chapter 61

This road, she couldn't save anyone.

The sky was dimly lit, and Yue Zhiheng left the Yue residence in the Xuanwu carriage.

The wind was strong today, causing the Xuanwu carriage curtains to flutter wildly.

In his hand, he held a box that had been sealed for many years. Inside were two jade pieces—one was a child's learning jade token, clearly old and used for early literacy lessons. The other was half-carved, in the early stages of becoming a jade piece meant for a grown man's fate.

It was still early, and there were no common folk along the Fen River, only the frozen corpses of the dead.

After a long while, the box was thrown out, smashing through the ice surface as it sank deep into the bottomless river.

Yue Zhiheng didn't look back once.

The Xuanwu carriage continued forward, eventually stopping at a mansion with red gates and green tiles.

Qu Zhuxing sat in a wheelchair, pale and weak. He smiled as he called out to Yue Zhiheng, who gave him a brief nod.

Qu Lan Yue held an umbrella and gently ruffled her younger brother's hair before walking out of the house alongside Yue Zhiheng.

The two of them strolled along the frozen riverside. Since Yue Zhiheng came to find her at this time, and today wasn't a day for keeping things under control, Qu Lan Yue immediately understood that this wasn't good news.

"Where are we going this time?"

Yue Zhiheng replied, "Duo'e City. The Hundred-Kills Bud has appeared."

Qu Lan Yue suddenly raised her eyes.

The cold in her gaze grew heavier, and her fist tightened in her sleeve.

Twenty-six years ago, countless soldiers guarding the border fell, most of them bearing the surname Qu.

That year, the barrier broke, and the first ones infected by the evil energy were mostly the spirit cultivator soldiers guarding the border.

Her father had fought to defend the kingdom and the people, not letting the evil forces advance even a step. But in the end, the evil energy entered his body. Her mother received a letter and knew that the emperor would never agree to send the imperial spirit masters to the border. So, she took the family's spirit masters and joined with other good-hearted spirit masters to go and save the soldiers.

Qu Lan Yue remembered that day—it was as cold as today.

She was only seven, holding her youngest brother, hoping her mother would bring back her father and uncles safely. But all she received were one after another of tragic news.

At first, the brave rescuing spirit masters were mostly captured and brought to Duo'e City, and the few who weren't were cruelly killed by the evil forces. Her mother died in this battle.

The Spirit Emperor ordered all the city gates to be closed and set up magical formations to prevent the evil from entering. In the end, most of the soldiers were trapped outside the city. Her father, in pain, locked up the soldiers who couldn't be saved before they transformed.

Just before the transformation, General Qu lit the fire, taking the lives of his soldiers.

The following spring, spirit cultivators from the Immortal Sect went to save the imperial spirit masters. Eight-year-old Qu Lan Yue stood on the city tower, waiting day and night, hoping her father would return.

One month later, General Qu took his own life at the border.

It was almost laughable—such a brilliant general, loved by the people, didn't die in battle but died from a father's kindness, because of the Hundred-Kills Bud he had encountered.

Before Master Hong Yuan disappeared with the Hundred-Kills Bud, General Qu was the last person to have seen it.

Years later, Qu Lan Yue finally understood why her father had done this.

Only after dying beneath the barrier, with his remaining soul's memory left for the kingdom, would the Spirit Emperor not suspect him of colluding with the Immortal Sect, secretly hoarding the Hundred-Kills Bud with the intention of assassinating the emperor.

He succeeded. Qu Lan Yue and Qu Zhuxing survived.

The old butler held her hand. "From now on, you'll be the head of the family. The kingdom is a beast that devours people, and you must grow up quickly."

She looked at the common folk outside the city wall, at the nobility living in luxury within the city, wiping away the tears on her face.

The Qu family fell quickly. Qu Lan Yue practiced formation techniques every day, but only dared to conceal her skills.

Rumors about the Qu family's hidden treasures persisted, and Qu Lan Yue refused the title the Spirit Emperor posthumously gave her father, taking her younger brother to hide from the danger.

