife Campspies, who work as hired assassins, Jianghu spies don’t work for money. They operate according to a secret code.
When a mission is completed successfully, a tattoo of the secret code is inscribed onto their bodies, signifying the completion of the Nirvana cycle. This is crucial for liberating a soul from the endless cycle of karma, leading to the ultimate attainment of peace.
The Lesser Leader arrived, her face hidden beneath a dark cloak, while the Greater Leader had not been seen for some time. The Lesser Leader sat before the star-shaped fireplace.
No one dared to speak. No one dared to look at her.
Her origins remained unknown to the spies, but they followed her commands without question.
She stirred the stone pot, retrieved the first snow paper, and sprinkled appearing powder on it before reading aloud: “Misery.”
A Jianghu spy stood and spoke. “Misery is everywhere. As long as misery torments the people, the curse of poisonous vines will continue to flow through their veins. The Moon Kingdom has suffered long to protect its Sun. The Sun Kingdom, Qinghai, seeks to devour the Moon. There is no hope. The leader of the wind and cloud decree has given up.”
The Lesser Leader responded, “To understand misery is to delay death. But death always marks a new beginning. This time, we cannot stop it. The Moon must come to its full form, or the new crescent will not rise. Misery transforms the full moon into a new moon.”
The spies were satisfied to hear her words.
The Lesser Leader sprinkled disappearing powder on the snow paper, placing it in a wooden flask bracelet before handing it to the spy who had spoken. She then retrieved another snow paper from the pot and sprinkled appearing powder over it.
“After Misery comes Wisdom,” she declared.
Another spy stood. “Ignorance traps people in their own foolishness. Forgetting wisdom leads toChibi, or shortness. When one becomes short in wisdom, memories fade, and oblivion—amnesia—takes over. This is the greatest enemy of the Sun Kingdom. The Moon Kingdom controls this, preserving wisdom while suppressing the Underworld realms, the keepers of evil. If the Moon Kingdom falls, who will balance the scales of Qinghai? Will wisdom still find its way into the hearts of those who have forgotten?”
The Lesser Leader elaborated on the spy’s words. “Wisdom is the most elusive virtue. Misery can strike without warning, but wisdom must be pursued like a lover longing for the unattainable. It cannot be gained through listening or study alone.”
“Wisdom must be cultivated and developed. If you possess it, you must nurture it, for wisdom values itself and will abandon those who take it for granted. Those who have forgotten its ways will struggle to regain it unless they find the Teacher who carries both peace and a good heart, for only then will wisdom reveal its secrets.”
The Jianghu spies, eyes closed, tapped their noses and foreheads—a gesture believed to invite insight into their minds.
Once again, the Lesser Leader sprinkled disappearing powder on the snow paper, placing it in another wooden flask bracelet and handing it to the spy who had spoken about wisdom. She reached into the stone pot for the last snow paper, but a sudden violent wind shook the cave. The final snow paper flew to the stone slab of the cave’s door, and all the spies bowed their heads.
The Greater Leader had arrived.
Her presence was commanding and autocratic, her steps filling the air with the delicate scent of plum blossoms. She appeared like a vision, her beautiful form draped in thin satin from head to foot, her face calm yet authoritative.
She picked up the last snow paper, her hands adorned with intricate white floral henna tattoos. Without using appearing powder, she crumpled the paper in her hands, shocking everyone.
No one dared move as they recognized the wooden bracelet on her wrist.
It was a gift fromDong FangyitoLou He.
Dong Fangyi had been Lou He’s secret admirer. His affection stirred Lou He’s heart, and she fell for him. The bracelet was their pledge to defend the Moon Kingdom against the Sun Kingdom and break Qinghai Queen’s curse. But Dong Fangyi betrayed Lou He, causing her untimely death.
The Greater Leader, aware that the spies had noticed the bracelet, walked to the fireplace and removed the bracelet. The Lesser Leader, calm and composed, handed her the ash of the appearing powder. The Greater Leader sprinkled the powder on the snow paper within the bracelet, revealing the word:自由, meaningFreedom.
Zao Baocung and Skyshadow
“Skyshadow, do not disturb me,” Zao Baocung said, opening his eyes momentarily from his meditation. Standing before him was a cold, deadly woman in a Hanfu fighting garment, her sword resting at her waist.
“You’ll need more than calm to deal with this,” Skyshadow replied, handing him a piece of snow paper.
“Where are you going?” Zao Baocung asked hurriedly.
“To rectify the situation,” she said coolly. Skyshadow acted on her own terms, never seeking permission.
“When the enemy is strong, make them closer than your friends.”
Zao Baocung read the snow paper. He wasn’t surprised by its message. The Jianghu spies had begun working overtime as the Greater Leader declared the sacred wordFreedom, a declaration that had cost her life. He knew Lou He was rumored to be dead, but he never believed it.
A Turn Back in Time: Lou He’s Escape
“Call meLi Yul,” the enemy whispered as they sneaked into the Wei garrison. Taking Lou He’s bloodied hand, they wrapped it in a soft cloth to stop the bleeding.
Lou He, on the verge of death from blood loss, was spirited out of the Wei garrison by an unknown figure.
Xia Chong arrived too late, finding the prison cell empty. She called out Lou He’s name, but only a group of chanting monks emerged from the darkness, encircling her.
They began casting spells on her. Xia Chong tried to resist, using all her underworld powers, but it wasn’t enough. The monks bound her with chains belonging to her Greater Leader, Lou He.
As she struggled, she cursed Lou He’s name, feeling betrayed. The monks vanished into the night, taking Lou He with them along a secret path.
Meanwhile,Viperwaited outside, sensing Xia Chong’s delay. She continued her surveillance of the Wei garrison.
Outside the Black Palanquin,Trailkoyasensed the approaching monks and their strange energy. “Have you come to die?” he asked, his voice cold.
