Volume One: If Life Were Only as It First Met
A Critical Moment
Why is there constant doubt?
In the dark moonlit night, where the wind was high, the night clothes blended into the darkness, and Ye Ming crouched on the roof observing the situation. The Prime Minister’s residence was brightly lit, with tight patrols. The guards held long spears, and the sentinels had sharp swords at their sides.
The security of the Prime Minister’s residence was so high, even the Prince’s residence did not have such a display. This showed the immense power of the national uncle. Ye Ming took out the map of the Prime Minister’s residence provided by the Shura Sect scouts. In such a large mansion, if one were to search for secrets, it would inevitably be in the Prime Minister’s study or bedroom.
Ye Ming’s Qinggong was remarkable, allowing her to sneak in during the night without being noticed. She leaped up, her figure under the moonlight like a night owl, her movements agile, her posture light, yet able to quickly conceal herself.
She floated down from the eaves, lightly tapping the bricks and tiles, weaving through the Prime Minister’s residence, flying over the eaves and walls, without being noticed.
The study was dark. The Prime Minister had been dispatched to Luo Kingdom by the Empress and had not returned since. It was the perfect time to verify. There were two guards at the door, standing straight, guarding the entrance. If the tribute silver secret was related to the Prime Minister, this place might be a breakthrough.
Ye Ming moved like the wind. After the first round of patrols, she silently arrived at the study, picked up two small stones from the ground, pinched them with three fingers, and used her inner strength to make them fly out suddenly. The two guards trembled, their bodies were immobilized by the pressure point from afar, unable to move.
The lock of the study was forged from black iron. Ye Ming took out a long needle from her bosom and focused on picking the lock. Suddenly, she felt the air accelerate, and a powerful gust of wind came at her.
She hurriedly dodged, and the palm force affected the two guards, killing them on the spot. Ye Ming raised her eyes, seeing a man in black robe moving quickly towards her, his posture agile, with fire in his palm, attacking her.
Ye Ming drew out the Blue Spring Sword and used its sword energy to counter. The white halo of sword energy collided with the red palm wind, causing flowers and leaves to fly in the courtyard, gradually stirring up waves. The huge commotion alerted the guards, who arrived with bows and arrows aimed at her, with hundreds of arrows firing simultaneously. Ye Ming, like a whirlwind, used her sword energy to evade, blocking all the arrows.
The Prime Minister’s residence actually harbored martial arts experts. She had been too careless. Suddenly, a person in white robe flew over from the crowd of guards, gathering icy energy, and struck three palms in quick succession. Just as she was about to resist, the man in black also struck three palms. The black and white figures attacked simultaneously, their inner strength profound. Ye Ming exerted all her strength to resist but ultimately could not match the two. The powerful inner strength knocked her out ten feet away, making her feel a strong impact on her internal organs.
Black Shura Sect! Ye Ming was astonished; it turned out to be an evil faction from the Jianghu. The black and white pair were renowned masters of the Fierce Heart Palm and Cold Sound Palm.
Ye Ming supported herself with the sword, her chest aching unbearably, a metallic sweet taste spreading from her mouth. Dressed in black night clothes, with half her face covered, she was hiding herself. That heavy blow just now had already disrupted her vital energy.
As the archers were about to shoot, a command was heard, “Capture them alive.”
All the guards, holding swords, rushed at Ye Ming. She fought back desperately, with one soldier after another falling before her eyes. However, internal injuries slowed her reactions, and the guards kept coming like a flood. She was overwhelmed, her arms and legs were wounded by swords. If not for the order to capture her alive, she might have already been buried under a rain of arrows.
Ye Ming’s hand gripping the sword trembled slightly, fresh red blood flowing down her arm to the sword hilt. Her chest and back were already wounded by swords, her breathing growing heavier, with pain spreading throughout her body. She had fought with all her strength but had reached the end of her endurance.
“Subdue her!” The guards surged forward. She knew her end was near. As a person from Shura Sect, this day would come eventually. Even if she died, she would never fall into others’ hands.
“Hmph!” She raised the sword to her neck, her eyes showing desolation but fearless. She only regretted not being able to see Hong Yuan again.
She tightened her grip, just as she was about to commit suicide, at a critical moment, her hand suddenly felt pain. The precious sword fell from her hand. A person in black clothing descended from the sky, performing a technique called “Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers,” causing a row of guards to fall instantly.
Ye Ming was overjoyed. Those sharp, frost-like beautiful eyes belonged to Hong Yuan. This technique was her unique skill; who else could it be but Hong Yuan?
Hong Yuan glanced at Ye Ming, lifted her with one hand, lightly kicked, and the precious sword flew up. Ye Ming caught it steadily. It was as if Ye Ming had been replenished; her body was once again filled with strength, and she temporarily forgot the pain. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Hong Yuan, her gaze was sharp.
The guards were like water, their long spears and armor gathering densely. Hong Yuan’s inner strength was astonishing; she controlled the flowing air with the wind, and the weapons could not approach her at all. She lightly turned her arm, and the long spears of the front row soldiers broke instantly. She then countered with her palms, redirecting the spearheads to stab directly into the soldiers’ hearts.
