The sky was dark and gloomy, ink-black clouds churned and rolled, while roaring thunder echoed as if countless mountain peaks were collapsing one after another.
Amid the layers of swirling dark clouds, silver lightning danced wildly.
A fierce wind howled, sending stones rolling across the ground. Yaoying shivered from the cold, tightening her fur coat and sleeves as she led her horse, stumbling through the rugged canyon.
Bizarre rocks stood tall along the path, the terrain perilous with no smooth road to traverse. Staggering along, she had fallen several times, scraping her knees and arms, the pain burning sharply. The sky darkened swiftly, leaving no time to lift her clothes and check the wounds.
Bi Suo walked ahead of her, glancing up at the approaching storm clouds before turning to look at Yaoying, swaying unsteadily in the fierce wind. He frowned and said, "Princess, the wind is too strong. Let's come back tomorrow."
His voice was lost in the flying sand and gravel, so he had to shout again.
Yaoying hunched over to steady herself, her eyes beneath the windproof mask shining like priceless pearls, fixed intently on him.
Bi Suo sighed helplessly. "The path ahead is impassable for horses, and it's getting dark too quickly. I must return soon. The army won't break camp tonight, so we can rest and come back tomorrow morning when the wind dies down."
Yaoying glanced at the pitch-black canyon ahead, released the reins, and said, "Then I'll walk in. Just point me the way, General."
Hearing her calm yet resolute tone, Bi Suo knew he couldn't persuade her. He sighed inwardly, took the reins from her, secured both their horses, and led her forward.
Yaoying slung the cloth bag from the horse's back over her shoulder and followed him.
The dim light made it hard to see beyond a few steps. As the canyon rose steeply, they clung to rocks to climb upward. Suddenly, the stone beneath her feet loosened, and she tumbled into a pile of rubble, dizzy and disoriented, unable to regain her senses for a long moment.
Bi Suo gasped in alarm, leaping to her side in a few strides to help her up. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine."
Yaoying shook her head, got to her feet, and practically crawled forward on her hands and knees.
Overhead, lightning tore through the sky, and rain poured down, filling the world with the sound of pelting drops. Her clothes, headscarf, and windproof mask were soon soaked, clinging coldly to her skin and face.
Her body stiffened with cold, and though she wore leather gloves, her hands were still covered in wounds.
After what felt like an eternity of climbing, Bi Suo's voice finally came from ahead: "Princess, we're here."
He straightened up and pointed to a dark entrance.
"It's right here... Princess, the Regent's Power dissipation this time is even more terrifying than the last. You must be careful."
The heavy rain poured relentlessly, with rocks occasionally tumbling down from the cliffs on either side, their crashes echoing intermittently.
Soaked to the bone, Yaoying stood trembling before the entrance, brushing away the wet, tangled hair stuck to her face as she stepped inside, one slow step at a time.
Bi Suo remained where he was, watching her shivering figure disappear into the darkness.
Deep in the canyon, it was cold, dark, and utterly pitch-black. Rain seeped through cracks in the rocks, dripping steadily.
Yaoying groped her way forward in the dark, attempting to light a fire, only to find the tinder in her cloth bag soaked through by the rain.
Shivering all over, she tore off the drenched mask, her face pale as snow, and hugged her arms as she moved inward.
"General Su?"
Her soft call echoed and swirled in the narrow space.Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept through, and a hand abruptly reached out from the darkness, seizing her wrist.
Yaoying was startled, but before she could cry out, another hand clamped around her throat. The rough calluses on the fingertips brushed against her damp skin, and the icy fingers pressed against the side of her neck.
She couldn't breathe, her entire body trembling.
Outside the gorge, a flash of ghostly blue lightning tore across the night sky, illuminating the vast heavens and the expansive earth, casting light into the entire canyon and revealing the silhouette of the man beside Yaoying.
