I'm afraid... there's no going back.
Chapter 97
Beyond Xiaohe City lies Guanshan Ridge, an extremely cold place where heavy snow falls year-round and sunlight never penetrates, making it sparsely populated.
"Once you cross this mountain pass, you'll reach Jade Dragon Mountain, right?"
"Yes."
"Who told me before that Yunzhi wasn't at Jade Dragon Mountain?"
"Your Majesty is in the Red Valley behind Jade Dragon Mountain."
"Red Canyon?" I've never heard of it before. Isn't the area behind Jade Dragon Mountain a desolate wasteland?
"Hmm," he responded, walking unsteadily through the thick snow.
This godforsaken place! I won't come here again, not even if you invite me in a sedan chair carried by eight men!
I wrapped my padded jacket tighter, bit my lip, and braved the biting wind to quicken my pace.
After walking for several miles, I gradually started to sweat, but as soon as it reached my forehead, a gust of wind would immediately freeze it into frost, and before long, a thin layer of ice would form on my face.
"Madam, you won't be able to reach Jade Dragon Mountain in the dark. Why don't I carry you there?"
Why didn't you say so earlier? I glared at him, which was tantamount to acquiescing.
Actually, I haven't had a proper rest these days. Not only do I have to deal with Li Mu, but I also have to rack my brains to figure out the best time and route to escape. Besides, the north is colder than the south, and even after Qingming Festival, it's still not a time when I can sleep alone at night.
Although it was in the midst of ice and snow, Shao Yan used his internal energy, and the faint warmth emanating from his back still made me drowsy.
In a daze, all that flashed before my eyes was a vast expanse of snow, with clouds and mist as hazy as a dream. Then a fragrance wafted up, coming and going in a hurry. Before I could even smell it properly, the white before my eyes was gradually swallowed by darkness.
There is a Taihe Temple on Yulong Mountain. The courtyard is secluded and the steps are cold. The incense is not very strong on weekdays. Fortunately, there are many pilgrims who come to the mountain every summer, which allows them to make a living throughout the year.
It was only late spring, early summer, and Taihe Temple was still quite deserted, becoming eerily quiet after nightfall. The guest room was simply furnished, and Shaoyan, knowing I was sensitive to the cold, had brought me an extra blanket. In truth, even with a heater and hot coals, I might not have been able to sleep well.
The night passed extremely slowly; all I could see was the dark clouds constantly being blown by the cold wind, and the incessant heavy snowfall.
I was probably exhausted. Despite the cold, I kept dozing off and waking up, but it was even worse than not sleeping at all. When the temple bell rang in the morning, I felt my head start to hurt.
"Didn't you sleep well last night, Madam?"
This was the first thing Shao Yan said to me, which shows how bad I looked.
I waved to him, signaling him to hurry up and get going, too exhausted to say anything.
"Should we rest for another night?"
"You want me to rest for another night? Are you trying to kill me?" I could only glare at him, and he stopped arguing and carried me over the mountain.
It took quite a while to climb this mountain; the terrain is very steep, no wonder Shao Yan said that climbing at night is extremely dangerous.
I had imagined the entire mountain would be a monotonous, silvery-white blanket of snow, but upon reaching the summit, I was greeted by a wondrous sight: a landscape of snow and wildflowers. Everywhere I looked, there was a dazzling array of colors, but the most prominent was undoubtedly the vibrant rhododendron. Those that lay prostrate on the ground bloomed in endless clusters, their branches completely obscured. Red like fire, white like paper, purple like gauze, like a cascade of pearls, as vibrant as peach blossoms, as cold as ice—large flowers like peonies, small flowers like lilacs—each a rare gem of a garden, yet blooming freely on this desolate snow-covered mountain.
To the east of the snow mountain lies a vast meadow. Every spring, when the flowers bloom, herders from the nearby mountain streams would bring their felt tents, ride their tall horses, and drive their yaks, sheep, and cattle to graze on the meadow.
Walk a little further ahead and you'll see a deep valley, filled with dense forests and flowing streams. The river at the bottom of the valley, with its clear springs, is called the White Water River.
Shao Yan said that if you follow the Black Water River along the White Water River, you will reach the Red Canyon.
As dusk fell, the setting sun painted the snow-capped peaks as if they were draped in a layer of red gauze. Clouds, carrying the sunset glow, flew back to the valleys between the peaks. Outside the Red Valley, clouds and mist swirled, carrying a cold, damp air, yet possessing an indescribable clarity.
Parting the thick smoke and white mist, one could vaguely see glazed golden tiles and vermilion red wood. This was truly a secluded and refuge-free place. Who would have thought that such a magnificent and beautiful place existed behind Jade Dragon Mountain?
In that endless rhododendron forest, towering buildings stand in an interlocking pattern. There is no trampling of thousands of horses or the smoke of war, only a luxurious and tranquil atmosphere.
Weiming Tower, Zhaonan Pavilion.
As soon as I went upstairs, a strong smell of alcohol hit me. It was rich but not pungent, and it was mixed with a thick, warm fragrance.
Just before I pushed the door open, I suddenly felt inexplicably nervous. My fingertips trembled slightly when they touched the door. I took a deep breath, steeled myself, and put my hand on the door.
The sun had set and the moonlight had not yet risen; there were no lights on inside, so all one could see were hazy shadows.
Just standing at the doorway made my heart pound faster than ever before. Before I could even step inside and get my footing, I felt my foot slip, as if I had stepped on something. Instinctively, I reached out to grab something to steady myself, but all I heard was the sound of bottles clattering together. I didn't grab anything, so I tripped and fell to the ground. I felt something hit the back of my head as I fell.