A monk in the group stepped forward. “We have come to save an enemy.”
Before the situation escalated, ice needles rained down, interrupting the confrontation.
Trailkoya ignored the monks, spurring the horses into action and driving the palanquin away. Inside,Chu Qiaolay unconscious, her body weak and close to death.
Viper took the reins of the underworld horses, speeding toward the Moon Kingdom.
AsZhan Ziyuand theAfterlife Campspies nursed their wounds, another shadowless spy arrived to continue the mission.
Xia Chongwas captured byTao Ye.
“Stop!” shoutedSkyshadow, just as she was about to execute Xia Chong. Tao Ye intervened, blocking the fatal strike.
“Master, she can still be of use. Why kill her now?” Tao Ye urged, deflecting Skyshadow’s belt sword.
Skyshadow hesitated. “She’s a dangerous underworld spy. We must finish her.”
“Master, we need her alive until she reveals the underworld spy network’s secrets,” Tao Ye argued.
Skyshadow, her face calm once again, relented. “Tie her up and send her to Liang’s secret prison. She will be our captive.”
“Nuo,” Tao Ye responded with a promise.
As the deep night gave way to dawn, a new chapter began.
Chapter 80
Impossible to forget
The Beauty Emperor stared blankly out the window of his magnificent Daoming Palace, remembering once again the dreaded tour to the Moon Kingdom. He whispered,
“Impossible to forget!”
The Beauty Emperor’s destiny was written in the stars, but not his love story.
Thanks to Zao Baocung, who healed his forgotten memories, they returned to his present mind.
He vividly remembered all his feelings, what happened from his enthronement day to his death, and how Chu Qiao tried to save him from crossing into the afterlife twice.
He promised himself not to reveal anything to Chu Qiao. And so, Xiao Ce put on his mask and played his pantomime.
After Chu Qiao’s encounter with the peasant girl, who temporarily offered her wind and cloud decree powers in favor of the Ersatz realm, she became an ordinary citizen. She traveled to every town and state to find Viper.
However, she failed to locate Viper, who was hiding in secret within the Moon Kingdom, after having traveled around Qinghai.
From then on, she remained elusive, keeping a low profile.
Occasionally, she met Zao Baocung in the Thousand Caves in secret, where she explained what had happened to her powers.
Zao Baocung was instructed not to inform any of the Qinghai authorities about her presence in the Moon Kingdom and was directed to instruct Skyshadow to release Yuwen Yue’s Band of Brothers.
As a result, the Moon Kingdom remained in a hibernated state. Although some of its people began to rebuild, they were unable to restore the former glories of the kingdom.
As the Moon Kingdom continued forward, it struggled to maintain a stable financial and economic state, which needed restructuring, as their supplies had been cut off from Qinghai, one of their main sources.
Zao Baocung’s relic store could not provide everything, but with the help of the Datong Way, a portion of funds was transferred through Zao Baocung’s stewardship.
In return, Zao Baocung oversaw the distribution of these funds, redistributing them to the Moon people as food, often in the form of mooncakes or dumplings, and providing shelter to protect families during harsh winter nights or mid-summer droughts.
Chu Qiao also received a spy report from Skyshadow, the underworld spy, stating that the lesser master of cloud decree, Zhong Yu, wanted to meet her in secret. She refused, as the agenda did not fit into her timetable.
However, she stated that if she could achieve her goal and had time before it expired, she would like to meet both Zhong Yu and the leader of the Datong Way, Mr. Wu.
Chu Qiao’s primary goal was to unite the Underworld spies and Jianghu spies.
However, this would not be possible without the help of both Zhong Yu and Viper, lesser masters of non-governmental elite spies.
She was regarded as the heir of the wind and cloud decree, but after the death of Lou He, she took responsibility for the wind and cloud order.
Since losing her memories from the cliffhanger battle with Yuwen Hao, she had been unable to fulfill her responsibilities up to this day.
She found herself entangled in a beautiful mess with the Yuwen household, serving as an iron bell maidservant, becoming the Tiger General of the Yan-Xiuli army, nearly becoming the next Queen of the Great Summer Dynasty, and almost ascending as the Empress Dowager of Liang State.
Nevertheless, can she recover from her condition and unite the Underworld and Jianghu spies?
Is there any possibility left that she can triumph over the Ersatz realm?
Can she escape the seal of her own decree?
The Oracle of ancient Chinese calligraphy inscriptions was temporarily suspended in the Ersatz realm, which contained the power of the wind and cloud decree.
Until the quarter incense time expires, the order of the wind and cloud decree will remain forgotten, and its owner will share its fate.
There is no known remedy, only consequences, with no option to abandon the seal of the decree.
A throwback after Chu Qiao saved Yuwen Yue from the Ersatz realm…
Yuwen Yue was drifting in the Lake n’ Sky and was found by the little Moon children playing along the green fields near the river lake.
The Moon children also found his Poe Yue Jian sword, and many little hands carried it over to him.
Yuwen Yue looked at their faces and noticed that the Moon children seemed to know him better than he knew himself. He asked, “Do you know the name of this place?”
One of the youngest Moon children replied, “You are in the mirror of the Lake n’ Sky.”
Still disoriented, Yuwen Yue was amazed by the unique colors of the Moon children’s almond-shaped eyes but noticed their skinny bodies. He asked, “Where are your parents?”
One of the Moon children answered, “They are working in the field of plum blossom flowers.”
Curious, Yuwen Yue suddenly wanted to see the plum blossom fields. With a cold face but a light smile, he stood up and took his sword from the children’s hands.
Yuwen Yue appeared almost godly, his clothes untouched by wear. His calm but cold face was bright and handsome, and the Moon children were instantly drawn to him.
He felt a strange sense of unease, as though something wasn’t quite right with the surroundings. He believed this was his first time in the Moon Kingdom, and he was awestruck by the view. Strangely, some of its citizens seemed to know him well.
