The Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda is located behind the main hall of the Xiangguo Temple.

Lights were lit between the pagodas, illuminating the Buddha statues placed on the pagoda bases with compassionate brightness in the dark night.

Qi Su used a sleeping potion to eliminate the warrior monks guarding outside the tower.

They entered the Stupa of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

Sure enough, a stone coffin was placed in the center of the first floor of the tower.

The Thousand Buddha Pagoda shines brightly, but the bottom level is shrouded in darkness.

Only near the stone coffin, a circle of white candles were lit.

Shen Qingyu approached the stone coffin, propped herself up with her hand, and peered inside.

"Come quickly and identify if this is your deceased husband's body."

Qi Su approached, her gaze falling on the fingers of the person in the coffin.

It was clearly a dead person; the limbs were stiff, and the finger bones were increasingly cold and pale.

Qi Su only looked at it for a moment before turning her gaze away.

Their gaze didn't even fall on the person's face.

The ring finger and index finger are of different lengths.

It's not Yun Wuyi at all.

Shen Qingyu: "Tsk tsk, so pitiful, smashed into a meat patty, a bloody mess."

Qi Su didn't say anything.

Shen Qingyu spoke again, her voice much closer now.

"Poor thing. What are you going to do? Take him away?"

Qi Su: "You're right. I shouldn't have left him lying here all alone."

When she bent down to touch the corpse.

The short knife behind him stabbed silently.

Qi Su, who was standing before me, had vanished like a wisp of mist.

Shen Qingyu let out a soft "Eh".

His tone was slightly disappointed, but not by much.

"You escaped again."

He quickly burst into laughter.

"It's okay, you're not going to escape today anyway."

Before he finished speaking, a rumbling sound came from beneath his feet, along with the clanging of armor clashing together.

The silver-armored guards, who had been waiting there for a long time, rushed out of the underground palace, wielding spears and shields.

The first floor of the pagoda was completely surrounded by people.

Shen Qingyu smiled at Qi Su amidst the surrounding silver-armored guards.

"Aren't you happy with so many people playing with you?"

Qi Su stood there, expressionless.

"Shen Qingyu, do you like this place?"

Shen Qingyu looked up at the pagoda wall.

Inside the carved holes are small Buddha statues, all looking down with compassionate expressions.

He chuckled.

"I like it. It's truly an honor for someone as wicked as me to receive the attention of all Buddhas."

Qi Su: "I'm glad you like it."

Shen Qingyu: "I prefer you lying here with me. Of course, it would be even better if the three of us could lie on the bed together, with your second husband by your side!"

He kicked the stone coffin.

"It's not this fake, it's the real one."

Qi Su: "You knew all along that it was fake?"

Shen Qingyu burst into laughter.

"Didn't you recognize him just now? But it doesn't matter. He has his own way of escaping, and we have our own way of playing along. Just wait and see, once we capture the Princess of Qishan, we'll know whether your Prince of Qishan will come to your rescue."

Qi Su shook her head.

"You've gone astray."

Shen Qingyu: "I'm inherently bad."

Qi Su: "You used to be purely bad, at least you were a pure person. Now that you're hanging out with that group of politicians, you've become greasy and vulgar, soaked in their poison."

Shen Qingyu spread her hands.

"It's okay. Once I get them to help me catch you, I'll break off all ties with them and clear my name."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, King Qishan, for the greater good, leaped from the city tower.

They protected all the monks of Ciyun Temple.

His body, on the surface, was taken to the Zhenfu Division by the Embroidered Uniform Envoy.

Secretly, it was placed inside the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda of the Daxiangguo Temple.

Spread messages through secret channels.

They're just waiting for those former rebels to walk right into their trap.

Unexpectedly, the first one to run into the net was the Princess of Qishan.

…

Qi Su rolled up her sleeves.

"Don't come any closer, everyone stay away. I'm scared."

He said he was scared, but his face showed eagerness to try.

A big shot has his own code of conduct; he can't just randomly kill his underlings.

But if they bring this upon themselves, then they can't blame me.

The silver-armored guards surrounded them, their armor and spears gleaming in the candlelight.

Thank you, you guys are really nice.

Then I won't be polite.

Qi Su stretched out her arms, revealing a murderous smile.

A sacred Buddhist sanctuary was instantly transformed into hell.

Shen Qingyu is calling.

"Don't kill her! Leave her alive! Leave her alive for me!"

Before his voice had even finished, a spear was thrown from the crowd.