Eventually, even distant relatives began coveting the rumored treasure that could control life and death. She was chased to Fenhe County, where she was at her lowest point.

It was then that Old Master Yue saved her, sighing as he patted her shoulder.

That was the first time Qu Lan Yue had seen Yue Zhiheng. The sixteen-year-old boy followed behind the elderly man, like a sharp, emotionless sword.

Wherever he went, the people chasing her all fell.

Old Master Yue looked at the boy and said to Qu Lan Yue, "Girl, I know what you hate. Wait for him to grow up, and together, you'll crush this cruelty."

Qu Lan Yue remembered asking, "Do you guarantee success?"

Old Master Yue smiled and shook his head. "I can't guarantee it. Maybe even your lives will be lost. The Spirit Domain is in turmoil, evil forces are rampant, and soldiers have been buried. But some things, someone has to do, even if we fail in the end."

Now, many years later, Qu Lan Yue once again heard news of the Hundred-Kills Bud.

Such a thing, mixed with the Spirit Emperor's brutality and suspicion, had taken her father's life.

But Yue Zhiheng didn't wait for her to process her hatred. He coldly informed her of the Spirit Emperor's nearing twelve-fold spiritual pulse and said, "Find some time to kill your brother. If you can't do it, I will."

He spoke of patricide as if it were nothing more than eating or drinking. Qu Lan Yue couldn't even feel the pain of the past; she simply twitched the corner of her mouth. "Must it be like this?"

Yue Zhiheng said, "Do as you wish. You can handle his remaining soul, and Yue family's Changsheng Bud may still keep him alive."

He stepped through the snow. "If we fail and Qu Zhuxing falls into the hands of the Spirit Emperor, he won't even get the chance to live as a mortal."

Qu Lan Yue knew he was right. After a long silence, she nodded. "I'll handle it. But what about your sister?"

Compared to the difficult circumstances of the Yue family, Qu Lan Yue knew she was luckier. They couldn't bring the Hundred-Kills Bud back to the Spirit Emperor, and Yue Qingluo wouldn't survive.

This situation, from the very beginning, was destined to sacrifice countless lives.

Unlike Qu Zhuxing, Yue Qingluo was bound by a contract with the kingdom. Once she dies, her soul will scatter, with no chance of returning.

She wouldn't even get far.

Yue Zhiheng still remembered after coming out of the ancestral hall at sixteen, when Old Master Yue said: "I promised you that I would save her, and let her live as long as possible. But you must promise me that in the future, you must never betray the people of the world for her. Yue Zhiheng, your sister's life is precious, but so is the life of the common people. If necessary, I, the Yue family, will pave the way for this, and die without regret."

He was silent for a long while before nodding in agreement.

Qu Lan Yue thought of the mute girl and couldn't help but sigh.

Yue Zhiheng looked at the frozen river surface and thought about the conversation with the mute girl after sending Zhan Yunwei back last night.

He had asked her, after living in the kingdom for half a year, whether she would rather live a day freely.

The mute girl had paused for a moment before writing with determination on a piece of paper: "A Heng, I'd rather live happily for one day."

Yue Zhiheng looked at the crooked yet serious handwriting, and after a long silence, he replied: "Alright."

The wind grew stronger.

After a while, Qu Lan Yue asked, "What about Miss Zhan? What did you say to her?"

"No need to say anything."

Qu Lan Yue looked up at him and saw his indifferent, calm expression. "She will leave, and she will never come back."

All she needed to understand was that this road was one where no one could be saved.

Zhan Yunwei woke up early and saw the mute girl sitting by the window. It wasn't snowing outside; she was watching the falling snowflakes with a light smile on her face.

Zhan Yunwei said, "Qingluo, I think I saw Lord Yue last night."

Yue Qingluo nodded, confirming that she wasn't mistaken: "A Heng carried you back."

It wasn't a dream. Zhan Yunwei vaguely remembered speaking to him, feeling warmth in the wind and snow. "Is Lord Yue still at the manor?"

