Love and Crown

"Brother Xiao!" The shout escaped her lips.

Startled awake from her dream, Cang Cang reached out as if to grasp something, only to realize she was on horseback. She hastily grabbed the saddle to avoid tumbling headfirst off the horse.

Blinking open her eyes, she found herself under the scorching noon sun, the monotonous, barren official road stretching endlessly before her.

Ignoring the teasing gaze of the black-clad young man beside her, Cang Cang rubbed her eyes, her mood sinking.

In her drowsy dream, she had seen him—the one who had been absent without word for days.

It felt like an eternity since he had silently vanished from her life.

Though she often recalled his smile and gentle voice during the day, this was the first time he had appeared in her dreams.

In the dream, he smiled at her warmly, just as before, yet his face behind that smile was as pale as it had been that nightmare-filled night when she saw him in the courtyard.

Overjoyed, she tried to call out to him, but his image gradually faded, dissolving like mist before her eyes.

What would it be like to never see him again?

Cang Cang dared not dwell on it. She simply lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously picking at the sturdy leather saddle.

He probably didn’t know—since his departure, nearly every moment had been spent longing for the time they had shared.

Her chest ached with a dull heaviness. Quickly, she raised her hand to wipe away the moisture at the corner of her eye before it could fall.

"Pathetic," she muttered under her breath. "Absolutely pathetic..."

Noticing her childish gesture, the black-clad young man turned his head, momentarily surprised before a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his usually cold lips—unexpectedly tender, devoid of any mockery.

"We’re changing course to Suzhou," he said casually, frowning at himself for speaking it aloud. Why did he feel compelled to comfort her? There was no way she could know that person would also be heading to Suzhou.

As expected, a listless "Mm..." came from beside him. The girl continued to hang her head, seemingly oblivious to his words.

Shaking his head in mild amusement, the young man flicked his whip, striking Cang Cang’s horse precisely. "Time to move!"

The steed bolted forward, startling Cang Cang into a flurry of yelps and shouts.

Xu Lai had never imagined things would come to this—now he was racing down the official road like a fugitive, desperately urging a carriage onward.

After another crack of the whip, he spared a glance back at the carriage. "Awake?" he called.

A soft cough answered him. Inside, Xiao Huan reclined against a small table, his fox-fur robe half-draped, hair loose. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he propped up his head, a purple-gold hand warmer resting on his lap.

Mourning his sudden demotion to coachman and bodyguard, Xu Lai couldn’t help adding, "There’s a post station ahead. We’ll stay there tonight."

Xiao Huan nodded. After sleeping through the afternoon following his medicine, the usual gentle smile returned to his face, replacing the earlier drowsy indifference. "Brother Xu, you must be tired," he offered. "Shall I take over the reins?"His words only made Xu Lai feel the aches in his neck, shoulders, waist, and legs more keenly. Gritting his teeth, he stubbornly retorted, "Alright, just don’t give me another scare with your illness!"

Xiao Huan chuckled but didn’t press further. He removed the hand warmer from his lap and moved to sit leisurely near the carriage door, gazing at the scenery outside with a smile. "What lovely weather," he remarked.

Following his gaze, Xu Lai looked out at the refreshing autumn fields, the distant mountains and nearby trees, and the fiery red clouds beside the setting sun on the horizon. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn’t help but sigh in agreement. "Truly lovely weather."

Several days had passed since their hasty escape from Wuchang City.

When Xu Lai heard that another group of assassins was hot on their trail, his first thought was: We can’t stay here!

Without hesitation, he rushed to the horse market and bought two fast horses. But after a moment’s consideration, he turned back and exchanged them for a carriage instead.

By the time he hurriedly drove the carriage back to the inn, Xiao Huan had already taken the pills he carried with him and was sound asleep. Half-carried and stuffed into the carriage by Xu Lai, he managed to wake up briefly and say, "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Xu."

At the time, Xu Lai had been puzzled by his politeness. But after a few days, he finally understood the meaning behind those words.

From then on, whether it was traveling, stopping for rest, or fending off pursuers, Xiao Huan remained utterly uninvolved. No matter how fiercely Xu Lai fought the assassins outside the carriage, Xiao Huan sat calmly inside, not even lifting the curtain to peek.

Once, after Xu Lai had nearly exhausted himself subduing a group of formidable opponents, he turned back, panting, only to see Xiao Huan standing leisurely by the carriage, hands behind his back, smiling faintly. "Brother Xu, if you had used the 'Slanting Shadows' move when that man struck with Thunder Palm, you would’ve defeated him much sooner."

Xu Lai was so furious he nearly stumbled on the spot.

As the sunset bathed them in golden light, Xiao Huan suddenly turned to Xu Lai with a smile, his deep eyes warm and slightly narrowed. He pointed ahead. "Brother Xu, the post station is just ahead."

On the road before them, a wine banner fluttered outside the brightly lit post station.

The craving for alcohol, long simmering in Xu Lai’s throat, surged forth. Eagerly urging the horses forward, he barely waited for the carriage to stop before leaping down and tossing the reins to the approaching attendant. "Two best rooms! And feed my horses well!"

Amused, Xiao Huan adjusted his black fox-fur cape and stepped down from the carriage. Side by side, they walked toward the bustling inn, already crowded with travelers.

But at the entrance, Xu Lai suddenly halted. Xiao Huan stopped as well. On the white wall before them, two lines of bold red ink stood out starkly:

"The Central Plains Martial World is full of fools."

"The Azure Jade Sect challenges the Four Great Manors at Tiger Hill."

The flamboyant calligraphy, dripping with ink, was impossible to ignore.

"This…" Xu Lai rubbed his chin, frowning in thought. "I never heard the sect leader mention plans to unify the Martial World."

Before Xiao Huan could respond, two sword-bearing travelers, clearly fellow martial artists, passed by them, deep in conversation.

"Wasn’t the Azure Jade Sect content staying in southern Yunnan? Why suddenly attack the Central Plains Martial World?"