The workers in the plum blossom fields noticed the Moon children and the strikingly cold, handsome man gazing at them. Eventually, they all ran to meet the Qinghai Crown Prince.
The adults came close to the Crown Prince, but none dared to look at his face. Everyone performed a kowtow, pressing their foreheads to the green field’s ground. Not even a glance at his feet was allowed.
Yuwen Yue, sensing the special attention, realized that these people regarded him as a royal figure. This prompted him to respond with noble acts. Holding his glistening sword as the sun’s rays kissed its blade, he stood still.
Suddenly, the Moon children gathered some of their harvests, offering him a basket of sun-dried golden plum fruit. Others brought him a bale of peaches. They presented everything to Yuwen Yue as if he were a statue of a cold god.
Unable to refuse, Yuwen Yue picked and tasted one of the sun-dried golden plums. The next moment, he forgot everything he had intended to say.
The Moon children, waiting anxiously, looked at Yuwen Yue in silence. However, the Qinghai Crown Prince remained mute, his face appearing upset.
The parents of the Moon children didn’t dare move until their esteemed guest gave a word of command. They held their breaths when, suddenly, Yuwen Yue ran swiftly to cut a branch from a nearby plum blossom tree near the greenfield’s edge.
A rain of petals swept through the beautiful green field, their fragrance filling Yuwen Yue’s nostrils. He was reminded of a familiar scent, a memory from childhood, but he couldn’t recall when or how.
On the verge of falling into a dream, Yuwen Yue’s sharp eyes narrowed, and he saw a horrific, vast land.
Behind the glorious plum blossom trees, a land of dry, parched ground appeared in his sight. Feeling uneasy, Yuwen Yue went to touch the only plant serving as a protective barrier between the devastated and safe ground.
Yuwen Yue, an expert Mohist master with knowledge of herbal plants, immediately recognized the tall, grass-like plant as citronella.
“Why? Can’t you believe this grass-like plant works wonders?”
Yuwen Yue turned to see the cold druid priest dressed in monkish attire. Feeling strange, he replied, “Not at all. When I write, the scent of this grass clears my mind. It also sharpens my sense of protection from deadly elements.”
“That explains your anger earlier,” said Zao Baocung, “when you cut some of the plum blossom trees and started to uncover the dangers that have engulfed the whole kingdom.” As Zao Baocung spoke, Zuo Zong and Yue Qi arrived at the greenfield.
Previously informed of Yuwen Yue’s condition, Zao Baocung had told them to act normally and treat him as their Master and the Crown Prince of Qinghai. Zao Baocung never believed in surprises.
He knew almost everything, but one thing he couldn’t do was find a cure for the Zàn Shí Chibi.
For this reason, Yuwen Yue would have to rely on his present judgment and goodwill to guide his actions in dealing with both Qinghai and the Moon Kingdom.
Given Zao Baocung’s knowledge of Yuwen Yue’s condition, he foresaw this happening during one of his deep meditations. In his mental vision, Yuwen Yue was released from the Ersatz realm through an unknown source of energy.
He was also aware that Yuwen Yue’s memories were somewhat distorted and could not function in the normal continuum of Ximeng continent, whether in Qinghai or the Moon Kingdom.
Yuwen Yue’s condition, known asZàn Shí Chibi(temporary short), left him unable to recognize his past memories. These memories would return one at a time if someone esteemed from his past allowed him to remember.
Is this a reversal of fate? Yuwen Yue was saved, but at the cost of his memories.
What about his wisdom? Has it also been taken from him?
Now that Chu Qiao remembers everything, Yuwen Yue’s memories are gone.
It seems misery always finds a way to break the hearts of these two lovers.
Can they still meet in the end?
Memories must return, or nothing can cure this sickness and allow these two lovers to meet again.
During his temporary memory loss, Yuwen Yue became occupied with Qinghai’s affairs.
He no longer had the heart to search for the woman called Chu Qiao, nor could he remember his past with the maidservant, Xinger. He even forgot his Cangwu bird and could not recognize his former comrades or his band of brothers.
This ill-fate brought many changes to his behavior, yet his cold heart remained the same. Yuwen Yue began to accept his role as the Crown Prince of Qinghai and worked closely with his stepmother, Queen Zhejue, and his brothers: Qinghai’s Silver Prince, Ra Zheng, and Qinghai’s Velvet Prince, Ra Zhun. Yuwen Yue was also given the codename Snow Prince.
The eunuchs thought it was the most suitable codename they could suggest, and Yuwen Yue did not object. As cold as he was, it became easy for him to handle his duties, with Zuo Zong spying and Yue Qi overseeing the punishment and reward system in Qinghai’s political and state affairs.
Meanwhile, Zao Baocung occasionally met him in the Thousand Caves.
Whenever Ra Yue visited, a specially designed mooncake was always available to reveal his identity, ensuring a safe passage.
There were times when Zao Baocung was tempted to let the Moon and the Star meet under one sky in the Thousand Caves.
However, whenever an attempt was made, Yuwen Yue would play tricky lures and traps, using unpredictability as a strategy. He often sent several mooncakes, only for some to turn out to be decoys.
During his last visit, Yuwen Yue sent two or three mooncakes before confirming his visit with the fourth, ensuring that his trip would not be compromised, yet missing the chance to meet Chu Qiao.
Truly a former heir of the Eyes of God, Yuwen Yue acted as if he were still the fourth young master of the Yuwen household, taking care of Qinghai’s core intelligence.
Yue Qi suspected that his master might be recalling some of his past memories, but whenever Yue Qi asked, Yuwen Yue would always give him a cold stare.
Aside from his daily royal duties, Yuwen Yue began to explore the outside world for opportunities. He visited the political tribal bones of Qinghai and reserved time to meet with the Great Summer Dynasty, the beautiful Liang state, and the harsh, cold empire of Yanbei.
