Lan Yin Bi Yue

Chapter 85

However, Yuwen Luo was unaware of what Yougu Zhongninglang said to Lan Qi that day, and he was also unaware of Lan Qi's panic and fear at that moment.

Ning Lang was stunned, sitting there motionless for a long time. It was something that seemed unattainable to him, yet he dreamed of it day and night.

Unbeknownst to them, someone sitting by the window in the attic, simply enjoying a book in the winter sun, overheard these words. After hearing them, this person, who had never been one to be bothered by anything, felt uneasy for the first time in their life.

Is this the only one in the world that's different? Ming Er curled his lips, stood up, and leaped out of the back window, leaving the attic.

In front of the pavilion, Ning Lang remained sitting, lost in thought, with Yuwen Luo quietly keeping him company.

Ming Er strolled leisurely through the North Palace until the end.

Two figures approached from afar. Ming Er glanced at them, his eyes darting around. He raised his hand and pressed it to his chest, a trickle of blood slowly seeping from the corner of his lips. He continued walking forward.

"Second Young Master." Lan Tong and Lan Long greeted him with clasped hands, but Ming Er showed no reaction whatsoever. His face was ashen, and blood trickled from his lips as he walked right past them. The two were puzzled and turned to look, only to see him walking unsteadily, as if he might collapse at any moment. They exchanged glances, and then Lan Long said, "Judging from his appearance, he seems to be seriously injured."

"Could he have been injured in his match with Young Master Yun?" Lan Tong wondered. These past few days, Yun Wuyai had repeatedly sought out Ming Er to test their martial arts skills. Their abilities were evenly matched, with each gaining and losing. Could it be that this time they both gave it their all, resulting in a mutual defeat? Then...

The two exchanged a glance.

“He is right now…” Lan Long’s eyes lit up.

"Seventh Young Master once said that Ming Er must be killed, no matter what means are used," Lan Tong said.

"So why not give it a try? Even if we lose, it's just a joke. A young master of the Ming family can't take it seriously with his subordinates like us." Lan Long smiled slyly, befitting someone trained by the Seventh Young Master Lan.

"rational."

Before Lan Tong could finish speaking, she had already rushed towards Ming Er. She was as fast as lightning and as swift as the wind. In the blink of an eye, Lan Tong was behind Ming Er. With a flick of her wrist, a flash of cold light disappeared into his back.

Lan Tong felt the real sensation of the blade piercing his flesh, but he was stunned. He never expected to succeed on the first strike. Blood gushed out as he pulled out the short sword, and Ming Er groaned before collapsing to the ground, silent forever.

"You...you really succeeded in your sneak attack?" Lan Long walked over, her eyes wide as she stared at Ming Er lying on the ground, utterly incredulous. This was someone even the Lan family's most ruthless killers couldn't bring themselves to kill, someone Lan Qi Shao had repeatedly failed to harm! With his skill, he actually...she had already prepared her expression and words for the failed sneak attack! "He...you really stabbed him?"

Lan Tong paused for a moment, then crouched down, first touching the blood on Ming Er's back with her fingertips—it was warm. She then brought it to her nose and smelled it; it was human blood. Turning to Lan Long, she exclaimed in utter astonishment, "I really stabbed him!"

"Then quickly check if he's dead. If he's not, give him another ten or eight sword strikes," Lan Long said again.

So, Lan Tong first checked Ming Er's breathing, then his pulse on the side of his neck, and finally touched his chest. Then he was truly dumbfounded. "He's really not breathing. He's really dead."

"Huh?" Lan Long didn't believe it, so she went to investigate herself. Then she was dumbfounded and stared at Lan Tong, "We killed Young Master Ming?!"

"What should we do?" Lan Tong asked her.

"What should we do?" Lan Long asked her.

The two of them were both stunned.

At this moment, having killed the renowned Second Young Master Ming, whose martial arts skills were legendary, they felt no excitement, only immense fear.

"Go tell Seventh Young Master first." The two said in unison, then quickly got up, ignoring Ming Er on the ground, and flew straight to Yunming Palace.

Inside the Yunming Palace, Lan Qi had just gotten up from the warm jade bed and was holding a cup of hot tea, along with several plates of exquisite pastries.

"Seventh Young Master! Seventh Young Master! Young Master Ming is dead!"

As soon as Lan Long and Lan Tong rushed into Yunming Palace, they shouted in a panic.

