"I have a bad temper, I'm prone to tantrums, and I get jealous easily. My husband must be with me for life. If he dares to touch other women, I will divorce him. You see, I'm full of flaws, and there's nothing about me that Prince Zhan would like." Shen Lixue didn't know Dongfang Zhan's intentions and casually brushed him off.
Dongfang Zhan smiled bitterly: "I can do everything that Dongfang Heng has done for you." A bad temper, being petty, and being jealous are all girlish quirks, and he wouldn't mind. As for being with one person for life, that's even simpler, because he has absolutely no interest in any other woman except her.
“Prince Zhan, stop joking. If you’re so eager to vie for the throne, your harem can’t have only one empress.” Shen Lixue blinked, cutting him off with her words.
"If I ascend the throne, Qingyan will be in my hands. I only need one empress. Which minister would dare to speak recklessly?" Dongfang Zhan's calm voice carried the arrogance unique to royalty, instilling fear in people. Then, he softened his voice: "Of course, if you don't like being empress, then I won't be emperor."
For her, he even gave up the empire he valued most! Shen Lixue was shocked. Was Dongfang Zhan telling the truth, or was he lying to her? But if he was lying, what was his purpose?
"Li Xue, from now on, forget your identity as the Princess Consort of Anjun and just be Shen Li Xue. I will also abandon my position as the Prince of Qingyan and just be Dongfang Zhan. How about we wander the world together like this?"
Dongfang Zhan's abilities are beyond doubt. Even if he has nothing now, he can build up a huge power in five years at most. Dongfang Heng knows this, which is why he wants to take him down once and for all, so that he will never have a chance to recover.
But now, he no longer wants to be emperor; he only wants to be with Shen Lixue, wherever they may go.
Dongfang Zhan's voice was deep and serious, not like he was lying. Shen Lixue felt a headache coming on. She had a child and a husband. How could she continue to wander the world with Dongfang Zhan?
Just as he was about to refuse, a cold voice rang out first: "Li Xue is my wife, and she will not travel the world with Prince Zhan."
The white robes traced graceful arcs in the air as he instantly appeared before the horse, reaching out to pull Shen Lixue back. A faint scent of pine resin wafted through the air, inexplicably bringing a sense of peace. Shen Lixue was overjoyed; Heng had come to her rescue.
Dongfang Zhan knew who the newcomer was. His eyes turned cold, and he swung his palm hard at Dongfang Heng.
Dongfang Heng had already grabbed Shen Lixue's arm, so there was no reason for him to let go. A strong wind swept over him, and he pulled Shen Lixue off the horse and quickly moved away from Dongfang Zhan. The powerful palm wind struck the ground, and with a loud bang, a large hole was punched in the hard ground. In an instant, dust flew up and blinded people.
Dongfang Heng pulled Shen Lixue to a safe place and looked her up and down anxiously: "Lixue, are you alright?"
Shen Lixue smiled gently: "Don't worry, I'm fine..."
The deep joy in her eyes pierced Dongfang Zhan's heart. With a flick of his hand, he unleashed a powerful burst of internal energy at Dongfang Heng once more.
A fierce gust of wind swept in, and Dongfang Heng waved his hand to push Shen Lixue away, then raised his palm to meet it without dodging or avoiding: "Dongfang Zhan, it's time to settle our scores."
Dongfang Heng soared into the air, his white sleeves fluttering in the wind. As he opened and closed his fingers, nothing could be seen, yet sharp gusts of wind were unleashed from his sleeves, attacking Dongfang Zhan from all directions with the most precise techniques and the fastest moves.
Looking at Dongfang Zhan again, his eyes were cold and sharp. Every move he made exuded an indescribable elegance and nobility, but the hidden killing intent could be fatal in an instant, making him someone not to be underestimated.
The duel between the two was not a fierce clash of weapons, nor a brutal bloodbath, but it was extremely dangerous and difficult. If one was distracted even slightly, the other would seize the opportunity to exploit his weakness, and a single defeat would mean certain death.
Dongfang Heng and Dongfang Zhan are equally skilled in martial arts. Under normal circumstances, they could fight for three days and three nights without a clear winner.
However, not long ago, Dongfang Zhan's forces were all eliminated by Dongfang Heng's clever scheme. Shen Lixue, who was clearly sitting on his horse, was pulled away by Dongfang Heng. He hated Dongfang Heng to death and was determined to kill him. He was very agitated and made hasty moves, which exposed his weakness. Dongfang Heng seized the opportunity and struck him hard.
Dongfang Zhan fell from the sky, landing right next to Shen Lixue. Shen Lixue tried to get away from him, but she was weak and slow, so he grabbed her arm tightly and dragged her backward.
