Chapter 85
Bleeding heart
The land was covered in thick snow, and snowstorms eventually hit the small villages. The two weary souls sought shelter, but hardships affected everyone, rich or poor. No one wanted to help, as everyone felt the cold.
Due to the severe winter, Mo'Er and Princess Huan Huan were unable to arrive on time. This left Zao Baocung with no choice; he left the Thousand Caves and returned to the Moon Kingdom, unaware of what had happened to them.
While the young Black Pirate struggled to keep Princess Huan Huan and himself alive, he trusted no stranger to become their ally.
As days passed, the Princess and Mo'Er discovered their own skills and strength.
The testing of each other's trust never ceased, and their friendship grew with each passing day of delay.
However, the delays meant that fate was inevitable.
And so, without warning, one day it revealed itself.
"We have no water left, and there's no chance we can replenish it in this barren white land," Mo'Er said, feeling the thirst but avoiding drinking water. He ran his fingers over Princess Huan Huan's lips to keep them moist.
Huan Huan couldn't call him a gentleman, but Mo'Er's actions were precise and full of care. She could barely open her eyes; all she wanted was to sleep.
Mo'Er kept waking her up, ensuring she remained alert.
Vast coldness engulfed the Qinghai lands as the harsh winter enveloped the entire Ximeng continent. From afar, in the dusty, cloudy desert, invaders began to reveal the threat they carried.
Outside the Qinghai Palace grounds, troops wearing white bearskins appeared as though ready to devour the approaching predators.
Zuo Zong, after completing his spying mission, called the deputy commander, who had just returned after nearly half an hour on horseback.
The tired and thirsty Qinghai deputy commander prepared the troops, while Qinghai's crown prince right-wing command returned to camp, equally exhausted.
Just in time, Yue Qi whispered: "The left and right wings are outflanked on both sides."
Following one of the soldiers, Yue Qi rushed to the front.
Soon, a group of Gurus appeared on the southern horizon.
Their numbers ranged between three and four hundred. Aside from a few soldiers in the front row wearing armor, most were covered only in scarves and heavy black eyeliner. They looked like soldiers of the Gods and Armies, as though they had broken off from a larger force and were trying to reclaim their city.
As they spotted a group of cavalrymen near the city gate, the Gurus troops showed no fear. They set up tents outside the Qinghai walls and planted their banners in the ground, intimidating the Qinghai troops.
No one dared to approach or flee.
Some impatient cloud air-wing riders commanded Ra Zheng to lead the Silver Prince's cavalry, slowly approaching the other side. Meanwhile, two cavalrymen from Ra Zhun's troops led their forces to the wings, eventually taking over the rear of their infantry.
As Ra Yue (Yuwen Yue), the godly cloud-riding commander, approached, he noticed the infantry on the other side exhibited no signs of panic. Though he aimed to defray, the cavalry's pressure intensified, and he remained silent.
A sense of foreboding surged in Yuwen Yue's heart, but there was no time to dwell on it.
The bowmen at the front began releasing arrows. Several cavalrymen around him were struck, and Ra Yue (Yuwen Yue) could only guide his horse toward his footmen.
With a quick release of his arrow, he put his bow aside and, brandishing his sword, charged forward.
More than 100 long-handled axemen and nearly 3,000 veterans armed with ten-foot spears formed a dense formation.
Silver Prince Ra Zheng commanded more than 2,000 archers at the front of the formation.
To prevent a sudden attack on Qinghai and its city, another army stood ready to respond.
Ra Zhun, confident that no reinforcements would come from the city, relaxed. Even if the Silver Prince infantry didn't return, there was no reason to believe anyone would dare to risk rescuing them.
A common tactic used by superior cavalry against small infantry was to let the Silver Prince's elite infantry handle the attack, leaving no room for escape.
Thus, Ra Zhun's cavalry felt at ease, as if they were merely hunting.
From a distance, Ra Zhun watched the battle unfold with two hundred cavalrymen at his side. He smiled, shaking his head in disbelief at the battle formation. He whispered to himself: "Defeat will not happen in my lifetime."
The underworld must be unleashed!
Intense hoofbeats echoed in the ears of each soldier. Ra Zheng commanded the archers to release three volleys of arrows and re-align through the gaps left by Qinghai's elite spearmen.
The first row of spearmen held their shields halfway up.
The second row of spearmen positioned large crossbows with shields, bracing for the unstoppable charge of the cavalry.
Over a hundred cloud air wingmen realized they couldn't engage directly in the front lines.
Following their leader's gestures, the cavalry split into two flanks, resembling a pair of pliers, as they closed in on the marching troops from both sides.
The deputy commander, Yue Qi, saw the cavalrymen advancing and Ra Yue (Yuwen Yue) swallowed dryly at the sight.
Ra Yue didn't blink as the fierce smoke of battle engulfed the cloud troops. Yue Qi raised his voice and shouted:
"Kill!"
"Find the flames!"
Yuwen Yue's cold heart stood still.
