Chapter 63 The Secret [Second Update] The person sitting on the Heavenly Emperor's throne...

On the cliff, a cold wind blew by, causing a sudden shiver to run down my spine.

Zhe Qing stared at the finger Lou Qingshuang was pointing at him, as if the word "alive" she uttered at the end of her sentence was still echoing in his ears.

He lowered his head slightly.

She unconsciously bit her lip, her long eyelashes drooping down, concealing all the emotions in her eyes. Her fingers, hanging at her sides, curled up one by one, gradually clenching, her nails digging deep into her palms.

All fear and unease are silent. All emotions are non-aggressive and cleverly hidden, so as not to be seen by others and not to cause any trouble for them.

Zheqing lowered her head again, not looking at anyone, and not even sending a single signal of survival to Mumeng.

If he was sending any signal, it was a sign of giving up; all his body language was saying—don't choose me.

Mu Meng's eyes swept across the scene, taking in everything, including Zhe Qing's evasive and resigned expression. His expression was that of a prophet, as if he felt it was only right that he was abandoned.

In that instant, her heart felt as if it had been gently squeezed by something.

Mu Meng did not answer immediately. Instead, he lowered his voice and whispered to Feng Xixue, "We'll act together in a bit."

Feng Xixue did not respond, but Mu Meng knew that he must understand what he meant—the two of them had long since developed a tacit understanding through years of unspoken communication.

After explaining things to Feng Xixue, Mu Meng raised his eyes, crossed his arms, and said with a relaxed smile, "You can release Brother Sheng now."

From Lou Qingshuang's question to Mu Meng's choice, only a short moment passed, and it seemed to flow smoothly without much hesitation.

Time stood still at this moment.

Zhai Qing closed her eyes.

The tightly clenched hands loosened.

It seemed that after that clear and sweet voice rang out, the thousands of steel needles inside had already deeply penetrated his body, traveling through his limbs and bones along with his blood, cruelly tearing open countless wounds with each pass.

That's fine too.

He slightly curved the corners of his lips into a smile.

As long as she doesn't feel embarrassed or awkward.

"Your Highness! You can't—" Almost the instant Mu Meng uttered the answer, Sheng Yuanting shouted, but Lou Qingshuang didn't give him a chance to refuse. In a flash, she raised her hand, and with her movement, the barrier around Sheng Yuanting vanished—

He was thrown heavily onto the suspension bridge.

Mu Meng immediately leaped forward, his toes barely touching the edge of the cliff as he rushed straight toward Zhe Qing; at the same time, Feng Xixue also struck Lou Qingshuang like a bolt of lightning.

Mu Mengsu lightly raised her hand and threw something out. A flash of golden light suddenly struck the barrier beside Zhe Qing. The steel needles inside only had half their heads protruding before they stopped moving immediately. The next moment, the barrier suddenly collapsed.

As the barrier dissipated, Mu Meng seized the opportunity to grab Zhe Qing's arm. Everything happened too fast and was a complete reversal from the previous moment. Zhe Qing's expression was still somewhat dazed, but her body reacted quickly. She immediately raised her hand to protect Mu Meng and spun around, landing steadily on the suspension bridge.

Once on the ground, Zhe Qing was still somewhat disoriented. It was only when his feet touched the suspension bridge that he felt a sense of reality. He looked down at Sheng Yuanting, who had fallen to the ground, and then at the hand Mu Meng was holding onto.

It turns out that many things in this world cannot be compared; once compared, one will know the joys and sorrows for oneself.

Zhe Qing kept his head down, a slight upturn at the corner of his lips, as if afraid of being noticed, and turned his head slightly to the side.

I wanted to reach out and touch my heart, but when I did, I realized that I was holding something in my palm—something that Mengmeng had just thrown at me, something I hadn't seen clearly.

It must be some kind of powerful magical artifact that could break through the barrier so quickly and accurately. Zhe Qing glanced at it casually, but was shocked by what he saw.

Mu Meng happened to see his gaze and generously extended his hand, saying, "Give it back to me."

