Chapter 86
Awakening
Three thin figures are seen in the distance, walking through the knee-deep snow between the borders of Qinghai and Wei. Not far off, the distant Yan Ming Guan mountains are covered with ice and snow-capped peaks.
In this harsh and brutal cold, you can feel it deep in your bones, as if it drills into your very marrow.
Chu Qiao used her diamond arrows to keep their cold bodies warm. This was not the time to explain, and her companions knew not to ask questions. Mo'Er began setting up a small bonfire to warm them during the cold night. Their destination was neither far nor near.
Silence reigned, but Mo'Er had to ask.
"Auntie, why haven't you met Uncle yet?"
"Mo'Er, shouldn't you ask that question to your uncle first?" Chu Qiao tried to evade the topic.
Huan Huan interrupted, saying, "Oh, who is this Uncle? I guess he's my uncle's rival too?"
Mo'Er smiled and said, "So you have an uncle too?"
"Yeah, I have a very handsome uncle. So handsome that pretty girls can't stay calm when they see him!"
Huan Huan gave a sarcastic smile and looked at Chu Qiao. Chu Qiao pretended not to notice and ignored everything Huan Huan said.
"Is your uncle handsome too?" Huan Huan wanted to know more about Mo'Er's uncle.
Mo'Er shook his head and replied, "My uncle is the most handsome and richest man in the world."
"Oh, you mean like a prince?" Huan Huan smirked.
Mo'Er liked her smirking face but didn't answer, leaving Huan Huan to wonder about this mysterious uncle.
Huan Huan proudly declared, "My uncle is a king."
"Yeah, a wicked king!" Mo'Er smiled, as if mocking her.
Huan Huan pouted and said, "You don't know what you're talking about!"
"Maybe, but my uncle will be a king someday. He's the crown prince of—"
Mo'Er was suddenly cut off when Chu Qiao said, "Enough of this idle chatter!"
Huan Huan asked, "Why are you upset about our uncles?"
Chu Qiao bluntly replied, "Your uncles aren't here, so why talk about who's wicked and who isn't?"
"Hmmm… You're right, but I still want to know more about Mo'Er's uncle and you! Are you two dating because my uncle is married to someone else?"
Chu Qiao squinted and mockingly said, "You really want to know who Mo'Er's uncle is and if I'm dating him?"
Huan Huan eagerly replied, "Yes, I do!"
Chu Qiao asked curiously, "Why do you want to know?"
Huan Huan stopped, wrinkled her eyebrows, and looked angrily at Chu Qiao.
Mo'Er interrupted and said, "She wants to know who replaced her uncle in Auntie's heart!"
Mo'Er intended to shame Huan Huan, but Huan Huan, instead, wanted to spank Mo'Er. Chu Qiao interjected and said, "I'm not dating anyone, and I have no plans to date either of your uncles!"
Huan Huan whispered softly, "Poor Mo'Er's uncle…" and smirked at Mo'Er.
Mo'Er heard it, smirked as well, and said, "Poor Huan Huan's wicked Uncle King."
The teasing, especially the emphasis on "wicked," never stopped.
A new dawn, a new hope. What's good about the morning?
Chu Qiao woke up first. It was time to walk and reach their destination. However, the two youngsters were still asleep. Chu Qiao smirked when she saw Huan Huan's youthful skin, reminding her of Yan Xun's face.
With her eyes still closed, Huan Huan sensed her and said, "Are you staring at me or remembering my uncle's face?"
Chu Qiao coughed and said, "Ahem, ahem. I was just checking if you were dead or alive."
"Oh! The princess closed her eyes," Huan Huan laughed out loud and said, "If I'm alive, my uncle will be happy. Maybe he'll even divorce his wife to marry you. But if I'm dead, my uncle will probably hunt you down!"
"But he won't kill you. I guess he'd kill Mo'Er's uncle instead!"
Chu Qiao replied, "That is, if your uncle can kill me or Mo'Er's uncle so easily! Now pack your things, and let's go!"
"Haha…" A soft giggle was heard.
Huan Huan opened her eyes, gladly gathered her things, and said, "I still feel like you like my uncle more than Mo'Er's uncle. I'm going to tell him when I see him!"
"Why do you think that, Princess?" Chu Qiao asked as she prepared to leave.
Huan Huan replied, "Because I'm still alive! You didn't kill me when you had the chance!"
