Мир боевых искусств — это яма

Глава 162

Zi Jin's heart ached slightly. The ice coffin felt like a giant whirlpool, pulling her in tightly, inescapable. She trembled as she reached out and gently stroked the woman's face through the ice coffin, a deep sorrow overflowing her heart. She stroked the woman's face again and again, memories flashing through her mind like a drama, trying to forget the past… Who says the past can be forgotten? …Why do you still remember? Isn't forgetting better? …Actually, I'm no longer you, do you know that?

A sharp pain suddenly surged in my heart, a shrill voice screaming within... Still won't admit it?... Still unwilling to admit it?... She is you... You are her... No matter what happens... No matter how many cycles of reincarnation... You are all one person... All one person...

"The rulers of the three kingdoms have heard rumors that Nalan Fengjin's body appeared in the mountain town at the same time as Zi Jin. If Nalan Fengjin eats the Crimson Jade... and kills Zi Jin, she will regain her soul—and be resurrected." Wutong stared at Zi Jin's expression and said without moving, "I heard from the lady that... back then, Sikou Xunxiang sacrificed his soul for you, also to wait for this day when your soul would return. It's just a pity that he lost Nalan Fengjin's body."

Zi Jin suddenly looked up at Wu Tong: "Why?... Madam Yu could have killed me and let her be reborn, why dragged it out until today?"

The phoenix tree bowed its head, not daring to make a sound.

After a long pause, Zi Jin said softly, "...That's true. If I had killed you earlier, I wouldn't have attracted the forces of the Three Kingdoms..." Her voice was filled with unconcealed sorrow. "Actually...what difference does it make whose body I'm in?"

"She has injured her heart meridian and been poisoned. Even with the Crimson Jade, she cannot be resurrected. Her body simply cannot be revived... She will never wake up again." The surroundings were silent, and Wutong couldn't help but whisper.

Seeing that Zi Jin remained silent, Wu Tong continued, "Madam wants Miss to see who is truly the best person for her in the end. So, she has Wu Tong and Miss switch identities and put on a show for Miss... Madam says that your nearly four years of companionship with Prince Anle, your affection for Si Kou Xun Xiang, and your love for Dugu Xi Hui will all truly vanish after Miss watches this show. Miss will then understand that only His Highness the Crown Prince of Yue Kingdom is truly devoted to you... At that time, Miss can marry His Highness with peace of mind."

"Madam is certainly going to great lengths." Zi Jin's eyes flashed with deep sarcasm, then she glanced at Wu Tong and said, "And what about Wu Tong? Who does Wu Tong think will be devoted to me? Who will choose Na Lan Feng Jin?"

"Wutong believes that since Miss and she are the same person, there is no need for everyone to go to great lengths to switch them up, nor is there any need to struggle with the choice, because Miss is her, and she is Miss. As long as Miss is alive, she is alive... isn't that right?"

Zi Jin looked at Wu Tong and smiled slightly, a warm smile reaching her eyes: "Wu Tong is so clever... Hehe... It's a pity that they all consider themselves exceptionally intelligent, yet they don't see things as clearly as Wu Tong..." Zi Jin sighed, turning her head to look around, "Perhaps they're too close to the situation to see clearly... Actually, there's no such thing as 'me' and 'her'... All the memories and past events are just a passing cloud... When this matter is over... this cloud will dissipate... and there will be no more 'me' and 'her' conflict." Zi Jin's gaze returned to Wu Tong, the corners of her lips curving slightly, "Then... Wu Tong and Bao Xian can find a secluded paradise to live in seclusion... How happy it would be for two people to be able to rely on each other and stay together..."

The two hurried back to the Wutong room, remaining silent the whole way.

Upon entering the room, Zi Jin sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly in one direction. After a long while, she asked, "When will they make their move?"

"Tomorrow night at midnight... in the thousand-year-old cold cave behind the mountain, Miss, rest assured... Madam has already devised a foolproof plan for this matter. At that time... Miss, you only need to watch..." Wutong said in a low voice.

Zi Jin silently sat back down in her chair: "Madam is letting everyone choose..." Zi Jin suddenly looked up: "Is she going to abandon you?!...Does Bao Xian know?"

Wutong paused for a moment, her eyes reddening slightly: "Brother Bao said... he would protect me then."

"Wutong, give me the things we'll need tomorrow," Zi Jin said after a moment's thought.

"The young lady's fate in tomorrow's battle is uncertain..."

"Since you know that life and death are uncertain, doesn't Wutong want to live a good life and stay with Baoxian forever?"

Wutong bit her lower lip, glanced at Zijin, lowered her head, and walked to the wardrobe. She took out some clothes and ornaments, and after thinking for a while, she also took out the zither that was placed to the side: "That's all... Miss, please don't blame Wutong for being selfish... Wutong is afraid..."

“It has nothing to do with Wutong. I want to experience their choices firsthand. Otherwise, how can I let myself give up? I want to see... who is more ruthless.” Zi Jin walked over, took off her robes and ornaments, and threw them on the bed. “Change into these. Should we prepare a mask?”

Wutong slowly removed her robes and ornaments, picked up the ones Zijin had taken off and put them on, then took out a human skin mask from her bosom and carefully stuck it onto her face. A moment later, a lifelike Zijin appeared in the room: "Miss's mask is still with Brother Bao..."