As Crown Prince of Qinghai, he started to implement reforms, particularly in military affairs, with a focus on guarding the Mountain Pass at the Great Wall of Bohei Mountains.
Learning that Yanbei’s Black Hawk forces were putting pressure on the area, Ra Yue deployed commanders to guard it day and night.
One day, an evasive retreat by several Qinghai troops triggered a chain reaction.
Unsurprised by the well-trained first row of Yanbei’s Black Hawk Cavaliers, the Qinghai troops seized the opportunity to take down their horses.
Defeated and miserable, Yan Xun’s face turned blue.
He remained speechless for a long time, despite there being almost no casualties. A report was delivered to Ra Yue stating that Yanbei’s Black Hawk Cavaliers had attempted to infiltrate the Bohei Mountain Pass.
This gave Ra Yue the idea that the Yanbei King was aggressively testing Qinghai’s Great Walls. For what?
To test its strength, or perhaps to provoke Qinghai’s infamous attacks.
Ra Yue knew they would return to seek revenge. While Ra Yue was not particularly worried, he took precautions to defend Qinghai’s frontier.
In addition to improving Qinghai’s ground troops, Yuwen Yue began to explore the skies.
He had been studying gravity and forces through the flight of birds like black hawks, vultures, and the mighty eagle.
He already knew that wings could give a man an advantage not typically available to others.
This was nothing new to him.
In fact, he had prototypes from his time as the heir of the Eyes of God in the Wei Empire.
He had even used wings on one of his trips to Jile Pavilion when Xinger and her sisters were sent to die at the hands of Yuwen Xi.
Fate had reversed, but the hatred could never be balanced. Xinger had killed Yuwen Xi, yet lost her sisters in the Pavilion of Death.
Occasionally, a bird would come to the palace, chirping the name “Xinger.”
Yuwen Yue heard this bird more than twice, three times even. Sometimes he would open his palace windows and throw birdseed.
The bird would fly down and eat the seeds, while Yuwen Yue stared at it coldly. His face emotionless, he seemed indifferent to the Cangwu bird but always kept bird food in his princely garments.
Yuwen Yue kept this secret, and no one knew he was feeding the bird. No one knew that the Cangwu bird had inspired him to form paratroopers.
After months of development and research, Yuwen Yue finally unveiled an airborne unit that relied entirely on the power of the wind.
Training Qinghai’s new troops, he etched basic principles into their wingspans: to fight enemy forces, attack swiftly, be prepared for less, and win against the odds.
Airborne combat was absolutely necessary.
It provided an advantage of surprise but also carried the risk of sudden defeat if faced with a prepared enemy. This was the weakness Yuwen Yue warned them of.
“What advantage do I have that the enemy is ignorant of? How can I control the winds of the skies and win against my opponent?”
Yuwen Yue’s mind soared as he contemplated these questions.
The idea lingered until one day, a flying bird carrying an object entered the Crown Prince’s palace.
With a crossbow beside him, Yuwen Yue reacted quickly, causing the bird to drop its balloon-like lantern. Instead of falling, the lantern rose higher, reaching an unusual altitude.
Yuwen Yue hurried to grab his bow and arrows. With precise aim, he released the arrow into the air.
The balloon-like lantern popped, and both the arrow and the object fell into the waters of the palace’s man-made lake.
Frowning, Yuwen Yue called for his royal guards to swim and retrieve the fallen object. He advised them to be careful and handle the object with care.
A tall figure, with eyes as beautiful as spring flowers, watched the scene unfold and remarked,
“Even an heir of God can still be tricked!”
Yuwen Yue did not particularly like the idea of using his bow and arrows to pop a balloon lantern in the middle of the afternoon.
The next scene unfolded with exhausted Qinghai men swimming in the man-made lake, retrieving useless, wet pieces of a rabbit-shaped lantern. Yue Qi and Zuo Zong laughed a bit and said, “Do you remember Miss Hell?”
Both men burst out laughing but quickly fell silent when Yuwen Yue shot them a cold, rough stare.
Yuwen Yue began to feel that his palace was not well-guarded or safe, and this left him dissatisfied. He summoned the royal guards, his mind preoccupied.
A figure cloaked in Kashmiri silk, with the corners of her lips stretched into a faint smile but her lonely eyes filled with sorrow, whispered quietly, “This is it. I have little time left, and the palace security is becoming even tighter. I’m a hopeless being, no longer anyone to you. If I can’t breach your space anymore, how can I breach your mind to make you remember me?”
The Cangwu bird suddenly flew back to her shoulder and stayed still. Both figures walked sadly into the afternoon.
That night, when Yuwen Yue was about to close his eyes, he remembered the perforated rabbit-shaped lantern. He woke again to examine the lantern that had been left in his chambers. He searched for clues about who had the courage to invade the Qinghai skies and throw a seemingly childish lantern toy.
Suddenly, he noticed part of the dried paper revealed a Chinese calligraphy character: “幸,” meaning Xing. Yuwen Yue read it aloud repeatedly.
He noticed another faint character beside it but couldn’t make it out. He grabbed a small jade bottle of powder and sprinkled it on the paper. The second character read “而,” meaning ‘er.
Like a broken record, Yuwen Yue repeated the words: “Xing’er, Xing’er, Xing’er.”
It became a puzzle he needed to solve. It delighted him when he thought he had uncovered a clever reason behind the message.
“I will create giant rabbit balloons to add to my paratrooper glider troops,” he mused, smiling.
He continued to think, “I’ll ride one of these giant rabbit lantern balloons to open the curtains of war and make the enemy fall in one swoop. That way, there won’t be much bloodshed—just a surprise attack to throw the enemy into panic, unable to organize a defense.”
