Chapter 85 The Place Where Hatred Lands

Liu Yue had been keeping his head down, but as he walked right past Lin Chengye, he suddenly trembled, as if he had sensed something. He slowly raised his head and glanced in Lin Chengye's direction.

That night, the palace was ablaze with light, its golden walls gleaming. No one noticed that the unassuming servant following behind His Majesty, the moment his eyes met Lin Chengye's, a tear suddenly rolled down his left eye and landed on the back of his hand.

He recognized her.

Thank goodness, thank goodness, being alive is the greatest blessing.

The next breath, Lin Chengye and Liu Yue simultaneously looked away, their gazes meeting but then parting. Lin Chengye remained where he was, while Liu Yue followed closely behind His Majesty, continuing forward to ascend the high platform to the north of the palace.

His Majesty did not sit in the center of the high platform, but rather on the imperial couch slightly to the left. No one in the vast hall dared to sit there; everyone knew for whom the space on his right had been reserved, and for whom he was waiting at this moment.

The excitement of their brief encounter had faded, and they could not possibly recognize each other now. They could only move with the undercurrents surging in the royal city of Lai, continuing to play their current roles.

There was no time for them to wallow in self-pity; Lin Chengye's gaze beneath his mask gradually turned cold.

Why is Liu Yue here, by His Majesty's side...? Lin Chengye's heart skipped a beat as she connected two things she thought were completely unrelated.

Long ago, Chai Hu Nan told her that Liu Yue had been sent by her mother, Prefect Liu, to the "Tanshan Sect" in Lai State for refuge, but the sect had been wiped out and Liu Yue's body was nowhere to be found.

After that, she entered the Southern Qi Dynasty, and Chai Hu Nan sent her another letter saying that the Princess had found a medicine man for His Majesty to prolong his life.

The absurd answer was laid bare, yet Lin Chengye had no intention of writing it down.

Lin Chengye was so grief-stricken she almost laughed. She finally understood why Lou Erbai had cursed fate, the heavens, and the gods. It was because fate was playing tricks on everyone; it always played these untimely jokes, making an already difficult path even more muddy.

Liu Yue was that medicine man, the one who needed to have his blood drawn every day to prolong the emperor's life!

"Those who are skilled in medicine are born with extraordinary abilities; their healing is incredibly fast and difficult to detect."

Bian Yi's words were still ringing in his ears when Lin Chengye immediately realized that the news that Liu Yue was a drug user was probably brought back from Litao Prefecture by that "half-immortal".

The fact that even someone as close to him as himself was unaware of this secret meant that someone must have been suppressing it to protect him and prevent others from discovering it. And the only person who could detect that someone's healing speed was faster than others after being injured was his mother, Prefect Liu.

It was probably during the massacre in Litao Prefecture that this news was somehow discovered, perhaps through some records in the prefectural government that revealed it.

Therefore, the Tanshan Sect was implicated and wiped out, but that person took such ruthless measures in order to cover up all news.

If Lin Chengye hadn't survived, who would have known that the medicine man the Princess found was the son of the prefect of Litao Prefecture? Who would have connected these two events? The truth would never have come to light.

The eldest princess, Wei Yunmo.

Lin Chengye abruptly raised her head, a far more important matter instantly taking over her entire being. The indifference in her eyes had completely transformed into hatred. The music in the main hall was magnificent, but she could only hear the clattering of her teeth.

Therefore, the newly born demigod must be related to the eldest princess, or that person is one of the eldest princess's people.

As previously suspected, the Lai Kingdom was plotting an even larger war. Given the princess's status and position, and with at least two demigods at her disposal, no one was more suitable to initiate this war.

She never took the Lin family or Taozhou seriously, and even the Southern Qi was easily manipulated by her words.

Little did she know, everything was merely a means to advance the war and hasten her own demise.

What Wei Yunmo wants is the world.

Lin Chengye reached out with trembling hands to quietly steady the desk in front of him, so that he wouldn't collapse like a mountain.

From north to south, and back to north, he wandered and struggled all the way, working tirelessly day and night for this truth.

Lin Chengye could no longer distinguish whether the violent trembling beneath her robes was from the excitement of uncovering a corner of the truth or from overwhelming hatred, but it no longer mattered. A whole year had passed, and finally, she had finally found the tail of the person behind it all.

The tragedy of the Lin family, the tragedy of Litao Prefecture, the millions of lives lost, the millions of crimes committed…

The whip cracked, and ceremonial music played. Then came another high-pitched shout.

Lin Chengye adjusted her mask, suppressing the turmoil in her heart. She stopped trembling and straightened her back. Looking at Wei Yunmo, her eyes were dark and lifeless, like a blob of ink that would never spread.

So, so all of this should be settled with you, Wei Yunmo.

...