A million fire arrows rained down like heavy rain on the enemy. No one expected a sweeping tornado to emerge, taking the arrows and windswept debris, destroying everything in its path. Yuwen Yue was right.
This was not a battle of physical realms but a mystical one. Human efforts were futile, as they faced an enemy whose powers could not be overcome with human strategy or warfare.
An overwhelming number of Qinghai troops were swept aside.
The mighty firestorm, fueled by Qinghai's silver arrows, erupted across the battlefield.
Everyone, caught in flames, perished in their uniforms. The troops were taken by surprise, consumed by fire.
Zuo Zong sat down in a meditative position and whispered a prayer.
"We are not fighting flesh and blood but a mystical force. May these souls rest in peace and find their light."
Ra Yue's cavalry was forced to retreat, and Yue Qi sounded the alarm. The gongs at the Qinghai city gates began their haunting tune, and everyone, old or young, rich or poor, slaves or royals, trembled in fear.
Ra Zheng remained composed but had to admit that the time for human struggle had ended. He realized this was the era of the underworlds, as they faced enemies not made of flesh and blood.
Though unspoken, everyone knew that this moment had been anticipated.
Ra Zhun approached Ra Zheng, mocking him. "Afraid of it?"
Goosebumps crept through Ra Zheng's veins. He recalled, "In the Persian Empire, they were feared for devouring not just flesh but invading the spiritual realm. What can we do now?"
"Qinghai's walls are in total lockdown, yet you ask if I am afraid? Are you going to tell me bedtime stories again, brother, while our troops turn to ash?"
Ra Zheng frowned and turned away from the burning fires.
While defeat hung in the air outside Qinghai's walls, the Middle Kingdom was in total lockdown.
Its vines and roots, once green with moss, had turned black. Some panicked Qinghai citizens attempted to enter the Moon Kingdom, but they failed. The vines ensnared their feet and swallowed them whole, ensuring they would never return to the shattered earth.
Zao Baocung and the people of the Moon Kingdom appeared safe, but without Mimi Gongzhu, the underworlds could never unite to defend against this threat, and the worst might yet happen.
Ra Yue arrived at the secret paths leading to the Moon Kingdom to meet Zao Baocung.
He first ensured the safety of his men, but he had to face the cryptic enemy alone.
"Can we make this terrible situation any better?" Zao Baocung asked Ra Yue, worry etched on his face.
Yuwen Yue, with a serious expression, replied, "Take these men and secure them. I must meet the Qinghai King and Queen." Zao Baocung saw the two hundred soldiers and hesitated.
Zao Baocung then asked Yuwen Yue, "The Gurus are not ordinary people. Do you know who your real enemies are?"
"Neither do they know me," Yuwen Yue replied coldly.
"Don't worry about me. Worry about these men. And where is Mo'Er?"
"I waited every day for Mo'Er to arrive at the secret meeting place in the Thousand Caves, but he never returned."
Zao Baocung couldn't hide the dismay on his face.
Yuwen Yue sensed something had gone wrong, but he knew Mo'Er was always careful. He said, "Mo'Er has never failed. I trust that he will bring Princess Huan Huan back alive, and if possible, Wu Dao Ya as well."
"I'm coming with you," Zuo Zong said. Yuwen Yue did not object but glanced at Yue Qi, who understood that he would stay behind and assume command of the military.
"I have no one else who can lead these troops but you," Yuwen Yue said to Yue Qi. "Including our band of brothers, you must secure them and protect them at all costs."
Yuwen Yue left, with Zuo Zong following closely behind.
As they passed through the shattered door, Yuwen Yue noticed a faint glow in the looted Qinghai King's Palace.
Qinghai city, dominated by delicate, ornately carved wooden buildings, had structures reinforced with iron ore, where fire prevention was of utmost priority.
Despite this, Yuwen Yue wasn't worried. However, many of the buildings had been looted and burned, and the King's eunuchs, resting in the palace chambers, had been killed.
A hauntingly handsome and cold figure, with his spy, cautiously entered some of the royal mansions. What they saw shocked them.
The palace was full of corpses, beauties, Han people, women, elders, and children, brutally slaughtered. It was clear from their positions that some had been killed during the initial chaos of the invasion, while others had been rounded up and slaughtered in the hall.
Yuwen Yue clenched his teeth, suppressing his nausea. One year ago, Zao Baocung had shouted, "The beasts are a thousand strong, but no one can find the Thousand Caves to hide from them!"
Walking through the hall toward the fire pit beneath the majestic stone house in the inner Qinghai Palace, Yuwen Yue saw the marble pillars supporting the wide dome had been smashed.
Under the three-story platform, a large fire pit burned. A few Qinghai survivors lay beside the flames, their blood flowing toward the pit.
Yuwen Yue looked around and saw no one else alive. He said to Zuo Zong, "The host has been killed. It should be easy to contain the fire. You must fetch some sand to extinguish it."
As Yuwen Yue gathered soil from the remains of the family, he headed toward the garden behind the King's Palace. Zuo Zong stood in thought.