Yue Qingluo told her: "He left early this morning. Tomorrow, he will head to Duo'e City."

"Is that so?" Zhan Yunwei furrowed her brow. Yue Zhiheng was already leaving for Duo'e City so soon, which meant that she would have to send Yue Qingluo away today.

Yue Qingluo pointed to the bundle she had packed and pulled her up.

"Let's go, Wei Wei."

Zhan Yunwei asked, "Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye to him?"

Yue Qingluo nodded.

In fact, they had already said goodbye last night. She wasn't a fool. Since Yue Zhiheng had asked her like that, he had given her a choice.

If it were before, the mute girl wouldn't have understood what Yue Zhiheng meant. But now she did—she was destined to not survive.

This was also the first time she understood what her younger brother had to do.

The Hundred-Kills Bud couldn't be given to the Spirit Emperor, or else all those with noble intentions who could restore the Spirit Domain in the future wouldn't survive.

The mute girl was already very grateful to have lived for so many years.

Last night, after Yue Zhiheng stepped into the snowstorm, the mute girl only had one worry: it might make Zhan Yunwei feel guilty.

Yue Zhiheng paused in his tracks.

He coldly said, "It can also make her never come back."

After a long time, the mute girl nodded. She now knew that Zhan Yunwei was the one who had given her the jade token all those years ago, saving her life and helping her younger brother learn to read.

Yue Qingluo was grateful to her. Rather than hoping she would be with Yue Zhiheng, the mute girl wished for her to live long and peacefully.

Hope, the future, and a brilliant life—each of these was far more precious than a love destined to end without a result.

Zhan Yunwei saw that the mute girl was ready, and it happened that Yue Zhiheng wasn't at the manor.

The puppet from her senior brother had already been delivered yesterday, and everything was prepared. There was no more hesitation. She turned to the mute girl and said, "Let's go."

She only hoped that when Lord Yue found out the mute girl was missing, he wouldn't be too angry.

She knew the concern for loved ones. Before leaving, she made sure to visit Lord Yue's room and left a subtle hint to let him know that Yue Qingluo was fine.

Yue Qingluo silently watched her do these things, her eyes filled with a gentle affection.

In the back courtyard, a fire broke out, and Zhan Yunwei took the mute girl away from the Yue family.

By the time they boarded the Xuanwu carriage and took the appearance-changing pill, the Yue manor was far behind. Yue Qingluo's smile grew brighter and more vivid.

She lifted the curtain, looking at the Xuanwu carriage pass through the market, then make its way along a forest path. The sun had risen, and the birds perched on the branches. The vast Cang Mountain stood tall, its peaks dusted with snow—a beautiful sight.

Zhan Yunwei had never seen her so happy.

The journey wasn't urgent. When the mute girl asked if she could buy something herself, Zhan Yunwei nodded.

"Of course, you can do whatever you want, no need to ask anyone."

With the money she had, the mute girl bought many pastries, leaving only two pieces for herself and Zhan Yunwei. The rest she gave to the ragged children on the street.

The children cheered, their previously numb eyes now showing a spark of life. They ran home, eager to share the pastries with their families.

The mute girl also stopped by a street performance, captivated like a child, and listened to the opera for a long time.

Zhan Yunwei didn't urge her. In the end, it was the mute girl who reluctantly pulled her away.

As night fell, they moved further from Fenhe County.

The mute girl had already felt a dull pain in her chest, but she didn't speak, continuing on, leaving the place that had confined her life.

This was the first time she could use her own money to buy things, play with the children, and walk on any path she desired.

Zhan Yunwei couldn't help but wonder: had Lord Yue noticed the mute girl's absence? Had he seen the signal she left him?

She occasionally worried that a blue-faced ghost crane would appear in the sky, with an enraged Lord Yue atop it. But as night fell and no one pursued them, she raised her eyes and noticed Yue Qingluo's pale face. For some reason, she felt a sense of unease.