It hit him directly in the chest.

Bingo, his 34th kill!

Shen Qingyu was stunned, staring at the spear in front of her chest as if she didn't recognize it at all.

He took two steps back.

Blood gushed from his mouth and nose.

Don't you like this place? Then let it be your burial ground.

The woman, who was fighting fiercely amidst the chaos of battle, coldly turned her gaze away.

They didn't even glance at him again.

Whether it's Shen Qingyu or anyone else.

In her eyes, there was no difference.

…

Fifteen minutes later.

Qi Su stepped out of the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda.

The stars outside were like water, and the night breeze was refreshing.

Qi Su sniffed her sleeve.

Although she tried her best to avoid it, she could not help but be tainted by the smell of blood.

Suddenly, Qi Su's gaze fell on a certain spot in the darkness, and the silver dart she was using as a concealed weapon was already raised between her fingers.

"stop."

From afar, in the darkness of the night, someone uttered only two words.

Qi Su recognized his voice immediately.

Upon closer inspection, I indeed spotted a pair of familiar, cold eyes.

Look him up and down.

Very good.

It has everything, with nothing more or less.

Qi Su pounced over.

"Master! You're alive!"

The man caught her steadily in his arms, a hint of helplessness showing on his usually cold face.

Didn't I tell you to wait at home?

Qi Su's eyes widened.

"No way? You really wrote that note? I thought they made it up to comfort me."

Yun Wuyi: "Didn't the black bird in the city also tell you later that I would return?"

Qi Su whimpered.

"Even the Black Bird can lie. I saw your body being carried out from under the city wall. They all said you were dead. How could I wait any longer?"

Yun Zheng: "What the Black Bird says is what I mean."

Qi Su: "Are you trying to start a fight with me? Are you blaming me for disobeying your orders? Didn't you see? For you, I risked my life and fought against eight hundred silver-armored guards!"

Yun Zheng remained silent for a moment.

"There are no eight hundred."

Qi Su said angrily, "You just want to argue with me! You have no idea how much I love you! I've already made up my mind that if you really, really get killed, I'll first slaughter the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and then slaughter the palace. That way, we'll all be done with it."

"Tell me now, are you thinking of becoming a monk again?"

Yun Zheng stared at her for a moment with his dark eyes.

He sighed silently.

"Okay, I was wrong."

Qi Su: ...We can't argue anymore.

My anger inexplicably subsided.

She squinted at him. "Who taught you to say that?"

…

After dealing with the city gate matter, Yun Wuyi rushed back to the rouge shop.

Unexpectedly, Song Chu and Xuan Niao told him this.

When the princess heard that His Highness had jumped off the city wall, she ran to retrieve his body!

Without drinking a drop of water or taking a breath, Yun Wuyi immediately left home.

I came to Daxiangguo Temple to help my wife with her business.

It doesn't really matter whether he helps or not.

Qi Su's ultimate move was enough to cover the entire Daxiangguo Temple.

Of course, his attitude is still very important when he comes to us.

Now that the man has been found, there's no need to commit further murder.

Under the cover of night, they quickly left the Daxiangguo Temple.

As for the noise in the temple.

Let others worry about it.

.

The new emperor is tyrannical.

Since ascending the throne, the court has been in turmoil and the people have suffered.

In addition, the new emperor and the Embroidered Uniform Guard colluded to suppress the rebellion of the previous dynasty.

As a former prince, Yun Wuyi was no longer suitable to stay in the capital.

Therefore, he devised a plan to escape unscathed, which would also make it easier for him to operate in the shadows from then on.

Whether the emperor and the Embroidered-Robe Envoy believed it or not was irrelevant; what mattered was that all the people in the city had seen that the King of Qishan was dead.

Even if the emperor forces you, so be it.

Even if the embroidered clothes are used for climbing and biting, it's fine.

The death of the Prince of Qishan will inevitably exacerbate the divisions and turmoil within the court.

The Qin merchant is currently still hidden in the shadows. But it won't be long before he, bearing the blood of the late emperor, steps into the light.

A few days later, the twelfth prince gathered an army in the southern border, surrounded the capital, and purged the regicide rebels.

As for the twelfth prince who suddenly appeared.

Those who happen to have met him are somewhat dazed.

How come this face looks so similar to that of the Imperial Envoy of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

He held in his hand the bargaining chip of Northwest military power that Yun Wuyi had given him before.

There was also the support of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Empress Dowager.