"I’m not sure, but I heard the Four Great Manors are already preparing to unite against them. The leaders of Shaolin and Wudang will also be there."

"Really? Then we must go to Tiger Hill to witness this.""Yes, it concerns our very survival. In just one day, these challenge letters were posted in every relay station along the road."

"Trouble stirs again..."

Frowning as he examined the large characters on the wall, Xiao Huan smiled: "It seems your sect leader wishes to meet me in Suzhou..."

Xu Lai also rarely furrowed his brows: "But at least we have a destination now—to Suzhou..."

November 15th, beneath Tiger Hill in Suzhou.

Though it was only early November, with over ten days remaining before the scheduled battle between the Azure Jade Sect and the Four Great Manors, Suzhou was already teeming with martial artists who had come to participate.

In the inn, loud greetings could be heard at any moment: "Sect Leader Wang! What a pleasure to meet you!"

"Deputy Chief Escort Shen! I was just about to visit your escort agency—what a fortunate encounter!"

"Hero Feng! I, Cheng, have long admired your reputation!"

"Absolutely unworthy! I, Feng, am the one who has admired you for ages, regretting not having met sooner!"

"Elder Gao!"

"Taoist Priest Feixiang!"

One greeting after another, even the drenching autumn rain couldn't dampen the overwhelming clamor.

A black-canopied carriage leisurely passed through the streets lined with blue brick and tile houses, coming to a stop at the inn's entrance.

The coachman wore a straw raincoat, his wide-brimmed hat obscuring most of his face. After parking the carriage, he removed the raincoat, revealing a plain white robe underneath, then picked up an oil-paper umbrella and held it over the carriage door.

Only then did the carriage's curtain lift, and out stepped a figure draped in a dark cloak—a young face with an indifferent expression. He walked straight to the inn's counter, his voice laced with weariness: "One superior room."

Unable to discern his background, the innkeeper quickly complied, swiftly arranging an upper-floor room.

The dark-cloaked youth, however, seemed impatient, offering no further words as he strode toward the stairs.

The white-robed man beside him quietly instructed the attendant on how to care for the horses before hurriedly following the dark-cloaked youth upstairs, not even pausing to remove his hat.

Only after the two figures disappeared up the stairs did the stunned martial heroes regain their composure. One particularly blunt individual snorted aloud: "What arrogance!"

Closing the door behind them, they shut out the faint commotion from below.

The dark-cloaked youth unceremoniously sat on the large bed, propping one leg on the footstool: "Come, massage my feet for me."

The white-robed man who had entered with him finally removed his hat, placing it on the windowsill to dry, and responded softly, bending down as if to comply.

The dark-cloaked youth quickly withdrew his foot, laughing: "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I couldn't possibly let the Great Martial Emperor massage my feet."

The white-robed man continued bending slowly, untying his rain-soaked straw sandals, amusement in his voice: "Who said I was going to massage your feet..."

After a brief pause, Xu Lai chuckled, removing his fox-fur cloak and tossing it onto the bed. He couldn't help sighing slightly: "Who would have thought those assassins would post your portrait on Suzhou's city walls... What a nuisance!" Immediately, he recalled the encounter yesterday outside Suzhou with that disciple from the Jianliu Branch.The young female disciple was waiting on the main road they had to pass. Spotting their carriage from afar, she intercepted them with an unexpectedly light tone. Her first words were: "Our Hall Master has been punished by the Sect Leader to reflect in seclusion at the Headquarters."

Then came the second sentence: "The Sect Leader said Hall Master Xu must also join our Hall Master in seclusion."

Finally, the third statement: "The Sect Leader has already set out for Tiger Hill with the four Guardians from Headquarters and Hall Master Liu of the Hall of Light. They'll arrive within days."

Having delivered these three messages, she turned and walked away with remarkable nonchalance, leaving Xu Lai and Xiao Huan standing there exchanging bewildered looks.

Heaving another deep sigh, Xu Lai felt a dull headache coming on. Seclusion punishment didn't particularly worry him—he'd already considered the consequences when he defied the Sect Leader's orders to help Xiao Huan. What he hadn't anticipated was the Sect Leader personally coming to Suzhou this time.

Meanwhile, Xiao Huan spoke up with a smile: "They only booked one room. Does that mean one of us has to sleep on the floor tonight?"

Nodding absently, Xu Lai's brow remained furrowed: "What about it?"

Xiao Huan continued cheerfully: "How about we play a game of chess to decide who gets the bed?"

Pausing momentarily, Xu Lai's frown relaxed as an exaggerated wry smile appeared: "You might as well just tell me to take the floor directly..."

Xiao Huan laughed at his pained expression. After a while, he suddenly said: "Brother Xu, how about you take me to meet your Sect Leader?"

Xu Lai stiffened slightly, remaining silent for a long moment before replying calmly: "What are you planning?"

"It's not like I'm going to seek death..." Xiao Huan chuckled before continuing, "It's nothing serious. I just haven't seen the old... I mean, Her Excellency in so long, I'd like to meet her once more."

"So long..." Xu Lai murmured the words before asking, "How long exactly?"

After careful consideration, Xiao Huan answered: "About six years since we last met, I believe."

"Six years ago... the second year of Virtuous Blessing." Xu Lai smiled faintly. "That was the year the Sect Leader brought me back to Headquarters and took me as her disciple. Speaking of which... time flies."

He then rolled off the bed and stood up: "Chess it is then! Since I'm bound to lose anyway, what do I have to fear from you?" Stroking his chin, he added as if remembering something important, "When you meet the Sect Leader, be sure to compliment her youthfulness. Never use the word 'old'... She'd be furious."

After a brief pause, Xiao Huan nodded repeatedly with a smile: "I'll definitely remember that..."

The light rain continued its gentle patter outside.

Within Suzhou's city walls, crowds clustered tightly around one particular spot.