Chu Qiao stayed silent, while Mo'Er quietly packed his things, ready to go.
Meanwhile, the three travelers stopped by a river. They washed their faces when Chu Qiao sensed someone lurking behind them.
Each day, the crown prince of Qinghai, Ra Yue (Yuwen Yue), ordered the cutting of the black vines and roots of the Moon Kingdom. It was a project in progress but always met with failure.
Figuring out how to breach the Moon Kingdom, which lay in the middle of the Qinghai steppes, proved difficult. The task drove him mad, draining his energy.
"This is futile!" Ra Yue shouted, and ordered, "Again!"
The Queen, Zhuejue, happened to pass by. She mocked Ra Yue, "Are you making progress or simply doomed to fail?"
"Shall I order the Gurus to take over, instead of watching you exhaust yourself trying to destroy this black-vined kingdom?"
Ra Yue couldn't let the Queen go unanswered. "Your Highness, why do you choose to walk this ugly road and ruin your mood?"
"Isn't it a waste of time and energy to be here?"
The Queen's face tightened, but she forced a sweet smile for her stepson and said, "An ugly road, yes, and it does ruin my mood. But seeing your progress, even if it drains some of my energy, is not a waste of time. You should hurry! Burn this place to ashes once it's breached!"
Ra Yue gave the Queen a sly grin, trying to convince her he was someone she could rely on. He replied, "I must be lucky you came to see this beauty, though I'm sure you were disappointed by this unfinished work. It will be completed exactly as you expect, soon."
Though it sounded like a compliment, it was actually a sarcastic remark.
The Queen heard what she wanted and left Ra Yue with a sharp look, showing her patience was running thin. She ordered her servants to escort her away.
With her hands folded, Queen Zhuejue's servants carried her grand palanquin toward the palace.
Left alone, Ra Yue's servants came to attend him. He ordered one of the slaves to bow, and another slave used a handheld belt to flog the first.
This was reminiscent of Yuwen Yue's cruel ways in Wei, yet Ra Yue of Qinghai was acting in the same manner.
Ra Yue had to show the Gurus he wasn't taking the Queen's words lightly.
The Gurus believed Ra Yue wasn't yet a trusted ally for their new regime. However, because Ra Yue had gained the Queen's favor, he remained by her side to fulfill her every whim and capricious request.
Ra Yue appeared harsh and cold. He seemed to have turned away from his people, embracing an aristocratic principle: "Slaves obey."
The Qinghai Queen believed in every deed Ra Yue performed in front of her. She entrusted him with many affairs, including capturing his two brothers, Ra Zheng and Ra Zhun.
Meanwhile, in the Moon Kingdom, a man was dragged by Zuo Zong in search of Zao Baocung.
"Is there anyone colder and harsher than His Highness Ra Yue?" Yue Qi was treating the wounds of the servant who had suffered from the flogging earlier.
"I don't know! Do you even know the Master of the fourth branch, Yuwen Yue, in Wei?" asked Zuo Zong.
"I'm trying to understand where he's coming from. Seriously, is flogging servants one of his ways?" Zuo Zong mused, feeling unsettled.
"Is that praise or mockery?" asked Zao Baocung. Then he added, "He has to act. Believe me, Ra Yue will soon destroy this place."
Zuo Zong went silent as he listened to Zao Baocung.
Zao Baocung continued, "Go back to His Highness Ra Yue now. He needs you more than we do here."
Yuwen Yue brandished a star dart upon Zuo Zong's arrival.
His cold, indifferent gaze sent chills down Zuo Zong's spine. It was hard to believe that his master brother had almost killed him.
Small drops of blood slowly dripped from Zuo Zong's neck.
Yuwen Yue seemed composed. Zuo Zong stammered, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I…"
Before he could finish speaking, Yuwen Yue placed two fingers on Zuo Zong's lips and applied balm around the wound on his neck. This unexpected act confused Zuo Zong.
Yuwen Yue softly whispered in his ear, "The walls have ears, illegal channels."
Every time Yuwen Yue said something, Zuo Zong felt unsettled.
He had never understood who Ra Yue really was when he was still the Master of the Eyes of God, but looking at him now, Zuo Zong began to understand why his brother Yue Qi remained silent all the time.
This wasn't Zuo Zong's usual conduct, but he was learning the hard way for the sake of Ra Yue's safety.
Sometimes, Zuo Zong wanted to give up, but the scar on his left shoulder reminded him of his vow to serve his Master brother.
