Chapter 68 The Past of Nan Yue: The Finished Product
She truly is the chosen one, Yue Qimeng.
Behind the stone gate lies a blood pool that has been sealed for over a decade.
Despite the vicissitudes of life, it has not only remained undried, but its blood-red color has also not faded in the slightest. Instead, it has become even more sticky and thick, turning a deep, almost blackish red. The air is filled with a damp, pungent, and putrid odor that is enough to make one nauseous with just a shallow breath.
Inside the cave, jagged rocks with sharp edges and stalagmites hanging from the ceiling dripped cool rock water from time to time, splashing into the dark red pool and creating eerie ripples.
Around the blood pool, which resembled the entrance to hell, countless brightly colored flowers were in full bloom. Despite being neglected for years, they showed no signs of decay; their petals were full and dewy, blooming in a grand and profusion, so beautiful as to be unreal, which ironically made them seem eerie.
Tang Yu, still recovering from her serious injuries, had her chest wound reopened by the fall, and blood welled up in her throat. With each breath, blood spilled from her lips.
She could barely maintain consciousness, but her body was completely immobile, and each heartbeat felt like being stabbed with a knife.
The smell of blood filled the air.
The surrounding snakes, insects, and ants, sensing the approach, surged in like a tide, but dared only wriggle and coil around her, not daring to actually approach. They seemed to be patiently waiting for something inevitable to happen, waiting for this "big worm" with its last breath to completely die before swallowing it whole.
Everyone stood at a safe distance, but no one dared to approach, because the "black fog" in front of them had not dissipated.
"What happened?"
Yuexi was extremely anxious, her tone impatient, "Now that the Myriad Gu Blood Pool has been opened, why haven't the Star Gu dispersed yet?"
Yueying was momentarily lost in thought, but she quickly regained her composure. She carefully assessed her situation and suddenly chuckled softly with a sense of pleasure.
As if he had seen a ghost, Yuexi stared at Yueying, who was laughing unrestrainedly, and rebuked her in a deep voice: "What are you laughing at! Now that we can't get in, how can we help her become a true saintess!"
Yueying ignored him and instead boldly took a step forward.
Her gaze pierced through the black mist and landed on Tang Yu, whose breath was barely perceptible. Her voice trailed off softly, her tone almost sickly gentle: "Look... Heaven has given you another choice."
Tang Yu: "..."
Her throat was full of thick blood, making it impossible for her to speak. She felt utterly absurd.
What choices does someone who can't even move a finger, and might even faint completely at any moment, have?
As if hearing the sarcasm in her heart, Yueying chuckled and continued, "Heaven gave you a choice: to die slowly inside, as I wish, just like this? And then let these Gu worms..."
To devour your flesh and blood bit by bit. Or…
She pointed to the layer of black Gu mist ahead, her tone low and sinister: "Let us in, and help you become the real Yue Qimeng?"
Tang Yu tried to open her eyes wide, attempting to refocus her blurry vision, but a bitter sense of absurdity welled up inside her.
Could it be that I didn't let them in?
She had a rough idea of Yueying's initial plan.
Back then, the Nan Yue incident happened suddenly, and I was rescued when I was only ten years old. I did not complete the long and cruel "incubation", and my bones and blood were not completely reshaped by the Gu poison.
Therefore, she was able to retain the emotions of a human being during her long and meticulous care by her parents.
Therefore, the people of Nanyue did not want to kill her and brought her to the Blood Pool in order to complete the cultivation of "Yue Qimeng".
They showed no respect or pity for the "saint".
There is only the expectation of the "finished product".
She naturally didn't want things to go her way. But if she didn't enter the blood pool, given her current injuries, she could only linger on, waiting for death.
Even if she were willing, she couldn't even nod her head now.
Yueying, however, was in no hurry and said slowly with a smile, "Actually, I never intended to spare your life. If you want to die, I would be more than happy to oblige."
She spoke casually, but this angered Yuexi beside her, who shouted, "Are you going to destroy Nanyue?!"
"Then you must persuade our Holy Maiden to drive away these Gu worms for us."