Amid the jostling crowd, beneath her red-plum-patterned oilpaper umbrella, a purple-clad maiden with twin buns gazed up at the rain-spattered portrait on the wall and couldn't help exclaiming: "So this is... Xiao Yuncong?"

"Indeed," replied a white-robed maiden carrying a longsword on her back from beneath an adjacent umbrella—whether acquainted with the purple-clad girl or not—"A thousand taels of silver bounty for his head... Didn't expect him to be quite handsome."

"Right? You think so too?" Delighted to find a kindred spirit, the purple-clad girl brightened immediately.

"Mmm, though his nose could be straighter, eyes could be larger," the white-robed girl critically appraised while shaking her head, "But this is quite acceptable... rather good actually...""The real person is much more handsome than the portrait," a third voice suddenly chimed in. Behind the girls in purple and white robes, a slightly lowered yet crisp and bright voice spoke, carrying the unique charm of a young girl. "The real person is far more handsome than this portrait."

The purple-robed girl's eyes immediately lit up as she quickly turned around. "You've seen him? Where did you see him?"

The speaker was a red-robed girl about their age. When the purple-robed girl addressed her, she merely bit her lip, suddenly stomped her foot, and leaped up to snatch the portrait posted on the wall, tearing it down in one swift motion.

She crumpled the already tattered white paper into a ball and threw it into the muddy water, stomping on it fiercely. As if still unsatisfied, she ground it under her foot a few more times.

After finishing, she lifted her head and glared at the stunned onlookers, letting out a sharp "Hmph!" "What are you staring at? Never seen someone step on paper before?"

Pushing past the people around her, she grabbed the black-robed young man standing beside her—who had been smiling silently—and strode off without a backward glance.

Because she left in such a hurry, she didn’t notice the gaze that had been following her from beneath a white paper umbrella adorned with an ink-painted bamboo, not far behind her.

The person under the umbrella curled their delicate lips into a faint smile, murmuring in a voice so soft and melodious it could only belong to a youth: "The young lady of the Ling family... truly amusing."

With a light turn, the umbrella-bearer began to walk, the ink-bamboo design swaying gently with each step.

Step by step, they moved through the muddy streets, yet their white satin shoes remained pristine, untouched by a single speck of dirt.

Above the spotless shoes was a robe as white as freshly fallen snow, its sleeves fluttering. Intricate and elegant patterns coiled up from the right sleeve, framing the half-sun embroidered in gold thread on the lapel.

Amid the rain, a voice carrying lingering grace drifted out:

"In youth, I listened to rain in taverns high,

Mid crimson lights and silken curtains bright.

In prime, on boats I heard rain’s mournful sigh,

O’er wide streams, low clouds, lone wild geese in flight.

Now that I listen to rain beneath a temple’s eave,

My hair turns grey like starry night.

Joy and grief, parting and meeting—all deceive…"

Thus, Liu Huaixue, the Right Hall Master of the Azure Jade Sect's Hall of Light, walked slowly, his sleeves billowing in the autumn rain’s chill:

"Let the raindrops on the steps drip till the morning light."

The fourth day of the eleventh month, west of Suzhou City.

The lingering autumn rain continued to fall. Walking under an umbrella, one could hear the steady patter of raindrops against the fabric.

Cang Cang rarely found herself strolling alone through the streets like this.

She wasn’t always boisterous—she simply preferred liveliness.

She liked having sounds to listen to, people to talk to beside her. When she wanted to laugh, she wished someone could see her smile; when she wanted to cry, she wished someone would notice her sorrow. That was all.

Nor was she as stubborn as she appeared—she just disliked having her fate dictated.

Just as she disliked the idea of being married off to become an empress to someone whose face she hadn’t even properly seen, so she ran away from home. Then, she suddenly realized that the very person whose face she hadn’t properly seen before was actually quite remarkable, so she began clinging to him, following him around—simple and direct.

Always knowing exactly what she wanted, always reaching out firmly for it—she merely refused to live against her own will.Liking is liking, and not liking is not liking. To hesitate over things that seem important to others but are actually trivial is the most foolish thing.

Stepping through the shallow puddles on the ground, Cang Cang walked slowly down the empty streets. She felt like she had thought of many things, but soon forgot them all, leaving only the growing sound of rain falling on her umbrella, as if it were landing somewhere far away.

It was probably nearing dusk, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the road. Occasionally, a few peddlers in straw raincoats hurried past her, carrying their loads without bothering to solicit business, quickly disappearing into the misty rain.

It had been a long time since she sneaked out for a stroll that afternoon while the young man in black—who never told her his name—was away.

Not worried about him finding her, she switched the umbrella to her other hand when her arm grew tired. Cang Cang swayed leisurely, with no intention of stopping.

A faint medicinal scent drifted from the corner of the street, mingling with the smell of rain, elusive and fleeting.

Cang Cang turned her head and saw a pharmacy by the roadside. Its black signboard with red characters, half-open wooden door, and a blue cloth curtain hanging at the entrance marked it as the kind of ordinary pharmacy easily found anywhere in the empire.

Back in Hangzhou, when the two of them fell into the water together, had he gone to this kind of pharmacy to get medicine for her cold?

Dazed for a moment, she turned and casually walked into the shop.

In front of the neatly arranged medicine cabinets sat an attendant wrapped in a cotton-padded jacket. Seeing her enter, he smiled politely.

Cang Cang smiled back. From deeper inside the pharmacy, she heard someone who seemed to be the shopkeeper speaking in a tone caught between amusement and exasperation: "Another five taels? Sir, please don’t joke with me. I’m just a pharmacist—how am I supposed to measure the medicine for you?"

Another person coughed lightly and replied in a calm, unhurried voice, "I’m not joking with you, shopkeeper… Then just five taels of hawthorn will do…"

A third person chuckled and interjected, "Five taels of dried tangerine peel, five taels of hawthorn, five taels of rock sugar—why don’t you just boil these and swallow them? No need for any other medicine…"

The second person coughed again, so softly it almost seemed like he was seriously considering the suggestion: "If only these alone would work…"

Amid their conversation, Cang Cang turned her gaze in their direction.

