Chapter 55 The Heavenly Snow Lotus is unaware that the flower near the water blooms first.
Huo Qin had already stood up. The sword, "Report to Your Lordship," was unsheathed at some point, its blade gleaming sharp in the morning light.
The blade is as thin as a cicada's wing, with a line of extremely bright color concentrated on it, like the sound of a dragon's roar.
"My father, Zhou Ziheng... you won't be able to take them away from me!!"
The "Reporting to Your Will" stood horizontally in front of Xi Ling, like a giant dragon coiling around her.
Xi Ling gave a disdainful laugh.
“Your father is dead, and Zhou Ziheng is about to die.”
Even if you don't allow it, what can you change?
Huo Qin remained silent, but his figure was so resolute that even in the dim light of the day, Xi Ling could see the desperate look in his eyes through the sword.
Only then did he see clearly and recall the meaning of this gesture.
At that moment, Xi Ling seemed to think of something, and her whole body became restless!
His features were deeply distorted, and even though he was mindful of Zhou Ziheng's "soul," he was still so out of control that he almost threw the person in his arms off.
"Sometimes I really hate you... just like I hate Huo Yunfeng!!"
In Xi Ling's eyes, Huo Qin stood on the broad road ahead, bathed in the warm winter sun, while she herself stood in the gloom, trapped in endless memories!
His martial arts skills were not good enough, and he was no match for Huo Qin. When the other party threatened him with a sword, he felt that his self-esteem, ambition, pain, and even a little bit of insignificant and pitiful guilt were all exposed by the sword that was meant to serve the emperor!
Huo Yunfeng is dead, so why is his sword still alive?
The sword... the sword that Zhiying gave him...
The sword... in the Kesu Desert, it was it, it was him...
Xi Ling was in a frenzy, his mind clouded. One moment he was filled with resentment towards the sword for preventing him from resurrecting Mei Zhiying, the next he was grateful to the sword for saving him and Mei Zhiying more than once...
He alternates between anger and laughter, acting like a madman.
Huo Qin was too lazy to investigate why Xi Ling was acting this way. Seeing that the other party had completely gone mad, he simply pulled Zhou Ziheng into his arms and looked at Xi Ling warily.
Xi Ling was still in a mentally unstable state. Suddenly, she burst into tears, seemingly lost in thought.
Huo Qin had seen enough, and turned to leave with Zhou Ziheng in his arms, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Xi Ling reach out her hand, seemingly trying to grab Zhou Ziheng.
However, even faster than this hand was another hand.
Zhou Ziheng had already woken up. Although he was still a little weak, he still firmly blocked Xi Ling's hand.
The curse of laurel wreath on his left arm still emitted an ominous red light. His entire arm was covered in blood, yet he still struggled to stand up from Huo Qin's arms.
Zhou Ziheng looked at Xi Ling with pity: "Xi Ling, perhaps you have never thought about why Mei Zhiying gave you 'The Butterfly Lovers'."
However, Xi Ling was not in her right mind at this time, so how could she hear him speak?
Zhou Ziheng said no more and left with Huo Qin.
The two ran towards the light, but Xi Ling's world consisted only of black and red.
He was utterly exhausted. He closed his eyes, but the sinister laughter of his imagination echoed in his ears:
"I've already implanted a mature Vermilion Fruit inside my body, so what if it leaves?"
"The fifteenth is only a few days away. Once I find the Cloud Rainbow Scissors, you will all die!"
...
After Ning Hanshuang got away from the checkpoint, she casually found a corner to stop the carriage and dragged Zhang Yuanqian and Xu Yi out from under the carriage.
Her expression was grave, and she immediately asked, "Is there anything wrong with the items?"
Xu Yi carefully took out the bundle from his arms and nodded solemnly.
Ning Hanshuang breathed a sigh of relief. From the moment they met until now, she finally had the chance to ask the question that had been bothering her: "How did you end up having any connection with the imperial court?"
Zhang Yuanqian then gave a brief explanation of everything that had happened to the Zhang family.
At that time, Ning Hanshuang was leaving the city, intending to return home to bury Huo Yunfeng, when she saw Zhang Yuanqian and Xu Yi acting suspiciously on a side road.
The two men, one with a disfigured face and the other missing an ear, were so conspicuous that she recognized them at a glance.
