The Sovereign – Chapter 101

Volume Six: A Cold Rainy Night Buries the Famous Flower

Peak Confrontation

If we had known we would recognize each other like this, why did we have to wait until today?

Injured manor guards lay scattered across the courtyard, in complete disarray. The flower beds beside the courtyard had been shattered, with broken wood and stone fragments strewn across the ground, as if it had just experienced a war of the century.

“Female martial hero Qingyu barging into my Changning Manor, hurting my guards, this truly goes against the ways of a martial hero.” Ling Yu stood tall atop the stone lion, looking down at Yi Qingyu.

“Hmph, there’s no need to speak of martial honor with certain people. Where is Liu Zhu? Where is Liu Qianxun?” Yi Qingyu’s sharp gaze was like a sword, piercing straight at Ling Yu.

“This is the Changning Manor of Yu Kingdom. How dare you come and go as you please, demanding people as you wish? If I let you act so recklessly, how can I maintain authority in Yu Kingdom? Today, this palace cannot allow you to act so wildly.” Ling Yu stood proudly against the wind, her robes fluttering. Her mere words gave courage and spirit to the guards, as the injured helped each other stand.

“If that’s the case, then you can’t blame me.” Yi Qingyu suddenly leaped up, her body suspended in mid-air quick as lightning. Before anyone saw her move, the stone lion exploded, but Ling Yu keenly read her technique and dodged in time.

The manor guards were shocked, fearing for Ling Yu’s safety. Archers aimed at Yi Qingyu, while those with higher martial arts from the Shura Sect also arrived, even Lin Wuming and Ye Ming wanted to step in to protect Ling Yu.

Ling Yu’s feet moved like the wind, her body light as a swallow, floating to the rooftop. Looking down at everyone, she commanded: “Today, this palace wishes to exchange martial arts with the great senior sister of Tiancang Pavilion, Martial Hero Qingyu. No one is allowed to interfere.”

At her command, the archers immediately lowered their □□, retreating to standby like a well-trained army.

Yi Qingyu paid no attention to these soldiers. Like a hurricane, she suddenly moved to the rooftop, facing off against Ling Yu from east to west. Her eyes flashed with coldness, yet her lips curved slightly, “Ling Changning, don’t think that just because you used Tiancang Pavilion’s inner techniques to change your moves, I wouldn’t recognize them.”

“Truly worthy of being Tiancang Pavilion’s former candidate for sect leader. Even though I’ve tried my best to hide my inner power, you still saw through it.” Ling Yu’s martial arts never revealed her sect affiliation and had no traceable origin, but Yi Qingyu had studied martial arts for thirty years. Even though Ling Yu was naturally gifted and had created her own style, she couldn’t escape Yi Qingyu’s experienced eye.

“Today I’ll let you taste what authentic martial arts is like.” Yi Qingyu suddenly spread her arms like wings, soaring like a crane to the heavens. Ling Yu also leaped up, both of them flying through the air. Ling Yu’s palm swept down from above, while Yi Qingyu’s palm force cut like a blade as they exchanged moves.

Their palms faced each other through the air, their powerful inner force pushing each other apart. Yi Qingyu landed steadily, while Ling Yu stepped back several paces, her right foot firmly pressing the ground to stabilize herself. She kicked up her left leg toward the roof, sending tiles flying into the air. Her hands controlled the wind, using inner force to turn the debris into weapons hurled at Yi Qingyu. How could Yi Qingyu be hit so easily? As soon as Ling Yu’s technique came out, she responded with the same move, lifting half the roof’s tiles.

In an instant, the sound of “pili-pala” (onomatopoeia for crashing) echoed throughout Changning Manor. The debris collided and shattered in the air, forming secondary attacks, forcing both of them to fly backward to avoid being hit by the fragments.

Yi Qingyu’s martial arts were unfathomable. Ling Yu had never used her full strength against anyone before, but now even using ten-tenths of her power, she couldn’t gain any advantage. Yi Qingyu was even more surprised that someone as young as Ling Yu could possess such martial arts attainment, actually lasting more than ten moves without being defeated.

“Yi Qingyu’s power is too profound. If this continues, the Princess might lose,” Lin Wuming watched anxiously. Since Ling Yu wouldn’t let them intervene, no one dared to move a step.

“I don’t think so. Even if the Princess can’t win, she won’t lose easily. At least Yi Qingyu won’t win without difficulty,” Ye Ming observed calmly, not worried about Ling Yu.

Their battle was truly a peak confrontation, leaving everyone dumbfounded. The subordinates always knew the Crown Princess was skilled, but they never imagined she could fight so intensely with someone of Yi Qingyu’s caliber.

