Chapter 144 There Has Always Been a Sword (Part Twelve) He said coldly, "Get out..."

The two faced each other in silence, their hearts pounding. Even the gentle breeze that had swept into the pavilion seemed to press down, making it hard to breathe.

One had strikingly beautiful eyes, yet was as cold as frost; the other had calm eyes, yet harbored a sharp edge. They stared at each other for an unknown amount of time before one of them finally gave in.

The Queen of Brocade closed her eyes slightly, her face showing weariness. She looked at the golden thread piercing the top of the pavilion and sighed deeply.

“…Alright, I promise you, I will remove the seal for you, but before that, you must make a vow to me.”

The rotating array beneath his feet gradually stopped, the spiritual threads binding his body receded, and spiritual energy finally surged through his stagnant spiritual meridians, slowly unblocking them.

Lin Feiran moved his wrist and saw a spiritual light rise in his palm before extending his hand to her: "Alright, time waits for no one. If the King of Brocade is not in any immediate danger, why not swear an oath to lift the seal now?"

The Demon Lord rarely leaves the Demon Capital, and I rarely see him, so I'd like to ask you to inquire with him about the illness that Bai Lu suffers from.

The two clasped hands, and a crisscrossing golden seal appeared in their palms—the vow of their hearts.

"Why don't you write a letter in the name of the Prince of Jinxiu, and I can forward it to him for you?"

The halo on their wrists continued, the vow was not yet made, and the two remained face to face.

The King of Brocade frowned, forcefully pulled Lin Feiran closer, looked her up and down for a long time, and then asked, "Are you two having an affair?"

"Huh?" Lin Feiran was startled, then couldn't help but recall what had happened not long ago. "Why do you say that?"

The King of Brocade looked puzzled: "Such words are only spoken by someone close to you. Could there be something wrong?"

Lin Feiran felt relieved and then explained, "You can't just say things carelessly. One secret for another is a fair trade. If you think about it, it's disrespectful to each other."

"...That makes some sense. Is this how all humans are? Coming and going in secret?" After hearing the explanation, King Jinxiu was still somewhat suspicious.

Lin Feiran replied, "Everyone is different, so it's not appropriate to generalize."

The golden seal was finally completed, and the King of Brocade released his hand, no longer dwelling on the conversation: "Since that's the case, then I'll write a letter and ask you to pass it on. But I guess he won't reply."

She sat back down at her desk, about to pick up her pen, when she looked up at Mingyue: "This distinguished guest of the Merfolk, stop looking so dumbfounded. If humans can become envoys of the demon race, what's wrong with the demon race sitting on the throne of the human race's holy palace?"

It's not that you're blind; it's just that she hid herself too well. For one person, she was willing to stay in the palace forever.

Mingyue finally came to her senses, but her expression remained uneasy.

Her birth mother was Lady Xianyang, who was chosen as the Crown Princess but later became a laughing stock among the people.

Not long after Mingyue was born, Lady Xianyang passed away due to her poor health. There weren't many ladies and beauties in the palace, and there were quite a few princes and princesses like her who had lost their mothers. Therefore, they had wet nurses to raise them.

However, Mingyue has a wonderful maternal grandfather, and Prime Minister Zhang often visits her, which makes up for much of the lack of family love.

Children like her in the palace, besides going to the academy for their early education, most often knocked on the doors of Huayi Palace.

That is the residence of the Holy Palace Goddess.

She always sat alone in the courtyard, tending to the flowers and plants, but most of the time she would just silently gaze at the sky. Only when a few children came would a kind smile appear on her lips.

The Holy Palace Empress was stunningly beautiful; no child could resist being captivated by her smile, which was gentler than spring water.

It can be said that all the children in the palace grew up under her care and ate the peony flower pastries she made.

But around the age of ten, once the innocent child begins to have his own thoughts, he needs his father's permission to see her again. Otherwise, before he can even get close to Huayi Palace, he will be stopped by the chief eunuch, who will either scold him or confine him to his quarters.