"What is the purpose of creating such chaos in the King's Palace? What are they after?"
The riots were clearly not caused by military forces. At least five thousand chaos troops had swarmed the city to create such widespread destruction.
In addition to the guards of the Silver Prince's Qinghai Armies, three other troops were stationed outside the King's Palace.
The strongest among them were the gods and guards of Queen Zhueje of Qinghai.
Or should I call them by their true nature, the Gorge Spies of the underworld? The military barracks spread around Ra Zhun's small infantry, but the main force was stationed in the south of Ra Zheng's Palace, at the South Gate, near the Middle Kingdom bridge.
As Yuwen Yue thought about this, he suddenly sensed something behind him.
He rushed forward, feeling the wind stir behind his head. He turned back, irritated, only to see a little boy holding a half-burnt stick, staring at him with deep, hateful eyes.
Yuwen Yue was about to explain, but the boy didn't give him a chance to speak. He stepped forward and aimed the sharp end of the stick at Yuwen Yue's chest with surprising agility.
Yuwen Yue, unable to avoid the situation, sidestepped the attack, grabbed the stick with his left hand, and caught the boy's shoulder with his right.
Just as he prepared to speak again, the boy spun around and leapt at him, forcing Yuwen Yue to release him and step back.
Yuwen Yue still tried to explain, but the boy, like a wild animal, glared at him with madness in his eyes. The intensity of his gaze seemed to summon sharp edges from the air. Yuwen Yue had to move quickly to avoid the invisible blades, dodging behind the boy. He then wrapped his arms tightly around the boy's upper body, immobilizing him.
The boy struggled violently, kicking and writhing, but Yuwen Yue held him as though in an iron grip. In desperation, the boy bit into Yuwen Yue's arm. Zuo Zong, witnessing the scene, sighed and asked, "What's happening, Master?"
Yuwen Yue realized that the boy must be part of the host's family and had likely witnessed the slaughter of his loved ones. Aware of the boy's pain, Yuwen Yue restrained his own, refusing to let go.
He spoke softly, "Little boy, I'm here to help you… Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
Suddenly, the boy's form flickered and revealed itself as a ghost of the past.
Yuwen Yue instantly recognized that this might be a trick of the Gurus' mystic powers, and everything he saw had to be navigated with reason and mental strength.
The boy, now friendly, poked Yuwen Yue's nose playfully. Though no words were exchanged, it was clear the boy wanted Yuwen Yue to follow him to the well at the King's Palace.
Yuwen Yue followed the ghostly figure to the well. Upon reaching it, the boy stopped and gave him a sorrowful stare. Yuwen Yue struggled to understand the boy's actions and reasoned aloud, "Do you want me to look into the waters of the well?"
The boy nodded. Yuwen Yue hesitated, thinking, "Why should I listen to a ghost?"
But the boy's silent insistence conveyed that this was not a trap.
After a moment of doubt, Yuwen Yue finally looked into the well. Inside, he saw the figure of the Qinghai King slowly turning to stone, his body being consumed by fire. Embers of his form scattered into dying ashes.
In a rapid sequence of events, Yuwen Yue saw the Qinghai King struck down by the Queen, but another figure intervened. No matter how many times the scene repeated, it was clear that the King's decision had been a pivotal moment to save the woman who had planned to kill him.
In the end, the Qinghai King met his demise.
Even if Yuwen Yue had intervened with the Poe Yue Jian sword, nothing could have stopped the King's fate. As the fallen monarch dropped a single tear to the ground, all of Qinghai was plunged into darkness and flames.
Gloom and despair filled the sky as bolts of lightning struck the palace, and the land was consumed by the sounds of pain and desperation.
The time of the underworld had come.
Yuwen Yue stood frozen, his heart aching for the father's final farewell. A voice, soft but filled with longing, echoed: "Father… No…" The boy's voice broke through the darkness.
"If you cannot stand for this empire, no one will save the continent. The King is dead, but his son remains. It is for this moment that you were chosen, the son of the Qinghai King, destined to defeat evil and restore peace to the people."
As Yuwen Yue reached out to touch the boy, he was suddenly whisked away to another place, another time. Wrapped in coldness and eternal snow, everything around him was pure white.
Qi Hui spoke:
"A broken heart often acts harshly and foolishly. Without the comfort and wisdom of the wise, the human heart cannot endure. Today is only the beginning. The anguish you feel now will worsen, and you won't be allowed to complain or even grieve. If the underworlds are unleashed upon the human realm, they will plunder humanity's bones and flesh. Two swords, two divine abilities, you have known this from the start. The Poe Yue Jian sword must find its counterpart, the Canhong sword. It is the only way to subdue the underworlds and restore them to their original order. The grass empire of Yan shall rule with grace, and the great summer shall lay down their crowns. The Beauty Empire of the South will prosper again, while the hunter barbarians of the cold Northland will trade their swords for peace. Qinghai will remain on its snow-capped mountains, while the Qinghai Moon Son will rule in peace, guided by the North Star."
