The old man had a discerning eye; even though Loge hadn't said a word, he could still see through Loge.
Loge felt grateful but also ashamed. He stood up and walked to the old man's side, carefully taking his arm and asking, "Master, how is my little girl Heng'er?"
The old man shook his head and nodded, muttering incoherently in words that others couldn't understand but found terrifying: "A person who shouldn't exist in the first place, yet strangely lives on because of the entanglement and karma of two lifetimes, one body, two souls' destinies. How strange, how wondrous, how marvelous!"
Loge said anxiously, "Master, is something wrong with Heng'er? Please, Master, save her!"
The old man shook his head and said, "I don't need to save her. Although her injuries are severe, her willpower is amazing. I can prolong her life, but I can't stop her from wanting to die. If you want to save her, you have to save her soul. There is only one person in the world who can save her soul."
Loge quickly asked, "Who is it?"
The old man gave a strange smile: "Mu Yunhe!"
"But Mu Yunhe is dead!"
Seeing everyone's shocked, pale faces and despairing eyes, the old man gave a mischievous smile and dropped a bombshell, patting Loge on the shoulder: "Whether someone is dead or alive cannot be determined by what you see. Besides, if Mu Yunhe really died like this, what was the point of my rushing here? How could I just watch my beloved disciple's soul be scattered?"
Everyone's eyes lit up, but they were also suspicious. The old man's words were quite strange and incomprehensible. How could Loge, who was perfectly alive, have his soul scattered?
Loge was also puzzled, but then the old man chuckled and said toothlessly, "This old man is also Mu Yunhe's master!"
At this moment, everyone, including Loge, was completely dumbfounded by this toothless old man with a laugh that seemed to defy logic! The son-in-law and father-in-law were actually from the same school? According to the order of the schools, they were even fellow disciples? Logically, Mu Yunhe should address Loge as his senior brother. But Loge was clearly Mu Yunhe's father-in-law. What kind of seniority was this? Everyone was collectively stunned.
558 A year, half darkness and half sweetness!
Updated: 2014-01-15 21:29:28 Word Count: 5729
Time flies by, and a year passes in the blink of an eye.
In the misty mountains and forests, the scenery is obscured, but the water flows gently, the birds sing sweetly, and occasionally a wild animal roars. The natural scenery is rich and full of life.
As the sun finally appeared, illuminating the entire deep mountain, the mist gradually dissipated, revealing a relaxed and verdant landscape. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, with lush green trees, waterfalls cascaded down from the mountaintops, forming ribbons that flowed like brocade, resembling silver threads from afar, half shrouded in a light mist, beautiful and enchanting.
The tranquil pool rippled gently, the waterfall cascading from above creating continuous waves. Fish could be faintly seen swimming gracefully and leisurely in the water. Beside the pool, a girl with two buns in her hair, dressed in a light green dress, sat cross-legged contentedly by the water's edge. Several fresh and elegant pieces of clothing rested on her lap. Her hands supported her chin, her large, round eyes gazing intently into the water, her expression charmingly innocent.
The girl waited for a while, then seemed impatient and called out anxiously towards the water, "Master, why aren't you coming out yet? Qiwan is so hungry! Shall we go back and eat, Master?"
A sweet, innocent voice echoed back and forth above the valley. Birds flew down from the heights and landed on the branches, curiously watching the girl below and chirping away, seemingly saying something unintelligible.
But the water remained calm, without a trace of anyone. Qi Wan grew anxious and quickly stood up, cupping her hands in a megaphone shape as she shouted, "Master! Miss! Madam! Can you hear me? Qi Wan is hungry and wants to eat! Please come back quickly!"
The water remained calm. Qi Wan was anxious and worried. She wanted to jump in to find someone, but she stopped abruptly after stepping into the water. She didn't know what she had thought of, but her face turned pale, and she felt frustrated and panicked. After circling around on the ground twice, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she shouted, "Mu Yunhe's wife, where are you?"
Where are you, Mu Yunhe's wife...?
The shout echoed endlessly in the valley, as if it were a call from ancient times, so long, so lingering, so enigmatic.
Suddenly, a soft sound came from the water. Qi Wan's eyes lit up, and he waited with a smile.
The ripples on the water grew larger and larger, advancing rapidly from afar. In the clear water, a figure could be vaguely seen swimming quickly towards them, a graceful and lithe figure, like a mermaid from mythology, alluring and dreamlike, inspiring endless imagination. The figure swayed rapidly, getting closer and closer to Qiwan, closer and closer to the shore.
Seven Bowls cried out immediately, "Master! Master! I'm here!"