The expressions of those in the hall varied. The two elderly ministers' faces immediately darkened; one even disrespectfully adjusted the pendant on his ear, while the other's face flushed red, as if disrespectful words were stuck in her throat. They seemed to have long harbored resentment towards the princess's arrogant behavior, which almost overshadowed the emperor, but they could not express it due to her power.

Crown Prince Wei Jingrui nodded slightly, showing no other expression. Wei Jingyu watched coldly with a forced smile. Wei Jingchen's manners were impeccable and without fault. Emperor Wei Yun'e, sitting on the imperial couch, showed no anger whatsoever; he even curled his lips into a smile and gestured for Wei Jingchen to ascend the platform and sit on the couch beside him.

Wei Yunmo, dressed in gilded robes, slowly walked in. His robes were embroidered with sun patterns in gold thread, with a three-legged golden crow poised to take flight amidst the blazing sun. The edges of his robes were trimmed with a deep crimson, like the sunset reflecting in the sky.

The two strange maids following behind were still there, their faces covered by iron masks.

Lin Chengye stared intently at Wei Yunmo's back, like a hungry wolf or a lurking python in the night. Unfortunately for him, Wei Yunmo was not prey, but a far more terrifying hunter.

So she had to wait a little longer. Lin Chengye took a deep breath.

...

This New Year's Eve family dinner was fake and boring, with everyone harboring their own secrets and trying their best to maintain a facade of peace.

During the casual conversation at the family dinner, Wei Yunmo, who was resting her head on one hand and smiling faintly, suddenly looked at Lin Chengye. Seeing that she hardly smiled, he seemed to have thought of something and asked with interest.

"Ah Ye, why do you seem so uninterested? Are you dissatisfied with my banquet tonight? Or is it not as interesting as yours?"

"Your Highness, today's grand banquet is like being in a celestial palace, with heavenly music playing all around. Such a sight is like a dream to me, and it is a great comfort to me for the rest of my life."

Lin Chengye suddenly smiled slightly at Wei Yunmo, staring into her eyes as he spoke each word clearly.

"However... thinking of home, my mother and father are always thinking of me, and my elder brother is by my side. Although it is just a humble dwelling, there is a warm light in it. When Your Highness asked me just now, the first thing that came to mind was that small courtyard, the place that wanderers from afar yearn for most."

But my parents have passed away, and I have nowhere to come from in this life but only the way back.

...

Will that person... come again?

Dongtang didn't know the exact time, she could only count her heartbeats, rub her slightly red fingertips, sniffed, and felt colder than usual. The heavy chains on her hands and feet dragged her, making her feel sleepy.

But she was afraid to sleep, worried that she might delay the important person's business.

Without realizing it, she actually smiled and looked relaxed, as if she really wasn't feeling so bad anymore.

Suddenly, Dongtang's imagined self stopped on the bridge and looked back. A woman with a blurry face was running timidly towards her. As she ran, she pointed at the firecracker in her hand, her mouth opening and closing but no sound came out, as if she was asking why hers didn't go off.

That person is Dong Li.

Dongtang finally vaguely remembered the first time she spoke to Dongli, which seemed to have been on New Year's Eve many years ago.

...

Dongtang has two secrets, both of which are tantamount to beheading.

The first one is about a hole.

She knew there was a dog hole in the back wall of the East Palace, and she widened it a bit so she could sneak out through it. She wanted to take a quick trip into the imperial city, but she had to return promptly and not miss her mission.

The second one is about doors.

There's a hidden door in the city wall at the northeast corner of the imperial city; she can also go out through it. This is great; she can wander around Lin Su City, and go out at night—there's a lively night market there.

Dongtang was very pleased with herself, as if nothing could hold her back now; the door and the opening were like her wings. Therefore, she was always very careful whenever she went out, terrified of being discovered one day.

It doesn't matter if you kill her, but if you block up the door and the hole, then this Eastern Palace and this Imperial City will be completely meaningless.

On New Year's Eve, she was determined to go out. Dongtang had already observed everything, and she excitedly waited for darkness to fall so that His Highness the Crown Prince would attend the banquet, which was when the Eastern Palace was least crowded.

She had it all planned out: fireworks, candied hawthorn berries, iced tea cakes, and more...

"ah."

Dongtang was happily crawling into the dog hole, half her body inside and half outside, when she suddenly heard a strange sound from behind her.

Startled, she quickly pulled back, covering her mouth tightly to prevent herself from screaming, and looked back.

"Heh, heh."

It was a strange woman; she seemed to only be able to make these kinds of noises, and she was gesturing frantically. Dong Tang breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, the woman didn't yell, or he would have been finished.

Dongtang watched the woman's actions for a long time but still couldn't understand what she was trying to say. The two were locked in a stalemate, and after a long while, Dongtang was the first to surrender.

"Okay, I'll take you out of here, but don't tell anyone about this place."

Dongtang stared at the woman, who was much older than her, with a look of grim determination, and asked cautiously.

"How...how is it?"