"Are you crazy?!" Mu Meng dared to say that this was the first time Zhe Qing had ever spoken to her so loudly since they had known each other.

Mu Meng raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"

In fact, without her response, Zhe Qing quickly realized what had happened, and a look of remorse appeared in his eyes, as if he felt that his low shout just now had committed a serious crime.

He pursed his lips tightly, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Your Highness, you should never gamble with this. You...you're being too reckless."

What he held in his hand was half a golden pill.

Mu Meng glanced at it indifferently. It was her Crimson Heart Pill. When she had refined the Crimson Heart Pill to the final level, this treasure became integrated with her. In a critical moment, she could take out half of it as a weapon for emergency use.

However, it must be used properly. If it is damaged or taken by someone else and is not returned to her body within a certain period of time, she will be in danger.

When she saw this barrier, she knew it was time for it to come in handy. The Crimson Heart Pill, a rare and supreme treasure, not only possessed immense power but was also an excellent defensive weapon—whoever she wanted to protect, she could protect.

This is her first time using it, and it seems to work quite well.

Since the deed was already done, Mu Meng didn't want to see Zhe Qing feel guilty, so she changed the subject: "Are you angry that I didn't choose you just now?"

She knew that Zhe Qing wouldn't be angry at all, but she couldn't help wanting to tease him.

As expected, Zhe Qing immediately shook her head: "Of course I'm not angry. Even if Her Highness sacrificed me to save General Xuan Tian's life, I would have no complaints. Besides..."

He lowered his head slightly and curved his lips into a faint smile. "Besides, Her Highness the Princess has her own decision to make."

Mu Meng smiled, a little smug. She felt that her reaction was quite quick and the result was even more satisfying. Before she could speak again, Zhe Qing brought the topic back to the previous one.

He tried to hold back, but couldn't help scolding her. However, as the one doing the reprimanding, he acted as if he were the one being scolded, uttering each word with utmost care.

“Your Highness, I know you are powerful and courageous, but there are some things that should not be taken lightly, no matter the circumstances. By giving away half of the Crimson Heart Pill, your spiritual power will be greatly reduced, and if you do not retrieve it in time, won’t you be putting yourself in a dangerous situation? Please promise me that you will never do such a thing again.”

Mu Meng listened patiently to his rambling, then smiled and teased him, "I just won't agree."

After saying that, he added, "That's my loyal pill, it's mine, I can use it however I want, it's none of your business."

As soon as she finished speaking, a hint of melancholy slowly crept into Zhaiqing's brows, and a quiet sadness appeared in her dark, beautiful pupils.

Hey, wait, why is this person so easily upset? She only said a couple of words, why is he so seriously heartbroken?

Mu Meng saw that he was serious. Thinking about how he had been dragged into this whole thing for no reason and had even faced a life-or-death situation, Mu Meng felt a little sorry for him. He was about to say something to make amends when he heard Zhe Qing ask in a deep voice, "But what if I were a bad person? You threw half of the Crimson Heart Pill to me. Did you think about the consequences?"

What kind of talk is that? Mu Meng laughed and said, "But you're not a bad person."

"What if?"

Such an assumption is meaningless.

Zhe Qing was speechless. He stared blankly at Mu Meng, then finally pursed his lips, took her hand without saying a word, and carefully placed the half of the Crimson Heart Pill in her palm.

"Take it." He uttered two words in a low voice, then took a few steps to the side, supporting himself with the bamboo stick.

A golden light flashed in Mu Meng's palm, and half of the Crimson Heart Pill instantly melted before her eyes. She glanced at Zhe Qing, who had stepped aside, and couldn't help but laugh and cry—was Zhe Qing alright? She said he wasn't a bad person, but he didn't seem to care.

What, if he's so capable, let him show her what a bad guy should look like.

Just think about how Zhe Qing looked with his head down, his face saying "Don't choose me, don't choose me," when Lou Qingshuang gave him a choice between two options. And then think about how he looked, though dejected, yet smiling and accepting it calmly after she actually chose Brother Sheng. So, does he really think he's a bad person?