Yi Qingyu stood with her hands behind her back, her long robe dancing around her body, standing proudly against the wind. She stood majestically between heaven and earth, emanating a natural aura of authority, her cold expression making others fear to look at her. “Ling Changning, I have no wish to harm anyone. Just hand over Liu Zhu, and I’ll overlook your people’s crime of trespassing in the Loquat Forest, and might show mercy to your subordinates.”

“Martial Hero Qingyu overestimates herself. If you want to take someone from my Changning Manor, let’s see if you have the ability.” Ling Yu’s harsh tone enraged Yi Qingyu. Her face darkened instantly, and one could hear her bones cracking as she clenched her fists, her killing intent now stronger than before.

She let out a cold snort and stepped back twice, seemingly transforming into wind and vanishing. Everyone watched in fear as the black shadow suddenly disappeared from sight. Soon, they saw the towering tree in the courtyard break, its thick branches easily snapped by Yi Qingyu as she rode the tree trunk toward Ling Yu.

Ling Yu remained calm, steadily lifting her feet from the ground to walk on air. She gathered her inner force from her dantian (energy center located below the navel in Chinese martial arts), channeling it between her palms to meet Yi Qingyu’s tree-riding attack head-on.

Yi Qingyu showed no mercy as both of them pressed against opposite ends of the tree trunk, competing with their inner force in a decisive clash. Under pressure from both sides, the tree branches finally shattered and broke. Ling Yu, hit by the powerful impact, almost fell but managed to keep her footing. Yet Yi Qingyu gave her no chance to breathe, already launching her second attack. Lin Wuming cried out in terror, “Princess, be careful!”

Ling Yu quickly steadied herself. Seeing this palm strike was unavoidable, she could only fight with all her might, once again gathering her strongest inner force to strike back at Yi Qingyu.

Just then, Mo Feng and others drove Liu Zhu’s carriage into Changning Manor. When Liu Zhu entered the courtyard with them, she saw Yi Qingyu and Ling Yu exchanging moves. In panic, she cried out almost instinctively, “Ah Yu~”

Yi Qingyu’s advancing step halted, and her striking hand withdrew. She turned around in a daze, wanting to confirm if the person calling her was the one who had haunted her dreams and thoughts.

At the moment when both were using their full strength, inner force once released was hard to retract. Ling Yu had already struck, but Yi Qingyu had stopped. She frantically tried to withdraw, but it was too late – only half the inner force could be pulled back, while the other half struck Yi Qingyu violently.

The powerful inner force hit the completely unguarded Yi Qingyu, her body floating into the air like duckweed, falling straight toward the ground. Before landing, she saw Liu Zhu’s gaze, those gentle features and that mild, elegant bearing – who else could it be but the Liu Zhu she had longed for day and night?

Yi Qingyu seemed to forget she had taken a fatal hit, her off-balance body falling without any protection. She crashed heavily, her body rolling several feet from the impact until hitting a broken stone table. She felt her heart meridians rupture, her five organs and six bowels churning in pain, her true qi chaotically scattered and uncontrollable.

“Ah Yu!!” Liu Zhu froze, her feet as if chained by iron, wanting to run to Yi Qingyu but lacking even the strength to move. She could only stand there stiffly with outstretched arms, her arms meant for Yi Qingyu remaining empty as she watched her crash heavily. Liu Zhu felt her heart suddenly wrench in pain.

Her heart, following Yi Qingyu’s fall, was violently struck, like turbulent waves in her chest, surging endlessly. The uncontrollable panic and unstoppable pain swept through her entire body.

This feeling of powerlessness, this helplessness in despair was more painful than when she had fallen from the cliff. Why? She had imagined their reunion countless times, had even thought about never meeting again, but why did they have to recognize each other in such circumstances?

It was she who had harmed Qingyu!

How could Yi Qingyu care about the surging true qi within her body? She stumbled to her feet, looking at Liu Zhu’s eyes, suddenly flashing with joy yet seeming disbelieving. Ah Ying without her mask, the Ah Ying who had been by her side all along, the Ah Ying who had stirred compassion in her heart, was her beloved Liu Zhu!

She moved forward step by step, unaware of the fresh blood flowing from her mouth, the crimson spreading to her neck. Her eyes slowly filled with tears, her trembling lips wanting to call out that name, but her voice failed due to choking and severe injury.

“Ah Yu…” Liu Zhu clenched both hands, struggling to lift her legs to walk toward Yi Qingyu, but her body betrayed her. The emotional turmoil triggered her physical discomfort, her lung illness striking at this inopportune moment. Her legs gave way, and she fell to the ground.

“Aunt Liu~” Ling Yu descended gracefully, seeing Liu Zhu’s illness attack, she stepped forward to help her up. However, Yi Qingyu mistakenly thought she was going to grab Liu Zhu and roared: “Don’t touch her!”