Yue Ying smiled sarcastically, pointed at the black mist, and said to Tang Yu, "If you are willing, Yue Qimeng can make the Gu worms submit and clear the way for you with just a thought. But if you lose your life force, the Gu worms will no longer recognize their master and will pounce on you immediately, devouring your bones and blood."
"Holy Maiden, please let us in to save you!"
The voices seemed urgent, but they weren't out of concern for her safety.
Tang Yu felt a sharp pain in her chest, her breathing became intermittent, and she could barely hear Yue Ying's devilish whispers.
"If you become Yue Qimeng, your emotions will become indifferent, and you will completely lose the seven emotions and six desires of a human being."
Yueying's red lips parted slightly, revealing a cruel smile: "That's fine too. You'll have no more friends, no more family."
"There will be no more weaknesses."
Every word felt like a heavy hammer blow to Tang Yu's heart.
Her fingertips trembled slightly; her once chaotic mind, which had been yearning for life, was now filled with fear of it.
To die or to live?
But more than the fear of death, she feared being stripped of all her emotions and becoming someone who was no longer Tang Yu.
This so-called "living" is like peeling off her skin and changing her soul, making her become that code name that doesn't even count as a name—Yue Qimeng.
A name that doesn't belong to oneself.
A destiny that is not one's own.
Tang Yu lay pressed against the cold ground, blood flowing continuously from her wound, slowly spreading into a dark red pool. Yet the black mist remained silently suspended before the stone gate, showing no sign of dissipating.
At this moment, Yuexi and the old man finally realized that Yueying was not forcing her to make a choice, but was using words to deprive the saintess of her desire for life.
However, Tang Yu, who had lost too much blood, was experiencing a ringing in her ears and couldn't hear their argument at all. Her vision flickered between darkness and light, and her consciousness continued to sink.
With each breath, the damaged lungs felt like they were being scraped by a knife. Warm blood slid down the corners of his lips, dripping onto the stone floor with a very soft "drip-drip" sound.
The sounds of arguing were chaotic and distant.
She suddenly realized that if she died, they would gain nothing.
Similarly, she would never see the moon over Sichuan again, nor would she ever see the one she loved again.
Therefore, she didn't want to die, and she couldn't let Yueying have her way.
Enduring the excruciating, tearing pain throughout her body, Tang Yu clung desperately to her last shred of consciousness—
She wants to live.
In that instant, the surroundings suddenly fell silent, and Tang Yu completely lost consciousness.
Everyone gasped in shock.
The swarm of insects that had been densely packed in front of the stone gate, like a black curtain, now seemed to be summoned by an invisible force and surged toward Tang Yu.
The black mist churned and rolled, as if receiving a divine decree, layer upon layer enveloping her, who was on the verge of death, and then slowly lifted her up, moving her deeper into the blood pool.
Yuexi and Yueying's expressions changed drastically, and everyone around them was incredulous.
They originally thought that as a half-finished product, "Moon Dream" was already barely enough to make the Gu worms retreat and allow everyone to enter in its half-dead state.
Unexpectedly, she was able to control the Gu worms herself and enter the Gu pool.
"She truly is the chosen one, Yue Qimeng..." Elder Yuexi trembled with excitement, weeping with joy: "The restoration of Nanyue is within reach!"
But Yueying, standing beside him, watched coldly, her face showing no joy whatsoever.
With a "plop," Tang Yu, covered in blood, slowly sank into the blood-red pool of water, continuing to sink.
The myriad Gu that were originally swimming in the pool suddenly retreated, as if they were afraid of her presence.
Yueying's pupils contracted sharply as she stared intently into the depths of the blood pool.
The next moment, a dazzling golden light suddenly rose from the depths of the blood pool.
Originating from the deepest part of the pool, it seemed to have a mind of its own, heading straight towards Tang Yu's location.
Then, it silently entered Tang Yu's body and disappeared.
*
The moonlight in Xia Nan is exceptionally beautiful tonight.
The full moon hung very low, as if one could touch it with just a slight movement of the hand, much like the moon that seemed so close on the Lantern Festival.
Unfortunately, the courtyard was deserted, with only Xie Xingzheng sitting alone under the eaves.
The moonlight cast a thin layer of silvery glow on his broad shoulders and profile, so cool it was almost ethereal. He had only come out for some fresh air, but for some reason, he found himself staring at the bright moon, lost in thought, and sat there until late into the night.