Even if this is the Heart-Piercing Pill, which is vital to life, and even if someone were to try to steal it right now, she wouldn't be worried at all if the item were in his hands.

Mu Meng licked her lips, noticing that Zhe Qing was standing alone to one side, looking unhappy, and wondered what was bothering him. She instinctively moved her lips, then closed them again, suppressing a mischievous urge that welled up inside her: She had important business to attend to right now; she'd tease him properly after that.

Thinking this, Mu Meng turned around and looked back.

Just now, at the critical moment, Feng Xixue and she cooperated perfectly. She saved Zhe Qing, and Feng Xixue also captured Lou Qingshuang in a flash.

At this moment, he was holding that delicate flower with utmost care in his hands, and Lou Qingshuang was also chained up by him.

Mu Meng coldly sized up Lou Qingshuang twice before slowly walking forward.

She first asked Feng Xixue, "Why didn't you kill her?"

At this moment, the most important thing in Feng Xixue's eyes was the Si'an Flower in his hand. He cast a powerful yet gentle barrier around the flower. When he heard Mu Meng's question, he replied in a low voice, "The Si'an Flower has been retrieved intact. You can have this person now."

The implication was that, given the circumstances, he no longer wished to commit further acts of killing.

Mu Meng nodded gently. She understood Feng Xixue. He set many rules for himself, and whenever he had the chance, he always wanted to accumulate more good karma for his beloved in order to reduce her suffering.

Moreover, putting aside his identity and occasional madness, he was an extremely gentle and courteous person. Lou Qingshuang was, after all, her clansman, and he couldn't very well kill her in front of her without warning.

Although Feng Xixue had this attitude, Mu Meng knew that he must be suffering terribly inside—Si Anhua had returned unharmed, but the time they had to find Miss Yu Sheng had been inexplicably compressed into a year. How could he not hate her?

Thinking of this, Mu Meng slowly stepped forward and looked down at Lou Qingshuang, who was sitting on the ground.

"If you want to kill, then kill. Stop looking at people with such prejudice. Princess of the Celestial Clan, you and your father are the same. You both trample on other people's lives for your own selfish desires. You are both heartless executioners." Lou Qingshuang stared at Mu Meng with hatred in her eyes, speaking slowly and venomously.

Mu Meng was very puzzled: "Miss Lou, may I ask you, why are you still so self-righteous at this point? Your behavior makes me feel as if we are the ones who are wrong to reclaim what is ours."

Mu Meng originally intended to kill her with a single blow, letting her leave without pain. However, she didn't expect her attitude, and the fact that she mentioned her father in conversation, which piqued her interest.

Lou Qingshuang gritted her teeth and said angrily, "Of course you're wrong! This is something that saved my father's life. If you take it away, my father won't survive!"

"Alright, alright, you reminded me," Mu Meng clapped his hands and laughed. "I just mentioned a deal to you, and you pretended to agree, but in reality you set a trap to control us. Now you've lost everything and have no bargaining chips left, but I still want to settle accounts with you properly."

“I just told you, you’ve angered me. I’ll not only take your life, I’ll kill your father too.”

Mu Meng slightly curved one corner of her mouth, her gaze icy cold. In reality, she was just trying to bluff and scare her. But speaking so slowly and deliberately, she actually made it seem convincing.

Zhe Qing's gaze fell on her with a hint of helplessness. As if remembering something, two expressions of pity appeared in his eyes. Then he gently shook his head, smiled slightly, and just looked at her.

Upon hearing Mu Meng's words, Lou Qingshuang instantly lost her composure. She thrashed about on the ground, but because the chains were too tight, she couldn't stand up. She could only make a few crisp clanging sounds from the locks: "My father did nothing wrong! What right do you have?!"

"I'm the one who made a mistake! I'm the one who provoked you, so what right do you have to kill my father?!"

Thinking back to how smug she had been, and how she had planned to threaten her with the barrier, Mu Meng tilted her head and smiled: "You called me an executioner, fine, but you even dragged my father into it; why can't I take your father down with me if I'm going to kill you?"

