Mu Yuan and Xue Zhi respectively mastered the "Azure Sea Snow Lotus Sword" and the "Samadhi Flame Phoenix Saber." Mu Yuan already knew the cultivation requirements: master all the internal cultivation techniques of the Chonghuo Palace to their highest level, and use Yin internal energy for the saber and Yang internal energy for the sword, alternating between them. This method of cultivation allowed him to dominate the martial arts world even with only a superficial understanding.
Therefore, Chonghuo Palace easily regained its position as the overlord of the martial arts world.
Chong Xuezhi never asked Mu Yuan why he didn't tell her earlier, nor did she care about how powerful Chonghuo Palace had become.
She knew she wanted to kill three people.
This was her only motivation to survive at that moment.
One of them is Fengcheng.
Outside the Jialian Palace, maids stood in two rows, stretching down the steps and to the end of the bridge. Amidst the snow-white buildings and women in white, Xuezhi's clothes were like a flame, burning all the way to the main hall.
A woman in pink stood in the center of the main hall. Hearing footsteps, she slowly turned around. Her eyes were slightly downturned, and delicate orchid hairpins adorned her temples, giving her an air of kindness and gentleness. She smiled slightly at Xuezhi:
"Palace Mistress Snow".
"Miss Liu, what brings you here today?"
"I just wanted to chat with Palace Master Xue about something trivial. I didn't expect that after what happened, you've recovered so well in just a few days. You truly are the Palace Master of Chonghuo Palace."
"Thank you. Xuezhi is unworthy of such praise." Xuezhi's smile was devoid of any warmth. "Miss Liu, please have some tea."
Liu Hua sat down, picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and immediately frowned: "So bitter."
Xuezhi looked at her tea and said, "It seems the wrong tea was put in. This cup is for Miss Liu." After handing her own teacup to Liu Hua, she took Liu Hua's tea and handed it to Yanhe: "Yanhe, go and pour this out. Make me a new cup."
Liu Hua looked up, her expression somewhat unnatural: "Actually, I came here to deliver a message on behalf of Master Shi Yan."
"Please feel free to speak."
"The abbot only wants to know when Palace Master Xue plans to make her move?"
She was clearly there to try and extract information from Master Shiyan. Xuezhi smiled and said, "I don't understand what you mean, young lady."
"It's about Fengcheng, of course."
"I still don't understand what the girl means."
"Palace Mistress Xue, please stop pretending to be confused."
"I think that as long as Shaolin doesn't interfere with anything I do, the girl will understand soon."
When will you understand?
How would I know?
Liu Hua thought for a moment, then took out an envelope from her sleeve and handed it to Xue Zhi. Xue Zhi took it, opened it, quickly scanned it, folded it up, and placed it in Yao Kong's hand: "Yao Kong, keep Master Shi Yan's letter safe for me. If you lose it, I'll hold you accountable."
"Yes, Palace Master."
"Take some of the newly recruited disciples with a foundation in martial arts with Miss Liu. Before they leave, please make sure they leave a letter stating where they came from and where they are going."
"yes."
Liu Hua looked unwilling, but then she saw Xue Zhi's aggressively beautiful face getting closer: "You don't need to understand anything. As long as you're under my watchful eye, those who are meant to live won't die, and those who are meant to die will naturally die."
Liu Hua sneered, "So, in your eyes, Shangguan Tou is someone who deserves to die?"
She clearly saw a flicker in Xuezhi's eyes. But what Xuezhi said was:
"Since he is dead, he deserves to die."
"Why must you be so stubborn, Palace Master Xue?" Liu Hua looked directly into her eyes. "Every time I mention the name Shangguan Tou, your eyes are filled with pain. In reality, you must be very sad inside."
Xuezhi quickly stood up:
"Someone, see the guest out."
"No need to see me off." Liu Hua stood up and smiled gently. "The abbot and I are both waiting for the 'surprise' that Palace Master Xue is about to bring. Farewell."
Liu Hua's graceful figure disappeared into the orderly procession of maids.
Xuezhi suddenly slammed her hand on the table, turned her back to the four guardians, and said, "Yanhe, where's my tea?"
Holding her teacup, Yanhe stammered, "Palace Master, the tea is good, but strong tea is harmful to the body. Using so many lotus seeds and leaves at once might be..."
"Give me."
Yanhe lowered her head and silently handed it to Xuezhi.
Xuezhi usually drinks tea in one gulp. The strong astringent taste fills her tongue and mouth, but what she thinks of is that person's faint smile: "I don't really like strong tea. Only when it's subtle and barely perceptible can you have the true aroma of tea. A gentle and lovely woman like Zhi'er should be more suited to light tea."
Xuezhi slammed her teacup down on the table: "Where's Shi'er? Where did Shi'er go?"
166
"Mother." A high-pitched, crisp child's voice entered Jialian Palace.
Xuezhi quickly turned around.
A little boy, clutching his elbow, limped over. The previous year, Xuezhi had taken him and Shangguan Tou back to the capital to visit the Imperial Preceptor and his wife. Everyone who saw him said he was practically a child version of Shangguan Tou, even more adorable. From afar, he bore a striking resemblance to Shangguan Tou, but up close, his features bore eight or nine parts of Xuezhi's. Because of Xian'er's death, Shi'er became the sole heir to Chonghuo Palace. Therefore, Xuezhi later changed his surname to Chong. Chong Shi indeed possessed a handsome face bestowed by heaven, but his personality was even more unacceptable than when he was a child.
