La ville solitaire a fermé

Chapitre 7

Chapter Twenty-One: Detoxification

"My dear Meizi! No... it's Xue'er, don't be afraid, I'm here to save you!" Bai Qianqian looked at the unconscious Xue'er, excitedly opened the compressor in her hand, and selected the healing coffin. A faint light emanated from it, gentle yet swift, and instantly materialized.

Then, she effortlessly picked up Xue'er and placed her into the healing coffin. (Bai Qianqian was considered a master in the 32nd century, so picking up a slender beauty was a piece of cake.) She selected the detoxification program and added body repair. Soon, the healing coffin automatically closed its glass lid and began to operate.

"Hmm, it's a bit troublesome, it'll take 8 hours." Thinking about how long it would take to see Meizi recover, Bai Qianqian felt a little anxious. She really wished she could wake her up right away and become best friends with her. She missed Meizi so much!

"Alright, I'll rest for a bit too." Bai Qianqian was indeed quite tired. She looked at the unconscious Xue'er with a slightly sly grin and said, "Beautiful lady, can I borrow your bed for a bit?" Without waiting for a reply, she muttered to herself, "Oh, you said no need to be polite? Then I won't be polite, thank you!" Then, without any ladylike manners, she went to bed and fell asleep…

"Once she recovers, we can ask that damned monster (Ugly Monster - Dark) to release Flying Eagle. Flying Eagle... are you doing alright in prison?" Thinking of Flying Eagle, Bai Qianqian showed a gentle expression and gradually fell asleep.

Inside the dungeon.

Flying Eagle stood beside the cell door, staring intently in the direction she should have returned to. At this moment, he seemed no different from usual, but a closer look would reveal a hidden anxiety in his eyes and a slightly stiff posture. These were feelings unique to him for her: worry, hesitation, and fear.

"Qianqian..." Flying Eagle murmured.

The next morning, at Lianxue Pavilion.

Early in the morning, Bai Qianqian excitedly waited beside the treatment coffin, gazing lovingly at the lovely child inside. (Note: This is a story of friendship; please do not misunderstand.)

Finally, the time came, and the healing coffin opened automatically. To avoid frightening Xue'er, Bai Qianqian carried her back to bed before she woke up and then put away the healing coffin.

“Hmm…” Xue’er murmured.

"Almost there, almost awake, hehe!" Seeing that Xue'er was showing signs of waking up, Bai Qianqian's excitement level continued to rise!

On the bed, a pair of beautiful eyes slowly opened, then glanced gently to the right before suddenly widening. "Who are you!" A clear, melodious voice rang out.

That person was none other than Bai Qianqian, who at this moment appeared to be a lesbian.

"You're finally awake! I'm Bai Qianqian, I saved you, okay? How about we become friends? Please?" Bai Qianqian rattled off her words, her hopeful eyes fixed on Xue'er.

"Friends?" Xue'er didn't care about her terrifying gaze at all. She stared blankly at the empty space in front of her, and suddenly two lines of clear tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Uh, did I say something wrong? Don't cry, don't you want to be friends with me? Don't cry, I won't force you, really, I promise!" Forced love is never sweet, well, I guess that's a stretch. Sigh, how did I make another pretty girl cry? What did I do to deserve this?!

"Why..." Xue'er murmured again.

"What? What's wrong with Xue'er?" Bai Qianqian looked at the beauty who was clearly in a daze, completely puzzled.

"Why did you save me? Why didn't you let me die!" His gaze snapped out of his reverie and fixed on Bai Qianqian.

"What?" So she committed suicide? No way, didn't they say someone broke in... Never mind, comforting her is the priority now.

"Well, Xue'er, if you have any difficulties, just tell me, and I'll help you solve them. Look at you, so young, so beautiful, and so kind. How could God bear to let you leave this world like this? I am the messenger sent by God to solve all your difficulties. Just tell me what troubles you, and I will definitely help you to the end!" Bai Qianqian made a solemn promise, which made Xue'er waver a little.

"You...are you really willing to help me?" The woman before me possessed an unparalleled beauty, like a fairy descended from heaven, and was so genuine and adorable. When did such a woman appear in the Boundless Palace?

"Okay! Don't worry, I'll definitely help you solve your problem!" Bai Qianqian climbed onto Xue'er's soft shoulder. My poor little Xue'er, don't be sad anymore, I want to make you happy! Bai Qianqian adopted a protective stance towards the weak. No matter what the problem is, bring it on!