*Smash!* The cup body scraped against the lid with a harsh sound.

"Huh?" Lan Qi looked up at them, as if she hadn't heard clearly.

"Young Master Ming is dead!" Lan Long and Lan Tong exclaimed in unison once again.

*Snap!* Another ear-piercing sound.

"Hmm?" Lan Qi blinked her emerald eyes, as if she didn't understand.

"Seventh Young Master, we've killed the Second Young Master!" Lan Long and Lan Tong's voices were much softer this time.

"What are you saying?" Lan Qibi's eyes held a strange expression.

“He… just now, judging from his appearance, he seemed to be seriously injured. We guessed it was the result of his duel with Young Master Yun, so…” Lan Tong said.

"Seventh Young Master, we were just trying it out. We didn't take it seriously, but who knew... who knew that Second Young Master Ming couldn't dodge that sword, and somehow... he was really stabbed to death by us," Lan Long continued.

For some reason, a chill ran through the two of them. Logically speaking, they should feel a great sense of accomplishment for killing such a powerful figure, and they had also accomplished what Seventh Young Master had always failed to do. They should be happy no matter what. However, they couldn't muster any excitement.

"With your skills... you killed him?" Lan Qi seemed extremely puzzled.

"It's true!" Lan Long said, her heart pounding with anxiety.

"I checked myself just now, and he really is... dead!" Lan Tong could even hear her own heartbeat.

"Oh." Lan Qi responded lightly, and after a while, he suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "Good! Good! Good! Haha... That's wonderful! You've done a good job, you'll be richly rewarded when you return to the Lan family! You may leave now."

"Yes." Lan Tong and Lan Long retreated as if fleeing for their lives.

Inside the room, Lan Qi held a cup, which jingled incessantly. She raised her left hand to hold down her trembling right hand and murmured, "I must be too happy."

But it wasn't just his right hand that was trembling; his left hand was trembling uncontrollably. Bang! The cup finally fell to the ground and shattered into pieces instantly.

Lan Qi looked at the shattered teacup on the ground and suddenly felt a pang in her heart, as if her own heart had been broken by that fall.

What's wrong? Lan Qi pressed her hand to her chest. This feeling... felt just like it did years ago, when she knew her brother would never come back.

"What happened?" Lan Qi murmured, hugging herself as if she were cold and slowly squatting down on the ground.

"No...no...that fake immortal is so fond of deceiving people, I have to marry him myself to confirm..."

He kept saying this, but he couldn't move at all.

"Fake immortal... I... I have to go..." He reached out and picked up a shard of porcelain, clutching it tightly in his palm. Blood instantly seeped out, but the pain helped clear his mind. He shook his head vigorously, clearing away all the confusion, and looked around, searching for the palace entrance...

Suddenly, she stood up abruptly, looked at the window and shouted sharply, "Come out!"

Then, the window opened, and the Second Young Master Ming gracefully and calmly flew down.

"You!" Lan Qi's eyes flashed with dazzling light for a moment, but in the blink of an eye, her face turned cold. "Why aren't you dead yet, you fake immortal!"

Ming Er, however, was not offended. He simply smiled at her and said, "Understand?"

"Hmph!" Lan Qi snorted coldly.

"So you finally understand." The Second Young Master Ming's demeanor was now exceptionally elegant and serene, his eyes clearer and brighter than ever before, as he slowly smiled and said, "Neither of us can kill the other."

Lan Qi's eyes flashed upon hearing this, then he gritted his teeth and uttered, word by word, "Who says it's not allowed?" Before he finished speaking, he had already moved closer, pressing the jade fan in his hand against Ming Er's neck. "I'll do it myself!"

"Oh?" Ming Er glanced down at her, remaining motionless, his smile serene and his expression calm.

Blood slowly seeped from his neck, flowing down the fan ribs. The fan handle was also stained with blood, the blood that had flowed from Lan Qi's grip on the broken porcelain.

Blood gushed down from the fan ribs, leaving streaks of crimson on the fan surface, eventually mingling with the blood on the fan handle before dripping onto the ground.

Lan Qi gripped the jade fan tighter and tighter, her emerald eyes flashing with a myriad of thoughts.

More blood flowed, spreading out on the ground like a beautiful crimson flower.

Ming Er raised his hand and grasped Lan Qi's hand holding the fan, holding that warm, bloody hand. His fingertips stroked the uneven scars on the back of that hand, his gaze locked on those bright, clear eyes, like jade soaked in water, and he said, "Actually, I understood that day when I didn't let go."

