I really didn't want to get up; only half an hour had passed and it was already dawn.
"Tap tap tap." Three crisp sounds. Nan Xuzong gently put Ji Wushang down, covered him with the brocade quilt, and then got out of bed and went out.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice hushed. He stood there in the courtyard, his handsome features striking, like a god descending to earth.
"Your Majesty, someone from the palace says that today's palace banquet will proceed as scheduled, but the time will be changed to 3:45 noon."
"Hmm." At noon, when the sun is high in the sky, what is Emperor Zhou thinking? Based on last night's actions, noon today should be the time to exterminate the Yao family's nine generations. Is Emperor Zhou thinking of showing Empress Yao how much he hates her? Or does he have other intentions?
"Who is hosting this palace banquet?" Nan Xuzong asked. Originally, it was Empress Yao who hosted it, but now that Empress Yao has been deposed, who is it to host it?
"It is Consort Ning."
"Consort Ning?" I'd almost forgotten about her! Consort Ning was the biggest beneficiary of Empress Yao's deposition! But I'd never heard of her using any special methods. Consort Ning had no children and posed no threat to Empress Yao, which was why Empress Yao hadn't taken any action against her… And now, it seems Consort Ning will become the new Empress!
"Yes. Changing the time to noon was also Consort Ning's idea."
"Yes. I understand." Nan Xuzong nodded. "Thoroughly investigate Consort Ning's background, leave no stone unturned!"
"yes."
Nan Xuzong glanced at the sky. Since they had chosen noon, he decided to let Ji Wushang rest some more. Fine! But he had many things to take care of, and time was of the essence! How could he find someone to protect her?
"Summon Tie Feng here. Also, have Gong Shu send men to protect the Fourth Imperial Consort!" Nan Xu Cong ordered.
"yes."
Nan Xuzong turned back into the inner room. Ji Wushang was still asleep and unaware of what had happened.
Nan Xuzong walked to her bedside, looked at her face for a long time, and then turned and walked towards the desk.
I need to find Beigong Minhao and find out what he's doing! Also, I need to figure out who that man in black from Leon Lai is and what his purpose is! There's so much more to it!
——
It was already daytime, but the underground palace was completely dark! Only after a few dozen steps could one barely see a single crystal lamp.
Looking at the flaxen-clad maid leading the way, Huangfu Lan began to feel afraid. Perhaps she shouldn't have come here, but her whole body had been itchy for a long time. If it weren't for her willpower, she thought she would probably have scratched her entire body!
But the deeper we go, the more terrified we become!
Huangfu Lan couldn't understand what the flax-clad maids were saying, but she could communicate roughly through gestures!
At that moment, the flaxen maid opened a door and gestured for them to enter.
Huangfu Lan went inside.
The door slammed shut!
Huangfu Lan's entire body was on edge! She stared into the darkness before her, her voice trembling, "King of the Western Regions, you're here!"
With a "poof!" sound, all the candles here instantly burst into flames! Huangfu Lan shielded her eyes with her hand; the sudden brightness was so dazzling that it took her a while to adjust.
After a while, Huangfu Lan opened her eyes and looked at everything in front of her. In the distance, a strong man wearing a black exotic robe was sitting on a high seat. His deep purple eyes looked at the newcomer coldly, seemingly displeased with Huangfu Lan's arrival. However, he did not refuse her entry.
"King of the Western Regions, it's you!" Huangfu Lan was, after all, a princess, and even her usual feigned mischievousness vanished at this moment. To be honest, her personality was sometimes similar to Yiyun Muchen's, which was one of the reasons why Yiyun Shangcheng hadn't killed her outright.
"What is it?" Yi Yun Shangcheng's eyes were deep, his thin lips were upturned in a sexy way, and his slender fingers tapped lightly on the high seat. On his jade fingers was a golden jade ring.
And on his earlobe, he wore a silver earring, about the size of a woman's jade bracelet. It was a symbol of supreme imperial power.
Huangfu Lan looked into Yiyun Shangcheng's eyes. His dark purple eyes were like a deep pool, attracting her and making her unable to extricate herself!
She stepped forward, pursed her lips, and said, "I'm so itchy, you must have a way to help me!"
"What does the Seventh Princess's itching have to do with me?" He asked knowingly. He had been resting well these past few days, but it would still take some time before he could fight Nan Xuzong. For now, he would let them fight amongst themselves.
"You're the one who gave me that poison, but you didn't ask me to do anything! Since that's the case, you might as well let me go! I'm not bothering you anymore, what else do you want!" Huangfu Lan became more agitated as she spoke. Damn this man, what exactly is he planning to do!
"Oh, I forgot!" A cold glint flashed in Yi Yun Shangcheng's eyes, making Huangfu Lan feel a chill run from her feet all the way to her heart.
She couldn't help but step back.