He was loyal to no one but a few.
That loyalty was reserved for Ra Yue.
Yuwen Yue didn't even look at him as he coldly said, "You are dismissed."
Emotionless, cold, and distant!
This was Ra Yue at the moment.
A lady sat atop the mountain in a meditative pose, inhaling deeply as she played the last notes of her flute.
She sensed the end was near.
Weeks had passed, and the Cloud leader remained asleep with no sign of when she would awaken.
Viper had just finished her morning routine when Lou He greeted her, "Viper, how is Zhong Yu?"
Viper shook her head from side to side, saying nothing, and looked down.
Lou He sensed that Zhong Yu might never wake up in time, and the cloud spies wouldn't be as strong as she had hoped.
So Lou He ordered Viper, "Gather the Jianghu spies. We can't stay here waiting for Zhong Yu to wake up."
"Master, and the Mimi Gongzhu?" Viper asked.
Lou He replied, "I have a suspicion that she is bound by the ancient oracle."
Viper suddenly stopped playing with her whip and asked, "Is it really happening, Master?"
"I haven't spoken or revealed myself to Zao Baocung yet. I'm trying to confirm whether Mimi Gongzhu is bound by the oracle. If she isn't, Chu Qiao should have united the wind and cloud spies before the King of Qinghai died and declared a new seal of the wind and cloud decree. Qinghai should have been protected from the Gurus' invasion, and I would have died."
Lou He's grim revelation made Viper realize that uniting the wind and cloud spies and finding Chu Qiao as their Greater Leader would be her end.
Viper tightened her grip on her whip, staring blankly. "All this time, this is why Lou He hasn't united the wind and cloud spies?"
Lou He explained, "I was predisposed by the Gurus, and I led their invasion of Qinghai. I faced the King of Qinghai and nearly killed him. But the King's sudden sacrifice saved me. When the King's curse was lifted, mine was freed as well. I was released from the Gurus' dark chants, but I couldn't undo what had been done. I fled once again. And now, here I am, standing before you."
Viper, still piecing things together, asked, "If Mimi Gongzhu was bound to the oracle, does that mean her power was suspended in the Ersatz Realm?"
Lou He responded, "Yes."
"And if you abandon the Higanbana and trade it for the sake of humanity, we half-breeds face eternal consequences."
"Would that consequence be being imprisoned in the Ersatz Realm, Master?" Viper asked, feeling a deep fear for the first time.
"Yes! You wouldn't be a prisoner in the traditional sense, but you'd be swallowed by oblivion, with no return or reversal," Lou He said in a sad tone.
"Master, what is the time requirement?" Viper asked boldly.
"A quarter of Ersatz time is measured by the quarter of an Ersatz incense stick," Lou He revealed.
Viper's knees suddenly weakened, and she sat down, staring blankly. "The Mimi Gongzhu will never die but will be suspended in the Ersatz Realm forever. She will never lead a normal life on earth, nor will she reach the afterlife."
"How much for the mooncake?"
In a soft and gentle voice, the woman, her head covered by a scarf, asked the beggar on the street.
"This is no ordinary cake; it will lead you to a thousand caves," the old beggar weakly replied.
"Set me up!" Lou He handed the beggar a silver coin, and the beggar gave her a fresh mooncake.
"May the heavens favor you as the Moon Kingdom's destruction approaches!"
"Strange! Is this really the end?" Lou He revealed her face to the beggar as she removed her scarf.
The beggar was astonished and exclaimed, "Master, is it you?"
Lou He said nothing and simply showed the beggar a compass in her hand, transporting him in a brief moment to another space and time. The old beggar felt calm and at peace. "Master, we've been waiting for your return! Save the Moon Kingdom! Its destruction is imminent!"
"Lead me to the Healer!"
Zao Baocung was performing some chants when he sensed a strange presence in the cave.
"Viper! Don't frighten me! I know your shadow!"
Zao Baocung grabbed his cold dagger and threw it sideways. A ghostly presence swiftly dodged it.
"Oh, useless weapon!"
Zao Baocung calmly picked up some star darts and threw them again. This time, the ghostly figure turned to him and took his hand, saying, "It's Lou He."
Zao Baocung, rarely seen this way, was utterly shocked. He hadn't expected the Greater Master of the Moon Kingdom to be alive and standing before him.
