Chapter 90 Southern Yue - Star River Tracker (Part 9) You are no longer her...

By the time Lou Su realized his intentions and tried to do something to salvage the situation, it was already too late.

That stubborn, desperate desire to make a breakthrough was suppressed under another spirit.

Consciousness gradually returned to darkness.

When Shi Xianxue regained control of her body, chaos erupted in Zhaode Palace. Qi Lingjie discovered the emperor's affair with her younger sister, and her anger and stress caused her to have a difficult childbirth.

At the same time, a strange phenomenon occurred: the sun and moon shone together, and the sky and the City of the Deep Sea poured into a bottomless vortex, as if opening the door to another world. The protective fire of Mount No Return was suddenly filled with enough fuel, and the fire grew stronger and stronger, rushing straight into the vortex of the Sky City. The blue and white light intertwined with the light of the sun and moon, forming a magnificent afterimage at this moment.

Countless sword energies swept across the sky above Nan Yue.

They are disciples of the immortal sect who have come to investigate the unusual activity at Mount No Return.

The people inside the palace were filled with unease, whispering amongst themselves, their conversations unintelligible.

Shi Xianxue was astonished by this bizarre celestial phenomenon, and her heart was filled with shock that she could not calm down.

It's like the order of heaven and earth has been disrupted and reversed, and the world is in a state of imminent collapse and division. It's also like a scene from a myth before the end of the world, a scene without any logic that makes people's scalp tingle at first glance.

But if it really was formed because of Wu Xiutang's arrival, then who exactly is he?

She barely suppressed her doubts and saw Lou Su whisper a few words in Pei Zheng's ear.

The young emperor's face quickly darkened. He turned his head as if to confirm with Lou Su, and after receiving a reply, the worry and anxiety on his face completely disappeared.

Looking up at the strange phenomenon in the sky, his expression was terrifyingly serious. He said something to Lou Su, then, ignoring the queen who was giving birth, he stormed off in a huff.

Lou Su didn't care at all that his words had angered the ruler of a country. He seemed to be in a good mood and admired the once-in-a-millennium spectacle for a while before noticing Shi Xianxue standing not far away.

"Rongrong." He approached her and, amidst the astonished gazes of the palace servants, intimately took her hand.

Even though Shi Xianxue had a memory gap and had been asleep for several months, she could still feel the joy emanating from Lou Su from the inside out at this moment.

"Are you happy?"

“Of course, the greatest joy in life is to love and be loved. I will soon be welcoming back the one I love so deeply. Isn’t that something to be happy about?” He looked up at her with a dreamy expression, not looking at her. “Rongrong, is there someone you love deeply in your heart?”

"Of course," Shi Xianxue answered without hesitation. "I love my mother very much. Although she is not my biological mother, she is the best and most important person to me."

Lou Su's gaze returned to her, his expression strange. "Only your mother?"

Shi Xianxue nodded hesitantly.

"I see." Lou Su smiled.

As Shi Xianxue listened to the screams from Zhaode Hall, her heart clenched. Countless bolts of lightning began to gather in the vast sky, just like the scene she had seen on the back of the crane that day. Just looking at it was enough to make one's heart pound.

Will Her Majesty the Empress give birth to the little prince safely?

"If you wish, then it will," he comforted softly. "Don't worry too much. Your repairing power isn't needed for now. Just wait patiently."

Shi Xianxue lowered her eyelashes and looked at their clasped hands. "And what about you?"

"Um?"

“You suffer every night, don’t you?” Shi Xianxue looked up at him, her eyes clear and sincere. “Although I don’t know what’s wrong with you, I think I can help you.”

Lou Su stared at her silently, his eyes flickering slightly.

Shi Xianxue remained calm and looked back at him with composure.

A strange atmosphere lingered between the two. Lou Su's brows were sharp, like two blades pointing towards his temples, but his eyes were quite different, revealing a gentleness like the waters of a lake in early spring. When he gazed at someone, his eyes were hazy, making it impossible to discern his true emotions.

"Her Majesty the Empress has given birth! She has given birth to a little prince!" Nianjiao's joyful voice interrupted the standoff between the two, and she jumped out, looking around for Pei Zheng, "Your Majesty! Where is His Majesty?"

This is the second time Shi Xianxue has witnessed a new life being born into this world.

The birth of the crown prince by the empress should have been a joyous occasion for the whole country.

First, the sun and moon shone together, and the long-silent Mount No Return suddenly stirred. The sky seemed to have a huge hole, and the City of Chongming spread out in a reverse flow. It was unknown when it fell, and then meteors and meteorites fell in Nanyue.

Even if the child had a noble status, Pei Zheng, who was overwhelmed with worries, couldn't feel much affection for him.

For half a month, Pei Zheng did not set foot in Zhaode Palace, nor did he name the little prince.

Qi Lingyu entered the palace to visit the Empress, dressed in a flamboyant manner. Nianjiao secretly cursed her for being shameless and wished she could beat her out of the palace with a stick. Qi Lingyu pushed open the door and went out, and Nianjiao immediately ran into the palace.

Qi Lingyu called out to her and sternly questioned her why she hadn't bowed to her.

