The Beauties of the Cold Palace A Subtle and Alluring Woman

Chapter 82

They both stand proudly in the world, both coldly observe the vicissitudes of life, both possess unparalleled beauty, both have experienced far too much, both are intertwined with indifference and kindness, and both wear countless masks that make them incomprehensible and unfathomable.

The old man silently closed his eyes. "Ruo'er, if this person were no longer in this world, then you would no longer have to suffer. Her heart belongs only to someone else; she will never come with me. Ruo'er, don't blame your father."

He thought that even if he was cursed with love, as long as she died, he would slowly forget her. As long as he never fell in love with any woman again and never felt any affection, he could still live on even if there was no solution.

She must die. The old man opened his eyes, staring intently at his prey like a wolf in the night.

He watched the equally outstanding man slowly, with a smile, walk towards the woman kneeling on the ground.

Mutation, spontaneous growth.

Amidst the swift wind and thunder, everything seemed to come to a standstill. The flashing swords and shadows of blades arrived in rapid succession, creating a breathtakingly suffocating atmosphere.

A blinding glint flashed in the sunlight, and a long sword pierced straight towards the person kneeling on the ground.

"Young Master, be careful!" The sudden surge of murderous intent and the whooshing sound beside him made Ge Kong instinctively look up. In that instant, he saw an inconspicuous old man in gray robes leap through the densely packed crowd of heads and rush onto the stage. Ge Kong cried out in alarm.

He must have been prepared, otherwise their foolproof defenses wouldn't have been breached so easily. Or perhaps this gray-robed old man is highly skilled in martial arts and should not be underestimated.

Ge Kong's scream also drew Sima Rui's attention to the blinding glint of the blade. He looked at An Jin, who was just a few steps away, and his eyes slowly filled with fear and panic.

The person kneeling on the ground heard the shout and suddenly turned her head. She seemed to freeze, staring blankly at the sharp sword that was so close to her, ready to kill her in one move.

The sword, ready to strike at any moment, was ruthless and left no way out, aiming precisely for the woman's left breast, that vulnerable spot that could be fatal in a single blow.

Without any hesitation, Ge Kong, Xiao Qi, and Lian, who were kneeling on the ground, rushed to the woman's side, wanting to shield her from the fatal blow.

But it was too late.

"Young Master—" Xiao Qi cried out in anguish and despair.

"Mom!" A childish yet calm voice suddenly came from a corner. A small figure suddenly ran out from not far away; it was Xiao Yijun, who had also come to plan the conference. She had been silently watching her mother from backstage, but upon witnessing this dramatic scene, her mind seemed to go blank, and her first reaction was to rush to her mother's side. She was the most important person in her life; she couldn't lose her!

The sword drew ever closer, its power, speed, and ruthlessness astonishing everyone. The old man seemed to be risking his life, all his efforts aimed at delivering this fatal blow.

Sima Rui's mind went blank. The empire, the beauties, the people, the land... everything vanished from his mind, drifting away from his reason. He simply stared blankly at the increasingly approaching, twisted, and ferocious face of the old man, and at the sword.

Everything seemed to vanish from his world. He couldn't hear or see anything. Before his mind could even process what was happening, his body, as if by instinct, strode over, pulled her up from the ground, and then held her tightly in his arms, as if trying to embed her into his body and make her a part of it.

He held her tightly, oblivious to everything else, and looked at her, still bewildered and seemingly not yet fully aware of what was happening. He smiled gently and whispered in her ear, "I love you."

Blood splattered! Pain spread!

*Swoosh...* A strange sound rang out, the sound of a body being pierced. When the sword pierced Sima Rui's body, he felt a slight pain, then coughed up a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto An Jin's hair, her fair face, and her blood-red clothes, which became even more alluring and seductive after being stained with blood.

An Jin froze. Her previously confused and unfocused eyes finally regained their focus. She slowly turned her head, her face ashen and almost transparent. She looked into the emperor's affectionate eyes, and her mind finally cleared.

"Why?" An Jin murmured. At this moment, she couldn't find any other words besides "why." Wasn't he using her? Wasn't he using her body to shield himself from danger? Why was he doing this now...?

He leaned weakly on her thin shoulder and closed his eyes: "I only want you. The country, even my life, everything is meaningless without you, Xiao Jin. This is the only truth that your brother Sima has understood in the five years since I lost you." Sima Rui spoke with difficulty and smiled bitterly.

"Why?" Tears welled up in An Jin's eyes. But she still asked stubbornly, stunned.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his vision blurred, and his voice was so weak it sounded like he had no strength left: "In this world, how many people know why? An Jin, my An Jin, perhaps, long, long ago, I was already infatuated with you." Yet, Sima Rui's lips still curved into a smile.

"Why?" An Jin silently repeated the question. This "why" seemed to be asking him, and also the heavens, and the world. Why be so cruel, reminding her once again of that cruel curse?