"Master! What… what…"
Before Zao Baocung could finish, Lou He hushed him. "I am really here, flesh and blood, and with Viper."
Zao Baocung fell to his knees, tears welling up. "Master, the destruction of the Moon Kingdom is near. The Mimi Gongzhu cannot save its walls; her powers were suspended in the Ersatz Realm!"
"How do you know? How much time is left?" Lou He asked.
"To your first question: I was there when the trade of winds happened. To your second: it will happen soon. I, too, will disappear."
Zao Baocung confessed, "How could I not know? I was there with Mimi Gongzhu, temporarily suspended while saving the life of Prince Xiao Ce of Liang."
Lou He confirmed, "Yes, one of the Jianghu spies reported that the Prince of Liang was found dead, but a miracle brought him back to life."
"We know that Mimi Gongzhu cannot save a soul twice, and using her powers will bring about the end of the Moon Kingdom. Yet, she wants to do it, even though she knows the consequences," Zao Baocung said.
After a pause, he added, "After saving Prince Xiao Ce, now Emperor of Liang, Mimi Gongzhu used her Higanbana powers to alter the fate of Yuwen Yue, Qinghai's lost crown prince. When she saved Yuwen Yue from the icy lake, she lost herself in time. Her Chibi is nearly incurable, but thanks to Viper, she regained her memories and leadership to continue the underworld league of spies. However, the cycle of fate continues to entangle her with Yuwen Yue."
Lou He added, "You know something, Zao Baocung? Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue weren't supposed to meet after the icy lake tragedy. It should have ended that day. Chu Qiao should have accepted that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't change Yuwen Yue's fate. But she used her powers to alter the course of destiny, disrupting the balance."
Lou He revealed, "I was partly to blame as well. Before I disappeared, I transferred 80% of my power to Chu Qiao and 5% to Xia Chong. Even if I return, my powers aren't enough to save the Moon Kingdom from the spies, dark breeds, and other threats. We need Mimi Gongzhu to lead, or her fate will be worse than Xia Chong's, who died by her own choice."
Zao Baocung said, "Then we need to stop the Qinghai Crown Prince and save the kingdom!"
"Does the Qinghai Crown Prince know that destroying the kingdom will also mean Chu Qiao's end in this realm, locking her in the Ersatz Realm forever?" Lou He asked.
Zao Baocung replied, "No. He plans to destroy the Moon Kingdom to earn their trust and drive out the Gurus with his Poe Yue Jian sword. He wants to unite Ximeng and dismantle the Gurus' regime piece by piece. May mercy find him when that day comes."
"Has he lost his memories? Is his Chibi healed?" Lou He asked, expecting a difficult answer.
"I tried to heal him, but the Crown Prince remembers nothing of Mimi Gongzhu," Zao Baocung replied sadly.
Lou He thought for a moment and said, "Maybe he's faking it. Why else would he come to you?"
"When we found him, he didn't remember us, but he trusted us enough to make us his secret spies," Zao Baocung explained.
Lou He paused in thought, experiencing a brief vision. Then she stared blankly at Zao Baocung.
Zao Baocung noticed her trance and shouted, "No, Master! I can't let that happen!"
Suddenly, Lou He collapsed, and Viper caught her.
The chanting monks, sitting in Zen positions, continued to play their singing bowls, filling the air with soft, calming sounds.
Zao Baocung began a healing song using a flute, while Zhong Yu whispered in her ear, "Come back to us. I am here."
Viper waited outside, guarding the palace entrance day and night. A familiar monk caught her attention. "No! This can't be you!" she exclaimed.
Yuan Song, dressed in a simple robe, stood before her in silence.
He closed his eyes and continued to meditate.
Viper couldn't believe her eyes. She was seeing the next emperor of the Great Summer Dynasty, who had become a monk.
It has begun.
"What is this? Destroying a kingdom inside your own kingdom? Is Ra Yue even thinking straight?"
After Lan Shuyi delivered the report to the Silver Prince, Ra Zheng, she knew it would upset him.
"I cannot allow this to happen! If we lose the Moon Kingdom, the balance of good and evil will be wiped out, and the entire Ximeng continent will be engulfed in darkness. There will be no peaceful mornings. Darkness will swallow Qinghai, and the SUN empire will fall."
Lan Shuyi boldly asked, "My Prince, will the end of the Moon Kingdom also mean the end of the half-breeds, dark powers, and magic from the underworld spies?"