Lou Qingshuang was truly terrified by Mu Meng, even screaming incoherently, "You dare! You dare! You self-proclaimed benevolent and righteous Celestials are all fools! You are not worthy to be my kin! Open your eyes and see what kind of bones lie beneath the skin of the person sitting on the throne! As subjects of the Celestials, you are all blind, serving a wicked devil, yet not a single one of you knows! What wrong did my father do? He was morally upright and righteous, and if he hadn't discovered the Celestial Emperor's depravity, how could he have ended up like this?! You—"

She angrily pointed a finger directly at Mu Meng, her eyes filled with deep-seated resentment: "You are his daughter, like father, like daughter. Back then, your father could frame a virtuous and talented Celestial Realm Lord for his own selfish gain; today, you want to take the lives of both my father and me just because I stole a flower! You are indeed birds of a feather, both ruthless and heartless!"

Lou Qingshuang sneered, slowly raising her head, her eyes filled with mockery. "I went out this time and heard that His Highness the Crown Prince is dead... Hahahaha... I knew it! How could he possibly let someone else's son become the Crown Prince? He seized the throne of the Heavenly Emperor through despicable means, his soul shattered and his spirit to fall into the Endless Cliff... What a cruel heart, what a cruel heart..."

At first, Mu Meng thought Lou Qingshuang was just speaking recklessly in anger, but as she listened to the rest of the conversation, although her words were harsh, they were quite logical and didn't seem to be just empty talk.

It seems... Lou Qingshuang knows quite a bit about her father and Mu Qingheng's secret.

Mu Meng lowered her eyelashes, her gaze dark and unfathomable: she could choose not to actively investigate those matters, but if the matter was already laid bare before her, she could not simply walk away.

Sheng Yuanting stood aside, glancing at Mu Meng with concern. Just as he was about to speak, he caught a glimpse of the man in blue approaching.

Without uttering a word, Zhe Qing swept his bamboo stick horizontally with tremendous force, intending to kill Lou Qingshuang on the spot.

"What are you doing?" Mu Meng reached out to stop the bamboo stick from coming.

Is Zhe Qing going to kill someone?

She had some doubts. Zhe Qing didn't seem like such a decisive person. Moreover, even Feng Xixue, the person directly involved, knew that her clansman shouldn't have been killed in front of her and should have been dealt with by her. Given Zhe Qing's personality, how could she not know this?

His actions were presumptuous; killing someone right in front of her seemed rather strange.

Seeing Mu Mengqing's gaze turn towards her, Zhe Qing moved her lips, her voice flat and even: "This person is talking nonsense and speaking rudely, showing no respect for the Heavenly Emperor. It would be better to just kill him."

"Hahahaha—" Lou Qingshuang laughed loudly, as if she had heard a hilarious joke. After she finished laughing, she stared straight at Zhe Qing. If her eyes could be knives, she would have already ripped a piece of flesh from him.

"You dare to talk about killing me! Who do you think you are?! What do you know, you ugly monster?! What do you know?!"

Mu Meng's gaze darkened. He gritted his teeth, lifted Lou Qingshuang off the ground, grabbed her collar with one hand, and slammed her against the suspension bridge railing. "Calm down, listen: speak properly now, explain yourself, and I'll give you that chance."

Her grip tightened. "But if you continue to speak ill of me, I promise, I have absolutely no interest in the secrets in your belly. You and your father will both take them to your graves, understand?!"

Mu Meng spoke each word with great force, her gaze unwavering, staring straight at him. She didn't seem to be joking, nor was she playing hard to get; she was serious.

Lou Qingshuang couldn't figure out Mu Meng's tactics, but the two had clashed before, and she knew that Mu Meng was not someone to be trifled with. Whether what she said was true or false, it was not the best strategy to confront her head-on at this moment.

Lou Qingshuang pursed her lips and said stubbornly, "Fine, this is what you wanted to hear. If you are truly innocent, then come with me to see my father."