Lan Qi was stunned upon hearing this, staring blankly at him.

A moment later, she withdrew her hand and said, "Damn it!" Her green eyes glared hatefully at Ming Er, "That fake immortal deserves to be torn to pieces!"

“Likewise.” Ming Er’s expression was that of an ethereal being, showing no sign of displeasure.

They stared at each other in silence for a long time, their expressions shifting, seemingly filled with anger, hatred, and a helpless resignation.

Perhaps, there was also a hint of secret joy that no one would admit or even notice.

"Sigh!" After a long while, Lan Qi could only let out a heavy sigh. "How could it have turned out like this?"

"How would I know?" Ming Er stopped laughing and shook his head. "I didn't want to either, but unfortunately..." He looked at Lan Qi and said, "It seems that we have no control over our own lives. Is this fate?"

"Sigh! Never mind." Lan Qi sat down resignedly.

Ming Er laughed again and said, "You know what? I overheard some things just now, and it made me feel a little uncomfortable."

"So you have to make me uncomfortable too." Lan Qi sneered at him with her emerald eyes.

Ming Er smiled and tacitly agreed, then added, "I feel quite comfortable now." After saying that, he swayed, and a wave of dizziness hit him, causing him to quickly grab the table for support. Only then did Lan Qi notice the large patches of bright red on his back.

"You damned fake immortal!" Lan Qi roared angrily, her heart filled with panic yet undeniably confirming her earlier realization. There was no way for her to deny or regret it.

"Hehe..." Ming Er chuckled. Cold sweat finally broke out on the face of the immortal, diminishing his celestial appearance somewhat, but his expression remained leisurely, even somewhat pleased.

Outside the door, Feng Yi, who had come to deliver medicine to Lan Qi, quietly left.

After Lan Qi's cold aura dissipated, she stayed in the Beique Palace for a few more days because of Ming Er's injury.

That was, it was already the end of the year.

Therefore, the heroes of the imperial dynasty were unable to leave Dongming before the Lunar New Year.

Inside the Northern Palace, Ming Er and Feng Yi had a conversation.

That day, when Ming Er woke up, he saw Feng Yi applying medicine to him. After the medicine was applied, Feng Yi did not leave, but stood by the window for a long time, while outside the window the sky was clear and the clouds drifted by.

Ming Er leaned against the headboard and looked at him for a long time before saying somewhat casually, "For so many years, she has been waiting for you, waiting for an answer, but you... seem to have no intention of saying anything, which makes me a little strange."

Feng Yi, standing by the bed, shuddered but remained silent.

Ming Er was not in a hurry and waited quietly.

Finally, Feng Yi spoke: "Yesterday, you were able to gain some understanding through self-harm, so you should understand now."

Upon hearing this, Ming Er's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Feng Yi with a strange expression.

"Besides..." Feng Yi gazed wistfully at the floating clouds in the sky, "The first thing she said to me after she woke up that day was, 'We will never meet again in this life, and we want to forget each other in the martial world.' With those words, why say them again? She may know why I left, or she may never know. But whatever the case, let it be the end. I will never have to say it again."

Ming Er looked at him for a long time, and finally the look of surprise faded, replaced by a smile that was hard to tell whether it was admiration or mockery.

"Do you think this is the best thing you can do?"

Feng Yi remained silent, his expression somber.

“You admire Ning Lang, don’t you?” Ming Er’s eyes were fixed on the figure by the window. “But if you hadn’t left back then, perhaps she would have been a Ning Lang too. Today’s ‘Bi Yao’ can be said to have been created by you.”

The figure by the window trembled again.

Ming Er looked at her, his empty eyes filled with a deep emptiness. "If she had a choice, would she choose to spend her life with you as a beggar, or to be alone and glorious now? I think back then, she would definitely choose to be with you. Even if she froze to death, starved to death, or was beaten to death, she would still choose to be with you. She would be happy to do so."

The indifference on Feng Yi's face as she faced the window finally cracked, and a deep, unforgettable pain slowly surfaced.

After a long silence, Feng Yi finally spoke: "Second Young Master, do you understand now?"

"Um?"

"Second Young Master must have also investigated my and Yinyin's background, right?" Feng Yi slowly turned to face him. "Since you know about that past, you should know the beginning of all the tragedy."