"Mother, someone hit me!" Chong Shi raised his voice.
As he approached, Xuezhi knelt before him and hugged him tightly. Leaning against his small, thin chest, Xuezhi whispered, "Who bullied you?"
"It's alright, it doesn't hurt at all." Chong Shi proudly raised his little head. "They are so stupid, they didn't even know I am the young palace master. I fought back, and they were much more seriously injured than me."
"Is the injury serious?" Xuezhi examined the wound on Chongshi's arm, then touched his face. "Son, remember, next time someone hurts your hand, break their hand. If they break your hand, you take their life. Understand?"
"Your child will heed your teachings, Mother." Chongshi smiled happily. "But what if someone wants my life?"
"No one can take your life, don't say such unlucky things." Xuezhi kissed his cheek very gently. "If anything happens to Shi'er, I will make the whole world pay with its life."
Chongshi had long since grown into a little devil, developing a personality ten times more cruel than his peers by the age of six. Yet, upon hearing Xuezhi say such things, he still instinctively felt a slight fear: "Mother..."
Xuezhi's voice remained as gentle as a soft rain: "Mother is always here, no one can hurt you."
Mu Yuan watched them silently from the side.
In truth, he had never understood her. Seeing Xuezhi disregard Shangguan Tou's injuries and disfigurement, and still diligently care for him, he had long since given up on the idea of being with her. But her attitude changed drastically this year.
She suddenly agreed to be with him. However, he still knew nothing about it.
Xuezhi was just trying to comfort Chongshi; it was a very simple and gentle sentence, but it was filled with unspeakable sorrow and hatred.
Indeed, she must have been feeling terrible when she said those words.
She vaguely remembered that back then, Shangguan Tou could make her laugh out loud with just a casual remark, and if he was even slightly off, tears would stream down her face. She was utterly worthless, and only he cared about her. But now, she had no tears left to shed.
She just wanted to forget everything.
Whenever she thinks of Shangguan Tou, she tries to distract herself.
Even thinking about it for a moment longer is unbearable. Breathing feels like an ordeal.
He waited for him for a hundred days. She waited for him for six years.
She never felt sorry for herself. Many things in this world are like that; no one can definitively say who is right and who is wrong.
When Shangguan Tou was completely crippled, she spent hundreds of days in despair. Four months later, his injuries healed, and his consciousness became much clearer. She talked to him every day, regardless of whether he could understand her or not.
Even after his wounds healed, his face remained a gruesome sight. Apart from his clothes and hair ornaments, which she had meticulously arranged as always, no one could recognize that this vengeful ghost, confined to a wheelchair and unable to move, was once the dashing and charming Yi Pin Tou.
She had once thought of seeking revenge on Shi Yan and Feng Cheng, and she had also thought of mastering unparalleled martial arts skills, causing chaos in the world, and using everyone's suffering to mourn Shangguan Tou. But after experiencing great ups and downs, Xue Zhi finally realized that what she needed to do was to protect what she had.
One day after Shangguan Tou recovered, Xuezhi sat by his bedside, kissed his fingers, and said, "Brother Tou, take good care of yourself, you'll recover eventually, and I'll always be with you." Shangguan Tou's eyes were lifeless, staring straight up, but the corners of his eyes were slightly moist.
Xuezhi gently kissed away his tears, following the unevenness of his face, which was even more grotesque than burns, all the way to his lips.
That was the first time she kissed him after he became disabled.
His breathing became slightly rapid.
Xuezhi intertwined her fingers with his and whispered, "Now that I've married you, I'll always be your wife."
She knew he was infertile, but he still retained some ability to have sexual relations.
So she undressed and spent the entire night with him.
The maid witnessed this the next day when she barged in. She screamed, as if she had truly seen a ghost. Xuezhi stood up and coldly asked her, "What did you see?" The maid quickly shook her head, saying she hadn't seen anything.
For a woman, being with a spirited and ambitious man is incredibly easy. But being with someone who has fallen on hard times and has nothing is harder than climbing to heaven.
They maintained this way of getting along for five years.
This feeling cannot be described simply by the word "love." He had been a part of her life since her teenage years. It is said that passion is when all your emotions are poured into one person, and when you lose them, you feel the pain but then forget everything.
However, Shangguan Tou was already a tree planted in her life. Even without passion or love, he remained deeply rooted and accompanied her.
Now, she is going to uproot the tree.
"Mother, Mother, you're holding me so tightly it hurts," Chong Shi whimpered softly. "I can hardly breathe."
Xuezhi paused for a moment, then released him and gently patted his shoulder: "Silly son."
"Xuezhi." Mu Yuan walked over, squatted down, and smiled at Chong Shi. "I see you've been in Chonghuo Palace long enough. There's still some time before the Weapon Ranking Tournament. Why don't we take Shi'er out for a walk first?"
Where to?
"Of course, it's up to the Palace Master to decide."
167
Xuezhi gazed out the window, as if she could see beyond countless branches and leaves, reaching the farthest reaches of the sky. She remained silent.
"Still don't want to go out?" Mu Yuan paused, gently patted Chong Shi's head, showing no disappointment. "It's alright. We should indeed stay and prepare for the conference. After all, it's your first event since your comeback."
"Jiangnan".
Mu Yuan suddenly looked up: "What?"
I want to go to Jiangnan.