He stood in the darkness, silent and motionless, looking down at her. His face was covered in hideous, terrifying scars, with a crimson mark between his brows. His cold, jade-green eyes held no sorrow or joy, not a trace of warmth. Under the lightning's glow, he resembled an Asura.
The lightning flickered, alternating between brightness and darkness.
In the light, Yaoying could clearly see his ugly face; in the darkness, only his chilling eyes remained.
He said nothing, clearly not recognizing her. His gaze was indifferent and icy, the whites of his eyes crisscrossed with red veins.
It was spine-chilling.
Amid the pouring rain, Yaoying caught the scent of blood on him. She was cold, her wounds aching, and she was nearly suffocating. She raised her free hand, fingers slowly reaching toward his face.
"Look at me."
"I am Li Yaoying."
She met his gaze, the corners of her eyes slightly red. Droplets slid from her soaked temples as her fingers moved to the back of his head, hooking around his neck, pulling him closer bit by bit until she could see her own pale face reflected in his eyes.
"Are you going to kill me?"
Their eyes locked, breaths mingling. She was icy cold, while his aura was frigid.
The next moment, he abruptly released her and pushed her away.
"Stay away from me."
He spoke coldly, his voice low and hoarse, then turned and strode inward. His long boots crunched over the scattered stones, the sound of his footsteps gradually fading.
Yaoying's throat throbbed with pain, and she coughed uncontrollably. She stumbled forward, chasing after him.
His strides were long, and he vanished from sight in an instant. Yaoying staggered after him, but suddenly, a heavy thud echoed ahead. His tall figure halted abruptly, followed by a few muffled groans before he collapsed against the cliff wall.
Yaoying's heart pounded wildly as she hurried over, lifting him and turning his face toward her. Her fingers came away sticky with blood.
His eyes were tightly shut; he had lost consciousness.
She held him, sitting beside the cold, damp cliff wall.
Rainwater, mixed with gravel and mud, streamed down, pelting their heads and bodies. His disfigured face was smeared with blood and grime.
Yaoying's hands trembled. She closed her eyes for a moment, then embraced him, her fingers gently stroking his face. Slowly, she unwrapped the layers of his headscarf, then continued downward, carefully feeling around before tearing it away with force.
A flash of lightning pierced the gorge, and beneath the scars, mud, and blood, a face as exquisite as a painting was gradually revealed.
Regent Su Dan Gu was Tanmoroqie.
Yaoying's expression remained calm as she released the mask and headscarf, retrieving a clean handkerchief to wipe away the mud and water splattered across the man's cheeks and neck.
The time he had nearly succumbed to cultivation backlash and almost experienced Qi deviation, she had already confirmed his identity.
Imprisoned since childhood, frail and sickly as an adult—due to the unstable political situation, he had to conceal his illness, unable to let the news leak, until he was utterly drained...
Before, she hadn't understood why Su Dan Gu's blade techniques were so fierce and sharp, yet carried a compassionate, all-encompassing grandeur. Later, it dawned on her.
Because he was Luojia.
…When returning to the Holy City from Gaochang, Yaoying intended to tell Tanmoroqie that she knew about his dual identity. At that time, Zhu Lvyun was also in the Holy City and had written her a letter. Carrying the letter, she went to find Luojia... He treated her with extreme coldness.
Yaoying stood bewildered for a long moment, staring fixedly at him. He ignored her. She circled halfway around him, yet he remained silent.
As the Buddha Prince, he was lofty and distant toward her, as if Su Dan Gu were truly another person entirely.
Yaoying thought to herself: For him, wielding a slaughtering blade and taking countless lives was a choice made out of necessity. He surely didn’t want to recall those events, and the fewer people who knew this secret, the safer it would be.
And she was merely an outsider who shouldn’t pry into his hidden truths.
If Bi Suo and the others discovered she knew Su Dan Gu was Tanmoroqie, they might hesitate between silencing her and letting her go.