Ra Zheng revealed, "If the Moon Kingdom is destroyed, all prophecies will be fulfilled. The five realms will cease to exist, and the portal gates of the Forgotten River will close, shutting the door to the afterlife forever. The Garden of Higanbana will die. Happy Valley will be laid waste, and kungfu and ice wisdom will disappear. The Hellfrost melts will unleash all the beasts trapped for centuries. Lastly, the Ersatz Realm will be locked in the oblivion of time. Worse still, the underworld will lose its power. No more half-breeds, no more godly beings...just simple humans, powerless, and vulnerable. We will all die, just like any other mortal beings."
"I think we all deserve to die," Lan Shuyi remarked with a curious tone.
Ra Zheng, not upset, replied, "If we lose the balance, we all die, without the power to even know what's on the other side."
It was a grim day for the Silver Prince, and he could neither plan his course nor think clearly.
Ra Yue finally poured a potion onto the black vines.
Suddenly, the vines began to change color, turning green. They appeared soft and weak, incapable of holding their strength. The ground beneath began to flourish, creating a lush vine forest. It seemed as though the black vines had been cured of their sickness, blooming with green leaves. However, the small, poisonous purple flowers began to emit a fragrant scent. These were not plum blossoms, but their sweet aroma was deadly, meant to kill anyone without a scarf to cover their nose and mouth.
Ra Yue knew these little purple flowers spread death like a virus. Once inhaled, the perfect scent would suffocate the lungs, sending people into a sleep from which they would never wake.
Was this an awakening from the worst nightmare or the wildest dream?
Ra Yue, aware of the danger, ordered all his men to wear thick scarves, including himself. But despite the precautions, some of his men fell sick. The only cure was the plum blossom oil that Ra Yue had prepared in advance. He winked at Zuo Zong, needing no words to communicate.
"Here, take it," Zuo Zong said, handing the oil to one of the slave servants, who dared not refuse. The servant applied it to the temples of a man who had fallen unconscious. After a few seconds, Zuo Zong checked the man's pulse and glanced at Ra Yue. Ra Yue nodded coldly and said, "What use is dead meat?"
The Gurus, following Ra Yue like dogs, believed the man was dead and assumed Ra Yue was disposing of the body.
Acting his part, Zuo Zong angrily barked at the servant, "Get him out of here!" The servant obeyed, knowing what to do.
Ra Yue said, "Enough for today! Unless we all want to die here, we won't destroy another inch of this place."
The Crown Prince's palanquin was lifted, and the men followed them back to Qinghai.
One of the Gurus' servants tried to steal a small purple flower, but Zuo Zong caught him. "Ah, ah, you don't want to do that, do you? You saw what happened here! Drop it, or I'll chop off your hand!"
The young servant of the Gurus quickly dropped the flower and listened to Zuo Zong, feeling uneasy.
Meanwhile, a group of slave servants carried away the poisoned body of a young boy, another victim of the deadly flowers that covered the Moon Kingdom's walls. The flowers, innocent and harmless in appearance, were killers, taking lives in mere minutes if not treated instantly. The boy looked pale, barely breathing.
The boy's parents, believing their son was dead, wailed in despair. "Oh, our son is gone!"
As they wept over his body, a druid-like priest suddenly appeared, startling the grieving parents.
The priest approached the boy, smelled the air, and recognized the familiar scent. He took the boy's wrist, felt his pulse, and said, "Ah, perfect timing. The right meridian was pressed, this is the antidote!"
"What did you say?" the father asked, confused.
"Oh, don't worry, his pulse is weak, but he'll live! Just don't bury him, or I'll bury the two of you alive!" The priest chuckled.
"What are you doing? Get me some water, or this boy will die!" the priest ordered.
The parents barely heard anything beyond the words "he'll live!" Overjoyed, they hurried to fetch water, leaving their son with the priest.
When the parents returned with a pail of water and a cup, the priest was gone, but their son was half-awake, recognizing them.
Back at Qinghai Palace, Zuo Zong delivered the news through secret channels. Ra Yue pretended not to know, but he smirked, relieved that the poisoned boy had survived. He trusted Zao Baocung to handle it. Since the boy was alive when he should have been dead, Ra Yue whispered to himself, "The dead should be buried, or better yet, escape."
Zuo Zong, hearing his words, passed a secret stone to one of the slave servants, who quickly left to deliver it.
