The Sovereign – Chapter 76

Volume Four: Opulent Splendor Like a Dream, Waters Flow East

Unspoken Heartache

When did it begin, that I no longer had any feelings for you?

“What happened to your hand?” Liu Qianxun noticed the fresh blood on Ling Yu’s palm and hurriedly approached her. She gently opened Ling Yu’s hand to reveal a thin, deep wound across her palm. The wound had been reopened by her fingertips, exposing flesh. Liu Qianxun quickly took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the blood. Ling Yu felt no pain, only staring intently at Liu Qianxun with a smile. “It’s just a sword practice injury, nothing serious.”

“You never use a sword. How could you be practicing with one?” Liu Qianxun furrowed her brow slightly. With Ling Yu’s martial arts skills, how could she be injured by a sword?

Ling Yu took a deep breath, feeling pain throughout her body as she inhaled. But she suppressed her emotions, which eventually turned into a faint smile. “I created a new sword technique. I’ll teach you later…”

“When would I have time to learn? Can’t you be more careful?” Liu Qianxun replied casually, all her attention focused on the wound. She couldn’t help but scold Ling Yu.

“A small wound is nothing.” Ling Yu smiled seductively. Only when facing Liu Qianxun would she smile so often.

But now her smile always carried a hint of bitterness. Who could notice the loneliness and desolation hidden beneath her smile?

“Does it hurt?” Liu Qianxun held her hand, full of concern.

Ling Yu felt a warmth in her heart, followed by an excruciating pain. Her pupils contracted slightly as she answered, “It hurts, it really hurts, Xun’er~”

She had never felt such pain before. From the moment she decided to implement this “beauty trap” plan, she had been sad, hesitant, and doubtful. But now, experiencing these emotions was like being pierced by thousands of arrows, a pain she could barely control.

“If it hurts, be more careful next time. A sharp blade can help you hurt others, but it can also hurt you.” Liu Qianxun didn’t look up, not wanting to meet Ling Yu’s gaze at that moment, fearing it might be too intense or too cold, as it had been for years.

“Indeed, some swords are double-edged, hurting the enemy while also hurting oneself.” Ling Yu and Liu Qianxun’s conversation was laden with hidden meanings and implications.

Liu Qianxun’s lips twitched, but she remained silent. Was she the sword? Perhaps. But Ling Yu had always been like an impenetrable fortress. When had she ever been pierced? She had never shown weakness, never admitted defeat, always remaining high above, untouchable. She was proud and lonely, never revealing her true self, so Liu Qianxun could never truly enter her heart.

“Do you feel heartache for me, Xun’er~?” Ling Yu gazed at her, longing for her answer. When had she become so insecure?

“I think Lin Wuming and He Xi would be more concerned about you.” Liu Qianxun wrapped the wound with the silk handkerchief, but Ling Yu grabbed her hand, holding it tightly. Her hand no longer felt any pain, only her heart felt as if it were being sliced into pieces.

Even if the pain was unbearable, she wouldn’t show it. Ling Yu held Liu Qianxun’s hand tightly, feeling the warmth of her palm. She indulged in this moment briefly before slowly letting go.

She composed herself and calmly said, “The brush, ink, paper, and inkstone are ready. Go draw the military deployment map.”

“Yes.”

Everything returned to how it was before, so reasonable yet so cruel. She was a chess piece, a tool to carry out missions, Ling Yu’s capable subordinate. And Ling Yu only cared about these things.

Liu Qianxun closed her eyes, trying to recall the contents of the military map she had seen that night. Suddenly, memories of her intimate encounter with Qin Junlan appeared in her mind, causing her heart to skip a beat and disrupting her thoughts. She quickly shook her head, trying to avoid unnecessary memories and emotions, but Qin Junlan kept appearing in her mind.

Despite this, she managed to complete the map in half an hour, relying on her exceptional memory. She recorded in detail the number of troops in each border city, the capital’s garrison, the number of troops stationed outside, and who commanded them.

“I’ve obtained the military deployment map, but I haven’t seen the 《Military Strategy Treatise》 yet. I’ll find it as soon as possible.” Liu Qianxun handed the completed map to Ling Yu. Ling Yu opened it and examined it, a slight smile appearing on her lips. “This comes at just the right time. There’s no rush for the 《Military Strategy Treatise》. Just act as the situation demands.”

Remembering the impending diplomatic relations between the three kingdoms, Liu Qianxun asked, “Ling Yu, why do you want to enter the Qi Imperial Palace and create such a commotion by allying with the other two countries?” She couldn’t understand Ling Yu’s actions, which seemed to have no benefits.

“It’s for you. I want to enter the palace to be with you~” Ling Yu’s sweet words sounded too good to be true. Liu Qianxun didn’t believe her at all. Such a grand scheme just for her? She frowned slightly, “I’m asking you seriously.”