On that early spring dawn, while playing with Garuda, Yaoying pondered seriously. She didn’t want to put Tanmoroqie in a difficult position, so she resolved to bury her thoughts and pretend she didn’t know they were the same person.
...
Torrential rain poured down.
Steadying her nerves, Yaoying mustered her last bit of strength to move Tanmoroqie to a dry spot and lay him down. She poured out several medicinal pills and fed them to him.
On the way to the canyon, Bi Suo had told her she needed to stay close to him to help him regain consciousness. As long as he woke up, nothing serious would happen.
When he awoke again, he should be fine.
She undid his robes and wiped his body.
He usually wore loose Kasaya, appearing slender, but without clothing, his frame revealed streamlined muscles and sinews.
Yaoying paused, gazing intently at the gauze wrapped around his shoulder.
This arrow wound was left when he saved Li Zhongqian.
Alone, he had rushed thousands of miles to rescue Li Zhongqian, lifted the siege of Gaochang, and then silently departed—still injured.
Had she not been determined to thank A’bi in person but unable to find him, growing suspicious and questioning Li Zhongqian and Mobi Duo about A’bi’s whereabouts, she would never have discovered that A’bi was him.
Initially, she only suspected. But when she visited Yuanjue’s quarters and smelled the familiar scent of the medicinal pills he had to take regularly, her suspicion turned to certainty.
She didn’t even seek confirmation from Yuanjue, rushing straight here.
A few days later, and he would have returned to the Holy City.
Yaoying lifted the gauze to examine the wound, applied medicine, bandaged it, then dressed him again and replaced his turban.
After finishing, she was so exhausted her limbs trembled, her body cold as ice, even her heart felt chilled.
She took a lambskin coat from her cloth bundle, draped it over herself, leaned against the cliff wall, and curled into a ball. Gently nudging Tanmoroqie with her foot, she curved her lips in a faint smile.
"Monk, you lied to me."
And not just once.
She wasn’t angry at all.
Only deeply saddened.
...
By midnight, the wind had ceased and the rain stopped, leaving the wilderness silent. Water trickled through rock crevices, its patter faint and continuous.
Tanmoroqie gradually awoke, closed his eyes to circulate his energy, feeling a slight warmth in his dantian. Once his blood flowed smoothly, he slowly opened his eyes. Darkness enveloped him, with only slivers of light seeping through cracks, and silver reflections shimmering in puddles on the ground.
As he prepared to continue regulating his breath, a cough suddenly sounded beside him.
Then another, followed by suppressed panting.
Tanmoroqie opened his eyes, his gaze falling on a dark shadow nearby, his pupils dilating slightly.Yaoying leaned against the cliff wall beside him, her face pale, brows tightly furrowed, eyes firmly shut as she coughed repeatedly. Her tied-up long hair had come loose, damp strands clinging to her shoulders, while her body trembled in waves.
Tanmoroqie’s figure stiffened, his expression unreadable.
The next moment, clarity returned to his eyes. He brushed aside the disheveled hair from Yaoying’s cheek and felt the side of her neck—damp and clammy.
Her body was cold as ice, shivering incessantly, and her coughs sounded full of agony.
Tanmoroqie, usually detached and composed, undisturbed by even life and death, found the sound of her coughing like crashing waves against the shore, leaving him momentarily at a loss.
Yaoying curled tightly into herself, trembling uncontrollably.
Tanmoroqie lifted her, tightened the sheepskin coat draped over her, carefully wrapped her up, and strode out of the gorge. Channeling his Internal Force, he leaped down the cliff, his feet skimming over the slippery, scattered rocks, his figure swift as lightning.
The body in his arms continued to shiver. Gathering his energy, he sprinted without pause, covering two li in one breath. In the distance, a flickering firelight swayed, and several horses nibbled on grass cakes in the mountain hollow. Bi Suo, cloaked in a cape, dozed by the fire.
He approached with Yaoying in his arms.
