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32. The Desire to Forget and the Longing (Part 1)

The Northern Palace of Cloud-Darkness.

"This jade bed is made of ten-thousand-year-old warm jade dug from the bottom of Beique Peak. My ice pearl is taken from ten-thousand-year-old cold ice in the East Sea. It is not poisonous, so there is no antidote. However, this warm jade bed can dissolve the cold ice. For the first three days, you need to lie on it without leaving it for a moment. After that, you need to lie on it for two hours every day. After half a month, the cold will be completely dispelled."

Qu Huailiu led Ming Er to the jade bed and explained.

Ming Er bent down and placed the unconscious Lan Qi on the jade bed, then stood up and glanced at Qu Huailiu.

Qu Huailiu's heart skipped a beat again, and he quickly said, "Don't worry, Second Young Master, Seventh Young Master's coldness can definitely be neutralized."

As they were talking, they heard hurried footsteps behind them. They turned around and saw that Feng Yi had caught up with them.

"Thump!"

A sudden sound in the room made the three of them look over, only to see Lan Qi tumbling off the jade bed and falling to the ground.

Qu Huailiu glanced at Ming Er. He thought to himself, "Could it be that this Seventh Young Master Lan is a restless sleeper?"

Ming Er simply walked over, picked up Lan Qi again, and placed her on the jade bed. But as soon as he left, Lan Qi rolled onto the ground again.

"What happened?" Feng Yi asked in a deep voice, looking at Qu Huailiu.

Qu Huailiu took two steps back under that gaze before replying, "I don't know either, but this warm jade bed really can dispel cold air. I am not lying. You can ask the young master if you don't believe me." Good heavens, this person seems so quiet, but he's actually a terrifying character.

Ming Er walked over again, carried Lan Qizhong onto the jade bed, stroked the jade bed with his hand, Yan Zhong's expression changed, then he got up and looked at Feng Yi.

“The temperature of this warm jade bed is almost the same as a person’s body temperature. I think it’s not a problem with the bed itself, but rather that she’s resisting its warmth.” Ming Er’s hazy eyes remained fixed on Feng Yi’s as he slowly and calmly said, “Or rather, she’s resisting a person’s body temperature. To put it more deeply, she’s on the verge of death. Even if she’s completely unconscious, her body still resists anything warm.” Then, he clearly saw a deep, heart-wrenching sorrow instantly rise in those dark, night-like eyes.

Qu Huailiu listened, somewhat bewildered. He looked at Ming Er, then at Feng Yi, and finally at Lan Qi. He vaguely understood, yet seemed to understand nothing at all.

Feng Yi was already in a daze, standing there blankly, his face ashen.

"He...he fell down again," Qu Huailiu said, pointing to the jade bed.

Ming Er saw it, but didn't move.

Feng Yi slowly turned his head.

On the ground, due to the cold, the unconscious Lan Qi instinctively curled up, hugging her knees. But how could she withstand the ten-thousand-year-old icy aura? Her body trembled incessantly, her face was as pale as ice, her lips were as white as frost, her brows were slightly furrowed, but her teeth were clenched so tightly that she did not utter a single groan.

It is so fragile that it seems it could shatter at the slightest touch, yet it is so stubborn that it cannot be destroyed no matter how hard it tries.

My heart was torn into countless pieces in that instant.

Amidst the excruciating pain, Feng Yi felt a sweet taste in his throat, spat out a mouthful of blood, and his vision went black as the world spun around him.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" Qu Huailiu reached out and grabbed him.

Feng Yi took a breath, steadied himself, opened his eyes, shook off Qu Huailiu's hand, and walked towards Lan Qi. He bent down, picked up Lan Qi, and gently placed her on the jade bed. Then he lay down himself, reached out, and pulled Lan Qi, who was trying to get off the jade bed, into his arms.

On the jade bed, Lan Qi first struggled slightly, then the strength of her struggles increased, and her movements became more and more intense, clearly trying to get rid of everything on the jade bed.

No matter how she moved, Feng Yi wouldn't let go.

He didn't let go even after being slapped in the face.

He was punched in the chest, but he didn't let go.

He was kicked in the knee, but he didn't let go.

He grabbed it and clung to his shoulder, refusing to let go.

Blood trickled down his shoulder again. He held her tightly, enduring the kicks and punches, the blood staining the bed, but he just held her close, gently calling, "Yinyin... Yinyin... Yinyin... Yinyin..."

The person in his arms, whom he had released in despair years ago, never imagined... it would end like this. Were all those years of suffering, all that grief, meaningless? Did it only bring him heartbreak year after year, only drive her to despair, hatred, and cold-heartedness? Could they... no matter what they did, not find peace? Was all their suffering insufficient to atone for their sins? Could they not even find happiness for one person?

Yin Yin...

Whether it was a sin or a tragedy, he was willing to offer his life as a sacrifice, hoping only that Heaven would have mercy on her.