Yuwen Yue suddenly found himself burning with fever. His body was drenched in sweat despite the wintry night.
After following the friendly ghost, he was discovered near the well, weak and unconscious. Time seemed to slow as the Gurus finally breached the Qinghai walls. Zuo Zong ran towards the Qinghai Prince, throwing himself in the path of sharp arrows to save Yuwen Yue.
There was no blood. As Zuo Zong checked his wounds, he realized he should not have survived. Yet, he wondered if a miracle had occurred. Was he still alive, or had he become a ghost?
The Skyshadow Woman created a dome of light, shielding the Qinghai Prince and sparing Zuo Zong from death. The deadly arrows melted away like desert sands.
Zao Baocung, transformed into an enlightened being, calmly walked through the chaos.
Inside the dome of light, the healer from the Moon Kingdom tended to Yuwen Yue's frail body and whisked him away from the Gurus' sight. Zuo Zong, beyond his human capacity, lost consciousness and was carried by the Skyshadow Woman. Both enlightened beings disappeared from view, and the dome of light became invisible.
The Gurus were left in confusion.
Their leader uncovered her face, recognizing the familiar place.
Meanwhile, the Qinghai Queen, swept by sudden winds, sensed that the Gurus had already invaded the Qinghai walls. She felt no fear, she had awaited this moment.
She intended to defy the prophecies.
The destruction of the Moon Kingdom was imminent, like a crouching beast at her door, eager to break through.
A slow, steady wind swept over two bodies buried in snow. Gasping shallow breaths, their eyelashes were covered in frost.
Chu Qiao's jade-like skin prickled as though a hundred needles pierced her back, and she felt her palms heating up like steam.
She knew her powers had been sealed in the Erzatz realm, exchanged for Yuwen Yue's second chance at life. She had lived as an ordinary person, but hope still lingered. The chance of helping the Qinghai Prince recover his memory seemed faint.
Yet, something stirred. She sensed that something beyond her comprehension was about to happen.
As the last winter leaf clung to the tree, the spruce began to shiver in the cold. Mo'Er, fighting the bitter chill, rubbed his hands together, warming Huan Huan's cheek. But Huan Huan could no longer hold on.
Soft whispers rode the wind.
"No, don't sleep. It's not your time yet."
Mo'Er, trying to save the ebbing life of the Princess, realized his mortal limits had been reached. He closed his eyes and succumbed to sleep.
Chu Qiao, walking alone through the vast winter hinterlands, sensed she wasn't truly alone. She looked at the snow but saw no one.
Her instincts told her someone was tracking her footsteps.
Her pulse quickened, and suddenly, a white, blue-eyed wolf lay dead behind her. Blood gushed from the wolf's neck, staining the snow crimson.
Chu Qiao ran toward the boy and saw his face.
A fragment of her memory flashed. It was no mistake, though he had grown, the boy still bore the same noble features and gentle eyes. He spoke.
"Can you open your eyes?"
Mo'Er, struggling to open his eyelids, knew he was spent. He nodded, but it took all his strength just to raise his hand and point southward.
Chu Qiao understood. When Mo'Er blinked, she recognized it as an SOS. She asked, "Can you walk?" Mo'Er did not respond.
"Okay," she said, her voice filled with worry despite the shortness of the word.
"Wear this. I'll be back." Mo'Er nodded weakly and watched as Chu Qiao walked away, becoming a faint silhouette in the snow.
Chu Qiao, a master tracker, moved swiftly across the snowfield. Tracking was like reading a book she placed an arrow in the snow to gauge its depth. The snow wasn't falling heavily, so old tracks remained visible, and fresh ones were easy to spot.
She maintained a brisk pace.
The snow began to fall more steadily, but not fast enough to cover the tracks before she could follow them. However, tracking in deep snow was exhausting.
The ground became confused with tracks, but Chu Qiao could still smell human blood beneath the snow. She closed her eyes, allowing visions to flash through her mind.
She found the spot and saw a finger twitching above the snow. As she reached the victim, the oppressor emerged.
A pack of blue-eyed, white wolves was about to feast.
Without hesitation, Chu Qiao grabbed her arrows and shot the first wolf that dared to attack.
Her ears, sharper than ever, picked up every sound. She was fully armed with two bows and a quiver of arrows.
Peng!
The white wolf fell instantly, but the rest of the pack charged at her.
Chu Qiao, though mortal, relied on her human strength and skill to kill the first wave of wolves.
As bloodthirsty as the wolves were, so were her hands.
But now, she had only one arrow left.
She knew the scent of blood would attract more wolves. Her heart could not falter.
She saw a swarm of gleaming blue-eyed white wolves approaching from all directions. Zooming out, she realized the worst was yet to come. It was beyond human endurance; no mortal abilities could withstand it.
She needed a decisive victory.
Turning to her last resort, she traded her man-made bow for the Chu Jing Golden Bow. Drawing its string, a faint, tingling sound echoed.