She handled it with ease and was about to take Ye Ming away when the black and white pair attacked Hong Yuan together. Hong Yuan reversed her energy, her figure elegantly turning to avoid the deadly strike.
Behind her, Ye Ming fought with the guards again. The black-robed Fierce Heart Palm was fiery like flames. Hong Yuan flicked her fingers lightly, crossing her arms, and the sharpness gradually rose in her hands. The powerful true energy collided with the fierce palm, and the two were engaged in a contest of inner strength. The white-robed person took the opportunity to strike, and Hong Yuan used eighty percent of her inner strength, freeing her other hand to contend with the white-robed figure. The three became locked in a confrontation of inner strength.
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Although it was two against one, Hong Yuan appeared not to be struggling at all. The black and white pair were astonished by Hong Yuan’s inner strength, as she could evenly match them both. Ye Ming was very worried, having experienced the skills of those two herself. She fought off the guards and came forward with her sword. The black-robed figure was distracted, and Hong Yuan took the opportunity to use all her inner strength, forcing the black-robed figure to withdraw his palms. The white-robed figure took advantage and struck Ye Ming.
Hong Yuan swiftly dodged, blocking in front of Ye Ming, and was hit by the white-robed figure.
“Tower…” Ye Ming’s eyes widened. She wanted to call out but could not bear to speak. Hong Yuan took the chance to throw a ground explosion, and with Ye Ming, escaped from the Prime Minister’s residence amidst the thick smoke using her Qinggong.
The Prime Minister’s residence was in the south, while Suyuan Tower was in the west. Hong Yuan, carrying the severely injured Ye Ming, easily evaded the search lines and left misleading clues along the way.
Danger pervaded the dark night, and the Prime Minister’s residence immediately launched a large-scale search. With her exceptional Qinggong, Hong Yuan rescued Ye Ming effortlessly.
Mujin waited anxiously, and the divine doctor in the tower was already prepared. Everyone opposed Hong Yuan rescuing Ye Ming alone, but no one could defy her orders.
“Treat her wounds.”
Hong Yuan returned to the underground palace and immediately handed Ye Ming over to Mujin. The divine doctor at Suyuan Tower was Ge Qi, who was known for his profound medical skills despite being the shopkeeper of the tower.
“Doctor Ge, you must take a look quickly,” Mo Feng, standing by, was extremely anxious, feeling tormented inside.
Ye Ming was covered in blood. It was unclear where she was injured or how many sword wounds she had. Her pupils were gradually dilating, but her hand was still tightly gripping the treasured sword, and her eyes remained fixed on Hong Yuan.
“Don’t panic,” Ge Qi calmly took her pulse and peeled back her eyelids to examine her.
“How is it, Doctor Ge?” Mujin asked anxiously. Ge Qi took out a golden needle and inserted it into Ye Ming’s shoulder.
Ye Ming was able to slightly draw in breath and raised her hand with difficulty, looking at Hong Yuan with concern.
“Tower Master…”
Hong Yuan had already removed her night clothes, but her face was as pale as frost, devoid of any color. Despite her maximum strength, she still couldn’t withstand the chaotic true energy.
“Ha~” Blood spilled from her mouth.
“Sister!” Mujin was greatly alarmed. Ge Qi, quick to act, supported Hong Yuan and noticed her hands were cold, her lips were cool, and her body was starting to shiver slightly. He quickly took her pulse and, astonished, asked, “Did you get hit by Cold Sound Palm?”
“The subordinate deserves death; Tower Master risked her life to save me…” Ye Ming’s breath was weak, but she had no time to consider herself, her mind wholly focused on Hong Yuan’s injuries.
“It’s nothing,” Hong Yuan said as she slowly rose, lightly wiping the corner of her mouth. With an untroubled demeanor, she always appeared fearless.
“Ah…” Ge Qi sighed lightly and shook his head helplessly.
Those struck by the Cold Sound Palm experience a range of symptoms. Mild cases have the cold energy enter the body, causing symptoms similar to severe wind chill, such as fever, weakness, and fatigue. Severe cases harm the internal organs, and rather than being a mere chill, it is more of a cold poison. The antidote is complex, and it is crucial that Hong Yuan would never agree to that kind of treatment.
“Tower Master, why did you risk your life to save the head?” Mo Feng was puzzled. Did he misunderstand the Tower Master? In reality, she was not as cold-blooded as she seemed. He suddenly regretted his previous misconceptions about Hong Yuan.
“Mujin, go guard the Ziyun Pavilion; I’m uneasy.” Ye Ming felt that she had caused trouble for Hong Yuan and couldn’t rest easy.
“This…”
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“Don’t worry, I’m here. Quickly go and take care of Tower Master.” Mo Feng supported Ye Ming, and Mujin nodded before hurriedly heading towards Ziyun Pavilion.