“And I’m answering you seriously~” Ling Yu’s smile didn’t fade. Under her phoenix-like eyes, there was an added touch of tenderness, captivating the heart.

When had she restrained her temperament? Liu Qianxun hadn’t even noticed. But now she no longer had many emotions towards Ling Yu. They had been entangled for too long over the years; perhaps her heart was tired. After settling, there wasn’t a single ripple. She hadn’t realized that her heart had already been quietly stolen by another.

“I should go back.” Liu Qianxun didn’t respond and turned to leave. Ling Yu’s smile gradually faded, and she almost uncontrollably rushed forward, embracing Liu Qianxun.

“Ling Yu…” Liu Qianxun didn’t like this inexplicable intimacy and was about to break free when Ling Yu quickly said, “If there’s no news about the 《Military Strategy Treatise》 before I leave the palace, the mission will be aborted. You must retreat and leave with me.”

Liu Qianxun’s heart skipped a beat, as if struck by a heavy blow, feeling both flustered and pained. She clenched her jaw and tightened her grip on her clothes, calmly replying, “Yes, this subordinate takes her leave.”

Ling Yu released her embrace, and Liu Qianxun left resolutely, like a beam of light slowly disappearing from her sight. The light in her world seemed to be gradually dimming. She was sinking into a swamp, step by step.

What was it? Just heartache? Just like the wound on her hand, it would heal after the pain subsided. For a moment, Ling Yu wanted to hold her and say, “Come back, the mission doesn’t need to continue.” But she couldn’t do it. The moment she touched her body, there was a deep sense of distance, cold without a hint of warmth. It had been like this for years.

Ling Yu clenched her fist, gripping the silk handkerchief that had wrapped her hand. A stinging pain came from her hand. She picked up the military map on the table, feeling only bitterness in her heart. Was this thing, obtained at the cost of her chastity, really that important? For the first time, Ling Yu doubted her decision. She had never wavered or been shaken before, but this time her heart softened. She didn’t even know if this move was right or wrong.

“Sect Leader~” Lin Wuming’s voice sounded. Ling Yu put away the emotions she shouldn’t have and composed her face.

“Did you bring the item?” Ling Yu’s expression was slightly cold, her mood evident. In front of Lin Wuming, she didn’t bother to hide it.

“This is the military deployment map that Ghost Eye obtained from the Ministry of War.” Lin Wuming presented a map drawn on sheepskin. Ling Yu opened the one Liu Qianxun had drawn, and they stood side by side, comparing the contents one by one.

Little did Liu Qianxun know that when Ling Yu ordered her to obtain Qin Junlan’s military map, she had already instructed Ghost Eye to steal the master map from the Ministry of War. Before she even began her mission, Ghost Eye had already delivered this map to Ling Yu’s hands.

“The contents are completely identical. The Sect Leader can trust the Tower Master now.” Lin Wuming breathed a sigh of relief. Ling Yu’s expression didn’t change much. “It’s not that I don’t trust her. I just don’t trust Qin Junlan. Such confidential information seemed too easy to obtain.”

Ling Yu had always been meticulous, maintaining a degree of suspicion towards everything. She firmly believed that in this world, there were no absolutes – no absolute trust, no absolute accuracy, and no absolute love.

Therefore, she had never fully trusted anyone, even Liu Qianxun. She always held back a bit.

“But it was thanks to the Sect Leader’s strategic planning, with both Ghost Eye and the Tower Master conducting double espionage, that we obtained it. Surely it can’t be fake?”

Ling Yu pondered for a moment, pointing at several cities and prefectures on the map, and said, “Send a few people to these places to investigate the military situation and verify if the troop numbers are truly as marked on the map.”

“The Sect Leader is wise. This way, we can reveal Qi’s covetous intentions towards the Yu, Luo, and Qing Kingdoms to the other two countries. Then, by uniting against Qi, we won’t have to fear the Red Armor Army.”

“Is that so? Would Qin Junlan be so careless?” Ling Yu let out a cold laugh, her eyes flashing with coldness.

Qin Junlan, the woman destined to be her lifelong rival, they were finally going to meet.

“Reporting to the Sect Leader~” A subordinate came to report. Ling Yu raised her eyes, “Speak~”

“The Nalan family head has arrived in Qi’s capital, just entered the city. The Jade Orchid King will arrive in two days.”

“She’s quite fast.” Ling Yu’s expression softened slightly, the gloom gradually clearing, her heart slowly brightening. Lin Wuming saw her return to her normal state and finally let out a sigh of relief. He was more accustomed to the smiling Ling Yu, even if her smile was always as mysterious as mist. It was better than her heavy expression.

He knew that very few things could make Ling Yu so sad, unless she was truly deeply hurt, with heartache too difficult to bear. Otherwise, what in this world couldn’t she solve? What emotions couldn’t she endure? Only love, only the one soft spot in her heart – Liu Qianxun.