The spruce trees shed their leaves, and the falling snow paused, suspended in the air. Time itself seemed to stop.
Though she had surrendered her superpowers to the underworld, the Kung Fu of ice still burned within her.
In slow motion, she closed her eyes and conjured an invisible, diamond-like flaming arrow. She aimed and released the arrow, curving it toward its target in the snow.
When she opened her eyes, time resumed. All motion returned, and fire spread in a circular pattern, consuming the blue-eyed wolves.
The entire pack was reduced to ashes.
With the heat of the growing fire spreading across the white snow, two human bodies were found in the middle.
It seemed as though they had been toasted alive, but the snow covering the body of the buried Princess had melted.
Chu Qiao walked slowly, gazing at her face.
"Her sword-like eyebrows and features seem familiar," she thought, recalling someone from her past, someone who had once been dear to her.
Huan Huan slightly stirred, feeling the warmth spreading across her body. She saw Chu Qiao and, almost in tears, asked, "Where is the youngster?"
Chu Qiao smirked, not expecting this to be the Princess's first question.
"I left him to die in order to save you."
The Princess couldn't contain her emotions, letting her tears flow freely. Gullible and emotionally fragile, she believed every word the stranger before her had said.
Chu Qiao felt a pang of guilt but refocused on the task at hand, saying, "I owe him a lot, which is why I had to follow where he pointed. Get up, and let's find him, if he's still alive, or if he's already succumbed to the cold."
Princess Huan Huan stopped crying and struggled to her feet. Chu Qiao didn't offer her assistance, instead watching her rise on her own. Chu Qiao seemed emotionless, allowing the Princess to witness what had happened.
The Princess was astonished and asked, "What did you do?"
"In the real world, these heartless animals would have been exterminated," Chu Qiao replied.
Princess Huan Huan, realizing the mystical event that had transpired, said, "The circle of fire prevented them from getting near and devouring us."
"Exactly," Chu Qiao replied curtly, continuing to walk. She used her Golden Bow to draw a line in the white snow, a dividing line that magically spread, allowing them to pass through the circle of fire.
"Not bad, no harm done to these animals."
Princess Huan Huan began to trust Chu Qiao more than anyone else. It was the first time she had willingly followed someone.
"Yeah, and you're not stubborn at all. I like your attitude," Chu Qiao said, still walking ahead.
"Some dangers can be delayed, but you can never avoid the fight."
Mo'Er, nearly frozen to death, had recovered quickly. Wrapped in the bearskin winter cape Chu Qiao had given him, warmth filled his body and restored his chi.
From a distance, his eyes scanned the horizon and saw two figures walking through the snowfield. His heart raced, and he stood up, waiting for them.
Chu Qiao, squinting her eyes, still felt strong, while the young princess trailed behind. "Do you mind if I ask who you are?" Huan Huan inquired.
"Does it really matter?" Chu Qiao replied, annoyed.
"Why are you so rude to me?" Huan Huan asked, feeling increasingly disliked.
"Get used to it," Chu Qiao responded sarcastically.
"Did I do something to hurt you? Do you know who I am?" Huan Huan couldn't stop herself from asking.
Chu Qiao suddenly stopped walking and turned to face her. "You resemble the former disgraced Crown Prince of Yan, now King of Yanbei. How could I not know?" She resumed walking, with Huan Huan still following behind.
Huan Huan felt a heaviness in her heart and asked, "Is he my brother?"
"Maybe, but don't expect him to treat you like a sister," Chu Qiao replied, aiming to lower her confidence.
Huan Huan, wanting to challenge Chu Qiao, chuckled. "And you liked him, but he married someone else, right?"
"Hey, you're too young to be thinking about these things. Shut up!" Chu Qiao smirked.
Huan Huan caught on to the tension and continued, "Hmm… my brother liked you a lot but married another woman. That must have hurt."
Chu Qiao burst into laughter. "Ha ha ha. Do you want me to shut your mouth for you, or put you back where I found you?"
Huan Huan laughed too and said, "I knew it, you hate my brother because he left you, and that's why you hate me too."
"How many times do I have to tell you, he is not your brother!" Chu Qiao, still sarcastic, couldn't help but talk too much about Yan Xun.
"Yeah, I know. But after the deaths of all the Yan royal family, I'm still the closest kin. So, be good to me," Huan Huan teased, knowing not the full story.
Chu Qiao didn't want to discuss Yan Xun any further but recognized that Huan Huan might know more than she let on. "Wu Dao Ya was a good man and cared for you like his own child. Now, shut up. Save your energy, your 'hero' is waiting, like a dog."
Huan Huan smiled at the corners of her mouth, feeling secure with Chu Qiao. She thought she had found a big sister, not too kind but not too cruel either.
"It has begun."
Viper brushed the snow from her palms and felt her power growing stronger.
The woman beside her, accompanied by the underworld spies, summoned the snow-white winds. As she recalled the power of Chiyu Jian, blue feathers began to fly.