"Yinyin...Yinyin..."

He kept calling out to her, holding her tightly, the only one he truly cherished in this world...

Yin Yin...

Lan Qi's struggles gradually slowed down and lessened.

"...No...why...brother..."

A soft whisper escaped, but all three people in the room, who possessed profound skills and exceptional hearing, heard it clearly.

Ming Er remained expressionless, while Qu Huailiu was deeply puzzled.

On the jade bed, Feng Yi's body trembled, the pain in his eyes beyond words. He gently pulled Lan Qu's head to his neck, lowered his head, pressed his face close to her cold forehead, and softly called out repeatedly, "Yin Yin... Yin Yin... Yin Yin..."

Lan Qi was perhaps exhausted, or perhaps she had completely lost consciousness. She gradually calmed down and finally fell peacefully asleep in Feng Yi's arms.

Her eyebrows gently relaxed, her tightly pursed lips finally loosened, and her pale face slowly calmed down.

Qu Huailiu was stunned. He never expected that such a powerful and evil person could be so vulnerable and serene at this moment!

Lan Qi slept peacefully and serenely.

But Feng Yi's serious expression slowly brought tears to her eyes.

"What are they doing..." Qu Huailiu looked at Ming Er with confusion. When their eyes met, he suddenly shivered. At that moment, he felt that Young Master Ming Er's gaze was colder than ten thousand years of ice.

"Is she alright?" Another voice called out, as Ning Lang had caught up. His lightness skill was inferior to the others, and he had only just arrived. When he saw Lan Qi and Feng Yi lying on the bed, he was stunned.

"It's alright, there's a warm jade bed, you'll recover in half a month." Seeing that Ming Er didn't seem inclined to answer, Qu Huailiu had no choice but to fulfill his duty as host.

"Oh." Ning Lang breathed a sigh of relief. But seeing the blood still flowing from Feng Yi's shoulder, he couldn't help but worry again. "Brother Feng Yi, please bandage your wound." After waiting a moment without any response, he went over and carefully tore open Feng Yi's clothes. He saw a sword wound, not large or deep, but bleeding profusely. He realized that Yun Wuyai hadn't intended to kill him, but only to intimidate him. He took out "Purple Mansion Powder" from his pocket and carefully sprinkled it on the wound. He then tore a clean strip of cloth from his inner garment and tied it tightly. After finishing, he stood up. Feng Yi seemed completely oblivious, only holding Lan Qi, tears streaming down his face.

"Let's go," Ming Er said, turning and leaving.

Qu Huailiu naturally followed suit and left as well.

Ning Lang looked at Lan Qi again, feeling lost and confused. In the end, he could only sigh weakly and leave.

After Ming Er and Ning Lang descended the North Peak, they saw the other heroes also coming down from the South Peak.

After they left, Yun Wuyai ordered the removal of the Gu worms from the heroes and returned their weapons and tokens. Under Mingkong's reassurance, the heroes suppressed their resentment and stopped mentioning revenge. The conflict between Dongming and the Imperial Dynasty was temporarily resolved peacefully.

After meeting up with Mingkong and the others, Yuwen Luo hurriedly handed Ning Lang the antidote he had obtained from Yun Wuyai, while Ming Er discussed matters with Mingkong and the others. A moment later, Mingkong led the group of heroes to settle in a small town a few miles from Beique, while Ming Er went up Nanfeng again.

No one knows what he said to Yun Wuyai after they met. However, that evening, after the Second Young Master Ming returned, he brought good news to the heroes: their ships and luggage for returning to Dongming would be provided unconditionally by Dongming.

So the heroes settled down in the town for the time being, waiting for Dongming to prepare the ship back to the dynasty, and for Lan Qi's injuries to heal in Beique Palace.

On this day, Qiu Hengbo and Hua Fushu went for a stroll in the streets to see the local customs and culture of Dongming. After strolling around for half a day, seeing that it was almost noon, the two returned to the inn.

Because of the large number of people, all the inns in the town were full. So it was impossible for each person to have a room or for each family to have a courtyard. The inn they were staying at was the largest in town, with about fifty people staying there. In the largest courtyard, Qiu Changtian and Mingkong were staying in the east wing, Yuwen father and son were staying in the north wing, Nan Wofeng and his apprentice were staying in the south wing, and the two of them and Liu Mo/Rong Yue were staying in the west wing.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard a loud shout: "Get out!"

Then a door in the north wing slammed open, and Yuwen Luo was pushed out, staggering as if he had been pushed very quickly. The door slammed shut again.

Yuwen Luo looked at the closed door with a hint of dejection, then turned around and saw Qiu Hengbo and Hua Fushu, and smiled.

"Brother Luo, is Uncle Yuwen still the same?" Hua Fushu looked at the tightly closed door.

"Mm." Yuwen Luo nodded.