Zao Baocung received the stone, understood the message, and returned to the boy's house. He warned the family to leave, or the Qinghai Crown Prince, Ra Yue, would kill them all.
Ra Yue's actions would lead people to believe he was a mad prince, cold, ruthless, and heartless. But as the Master of the fourth branch of the Yuwen family in Wei, destined to inherit the Eyes of God, he knew how to appear cruel while secretly bringing mercy. He knew how to show no compassion, yet still deliver justice. He was neither a fake villain nor lacking in kindness. His gentlemanly nature set him apart from other princes. Ra Yue, once Yuwen Yue, was shaped by his dark past, but he was better now. There was nothing more one could ask for.
As the day drew on, Ra Yue continued to weaken the black vines. Now, they resembled a lush fern gully, a forest of vines.
Ra Yue whispered softly to Zuo Zong, "Do you think a forest fire will make the Gurus believe the Moon Kingdom is already reduced to ashes?"
Zuo Zong replied, "The Moon Kingdom is already burning inside. Do you want to show the smoke, a lake of fire, or dig a deep hole in the Ximeng earth and swallow the Gurus whole?"
Ra Yue smirked, secretly chuckling, and said, "I like the last option you mentioned."
The Gurus, eager to hear their whispers, strained to listen.
Zuo Zong changed the subject, hiding his smile, and said, "Very well, Your Highness, the walls need to be burned!"
Ra Yue, thinking the same, asked firmly, "How are the matches and wood? Do we have enough fire to consume these iron walls? It'll be a waste of time if the fire doesn't bring them down."
Zuo Zong nervously replied, "Please don't cut off my head, Your Highness, I'm thinking like a fool!"
The Gurus murmured among themselves in their own language. Zuo Zong suspected they were plotting something.
Ra Yue, back to his stern look, swung his hand and whipped Zuo Zong's stomach, eliciting an "Ouch!"
Zuo Zong stood still, faking seriousness despite his pain.
The Gurus, now fully attentive, said, "Your Highness, we have a new invention, stronger than matches and wood. We call it black powder. One matchstick, and the black powder will spread fire quickly."
Ra Yue pretended to be interested, tricking them further. "Very well, bring me this black powder. I'd like to set these vines on fire quickly so we can all go home. What do you think?"
Someone lurking nearby overheard their conversation. The druid-like priest, hiding his face with a scarf, ran as fast as he could.
"Lou He, are you still lucid dreaming? Wake up!"
The next scene could not possibly bode well.
Ra Yue descended from his palanquin and unsheathed his Poe Yue Jian sword, cutting through one of the largest vines. Then, he removed his right hand from its white mitten, uprooted a small purple flower, and covered his face with his plum blossom-scented scarf, a secret he had shared only with Zuo Zong. All of his men followed suit, covering their faces, but some had already gone pale and collapsed. Zuo Zong had to count the fallen and order them to be removed.
The men stood frozen, watching Yuwen Yue carefully pick the small purple flowers and place them in a square bonsai pot. His nostrils, filled with the plum blossom scent, were immune to the deadly aroma of the flowers.
No one dared to move, not even the Gurus, only their eyes watched him in silence, their faces hidden behind scarves.
After the dramatic cutting and uprooting of the poisonous plants, no one could understand why Yuwen Yue was doing this or what surprise he had in store for them.
Without warning, Ra Yue threw a matchstick to the ground, where it ignited the black powder.
The black powder acted like a sponge, and within seconds, the entire ground was ablaze, leading to the unthinkable.
Lan Shuyi, dressed as if it were her last day on earth, positioned a horrifying woman in the middle of the tall forest vines. The woman appeared disheveled, drugged, her clothes torn, as though she had been beaten nearly to death and was about to be burned alive. Her breathing was shallow, but she could still see what was happening and shouted, "Young Master! Must you do this?"
It was too late.
Ra Yue had already seen the fire spread quickly across the black powder.
Suddenly, Ra Yue wanted to stop it, but no one could defy the flames or react quickly enough. His memories flashed before him, memories of the Eyes of God, of his Yuwen Yue days, as he heard echoes of the past:
"Slaves obey."
"Illegal channels."
"The walls have ears."
"No one dares."
"My palm."
"My pulse."
"I begged you, master, kill me!" His fifth brother had once begged him for death to honor the young master.
Now Yuwen Yue, seeing the woman, whispered softly, "Xinger…"
(Xinger, or Star Child, was the name Yuwen Yue had given to Chu Qiao when he found her in the Green Hills courtyard.)