The palace was bustling with activity, but honestly, no one could say that the Holy Palace Consort was entirely without fault, or that any prince or princess had caused trouble. Even at the risk of punishment, they would still send a plea for help to Huayi Palace.

With her speaking up, there's bound to be room for maneuver.

Mingyue had done the same thing. When she heard rumors of a marriage alliance, she forced her way into Huayi Palace. When the Holy Palace Consort learned of this, she was furious and ordered her father to be summoned.

At that time, the alliance with the demon realm was indeed suspended for five days.

Five days later, her father came to see her in person, and the two talked all night.

As dawn broke, she sat silently under the eaves for a long time, while her father left with a letter on it, on which she had written down her thoughts.

“Your Majesty, after much thought, Mingyue still believes that if I want to leave the palace, a marriage alliance is the safest way. I do not wish to spend my whole life in the palace. Now that my mind has changed, please forgive me. Mingyue bows.”

It's all well-reasoned and written in black and white, and it was written by her own hand. What can others say?

Mingyue had also regretted her weakness. If she had insisted on not writing, the Holy Palace Empress would not have given up, and the marriage alliance would certainly have been extricated from the alliance. But she was not firm enough.

Is she going to despise the Holy Palace Lady because of this?

No, the one who started all of this was simply the person in the highest position of power.

She already had many feelings about the Holy Palace Consort, and now that she suddenly learned the truth and knew that she had a serious illness, recalling the past, she couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

She took a deep breath, as if to expel all the melancholy that had been weighing on her chest, and then looked at the two of them.

The letter from the King of Brocade was already written. Knowing that they were about to begin the spell to break the seal, and wanting to clear her head, she said, "You two have things to do. I'll go to the flower fair to pick out some flower seeds and come back later."

Seeing that Mingyue was about to turn and go downstairs, King Jinxiu immediately called out to her: "This honored guest from the mermaid clan, although today's events were somewhat complicated, the outcome was fortunately not bad. After you return to the mermaid clan..."

Mingyue interrupted, "I know, I'm just here to buy flower seeds, nothing else."

The Queen of Brocade was still uneasy. She flipped her palm and cast a seal, then her expression softened slightly: "The seeds of our Spirit Flower Clan are excellent. They can even grow well by the sea. You must select them carefully."

Mingyue didn't reply, but looked at Lin Feiran, nodded slightly, and then turned and went downstairs.

Suddenly, only two people remained in the pavilion.

Lin Feiran glanced at her, calmly sat down at the desk, raised his hand and placed the written letter beside him, before getting straight to the point.

"Shall we begin?"

"what ever."

The two were separated by a pear blossom table, not far apart. With a flick of his finger, the King of Brocade sent the flower array suspended in the air flying between them, its fragrance filling the air.

"Before I lift it, I must tell you that this is no ordinary seal. Once it is broken, the person who sealed your memories will surely find out."

To avoid alerting the enemy, I will teach you the final solution, which will save your life.

The timing of unlocking it is up to you, but don't delay too long.

As she finished speaking, she flipped her right hand, curving it into a delicate, flower-picking gesture, and then gracefully placed it between Lin Feiran's eyebrows.

Lin Feiran couldn't help but ask, "Why do you suddenly want to save my life?"

The King of Brocade looked wistful, as if he were reminiscing.

"Because, although she sealed your memories, I believe it was to save your life."

She's protecting you, so I can't let you die.

Lin Feiran pondered for a moment: "Or rather, you don't want her to know that you were the one who broke the seal."

The King of Brocade paused, turned his gaze, and smiled coldly: "Do you think you're so clever? Stop guessing and focus on yourself. Releasing the seal will be very painful."

A streak of crimson light flashed and entered between his brows.

Lin Feiran stared intently at the pear blossom table in front of him. The wooden surface was smooth and black, and there were faint shadows of two people on it.

Suddenly, she seemed to see an ancient and complex magic circle in the phantom.

Like towering mountains, or dense forests.