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Heartbreak of the Past

Xue'er's probing gaze was fixed on Bai Qianqian. After a long while, she saw only sincerity and concern in her eyes. For some reason, the more she looked into those eyes, the more intimate they felt, as if they had been friends for a long time.

"I...believe you." Xue'er said slowly, deciding to tell the whole story. Bai Qianqian also prepared herself to be the best listener.

"It all started with my father..." A gentle voice slowly recounted the past, tinged with a faint sorrow.

It turns out that the previous leader of the Wuyai Sect, Murong Lie, was also the father of Murong Ming and Murong Xue'er. In his spirited youth, he met and fell in love with Shangguan Di, the mother of An, and they married, becoming a legendary couple. However, a year later, Shangguan Di died in childbirth, and the child was the current Murong Ming (the current An). Murong Lie was heartbroken and nearly followed his mother in death, but gradually calmed down amidst the baby's cries. Grief-stricken and unable to care for his son, he entrusted him to Hong Xiang, a pharmacist within the sect, while he himself drowned his sorrows in alcohol every night, for only in drunkenness could he see her. Three years later, Murong Lie gradually calmed down and began to rebuild the Wuyai Sect, but he still drank heavily every month on the anniversary of his wife's death. Hong Xiang, finally unable to resist her intense love for the sect leader, consummated their marriage on one of his drunken nights…

The next day, when Murong Lie woke up and saw the beautiful woman beside him, he felt only endless regret. He rushed to his deceased wife's memorial tablet to repent and admit his mistakes, completely ignoring Hong Xiang's heartbroken heart.

Two months later, Hongxiang discovered she was pregnant, a situation that filled her with mixed emotions of joy and worry. She was overjoyed to be carrying her lover's child, but worried that he would force her to abort it, as he only wanted his child with his ex-wife. She suddenly felt an intense hatred for his ex-wife and his child. So, she used the excuse of going out to seek medicine to avoid him. Until, after ten months of pregnancy, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl…

The baby girl looked remarkably like him, and Hongxiang found the courage to face him, the man who was now extremely indifferent to her, Murong Lie.

Returning to the Boundless Sect, she brought back his daughter, and he gave her a title—concubine. There was no banquet, only a written agreement, yet she accepted it willingly. But he never once visited her, never uttered a word of concern; his treatment of her was always one of perpetual indifference. Occasionally, he would visit his daughter, deliberately avoiding her, making brief visits only when she was preparing medicine. She went from hope to despair, and from despair to a lingering hatred. Why couldn't she compare to that woman, even after her death? Perhaps it was because her son reminded him of her? If only she hadn't been so merciful, had spared that infant!

That year, Murong Ming was fourteen, and Murong Xue'er was ten. Hong Xiang couldn't bear it any longer; her hatred had driven her mad! It was that night again, when she drank herself into a stupor and mourned her deceased wife all night. In his drunken stupor, she confessed everything, wanting him to regret it for the rest of his life, to suffer eternal heartache! He learned of the absurd things she had done in her love for him, wanting to possess him entirely. Before his beloved wife gave birth, she had fed her a blood-activating and meridian-clearing pill, causing her to bleed profusely during childbirth and die from excessive blood loss.

In that moment, he went mad, and with a single blow, she perished. Afterwards, just as she had predicted, he was consumed by endless regret and that very night abandoned everything to commit suicide.

However, he did not know that his fourteen-year-old son, Murong Ming, stood blankly outside the door when she confessed everything, when he killed her with a single blow, and when he committed suicide in remorse.

From that moment on, Murong Ming's personality changed drastically. His sunny smile vanished, replaced by a cold indifference. His genuine nature disappeared, replaced by ruthless methods. He... changed his name to Darkness.

As the years passed, his cynicism didn't fade; instead, it drove him further into depravity, leading him to find pleasure in killing and indulging in women. He probably harbored endless hatred for his sister, because her mother had killed his mother, robbed him of the maternal love and happiness he deserved, and ultimately took his father away… If none of that had happened, if her mother had been able to suppress her hatred, he… at least wouldn't hate her! Brother… I still remember how much he doted on her before she was ten. But after that incident, every time I saw him, his eyes held only a chilling coldness…

She was wrong, everything was wrong. She shouldn't have concocted harmful poisons for him out of a sense of indebtedness. With each potion she made, her heart ached more, and her guilt grew stronger.

Enough, enough indeed. She couldn't bear it any longer, so this time she added several extremely difficult-to-identify poisonous herbs to her self-prepared poison to end her short and painful life...

