"Life and death are predestined, and this is her fate as well. Everyone says that Ling Shu is an ominous sword, and no one who has touched it has a good ending. I think what is ominous is not the sword, but the human heart. Everyone wants to be the master, which is why there is fighting. Ling Shu has never killed anyone, but there are always people who kill for Ling Shu."
"Ha, with your enlightened look, are you going to become a monk in a temple?" Qi Fengting teased.
"After Xiuxiu died, the world no longer exists for me. What difference does it make whether I become a nun or not?"
“Even without the mortal world, there is still the mundane world. We are still ordinary mortals,” Qi Fengting said. The person in front of him always thought he was carefree, but he didn’t know that his obsession was actually heavier than anyone else’s. He built this Qingping Le at the place where Su Xiu was buried, and he has never left this place in all these years. Although there are many beautiful women in Qingping Le, he always said that he could not fall in love with any woman after Su Xiu. The rumors outside said that he was fond of men, but what he liked was just a disguise.
This was a rare heavy snowfall, sweeping across the land, even the rarely snowy Broken Sword Manor was blanketed in snow. Xi'er lit a brazier in her room to warm herself when a plump, green moth flew before her, a small note wrapped around its body. Xi'er took the note; it contained an order summoning her back. Since the Spirit Pivot Sword was not at Broken Sword Manor, there was no reason for her to remain hidden there.
Xi'er threw the note into the brazier and burned it, returning to the Underworld. She didn't know if she would ever have the chance to return to the Central Plains in this lifetime. A strong desire to stay stirred within her, but this was tantamount to disobeying orders, and the Underworld would certainly not let her go. Xi'er had heard the story of her master, who was originally the most favored disciple of Siyou Daoren, the leader of the Wudang Sect, but had betrayed his sect because he fell in love with a woman from the Underworld. Now, she would follow in her master's footsteps. Xi'er grabbed the locust and crushed it to death with two fingers.
In the Central Plains, there was only one place where snow hadn't fallen—the lava pit. Snow had already accumulated at the foot of the mountain, but the crater at the summit remained scorching hot. Xue Qing tumbled to the bottom of the pit; her scrapes were minor, but the intense heat was deadly. Her skin was burned painfully, and despite using her internal energy to protect it, she could still smell the aroma of roasted meat. The Ling Shu sword was also thrown down, landing beside Xue Qing. She dragged the sword to her side and lay down with her back pressed against the scorching stone, hoping to better protect her internal organs.
Xue Qing took out the antidote and held it to her chest, hugging it tightly to keep it away from the excessive heat. She hadn't expected such a tragic end; in another hour, she would stop breathing, on the verge of death. Her greatest regret wasn't failing to avenge herself on Yan Ming, but that Liu Ying wasn't by her side. She longed to confess everything to him, to let him know what kind of person she was, so that at least he would have a true memory of her. Now she was dying like this… and no one would know it was her who died…
Xue Qing closed her eyes, the burning pain forcing her to stay awake. She hated her still-active brain, which involuntarily recalled many regrets. She had given Liu Ying many ambiguous hints, but never directly asked, "What are your feelings for me?" Now, dying with regrets, who could she blame? She smiled self-deprecatingly. By this time tomorrow, not even her bones would remain. If she was lucky, she might leave behind a few relics. Her only worry was whether this bottle of antidote would survive. She couldn't help worrying about him, wanting to do everything she could to be good to him. This feeling could not be stopped, not even in death. She had fallen, fallen very, very deeply. The more she loved, the more regrets she had, and the more her heart ached than her scorched skin.
Just as Xue Qing was filled with regret and awaited death, a chill surged through her abdomen, freezing her internal organs almost solid. The external heat and internal cold clashed, causing Xue Qing to vomit repeatedly, wanting to vomit but unable to. The chill forcefully ravaged Xue Qing's body, devouring the heat around her. Xue Qing felt less hot, but her internal organs suffered, chilling her to the point of wishing for death. She tried to control the chill within her body like she would control internal energy, but the chill was completely beyond her control, continuing its arrogant and willful torment.