“Sect Leader, shall we invite the Nalan family head for a meeting?” Lin Wuming always hoped that Nalan Qing’s appearance could alleviate Ling Yu’s mood. After all, in this world, Nalan Qing was the only one who could make Ling Yu lower her guard and status.

“No need. If she wants to find me, she will come on her own.” Ling Yu raised her head to look into the distance, a mischievous smile appearing on her face. This trip to Qi would not be in vain. She was determined to give Qin Junlan a grand gift.

On the ten-mile long street of Qi’s capital, prosperity abounded. On the spacious Qinghe Boulevard, a horse-drawn carriage came rushing by. It pushed people aside and ran over objects, without any order, not even slowing down when knocking down people by the roadside. The coachman whipped the horse desperately, urging it to go faster. A group of servants followed the carriage, running to keep up. The curtain of the carriage fluttered, occasionally revealing a noble young master sitting inside, clearly someone of wealth and status.

“Make way~ Make way~ Clear the road~” The coachman shouted while driving, but pedestrians couldn’t dodge in time, and many were knocked down. Not far ahead, a three or four-year-old child was picking up a pinwheel from the roadside. The carriage was speeding towards her, but the child hadn’t noticed. She was still smiling innocently, trying to retrieve her beloved toy, unaware of the approaching danger. The carriage was now just a few steps away, and she couldn’t avoid it. She only felt a huge object leaping over her head, the horse’s hooves raised high, about to crush her in the next moment.

“Child!!” “Watch out~~” No amount of shouting could save her in time. The child stared blankly at the descending horse hooves, not even realizing the danger. Everyone held their breath, witnessing the impending tragedy. Suddenly, a figure rushed forward. She moved as fast as lightning, her silhouette like the wind, scooping up the child from the ground while simultaneously striking the horse’s body with her palm.

The warhorse let out a long neigh, and the carriage instantly overturned. The young master inside rolled out, and the servants rushed forward in shock to help their master up.

“Where did this arrogant martial artist come from, daring to hurt my young master?” The coachman was about to curse loudly but froze in place. The one who had saved the child and overturned the carriage was actually a child herself, only about ten years old.

She wore a peacock blue long dress with a gauzy wrap, cinched at the waist with a brocade belt. Although young, her eyes carried a hint of coldness, and her whole being exuded an air of nobility. Her small frame seemed to contain immense energy. She smiled scornfully and said, “The horse was running so fast, I thought the carriage was empty. My apologies.”

With that, she shook her sleeves, still smiling, and was about to leave.

“Stop right there, you brat! You dare to hurt me and think you can just walk away? Catch her!” The young master’s face was full of anger. Having suffered such humiliation and falling in front of everyone, how could he easily let her go?

Hearing their master’s order, the servants all rushed towards the girl. Sensing people approaching from behind, the girl quickly dodged, nimbly blocking the attacks. They had thought catching a child would be easy, but the girl was as light as a swallow with excellent qinggong. Her footwork seemed to draw circles, as if her feet were suspended in mid-air. Although they could see her silhouette, they could never catch her.

Unable to catch her, the crowd angrily drew their swords and attacked her. She wasn’t to be outdone and pulled out a soft whip from her waist, about three feet long, which could be extended and retracted at will. It rose like a snake, flexible yet powerful. She was no match for the crowd, and after a series of attacks and defenses, she was forced to retreat to an oil paper umbrella shop.

Still childlike, she used her soft whip to hook an oil paper umbrella and threw it at the crowd. The umbrella blossomed in the air like heavenly maidens scattering flowers. The girl, unable to fend off so many opponents, gradually found herself in a dangerous situation.

“Ling’er, stop this nonsense.” Suddenly, an ethereal voice came from afar, sounding as if it were from the sky yet also right by the ear.

The oil paper umbrellas suddenly froze in mid-air, as if affected by a powerful attractive force, slowly blossoming. A figure in purple was seen stepping on the umbrellas, arriving like an immortal descending from heaven. She blended with the purple paper umbrellas, and beneath her flowing gaze was an innate noble aura, like a snow orchid in a deep valley. Her three thousand strands of jet-black hair were tied with a purple ribbon, with two locks hanging by her temples. A slight smile drew everyone’s attention. Since Hong Yuan, no one had been so stunningly beautiful.

She stood on tiptoe atop an umbrella, then lightly tapped it and flew gracefully, like a swimming dragon weaving through seven-colored clouds. She gently flicked her sleeve, appearing gentle but unleashing a powerful gust of wind. The young master and his group were knocked to the ground before they could react.

“Who are you?” the young master angrily shouted.

She smiled gracefully, landing beside the girl. With eyebrows like delicate feathers and teeth like pearls, she exuded elegance amidst her coolness. She spoke softly, “Nalan Qing.”

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