After Murong Xue'er finished speaking, tears streamed down her face. Looking at Bai Qianqian, her face was full of anger, but her eyes were also glistening with tears.

"You cowardly bastard!" Bai Qianqian cursed angrily. "Your life is a choice you make yourself. How could you choose this path of depravity and make your lovely little sister so sad! I despise you!"

A cold, sinister figure in the Dark Palace was sneezing uncontrollably. "Who's talking about me behind my back?!" he thought angrily.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Educating Ah-Guai 1

"Thank you, Qianqian." Xue'er felt much more at ease because of her cute expression and strong protective posture, and smiled.

"You finally smiled, hehe. Let me tell you a secret, you look a lot like another good friend of mine!" Bai Qianqian said with a grin, then put on a serious expression. "Would you like to be my good friend?"

Seeing Bai Qianqian's serious expression, a long-lost feeling of emotion surged through her body, and Xue'er nodded solemnly and joyfully.

"That's great! From now on, we're best friends!" Bai Qianqian excitedly hugged Xue'er. "As for your weird brother, I think we should find someone to beat him senseless, so he won't cause any more harm to the world!"

"Hehe, who in this world can beat him? They'd probably be dead before they even got close." Xue'er shook her head with a smile and joked as well.

"Then... I'll go and educate him, and make him repent and mend his ways!" Bai Qianqian declared confidently and boldly.

"You!?" Xue'er looked at Bai Qianqian in confusion.

“Well, based on my analysis, he’s not entirely heartless. Actually, he does care about you; it’s just that coldness and ruthlessness have become his protective shield. He still cares about you, otherwise he wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of finding the renowned healer Liu Xiao to save you.” Bai Qianqian adopted the demeanor of an undercover detective.

"Is this... really true?" Xue'er asked doubtfully.

"Oh, right, I have a friend who's still locked up in the dungeon. I'll get your brother to release him first, then I'll teach your brother a lesson. Don't worry!"

For some reason, seeing Bai Qianqian's bold and confident demeanor filled Xue'er with worry. She absolutely couldn't let her take such a risk!

At that moment, Bai Qianqian rushed out anxiously. "Flying Eagle... I miss you so much!"

"Hmm...where am I?" Bai Qianqian looked left and right, up and down, but still had no idea where she was, and there wasn't a soul in sight. "Strange, did I go the wrong way...no way?" Was she having a terrible sense of direction? Waaah~~~~~~~Why didn't she pick a better time!

Just as Bai Qianqian was getting anxious and almost broke down, a black dot drifted in from a distance.

The rapidly approaching black dot was none other than Nangong Xiao, the Right Envoy of the Wuya Sect. At this moment, his handsome figure practically shone brightly in Bai Qianqian's eyes. A guiding light had arrived! There was hope!

"Hey! Hey, wait a minute, sir!" Seeing the man rush past, Bai Qianqian panicked and involuntarily shouted. Never mind, a little flattery shouldn't hurt, right? But wait, isn't he part of a cult? Oh dear, this is so embarrassing!

From afar, Nangong Xiao spotted a woman of celestial beauty standing at the entrance of a garden at the corner leading to the Jue'an Palace. However, her appearance was irrelevant to him, and he hadn't intended to pay her any attention. But her voice seemed somewhat familiar, and her tone was rather strange?

With a light step, Nangong Xiao stopped mid-air, spun around, and gracefully landed. He stopped right in front of Bai Qianqian. "It's you?!" Nangong Xiao couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Hehe, it's you! Good morning!" Wow, perfect landing! The guy in front of me seems alright, and he holds a high position in the Wuya Sect. Asking him to lead the way won't be a bad idea. Bai Qianqian's face was full of a fawning, sly smile.

"Hmm, I almost didn't recognize you after just one day. What are you doing here?" Nangong Xiao asked in confusion, feeling a sense of familiarity upon seeing her for some reason.

"Hehe, I was just on my way to Jue'an Palace to find your leader. Um... if you're going the same way, can we go together?" He was too embarrassed to admit that he was lost, otherwise how would he get along in the future?

"Hehe, I'm going there too, let's go together." Seeing her expectant look, hehe, are you lost?

At the entrance of Jue'an Palace.

"Brother Nangong, you're amazing! That way of catching your breath in mid-air and then spinning back to land was so cool!" In no time, Bai Qianqian and Nangong Xiao became familiar with each other.

"You flatter me, young lady." Nangong Xiao smiled calmly. This level of skill was nothing special in the Wuya Sect.