The lantern sender’s intent was to help him remember his past, but Yuwen Yue ignored that part of himself, despite beginning to uncover his memories. These memories would have to return naturally for him to recall his past. There was no cure for his condition except his own recognition and acceptance.
The next morning, everything returned to normal. Yuwen Yue hid behind a facade, pretending he didn’t care about what had happened the previous day. He issued a decree with a detailed plan to construct giant rabbit-shaped balloons that could fly.
“Consider it done, Your Highness,” the eunuchs replied, leaving to carry out the decree.
Everyone was astonished by how quickly the Snow Prince of Qinghai had developed such plans, something that would take an average person many years to complete.
The Qinghai princes heard about the decree and laughed, saying, “Ra Yue will call them White Rabbit Balloons?”
“Are we really going to ride these things in the sky and risk our lives?” they joked.
Yue Qi and Zuo Zong exchanged shocked looks and asked their master, “Your Highness, do you remember the lantern festival a few years ago?”
Yuwen Yue, shutting down any potential sparks of memory, replied, “What is there to remember?”
Yue Qi and Zuo Zong looked at each other, quiet but not confused. They understood that Yuwen Yue was undergoing significant changes. Even after knowing him for so long, it was still difficult to predict his actions.
Chu Qiao was busy reading news articles when she came across a headline:
“Liang Emperor’s Prairie Silk Road travels to meet the Lord of Qinghai.”
“The Khan Road to the Sky.”
The road would pass through eight major prefectures, stretching from the Southern territories to the Eastern and Northern regions, controlling the passages between Central Asia and China.
Strings of struggling camels and the sounds of camel bells created a rhythmic flow of traffic along the Prairie Silk Road, while the main Silk Road remained unimpeded. Foreign merchants referred to these ancient trade routes as the Silk Road, though inside China, it was originally called the Jade Road, with the Prairie Silk Road as a secondary route. Wealthy Chinese silk traders would often buy slaves and sell lower-grade silk along these roads, engaging in barter trade.
Chu Qiao was shocked to learn that the Beauty Emperor was traveling to the Far East to meet Yuwen Yue.
She remembered how much Xiao Ce despised long journeys, always complaining that they made him look ugly. Chu Qiao chuckled at the thought of surprising her former best friend.
Would Xiao Ce remember her? According to Zao Baocung, the Beauty Emperor’s memories were left at the Forgotten River.
Zao Baocung and Chu Qiao spoke in secret but did not meet face to face in the Thousand Caves.
Chu Qiao asked him what had happened after she disappeared on the day of her enthronement, and Zao Baocung replied, “Mimi Gongzhu, if you show yourself to the Liang people and claim you disappeared with the dead emperor, chaos will erupt. The dead emperor’s soul was taken to the afterlife by the Urshan at the Forgotten River. However, Viper interfered, disrupting the order of the wind and cloud, and was punished by the Urshan, swallowed by the ancient dark breeds. A year later, I saw her roaming, but…”
Zao Baocung stopped himself.
Chu Qiao pressed, “And what did you do to help?”
Zao Baocung remained silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, “She lost her memories, and I could not cure herZàn Shí Chibicondition.”
Chu Qiao understood what this meant and sighed, “Pity her. She took it upon herself to save my best friend.”
Zao Baocung responded, “She must have felt miserable and lost her faith when she learned you were trapped in the Ersatz realm with no guarantee of return.”
“I was dreaming, floating, and all my memories flashed before my eyes, but I couldn’t move,” Chu Qiao said softly.
Zao Baocung turned away, his eyes teary, and said, “How could I not know… I was…”
Chu Qiao grasped Zao Baocung’s shoulder and demanded, “You were what…?” She tore at his cloak and saw a black tattoo mark on his shoulder.
Shocked, Chu Qiao exclaimed, “No! You… you…” Her face turned pale with disbelief. The Chu Jing Healer shared the same fate as the Leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree.
Zao Baocung walked a few steps before stopping and saying, “I know everything, and I too will disappear if you cannot save yourself before the quarter incense burns out in the Ersatz realm.”
With her head low and tears in her eyes, Chu Qiao whispered, “I’m sorry, my friend… I don’t know how to escape my decree. I only know I want to save this man.”
Zao Baocung paused and said, “Fortunately, I know the solution to break the quarter incense time from the Ersatz realm.” He then continued to walk away.
Chu Qiao’s ears rang loudly, and she shouted after him, “Wait! Wait!”
Zao Baocung stopped, and Chu Qiao caught up to him. She asked, “What is the solution?”
“The solution is a person, someone who also fell into theZàn Shí Chibicondition. You know who.” Zao Baocung paused, waiting for Chu Qiao’s response.
Chu Qiao was puzzled, thinking of two people deeply involved with the Moon Kingdom and the Underworld spies.
“Is it Xiao Ce?” she asked, hoping for a positive answer.
Zao Baocung frowned and replied with a playful tone, “Maybe?”
“Oh, come on! Don’t do this. I’m serious!” Chu Qiao looked desperate.
Zao Baocung, enjoying the guessing game, said, “You can try… if he can break it for us.”
Frustrated, Chu Qiao retorted, “I don’t want to keep trying. I want a sure way! We’ll both disappear if we don’t find a solution!”
Zao Baocung, still teasing, snorted, “Oh, I feel so threatened! But between us, who’s asking?”
Losing her patience, Chu Qiao threatened, “Fine, if you won’t tell me, do you want me to kill someone now?” She smiled sweetly at Zao Baocung, but her dagger was ready to cut his throat.
“Eaaaasy, pretty princess. I found this Cangwu bird. Let its master remember!” Zao Baocung stretched out his arms and pointed toward the noisy Cangwu bird.
He smiled nervously, feeling his dry throat tighten as he struggled to breathe.
“Hmmm… Is it Yuwen Yue or Xiao Ce? Have both men forgotten me?” Chu Qiao asked, her smile still sweet, but she didn’t lower the dagger.