The figure in the water spun around and quickly swam back the way it came, which terrified Qi Wan. Qi Wan cried out, "What's wrong? Master Qi Wan is here! You've gone to the wrong place! Come back, come back quickly!"
But the mermaid kept swimming forward until she disappeared from sight. Qi Wan was on the verge of tears, her eyes red and anxious, even considering calling out the hidden guards. Although the guards were also women, their master disliked them following him, so they remained hidden.
Before Qi Wan could call out his guards, a splash suddenly came from the center of the pool, and a small head emerged from the water. Long hair was thrown back in a magnificent black arc, and crystal-clear water droplets were flung towards Qi Wan on the shore.
Seven Bowls stood there dumbfounded, splashed with water again. Blinking its big eyes, it grumbled angrily, "Master is so mean! You've soaked Seven Bowls again!"
The woman in the middle of the lake turned around with a giggle. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful in the sunlight. Her bright eyes, washed clean by the water, appeared even more gentle and lively. Like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without artifice, this description perfectly captured her at that moment. She was like an elf fallen to earth, laughing joyfully and freely, her vibrant life making her exceptionally beautiful and radiant.
Splashing her arms across the water, Luo Zhiheng laughed wildly, raising an eyebrow and saying, "Who told you to always watch over me and control me like a little old woman? You've been controlling me for a year now. If you don't let me vent, am I still Luo Zhiheng?"
Qi Wan said aggrievedly, "If it weren't for this servant watching over you and taking care of you, would you have recovered in just one year? Don't forget, that old man said back then that you would definitely not recover in less than three years."
A year had allowed Luo Zhiheng to completely emerge from the grief, hatred, and despair of the past. Now, she lived a more carefree, joyful, and hopeful life. And the person who gave her such courage and hope was the old man they spoke of—Mu Yunhe and Luo Ge's master.
The old man saved Luo Zhiheng's life back then, but he had the King bring her back to the Silver Moon Kingdom because the climate and spiritual energy there were more suitable for her to recover and recuperate quickly. The old man also had another plan; he couldn't possibly care for two people at once. Luo Zhiheng wasn't going to die at the time, but a broken heart is more terrifying than anything else, so it was better to separate Luo Zhiheng and Mu Yunhe.
Yes, Mu Yunhe. He's not dead yet!
To be precise, the old man arrived at the last and most crucial moment and seized the three souls and seven spirits of Mu Yunhe's soul, which was about to completely dissipate. The most important essence of a person's life was in the old man's hands. With the old man's secret technique of the Divination Palace, he was able to bring Mu Yunhe back to life!
So they split up. The old man said that Luo Zhiheng's physical condition wasn't just due to the fatal wound from this one knife attack, but also to old injuries from falling off a cliff three years ago. Even the slightest touch could shatter her bones; this was an illness, a serious one, and it needed treatment!
If treated strictly according to the old man's methods in the Silver Moon Kingdom, Luo Zhiheng would be fully recovered in less than three years, and would no longer be afraid of being touched or hurt, just like a normal person. This should have been a good thing, but Luo Zhiheng only woke up after being in a daze for half a month. At that time, she was like a walking corpse and couldn't hear what people were saying at all.
She was alive, yet she was also dead.
Her heart was dead; she could hear nothing. When her eyes were open, she would smile, but she couldn't speak or feel anything. She didn't know what thirst was. For six months, she was withdrawn.
For the six months that everyone cared for Luo Zhiheng spent with her, there was no sunshine or laughter; they lived in a state of oppression and heavy darkness. They protected the person they loved most, but day after day they could only see Luo Zhiheng's most helpless and withdrawn side. They were anxious and heartbroken, yet powerless to help.
Six months was enough time for Luo Zhiheng's injuries to heal and for her fragile illness to improve. However, Luo Zhiheng remained a living dead. Every time she smiled without blinking, those who were by her side were moved to tears. They didn't know what made Luo Zhiheng smile so sweetly and happily, but her happiness was a dream, one that no one could awaken. She was immersed in her own dream, excluding all of them, but everyone knew that Mu Yunhe was definitely in her dream!
The King was furious at her unbearable suffering, Loge was heartbroken by her sweet smile, and Luo Zhiwu was devastated by her ignorance. The wet nurse cared for her tirelessly, Qi Wan remained steadfastly by her side, and the Empress devoted herself entirely to her treatment…
But all that love and affection from so many people was ultimately not for Mu Yunhe. So many people, yet not one of them was named Mu Yunhe! And so, ultimately, no one could awaken her from that dark abyss.
The most painful and darkest time lasted for seven months. On that day, the King came to Luo Zhiheng's room with a crystal, and after seven months that felt like seven centuries, a cheerful and wicked voice rang out for the first time in this lifeless room.