She was like a dragon whose reverse scales had been touched (meaning to provoke someone’s most sensitive spot), suddenly rising into the air as if treading on floating clouds. Her palms extended in all directions, countless light and shadows folding, appearing like the Thousand-Armed Guanyin (Buddhist deity of mercy). Everyone felt cold winds sweeping through the courtyard, as if a violent storm was approaching.

Ling Yu felt that terrifying inner force, turned to look at Yi Qingyu, her pupils dilating as she sensed something was wrong, “Oh no, the Thousand Sorrows Palm!” (a powerful martial arts technique)

As soon as the words fell, the giant palm formed by Yi Qingyu’s inner force pressed down like rain. She hurriedly resisted with her strongest inner force, but her body was like an egg hitting stone (metaphor for a hopeless mismatch), easily knocked away. She felt as if her internal organs were being torn apart, her true qi surging, blood slowly flowing from her mouth.

“Princess!” “Princess!” Lin Wuming and Ye Ming called out in unison, both flying out almost simultaneously, supporting the swaying Ling Yu from left and right.

After unleashing the palm strike, Yi Qingyu’s body completely collapsed, like jade burning with the stones (meaning to perish together), using her last inner force to release this killing move. She had never used this Thousand Sorrows Palm before, because it hurt the user more than the enemy.

She felt so tired, her body growing heavier, but she hadn’t reached Liu Zhu’s side yet. Even though her legs were trembling, her eyes hadn’t left Liu Zhu for half a moment, not even daring to blink – what if in that blink of an eye, she disappeared? What if this was another South Branch Dream (reference to a famous Chinese story about a dream that seemed real but vanished upon waking)?

But she still fell. Even so, she still supported herself on her hands and feet, crawling toward Liu Zhu.

Liu Zhu shook her head repeatedly, hating her body’s weakness. She propped herself up and slowly moved forward, wanting to reach out and touch Yi Qingyu, wanting to embrace her immediately. Her Qingyu had never fallen before, and that crimson at the corner of her mouth pierced Liu Zhu’s heart.

Ling Yu watched them both, one terminally ill, one severely injured, yet still gazing at each other so devotedly. Though only a foot apart, they were using their lives to get closer to each other – truly only love could transcend everything. She was inexplicably moved, yet also inexplicably bitter. She pushed away Lin Wuming and Ye Ming, walked to Liu Zhu’s side, and enduring her body’s intense pain, helped her to Yi Qingyu’s side.

“Ah Yu~” Liu Zhu finally reached Yi Qingyu’s side with Ling Yu’s support. “Ah Yu, Ah Yu, how are you?” She frantically wiped Yi Qingyu’s mouth, so much blood, too much blood! Just how severe were her injuries!

Yi Qingyu looked at Liu Zhu, tears spreading to her eyes, looking at Liu Zhu but too choked up to speak. Liu Zhu painfully wiped the blood from Yi Qingyu’s mouth, but couldn’t clean it all away as Yi Qingyu’s injuries were too severe, blood continuously flowing from her mouth. Liu Zhu bit her lower lip, tears falling like rain, her hands covered in blood, looking at Yi Qingyu and sobbing softly.

“Are you really Zhu’er? Tell me this isn’t a dream, this isn’t my dreamscape.” Yi Qingyu held Liu Zhu’s blood-covered hands, placing them on her chest, wanting to feel her warmth.

“It’s not a dream, not a dream, I’m by your side, Ah Yu, I’m right here by your side, touch me, I’m Zhu’er.” Liu Zhu looked at Yi Qingyu, emotions no longer containable, pressing her forehead against Yi Qingyu’s, gently caressing her face, “I’m sorry, Ah Yu, I’m sorry.”

“It’s Zhu’er, it’s Zhu’er’s warmth.” Yi Qingyu’s breath was as thin as a thread, she held Liu Zhu’s face, her eyes tender as water, her killing intent and aura gone, leaving only endless gentleness.

“If I had known getting injured would make you recognize me, I should have coughed up blood earlier~ *cough cough*~” Yi Qingyu felt her strength failing, using all her energy just to speak each word, but she didn’t want Liu Zhu to blame herself, still trying to tease her.

“Don’t say such things. Ah Yu, how are you? Tell me where it hurts. You’ve suffered severe internal injuries, haven’t you? You’ve coughed up so much blood, really so much blood.” Liu Zhu spoke incoherently through her sobs, her emotions never having been so out of control before, her chest aching dully.

“I’m not in pain. What in this world could be more painful than losing you…” As she spoke these words, two streams of hot tears burst from Yi Qingyu’s eyes, as if suppressed for a long time. The emotional surge caused her true qi to churn again, bringing a sweet metallic taste to her throat as blood continued flowing from her mouth.

“Ah Yu, how are you, how are you?” Liu Zhu wiped her mouth corner with short, urgent breaths. She was so panicked she didn’t know what to do, having never seen Yi Qingyu so severely injured, feeling completely helpless. It was all her fault – if they knew they would recognize each other sooner or later, why wait until today?