Nianjiao's disgust, fueled by the grievances she had suffered over the past two days, could no longer be concealed. "Second Miss, don't you understand? Even when Her Majesty the Empress was still a young lady in the palace, you always liked to compete with her. Her Majesty tolerated you, but you took advantage of it, chasing after her into the palace to seduce His Majesty, causing Her Majesty the Empress..."

The crisp sound of a slap followed Qi Lingyu's arrogant voice.

"You lowly servant! How dare you criticize and speak ill of me! She is the Empress. But I am also her sister. Since childhood, she has always given me whatever I liked, including my husband. She doesn't blame me, yet you, you lowly servant, dare to speak rudely to me."

"That's because Her Majesty is kind-hearted! She disdains to compete with you, and out of consideration for your close sisterhood, she indulges and tolerates you in every way. Not only are you ungrateful, but you also took advantage of Her Majesty's pregnancy to seduce the Emperor. You know perfectly well how much Her Majesty loves the Emperor. If the officials find out, they will surely..."

"Go ahead and complain, I'm already pregnant with the dragon's child, who dares to touch me!"

Nianjiao's ears were ringing, and she drifted back to her residence like a lost soul. She sat on the couch for a long time, feeling dejected, before applying a damp handkerchief to her slapped left cheek. After repeatedly looking in the mirror to make sure there were no marks, she forced a smile and went into the palace.

The little prince slept soundly.

Everyone says that newborn babies are all wrinkled and look like little old men, and not very good-looking. But the little prince was as beautiful as a porcelain doll from the moment he was born. He didn't cry or fuss, and after being fed, he could sleep peacefully for three or four hours. He was very lovable.

Despite the rumors, the young prince was of noble status and was the emperor's first son, so the palace servants naturally dared not neglect him.

Nianjiao touched the little prince's face with her fingertip and heard someone calling her from behind the curtain.

"Nianjiao".

Nianjiao replied with a focused expression, "This servant is here."

"Is Nianrong doing well at Tianyi Pavilion?" She looked haggard and her voice was hoarse. "I haven't heard her voice in so long, I really miss her."

Nianjiao's eyes welled up with tears: "This servant will go find her right away and ask her to come see Your Highness."

"No need," Qi Lingjie hurriedly called out to her. "She probably harbors resentment towards me, which might not be a good thing."

"But Your Majesty, it was clearly because Your Majesty wanted to protect Nianrong that you had no choice..."

“No.” Qi Lingjie raised her head, her face streaked with tears. “I did it for my own selfish reasons. I love His Majesty, and no matter what happens, I will always stand behind him. We promised each other that we would never betray each other. I sent Nianrong away because I didn’t want her to cause any rift between me and His Majesty.”

"I never believed that Rong would betray me."

Nianjiao couldn't understand why things had developed to this point. She was so sad that she kept crying. While she was secretly crying in a secluded corner, she met an unexpected person.

She straightened her back and, after hearing what the person said, her expression became extremely flustered.

"I will do it. I will never let anyone harm Her Majesty and the young prince."

On the day the little prince turned one month old, he finally received his own name.

"His brilliance shines like the sun and moon. May his life be bright and radiant, surpassing even the sun and moon." Pei Zheng looked at the infant in his arms and whispered, "His name is Hua Guang, Pei Hua Guang."

Therefore, she thought Pei Zheng was crazy and spoke incoherently and illogically because Qi Lingyu was so insane that she even tried to steal his name.

Qi Lingjie's child was named Pei Huaguang.

But at this moment, she so wished that Wu Xiutang was not this little prince, and that their resemblance was simply due to genetic similarity.

However, although the strange phenomenon disappeared, rumors spread rapidly like a plague. Lou Su, as the high priest of Nan Yue, was particularly respected among the people.

He misled the people with the claim that "a demonic star is lurking in the Purple Palace, and the country will face other changes, which the king is not fit to bear," and sentenced the little prince, who was only a month old, to death.

People took to the streets to protest.

Pei Zheng hesitated as he looked at Qi Lingjie's weak face.

Until red blood rained down on this continent, the crops of Nanyue withered overnight, criticism arose in the court, and the foundation of the country was shaken.

When Shi Xianxue saw Qi Lingjie again, it was at the newly renovated Sizitai. The Star River Tracker was flashing red behind her. Shi Xianxue saw her red and swollen eyes from crying and her swaying appearance. In her arms was the only heir of Nanyue, who had just turned one month old.

Seeing that Nianjiao was not by her side, Shi Xianxue gently clasped her fingers on her arm.

Lou Su's aura descended like a gust of wind, "What are you thinking about?"

Shi Xianxue casually looked away, saying, "It's nothing." Then, she couldn't help but look up at Lou Su and ask, "Will I die?"

"No. If you help me, then only that child will die today."

Shi Xianxue didn't know what she could do to help him. She paused for a moment, then mustered her spirits and asked, "Is he really a jinx, as you say?"

Lou Su moved his lips, about to speak, when Shi Xianxue grabbed his drooping hem, "You're a dog if you lie to me."

Lou Su: ...