They were completely unaware of even neck stiffness, shoulder and back soreness.
Until the footsteps approached softly.
Xiao Fangliang, wearing a cloak, sat down silently beside him. The two admired the moon side by side, as silent as two stone statues.
I don't know how much time passed.
Xie Xingzheng finally moved, his voice low and hoarse: "She... should still be alive."
Xiao Fangliang continued gazing at the moon. After a long while, he said softly, "It seems that what you care about is whether she is alive or not, not whether she lied to you."
Xie Xingzheng did not refute.
“Everyone has secrets.” He spoke calmly, but with an undeniable weariness. “You have them, and so do I.”
Xiao Fangliang remained noncommittal, turning his head to look at Xie Xingzheng, and sighed as if talking to himself: "Sometimes, a secret is not for oneself. It is... so that everyone can be with it without feeling burdened."
Xie Xingzheng's fingertips tightened almost imperceptibly, then quickly loosened.
He suddenly remembered the words his elder brother had spoken out of the blue before he left, without any apparent reason.
"As a member of the Xie family, we have always put family honor first. We have high expectations of both our elders and ourselves, and we were even sent to the battlefield at a very young age."
Xie Xingming smiled gently, "But that doesn't mean the Xie family won't love their children, nor does it mean you don't have the right to pursue your own path..."
"Ah Zheng, you've done a great job."
But Xie Xingzheng still didn't know whether he had really... done enough.
"Tomorrow, do you really not need me and A-Yue to accompany you?" Xiao Fangliang's voice brought him back to his senses.
"Although the map in the box does point to the Southern Moon Holy Land, the box itself was obtained by Lu Ya from Yue Ying."
Xiao Fangliang lowered his voice, "Could there be another conspiracy behind this?"
Xie Xingzheng pondered for a moment, then surprisingly spoke up for Lu Ya: "Although he is ruthless and an absolute villain, he is extremely loyal to the Emperor."
"He might be spying on me, using me, or even hoping I'm dead..."
He looked up at the night sky, his gaze resolute: "But he won't join forces with the people of Southern Xinjiang to harm me. The people of Great Xia have their own integrity."
Xiao Fangliang nodded, and Ye stopped worrying. She then asked, "Then why did Yueying take this item to Zhongjing?"
Xie Xingzheng uttered three words in a calm voice: "A pledge of allegiance."
Xiao Fangliang's eyes widened, and he immediately understood: "Was it given by Nanyue to the other small countries in the Southern Frontier?"
"Yes." Xie Xingzheng nodded.
"This is not the first time the Southern Frontier delegation has entered the capital. In the past, they were cautious and obsequious, but this time they are provoking us at every turn... The reason must be that Nan Yue gave them a 'reassurance pill' that made them bold and reckless."
He turned his head to look at Xiao Fangliang, his expression solemn: "Therefore, you and A Yue must stay and guard Xia Nan together with the Xie family army. The plague has not yet subsided, and the next step for Nan Yue is uncertain."
"Therefore, I can only take a small number of people with me on this trip to Nanyue. Whether or not we succeed in stopping Nanyue, the other countries in the Southern Frontier will never let this opportunity pass."
Xiao Fangliang took a deep breath, his gaze slightly lowered: "Don't worry, we will definitely protect Xia Nan."
After saying that, he took out the small sachet that Tang Yu had given him from his pocket and handed it to Xie Xingzheng.
"Although the blood inside is no longer fresh."
He smiled helplessly, "But if you carry it with you, even if it's useless, it'll still be... a keepsake."
The moonlight fell like frost.
Xie Xingzheng lowered his eyes to look at the sachet in his hand. The moment his fingertips touched it, he seemed to feel the lingering scent of Tang Yu.
He suddenly realized that from beginning to end, regardless of misunderstandings or concealment.
Everything he did, including his entanglement with Tang Yu, was done willingly, and even with a touch of joy.
Therefore, she must live.
Living gives him the opportunity to do something for her.
[Author's Note]
I've made two rounds of revisions over the past two days, but I haven't changed the plot. Please forgive me and don't give up on me!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com