Zao Baocung struggled to speak, saying, “You will have to be strong, Mimi Gongzhu. I cannot bear to see you suffer and have your heart broken once again. The pain of lost memories and trying to make someone remember will destroy you. If he chooses not to recover fromZàn Shí Chibi, you will break your heart, and we will both disappear from the earth. I would rather vanish than see you suffer again. It is best not to try, but it won’t do you any good either way.”
Chu Qiao had never heard such serious words from the old man. She slowly removed her hands from his neck, realizing that his words were true. She reassured him, “I will try. This is what I traded for, in exchange for the wind and cloud decree.”
Zao Baocung didn’t want to sound demanding, so he offered, “I can set it up for you.”
But Chu Qiao rejected the help. “No, I will find my own way,” she said.
Meanwhile, Yuwen Yue secretly met with the ex-spies. Though they had been suppressed and somewhat abandoned, Yuwen Yue did not give up on pursuing them.
When he found them, he told them they had not been retired from their posts, as they still had an important mission to complete.
He didn’t inform Yue Qi or Zuo Zong because this mission was personal. It was revenge for his wounded heart, and he didn’t want their help, as it would blow his cover.
For the first time in many years, he would revisit the place where he had been trained, where he thought he was loved like family, where lordship and an empire had been promised to him.
But with one mistake, driven by his love for a girl destined to be a sacrificial spy, the nameYuwen Yuewas mocked and ridiculed.
In Wei’s history, it was often told that the fourth branch of the Yuwen family issued an official decree forbidding anyone from uttering the nameYuwen Yue. To make it even more grave and horrific, anyone who uttered his name would be regarded as committing a grave sin, punishable by hanging from the Tree of Death.
After the decree was passed, the elderly Yuwen Gao fell into depression for many months to a year. Especially since Yuwen Yue’s body could not be found, Yuwen Gao had to fabricate a story to cover up his adopted grandson’s single mistake.
To the family’s eyes, Yuwen Yue’s mistake was using the Yuwen government’s time and resources to put on an exhibition and chase after the pretty spy girl.
This was both true and not. In reality, Yuwen Yue had come as a best friend, attempting to broker peace with Yan Xun.
When Yuwen Yue was standing on the frozen lake, he was pleading with Yan Xun to stop the slaughter of innocent families, as he had done with the Mo’er family.
But Yan Xun, ever the opportunist and skilled at manipulating headlines, saw an advantage. Knowing his best friend’s feelings for his Tiger General, Yan Xun cruelly used Chu Qiao to toy with Yuwen Yue’s emotions.
This led to Yuwen Yue’s disgrace and the defeat of his best spy guards. It culminated in his humiliating death on the frozen lake, where Chu Qiao had been used as bait.
The next day, rumors spread like wildfire, shaming the heir of the Eyes of God. However, some opposed the lies, hiding the true events of what had occurred on the frozen lake.
The Wei Empire endured contempt, and the Yuwen household was plunged into internal chaos, resulting in the shutdown of its spy and repository systems.
The maidservants of the Greenhills courtyard were expelled, and Yuwen Yue’s best spies defected, abandoning him. Meanwhile, the elderly Yuwen Gao was kept alive in the Greenhills courtyard prison for many months until he was temporarily restored as the master of the Greenhills courtyard and the Eyes of God.
Yan Xun sought to extend Yuwen Yue’s defeat into a full-blown ruin. He wanted to destroy them all and bring down the proud political entity of the Great Summer Empire.
To satisfy his revenge, Yan Xun said, “Sell these useless dead bodies to that old filthy Yuwen Gao for 200 taels of gold. Let’s profit from it!”
The Yanbei generals examined the corpse. Cao Meng Tong, with his usual lack of tact, remarked, “It’s barely recognizable, my Lord! I’m sure the old Yuwen fox isn’t foolish enough not to perform a post-mortem. He’ll know we tricked him!”
Yan Xun shot Cao Meng Tong a sharp look, but the general, known for his nerve, continued, “That’s exactly the point. The old fox will know it’s fake, but what can he do? This is the only way they can end Yuwen Yue’s story. As the master of the Eyes of God, he must admit defeat and punish this ‘dead meat’ to satisfy the outrage of the Yuwen nobles and ancestors. The Great Summer Emperor will never recover.”
One of the Yan generals grinned evilly and added, “I bet these corpses won’t even make it into the noble mausoleums of the Yuwen ancestors, my Lord.”
Yan Xun chuckled sarcastically. “Are you new to this world? If they don’t throw these fake bodies to the dogs, then Yuwen Gao has truly lost his mind. These two bodies will crush his spirit. It will remind him that he lost face in front of Wei—and the world.”
A’Jing, stepping forward to advise one last time before they handed over the fake body, said, “My Lord, please reconsider. If you execute this today, having already exacted your revenge on the frozen lake, karma will reverse on you.”
Cao Meng Tong, with a husky laugh, said, “I can just imagine the old Yuwen fox grilling this ‘dead meat’ in front of the Yuwen nobles. Not to mention, they’ll have to pay a high price for it! My Lord, this revenge is brilliant!”
Cao Meng Tong couldn’t contain himself and blurted out in front of the Yan assembly, “Two hundred taels of gold for useless meat?Cào nĭ zhǎng! That price could feed the Yan army for ten years!”
The Yan generals exchanged glances, silently agreeing that nothing good ever came out of Cao Meng Tong’s mouth. One murmured, “If He Xiao were here, he’d already have cut off his ‘goat’ head.”
Another general quietly joked, “So, Cao Meng Tong is the goat?” referring to the insult.
Cao Meng Tong overheard, spun around, and barked, “Stop talking trash behind my back! I am the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time)! Want to be killed today?” He flashed a dagger, ready to prove his point.