Her heart began to ache, inch by inch, slowly eroding her thoughts and soul.

She longed to roar to the heavens and laugh at the madness of the world.

Laugh at God's foolishness and self-righteousness!

"Why?" Tears welled up like a dam had suddenly burst. They fell to the ground, mingling with the blood flowing from his body, a mixture of water and milk, a desperate longing.

"You're so silly. I can't remember anything, nothing about you. Why are you still being so silly..." Suddenly, she smiled quietly through her tears.

That smile was calm and serene, yet it carried a resolute air of a phoenix rising from the ashes.

The sight startled Ge Kong, Lian, Xiao Qi, and Xiao Yijun, who had already rushed forward to capture the old man. It was a breathtaking beauty, a beauty that seemed to bloom suddenly, devoid of fear.

An Jin suddenly said calmly, "Promise me you won't die, or I'll die before you." As she spoke, she slowly reached out to his back, firmly grasped the sword, and then with a mighty thrust, the sword pierced through his body and into hers. They were bound together in life and death.

"No, young master (Mom)!" the people behind him cried out in panic, but they were still unable to stop what was happening.

An Jin's bloodied lips suddenly blossomed into a stunning smile. Looking into his wide eyes and with that expression of unbearable pain, she said calmly, "Don't die, or I'll be ahead of you."

Then the two could no longer support each other's bodies and fell backward into each other's arms.

He finally understood that he loved this woman with his whole life, every aspect of her. Everything seemed destined; he loved her, he loved her deeply. He couldn't escape her, and he couldn't lose her.

She was the most beautiful and eternal tribulation in his life.

Before fainting, An Jin suddenly struggled like a rage-filled Ge Kong trying to kill the old man: "Ge Kong, don't hurt him." Then a sharp pain shot through her, and she closed her eyes peacefully. Because he was beside her, she felt no fear.

Good heavens, since you are going to punish me, An Jin, in this way, then I'll see if I can get through this ordeal!

Darkness descended, but a smile played on my lips. If that punishment was real, then I would destroy it with my death. I would prove that even the heavens' prophecy was false! It could not harm me, An Jin!

172-172 The Decree of Life and Death

In a terrible nightmare, there is a blood-red river, flowing entirely with bright red blood.

The flowers blooming on the shore are all the same blood-red and bewitching, a kind of flower without leaves, standing alone on the shore, appearing eerie and mysterious in the still water without any wind.

An old man in black clothes and a straw hat was rowing a boat on the river. His face was expressionless, and his eyes were devoid of any emotion. He just kept rowing like that, as if he were ferrying people through their past lives, as if he were ferrying people through their memories, as if he were ferrying people through their fates.

The place was pitch black, devoid of any life, utterly cold and endless, with no way out and no way home.

There are others at Peach Leaf Ferry, a small boat, each with their own sorrow amidst the misty waves. Where does this sorrow come from?

Remembering the past life, cherish not a single petal; tears fall, and once again we reach the place of heartbreak and looking back...

"Do you regret it?" To this day, Xiaobai still asks me. Every time he sees me, he asks, "Do you regret it?"

For everything I've done? Then I have no regrets, never will. Even if no one knows of those sacrifices, even if everyone blames me, resents my cold-heartedness, and the hurt I caused those around me.

Even if the whole world misunderstands me, I will not regret it.

I know that we are on the road to a nightmare, or that I am on the road to hell.

I looked at him and asked, "Am I dead?"

Little White looked at me with sorrowful eyes, then suddenly said, "Life, and death." He then pointed to his chest, his heart, and said with a sigh, "Death, and life."

I stared at him with a dazed look in my eyes and murmured, "Life and death." Then I pointed to my heart and said in a daze, "Death and life."

After a moment of stunned silence, I suddenly squatted down, curled up into a ball, and began to writhe in pain without any restraint.

Life, death; death; life.

Does all of this mean that my destiny will once again rise from the ashes like a phoenix, reborn from the ashes?

In this world, some are alive yet dead, while others, though dead, live on... Who truly knows the truth about the living and the dead?

An Jin is dead.

Five years ago, at the bottom of a cliff.

An exceptionally handsome young man and a strange, hunched-over, and extremely ugly old woman gazed at each other silently. Their staring was like an invisible confrontation.

The old priest scoffed, "Could it be that our master isn't from another world?"

The boy was startled: "What do you mean?"

"The sacred words have been passed down that the master Feng Fei found cannot be someone from this world. Isn't the master someone else?"

The boy remained silent.

"Please lead us, Master, to unify the world," the old priest said respectfully.

The boy stood there for a long time without saying a word.

