Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Nangong Mo Yi raised the flute in his hand and played a few notes, causing the Dragon Pythons to immediately cease their attacks.
The people hidden in the cave let out a sigh of relief. Each of them looked disheveled, but they didn't care and quietly listened to the commotion outside.
Nangong Mo Yi asked ominously, "So you must have seen what was above? Where is the parchment?"
"I have seen it, but I won't tell you now. I need you to release them first..." Mei Shuang stood her ground, speaking with righteous indignation. "If even one more of them dies, I won't say another word to you."
Nangong Mo Yi lightly tapped the palm of his left hand with the Black Flute, as if weighing the credibility of Mei Shuang's words. Finally, he chuckled softly, "I'll trust you this once."
He waved his hand, "Send them down the mountain."
A figure in black silently emerged from behind him and stepped forward. "Everyone come out."
After Zheng Yi came out, he hugged Mei Shuang's leg. "Sister, let's go together!"
Mei Shuang patted Zheng Yi's head and smiled, "You and your mother go first; I'll come right after."
Lord Lu was naturally unwilling to act like a coward. He had come on imperial orders, and losing half of his men was already bad luck. Now, abandoning Mei Shuang to save himself was unacceptable; his wealth and status were trivial compared to losing his life.
Among the crowd, only Chu Xiruo remained silent, standing with her arms crossed as if maintaining a neutral stance.
Seeing this situation, Mei Shuang grew anxious and turned to everyone. "This matter has nothing to do with you all; he just wants to speak with me. So many have already died; there's no need to prolong this any further. Everyone should leave quickly."
Suddenly, Mei Shuang noticed something unusual about Zheng Yi's eyes under the moonlight. "Zheng Yi, what happened to your eyes?"
"Uh, it's nothing," Lady Aida said calmly as she pulled Zheng Yi behind her.
Nangong Mo Yi also noticed Zheng Yi's eyes and raised an eyebrow. Then he suddenly brightened up. "It is said that there is a peculiar tribe in the Southwest Region called Meizu, known for their ability to understand the language of beasts. I didn't expect it to actually exist... I wondered how you managed to come up here; it turns out it's because of this child."
Lady Aida's face turned pale as she pressed her lips tightly together without speaking.
Lord Lu was taken aback. "People from the Southwest Region?"
"Mei Shuang said, 'What are you talking about! She is from the Eastern Kingdom! What Southwest Region? It's the Northeast's Eastern Kingdom, and they speak the language of the Eastern Kingdom...'
Nangong Mo Yi sneered, 'That must be their desperate survival tactic. After all, your entire clan was wiped out by the Founding Ancestor of the Great Qin Empire. You have long been a nation without a home, yet it seems there are still stragglers who managed to hide here...'
Mei Shuang suddenly understood. She looked at Lady Aida in disbelief and asked, 'Lady Aida? Are you really a descendant of the Southwest Region?'
Lady Aida glanced at Mei Shuang, a hint of complexity flashing in her eyes before she nodded, 'Yes.'
Nangong Mo Yi looked at Mei Shuang with some pride. 'Back then, the Founding Ancestor eliminated the Southwest Region and unified it. Almost all the people of the Southwest Region were exterminated, yet it turns out there are still descendants alive.'
He turned his gaze to Lady Aida and scrutinized her closely. 'Take a good look; your enemies from the Southwest Region are right in front of you. These people are all from the Great Qin Empire. Perhaps one of their ancestors played a significant role in the war that destroyed your clan! Are you sure you came to save them? If so, you truly have forgotten your roots and betrayed your ancestors!'
Lady Aida listened silently, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Perhaps recalling the disasters faced by her clan, tears slowly filled her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and remained silent.
After a long while, she said lightly, 'You don't need to remind me; I have never forgotten our Meizu's national hatred and family grievances...'
Lord Lu was the first to realize what was happening. He drew his sword with a swish and pointed it at Lady Aida. 'Traitor! I thought you were kind enough to come to Cheng En Temple with a warning; it turns out you wanted to lure us here to our deaths!'
Lady Aida's gaze shifted to Lord Lu, her expression suddenly turning cold. 'You? Hmph, you're not even worthy! If it weren't for you all, I probably wouldn't have made it this far on my own...'
Lord Lu gritted his teeth in anger. 'We've fallen for this female thief's trick!'
Lady Aida seemed oblivious to him; her gaze was fixed solely on Mei Shuang, leaving Mei Shuang confused. Lady Aida then said, 'I'm sorry for offending you!'
Before her words had fully left her mouth, her hand moved like lightning to sprinkle some faint powder. Mei Shuang caught a whiff of an unusual fragrance and felt as if she had been ensnared by a Binding Technique, frozen in place.
Lady Aida's voice was calm as she added, 'I forgot to tell you that those things I gave you—except for the first time—were all fake...'
'What?!'