The moment she entered the Jue'an Palace, Bai Qianqian clearly sensed that he was no longer as relaxed and at ease as before, appearing calm and... a hint of wariness?

After entering the council hall, Bai Qianqian pursed her lips slightly. She muttered to herself, "Truly obsessed with women, huh, what a lecherous wolf."

At this moment, An was in a wanton state, holding a seductive woman whom Bai Qianqian had never seen before in his arms. The woman was not only scantily clad, but also had her shoulders bare, constantly stroking An's chest. "Sigh, touching him like that, won't he get a skin peeled off? Is it really necessary to be so enthusiastic? Wasn't the Song Dynasty supposed to be very conservative?" Bai Qianqian thought to herself, then involuntarily frowned.

At that moment, a flicker of interest flashed in An's eyes. He realized he seemed somewhat mesmerized by her expression. Just moments before, he had been coldly contemplating important matters of the sect, completely ignoring the woman beside him. But now, when he sensed her presence, he had involuntarily pulled her closer, adopting an ambiguous posture. He didn't know why; perhaps it was to see her adorable expression? He had always treated women like dirt, no matter how charming or alluring they might be. He merely toyed with their emotions, inflicting pain and demanding absolute obedience. As for her, it was probably the same…

His face turned cold, and he gently pushed the woman beside him away, reverting to his usual aloof and sinister demeanor. The alluring woman showed no displeasure and rose to leave.

"Xiao, have you dealt with that rabble from the Red Gate?" His eyes were full of contempt.

"Reporting to the Master, the Wolf Group has successfully completed its mission." Nangong Xiao bowed and replied, but his demeanor remained imposing, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Alright, you can go now and rest for a bit. I'll assign you a task later." A cold aura, a calm command.

"Yes, I'll take my leave!" He glanced at Bai Qianqian out of the corner of his eye, seemingly worried, then sighed, before turning and leaving.

Right now, it seemed like only he and she were left in the entire council chamber...

Chapter Twenty-Four: Educating Ah-Guai 2

The atmosphere grew heavy. His cold gaze casually observed her, and seeing her suppressed, almost trembling expression, a hint of a smile appeared on his face. "Heh, teasing her... should be quite fun."

Silence...and more silence. No, she'd break down if this continued. For some reason, seeing him always made her feel deflated; all her former ambitions vanished without a trace.

"We can't stay silent any longer! Yes, either we erupt from this silence or we perish in it!" Mustering her courage, Bai Qianqian met his eyes. "Ah...Master, hello. Regarding your sister, I've used a secret technique to revive her, and she's safe and sound now. Could you perhaps release my friend first?" Having said all that, Bai Qianqian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. That was close; she almost called him "Ah-Guai."

"Oh? Is that really so?" His eyes were full of surprise. He had thought she was in trouble and had come to him for help, after all, Xue'er's poison wasn't simple, but he hadn't expected that the lovely girl before him had woken her up in just one day. Who... exactly is she? Is she really the Palace Master of Xiaoyao Palace? According to the information he had, the so-called Xiaoyao Palace was not large-scale, only suddenly appearing in the past few months. The only members of Xiaoyao Palace he knew of were the few people before him and the mysterious guest Bai Ke from Lengyue Manor. She also had the surname Bai, could it be... siblings?

"That's right. What, you don't trust my medical skills?" She clearly saw a hint of reassurance in his eyes. He... must care about her sister.

"Hmph, men, release the people in the dungeon." Without hesitation, he gave the order softly. A black figure suddenly flashed out from the shadows outside the door and left without a sound.

Solved, now... hmm. Swallowing hard, Bai Qianqian decided to go all out for her friend!

He clearly saw a hint of fear in her eyes, which suddenly hardened into a sharp and resolute expression. What was she going to do? He was filled with anticipation.

"Do you know that your sister committed suicide because of you!" Bai Qianqian was somewhat angry. This guy was nothing like a brother.

"Hmm? And then?" Dark eyes deepened, and a chill emanated from them.

"Uh, it's not your fault." Feeling the chill emanating from him, Bai Qianqian's momentum weakened a bit, but thinking of Xue'er... "I already know about your past from Xue'er, and I'm very sorry. You were so young then, and suffering such a blow was truly cruel to you. But now you're grown up, you have power and influence. You can completely change your life, so why choose this kind of life?" Bai Qianqian was somewhat saddened.

"Then tell me, what kind of life should I choose?" He patiently listened to her finish speaking. He didn't like the pity in her eyes when she looked at him; he didn't need it! His cold lips uttered a joking remark.