Startled by the footsteps, Bi Suo lifted his gaze and met Tanmoroqie’s eyes. He shuddered violently, tumbling to the ground. Before he could rise, he blurted out, "Princess Wenzhao came here on her own!"
"The princess learned you saved her elder brother and was worried about your injuries. She searched all the way here."
Tanmoroqie set Yaoying down. "Clothes, medicine for the cold."
Flustered, Bi Suo scrambled to retrieve the clothes and handed them to Tanmoroqie. He had returned to the camp earlier and, seeing the heavy rain, brought back some clothing and food, planning to search for them at daybreak. He hadn’t expected Tanmoroqie to come himself.
Tanmoroqie first tried to feed Yaoying the medicine, but she pressed her lips tightly shut, refusing. He laid her head on his lap, pinched her chin, and managed to get her to swallow the medicine.
Then, he began to part her collar but suddenly paused, lifting his eyes to glance at Bi Suo.
Bi Suo hastily jumped to his feet and hurried away without looking back.
Tanmoroqie carried Yaoying closer to the fire, brushed aside her long hair, and undid her garments.
In the firelight, her snow-white skin gleamed like smooth mutton fat, radiant and soft, her shoulders delicate and fair.
Tanmoroqie closed his eyes and quickly wiped her down by touch, changing her into dry clothes. When he reopened his eyes, he poured a bowl of water heated by the fire and fed her a few sips. Feeling her forehead, he noted the fever had subsided slightly.
He tidied her hair, gazed at her for a long moment, then released his hold.
Freed from the damp, sticky clothes, Yaoying felt much more comfortable and coughed less. Sensing the person caring for her was about to leave, she instinctively clutched his sleeve.
Tanmoroqie lowered his gaze to her fingers gripping his sleeve.
Under the boundless sky, the campfire burned quietly.
He watched Yaoying, his mind empty, thinking nothing, yet as if he had thought of everything.
Lost in thought, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Yaoying’s eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes, her dazed gaze settling on his face.
He remained motionless.
Still groggy from waking, Yaoying soon recognized the person before her. A bright light ignited in her eyes as she clutched his sleeve, struggling to sit up. Suddenly, her brows knitted tightly, and she covered her chest, coughing and gasping violently.Tanmoroqie leaned over, helped Yaoying sit up, poured a bowl of water and brought it to her lips. She pushed the bowl away, suddenly raising her hand to clutch his collar, her face nearly touching his.
Her cheeks were flushed, her mind clouded, yet her damp eyes shone with startling clarity.
"Su Dan Gu," she asked word by word, her breath tangling with his, "do you like me?"
With a clatter, the earthen bowl was knocked over, half a bowl of warm water spilling across the floor.
A pale light emerged at the horizon, dawn breaking through the clouds as the wind moaned.
She had asked for Su Dan Gu.
Tanmoroqie's awareness returned. He picked up the fallen bowl and poured another serving of warm water.
Yaoying's lips twitched as she watched him work. After several racking coughs, she widened her eyes and stared at him: "You... answer me first... yes or no?"
Her words were interrupted by violent coughing that brought tears to her eyes.
Tanmoroqie gazed at her, holding the bowl steadily at her lips.
Yaoying continued coughing.
He remained silent, shifting his gaze away. Then his peripheral vision caught something that made him frown. He reached out to brush aside the hair clinging to Yaoying's forehead.
He hadn't dared look closely before, but now in the morning light, he noticed the red swelling on her brow.
"Be good, drink some water."
His voice was gentle yet brooked no argument.
Yaoying's heart trembled. For some reason, a wave of sorrow surged within her. She stared directly into his eyes: "If you won't answer, I'll keep waiting until you do. Su Dan Gu, do you like me?"
Her bright eyes, clear through to their depths, gazed at him with tender determination.
He was a monastic—he could give her nothing.
Tanmoroqie shook his head in denial, but then heard a familiar voice whisper softly: "Yes."
Much later, he realized.
That had been his own voice.
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