He suddenly remembered what the old man had told him long ago: In this world, there exists a bird called the Zhen bird, with a black body, red eyes, and purple-green feathers. It is strikingly beautiful yet extremely poisonous, its venom particularly potent. Although this bird is vicious and seen as the embodiment of evil, it is also a bird that yearns for freedom. If captured by humans, it will refuse to eat and die, preferring death to being domesticated. Moreover, it lives freely, without any constraints, doing as it pleases, and can survive in any environment. Such a bird knows how to live for itself.

Then, the boy paused, and finally said, "To wield absolute power... that might be someone's lifelong dream and pursuit, and some might even pay a heavy price for it... but," the boy smiled strangely, "that's not what I want."

The old priestess was slightly taken aback, but remained calm, saying, "So, my lady, you don't want to anymore?" She had never imagined that anyone would refuse to unify the world, to be its master, the only one in the world below the gods.

The young man smiled calmly and nodded slightly.

"Is it because of that man?" the old priest sneered.

The boy remained silent, his expression as calm as a gentle breeze.

The old priest gazed at him sadly for a long time, then sighed softly, "Master, do you really not understand? You are from two different worlds. You come from another world, and your purpose here is to complete that mission. Otherwise, the people around you will disappear one by one. The people you care about will eventually all disappear."

"What?" A hint of doubt flashed across the boy's face, and his eyes suddenly sharpened.

The old priest remained calm and said coldly, "Master, have you ever heard of the rose of Sharon?"

The rose of Sharon? Isn't that the red spider lily?

There is a Buddhist saying that the last flower to bloom in the season is the Tu Mi. When the Tu Mi blooms, the season is over, and only the flowers that bloom on the other side of the river of forgetting the past life remain.

The boy remembered seeing that the Buddha said the other shore was a blissful world where there was no birth or death, no sorrow or grief, no desire or want, where all suffering was forgotten; and there was a flower that transcended the three realms and was not within the five elements, growing on the other shore of the Weak Water, without stem or leaves, brilliantly crimson, which the Buddha said was the flower of the other shore.

The red spider lily blooms on the other shore, a single fiery red flower; it blooms without leaves, and leaves grow without flowers; longing for each other yet unable to meet, alone on the path to the other shore. It blooms for a thousand years, withers for a thousand years, flower and leaf never to meet.

Why is she asking this?

The old priest sneered, cruelly saying, "Master, you came from another dimension, breaking the fixed destiny of emptiness. It was as if it were preordained that Heaven bestowed upon you everything perfect, but also with an eternal punishment. That is, you are afflicted with the 'Tribute of the Rose,' a punishment you cannot escape for lifetimes. If you insist on breaking it, then this tribulation will continue to your descendants, passed down through generations. The Tribulation of the Rose is like the rose itself—it blooms on the other shore, the leaves fall when the flower blooms, and the flower withers when the leaves flourish. When the person you love is still alive, you don't know they are what you want. Even if you know that person is what you want, if..." "If you insist, then when the flower and leaf meet, one of them will inevitably die. You and the one you love are destined never to meet, never to be together, for all eternity. And if you try to reverse that, then those you love will die one by one, leaving you one by one. You will live well, but you will watch them..." The old priest snorted softly, "Isn't this incident enough proof? If he hadn't met me, he would surely have met his end. This is a sign. If you fall too deeply in love, then one day, the one you love will die. The one you insist on staying with will die."

The boy's face turned deathly pale: "This is impossible..." He staggered backward.

Despite his pale face and near fainting, the old priest continued, "Our Mayan priests all possess the ability to prophesy. Since I know that my master is from another world, I know that my master is destined to face this calamity in his life."

"How to solve this?" a weak voice asked. It was as faint as the most ethereal wisp of cloud in the sky, utterly powerless.

"There is no solution." A cold, indifferent voice.

The boy remained silent for a long time, his head bowed. After what felt like an eternity, he finally raised his head, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes. He looked at her and said coldly, "Then, I have no other choice?"

After saying that, the boy suddenly chuckled strangely, then looked at her silently and said, "Don't hurt him."

The old priest was startled; how did he know what she was going to do...?

She intended to use a poison to erase all of Sima Rui's memories of knowing Xie Weiying was An Jin. Unexpectedly, he saw through her plan at a glance; he was indeed a terrifyingly powerful person. Was this also why he was chosen by Feng Fei? However, regardless of whether he knew or not, she would seal off all traces of Sima Rui's discovery of the truth, making him forget everything. This way, she could sever her master's emotional ties, truly turning him into a person without feelings, and then lead them to the pinnacle, unifying the world and fulfilling their generations-long wish.

To achieve this goal, she would stop at nothing, willing to do anything, especially since sacrificing the happiness of her master could bring blessings to all living beings.

It was worth it. She told herself that. Suddenly, the boy looked at her and gave her a stunningly beautiful smile: "Alright, I know what to do."

Four years ago. He had just woken up after faking his death and leaving the palace.

"Master, don't you believe me?"