Their trail was hidden by the snow, but the tracks would reveal themselves if the Mimi Gongzhu uncovered them.
Zhong Yu, now leading the mission for her second life, was no longer just a Yanbei General. She had claimed her true identity as the leader of the Cloud underworld spies.
After surviving her supposed death, Zhong Yu struggled for months to recover. With the help of her sister, Viper, she had trained in Gongfu martial arts, becoming twice as strong and powerful as before.
Best of all, she no longer pledged loyalty to anyone. She worked solely for the original order, the Cloud underworld spies.
When a tree dies and is cut from its roots, the branches are forced to fall and grow anew.
Wu Dao Ya's death gave birth to Zhong Yu's leadership.
However, she had become a loner, rarely speaking. Seeking solitude, she often visited the Woolong Mountains to make peace offerings to the dead.
Blowing a dandelion flower into the wind, she whispered, "Thank you for your kindness and care. Thank you for your wisdom and patience. I do not wish for an easy second life, but I will continue to seek justice for Yanbei, not as a General, but as the leader of the Cloud underworld spies."
Thin tears fell from her eyes, seen by no one but her.
"May it reach the heavens, into the afterlife. Until then, my love..."
Flashback to the King of Qinghai's Palace
In the absence of the Qinghai Princes and the defeat of their thousands of troops outside the Qinghai walls, with the Moon Kingdom in lockdown, the Gurus finally invaded the Qinghai Empire.
Dressed in his royal white Hanfu, the King remained calm, exuding peace. He knew the Urugus were no ordinary enemies.
His fate was bound to eternal damnation, but hope lingered that the Qinghai Crown Prince would one day wield the sword of light.
With the remaining strength he had, the Qinghai King fought valiantly to defend the last fortress, hiding many Qinghai citizens underground, young and old, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters.
The King's Imperial Guards were all beheaded by the Gurus' leader, a ghostly figure shrouded in white silk.
The Gurus encircled the Qinghai King and began chanting.
Their chants transformed into invisible blades that slashed the King's body.
His condition was indescribable. Yet, despite the blood dripping from countless small wounds on his royal Hanfu, he walked tall and proud.
Ra Yue, feeling his father's pain, wanted to scream and shout.
Zao Baocung said to Zuo Zong, "He will endure. He cannot fight the Typhoid fever ravaging his body. He must heal to face the real enemy and win the battle later."
"Who will help the King?" Zuo Zong asked, worry etched on his face.
Zao Baocung replied, "The King was already dead long before today. What you see now is merely a shadow of his extended earthly life. His time has been over for a while."
Zuo Zong, still confused, said, "I will go and help the King."
Zao Baocung warned him, "If you go, your life could end, and no one will be left to aid the Qinghai Prince."
He added, "These Gurus do not see you as you see them. They lack a conscience and do not believe humans can change unless they convert and join their faith. They are not ordinary people. I warn you, they only protect what they wish to protect. To them, others are second-class, less than human, treated as unclean. They kill with cruelty, faking bravery, but it's all a sham inside. They smoke their brains out to act this way, and by morning, they don't remember their sins. They hide the truth and make you take blind leaps."
Zao Baocung continued, "In the past, they were known to wage wars to force their faith upon others, stealing inheritances and creating confusion among their enemies. They curse and oppress. Nothing good comes from them."
Finally, Zao Baocung reminded Zuo Zong, "These are not the principles we were taught. We stand for freedom, teaching people the TAO...The Way....what is right and wrong, how to choose heaven or hell, and the balance of good and evil (yin and yang). Do not ever forget."
Zuo Zong, crushed in spirit, realized Zao Baocung was saying, "You cannot do anything about the Gurus."
"For the Gurus respect only the wielder of the Poe Yue Jian sword."
"They see only black and white, no gray areas. All you can do is wait for the right moment."
The Qinghai King, weary from battle, dropped to one knee. Clutching the long sword at his side, he slowly fell.
The Gurus leader approached, ready to end his life by beheading him, but her delicate hand froze in mid-air. Everyone stood still, waiting for the next move.
Suddenly, the Qinghai Queen appeared, controlling the forces around them.
The Gurus stopped chanting.
As she stepped forward, low, haunting music filled the air.
The Qinghai Queen aimed for the King's heart, but before she could strike, the Qinghai King touched the Gurus leader and pushed her aside.
In that moment, the sharp dagger pierced the Qinghai King's heart, and blood poured from his chest as he finally collapsed.
Everyone was in shock; no one moved.
The Queen, startled, opened her palms and fell to the ground where she stood. She realized that, by her own hand, she had killed her husband, unintentionally breaking his curse.
Eternal darkness descended upon the Qinghai Empire. As the King died, so did his land.
His body slowly transformed into stone, which was gradually consumed by fire, turning to hollow embers.
At last, his spirit roamed free.
Released from the curse, the Qinghai King could now see the light.
Meanwhile, the Queen, finally unraveling the truth behind her lies, turned to Lou He and said, "Until his last breath, he chose to protect the Moon Kingdom. Now, I will destroy it."