Qi Lingjie had already walked to the center of the altar opposite the tracking device. Some people dressed in colorful robes were performing a complicated and strange dance. Mysterious and ethereal songs were being sung by several people. The witch's staff and the bull god mask emitted resonant light, and a fire that could not be extinguished by the red rain burned in the four-legged cauldron.

Lou Su sat down beside her. "He's definitely not a harbinger of misfortune. To be honest, I don't know his origins either, but someone who could cause such a commotion at birth must be either a demon lord descending to earth or—"

What is it?

Lou Su narrowed his eyes. "It's nothing."

Shi Xianxue turned her face away in a huff, biting her lower lip and remaining silent for a long time. Finally, as if she could no longer bear it, she turned her head and asked, "Even if he is the Demon Lord, he is not Zhu Ze. He is just the most suitable person to contain the Demon Bone and to bring out the full potential of Zhu Ze's power. Without the Demon Bone, he is just a prince of Nan Yue. The strange phenomena may just be a coincidence, and the withering of the crops may not be his fault. Why do you have to exaggerate and drive him to extinction?"

Shi Xianxue felt a strong sense of crisis.

During the chaotic time she lost her sight, Lou Su must have seen something with the Star Compass. She didn't know how far Lou Su could wield the Star Compass with her current abilities, since each measurement required an equal price to be paid.

She didn't believe that Lou Su, who was suppressing the demonic bone, would have the ability to calculate every detail of future events and still remain unscathed.

But if Lou Su really is Wu Xiutang's master, wouldn't that be a contradiction? He went to great lengths to kill him, then secretly saved him and raised him among the common people.

Either switch him with a cat to save time and effort, or kill him directly. In the current Southern Yue Kingdom, no one can restrain Lou Su, so he can do it perfectly well.

Shi Xianxue couldn't understand it.

After several days in a daze, she realized that the memories deep in her mind were becoming somewhat blurred.

“Rongrong, you shouldn’t question me like that.” Lou Su feigned innocence. He stood up, his robes trailing behind him, and looked toward the vortex in the sky. “I must listen to the direction indicated by the Star Compass.”

Shi Xianxue stood up, her face pale.

At the entrance of Sizi Terrace, Nianjiao's face was filled with despair. Her pupils suddenly trembled, and she subconsciously looked at the child in Qi Lingjie's arms.

The Empress...

"Rongrong, someone is trying to switch the prince with a cat and disrupt the sacrificial ceremony. What do you think I should do to punish her?"

Invisible, transparent threads wrapped around Nianjiao's body and forcefully threw her toward the Star River Tracker.

"Why don't we use her blood to start the sacrificial ritual?"

"No! Stop, Lou Su! It was all my doing..." As she tried to do something, her mind suddenly went blank, as if a taut string had snapped. After a sharp scream, her angry eyes suddenly lost all emotion. She slowly lowered her eyelashes and followed Lou Su obediently like a rabbit.

"There's always a price to pay for wrongdoing. The astrological chart won't let me kill you, so let's strike at your heart."

"When you look back on everything that happened today, it will surely be like a thousand arrows piercing your heart."

The rainbow light tore Nianjiao's body to shreds, blood mingling with the red rain. Urged on by Pei Zheng, Qi Lingjie, with tears in her eyes, was about to place the baby in her arms into the cauldron when a spirit sword burning with platinum light pierced Lou Su's dantian.

The serpentine holy mark on Shi Xianxue's forehead began to burn. "Switching the goods and escaping is not the best solution. The way I've always given him to live is to kill you."

A platinum-colored spiritual essence that did not belong to her began to circulate within her body.

"Lou Su, you place too much faith in the astronomical compass."

The scene on the golden sycamore tree was fragmented. The black mist transformed into a transparent soul. She regained her senses and flew around restlessly, anxiously watching Qi Lingjie, who was about to be completely destroyed.

Despite her attempts to dissuade him, she was powerless to stop the young prince and absolutely dared not lay a hand on him. In the ensuing stalemate, Nianrong's figure briefly appeared in the Wutong Mirror.

Nianrong, sword in hand, thrust at the high priest, just as she had done more than a decade ago.

To Nianjiao's delight, the little prince, who was even more terrifying than a vengeful ghost, suddenly loosened his grip by half.

His expression was strange and alluring, and the fierce and ruthless look in his dark eyes suddenly stopped. Nianjiao saw a confused look appear on his face that didn't match.

The scene freezes, as if to whet the viewer's appetite.

He instinctively took a step forward and reached out to touch the golden sycamore tree.

Shi Xianxue?

The voice that made one grit their teeth in hatred came from the sycamore tree.

"Alright, stop for a moment and let me say a few words."

"You can kill the Empress, or you can destroy the Star River Tracker. This little girl will not be in any danger. She will simply remain in the past seventeen years, temporarily erasing you from her memory, and as Nian Rong, she will get to know, fall in love with, and even have two or three lovely children."

"Don't worry, her physical body is still in this underground palace. Even her eighteen years are just a moment to you. She will be a virgin, but she is not."

"As long as you allow it, her memories can contain indelible elements besides you."

"It's acceptable that you are no longer her only lover."