Another figure, unable to hold back any longer, appeared from the shadows. Though the situation was dangerous, they showed no hesitation. Brave and valiant, they cut down the tallest vine and rescued the helpless woman.
Ra Yue watched as the figures, seemingly three people, walked away through the burning forest. Moments later, they vanished from his sight.
Ra Yue's hands twitched, but he could not rescind his order. All he could do was watch as the humans burned in the forest fire. He looked angry at what he had witnessed, yet the Gurus finally approved of his plan, convinced it was working.
The citizens of Qinghai woke up that day to a scene of horror. A cloud of black smoke hung in the sky, and the black vines of the middle kingdom had been consumed by fire, revealing an enormous wall that nearly reached the heavens. The citizens could hardly describe the Moon Kingdom, as it had never been exposed like this until now. Some believed that breaching the Moon Kingdom's walls would mean facing unspeakable horrors. For years, no one dared challenge the kingdom's walls, until today. But where was the kingdom now? Why was it so quiet?
Queen Zhuejue received the spy report from the gorge. Her eyes were filled with reverie, gleaming with rosy anticipation. She imagined the Moon Kingdom within her grasp. After all her greedy, shadowy machinations, she was on the brink of uncovering its mysteries. This was her dream, the promise of better days ahead. With the Qinghai Crown Prince's authority in handcuffs, the Queen held all the keys to the Moon Kingdom's ultimate destruction.
"How are you, my love? Still feeling pain?"
These were the words Ra Zheng longed to say. But how could he, when he himself was consumed with pain? Still, the Silver Prince managed to rise from his bed to listen to the Eunuch's report.
"My Lord, please stay in bed. You need to rest," the Eunuch said, his face full of worry.
"How is Princess Xiao Ba?" Ra Zheng asked, his voice slow and strained.
"The Princess is still asleep, my Lord. Her bruises have been treated and medicated in time. She did not suffer any burns. Please, rest your concerns, my Lord."
Ra Zheng, relieved by this, let out a painful chuckle, as though he were preparing to tell a story.
"Haha… ha…" (It was more a laugh of frustration than amusement.)
"This is all I can do now, lie here, wasting time because one foolish spy took matters into her own hands! I should have killed her for what she did to Xiao Ba!"
Ra Zheng clenched and unclenched his fists, looking as though he wanted to punch a wall.
The Eunuch hesitated but finally spoke. "My Lord, our defenses are not strong enough to hold the palace. If you kill your last secret spy for acting on her own, you might lose your only reliable defense and be forced to surrender to the Qinghai Queen. Please, stay indifferent for now. Punish her once this crisis is over."
Softly spoken, the Eunuch nodded and quietly left the Silver Prince's sight.
Ra Zheng thought over the Eunuch's words. They made sense. He decided to change his course of action. Calling his personal royal guard, he said, "Take her out of the dungeon. Send her to her chamber, give her a dress and food."
"Yes, my Lord."
Ra Yue obviously hadn't slept well the previous night. He was haunted by thoughts of the three figures burned in the forest fire, a scene that had sparked memories of the Green Hills courtyard. Yuwen Yue recalled Ling Xi, Chu Qiao's fifth brother. The memories flashed randomly in his mind, but what stayed was the soft cry of the woman held in the burning vines: "Young Master! Must you do this?"
Her voice echoed someone, someone dear and close to his heart, someone too precious to lose. He wanted to save her, to follow her every step of the way, to be with her even if it meant his death.
At that moment, Yuwen Yue felt like dying, like disappearing into the fire.
Yet, the present demanded his attention. He had to address the Qinghai citizens and demonstrate how evil the situation had become. He needed them to believe that he had no heart, no soul left to feel.
The Snow Crown Prince Ra Yue was ready to proceed. As cold as Qinghai's snow-capped mountains, so was his heart. There was an iron wall to breach, and he knew that once he opened the Moon Kingdom to the Ximeng continent, there would be no turning back.
"This is not for the faint-hearted."
"This is a fight without a fight."
A voice from hell echoed, "When the Moon Kingdom walls break, though its gates are impossible to breach, we will not fight back. We will finish our invaders in their own fool's paradise of a daydream!"
The Gurus' chanting monks surrounded the outside walls of the Moon Kingdom, holding something no one could identify. They were dressed in such a way that no one could ever see their faces, for to see their faces was to see your own end.