It would be better to just knock someone unconscious with that knock, but instead, the pain is so intense that tears are almost streaming down their face, yet their consciousness remains unusually clear.
Just as I was feeling a chill run down my spine from the pain, the lights suddenly came on. My eyes, which had just gotten used to the darkness, were stung again. In my disheveled state, I felt like killing someone.
Chapter 98
It took me a while to adjust with my eyes closed, but when I opened them and saw the person in front of me, for a moment I clearly felt that my heartbeat and breathing had stopped.
The person stood expressionless, wearing only a moon-white robe with a silver-threaded printed collar that was open at the collarbone. He should have exuded a seductive and languid charm, but in my eyes, he was more ferocious than a demon.
His dark, bottomless eyes stared at me for a long time, then he bent down, his long black hair falling down and releasing a cool fragrance.
The touch of my fingers was still smooth as silk, lingering on my cheek with a slight coolness. The room was very quiet, and I could almost hear my own heart pounding like a drum.
"Turns out I can still get drunk..."
He murmured softly, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his lips, his eyes seeming to be veiled by a mist, suddenly becoming hazy.
I didn't understand what he said at first, but after thinking about it for a while, I realized that he thought he was drunk and dreaming!
I sat up abruptly, intending to wake him up, but I didn't control the angle well and rushed too hard, so I bumped directly into his forehead.
...
"Are you trying to kill me?! You drank so much, and you didn't even bother to clean up afterwards, leaving empty bottles all over the floor. How come you didn't drink yourself to death?!" The person who was hit frowned slightly, his dark eyes filled with confusion and shock. "Couldn't you have dodged? You even claim to be very skilled in martial arts and agile, but I think that's all bullshit!"
I'm already so exhausted that I can't even speak coherently. I'll feel terrible if I don't vent my anger. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. All this suffering is because of you, Nangong Ling!
I still felt wronged, and the spot where I bumped into him was still very painful, but when I looked up at him again, I didn't dare to have any complaints.
His previously dazed eyes suddenly became clear, and he felt a tightness in his chest. His gaze was as if he were looking at a stranger.
"Since you've already achieved your goal, why bother coming all this way? Or rather..." He slowly curled the corners of his mouth into a sinister and eerie smile as he said the last three words, "Do I still have any use to you?"
I was stunned by his stare. His gaze was like a thorn, piercing from the surface of my skin into my heart, a pain that didn't draw blood.
"Rong Cheng can't be that stupid, can he?" His smile grew even more radiant, his slender phoenix eyes flashing with a cold light. "He's meticulously planned for over a decade, only to let me stumble this time. Does he think I'll give you a second chance?"
"...Are you convinced that I'm using you?"
"Don't tell me you didn't." Her delicate face came closer, and her hand gripped my chin. "Otherwise, why would someone as arrogant as you bother with a bastard like me? Or is it just that your pity is overflowing, and my luck makes you feel sorry for me? Well, I'm sorry, but someone as filthy and disgusting as me doesn't deserve your pity at all!"
He gripped his hands so tightly they were almost breaking his bones, and his whole body radiated a violent rage. I had never seen Nangong Ling like this before, and I was truly terrified.
"Nangong Yi has had so many women, how could he only have me as his son? But do you know how it feels to lay a hand on my unborn brother for the sake of my sole status? But it doesn't matter, because once something becomes a habit, you become numb to it, just like you, you don't actually like me at all..."
The warm, moist aroma of wine brushed past my nose, sending a shivering, tingling sensation through me. I felt a little breathless, so I leaned back and braced myself with my hands on the ground. A bone-chilling coldness then spread from the ground up my palms.
"I'm already married to you." Her voice sounded weak.
A mocking glint appeared in his dark, bright eyes. "Who knows what you're up to?"
It's really unpleasant to feel distrusted, especially by people you consider closest to you.
"No matter what I say now, you won't listen, will you?"
"yes."
"Let's talk again when you've calmed down. I'm tired and want to rest."
"Crack"—a bottle next to me shattered. "Crack, crack"—one after another, bottles all over the room shattered.
If you ignored the person's expression, it would have been quite a spectacular scene.
"Someone come here!"
Still reeling from his terrifying roar, Shao You appeared at the doorway.
"Please allow Miss Fourth to rest at Beiqing Garden."
He turned his back, his voice strained and suppressed, his thin shoulders trembling with suppressed emotion. I unconsciously clenched my fist; it was cold and damp.
When Shao swam over to pull me up, my legs were so weak I could barely stand. The only impression I had before he left was a dark red bloodstain on his left shoulder. The color wasn't deep, but it was still quite noticeable against his plain white shirt.
What happened to the injury on his shoulder?
Shaoyou walked a little ahead of me with his head down. The lights in Weiming Tower were dim, and his expression flickered, so I couldn't see it clearly.
"Knife wound."
I feel like something's not quite right, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
"Your wound has reopened, why don't you call Qionghua?"
"..." He paused, giving me a strange look. "This injury hasn't been treated or bandaged for over half a month. Protector Qiong has argued with the Emperor about it no less than ten times, but was always stopped outside Zhaonan Pavilion. A few days ago, the Emperor injured several of her ribs, and that's why she's lost her voice these past few days."
When we entered the Red Canyon earlier, I was so focused on how to explain things that I didn't pay attention. Now that I look closely, I can see that the people inside the canyon are indeed filled with unease and a depressing atmosphere.
"Not administer medicine? Is he just waiting to die?" When we got to the bottom of Weiming Tower, I suddenly came to my senses. I had been stunned by his shout and had actually obediently followed Shaoyou out.
I lifted my heavy skirt, turned around, and rushed back. Given his attitude just now, it's hard to say what kind of good place Beiqingyuan could be.