At first glance, it is not actually cluttered, but rather has a unique rhythm. However, once you delve deeper into it, you will feel a sense of bewilderment, as if you were "in the midst of the mountains".

The spiritual light flowed into the magic circle and began to drift, like unlocking a house by dismantling it, gradually pushing the magic circle open. As a result, a dull pain came from his forehead, and Lin Feiran simply closed his eyes.

She has always been very patient, and given the pain of the exorcism process, she could still bear it.

Bang!

A deafening roar suddenly erupted from the boundless silence, exploding in our eardrums!

Lin Feiran immediately opened her eyes, but was quickly pressed down by the King of Brocade.

"Once the seal is broken, memories will naturally flow out, but they will not be coherent. Please bear with it."

Her voice seemed to be trapped inside an empty wooden box, muffled and unclear, but Lin Feiran still heard it and sat back down.

In the illusory shadow on the pear tree, she saw again a high-hanging full moon and a tightly closed door.

The loud noise just now came from the door slamming shut.

This was a memory she had never recalled before, and everything before her eyes was so unfamiliar.

She was hiding in a dilapidated temple, her frantic breathing sounding rough and hoarse, like a broken bellows.

She closed the old wooden door and immediately took out the talismans from her body, sticking them on all sides.

With another loud crash, someone rammed into the temple from outside. The talismans on the wall suddenly shone brightly, and lines spread out, supporting the crumbling temple within the blockade.

She quickly pressed herself against the altar, her hands still trembling. Now, she was only about the same height as the altar.

In her frantic heartbeat, she grabbed the candlestick from the table, facing the thorny side toward the door, in a futile attempt to put up a fight.

The bronze candlestick was covered in rust, and felt extremely rough and cold in her hand, but it also brought her back to her senses.

Amidst loud, hoarse breathing, she endured the pain in her lungs and trembled as she pulled out the remaining talismans, counting them one by one.

"Swiftness, fire-breathing, sand-transforming..."

The voice was not as clear as usual; a slight tremor could still be heard, indicating that the speaker was trying hard to suppress it.

That deafening explosion rang in my ears again!

No one knows what terrifying magic attacked, but the entire temple suddenly shook. If it weren't for the talismans supporting it, it would probably have been crushed into dust!

Her hands trembled slightly, but she didn't look up; instead, she counted the talismans even faster.

Dust mixed with sawdust fell from the roof like a sandstorm, instantly burying most of the yellow talisman in her hand, and she couldn't escape coughing.

That eye was staring intently at her through the crack in the door!

She was terrified and instinctively threw the candlestick in her hand, but it only hit the wooden door and rolled to the ground with a clattering sound.

One of the talismans burned out and fell off the wall, buried in the dust; they couldn't last much longer.

She looked at the eye, screamed, and frantically scrambled under the altar.

Hidden behind the curtain, she pulled out two talismans: one for turning sand and one for teleportation.

She intended to use this to escape.

However, she had never used two talismans together before, and if she was not careful, she would be trapped underground and suffocate to death.

With a loud clang, a piece of tile fell from the roof. She knew her time was running out. Having witnessed such a secret, if she were caught, she would only face certain death!

Without further hesitation, she overlapped the two talismans, made a hand seal, and in the next moment, the stone slab beneath her suddenly turned into fine sand, swallowing her up!

Wherever the talisman touched, it turned into sand. With the help of the Swiftness Talisman, she left the dilapidated temple underground as easily as a fish swimming in water.

Unfortunately, she was not a cultivator after all, and even such an exquisite talisman could only send her to the dense forest behind the temple, a distance of no more than fifty meters.

After she emerged from the soil, she didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately went up the mountain.

It was winter.

The bright moon shone on the shadows of the trees, casting them onto the snow and creating a rugged, claw-like pattern.

She didn't dare to look closely, so she picked up a fallen branch and used a speed-traveling talisman to sweep it haphazardly.

She didn't know whether cultivators looked at footprints, but doing so made her feel more at ease.

Just as he was running wildly through the forest, a sword's cry suddenly echoed through the mountains.

Her heart sank instantly.