Xue Qing curled up in a ball, shivering from the cold. This time, the special environment of the melting pit allowed her to retain a sliver of consciousness; otherwise, she would have fainted again like she did on Bliss Peak. Exhausted, Xue Qing endured the torment of both ice and fire, her consciousness gradually fading.
In a daze, I heard someone say, "Wake up! Don't sleep, I'll carry you up."
It was the sound of fireflies. Xue Qing thought she was hallucinating in her final moments and kept her eyes closed, motionless. A pair of hands touched Xue Qing's face and began to pinch her. Both of their skins were parched from the heat. Xue Qing barely opened her eyes and vaguely saw the image of fireflies.
"I'll take you upstairs, but you mustn't fall asleep," Liu Ying anxiously instructed.
She could still feel the pain in her body. Xue Qing knew this wasn't a dream. A silly smile appeared on her face as she struggled to hold up the antidote she had been carefully protecting in her arms, saying, "The antidote, look, it's still here..."
Upon seeing the antidote, Liu Ying's expression wasn't one of happiness; rather, it was one of "Why did you do this?" Liu Ying took the antidote and threw it far away.
"Antidote..." Xue Qing anxiously tried to grab the antidote.
Liu Ying picked Xue Qing up from the ground, carried her on her back, picked up the Ling Shu sword from the ground, and climbed up the stone wall. Xue Qing didn't have the strength to hug Liu Ying's neck at all, so Liu Ying had to use one hand to support Xue Qing, and only one hand was available for climbing.
"The antidote... the antidote is still down there..." Xue Qing kept repeating the antidote that Liu Ying had thrown away.
Every word Xue Qing pierced Liu Ying's heart. He could never forget the way Xue Qing held the so-called antidote protectively in her arms. The poison and the antidote were merely a scheme between him and Abbot Chankong; Xue Qing didn't know. She believed she was protecting Liu Ying's life. This time, it was no fake act; her love for him was truly profound. In his entire life, no one had ever treated him as if he were their own life. Liu Ying struggled to climb upwards, determined not to let her die here. He would regret it for the rest of his life. That night under the moon, she embraced him, but he suppressed his urge to hold her because of his inner turmoil. If that was the last image he would leave for her, he would never forgive himself.
Having climbed to the top of the mountain with one hand, Liu Ying was already exhausted. Xue Qing's injuries couldn't be delayed, so Liu Ying insisted on carrying him down the mountain. Xue Qing lay on Liu Ying's back, too weak to speak, but tears kept flowing down his face. Because of love, she couldn't bear to see him like this, so she always walked the rugged path, leaving him covered in wounds as well.
Liu Ying carried Xue Qing to the carriage and placed her inside. She then sat in the driver's seat, too weak to crack the whip. Fortunately, the white horse was intelligent and galloped at Liu Ying's command. The white horse raced along the official road until it was spotted and stopped by Wudang disciples who had been searching for Xue Qing. Xue Qing was already unconscious, and Liu Ying was also half-lying down, unconscious. The Wudang disciples quickly took them to the nearest Qilin Pavilion.
The Qilin Pavilion was in a flurry of activity. Rooms were arranged for the two, an old doctor was invited to treat them, and messages were sent to various sects.
Liu Ying had been learning the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) for ten years longer than Xue Qing. His swordsmanship focused more on cultivating internal energy, which was quite profound, effectively protecting his internal organs. He only suffered burns to some skin. The old doctor gave a maid a packet of burn ointment to apply to Liu Ying while he went to check on Xue Qing's injuries. Xue Qing's injuries were much more severe, with multiple serious burns, some areas completely burned away. Her internal organs were first burned, and then, for some unknown reason, frostbitten. Even after placing ginseng slices in her mouth to protect her vital energy, her breathing continued to weaken. The old doctor pressed on her body, finding even her meridians severed by the burns, and shook his head, saying, "She's beyond saving."
Cheng Ling and Xiao Guiying were both very anxious. Cheng Ling said anxiously, "We have already sent someone to invite Master Dingni. Even for a burial, we need someone from Lingyu's faction to come. Doctor, is there really no way?"
The old doctor shook his head: "Not to mention the severe damage to the internal organs, the burns alone are enough to be fatal. We will bury him once the people from the Lingyu Sect arrive."