By the counter, backlit, stood two young men. The one in white robes laughed while idly fiddling with the copper pestle on the counter. The one in the Blue Gown pressed a sheet of paper on the counter with one hand while holding a brush in the other, seemingly writing a prescription while instructing the shopkeeper to weigh the medicine.

Behind the counter, the shopkeeper held a small brass scale piled high with dried hawthorn slices.

Hearing the sound at the entrance, they all turned to look.

By the blue cloth curtain fluttering in the wind and rain, Cang Cang stood, raindrops slowly sliding down her oil-paper umbrella.

The hand playing with the pestle stilled. The young man in white opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he simply smiled and closed it.

For a moment, everything was silent. Then the brush in the hand of the young man in the Blue Gown moved slightly. He set it down and stepped forward toward her."Cang Cang." Xiao Huan smiled but didn't say anything else, stopping in front of her.

Up close, his profile looked somewhat pale against the backlight. Cang Cang lowered her gaze to her toes before looking up again. "Are you sick?"

With another smile, Xiao Huan met her eyes. "A little. It's nothing."

"It's nothing, just coughed up blood twice recently, and this morning after getting up, I've been coughing with cold sweat and could barely stand." Xu Lai, oblivious to the awkwardness, chimed in with a smile as he walked over, spreading his hands. "Just to clarify, last night wasn’t my idea to make him sleep on the floor. He went through great lengths to deliberately lose two chess games to me—the famously awful chess player—just to 'lose' the bed to me."

Cang Cang's round eyes widened even more. She glanced at Xu Lai briefly before shifting her gaze back to Xiao Huan’s face. She took a soft breath and said, "I was taken away, and you never came looking for me..."

She tilted her head slightly and quickly added, "But actually, that person was sent by my father to bring me home, so I wasn’t in any real danger."

"And," she said with a hint of pride, "I’ve cursed you many times these past few days. Yesterday, I even tore down your portrait from the Suzhou city walls and stomped on it in the mud!"

Her smile faded, replaced by a look of irritation. "No matter if you were tied up with other matters or knew I wasn’t in danger, the fact that you didn’t come for me all these days makes me very unhappy! I thought about it many times—if I ever saw you again, I’d curse you out and then turn and walk away!"

She lifted her chin, adopting a magnanimous air. "But, seeing as you’re sick now and probably couldn’t run fast enough to chase after me, I’ll skip all that."

After finishing in one breath, she set down her umbrella, stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around the person before her.

The familiar scent of fresh grass and trees filled her nose, and Cang Cang felt the corners of her lips curl up. "Brother Xiao," she said clearly and cheerfully, "I missed you so much."

A pair of arms slowly encircled her in return—not particularly warm, but deeply reassuring. A faint cough came from above, followed by his quiet response: "Mm."

She held him tightly, unmoving, her smile widening uncontrollably until a teasing voice sounded by her ear: "Little girl, the shopkeeper and clerks are staring..."

Startled, Cang Cang pulled back from Xiao Huan’s embrace but ignored Xu Lai’s amused expression beside them. Instead, she took Xiao Huan’s hand and asked, "Brother Xiao, are you very sick?"

Before he could answer, her expression turned serious. "Are you afraid I’ll worry about you? It’s okay. Even if your health never improves, I’ll stay by your side forever!"

The pharmacy fell silent as everyone watched her rise onto her tiptoes, embrace Xiao Huan’s shoulders, and gently press a kiss to his pale lips.

Then, in the next moment, her hands began patting him all over. "Why did you cough up blood? Does your chest hurt? Does your stomach hurt? Ah, I always thought you were fragile, but I didn’t realize you were this delicate... But don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you."

Another chuckle came from Xu Lai as he patted Xiao Huan’s shoulder and cleared his throat. "Brother Xiao, the little girl cherishes you dearly. You’d better treasure her..."

The shopkeeper’s lazy voice drifted over: "Customer... Your hawthorn slices—five taels per dose, right? That can’t be wrong..."A certain young girl suddenly seemed to remember something, widening her bright eyes: "Ah, right! Brother Xiao, why do you add so much rock candy hawthorn to the medicine? Are you afraid of the bitterness...?"

"Cough, cough..." Someone's coughing suddenly intensified.

"Hmm, little miss, you really should see the expression on his face when he swallows pills every day," another person continued mercilessly, showing no sympathy. "But I think if it were decoction, that expression would be even more spectacular..."

"Cough... cough..."

"Customer, your rock candy, wrapped up..."

"Um, Brother Xiao, actually, no matter how much rock candy you put in the medicine, it'll still be bitter... Ah! Your expression really changed, and so quickly!"

"See? I wasn't wrong, was I?"

"Cough... cough..."

"Five taels of dried tangerine peel per dose... all wrapped up..."

The narrow little pharmacy at the street corner suddenly became lively. Behind the blue cloth door curtain, the chilly autumn rain continued to fall relentlessly, but the gradually lit street lamps cast a warm, yellowish glow over the cold and desolate street.

Not a single candlelight could be seen in the surroundings. Walking slowly into the dimly lit corridor, Liu Huaixue bowed with clasped fists and lowered his head: "Teacher, they've arrived."

"Them?" The woman standing under the eaves in the rain keenly noticed the difference in his words and turned to speak. The rain's reflection illuminated her graceful smile, pure as the bright moon.

"It's them," Liu Huaixue replied, still with his head lowered, but a faint smile seemed to float at the corners of his elegant lips. "Brother Xiao came hand in hand with Miss Ling."

The woman actually laughed as well: "A-Xue, when did you become so close with him that you call him 'Brother Xiao'?"

"Isn't it said that friendship with Xu Lai, the Left Hall Master of the Azure Jade Sect's Hall of Light, is friendship with Liu Huaixue, the Right Hall Master?" Liu Huaixue smiled. "Besides, that person is your son, Teacher. It's only right to call him Brother Xiao."