Ling Yu, also injured in her heart meridians from the Thousand Sorrows Palm, gently wiped the blood from her mouth corner. Her eyes reflected their deep affection, and thinking of Liu Qianxun, her heart ached subtly. The sudden emotion caused a bone-deep pain in her chest.

“Ugh~” Fresh blood flowed from her mouth, dropping to the ground like a blooming red spider lily.

“Arrest them!” Lin Wuming angrily called out, Ling Yu’s severe injuries causing him intense heartache, his hands trembling as he supported her.

The manor guards split in two, half protecting Ling Yu, the other half surrounding Yi Qingyu and Liu Zhu. Even the archers had their arrows aimed at the two, waiting for orders.

Liu Zhu bravely stood in front of Yi Qingyu, facing everyone with her fragile body, without any fear, “If you want to kill her, you’ll have to kill me first.”

Her hoarse voice was low and weak, but the stubborn spirit in her bones had grown even stronger since meeting Yi Qingyu. She supported Yi Qingyu, but suddenly her illness struck – the stubborn disease accumulated in her lungs dragged down her body. She felt a wave of dizziness but was steadily supported by Yi Qingyu.

“Don’t worry, she… she can’t hurt me.” Despite her severe injuries, Yi Qingyu’s aura hadn’t diminished at all.

“Yu’er…” Liu Zhu weakly called Ling Yu’s name, her pale lips completely bloodless. Ling Yu stopped her steps, beneath her city-toppling beauty (traditional Chinese phrase describing exceptional beauty), her face gradually turning white, her originally rosy lips now dotted with specks of blood.

She squinted at the two of them, the smile at her lips deepening, making her intentions unfathomable.

“Don’t hurt her.” Liu Zhu looked at Ling Yu, arms slightly spread, steadfastly standing in front of Yi Qingyu.

“I never intended to hurt her. She’s the one who came charging in to find you without distinguishing black from white.” (meaning without understanding the situation) Ling Yu’s eyes were cold and clear. She walked closer to Liu Zhu, then looked at Yi Qingyu, suddenly smiling, “Having had the chance to battle with Martial Hero Qingyu today, I have no regrets in this life!”

“Could it be that you didn’t capture Zhu’er?” Yi Qingyu asked in return.

“No, Ah Yu… she…”

“Aunt!” Just as Liu Zhu tried to explain, Ling Yu interrupted her. She didn’t like others making excuses for her – whether she did it or not, it didn’t matter.

She looked at Liu Zhu, her expression becoming gentle, her smile remaining, “Today this palace will give face to Martial Hero Qingyu. You may leave.”

“Princess!” Lin Wuming stomped his foot in anger – after being injured so severely, she was still letting them leave.

Ling Yu glared at him, while the manor guards looked at each other in confusion, unsure whether to withdraw or not.

“Does this palace need to say it twice?” Ling Yu’s breath was much weaker from her severe injuries, but when she barked at everyone with her fierce tone, still no one dared to disobey. Everyone put away their weapons, clearing a path for the two.

“Thank you~” Liu Zhu supported Yi Qingyu, “Let’s go.”

Yi Qingyu gazed deeply at Ling Yu for a moment, nodding slightly at her with a hint of a smile.

One seriously ill, one severely injured, the two almost leaned on each other as they walked forward. As they neared the gate, they heard Ling Yu call out, “Aunt.”

Liu Zhu turned around. Ling Yu stepped forward twice, her eyes reflecting countless worries – this would probably be the last time they’d see each other. Ling Yu nodded slightly, “Take care…”

“You too.”

Finally, Liu Zhu and Yi Qingyu gradually disappeared from Ling Yu’s sight, everything slowly moving away from her.

“Sect Leader, letting Liu Zhu leave like this, how will you control the Tower Master? With the great battle approaching, her whereabouts unknown, and now you’ve let Liu Zhu go – do you really need to push her away to be satisfied?” Lin Wuming truly felt it wasn’t worth it for her.

It seemed as if she had done all the bad things in this world, only to be cursed and blamed in the end, yet who had ever tried to see things from her position?

“This palace has the mother parasite, what is there to fear?” Ling Yu turned around with her weakened body, letting out a deep sigh. Perhaps she had ulterior motives at first, but she never intended to harm Liu Zhu, because she was Xun’er’s mother…

“Sect Leader! The Tower Master abandoned you, yet you needn’t be so lenient with her. Even a mere consort from Ji Kingdom can freely break into Changning Manor – if this gets out, where will your face be?”

“Silence! This palace needs not explain her actions to you. Dare to speak more and leave Changning Manor immediately.” Ling Yu said angrily. Let them all leave – anyway, she didn’t care if one more person left.

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