After they settled in the town, Yuwen Feng's body was brought from the secluded valley by the Ming family. Upon seeing the body, Yuwen Lindong screamed and fainted on the spot. Afterwards, he locked up with his beloved son's body, refusing to eat or drink, and ignoring everyone's persuasion.

“This can’t go on.” Qiu Hengbo looked at the five very conspicuous purplish-red finger marks on Yuwen Luo’s face and couldn’t help but reach out her hand. “Did Uncle do this? Does it hurt?” Halfway through her hand, she suddenly remembered and quickly withdrew it, blushing.

Yuwen Luo raised his hand to touch his face, immediately hissing in pain. "It hurts, it really hurts!"

"Why don't you dodge if it hurts?" Qiu Hengbo took out a porcelain bottle from her sleeve. "Apply this when you get back, and it will subside the next day."

"Thank you." Yuwen Luo accepted it without hesitation.

Hua Fushu looked at the finger marks on Yuwen Luo's face and said, "Uncle Yuwen has always been exceptionally fond of Brother Feng since childhood. Now that Brother Feng is gone, alas, it's no wonder he treated you this way."

The Hua family and the Yuwen family have a long-standing relationship, and their children have had frequent contact. Therefore, Hua Fushu knows a little about the Yuwen family.

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Luo shook his head and said, "Father also has me in his heart, and he has given me everything that a son should have. Perhaps it's not as much as my eldest brother, but relatively speaking, my eldest brother has borne and given more than us. Moreover, my eldest brother is so smart and capable, it's only natural that Father values him and likes him more. Father is not only our father, he is also the head of the Yuwen family. His responsibilities make him value my eldest brother even more. He placed all his hopes on my eldest brother. Now that my eldest brother is suddenly gone, Father has lost all hope. The depth of his pain is beyond the comprehension of others. It's already very good that he can still recognize me as his fourth son."

Hua Fushu was greatly surprised by these words, and after a moment she said, "Brother Luo, I misjudged you before."

Qiu Hengbo simply smiled slightly.

Yuwen Luo felt a little embarrassed by Hua Fushu's words and said, "I'll go find Ning Lang to have lunch with." He smiled at the two of them again and then left.

"Although Brother Luo's martial arts skills and courage are not top-notch, his magnanimity is first-rate," Hua Fushu said, looking at Yuwen Luo's back.

A gentle glint flashed in Qiu Hengbo's bright eyes, and then she said, "Sister, you go back first. I'll go find Father to have dinner together."

"Oh." Hua Fushu nodded, said nothing more, and went back to her room.

Qiu Hengbo then went to the east wing.

After having dinner together that day, Yuwen Luo and Ning Lang sat down and chatted.

Ning Lang was somewhat depressed, concerned about Lan Qi in the Northern Palace.

Yuwen Luo himself was also filled with sorrow, and thus felt somewhat depressed.

The two lay on the bed, chatting idly.

Just as he was getting bored, the door was suddenly pushed open with a bang, and then a gust of wind blew by. Before he could react, Yuwen Luo had already been dragged off the bed by Yuwen Lindong.

"Luo'er! Good news! This is truly great news!" Yuwen Lindong exclaimed excitedly.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch..." Yuwen Luo reached out to pry away Yuwen Lindong's hand that was gripping his shoulder, which was almost broken.

But Yuwen Lindong was clearly not listening at this moment. "Luo'er, your Uncle Qiu just came to see me about your marriage to your niece Hengbo. I have already agreed! And Sect Leader Ming is a witness! Luo'er, you are getting married!" As he spoke, he slipped a gold ring carved with dragon patterns onto Yuwen Luo's hand. "Luo'er, this is the Qiu family's engagement token. You must keep it safe! I never imagined that my niece Hengbo would be in love with you! I never imagined that you would get married before your brothers..." At this point, he remembered the death of his beloved son, and his excitement dimmed. After a moment of sadness, he said, "If Feng'er were here... Sigh! Never mind, don't mention it." He raised his hand to wipe the corner of his eye. "When we get home, we will first handle your eldest brother's funeral, and then we will arrange your marriage. Don't worry, I will definitely not wrong you." With that, he sighed deeply and turned to leave.

Inside the room, Yuwen Luo looked at the golden dragon ring on his wrist. After a while, he stretched out his hand in front of Ning Lang and said, "Ning Lang, bite it and see if it hurts?"

Ning Lang thought for a moment, then pinched hard.

"Ah!" Yuwen Luo's scream startled the entire inn. "So it wasn't a dream!"

Soon, everyone knew that the Qiu family and the Yuwen family had formed a marriage alliance. Although many people were envious and thought it was an ill-matched union, they still congratulated both families.

Qiu Changtian smiled reservedly and politely.

Yuwen Lindong couldn't stop smiling.

Yuwen Luo smiled foolishly every day.