"Then, what does Your Majesty of the Western Regions mean?" Huangfu Lan scratched his hands, unable to bear it any longer, after not hearing Yiyun Shangcheng speak for a long time!
"I'm giving you a task. If you complete it, I will forever relieve your suffering; if you fail, you will suffer forever!" Yiyun Shangcheng smiled and took out a small red bottle from his pouch. "Take one pill every three days at noon to relieve your itching. There are five pills in total, which means you only have half a month to complete this task!"
Huangfu Lan gritted her teeth, took the red medicine bottle, and immediately swallowed a pill. Sure enough, she felt cool all over her body and didn't feel itchy at all!
Before anyone could feel the surprise, Yiyun Shangcheng had already stepped down from his high seat, his smile both wicked and alluring!
“I originally intended to propose to Emperor Zhou that you become my concubine, but now that there are too many troubles in your capital, I think it is no longer necessary to take such a step. I have changed my plans.” He stepped forward, approaching step by step.
Huangfu Lan felt an invisible pressure, a pressure that seemed to crush her heart and lungs! She was suffocating and unable to move!
His strong masculine aura approached, yet it felt like a demon descending upon the world!
Yi Yun Shangcheng's lips curled up in a smile as he whispered a few words in her ear. After he finished speaking, Huangfu Lan's face turned deathly pale. "This, this is an outrageous act! It's incest!"
“You only have one chance. If you think you can’t do it, then I can send someone else!” Yi Yun Shangcheng’s eyes turned slightly bloodshot as he took out a small blue bottle from his robes. “He has a weakness, you know that.”
Huangfu Lan was startled. Her hands trembled, and she hesitated, unsure of what to do.
"They joined forces to depose Empress Yao and Huangfu Ting. Don't you feel any hatred?" Yi Yun Shangcheng sneered. "Even if you don't hate them, you can think of other reasons. I won't think of any for you."
Huangfu Lan froze, but Yiyun Shangcheng had already disappeared into the darkness. "You only have half a month." His voice was cold and sinister, like the Grim Reaper demanding your life!
While they were still stunned, all the flames were extinguished in an instant!
Huangfu Lan panicked, her soul almost leaving her body. "King of the Western Regions! King of the Western Regions!" she cried out, as if countless invisible claws were grabbing at her from all around!
Just then, a crack opened up, letting out a narrow beam of light. Huangfu Lan ran out like someone who didn't care about their lives.
——
The wind was so fierce that Nan Xuzong felt a chill seep into his bones. But when he opened his eyes and saw what was in front of him, he was stunned for a moment.
Where is this? Nan Xuzong turned around and looked around, only to find that he was in the middle of a flat area. Below him were cliffs and towering peaks that reached into the clouds.
I have no recollection of such a place!
Just then, he heard a different sound of wind! Nan Xuzong immediately looked up. He never expected that the person standing in front of him was Yiyun Shangcheng, who looked like a demon Yama, and beside him was Ji Wushang!
The woman in the alluring red dress was stunning and captivating!
Nan Xuzong felt his breath catch in his throat! How could Ji Wushang be with Yiyun Shangcheng?! No! This can't be real! How could this be? It must be a dream!
Nan Xuzong pinched his arm hard, but felt a sharp pain... It was real, it was actually real!
"Isn't it surprising, Fourth Prince?" Yi Yun Shangcheng placed his large hand on Ji Wushang's slender waist, while Ji Wushang remained expressionless, with a dazzling, alluring blood lotus blooming between his brows!
"What did you do to Wu Shang? Yi Yun Shang City, if you have a problem, come at me! What kind of person are you to hurt Wu Shang!" Nan Xu Cong roared, his eyes blazing with anger. He raised his hand, but unexpectedly, a long sword was already in his hand! It was the Demon-Slaying Sword!
Nan Xuzong's face turned pale.
"She did it willingly. She gave up her engagement with you. Now, she is the Queen of my Great Western Regions, the woman I love most!" Yi Yun Shangcheng's lips curled up as he looked at Ji Wushang. Although Ji Wushang's bright eyes were cold, a hint of tenderness appeared when he looked at Yi Yun Shangcheng!
No, this isn't her! How could Wu Shang possibly smile at Yi Yun Shang Cheng? No!
“Wu Shang, tell him you don’t love him, you hate him.” Yi Yun Shang Cheng smiled at Ji Wu Shang.
Ji Wushang smiled slightly, then turned to look at Nan Xuzong, "Huangfu Zong, our fate ends here!"
Nan Xuzong was stunned. "No, it's not!"
“Tell him that everything you have now belongs to me, the King.” Yiyun Shangcheng rolled her eyes at Nan Xuzong.
"Everything I have already belongs to the King of the Western Regions." Her cherry lips moved slightly.
The wind picked up again, even more fierce than before, like a knife cutting into Nan Xuzong's heart!
