"The Star Luo Imperial Family has a rule."
Zhu Zhuqing gathered her thoughts. "Princes who awaken the Evil-Eyed White Tiger Martial Soul automatically qualify to compete for the throne. When the time is ripe, they fight a final duel, and the winner inherits the throne."
"The loser is executed or imprisoned, and his fiancée is dealt with alongside him."
"He and I fell far behind because we were young."
"And then..."
Zhu Zhuqing's tone turned icy, even disgusted. "He ran away! He abandoned me and fled to the Heaven Dou Empire alone."
"Once he ran, I became a discarded pawn."
Zhu Zhuqing's voice was cold, but the fingertips clutching the bedsheet had turned white. "Dai Weisi and my sister, Zhu Zhuyun, joined forces to pressure me. I could barely breathe in the Nether Duke's Mansion."
"But I refused to accept my fate. I escaped!"
Zhu Zhuqing raised her eyes to Long Aoyu, her amber gaze full of defiance.
"I went to the Heaven Dou Empire to find him for one reason alone."
"I just wanted to ask him to his face why he hadn't left me so much as a word when he left. I'm his fiancée, but I had to hear about his departure from someone else."
Long Aoyu listened quietly to the end, his contempt for Dai Mubai deepening.
"That coward isn't worth all this."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him, her eyes reddening slightly, yet the corner of her mouth twitched. "I know. I lost faith in him long ago."
"But I still want to ask him to his face, if only to give myself an answer."
Long Aoyu looked into her eyes.
"What about after you ask him?"
"I don't know."
Zhu Zhuqing paused, then turned her head back toward Long Aoyu.
This time, her gaze lingered for a long while.
In those amber eyes, besides the moisture that had yet to fully fade, there was a feeling that defied description.
Long Aoyu met her gaze, then reached over and picked up the medicine bowl.
"Finish your medicine first."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him, the corners of her lips curving slightly. She took the bowl, lowered her head, and finished the medicine, then said softly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Long Aoyu took the empty bowl. "Just focus on recovering. It's safe here."
Zhu Zhuqing lay back down, nodded, and closed her eyes.
"Zhu Zhuqing."
"Hmm?"
"Do you like him?"
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head decisively. "No."
Long Aoyu nodded, then changed tack. "What about me?"
"Huh?"
Zhu Zhuqing froze.
In an instant, she recalled the moment before she lost consciousness-Long Aoyu's strong embrace...
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly felt her face burning. She turned her head away, her ears scarlet, her racing heartbeat impossible to suppress.
Seeing her reaction, Long Aoyu already had his answer.
"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes."
Zhu Zhuqing's ears grew even redder. After two breaths of silence, she gave a tiny, gentle nod, then immediately rolled onto her side.
Long Aoyu leaned back in his chair, watching the girl on the bed as the corners of his mouth rose.
The medicine room fell quiet for a while.
Leaning back in his chair, Long Aoyu thought for a moment, then broke the silence. "Since you'll be recovering here, you should at least know what this place is and who I am."
Long Aoyu's tone was casual, as though he were making small talk.
"This is the Body Sect, within the Heaven Dou Empire. I'm the Body Sect's Young Sect Master."
Zhu Zhuqing turned her face toward him and looked at him.
"My parents died when I was young. I have an older brother named Long Aotian, who's three years older than me. When I was three, Master brought my brother and me back to the sect."
The Body Sect...
A hidden sect?
But when Zhu Zhuqing heard that his parents had died young, her gaze shifted slightly.
"My parents are both still alive." Zhu Zhuqing's voice was flat, as though she were speaking of someone else's affairs. "But there's no family affection in the Nether Duke's Mansion."
"All these years, I've never felt that they were my parents."
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head. "In the Duke's Mansion, everyone only looks at your worth. Whether your Martial Soul is strong enough, what you can gain for the family, whether you're a burden."
"No one asks whether you're happy, whether you're tired, or whether there's anything you want."
"So there's nothing about that place I miss. I escaped because I couldn't breathe there, too."
Long Aoyu listened quietly to the end. "Then you can make this place your home from now on."
"There aren't many of us in the Body Sect, and we don't have many rules. No one will treat you like merchandise, either. You don't want to return to the Star Luo Empire anyway."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him, the lamplight flickering in her eyes.
She was moved beyond words.
After a long while, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly spoke. "Long Aoyu."
"Hmm?"
"Once I've recovered, could you come to Suotuo City with me?" Zhu Zhuqing's voice was very soft, carrying a trace of hesitation.
"Sure."
Long Aoyu nodded in agreement.
"I'll go with you once you've recovered. If you want to ask him to his face, I'll be there with you."
Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a while. "Thank you."
Then she added, even more quietly, "...Am I being foolish?"
"Why would you say that?"
Long Aoyu leaned back in his chair, cradling his head in both hands. "Everyone has things they need to settle. That's perfectly normal."
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes curved into a smile.
"All right, you've had your medicine." Long Aoyu stood up. "Get some rest. I'll be cultivating in the room next door. Call me if you need anything."
"Okay."
Zhu Zhuqing blurted out, "Get some rest yourself. Don't spend all your time cultivating."
"I know."
Long Aoyu turned and walked to the doorway, glanced back, and gently closed the door.
The next day.
Once daylight filled the sky, the sounds of the old physician moving about came from the medicine room next door. He had probably gone to check on Zhu Zhuqing.
Long Aoyu sensed her condition, confirmed that Zhu Zhuqing's breathing was steady, then continued to focus on cultivating.
Less than an hour later, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded in the corridor, followed by the door being flung open.
"Xiao Yu!"
Long Aotian stood in the doorway with Vina behind him, obvious excitement on both their faces.
Long Aoyu opened his eyes. Seeing the expressions on his brother's and sister-in-law's faces, he instinctively asked:
"What happened?"
"The elders are back!"
Vina's eyes shone. "Elder Wei and Elder Zhao, who were in the group that went to Sunset Forest, found a very unusual place."
"After discussing it, the elders unanimously agreed that it's very likely where the Immortal Herbs are!"
Long Aoyu's heart gave a violent leap, and he jumped straight off the bed.
Immortal Herbs?
Sunset Forest-that was right!
"Where are they?"
"In the assembly hall. The Sect Master has already called everyone over." Long Aotian turned and pulled his younger brother outside. "Come on, we'll talk on the way."
"Elder Wei and Elder Zhao brought back a rough map of the terrain. They said the place lies beneath a secluded cliff deep in Sunset Forest. The terrain is strange, and it's surrounded by a poison formation."
The moment Long Aoyu heard about the poison formation, he knew it was the right place.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well lay within the valley.
And the poison formation had undoubtedly been laid by Dugu Bo. It matched the original novel's description perfectly.
"The Immortal Herbs! If we snatch them first, Tang San and the others can forget about becoming gods!" Long Aoyu was rather excited, because he knew all too well what the Immortal Herbs could do.
As far as Tang San and the others' talent went, it actually wasn't particularly exceptional.
Or rather, their talent wasn't enough to win the favor of the gods and receive a godhood inheritance.
For them to become gods,
the Immortal Herbs had played a crucial role!
And now, the Immortal Herbs would fall into the hands of their Body Sect.
Before you continue