Judging from the direction the two were heading, it seemed they wanted to enter Zhuoxian.
For a fleeting moment, an inexplicable inspiration struck her. Ning Hanshuang stopped the carriage and, avoiding the driver's gaze, approached Zhang and Xu.
Xu Yi looked at the woman who had appeared out of nowhere, and warily stood in front of Zhang Yuanqian, almost drawing his Broken Goose Blade.
Ning Hanshuang quickly said, "I mean no harm, I'm just kindly reminding you that Zhuoxian is heavily guarded, and you'd be in for a very difficult time if you went in."
Zhang and Xu both knew about the sudden wanted notice. Zhang Yuanqian tugged at Xu Yi's sleeve, signaling him to step back.
He said, "Thank you for the reminder, madam, but we have reasons why we have to go."
Ning Hanshuang's eyelid twitched.
"Seeking revenge?"
Zhang Yuanqian shook his head: "To repay a debt of gratitude."
Ning Hanshuang frowned even more deeply: "May I ask, whose debt of gratitude are you repaying?"
Perhaps feeling offended, Zhang Yuanqian remained silent for a long time.
Ning Hanshuang knew she had been a bit abrupt, so she had to explain, "I stopped you from going to Zhuoxian for two reasons: first, because of the wanted notice, and second, because Zhuoxian's biggest 'landlord,' Xi Ling, is acting like a madman and has lost his mind."
Upon hearing the name "Xi Ling," Zhang Yuanqian vaguely guessed what was going on. He exchanged a glance with Xu Yi and said carefully, "Madam, we are indeed going to Xi Fortress, and we know how ruthless Xi Ling is. However, we have been entrusted with this task to repay a debt of gratitude, so we have no choice but to go."
"Who entrusted you with this task?"
"...Zhou Ziheng."
"Back then, when Xu Yi and I left the Zhang family to wander the world, he asked me to find something and told me that if I found it, I should come to Xibao to meet him."
Ning Hanshuang raised an eyebrow: "What if we can't find it?"
Zhang Yuanqian smiled, seemingly recalling Zhou Ziheng's expression when he spoke.
"If it's not found—"
"That means you're just average and really don't deserve to be the head of the Zhang family!"
...
Ning Hanshuang came to her senses and guessed that Xi Ling was probably behind the Zhang family's rebellion, and that Zhuo Xian's many obstacles were probably tailor-made for these two.
She immediately realized something terrifying—
Xi Ling has ties to the imperial court!
What benefits did he offer the court that made the emperor cooperate so readily?
"Time waits for no one, let's get to Shiburg as soon as possible."
Zhang Yuanqian's words brought Ning Hanshuang back to her senses. She nodded and whispered, "Come with me, and be careful."
Back on the other side, after Zhou Ziheng and Huo Qin left, they saw Xi Bingyi sitting on a swing in the East Garden, lost in thought.
Seeing Zhou Ziheng's arm covered in blood and convulsing in pain, Xi Bingyi was shocked and asked anxiously, "Senior brother, what happened to you?"
Zhou Ziheng shook his head, not mentioning that Xi Ling had implanted the Zhuzhu fruit into his body: "I accidentally got a scratch, it's nothing."
Xi Bingyi clearly didn't believe it, but Zhou Ziheng quickly added, "The fifteenth is approaching, and Xi Ling will definitely take action. I must put myself in a do-or-die situation and stay clear-headed that day."
After saying that, he looked at Xi Bingyi solemnly: "Junior Sister, do you still have any Vermilion Pearl Fruit?"
Xi Bingyi frowned, but before she could speak, Huo Qin interrupted her, saying, "Zhu Zhuguo is like drinking poison to quench thirst; it's too harmful to the body. I don't agree."
Xi Bingyi nodded in agreement: "Even if I didn't have such a thing, I would never let you use it again."
Zhou Ziheng sighed.
The person he was waiting for had not arrived yet, and the fifteenth was just around the corner. If he was still not sober on that day, wouldn't he be letting Xi Ling do whatever he wanted?
Xi Bingyi noticed his worry, took out the Cloud Rainbow Scissors from her bosom, and comforted him, "Don't worry, Senior Brother, the Cloud Rainbow Scissors are with me."
The cloud-patterned scissors lay quietly in the wooden box, like a piece of cloud brocade soaked in the sunset.