The gray-robed figure who had been silently standing under the eaves laughed: "Luo Mo, the children you've taught are quite something, daring to talk back to you."

"And are there any among the two you taught who don't dare to talk back to you?" the woman retorted without hesitation, though not angrily, a smile still lingering at her lips.

"Well, that's true..." The gray-robed man thought carefully about his two disciples and laughed heartily.

With a light smile, Chen Luomo, the leader of the Azure Jade Sect dressed in sheer gauze, gestured for Liu Huaixue to withdraw before turning to the gray-robed man: "Brother Li, you didn't come all the way from the capital just to watch the children I taught talk back to me, did you?"

Li Lu smiled as he stood facing the wind, his wide sleeves fluttering slightly: "I'm not that idle... I came only to give a reminder—the two battalions of the Imperial Bodyguards were secretly mobilized seven days ago. Now, at least ninety percent of their forces have gathered within Suzhou City."

Chen Luomo raised her eyebrows and smiled: "Oh? Finally couldn't resist flaunting the imperial majesty?"

Li Lu also smiled: "You should know that the descendants of the Xiao family have never believed in playing fair. Only a fool would hold pieces and not use them. But this time, it wasn't your son who mobilized the Imperial Bodyguards. Isn't there one other person in this world who can command the two battalions of the Imperial Bodyguards?"

"Sister Liu..." Chen Luomo murmured the name she hadn't spoken in so long, laughing softly. "She's been watching all of this through the Venom Battalion, hasn't she? Quite the strategist."With a soft sigh, Li Lu smiled faintly: "Our side stands with our Ling girl, doing things for her sake. Empress Dowager Liu's side stands with their emperor, doing things for his sake. As for you, Luo Mo, you stand on the side of destruction, aiming to make things bad for both our Ling girl and Empress Dowager Liu's emperor. The Scholar's Residence, the Empress Dowager, and the world's number one Azure Jade Sect—any one of these three forces alone is enough to intimidate people. Yet all their actions are merely to prevent a pair of young lovers from being together."

As he spoke, he gazed into the distance.

They stood at the highest pavilion in the courtyard, from where they could see across the lotus pond and rockeries to the brightly lit reception hall in the distance. Amid the brilliant lights, several youthful figures entered. A girl in pink clung to the arm of a young man in a Blue Gown, bouncing around restlessly. Even from this distance, their laughter seemed audible.

Smiling slightly, Li Lu said quietly, "They're just two children... just two children..."

Following his gaze to the brightly lit hall, Chen Luomo remained silent.

"Luo Mo, even now, I still hope you'll reconsider," Li Lu continued, turning as if preparing to leave. "No matter what happens, those two will never do anything to harm you, nor will they retaliate or hold any grudges against your actions. And in this world, only you can bring about their ruin... Luo Mo, no matter how much you despise one of them, the other is your own flesh and blood. Apart from absorbing the Cold Poison from your body and suffering in your stead for twenty years, he has done nothing wrong."

He began to walk away, his gray wide sleeves fluttering behind him as he quickly disappeared into the darkness.

Without glancing back at him, Chen Luomo kept her eyes fixed on the distant lights.

In the radiant candlelight, the young man bent his head to say something to the little girl holding his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips.

As if sensing something, he looked up toward them. His youthful face, illuminated by the light, bore an unnatural pallor.

After a pause, he smiled slightly—a gentle, pure smile, just like the one she had last seen when he was twelve.

He truly resembled his father, with nearly identical features and bearing.

Yet the cool indifference in his brows when he wasn't smiling was exactly like her own.

He was indeed not his father. He had indeed done nothing wrong, yet he bore the bitter consequences of others' mistakes.

"Who told you to be born into the Xiao family..." She had uttered these words countless times, but this time, her voice was so soft even she could barely hear it.

Taking a step back, she clearly saw a flicker of confusion in those pitch-black eyes as they followed her movement.

Chen Luomo turned away, letting her figure vanish into the pavilion's shadows.

As her gauzy silhouette passed the white-robed young man standing guard below the pavilion, her cold, detached voice rang out: "Tell Xiao Huan to meet me in the back hall. Alone."

Liu Huaixue trembled slightly, straightening his posture and bowing in acknowledgment.

The pale, gauzy robes brushed past him, leaving a trail of chilly air in their wake.The voice of the stunning woman who had walked away lingered coldly in the wind: "There's no mistake now, but who can guarantee there won't be in the future?"

"Brother Xiao?" Cang Cang waved her hand in front of Xiao Huan's face, noticing that his gaze had drifted toward the door moments earlier. "What are you looking at?"

The figure in the night had already vanished. Xiao Huan smiled and turned to Cang Cang. "I think I saw the person we're here to meet."

"The person we're here to meet?" Cang Cang was puzzled. "The owner of this place?"

After running into Xiao Huan at the pharmacy, she had naturally followed him back to their inn, and then to this secluded courtyard hidden in the winding alleys. All she knew was that they were here to meet someone by appointment. She had no idea who that person was or why they were meeting.

"You could say so," Xiao Huan replied with a smile, trying to explain. "An elder of mine."

"An elder? You have elders outside too? Someone from the royal family?" Cang Cang guessed wildly, clearly not putting much thought into it. "If they're taking so long to show up, let's just forget about them." She grabbed Xiao Huan's hand enthusiastically. "Brother Xiao, you still haven't told me what happened after you ran into those mysterious descendants of the Tang Sect? Hmm?"

She was now pestering Xiao Huan to recount the "adventures" he and Xu Lai had after they parted ways with her.

"Later, those people just left," Xiao Huan said lightly, skirting the heart of the matter. The events that had stirred up such a storm in the Martial World sounded as mundane as daily life when he described them.

"Aww..." Cang Cang sighed in disappointment but still held his hand, continuing eagerly, "Did they ever come back?"

Xiao Huan smiled again, patiently answering, "No, they didn't."

"Did you run into them again?" Her eyes still sparkled with curiosity.