"Hehe." Zi Jin took out a mask from her bosom. "I've already brought it. Go to my room. Bao Xian won't be near my room for the time being. I think Madam should arrive early tomorrow morning... Be careful not to let anyone else find out tomorrow during the day."

“Miss, you can rest assured. Madam has been training Wutong to imitate you for quite some time now, and no one will notice anything amiss. It's just that, Miss… tomorrow night is extremely dangerous… Wutong is afraid…”

Zi Jin smiled gently: "Don't overthink it... Go ahead."

Wutong looked up and gazed at Zijin, her eyes filled with complex emotions. After a long while, as if she had made up her mind, she strode towards the door, but stopped abruptly. She turned around abruptly and knelt down: "I will always remember your great kindness, Miss."

"Get up, I'm not doing this for you... Be careful tomorrow, it won't be fun if someone finds out," Zi Jin said with a smile.

Wutong slowly got up, didn't look at Zijin again, and quickly left the room.

Zi Jin picked up a tinderbox, lit the glass lamp in the room, and carefully placed a mask on her face. Looking at the face in the bronze mirror that was exactly the same as Wu Tong's, a very faint smile appeared on Zi Jin's lips.

Tomorrow at midnight, I will truly miss everyone's...faces...

The next morning, before Zi Jin even got out of bed, she heard a commotion outside the garden. Although Wu Tong was of a different status, she was still a servant, so her bedroom was on the outer edge of Ximei Garden. Zi Jin's lips curled up slightly; judging from the noise, Madam Yu and everyone else must have arrived. Zi Jin lazily turned over and went back to sleep. She didn't have any scenes to film during the day, so she might as well sleep a little longer.

"Is the parasol tree up yet?" Bao Xian's gentle voice came from outside the door.

"No..." Zi Jin buried her head in the quilt and replied.

Bao Xian frowned slightly upon hearing the voice: "Are you feeling unwell?"

Zi Jin, hiding under the covers, was secretly anxious: "No... I went to bed late last night..."

After a moment of silence outside, Bao Xian's voice came again: "Then Wutong, sleep a little longer. You don't need to go to the front hall today, so you can sleep in, but... don't be late for the evening..."

"Um……"

Zi Jin spent the entire day busy in Wutong's room, preparing all the items before sitting blankly near the window. Every now and then, voices and laughter drifted from the front yard, and each time this happened, Zi Jin's expression became incredibly complex, her eyes filled with even more mockery.

The bright moon was already high in the sky. Zi Jin slowly stood up, walked to the bronze mirror and sat down. She slowly removed the human skin mask from her face, revealing her face that had been hidden all day.

Zi Jin picked up the charcoal pencil on the table and gently drew her eyebrows, lightly applying powder to cover the weariness on her face, and carefully choosing a bright, fiery red for her lipstick. She clumsily tied her hair into a low bun at the back of her head, wearing only a long gold phoenix hairpin. The head of the hairpin was a bright pearl, and the back was inlaid with silver beads the size of rice grains, with a smooth and sharp end.

Zi Jin got up and walked to the bedside, picked up the fiery red robe embroidered with golden phoenixes, and carefully put it on. The robe had a long hem and a slightly upturned collar, and the sleeves were a little too wide, with small ruyi patterns embroidered with gold thread, and soaring golden phoenixes wrapped around her body.

The red was so dazzling, like fire; the phoenix was so lifelike, like a living flower.

Zi Jin gently picked up the human skin mask she had just removed from the table and played with it before casually tossing it into the brazier beside her. A faint smile played on her lips, carrying a hint of mockery and arrogance. She raised her hand to put on the fiery red veil and casually strummed the Jiao Wei Qin (a type of zither) on the table.

A golden phoenix robe, a bright moon phoenix hairpin, and a zither with a scorched tail made of paulownia wood—it was truly a lavish funeral.

Zi Jin slowly got up, fastened her fiery red leather white cloak, tugged at the hem of her clothes, looked out the window at the time, quietly turned back and looked around the room again, picked up the Jiao Wei Qin with one hand, opened the door and walked towards the Thousand-Year Cold Cave in the back mountain.

The ancient, frigid cave was chilled to the bone by a penetrating wind. Four large, bowl-sized luminous pearls were placed in each of the four corners, illuminating the entire cave as if it were daytime. An exquisite ice coffin rested on a high platform, inside which lay a woman dressed in a bright yellow robe.

As soon as Zi Jin entered the cave, three groups of people flew out from all around and surrounded the ancient ice cave.

Zi Jin walked up to the high platform, glanced indifferently at the person lying in the ice coffin, placed the Jiao Wei Qin in her hand on the platform in front of the ice coffin, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Before long, Madam Yu arrived hurriedly, supported by Bao Xian and Wu Tong. She was followed by five people: Jun Lin and Qi Yongyue stood on the far left, Dugu Xihui and Lou Shuo stood on the far right, and Prince Anle and Sikou Xunxiang followed at the very back.

Madam Yu stopped outside the cave, and Bao Xian and Wu Tong bowed and retreated. Madam Yu looked at the people around the cave, turned around, and glared sharply at the crowd behind her: "Jin'er must have known, which is why she went there on her own... Have all the lords thought it through...? Not everyone has a second chance... If you make a mistake... it will be too late to regret it."