Chapter 70

Once you've seen the ocean, other waters seem insignificant; once you've beheld the clouds of Wushan, other clouds seem pale in comparison.

I'm too lazy to look back at the flowers, half for cultivating the Tao, half for you.

“Even if everyone leaves you, I’ll still be there for you.” Lin Qiang smiled and cupped her tear-stained face. “In both my lives combined, I’ve only ever loved you. You are the most charming person in my eyes; every smile and frown of yours shines.”

"I didn't understand before, so I made many mistakes and betrayed your trust. I will never do that again."

Take her hand and place it over your heart.

"Can you feel it? Right now, this is beating only for you."

Yuan Qiong looked up, her face still streaked with tears, yet she still caught the sensitive words, and asked between sobs, "Two lifetimes?"

"emmmm......"

Does it matter?

Shouldn't we focus on the second half of the sentence?

He changed the subject, smiling as he wiped away her tears: "Sweetie, don't cry anymore, or people will think I'm a kidnapper."

"Is there a difference between bandits and human traffickers?" Yuan Qiong slapped his hand away, took out a handkerchief from her bosom, covered her red eyes and wiped them, straightened her back and regained her usual aloof demeanor: "Actually, I don't want anything today. Explanations are the most useless thing to me. If I care, what can your explanations do? If I don't care, you don't need to bother explaining."

"Then why are you still so angry? Aren't you jealous?" Lin Qiang asked with a smile.

In Yuan Qiong's view, it was not just jealousy, but a sober restoration of reason.

Of course, that's what she said, but thinking about what happened that morning still made her want to grit her teeth.

"Now, let's find an inn."

Why are you looking for an inn?

"shampoo."

"Wash your hair?"

Finally, they found a nearby inn, where Yuan Qiong made Lin Qiang wash his hair three times over. He felt terrible afterward, as his hair roots were constantly aching.

My scalp felt numb all the way back to the mountain.

"Girl, I think I might go bald."

"If you go bald, no one will comb your hair anymore."

"........"

Okay, never mind.

After a short while, he couldn't help but ask again, "Girl, have you thought about when we should get married?"

"Marriage?" The word made Yuan Qiong pause for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure: "I haven't thought about it."

"I've thought about it," Lin Qiang said, pulling her back. "I've thought about it many times."

In his previous life, he had thought about marriage, about holding someone's hand and placing a dazzling diamond ring on her finger. But throughout his life, he was never able to picture the face of the woman in the white wedding dress standing before him.

In this life, he found that person. Her face was so clear, as if it were engraved in his heart, that he couldn't help but depict it again and again.

"Girl, let's get married."

In this life, it won't be a white wedding dress, but a fiery red gown. Lin Qiang could imagine how stunning she would look if her cool and noble features were adorned with such vibrant colors.

"I will give you everything you want, will you marry me?"

"Everything I want?"

In the mountain breeze, under the setting sun, Yuan Qiong released his hand, lifted her skirt, and climbed up step by step.

"Everything I want is not something I need you to give me..."

Yuan Qiong looked up, gazing down the rugged mountain path, her gaze unwavering. Everything she wanted, she would obtain with her own hands; otherwise, even if she got it, it would lose its meaning.

So, let's put off marriage for now... What she needs to do now is to establish herself in this place with a new identity, and not be someone he can cling to.

**

In the fourth year of the Chengde era, Yuwen Ting, allied with nomadic tribes from beyond the Great Yan border, conquered fifteen cities on the border of the Great Yan. Due to a depleted treasury and untimely food supplies, General Guan Xiao's army suffered a defeat and he was killed in battle. His son, Guan Shengran, then took over the command and led the resistance, resulting in continuous bloodshed throughout the country.

In late spring of the same year, Prince Yuwen Jing of Yan fell seriously ill and was on the verge of death. His concubine, Lady Yuan, gave birth to a son, whom he named Jue and made crown prince. When the crown prince was just a month old, he disappeared without a trace, along with the head maidservant who served the concubine.

Black Wind Mountain, Black Cloud Village.

"Boss, Sixth Sister and the others have already shaken off Yuwen Zhe and are heading towards the village with Yuwen Jue."

"Um."

Lin Qiang stood smiling on the training platform in the mountain wind, looking down at the uniform mass of people below. The second-in-command, Cheng Mingyu, Wild Wolf, Ghost Sorrow, Mountain Eagle, Wind, Cloud, Lin Jiangzhi, Lin Haizhi and others stood behind him.

"We've waited so many years, what's been waiting for is finally here."

War will come, and it will reach Black Wind Mountain.

Everyone knows this.

The imperial court was short of money, Yuwen Zhe was short of money, and Black Cloud Stronghold was the richest. Therefore, whether it was the legendary treasure, the Fu Yuan Manual, or the wealth accumulated by Fengyunxu over the years, all of them held extraordinary significance for Yuwen Zhe, who had been waiting for an opportunity to act. Meanwhile, Yuan Liu Niang, who had been feigning friendship with Yuwen Zhe in the palace for so long, had been hindering his progress, all for the sake of the child in Yuan Zhen's womb.

Now that the child has been born, everything is ready except for one opportunity—an opportunity for Yuwen Zhe to make his move.

Lin Jiangzhi chuckled: "I guess Yuwen Zhe won't let Yuwen Jing live past July."

"Hmm." Lin Qiang nodded. He remembered feeding Yuwen Jing blood when they were in the palace. If nothing unexpected happened, Yuwen Jing should live a healthy life until his thirties. Now, his illness had worsened again; Yuwen Zhe must have been involved. "Have everything else been arranged?"

"Since my sister-in-law arranged it herself, what else do you have to worry about, brother?"

Lin Qiang smiled slightly but didn't reply. The young girl was meticulous; he naturally had no worries about her arrangements. However, he still felt uneasy.

After the fourth brother was murdered, he sent the fifth brother, Toothless, to take over the mission in the capital. However, less than two months later, he also died mysteriously. He was never able to find out who the mole was, and therefore could never truly feel at ease.

Half a month later, Yuan Liuniang safely led Yuwen Jue up the mountain, only to receive news from the capital that Yuwen Jing had died. Due to the Crown Prince's disappearance, Prince Cheng, Yuwen Zhe, ascended the throne as Emperor, adopting the reign title Zhongzhi. Standing on the winding, rugged mountain path, Yuan Liuniang looked back towards the capital.

This life seems different from the last. But thinking about it carefully, Yuwen Ting rebelled, Yuwen Jing died, Hong Xin started a rebellion, and Yuwen Zhe ascended the throne. Apart from her not being by Yuwen Zhe's side, nothing is different.

"If I could, I would like to pretend that everything that happened was just a nightmare." After saying that, she lowered her head and looked at the sleeping baby in her arms, her peach blossom eyes full of tenderness and love: "From now on, you will be my child, and I will protect you for the rest of my life."

Jue was the name she chose.

Her daughter was once named Xinjue.