A fierce battle is inevitable between them and the new emperor.

Of course, in the end they will both suffer losses.

Because in Yun Zheng's script, Prince Xiao Heng of Qin is the one who is hidden behind the scenes and is the ultimate winner.

.

A few more days passed.

After the public opinion surrounding the Prince of Qishan in Kyoto gradually subsided.

On a sunny morning, Qi Su sat in an oxcart and left Ganjingcheng.

The majestic city gate of Ganjing, like a giant beast, crouches beneath the azure sky.

The sky was clear and cloudless.

The father-in-law, who was driving the cart, asked, "Wife, where are you going?"

The young woman carrying a satchel answered with a smile.

“Go south to find my husband.”

It's almost late April, and the Buddhist assembly at Lotus Mountain has already begun.

As a Buddhist enthusiast, it's only natural for Qi Su to attend the Dharma assembly.

…

She was not alone on her journey south.

She has her husband, Yunzheng, by her side.

Although he would sometimes leave due to unavoidable emergencies.

But every few days, he would reunite with her on his journey south.

On this day, the young couple received a Gu woman sent from the capital city in Yunmeng County.

Some long-buried secrets were thus revealed.

It's about the past, about identity, about the Gu poison.

The extremely special Chongyan Gu worm in Yun Zheng's body was actually spawned by Yun Zheng's birth mother, Consort Fu.

All of Consort Fu's maternal relatives were in Southern Chu.

She was raised in the Great Yan Dynasty from a young age. Later, she was selected to enter the palace and rose through the ranks.

But it's like a kite, seemingly free and high above.

In reality, every step they take is beyond their control.

Because of a premonition that a string of relics had fallen into the harem, the emperor paid great attention to the unborn prince in the womb of the imperial concubine.

Later, the child was born, and indeed, he was exceptionally intelligent.

At her child's first birthday banquet, she met a person from Southern Chu in disguise.

The messenger ordered her to inflict the Heavy Flame Worm on her own son, the young prince.

Consort Fu was reluctant to part with her child, but rather with the lives of her entire maternal clan, which were in the hands of others.

Until a few fingers of a relative were sent to the palace.

Forced by circumstances, she finally used a curse on her son.

He was tormented, yet he racked his brains to save him.

So they fed him the blood of a living person to relieve the heat and dryness caused by the Gu poison.

In Yun Wuyi's memory, Ganlu Palace was always filled with the smell of blood.

Later, under the daily torment, Consort Fu finally broke down.

The young prince, whom she had carefully protected, was sent to a Buddhist temple.

This is Ganquan Palace, a place whose past has been obscured by time.

Outside the door, by the pond, the croaking of frogs filled the air.

Large swaths of orange-red clouds floated in the bright sky.

The young woman opposite him had clear, round eyes that blinked as she looked at him.

She stretched out her arms.

"Come here, let your big sister give you a hug."

The man laughed and took her hand.

"Let's go for a walk."

The young woman seemed somewhat worried.

The man patted her head.

"There's no need for that. It's like a question from long ago suddenly having an answer. That's all."

.

Early May, Lotus Hill.

An ordinary couple rode in an oxcart up the mountain.

Because of the Buddhist assembly, there were quite a few people on the mountain.

Those who go up the mountain at this time are all people who have a connection with Buddhism.

Suddenly I heard people talking.

"Have you heard? A few days ago, Master Daoci gave a sermon at the Buddhist assembly, which attracted a huge audience and was filled with the fragrance of lotus flowers."

"Dao Ci? Which Dao Ci?"

"Who else could it be? It's naturally the last disciple of the Venerable Kasyapa."

"Huh? Didn't that monk die in Ganjing after he left the monastic life?"

"Ha! Those are just escape techniques. The master has already returned to Buddhism. This time, he will surely inherit the mantle of Zen and bring glory to Buddhism!"

Um?

Qi Su, sitting on the oxcart, stared wide-eyed with a strange expression.

She lowered her voice.

"Master, are you going to inherit the mantle of Zen Buddhism? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

The man next to her pressed down the lotus leaf hat on her head.

"Fake."

Qi Su: "Then that master who participated in the Dharma assembly?"

The man remained calm.

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter who it is."

He held her hand, tightened his grip on the reins, and pulled the yellow ox that had stopped grazing by the mountain road back.

"Hurry on your journey. We'll arrive around noon."

The mountains are lush with trees.

Summer days are long.

(over)