Those talismans didn't last long; they delayed him for less than fifteen minutes before he caught up with them!

How can I hide? Where can I go in the mountains?

How can an uncultivated mortal, a six-year-old child, possibly withstand a cultivator of profound cultivation?

Is death the only option?

But she refused!

During her escape, she kept thinking of a solution, her mind unable to stop. Unfortunately, misfortune never comes singly, and she encountered a fork in the road halfway through her journey!

One goes left, and the other goes right.

Perhaps for the pursuers, there is no difference between left and right; it is just taking a detour.

But for her, it was no less than a life-or-death decision!

My heart was pounding wildly, my hands and feet were trembling slightly from running, the snow wind I inhaled felt like it was being cut by a knife, and my lungs were filled with ice. Only my breath was warm, and it rose as a wisp of mist in the cold snowy night.

She stopped and looked into the darkness before her.

The usually calm person actually bent down, picked up a pebble, and placed all his hopes in the mysterious void.

Instead of wasting time pondering the unknown, it's better to test the waters!

"Whether we live or die is entirely up to fate!"

The pebble was tossed high into the air, and at one moment it obscured the full moon, reflecting only a faint glimmer of light.

It eventually landed on the left!

The snow was deep on the left, and the winding path was dark. She pursed her lips slightly and then ran away without hesitation!

The path to the left didn't reflect much moonlight, only a faint tinge of snow. She walked with some difficulty, but still didn't retreat.

She thought, this is the path I chose, and even if I die, it's still my choice.

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly lost her footing. She instinctively clutched her head and rolled down the snow-covered slope, occasionally bumping into some loose stones.

Just as she was wondering if she would be buried in the snow, a large rock stopped her.

She stood up, still feeling a little dizzy, and it took her a lot of effort to see a hole next to her.

A faint light was shining through the cave entrance.

Despite feeling dizzy, she didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately crawled into the hole.

As soon as she entered, she opened her mouth slightly and let out an untimely exclamation.

The twinkling starlight, like fireflies, floated up and down, illuminating the empty cave and creating a dreamlike scene. The surrounding green grass swayed, stirring up a slightly sweet and cool fragrance.

She may have truly fainted, or she may have been buried in the snow and already died, which would explain why she witnessed such an illusory scene.

In the floating starlight, she saw another figure that did not seem to be an ordinary person.

Her silvery white hair, long enough to reach her waist on the left and short enough to reach her shoulder on the right, was tucked behind her ears, with only a few stray hairs falling onto her snow-white eyelashes.

Above and below her eyelashes was a slanted rouge mark, and her deep emerald eyes reflected a captivating glimmer in the starlight, drawing people closer.

Further down, there are thin lips, like cinnabar.

That was the first time she had ever seen such a shade of red.

It's a pity that such a beautiful face was paired with such a strange outfit.

His body was wrapped in white bandages, the strips of cloth were scattered, a tattered outer robe barely covered his waist, and his feet were completely bare.

He was just as disheveled as I was, but his striking good looks made him appear much more aloof.

He lay back on the stone couch, his slender index finger hooking a gold ring, turning it idly and absentmindedly. He glanced at her listlessly, then parted his thin lips and said in a cool voice.

"Where did this stray cat come from? Get out before I make a move."

Without even thinking, she knew he must be a cultivator. Regardless of his strength, for her, this was a lifeline, and she had to stay here!

In the blink of an eye, she took two steps forward, immediately kowtowed three times, and when she raised her head, her eyes were bright.

"Fairy Maiden!"

Her chest, wrapped in bandages, was flat, but she still managed to call out like that.

His hand, which was holding the gold ring, paused slightly, and he finally looked at it directly.

Author's note: This is the real first meeting (unfiltered version). Logically speaking, given Ru Xian's temper, he would not be able to show kindness to a stranger, much less care about the other person's life or death (after all, he is also waiting to die now). He would only tell the trespasser to get lost.

But who can blame Lin Feiran for being so capable...?

P.S.: Updated in the middle of the night, please kneel in apology!