Chapter 108 The Eve
After leaving Tuoba Lü's golden tent, Lin Chengye temporarily stayed in Tuoba Sui's camp. However, the next day, Tuoba Lü sent his confidant to deliver a gold box carved with wolf heads and eagle falcon patterns, which was closed with a cross-shaped perforation lock.
"Such patterns can only be used on the most precious treasures of Northern Yan. I have never even seen this thing more than a few times."
However, Tuoba Lu's straightforward decision to hand over the item left Tuoba Sui feeling uneasy. After all, she knew her elder sister best; she would never suffer any loss, and even if she did, she would surely reclaim everything later.
Tuoba Sui handed the golden box to Lin Chengye, then reached into his robes and rummaged around for it. The golden box was as secure as a spoon in the ocean; only Tuoba Lü, she, and Tuoba Haiyan, who was being groomed as crown prince, possessed the key. Moreover, it had a mechanism that required prying it open from both sides…
Before she could even take out the key, Tuoba Sui heard a soft "click." She looked up in disbelief and saw Lin Chengye holding a thin hairpin, poking it inwards and turning it up, down, left, and right. The supposedly impregnable golden box had betrayed her, obediently opening its mouth.
"you……"
Tuoba Sui awkwardly put the key back into his pocket and casually touched the tip of his nose.
"After all, it's just a small mechanism. If I can't even open this, my godmother will probably have to hurry up and find the next successor of the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect."
Lin Chengye glanced at Tuoba Sui, then reached out and stuck the hairpin back into his hair.
Two dogwoods share the same root, intertwined like dragons and snakes. Gold symbolizes auspiciousness, silver symbolizes alluring beauty; together they cling to a single stem, an extraordinary and enchanting sight.
Just as Bian Yi had said... Lin Chengye's eyes darkened, and his hands gripping the golden box tightened unconsciously.
...
"Actually, you can tell from their names that although both the Bone-Giving Double-Headed Snake and the Golden-Slaying Double-Cornelian Poisonous Herb are said to have the miraculous effect of reviving the dead, they are... cough cough... one is called Bone-Giving and the other is called Poisonous Herb."
On the way to Beiyan, Bian Yi spoke intermittently with Lin Chengye during the few moments he was conscious.
“Very few people in the world know the difference between the two, but it is recorded in the medical books of Qingluan Medicine Valley. The bone-regenerating two-headed snake is a true divine medicine that can restore bones and reconnect blood vessels. As long as a person has a breath left, he can be restored to his original state without any worries about future problems.”
"The 'Golden Double-Headed Poisonous Herb' is actually composed of one gold and one silver herb. The gold one can accelerate the healing of wounds, but its effect is far inferior to that of the 'Holy Bone Two-Headed Serpent,' and it cannot regenerate broken bones and meridians. The reason it is as famous as the former is because of its other herb..."
"Silver is the most poisonous substance in the world. It is tasteless and odorless. If the poison enters the body, the person will appear normal on the surface, but the internal organs will gradually rot. After fifteen days, the poison will take effect, causing unbearable pain and killing people invisibly."
Bian Yi became drowsy after speaking, so Lin Chengye tucked her in and drove off.
On the long journey to Northern Yan, Lin Chengye had a very long time to talk to herself. She had to think about what to do next, and she had to think about it again and again. If it was not feasible, she would overturn it and think about it again. If it was feasible, she would also think about it again.
She had very few bargaining chips, and at that moment, Wuma Yi's building showed signs of collapse, a rare display of weakness, which she had to seize. If she waited for it to recover, everything that followed would be uncertain.
Lin Chengye sat on the edge of the bed, holding the golden jade pendant in his hand, lost in thought, his hands trembling slightly without his notice.
She knew she shouldn't waver like this. She was so close to success. Wasn't this what she wanted?
Moreover, neither of the two most important figures in the scheme had a reason to refuse. Bian Yi had been waiting for this opportunity for far too long, and Liu Yue, like herself, had also lost her family.
The worst thing that could have happened was that he was the one who sent them to their deaths.
Telling them directly that they were doomed in her plan was incredibly cruel. Her conversation with Tuoba Lu the night before last was the first time she had revealed the entire plan.
However, if she hadn't wanted to avoid showing weakness in front of Tuoba Lu, she would have already been in tears, choked with sobs and unable to speak.
Finally, she forced herself to return to Bian Yi's side. Whether it was guilt or something else, the rain in her heart turned into tears. Bian Yi said he didn't blame her, he didn't blame her, but the rain in her heart still didn't stop, and the dark clouds wouldn't dissipate.
Will this dark cloud dissipate when Wuma Yi dies? Lin Chengye doesn't know.
"How exactly did you convince your sister?"
Tuoba Sui also sat down and asked softly.
"It's just... telling the truth."
Lin Chengye took a deep breath.
She used the method Bian Yi had told her long ago to grind the goldenrod into powder, mix it with boiling water, and set it aside to cool.
Normally, Lin Chengye is very quick and efficient, but this time, she either couldn't hold the inkstone properly or spaced out, working very slowly. She didn't want to recount it again, but Tuoba Sui must also want to know Bian Yi's position in the plan.
Tuoba Sui waited for her to finish, until Lin Chengye really had nothing to do, until they could only look at each other in silence, and then he had no choice but to speak.
"April 4th is the Spring Festival celebration in Lai Kingdom. That day is special; Wuma Yi will definitely appear here, and all the officials and common people will be present..."