Lou He replied, "It is your jealousy that has brought ruin to us all. Your curse wasted the lives of men. You were rejected because you were never meant to rule this land and lead it to peace. You are a child of the Gurus, and nothing good comes from that."
Lou He's words revealed the Queen's dark past, causing her to grit her teeth in rage.
Her outburst was terrifying, but would Lou He come to regret her words?
The Gurus turned their attention to Lou He and began to curse her.
Lou He, sensing the swift turn of events, knew it was unwise not to expect this. Looking back on the past, she recalled how the Gurus had saved her from Wei's Garrison Courtyard, where she had awaited trial and execution.
The Gurus had anticipated altering the mind of the strongest underworld spy leader, shifting her beliefs to destroy the Qinghai King.
Their aim had been to condemn the Qinghai King to eternal damnation, trapping the curse in his body forever.
However, the Qinghai King's unexpected act of sacrificing his life to save another had broken the curse.
The Qinghai Empire would awaken tomorrow to face darker days, without a king to protect its citizens.
It was not hard to understand, yet the pain that followed was unbearable, a bleeding heart left in anguish.
Lou He, unable to bear the curse's misery any longer, had no choice but to disappear.
The Gurus and the Qinghai Queen were left in wonder.
"Viper!"
A swirling wind swept through the darkness as Viper suddenly awoke from a deep sleep. She tracked the soft footsteps around her. Knowing the lurking dangers in the mossy forest, she was aware that only the leaders of the underworld could lay bare such a trail.
Lou He, weak and drained, used the last of her power to reveal her presence.
"Viper…"
A soft hush accompanied the swirling wind as it brushed Viper's shoulders. Viper, familiar with the scent, eased her mood. She hadn't felt this calm in a long time.
Recognizing the presence, Viper whispered, "Master…"
Lou He slowly revealed herself, and Viper remained still. She saw the black smoke swirling around Lou He's body and knew that the dark breeds had done her harm.
"It will be painful, but endure it for a while, Master," Viper whispered as Lou He's body was engulfed in black smoke.
Viper swung her whip, which glowed in the darkness, cutting through the smoke. Still, the black fog did not dissipate, and Lou He cried out in pain.
Hearing the cries, another figure arrived.
Zhong Yu chose not to ignore the call for help.
"Master! Hang on a little longer," Zhong Yu said, using her Chiyu Jian power. The blue feathers transformed into a blazing blade of blue fire.
The glowing whip turned into red flames, and the blade of blue fire struck Lou He's back.
It seemed as if death had arrived, as the combined power of the two underworld spies clashed against Lou He. She lay helpless in the darkness until suddenly, a firefly lit the gloom.
Lou He allowed the firefly to rest on her index finger, and the light began to grow inside her, illuminating her body like a switch had been flipped. Her body was wrapped in radiant light.
Exhausted, Zhong Yu and Viper collapsed to the ground, spent.
Time no longer mattered, and the morning light broke.
The sun rose from the east, bringing with it a beautiful dawn.
Everything is a cycle, turning until streams of consciousness are realized.
Snow-capped mountains and sea clouds passed as the days and nights blurred together.
The fortress of the Qinghai King's palace had been captured, and its citizens were forced into hard labor, subjected to the Gurus' teachings, which aimed to convert their minds and beliefs.
The Gurus claimed their ground, while the remaining Qinghai Empire was divided among the three Princes: Prince Ra Zheng (the Silver Prince), Prince Ra Zhun (the Velvet Prince), and Crown Prince Ra Yue (the Snow Prince), whose territories remained strongholds. The Middle Kingdom remained untouched.
The Qinghai Empire resembled a group of hills divided among the Princes, the Queen, the King, and the Moon Kingdom at the center.
When the Gurus finally announced the death of the Qinghai King, the citizens were devastated. Chaos erupted, and power struggles ignited bloody conflicts.
The King's Ministers, Scribes, Qinghai Nobles, and Eunuchs faced execution by the Queen for refusing to swear allegiance to the new Gurus-led regime.
The two Princes, Ra Zheng and Ra Zhun, remained indifferent to the suffering and death around them.
Ra Zheng's secret spies had been exposed and brutally murdered, their bodies paraded to demoralize his troops. The Gurus aimed to weaken Ra Zheng's stronghold, crippling its operations.
Ra Zheng braced for the final attack, knowing he would have to surrender to the Gurus in order to survive.
Ra Zhun, on the other hand, remained elusive, earning his title as the Runaway Prince. Whenever the Gurus attacked his territory, he left nothing behind for them to claim.
It was his way of ensuring their efforts were futile, and he often laughed at their frustration.
Ra Zhun kept only a handful of Qinghai's best raiders and ambush fighters. Cold-hearted, he forbade his men from starting families, except to protect their parents, sisters, and brothers.
This strategy made it easy for them to flee, as their families became permanent crusaders.
These crusaders were wanderers who mastered the art of killing and deception, able to pretend to be allies while secretly remaining enemies.