The sound of rushing water came from behind. Shen Lixue looked down and saw a cliff. Dongfang Zhan had chosen a small path to shake off the pursuers in the capital. He did not expect that there would be a cliff here. The cliff was very deep and the bottom could not be seen at a glance. If he fell, his life would be in danger.
"Dongfang Zhan, what are you doing?" Dongfang Heng landed two meters away from the two of them, his gaze towards Dongfang Zhan filled with rage that seemed to be spitting fire. However, Dongfang Zhan was holding Shen Lixue back, so he couldn't make any rash moves.
"Dongfang Heng, over the past ten years, we've faced off countless times, and you've always won. This time, I will definitely defeat you." Dongfang Zhan chuckled softly, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Dongfang Heng's expression changed instantly: "Dongfang Zhan, the grudge between you and me has nothing to do with Li Xue. Release her."
“You like her, and I like him too. How can the grudges between you and me be unrelated to her?” A cold glint flashed in Dongfang Zhan’s deep eyes: “You married her, had a son, and have something to look forward to. You should be content. From now on, she is mine. Since you are unwilling to let her accompany me to the ends of the earth, I will take her with me to hell. We will be a carefree ghost couple in the underworld.”
With a strange smile playing on his lips, Dongfang Zhan dragged Shen Lixue towards the precipice. If there was no place for them in this world, then they would go to hell together. Once there, he would make it up to her and treat her even better.
"Li Xue!" Dongfang Heng exclaimed in horror as he reached out to pull Li Xue up. The hem of her silk purple cloak slipped past his hand, leaving him grasping only air. Her slender body fell into the cliff with Dongfang Zhan.
Dongfang Zhan moved too fast; Shen Lixue had no time to escape. The whistling wind rushed past her ears. She glanced at Dongfang Zhan, who was also looking at her. There was no hatred or resentment in his cold eyes, only an extraordinary calmness.
Dongfang Zhan paused, a bitter smile appearing on his lips. He had killed her, yet she didn't even bother to resent him; he had never been in her heart.
"Ha!" A mocking laugh escaped her lips and drifted away in the wind. A few glistening water droplets landed on Shen Lixue's face, feeling icy cold.
Suddenly, a huge force pushed her from behind, and Shen Lixue's slender body floated uncontrollably upwards.
Shen Lixue was startled. Looking down, she saw that Dongfang Zhan was falling twice as fast as before. Had he used all his inner strength to push her off the cliff? Did he not want to kill her and cause Dongfang Heng pain? Why did he release her and save her?
"Li Xue!" Dongfang Heng leaped down from above, holding an extremely thin silk thread in his hand. He wrapped his arms around Shen Li Xue's small waist and used the thread's power to rise to the edge of the cliff.
After landing safely, she turned to look at the cliff. Dongfang Zhan's figure had disappeared into a small black dot, but his bitter smile flashed before Shen Lixue's eyes and lingered. Just now, Dongfang Zhan had saved her. He really liked her, but she couldn't reciprocate his feelings because she liked Dongfang Heng.
"Li Xue, I'm so glad you're alright." Dongfang Heng hugged Shen Li Xue tightly, his sharp eyes sparkling with the joy of finding her again. When she fell off the cliff, he jumped down after her. Dongfang Zhan used the Thousand-Pound Drop, and the two of them fell very fast. Just as he was about to use the Thousand-Pound Drop, Shen Li Xue floated up.
Shen Lixue smiled gently and embraced Dongfang Heng. The familiar scent of pine filled her nostrils, bringing her peace of mind. This was her husband, the person she loved most, someone she would never abandon for life.
"Wah!" The loud cry of a baby rang clearly between heaven and earth. Shen Lixue turned her head and saw Dongfang Xun holding a small swaddled baby. He quickly flew to the two of them and breathed a sigh of relief: "This little guy has been crying nonstop."
She cried all the way, but her voice didn't get hoarse; it was still surprisingly loud.
Shen Lixue took the baby and gently patted its back. The baby immediately stopped crying and blinked its two beautiful eyes at Shen Lixue.
Dongfang Xun frowned slightly, and cried very miserably along with him, but stopped crying when he saw Li Xue: "Does he recognize people?"
"Perhaps." Shen Lixue smiled and took out a silk handkerchief to gently wipe the tears from the baby's eyes. Her expression was focused and attentive. With Dongfang Zhan falling off the cliff and dying, the three of them could finally live happily together.
With a sudden tightening around her waist, Dongfang Heng swept her up in his arms, his deep voice like a fine wine, intoxicating and mellow: "Li Xue, let's go home."