"No," Xiao Huan replied, shaking his head with a smile.

"Did you ever think about looking for them—"

Xu Lai, who had been listening to their conversation, finally couldn't take the bland exchange anymore and interrupted, "Little girl, is listening to him really that interesting?"

Without even turning her head, Cang Cang shot back, "No, but Brother Xiao's voice is nice to listen to."

Just as the three of them were chatting animatedly, a figure in white stepped into the hall.

Liu Huaixue, dressed in snow-white robes, stood in the center of the room with a smile. "You three seem to be having quite the lively conversation..." He then straightened his sleeves and bowed solemnly. "Young Master Xiao, our sect leader requests your presence."

Xu Lai and Xiao Huan both fell silent for a moment. Cang Cang, however, stood up, brushed off her clothes, and kept her hand firmly in Xiao Huan's. "Finally, someone shows up. Brother Xiao, let's go."

Liu Huaixue smiled politely. "Miss Ling, our sect leader wishes to see only Young Master Xiao. Please wait here for now."

"Why only Brother Xiao?" Cang Cang frowned. "It's not like your sect leader is some reclusive hermit. What's the big deal about seeing one more person?"

Liu Huaixue looked somewhat exasperated as he explained, "Miss Ling, these are our sect leader's orders—"

"Is your sect leader that impressive? Calling us here just to put on airs? Trying to throw your weight around? Just because you're royalty, you think you're better than everyone else?" Cang Cang snorted and immediately fired back. She only knew the other party was an elder of Xiao Huan's and assumed it was some high-ranking member of the royal family."Miss Ling..." Liu Huaixue gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"Cang Cang," Xiao Huan stood up at this moment, smiling as he patted her shoulder, "it's alright, you can wait here for me." He smiled again, "I won't be gone long."

Seeing his smile, Cang Cang's pouting expression softened. Reluctantly, she pursed her lips before finally nodding at him, "...Don't take too long!"

Giving her shoulder another reassuring pat, Xiao Huan nodded with a smile.

Letting go of his hand, Cang Cang watched as Xiao Huan followed Liu Huaixue into the inner hall, her gaze lingering until his blue-robed figure disappeared into the depths of the corridor.

She didn't notice how Xu Lai, standing behind her, suddenly narrowed his eyes the moment Xiao Huan and Liu Huaixue departed.

The look Liu Huaixue had given him as they passed by still burned in Xu Lai's mind. He clenched his fist subtly.

Their mutual understanding had long reached a point where words were unnecessary. That glance from Liu Huaixue clearly meant "the odds are against us."

Is the sect leader finally making her move? Could she really go through with it?

His troubled mind found no answers. Raising his head, Xu Lai saw Cang Cang still stubbornly staring down the corridor and couldn't help but tease lightly, "What? Can't bear to be apart from your Brother Xiao for even a moment?"

"I don't want to see him get hurt again," unexpectedly, Cang Cang didn't rise to his bait but spoke quietly. "Last time I saw him injured, I had nightmares about losing him. No matter how far I ran, I couldn't find him. When I woke up and went looking, I saw him dueling that man in black, his arm bleeding badly, coughing so hard he couldn't straighten up."

"This time too... I waited so long for him to rescue me and was furious when he didn't come. But the moment we met, you said he'd been coughing blood from illness, and suddenly I wasn't angry anymore. What does it matter that he didn't come for me? Compared to him being sick, it's nothing."

She paused, thinking seriously. "I really planned to ignore him when we met again, to make him suffer until he begged properly for forgiveness. But never mind—if I make him sad, I'll only feel worse myself. Like when I saw him bleeding, I didn't understand why it hurt so much. I'd rather attend a hundred days of my most hated music lessons, copy scriptures until my hands bleed—anything but see him like that again. And I'd only been apart from him for a few hours then... This time... only just over a month..."

Looking up at Xu Lai, she smiled, "I'm afraid of seeing him leave and get hurt again. I like him so much."

The last time she'd told Xiao Huan "I like you so much," it had been childish enough to make Xu Lai laugh. Now she said it again—tilting her face up in the lamplight, her bright eyes shining as she said calmly, "I like him so much."

Xu Lai's lips quirked into another smile, gentler this time. He nodded at her, "Don't worry, I'm here too."

Across half the pond and behind a screen wall, the sounds of conversation still carried.

In the empty pavilion, Chen Luomo adjusted the glass lantern's brightness before sitting down to wait.The laughter in the hall was soon joined by a clear, bright voice—it was Liu Huaixue, who had gone to invite that person. The room fell silent for a brief moment before the noise resumed, as if the young girl was arguing to come along as well.

The commotion didn’t last very long. Seemingly persuaded by a few comforting words, the girl quickly quieted down.

Chen Luomo couldn’t help but smile at the corner of her lips: How could any young girl resist such gentleness?

That faintly smiling mouth, the soft and low voice—when his eyes, bright as the night sky, reflected your figure, you would do anything for him.

Light footsteps gradually drew nearer, pausing slightly outside the door, betraying a hint of hesitation.

The smile on her lips didn’t fade as Chen Luomo spoke, “Come in.”

The beaded curtain, strung with pearls, was gently lifted. With a delicate rustling sound, a young man in a Blue Gown entered.

Familiar features, a gentle expression—the young man stepped into the lamplight, raised his head, and smiled respectfully. “Mother.”

Mother. He had always called her that. She couldn’t remember how old he was when she first saw him—that delicate, pale child who had immediately smiled upon seeing her and called out brightly, “Mother,” completely unfazed by the fact that she had Yang Liu Feng pointed at his father’s chest at the time.

Smiling faintly as well, Chen Luomo studied him carefully. “Huan’er, how long has it been since you left this time?”

“Nearly three months,” he answered promptly, his smile light.

She chuckled and continued, “You don’t look well. How is your health?”

“It’s flared up twice recently,” he replied, his tone still respectful.