"Your name is Luo Zhiheng? Open your eyes quickly, I still have to go out. Hey, this is Mu Yunhe, did you hear me? Um... Aheng?"
When everyone stared in disbelief at the vivid human figure inside the crystal in the King's hand, seeing the man's impatient furrowed brows, his narrow eyes flashing with mischievousness, and his smirking at the old man beside him who was gesturing and instructing him to speak, everyone wept with joy.
That person has finally returned!
Later, Crystal kept calling out "Ah Heng, Ah Heng, Ah Heng..."
It just kept repeating, playing on and on. Until the crystal gradually dimmed, Mu Yunhe's figure and voice finally disappeared.
Later they learned that these were items from the Divination Palace, not to be used casually. The old man hadn't said he wouldn't have taken them out if Luo Zhiheng's condition hadn't been so dire. Those recordings that affected Mu Yunhe's voice were useless after one use and couldn't be directly connected to them, which is why Mu Yunhe couldn't see Luo Zhiheng, and Luo Zhiheng could only see his image.
But that was enough. The next day, they saw Luo Zhiheng sitting on the bed. It was from that moment that Luo Zhiheng was completely freed from the nightmare. It turns out, the one who tied the knot must untie it—that's truly true.
However, Luo Zhiheng refused to believe that Mu Yunhe was still alive, and remained depressed and distressed, refusing to cooperate with treatment. Later, the King brought several more crystals, each containing no idle words, but rather the image of that incredibly beautiful and vibrant man repeatedly calling out Aheng's name.
Luo Zhiheng cried all night while holding the powerless crystal. The next day at dawn, Luo Zhiheng tried her best to eat, treat herself, take her medicine, and exercise. In just one month, she was able to walk again and then asked to return to the Mu Dynasty immediately.
It took everyone's best efforts to stop him. He knew Luo Zhiheng didn't believe it; she didn't believe Mu Yunhe was still alive. But she wanted Mu Yunhe to be alive; she wanted to see him alive with her own eyes. Later, Mu Yunhe ordered Luo Zhiheng in the crystal to focus on her treatment and not to return to see him until she was fully recovered. Only then did Luo Zhiheng finally feel at ease and begin to recover.
A year passed quickly. Her intensive treatment yielded good results, but she wasn't completely cured. Even so, it was still quite good. Although she was still more prone to injury than a normal person, she wasn't so fragile that she would break at the slightest touch. Luo Zhiheng could no longer continue training, and several times she nearly succumbed to inner demons. Therefore, the old man agreed that as long as Luo Zhiheng trained for a full year, she could return to the Mu Dynasty to see Mu Yunhe.
Thus, Luo Zhiheng truly came back to life. Now, she was brimming with vitality because she wanted to see Mu Yunhe, a vitality that no one and nothing could replace.
"Don't listen to that old man! Who do you think I am, Luo Zhiheng? If I'm going to get better, I'll do it as fast and as well as possible!" As Luo Zhiheng spoke, her eyes were bright, and she couldn't hide the smile on her lips. Her hopeful expression was a stark contrast to the resolute and broken look she had a year ago.
Qi Wan ruthlessly extinguished her mistress's words: "Don't praise yourself. If it weren't for so many people begging and watching over you, how could you have recovered so quickly? Now you're not even taking care of yourself. You've been playing here for so long. What if you catch a cold? Hurry up and come up. The old man said that although you seem to have basically recovered, it's been too short a time. Your health isn't good, so you still can't overexert yourself or do too much exercise."
Luo Zhiheng teased, "Little housekeeper, how will Xiao Yongzi dare to marry you if you look like this? If Xiao Yongzi marries you, won't he be scratching the wall every day? How did our Seven Bowls turn into old women in just one year?"
Qi Wan's face flushed bright red. Thinking of the honest man who was just like her, her heart raced. But she said bluntly, "Who wants to marry him? He wouldn't dare to take me, and I don't want to marry him either! Master, please don't hit me. You've been playing too long today. Don't you want to go back soon? You're going to miss your chance to 'see' Your Excellency today."
Seeing Mu Yunhe was through crystal. Her Majesty the Empress did everything she could to reassure Luo Zhiheng. Only two or three of these crystals capable of transmitting images could be formed from a crystal mine stretching for hundreds of miles. The Empress had destroyed more than a dozen crystal mines just so that Luo Zhiheng could focus on her treatment and live a good life.
Upon hearing this, Luo Zhiheng's brows immediately furrowed with anxiety, and she said with displeasure, "What happened? Has time passed so quickly? Why didn't you call me earlier?"