Yan Xun intervened, his voice low and haunting, “It does not matter who the goat is. Sit down, Cao Meng Tong.”
Yan Xun took a moment to compose himself, then looked at A’Jing and said slowly, “A’Jing, let me remind you—how many lives were lost in my family? How many innocent Yan cities suffered after the massacre of my own bloodline? I am not just avenging my family; I represent Yan Shi Zi. In other words, I am the world.”
A’Jing, remembering the loss of his own family members, fell silent. Yan Xun’s words rang true.
There would never be justice between the Yuwen and Yan households.
The scales of injustice were etched in Yan Xun’s veins, and karma would not cease until the last drop of Yan blood had been avenged.
Another general, a woman of great beauty, wanted to speak, but the feathered girl beside her sealed her lips.
Though Yuwen Yue’s actions had once benefited Yan Xun, it didn’t erase the fact that Yan Xun’s methods were brutal and cruel. His revenge was the embodiment of the old adage: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
He had never considered how this would affect his relationship with Chu Qiao, nor did he care about Yuwen Yue’s sacrifices. Yan Xun had blindly abused his power to defend the Yanbei crown prince without compromising his own position.
Yan Xun’s heart was cold and dark.
When Shen Jin Gong, Emperor of Wei, read the decree, he issued an exception to the Yuwen order and approved it. The Eyes of God passed it through secret communication channels addressed to the Wei nobles and princes. The Fourth Yuwen branch order was amended to state:
“The Great Summer Emperor and his royal sons may use and utter Yuwen Yue’s name without bearing the consequence of the Yuwen Order.”
Since then, the Yuwen family had to endure another slap in the face, losing even more face in front of the Great Summer Dynasty Emperor and Wei nobles. It was one of the most difficult times for Grandfather Yuwen Gao.
With growing hatred and misfortune surrounding the Yuwen household, the Yuwen ancestors had to be appeased.
Yuwen Gao called for a ceremony to honor their ancestors, but before it took place, he purchased the fake bodies of Yuwen Yue and Yue Qi.
Yuwen Gao ordered the Yingge Hospital to conduct a post-mortem examination of the two bodies and deliver the report to the Emperor.
Not long after, Yuwen Gao ordered his servants to burn the fake bodies and place the ashes into Chinese urns, along with their spirit tablets.
In the temple of the Yuwen ancestors, a huge gold lion basin stood in the middle, filled with tall fragrant incense sticks that burned day and night.
Fruit and money offerings were frequently burned to honor and remember the dead relatives. When Yuwen Gao entered, he felt upset at the sight of the monument tablet the Emperor had sent in remembrance of the late Yuwen heir. Beside it stood Yue Qi’s spirit tablet.
The old man, holding a machete, suddenly smashed Yuwen Yue’s spirit tablet monument. After the act, he felt exhausted and collapsed onto the dusty floor tiles.
His servants rushed to help him, but Yuwen Gao, angrier than ever, pointed a dagger at them and shouted, “Throw these temple urns, you idiots!”
Before being called the Lord of Qinghai, Yuwen Yue had already scouted Qinghai, his newfound land after his “death” on the frozen lake. To survive, he forged connections with various peddler lords of the East by delivering goods to the addresses of wealthy lords. He studied every map and strategic location of Qinghai’s black market.
He knew exactly how Qinghai controlled trade routes of essential commodities like wheat, rice, and oil—crucial to the survival of the grass dynasties.
The East was always the gateway to the West, where he discovered the floating black market known as Shangrila. Shangrila was a gigantic trading vessel that transported goods between East and West via water channels.
Often, Shangrila conducted its business in the middle of the sea, allowing ship merchants to trade goods and services there.
While Yue Qi and Zuo Zong were busy managing Qinghai affairs, Yuwen Yue secretly operated within the Wei Empire. His most trusted spies, Yue Lui and Meng Feng, helped him carry out his revenge plan against the Yuwen household. After all, who knew the Yuwen household better than the late Yuwen heir, Yuwen Yue?
In essence, Yuwen Yue became a “White Robin Hood.” As the rightful heir of the Eyes of God, he appeared like a ghost. When he revealed himself as the Master of the Eyes of God, everyone welcomed him and offered to help. His response was simple: “What can you offer?”
He robbed the Wei Empire’s commodities from the black market and turned all trade alliances in his favor. This effectively blocked essential goods from entering the waterways of the Wei Empire. Instead, the logistics were rerouted to large warehouses near the Yanming Guan Pass.
Yuwen Yue also had a nephew he called the Black Sun Pirate, who led a group of ruthless Qinghai defectors and mercenaries. They performed acts of evil to counter more evil.
These barbaric pirates from the Qinghai world showed no mercy to those who didn’t surrender to their smuggling operations, but they also saved thousands of children and adults from the illegal slave trade in the Wei Empire.
A secret meeting was about to occur.
A black palanquin suddenly stopped in the middle of the road.
A tall, handsome 16-year-old young man, wearing a Black Sun bandana with a black ninja suit, greeted Yuwen Yue. He bowed before him and said, “Uncle, as of today, the Yuwen household has been unable to purchase more slaves as they had expected. We have halted their logistics operations and recovered 1,000 children and 500 adults. They are currently housed in our temporary shelter near the Yanming Guan Pass, and soon, the adults will join the workforce in our local warehouses to support their families. I have wished them a prosperous and normal life.”
Yuwen Yue listened, feeling a sense of ease in his heart. He replied, “Mo’er, did you ensure the Wei Empire and the Yuwen household know the source of their frustration?”
Mo’er, with a serious expression, responded, “Yes, Uncle. I left another Black Sun bandana as a clue, along with a snow paper and a small bingxue (snow ice) arrow tip as a token.”
This was the third time Yuwen Yue had sent such clues to the old Yuwen Gao. Although the bingxue arrow token wasn’t as perfect as those crafted in the Yuwen household’s winter foundry, Yuwen Gao—wise and experienced—should recognize the mysterious sender.