She nodded, her voice devoid of concern. “Two consecutive episodes of that poison aren’t a good sign. Be careful.”

He lowered his head with a smile. “Thank you, Mother. I’ll be cautious.”

Question and answer—all perfectly ordinary conversation.

“Why thank me?” She smiled faintly again, her voice still calm. “I just don’t want you dying when I least expect it, that’s all.”

The smile on his pale face didn’t waver as the young man replied in his gentle, refined voice, “I won’t die. I can’t die yet.”

The words struck a familiar chord. Chen Luomo paused slightly, recalling eight years ago—when the boy, only twelve years old and dressed in plain white mourning robes, had stood before the massive imperial coffin in the Hall of Ancestral Worship and said to her with quiet composure, “Mother, don’t kill me. I can’t die yet.”

Back then, the boy had met her gaze directly, his clear black eyes like still water—holding nothing but deep, restrained sorrow, neither fear nor terror in them.

Suddenly, she burst into laughter. Chen Luomo rose from her chair, her light gauze robes fluttering with each step as she approached the young man. The smile on her lips sharpened into something icy. “Can’t die? Do you think saying such things to your mother makes you seem tragic and pitiful? Do you think it makes you appear enduring and devoted? Or do you want to say that I’m cruel and heartless, constantly demanding the death of my own flesh and blood?”

With each question, her voice grew colder, her eyes gathering a murderous chill.

"No." The young man standing before her answered firmly and calmly, his gaze still meeting hers directly. "I don't feel pitiful or tragic, nor do I think myself long-suffering and sentimental. Mother has never been cruel or heartless either." With a faint smile, he spoke each word clearly, "Ever since I can remember, during every meeting, Mother has asked me whether I would give up the throne and the Xiao Clan to follow her to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. She wanted to cleanse my Cold Poison and grant me a lifetime of health and happiness. It was my own stubbornness that refused to cherish this offer."

She laughed coldly, "So you do remember! The great chieftain of the Xiao Clan's Vermilion Bird Branch, His Majesty Emperor Virtuous Blessing of Great Wu! How capable you are—forcing your own mother to kill you, while making everyone believe she's the heartless one! Fine, you're truly ruthless! Worthy of being the good son of Emperor Rui Zong Xiao Yu, who severed his own meridians to death! When it comes to ruthlessness and cruelty, I can't even compare to half of what you and your father possess!"

"I didn't force Mother to kill me," the young man stated calmly despite her anger. "It's just that Mother believes Great Wu's fate is exhausted and that it's better for the country to fall sooner rather than later. But I believe there's still a chance to turn things around, and I don't want to see the nation in ruins and its people scattered. So Mother and I simply have different views and opposing stances. As for Mother wanting to kill me, it's just something she must do to achieve her own goals. Huan'er has never thought of this as Mother's cruelty."

Chen Luomo looked at him coldly and seriously before speaking softly, "Yes, you don't think I'm cruel. You just think I'm colder and more heartless than others..." Her peerlessly beautiful face seemed unable to suppress a trace of sorrow. "Huan'er, you haven't been a father yet, so perhaps you don't understand a parent's heart. But if you ever have someone you deeply love, take the feelings you have for protecting and cherishing her and apply them exactly the same way—experience it as if it were your own flesh. I can tell you, Huan'er," her smile carried desolation, "a parent's love for their child can only be greater than that, never less."

The young man before her watched quietly, his face pale, before finally lifting the hem of his robe and kneeling on both knees. "Huan'er is unfilial, beyond redemption even in death."

Shaking her head with a smile, Chen Luomo didn't bend to look at him. "For this meeting, I originally intended to ask you one last time—whether you would come back to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain with me, let me heal your poisoned wounds, and from then on, leave court politics and grudges behind to do whatever you enjoy, living freely and happily. You're still so young. I wanted to see you live as carefree and bold as A'Lai and A'Xue, delighting in the mortal world." She paused slightly. "Now it seems I don't need to ask that question. Some questions are better left unasked when the answer is destined to bring sorrow and disappointment."

Her nearly snow-white gauze robes fluttered in the cool night breeze as Chen Luomo turned and walked past him. "Don't ask to see me again. Unless one of us dies someday, we will never meet again in this lifetime."

As she reached the doorway, a very soft voice came from behind her. "Mother... is there truly no turning back?"

Shaking her head again, her cold voice no longer carried the earlier fluctuations. "You should understand, Huan'er. Your stubbornness is much like mine."

Pausing once more at the door, she spoke, "That girl from the Ling family—you like her very much, don't you?"Without turning back, she stepped out of the Water Pavilion, her voice icy and devoid of warmth: "Do you remember what I once told you? Since you've chosen this path, don't covet anything else. You can't hold onto anything—no matter how desperately you want to protect it. Who made you a member of the Xiao family?"

Behind her, the young man in the Blue Gown knelt on the ground, his back straight, unmoving for a long time.

"Brother Xiao?" Xu Lai, who had been anxiously waiting for the sect leader to leave, immediately peeked out from behind the beaded curtain. Seeing Xiao Huan still kneeling, he hurried over to help him up. "You really... Couldn't you have said something softer? I've never seen Teacher this angry before."

Holding Xu Lai's hand as he stood, Xiao Huan smiled faintly. "You heard everything?"

"Normally, I wouldn't have been able to, but I was eavesdropping outside the door just now." Xu Lai chuckled, then sighed. "Teacher genuinely cares for you."

"I know." Raising his head with a smile, Xiao Huan coughed lightly. "It's my unfilialness that keeps hurting her."

"You..." Seemingly at a loss for words, Xu Lai paused before sighing again. "Forget it. Maybe I shouldn't say anything."

Xiao Huan coughed a few more times with a smile but didn't respond. The coughing grew heavier, and he bent over, covering his mouth with his hand as each cough wracked his body.

Xu Lai watched him, his expression suddenly changing. Without another word, he grabbed Xiao Huan and dragged him to a nearby chair, pulling his hand away to reveal it stained crimson.