Zhou Ziheng hadn't expected that the treasure he'd lost a few years ago would end up in Xi Bingyi's hands, and asked, "Where did you get it?"
Xi Bingyi gave a bitter smile: "...in my mother's grave."
"Below the East Garden is an ice coffin where my mother's body was placed, her face still intact."
Zhou Ziheng picked up the Cloud Rainbow Scissors, his thoughts drifting away: "Is this the reason why Xi Ling colluded with Xie Fenglian? Is he after the Cloud Rainbow Scissors?"
"Where is Jie Fenglian now? Is she dead or alive?"
Huo Qin thought of the scratch marks and bloodstains under the long table in the East Garden and guessed, "He's probably dead."
Upon hearing this, the disciples of Holy Mountain all showed expressions of resentment.
Xi Bingyi gritted her teeth: "He got off too easy!"
Zhou Ziheng said, "It's better that he's dead. Otherwise, we don't know how much more disgusting such a despicable person would have been to us."
As he gently lifted the Cloud and Rainbow Scissors, the gold and colorful threads seemed to come alive, shimmering and radiant, with a halo of light gently rippling across the blades.
Zhou Ziheng murmured, "The Cloud Rainbow Scissors are in our hands, and we already know the location of Mei Zhiying's body. As long as I can stay conscious..."
"The initiative is in our hands!"
The topic has come full circle again. Xi Bingyi gave Zhou Ziheng a reproachful look: "In the end, you still want to eat the Vermilion Pearl Fruit!"
Zhou Ziheng earnestly advised, "Eating the Zhuzhu fruit is only a temporary measure. I know what I'm doing, and there won't be any problems."
"What does a temporary backlash matter if the curse can be eradicated?"
That makes sense, and Xi Bingyi wavered, even beginning to consider whether the method was feasible.
Seeing her silence, Zhou Ziheng knew he had a chance, so he continued to persuade her: "When has your senior brother ever lied to you?"
"Bingyi, think about it. If we only have to pay a small price, everyone will be happy. Why not?"
Xi Bingyi was gradually persuaded, but her expression remained hesitant: "But..."
"good."
Before she could finish speaking, Huo Qin interrupted her decisively:
“If you are willing to give up ‘Xiangjun’, I will go to find the Zhuzhu fruit for you.”
Zhou Ziheng gritted his teeth and said angrily, "I'm talking to my junior sister, don't interrupt."
Huo Qin gave a sarcastic smile, but Xi Bingyi immediately understood.
She refused, saying, "Senior brother, you're lying to me again!"
"I don't want you to suffer, nor do I want Huo Qin to die. Say no more, I will absolutely not give you the Zhu Zhu Fruit!"
Zhou Ziheng sighed and said helplessly, "Trust me, Old Qi's notes record another solution that doesn't require Huo Qin's life."
Huo Qin and Xi Bingyi said in unison, "Then show me what the method is."
Without batting an eye, Zhou Ziheng rambled on, saying, "Just cut off my left arm during the soul exchange."
Huo Qin sneered: "Then where's the notebook? Show it to me and let me see if it really contains any records."
Zhou Ziheng blinked innocently: "Lost it."
Even Xi Bingyi was amused by this, and the two turned their backs on him, not wanting to talk to him anymore.
Zhou Ziheng was extremely anxious. His throat bobbed, and he was about to speak again when a deep sense of powerlessness gripped him.
This stalemate cannot be resolved with just a few words.
Just when they were at their wits' end, a familiar voice descended from the sky—
"Stop arguing."
"Zhou Ziheng has lived up to expectations."
The three of them looked up abruptly, following the sound, and saw Zhang Yuanqian, Xu Yi, and Ning Hanshuang walking side by side through the dew in the dim morning light.
"Mother!" Huo Qin rushed to Ning Hanshuang excitedly, and tears fell down his face at just one glance.
When he was still young, his father left home and disappeared. He traveled around for many years, all in search of his parents' whereabouts.
I only learned of my father's passing a few days ago. Now that I'm seeing my mother alive and well, my only remaining relative, how could I not be moved?
On the other side, Xu Yi approached Zhou Ziheng, carefully took out the package, and amidst the expectant gazes of everyone, slowly revealed its contents—
Heavenly Snow Lotus!
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Author's Note: One more chapter to be updated every Tuesday. It's almost over; you can request the extra chapters now! [Sunglasses]
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