The pirated bingxue arrow was nearly identical to the original.
For the third time, Yuwen Gao quietly confirmed that Yuwen Yue was alive and sending him secret messages.
Yuwen Gao, wanting to leap for joy at the realization that his grandson was alive, asked his servants to bring the appearing powder and the first two snow papers. He sprinkled the powder on the three papers.
The message read:
I can never repay you.
But Grandfather owes me a lot.
And I am going to collect all of Yuwen’s debt.
Yuwen Gao whispered to himself, “He is truly the rightful heir of the Eyes of God.”
Yuwen Gao’s response to all of Yuwen Yue’s aggressive moves was passivity. “How can I fight the true heir of this household?” he thought. “It’s futile. I cannot win.”
Even if the Emperor were to have Yuwen Gao executed for negligence, he was ready to face the consequences. He only hoped that Yuwen Yue would remember mercy after collecting the debts from the Yuwen household.
“My grandson, welcome home,” Yuwen Gao whispered, suddenly feeling the weight of happiness turn into sorrow.
Meanwhile, Yuwen Yue visited the local warehouses and temporary shelters. He was pleased to see a new community emerging.
The hardship these people and children had faced was no longer evident in their faces.
Mo’er reported to Yuwen Yue about the parents’ conditions and whether they were earning enough to live decent lives with their children.
The people were grateful for the sense of freedom they felt, far more than the money they earned working in the local warehouse.
Yuwen Yue’s heart was filled with joy upon hearing the report, and for the first time in years, he smiled genuinely.
Mo’er, noticing the wrinkles in Yuwen Yue’s eyes, decided to ask, “How is Auntie?”
Still in a good mood, Yuwen Yue replied, “Auntie is roaming around, pretending I don’t know where she is.”
Mo’er smiled and said, “Uncle, you should talk more, rather than doing so many ‘useless’ actions. Auntie might think you don’t care about her at all.”
Yuwen Yue joked back, “If I remember everything, Auntie will soon forget. But my actions will show her that I have finally grasped the world she dreamed of.”
Pointing to the children playing nearby, Yuwen Yue said in a deep voice, “Look at them. This is what Auntie calls—freedom.”
Mo’er, happy to see his uncle healing from his bitter past, understood the message. The secret to ultimate revenge, Mo’er realized, was to do good—it was never about killing.
“Thank you, Uncle, for taking care of me, and for never forgetting this orphan child who survived the blades of Yanbei,” Mo’er said, before departing for Qinghai.
Yuwen Yue never expected his plan of revenge to produce such positive results rather than cause damage to the Yuwen household. He wasn’t surprised to know his grandfather had taken a passive stance toward his aggressiveness. It seemed the old man was waiting for his return by doing nothing. However, if this continued, it would be almost equivalent to treason against the Wei Empire. What could Yuwen Huai do if he discovered that his cousin, Yuwen Yue, was still alive?
Chu Qiao stood among the crowd of people waiting for the historic event known as “The Khan Road to the Sky.”
Rumors swirled that the Beauty Emperor was traveling to Qinghai to pay homage and publicly honor the one who had saved his life when he was stabbed by his own stepmother. The deposed Empress Yuan had died the same day after her failed assassination attempt.
It was a tragic and unfortunate day for the Liang Empire. They had lost many noble rulers, including the Empress Dowager Chu Qiao. The Liang Empire struggled to recover from the triple loss, and former Empress Lu Zhi had to take charge.
Thankfully, Empress Lu Zhi did not give up on her grandsons, believing that one day her son would return after disappearing from his throne for many months.
Viper had assisted Empress Lu Zhi in maintaining power, promising her that she would help Chu Qiao bring Xiao Ce back from death.
Xiao Ce issued a proclamation to all dynasties across the Ximeng continent, announcing his near-death experience and his desire to repay the noble act to the Qinghai Empire.
However, the Qinghai Empire could not identify the person who had saved Xiao Ce’s life. The Beauty Emperor requested this person, but Queen Zhejue, though she had her suspicions about Skyshadow and the Master Healer of Chu Jing Kingdom, was unaware that it was Chu Qiao who had saved him, at the cost of Viper’s life.
Queen Zhejue was not privy to the underworld spy network and had no influence in the Moon Kingdom. This made her frustrated and angry, especially because the Moon Kingdom had been exposed to the Ximeng continent by the Beauty Emperor’s state visit.
This should never have happened, as it could stir up problems in the future, possibly leading to attacks on Qinghai due to the exposure of the Moon Kingdom’s secrets.
But the Beauty Emperor was determined to find the person who had saved him, using all his royal resources to make this historic event possible.
Chu Qiao watched from a distance as the long Prairie Silk Road was decorated in white and gold expensive silk, serving as an opulent carpet. The road shimmered like the beautiful Chisui Lake of the Great Summer Dynasty.
The transformation of the Prairie Silk Road was unlike any other in the world.
As the royal envoy stepped on the soft fabric, the road gleamed, but the wind from the desert mountains swept sand onto the silk, stinging the eyes of those present.
Autumn trees lost their red-brown and yellow leaves, and spring flowers began to fall from branches, turning the Prairie Silk Road into a path that resembled freshly fallen snow.
Thousands of royal guards stood on either side, along with Liang army formations guarding the road. Sun Di led the procession.
Merchants, traders, and the common folk, both young and old, rich and poor, knelt in a kowtow position with their heads bowed to the ground.
In the middle of it all was the grandest palanquin, made of gold.
Inside, the Beauty Emperor, with his foxy eyes closed, sat in a Buddha-like position, calmly meditating.
At each corner of the palanquin were four braziers filled with fragrant aromatic incense.
The scent of Ylang-Ylang filled the air as Xiao Ce breathed in deeply, feeling peace and serenity within his heart.
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