Xu Lai stamped his foot in frustration. "This is unbearable! Teacher really should have crippled your martial arts and locked you up in the main hall!"

Leaning back in the chair, Xiao Huan continued coughing but managed a faint smirk as he looked at Xu Lai. "Brother Xu... you should return to Mother's side..."

Xu Lai was taken aback. Already irritated by Xiao Huan's stubbornness despite his condition, he couldn't help but frown. "What? Young Master Xiao just drove our sect leader away, and now you're chasing me off too?"

Unbothered by his tone, Xiao Huan smiled. "Mother is grieving now... Having you by her side would comfort her."

Xu Lai immediately regretted his harsh words. Looking up at Xiao Huan's pale but still smiling face, he felt helpless and unsure what to say. "You... Ah..."

"Young Master Xiao is right. You should return." A figure in white robes, Liu Huaixue, stepped silently into the room. He clasped his hands slightly toward Xiao Huan. "I didn’t have the chance to greet you earlier. Liu Huaixue of the Hall of Light, Azure Jade Sect."

Xiao Huan also stood and returned the gesture with a smile. "Brother Liu is too kind. Brother Xu has often spoken of you."

"When this guy mentions me, it's usually to expose my flaws. Please forgive the embarrassment, Brother Xiao." Liu Huaixue also dropped formalities, smiling warmly.

Then, turning to Xu Lai, Liu Huaixue spoke bluntly. "Don’t you understand what Brother Xiao is saying? You can’t stay on that side any longer! Before, disregarding the sect leader’s orders could still be dismissed as negligence. But if you don’t return now, do you want the sect leader to charge you with treason? Or do you want her to truly lose her temper and show no mercy to you and Brother Xiao?"

Xu Lai was stunned by the reprimand. Of course, he understood the gravity of the situation, but thinking of Xiao Huan's condition, he couldn’t bring himself to leave with peace of mind.Noticing his hesitation, Xiao Huan smiled again: "As long as you don't treat me like some delicate woman who needs protection, just go back decisively!"

Unable to help laughing at his words, Xu Lai still frowned: "Of course you're not some delicate woman needing protection—you're far more troublesome than that!"

As he spoke, he extended an arm: "Take care!"

With a smile, Xiao Huan reached out to clasp his forearm, his voice soft yet clear and warm: "Take care."

Having made the decision to leave, Xu Lai didn't hesitate further. He promptly gave Liu Huaixue a casual pat on the shoulder: "Had your fill of lecturing me? I'm off!"

Liu Huaixue snorted lightly: "Only because you were being so wishy-washy!"

Laughing and chatting, the two clasped fists in farewell, their similarly tall and straight white figures walking away side by side.

Coming and going like the wind, untrammeled and unrestrained—this was the true nature of Xu Lai, Left Hall Master of the Hall of Light.

Watching their retreating figures, Xiao Huan curved his lips slightly. That such a person, merely by staying by his side, could be scolded as "wishy-washy"...

He smiled faintly, then lowered his head to cough lightly a few times. Taking a silk handkerchief from his sleeve, he spat the blood in his mouth onto it. After pausing to recover, he carefully wiped his bloodstained hand with the cloth.

He wasn't particularly concerned about coughing up blood. He remembered the first time he spat blood at twelve years old, seeing the panic in the imperial physician's eyes and thinking he might truly die soon. Yet year after year passed, and though the bone-chilling pain still struck, it showed no signs of worsening.

Did he truly still have time, or was what remained already dwindling?

Returning the bloodstained handkerchief to his sleeve and lowering his hand, those faint words suddenly echoed in his ears: You can protect nothing—no matter how desperately you wish to guard something. Such is your fate as a member of the Xiao family, Xiao Huan.

Closing his eyes, he waited for the renewed wave of dull pain to pass. Yet the gentle smile lingering at his lips remained, not fading in the slightest.

When he opened his eyes again, he stepped forward and left the Water Pavilion.

In the still brightly lit hall, the young girl waiting on the high ebony chair quickly raised her head.

"Brother Xiao!" The pink figure rushed over without a moment's pause, her face filled with urgency. Without waiting for him to speak, she said, "You're finally out! That Xu Lai even got to go in to see you! I wanted to go too, but..." Pouting slightly with grievance, she added, "I promised to wait for you here..."

Smiling, he reached out to gently smooth the crease on her forehead: "I'm sorry, Cang Cang, for making you wait so long."

Her usually lively eyes stared at him blankly, an uncharacteristic shyness appearing as she tilted her head slightly and mumbled, "Mm... it's fine." Then she suddenly realized something was amiss, "Where's that Xu Lai guy? And that stuck-up Liu fellow—where'd they go?"

"They had matters to attend to in their sect and have already left," he explained lightly, not mentioning the deeper grievances.

"Oh," she didn't press further, simply taking his hand, "Then let's go too. This place feels bad—I keep getting this creepy, uncomfortable feeling."Nodding, he followed her steps, but the young girl ahead suddenly stopped and murmured to herself, "Your hands are even colder than before."

Under the lamplight, she turned around, her large eyes fixed on him in the deep, desolate rainy night: "Brother Xiao, I want to be with you forever."

"Your face is so pale too," she whispered, standing on tiptoe to gently touch his cheek, as if to confirm he was truly there. Softly, she repeated, "Brother Xiao, I'm afraid you'll leave and never come back. I want to be with you forever."

Scattered cold raindrops seeped in through the corridor outside. The young girl, tilting her head slightly, gazed at him with unwavering brightness.

For a moment, he seemed dazed, but then slowly smiled and nodded lightly. "I won't leave."

Instantly delighted, the little girl wrapped both her warm hands around his broad palm, grinning so widely her eyes nearly disappeared. "Promise, okay? You can't leave!"

Much later, after countless partings and reunions, after sharing many springs, autumns, and harsh winters together, this young girl who eventually became the Empress of Great Wu might not even remember herself that the vow "to be with you forever" was something she had spoken to him so very long ago.