Luo Zhiheng swam back hurriedly and splashed ashore. Her whole body was as delicate and smooth as white porcelain. Her beautiful body looked even more mysterious and perfect in the sunlight. However, the two intricately intertwined scars on her abdomen ruined the beauty of her body, adding a sense of desolation and sadness, as well as a painful memory that was hard to forget.
The two scars, one of which is more than three inches long, were cut by sharp stones on the cliff when she fell off the cliff. The scars were located on her lower abdomen. Underneath these scars lies the pain of losing her child!
This scar would forever remind Luo Zhiheng that she once had a child, but before she and Mu Yunhe even knew, this poor child, the child they so deeply longed for, left them so suddenly. And left in such a tragic and heartbreaking way! Just thinking about that child filled Luo Zhiheng with unbearable pain and hatred!
The other scar is from Luo Zhiheng's suicide attempt a year ago. It's only about an inch long, but the wound was extremely deep back then. If it weren't for meeting the old man, and if it weren't for timely medical treatment, it could have been fatal!
Luo Zhiheng's perfect body is marked only by these two scars, which could be removed, but she chooses to keep them. She wants to forever remember the significance of these two scars. One is to commemorate the child she once lost, and the other is to remember the man she loved most. Both scars exist because of the person she loved most; it is a form of remembrance, and even more so, a form of longing.
"It's your own fault for being so playful, okay?" Qi Wan muttered, quickly helping Luo Zhiheng dry off and then put on her clothes.
Qi Wan was drying Luo Zhiheng's hair when she felt the cloth slipping away. Before she could react, Luo Zhiheng had already run off. Qi Wan was stunned and jumped up and down anxiously behind her, saying, "Master, wait for Qi Wan! It's easy to catch a cold if your hair isn't dry!"
Luo Zhiheng was eager to return home and didn't care about the wet magic anymore. She lifted her skirt and ran quickly outside. This was her secret base, a paradise, a private property specially given to her by her grandmother. Outside was her bamboo house.
As soon as the bamboo door was pushed open, the king's ambiguous, cheeky, and lewd laughter came from inside: "That girl won't be back for a while. How long has it been since you let me get close to you? My dear Yun'er, can I kiss you? I miss you so much."
Poison Saint roared, panting, "Get out of my way! I won't let you touch me! Hey, don't pinch my waist! Qin Yinshi, are you a dog? Why are you biting me?!"
The King muttered to himself, "Yun'er smells so good, I can't resist. Give her to me, okay?"
"Go to hell! You've become like this ever since you got back to Silvermoon Kingdom, acting like a lewd jerk! Ahhh, don't bite there! Ugh!!" Poison Saint babbled incoherently, his face already flushed, half-heartedly resisting. But when he raised his watery eyes, his face turned bright red, his voice seemed to freeze in his throat, and he stared stiffly at the woman with the wicked look at the door, wishing he could throw Qin Yinshi against the wall and, unable to pry her head off, smash his head against it himself!
Just as the World King was enjoying her kiss, seeing that the Poison Saint wasn't resisting, she excitedly let out a "whoosh" and tried to reach down. The Poison Saint's old face turned almost green, and she slapped the World King's hand away, her mouth trembling, almost crying.
At that moment, Luo Zhiheng truly had to admit that there was a reason why the Prince loved Lou Yun so much. Just look at Lou Yun's misty eyes at that moment, with that wronged and ashamed look, it was truly captivating! Such a man, with his charming expression yet contradictory and manly words, would make any woman fall head over heels in love, right?
The king also realized something was wrong, and turned around abruptly, his face burning hot. Damn it, he'd been so engrossed in flirting and taking advantage of her that he'd completely lost his guard!
Luo Zhiheng, however, laughed fearlessly, ignoring the two men's desperate attempts to bang their heads against the wall, and said with a smile, "Don't worry about me, I'll take the crystal and then leave. You two can continue."
559 Longing Under the Cherry Blossoms! (Bonus chapter for 86,000 recommended votes)
Updated: 2014-01-15 22:50:09 Word Count: 5670
And on, we continue!!
Keep going, you son of a bitch!
Enraged, Poison Saint roared, "Luo Zhiheng! Are you asking for death! You voyeur! Die! You filthy woman! As expected, Qin Yinshi's daughter is no better!"
Luo Zhiheng didn't refute, just listened with a smile. Seeing that the King had previously agreed, but then heard the Poison Saint include her in the insults, he quickly put on a stern face and said, "What are you saying! How could my daughter be as shameless as you say? But Heng'er, you're the one who's being unfair today. Why didn't you knock before coming in? Hmm?"
The king's last utterance, though high-pitched, lacked any real power due to his unease and reluctance.