They had no allies but themselves. Ra Zhun continued to abandon territories, moving and camping throughout Ximeng Continent.
The Gurus easily invaded Ra Zhun's lands but never captured his small, elusive group of citizens, making it difficult for them to conquer his territory.
They always failed to find any trace.
Meanwhile, after weeks of disappearance, Ra Yue, the Qinghai Crown Prince, humbly presented himself to the Queen.
Ra Yue had almost faded from the Qinghai Empire as his brothers continued to battle for control. One Prince used secret spies to outwit the Queen, while the other ran from the conflict.
Rumors spread that the Crown Prince had already been killed by the Gurus.
These rumors worked in the Gurus' favor, causing the Qinghai citizens to lose hope and accept their grim fate.
Just as the King's loyal subjects were about to be executed, Ra Yue leaped from the shadows and decapitated the Gurus executioners.
The entire crowd was frightened. The Gurus didn't know how to respond.
Ra Yue appeared humbly, dressed in a simple peasant's outfit, his hood made of sackcloth. His eyes were calm but cold, devoid of emotion, and full of inexplicable humility.
In reality, it was a bold provocation, an intense display of contempt for the Qinghai Queen and the Gurus regime.
Ra Yue, skilled in the art of killing, dropped his sword, and the Queen sneered.
"You make it easy for me! Seize the Crown Prince!"
Though the King's loyal subjects were saved for the day, who could save them tomorrow? The Crown Prince had been taken captive, what future did Qinghai have now?
The crowd was not pleased to see Ra Yue. They spat on him, calling him names. "You are a useless Crown Prince! Too late to save this empire! You are dead! An imposter!"
Hidden behind his cloak, Zao Baocung whispered, "The brainwashed crowd… You know what to do, Your Highness."
Yuwen Yue, indifferent to the insults, maintained his cold, stoic expression. He surrendered himself to the authorities while opposition mounted against him. Though he saved the King's loyalists, the future remained uncertain.
For six days and nights, Yuwen Yue was locked in a dungeon, tested to his limits.
Deprived of food and water, Yuwen Yue sat in a meditative Buddha Zen position, eyes closed, enduring the ordeal.
He forsook his physical abilities, embracing the hard path of self-denial.
When two Gurus guards came to release him, one of them remarked, "What a dreamy sight this is… Is he a god?"
Though Yuwen Yue's body showed signs of wear, his lips cracked and his skin pale, he remained untouched by the dungeon's hardships.
His princely garments were still pristine, and the faint scent of plum blossoms lingered in the air.
The guards bowed before him, mesmerized by his calm, handsome presence. They gently escorted him to the Qinghai Queen's throne room.
The Queen, astonished, said, "The coldness of your spirit and the fire in your heart kept you alive this long! You are an impossible human! But you will serve me and help unite the Ximeng continent. Will you join us?"
Yuwen Yue, clearing his dry throat, opened his eyes for the first time in six days. He spoke, his voice lively yet cold. "I agree to serve the Queen's will."
The Gurus were astonished to hear these words, thinking, "Six days in the dungeon, and he still speaks like a king, as if he is not of flesh and blood."
During his time in the dungeon, Yuwen Yue had reserved his energy for this moment. Though physically weakened, his words were filled with power, making him seem almost divine.
As soon as Yuwen Yue gave his pledge, he closed off his heart to the cries of the Qinghai citizens.
From this day forward, he would join hands with the Gurus, while the Moon Kingdom awaited its grim fate.
The greater master had been restored to life, but the two lesser masters remained weakened by their powerful efforts.
Zhong Yu, still recovering, lay peacefully in sleep. Lou He, watching over her, said, "She will need more time to heal. I want the Wind spies to monitor her closely."
Viper, standing at the tent's entrance, approached Lou He and said, "She was like this when we found her, dying at the hands of Yan Xun's men. She was about to be buried, but before it could happen, she called for the trade winds."
Viper paused before continuing. "The clouds of heaven sent a warning, and we rushed to her aid."
Lou He nodded and asked, "Was it the same when you found me in the mossy forest, helpless and near death?"
"And have you found the Mimi Gongzhu?"
Viper replied, "Master, I never doubted you were alive. I have seen the Kungfu of ice powers twice as strong in Mimi Gongzhu's body. However, she was too weak to handle it when she was younger."
Viper's voice softened. "Mimi Gongzhu changed after she was lost in the Erzatz realm, where I too was stranded. My memories floated before my eyes as if they weren't mine."
"I was swept into the underworld's grasp, nearly losing my life. Then, I remembered your power, the Kungfu of ice, and used an ice needle to defeat the darkness and escape."
Viper continued, "The ice needles saved me again when I felt the pain and knew you were nearby."
Lou He, pleased with Viper's memories, said, "Indeed, the ice needles are a signal of pain, a call for help, or even a means of salvation."
"Thank you for saving my life. I hope Zhong Yu will follow the path of recovery and regain her strength in time."
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