"No!" Nan Xuzong stood ramrod straight, his longsword pointing at Yiyun Shangcheng. "Ji Wushang belongs only to me, Nan Xuzong! Yiyun Shangcheng, stop trying to deceive Wushang with your tricks!"
"Since you still don't believe me, then I have no choice but to send you to hell so you can have a discussion with King Yama." Yi Yun Shangcheng smiled, and unknowingly, he had already arrived in front of Nan Xu Cong!
Nan Xuzong immediately swung his longsword, "Yiyun Upper City, I'll kill you!"
"That depends on whether you have the ability!" Yi Yun Shangcheng sneered, and a long sword materialized in his hand, surrounded by endless deep purple light!
The two fought for an unknown amount of time when Nan Xuzong saw a woman in red approaching. He immediately defended himself and struck the woman in red with a palm strike!
I never expected it to be Ji Wushang!
Nan Xuzong was surprised, "Wu Shang!" He reversed his hand and struck the direction of Yi Yun Shangcheng, but Yi Yun Shangcheng had the advantage and quickly stepped forward to kill Nan Xuzong!
Nan Xuzong stepped back, looking at the bleeding wound on his chest. That's really ruthless!
Yi Yun Shangcheng stood still, his black hair fluttering in the wind. He coldly commanded, "Wu Shang, go forward and kill him."
Nan Xuzong was taken aback, and looked up at Ji Wushang. Ji Wushang held a long sword in his hand, his eyes tinged with crimson light, and strode forward, saying, "Today, it's either you or me who dies!"
He looked at her, his longsword entangled with hers, and he kept calling out, "Wu Shang, don't fall for Yi Yun Shang Cheng's trick! Did he give you something to eat? Wu Shang, Wu Shang, I am Cong, I am Nan Xu Cong!"
"The one I want to kill is Nan Xuzong!" Ji Wushang sneered, his longsword poised for a deadly strike. He knew full well that if he didn't act soon, he would truly become a victim of her sword!
Unexpectedly, as he hesitated, the demon-slaying sword seemed to come alive, becoming even more ruthless!
Nan Xuzong found himself unable to control himself! The Demon-Slaying Sword seemed to be controlling him, urging him to unleash his inner strength! He met Ji Wushang's killing move with even greater power!
Ji Wushang was gradually unable to resist and was injured by the sword energy of the Demon-Slaying Sword, collapsing to the ground! Nan Xuzong looked at her in panic, "Wushang!"
Looking around, he couldn't see Yiyun City anywhere! What was going on?! Nan Xuzong squatted down, wanting to pick up Ji Wushang, but Ji Wushang's bright eyes suddenly flashed, and he struck Nan Xuzong with his inner force!
"Pfft!" A mouthful of blood spurted out, but the latent power within Nan Xuzong's body erupted, and Ji Wushang was immediately struck in the heart and lungs. The bright red blood immediately stained her clothes, making the red dress even more alluring!
Nan Xuzong stared in disbelief at everything before him, Ji Wushang in his arms now motionless! His hands trembled; it all had happened so fast, it was unbelievable even to him!
His hand was placed on Ji Wushang's carotid artery, but he never expected... it was cold and lifeless.
"Wu Shang!" Nan Xu Cong roared loudly in an instant, his face contorted with terror and pain, as if the sky were being torn apart and his heart was being ripped out!
"Crack!" Ji Wushang looked at the teapot she had accidentally broken in surprise, but she didn't have time to clean it up. She immediately ran to Nan Xuzong's side. "Cong, Cong! Wake up, Cong!" She nudged Nan Xuzong, who was still asleep. She had originally planned not to disturb him, but now, was he having a nightmare?
Nan Xuzong suddenly opened his dark eyes. He looked around and realized he had fallen asleep against his desk. Had everything just happened been a dream? And Ji Wushang in front of him… Looking at her, Nan Xuzong was speechless for a long time. Ji Wushang was somewhat surprised and went forward to touch his forehead. “Zong, what’s wrong? Do you have a fever?” His expression and silence were truly tormenting Ji Wushang.
Nan Xuzong stared at her, his chest still pounding with tension! The excruciating pain, the agony of loss, the suffocating feeling, the panic—none of it could calm him down.
Ji Wushang frowned slightly, and just as she was about to pull her hand back, Nan Xuzong grabbed her hand. "I, I..." he gasped, "I'm so scared."
Ji Wushang was taken aback.
"Wu Shang..." Nan Xuzong sighed softly, and the next second he had already hugged Ji Wu Shang tightly in his arms. "Wu Shang, you are mine, don't leave me!"
Ji Wushang frowned. "Have you forgotten what I said?"
Nan Xuzong sighed, "I haven't forgotten." But everything felt so real! He couldn't believe it was just a dream!
But why would I dream of something like this? Is it telling me that everything in the future will happen? That everything depicted on the mural will continue... Will I eventually kill the woman before me? Kill the one I love most?