Inside the iron walls, those who were trapped prepared for the worst. Earthy-dressed monks lined up, surrounding the iron walls, holding their singing bowls. They had stood there since the day before.
The druid-like priest was ready to fight anyone who stood in his way. Today, he was not there to heal but to fight for the peace and freedom they had long hungered for. In the absence of Chu Qiao and Lou He's slumber, he would lead Viper and Zhong Yu to make their last stand.
Ra Yue, cold and uninvited, had to deliver a message, yet he remained speechless. The Qinghai citizens had been waiting for this moment to hear his voice, knowing full well what was about to happen. They began to hurl mocking words and show defiance toward the crown prince.
Anticipating this, Ra Yue had written down his words and nodded for the Eunuch to read them aloud to the people of Qinghai.
"To my Qinghai people, many years have passed, and I became deaf and blind to all of the Moon Kingdom's actions that stretched the Sun Empire's patience. The Moon Kingdom grappled with its lesser light to protect its people and went far to hide from the greater light's scrutiny. Today, the Sun will overshadow the Moon, and the Moon may now rest without a definite time or any promises of revival. It all ends today, as the Sun rises from the darkest skies."
Surprisingly, the crowd remained silent. No one dared utter a mocking word. Instead, they stared blankly, bracing themselves for the underworld's leash. This destruction was not a polite knock but an invasion that would snatch away all living underworld beings. The wise thing was to stay hidden and unseen, for there was no other option.
As the Qinghai armies stood aside, the marching of feet slowed to a stop, until the last soldier stood still.
Then, a discordant sound rang out over a hum of chanting.
The Gurus felt the discord in their skin, but their chants overwhelmed the sound. The gates of the Moon Kingdom suddenly glowed and burst into flames.
The druid-like priest gave a final warning in a low, haunting tone, "Do not disturb the order! Do not step on the scales of balance, for you will surely be outweighed! Turn away, or we will be forced to subdue these intruders! Do not come near, or your souls will be haunted forever!"
But those with ears remained deaf to the discord and the haunting voice.
Yuwen Yue let the parrot drink the last drop of elixir from the celadon bottle, then freed the bird from his hand.
He softly whispered, "In these realms, you will be freed like a bird from a cage that locked up your soul. I have lived. Now, be free, Xinger."
The druid-like priest was suddenly disturbed and murmured, "The chibi of the crown prince has healed!"
All of a sudden, a tired woman awoke to a dreamy reality. She opened her eyes to a swirling scene. A gust of wind lifted her upward in a pillar of cloud, awakening her senses.
It was a call to action.
A faraway cry of distress she could not ignore.
Chu Qiao woke up in a dream-like trance, stranded in another realm where she did not wish to stay.
A peasant girl appeared, showing her the last stick of incense that had burned down, then spoke.
"You have no power because it seems you were trapped by your own will. The decree you sealed cannot be undone, but Yuwen Yue's call has confirmed the truth in all these realms. He remembers everything, your memories from the Green Hills courtyard, your last stand at the ice lake, your marriage on Xue Fu Street in Liang, your lodge in the forest, your reunion at the lantern festival, and your last meeting in the Ersatz Realm. His chibi has been removed, and he will take over the Moon Kingdom soon! Yuwen Yue remembered it all before the quarter incense stick of the Ersatz Realm burned out. And now, instead of you being suspended here for eternity, the reverse will happen."
Chu Qiao received the Higanbana flower on her back. The light trickling down did not hurt her skin. Chu Qiao regained her powers but lost the Ersatz Realm forever.
The peasant girl, in tears, came closer and hugged her for the last time, whispering through her tears.
"We, the servants of the Ersatz Realm, will fade away like memories, memories you wish to recall but only find in dreams, then forget upon sunrise. We are all descending into the oblivion of time. The oracle states:
'The underworld powers will be unleashed and spent. We will imprison those who dare to step into these realms to keep the balance hidden from man. Until then, my lady, or shall we call you... Xinger.'"
Chu Qiao, speechless, bestowed her approval and wished the peasant girl a silent blessing. In a soft, voiceless sound, she said, "Very well, until then."
It was short, but it was vivid and filled with gratitude. Today, Chu Qiao faced a new dawn. She would meet Yuwen Yue not as Xinger, but in her true form, as the Leader of the Cloud and Wind underworld spies.
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