"It's a pity that such an extraordinary woman as Martial Aunt Xue is wasted. One day, I will surely wipe out the Underworld to avenge her," Xiao Guiying sighed.
At this moment, a guard entered the room and reported: "Master, Deputy Master, a young man who claims to be a doctor is requesting an audience. He says he is a friend of Miss Xue."
Don't pretend to be asleep if you're awake.
Don't pretend to be asleep if you're awake.
When Yan Ming returned to the Underworld, Nangong Luoluo was indeed still there. Everything was as he expected. No one knew her kindness better than him, and he had been aware of her goodness for more than a decade.
"You're back," Nangong Luoluo said gently.
Yan Ming lifted Nangong Luoluo's chin and kissed her lips in response. Nangong Luoluo only smiled slightly, without even a hint of coquettishness, and was even more docile than usual. Yan Ming was puzzled, but still took Nangong Luoluo's hand and led her towards the room.
A flash of red light appeared before his eyes, and a red silk ribbon seemed poised to wrap around Yan Ming's neck. Yan Ming pushed Nangong Luoluo aside, grabbed the ribbon with his bare hands, and with a slight effort, tore it apart. The red ribbon scattered all over the ground, revealing Lei Ji's stunningly beautiful face. The tear mole that should have been a sign of sorrow at the corner of her eye had become a bewitching mark under her alluring and eerie smile.
"You really want to kill me that badly? You never seem to get tired of it," Yan Ming said coldly.
“You killed my husband and refused to marry me, of course I resent you,” Lei Ji said with a giggle.
Yan Ming pulled Nangong Luoluo past Lei Ji and said, "I think you're just bored."
Behind him, the woman's continuous seductive laughter made Yan Ming frown. If she didn't actually have some skills, and if he didn't need her to keep Mo Qingshan, Yan Ming would have wanted to kill her immediately. After all, she was his master's wife, yet he found her so repulsive.
Nangong Luoluo was silently led by Yan Ming, but in her heart she was thinking that Lei Ji's attack could not even hurt Yan Ming in the slightest. She did not know martial arts and would definitely fail if she rashly attempted to assassinate him. She had to think of another way. Father and mother, I will definitely make him pay for all your grudges!
"Young Master!" Xiao Guiying exclaimed in surprise. He remembered that Bai Xichen had healed Liu Ying's injuries and was a highly skilled physician.
Bai Xichen didn't have time to speak. He hurriedly walked to Xue Qing's side, and the people around the bed consciously made way so that he could better check Xue Qing's injuries.
"Zhiqiu, go fetch a basin of hot water. Everyone else, get out, quick!" Bai Xichen said sternly, rarely speaking so quickly.
"Miracle doctor, I'll stay and help you." The old doctor's eyes lit up as soon as he saw Bai Xichen.
"Get out, everyone. If it gets any later, even I won't be able to save her," Bai Xichen said firmly. Xue Qing's injuries were more serious than he had imagined.
Now that things had come to this, everyone quickly went outside to wait. Zhi Qiu swiftly brought hot water inside and closed the door tightly, so no one else could know what had happened inside. About two hours later, the door opened again, and Zhi Qiu happily said, "Miss Xue is out of danger. You can visit her, but please remember not to make any noise."
In just two hours, he brought a person on the verge of death back to life. What word could describe him other than a divine physician, no, a god? The old doctor couldn't believe it. He thought Bai Xichen was just trying anything, a last resort. Impossible, how could there be such superb medical skills in the Central Plains?
Cheng Ling reached out to check Xue Qing's breathing: "Your breathing is much more stable now. Miss Xue's friend is truly like a fairy."
"Master Xiao, please prepare a room for us, mistress and servant. Miss Xue's injuries still require close monitoring, so I must stay," Bai Xichen said to Xiao Guiying.
Xiao Guiying hurriedly replied, "Of course. Young master has done us a favor by saving Miss Xue. Please feel free to ask if you have any instructions."
"Nothing else, just a few medicinal herbs to prepare. Also, I will be giving Miss Xue acupuncture treatments morning, noon, and night, so please excuse me then," Bai Xichen said.