At the fourth watch, with dawn approaching, Hong Yuan remained sitting cross-legged. She used internal force to adjust her breathing, trying to expel the cold energy. Sweat beads slid from her forehead to her collarbone as her internal true energy ran wild. No matter how much she focused, it was difficult to recover.
As the sun rose, Mujin prepared a tub of hot water for Hong Yuan. She soaked in the hot water, feeling the clash between the heat and the cold energy inside her body.
The warm pool’s water flowed down from the outdoor hot spring, passing through the wall and into the pool. It was in this pool that she first met Qin Junlan.
Hong Yuan slowly opened her eyes and saw Qin Junlan rising from the pool. The Emperor generally had court sessions every three days; today was another day after the court session. She wondered if Qin Junlan would come to find her today.
“Sister~” Mujin walked to the warm pool and stood behind the screen.
“Is Qin Junlan here again?” Every time she thought about her, she would appear.
“Yes, she is followed by Bai Ruoxi.”
“Find a way to send her away, just say I have caught a cold.”
“Understood.”
Since returning to Jidu, Bai Ruoxi had been like a sticky plaster, clinging to her as long as Qin Junlan was not attending court or dealing with state affairs.
“Miss Chaoyan, the young lady is not feeling well today; you should come another day.”
“What happened to her?” Qin Junlan immediately became anxious. It had only been a few days; how could she have fallen ill?
“Infected with a cold, feeling unwell.”
“I promise not to disturb her. Can I just have a quick look at her?” Qin Junlan was somewhat anxious. The more she was refused a meeting, the more she worried that there was another hidden reason. She even feared that the reason for not seeing her was not due to illness but something else, or perhaps, a visitor? In an instant, Qin Junlan thought of many possibilities.
“Sister, the person has already said she doesn’t want to see you. You still want to look? Let’s go.” Bai Ruoxi was more than happy. Seeing Qin Junlan visit Suyuan Tower repeatedly made her unhappy from the start.
To be refused so many times and still begging to see her? Is there something wrong? Had Emperor Sister ever behaved this way?
“Stop making a fuss!” Qin Junlan gave her a light glare. Li Yue hurriedly pulled Bai Ruoxi aside and whispered, “Don’t anger the Emperor at this time. You must listen to her when you come out, otherwise, you won’t be allowed to follow next time.”
“Hmph, just trying to scare me.” Bai Ruoxi, though willful and relying on Qin Junlan’s favor, still feared the Emperor’s anger.
Mujin still wanted to try and stop them, but a voice from the inner room drifted out, “Chaoyan, wait a moment. Mujin, come in.” The voice was indeed weak. Qin Junlan clenched her hands, deeply worried.
In the inner room, Hong Yuan had changed clothes. Ge Qi had quietly arrived from the hidden chamber, applying needles to stabilize the chaotic true energy. She could not let Qin Junlan discover her internal injuries.
With Qin Junlan’s martial skills, she would be able to detect the disturbance in the pulse, whether it was due to illness or internal injury.
“Apply light makeup for me.”
Mujin helped her with her makeup and grooming, at least making her complexion look normal. Her thin lips were like silk, with a touch of rouge and powder concealing her pale and weak face.
After a moment, Hong Yuan’s complexion was covered by the makeup. To conserve her energy, she lay on the couch with her eyes slightly closed.
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“Have her come in, but don’t let anyone else in.” She did not want to hear Bai Ruoxi’s incessant chatter.
Hong Yuan could only maintain this state for half an incense stick’s time. She had to find a way to dismiss Qin Junlan. Otherwise, with the reversal of the blood flow and the loss of the needle’s efficacy, it would be easy to expose her condition.
Beneath the thin silk canopy, her form resembled a wilting flower, lacking the former brilliance. Seeing Hong Yuan like this, Qin Junlan’s heart sank. All the anticipation and pleasant feelings she had were turned to nothing.
“How did you fall ill?” She squatted by the bed, gently stroking Hong Yuan’s forehead and feeling a wave of cold. It was April; how could there be such a cold? Qin Junlan was puzzled and more concerned, but at this critical moment, she tried to set aside her doubts.
“It’s just a cold, cough cough~”
“How can one catch a cold in April? Don’t try to hide it from me.” Qin Junlan took her hand, her fingers probing her pulse. Though she wasn’t knowledgeable in medical pulse diagnosis, she could sense whether a person’s pulse was chaotic due to internal injury. Fortunately, it seemed normal. Perhaps she really was just an ordinary person.
“Do you know medicine? Or do you not believe what I say?” Hong Yuan withdrew her hand, deliberately showing displeasure. Qin Junlan’s caution was genuine; even while feeling pity for her, she still tried to probe, showing her depth of wisdom and thought.
“Know a little. I’m just worried about your health.” Qin Junlan exhaled deeply, relieved that it was merely a normal illness and not an internal injury from martial arts.
Heaven knows, she hoped more than anyone else that Hong Yuan was just an ordinary woman. Every time she tried to give up her suspicions, something special happened, rekindling her doubts. She wanted to be close to Hong Yuan but dared not, forever wavering in this boundless entanglement.