The process of retelling the story was like being slowly tortured to death. Lin Chengye spoke each word carefully. Tuoba Sui tried to speak several times, but remained silent. Only his eyes grew increasingly desolate, and his fists, which were placed on his knees, gradually clenched.
She couldn't say anything, and she hated herself for not having a better solution. Tuoba Sui forced herself to ask calmly and rationally.
"...Then why are you so sure the Princess will also drink that blood? Wasn't the medicine-using man only drawing blood from Wei Yun'e?"
"I'm sure, it shouldn't have happened."
Lin Chengye nodded.
“Wu Ma Yi’s injuries are not much better than Bian Yi’s. If she wants to recover before the Spring Festival, she can only use the blood of the medicine user. After all, the blood is worth hundreds of precious medicinal herbs. In such a short time, Wu Ma Yi only has this one option.”
Given Wuma Yi's cautious nature, the chances of poisoning him are extremely slim. To ensure a flawless outcome, Liu Yue must be poisoned beforehand, ensuring that no one will discover the poison at any stage.
"But..." Tuoba Sui wanted to say something more. Lin Chengye suddenly covered his face with his hands, and the boy's voice slowly leaked out from between his fingers.
"But I also know that no poison will be that effective against someone who has already reached the level of a half-immortal. However, even the slightest bit of pain would be enough to make Bian Yi... at the Spring Festival Ceremony on the Fourth of April..."
“Execute Wuma Yi in public.”
...
When Bian Yi woke up again, she immediately realized that her heavy eyelids could finally be fully opened. She touched her chest and found that the skin there had healed, forming an ugly and hideous scar.
She knew she had already consumed the golden pearl.
Although it's impossible to return to the peak I was at before my battle with Wang Yi, it's enough.
Bian Yi suddenly laughed, a truly joyful laugh. Then, she sat up and looked up at the bedside, searching for her beloved child. Her eyes must have been shining brightly; after all, she hadn't felt this genuine happiness in a long time.
As expected, Lin Chengye sat quietly by her bedside, watching her without moving. But she didn't make any move, as if she were about to become a withered tree silently aging, or a weathered rock.
"What's wrong?" Bian Yi leaned closer and asked.
Lin Chengye shook his head, still staring at her intently. The boy's eyes were dark, hiding a multitude of emotions, but she couldn't utter a single word.
“Wang Yi was no match for me to begin with. Although she won’t die immediately after being poisoned by the most rare poison in the world, she will definitely be in excruciating pain. Although I am not at my peak either, I am definitely enough to deal with her when she is poisoned.”
Bian Yi's forehead touched Lin Chengye's forehead, and her voice was as soft as a lullaby a mother hums to lull her child to sleep, swirling between them.
"So it's okay, it'll be over soon."
"...Really? You won't die, right?"
Lin Chengye asked in a low voice.
"real."
...
"Sister, what do you want?"
Tuoba Sui entered the Chanyu's golden tent, but did not get too close. He stopped after taking only a few steps and looked at Tuoba Lu, who was sitting on the Chanyu's chair.
Since becoming half-immortals, the distance between them has never been closer.
Tuoba Lu seemed to have gotten used to it. He placed his hands on his knees, looked down at Tuoba Sui, and said softly.
Do you know Lin Chengye's plan?
"Know."
"I have made all the arrangements. Our people in Northern Yan will deliver the silver flower to that drugged man on March 20th."
Tuoba Sui nodded without speaking. Based on her understanding of Tuoba Lü, this was not what she had been asked to say.
As expected, Tuoba Lü's voice turned somber.
"...You must also attend the Spring Festival Ceremony with Chu Wuding."
"...To hold off Qin Ruoliu? To prevent her from disturbing them, is that right?" Tuoba Sui frowned and asked.
A half-immortal can only be used to deal with another half-immortal; this was an unspoken understanding in the Three Kingdoms period.
“Actually, I think… when Wang Yi is poisoned, Qin Ruoliu will also break free from the control of the Mother Worm, so you don’t need to worry.”
Tuoba Lu's faint smile suddenly deepened, and her eyes narrowed slightly. She nodded, then shook her head.
Suddenly, a chill spread through her, and Tuoba Sui shivered inexplicably. She caught sight of Tuoba Lu's blue eyes, the same blue as hers, representing the royal family of Northern Yan, staring coldly at her.
And she was so familiar with all the obscure and unclear aspects of it. It was the same expression on Tuoba Lu's face when he told her the secret of the demigods.
Family ties are as thin as a light mist; in reality, they are those between ruler and subject.
Tuoba Lu slowly stood up from the Chanyu's chair, put his hands behind his back, and said slowly.
"Lin Chengye's mother is, after all, Lin Daiqiao. And according to the news, she is a retainer of Wei Jingchen, the third prince of Lai Kingdom, in Lin Su City. In any case, she seems to be inextricably linked to Lai Kingdom."
"And Bian Yi is considered one of Lin Chengye's people. If war breaks out in the future, can the two of them really stand idly by and not side with Lai?"
"The world is divided into three kingdoms, with three immortals guarding the universe."
"Whether one is added or removed, the balance here will be broken."
Tuoba Lu slowly raised her hand, her fingertips pointing downwards, as if a chessboard was suspended in the air, and as she spoke, a piece was placed.
Tuoba Sui was deeply shaken as she heard the gentle voice of the Chanyu of the Azure Wolf echo clearly within the vast golden tent.
"Only one of Qin Ruoliu and Bian Yi can stay."
Author's Note: Countdown to the end, 3...
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