Although Mei Shuang couldn't move her body, her mind remained clear. Upon hearing this and glancing at Nangong Mo Yi, she realized she had indeed fallen for this woman's trick. This meant that Nangong Mo Yi had never been affected by any of those substances; he had been pretending all along."
"Why?" Mei Shuang's expression was somewhat agitated. The scene before her truly felt like a treacherous plot. "I have no grievances with you. Why do you want to harm me?"
Lord Lu, seeing the situation unfold, felt a deep sense of humiliation and drew his sword, ready to kill Lady Aida.
Lady Aida quickly pushed Mei Shuang in front of them, her face as cold as frost. "If you dare to move, I will kill her immediately!"
Watching the spectacle from the side, Nangong Mo Yi looked pleased and found it amusing. "This is wonderful; I've gained an unexpected ally. Truly, heaven is helping me."
Zheng Yi stepped out from behind Lady Aida, confused. "Mother, why do you want to kill my sister?"
Lady Aida spoke softly, "Zheng Yi, you are still young. I will explain everything to you when we get home."
Seeing Zheng Yi's reluctance, her tone turned stern. "Zheng Yi, if you let this sister go again, don't blame your mother for punishing you!"
Mei Shuang glanced at Chu Xiruo, who had been standing silently with her sword in hand, appearing as an outsider merely watching the drama unfold, completely detached from the situation.
Mei Shuang lowered her gaze, thinking she had come to rescue her, only to realize that they were all in cahoots. No matter how she looked at it, she was bound to lose. Just earlier, she had been negotiating with Nangong Mo Yi; now she found herself utterly defeated.
Lord Lu was furious at being tricked and nearly spat blood. "If you seek revenge, why target a weak woman?"
Lady Aida sneered. "Do I not know she is innocent? There is no need for me to lay hands on her. I only wish to kill the Emperor of the Great Qin Empire. His ancestors killed ours; how can I let him go unpunished? Only by killing him can I appease our ancestors' spirits."
"Well said," Nangong Mo Yi clapped lightly. "It seems we are all after the same goal; this is truly commendable! Dawn is approaching; we just need to wait a moment longer. No matter who comes, they will not return... Miss Mei Shuang, are you still unwilling to speak?"
"This is absurd! The Emperor of the Great Qin Empire is the Emperor of the Great Qin Empire; I am myself! Why must you all tie me to him?" Mei Shuang was genuinely angry. She had had enough of being used as a pawn in their schemes and held hostage. "Can’t you resolve your grievances among yourselves? Why drag me into this? Do you think I have such power to influence an emperor? Frankly speaking, I find your methods despicable. If you have the ability, confront Xiao Luo directly; he is not some cowardly villain and acts far more honorably than any of you!"
"Shut up!" Nangong Mo Yi shouted angrily. "Do you think he is so honorable? You probably haven't seen his true methods yet, and here you are defending him..."
Lady Aida gently patted Mei Shuang's shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry; I'm only using you to test the Emperor of the Great Qin Empire. If he truly shows no concern for your life or death, then it will resolve one of your worries as well. I absolutely will not harm someone who is useless to me; naturally, I will let you go..."
"..."
Mei Shuang felt a sudden tightness in her chest. "What do you mean?"
Lady Aida smiled slightly and leaned closer to Mei Shuang's ear. "So many people know that the Current Emperor, Xiao Luo, has feelings for you. Why have you remained unaware? Is it because no one has told you, or are you pretending not to know? If you are pretending, do you truly not like the Emperor, or is there an unresolved issue in your heart?"
Mei Shuang was momentarily stunned, looking at Lady Aida with shock and wide eyes. "W-what do you mean?"
Lady Aida quietly observed Mei Shuang and then glanced at Chu Xiruo beside her. Instead of answering, she spoke to herself, "Sometimes, people suffer simply because they cannot see their own hearts clearly. Affection is something that cannot withstand too much scrutiny; overthinking leads to anxiety and uncertainty, and the result... well, you understand. So, your presence here is entirely your own doing, rather than these people using you..."
Her cryptic words left those around her confused, but they rendered Mei Shuang speechless. For a moment, she was dazed and didn't even think to ask how Lady Aida, an outsider, knew all this.
She had to admit that Lady Aida was right.
If she hadn't doubted Xiao Luo's motives in the temple, accusing him of merely using her and suspecting he hadn't moved on from Chu Xiruo—if she hadn't stormed out of Cheng En Temple in anger—perhaps she wouldn't have encountered Zheng Yi or Nangong Mo Yi...
Of course, things might still have happened, but they would have unfolded differently. At the very least, the series of events currently taking place might not have occurred.
Mei Shuang looked outside the cave; she noticed that at some point, the moon in the sky had faded away, revealing the light of dawn.
Throughout it all, Chu Xiruo stood to one side with her sword in hand, while Nangong Mo Yi seemed quite at ease with her presence, which puzzled Mei Shuang greatly.
Comment 0 Comment Count