Chapter 112 Having traversed mountains of corpses and seas of blood, we have plenty of time ahead of us; there's no rush. ...
Upon hearing that Song Ai was waiting outside the door with urgent business, they realized that Song Ai had come to see them.
Huan Xun responded, "Go in."
As he spoke, Yu Nie lifted her skirt and hurriedly walked towards the door, bumping right into Song Ai and Xie Cheng who were stepping through the threshold.
Song Ai hurriedly bowed to Xiao Chengyan and Huan Xun, then turned to Yu Nie with an urgent and solemn expression.
She leaned closer and whispered, "Princess, Master Shen has disappeared."
"Junior Sister is missing?!" Yu Nie's heart skipped a beat, utterly astonished: "What on earth happened? Where is Xu Zhige? Did he go looking for her?"
Upon hearing the news, Song Ai quickly recounted what had just happened to her.
She said she had originally planned to go to the kitchen to brew a pot of new tea for Langxi, and she clearly saw Xu Cai in the room with him when she left, so she felt at ease leaving. But when she returned with the tea, Langxi was nowhere to be seen, and Xu Cai was also not in the room.
She looked around and saw Xu Cai standing at the door talking to a pretty young woman. Seeing this, she went up to him and asked where Xu Cai and Lang Xi were.
Xu Cai was then shocked to realize that Lang Xi had disappeared in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea since he left.
The two of them panicked immediately and hurriedly searched the surrounding area. Finally, following the clues, they discovered that Lang Xi had left alone through the side gate of the backyard and disappeared without a trace.
Song Ai was filled with self-reproach: "It's my fault for failing in my duty; I didn't take good care of Daoist Shen..."
"Now is not the time to discuss these issues. Please wait here for me." Upon hearing that Langxi was missing, she was extremely anxious, but knowing that blaming him would be useless, she stopped Song Ai from speaking.
She was about to turn around and go inside to explain the sudden situation to Huan Xun, explaining that she had to leave first to find someone.
Xiao Chengyan, who followed her out, noticed the urgency on her face and stepped forward to inquire, "Qiqi, you look so anxious, what happened?"
She didn't hide anything and told Xiao Chengyan about Langxi's disappearance, but deliberately didn't mention that half of the reason for her disappearance was related to Xu Jingyang.
She doesn't mind her own affairs, but she won't easily reveal Langxi's private matters; she'll only talk about things that are publicly known.
For example, the relationship between Langxi and Ahui. Xiao Chengyan knew this long ago.
She said, "My senior sister's departure alone is probably for other purposes. She already knows that my junior brother died because of the evil of the powerful, and she is probably determined to die to avenge him. I must go find her immediately!"
Her voice reached Huan Xun's ears, and he learned that Lang Xi was missing, knowing that she would be anxious.
Without time to ask further questions, he immediately issued a stern order to the outside world: "Xie Cheng."
"Your subordinate is here."
"Immediately dispatch a team from the manor to accompany the princess to find Master Shen. Do not delay."
"Your subordinate obeys." Xie Cheng did not hesitate at all, and immediately turned around and left the room to quickly select people.
Yu Nie quickly went to the bedside, thanked him solemnly, and said, "I will remember your kindness and repay you in the future."
That's a very polite way of putting it.
Huan Xun smiled, his lips, stained with blood, making him look somewhat weak: "Alright, I've got what you said. We have plenty of time, no rush."
His words, like a spider web, wrapped around her heart with an invisible entanglement.
The situation was urgent, leaving her no time to hesitate.
Finding Langxi is the top priority right now.
She glanced at him, said nothing more, and then resolutely turned and walked outside.
Xiao Cheng glanced at Huan Xun on the couch, then followed in her footsteps.
Her footsteps faded into the distance, disappearing at the end of the corridor.
The room fell silent instantly.
A faint, lingering smell of blood hung in the air.
The faint smile on his face gradually faded, leaving only a calm expression.
He closed his eyes slightly, his raven-feather-like eyelashes casting a faint shadow on his pale face, as if his accumulated strength was almost gone.
A moment later, his Adam's apple bobbed violently, and the fishy, sweet taste he had just suppressed surged back with even greater ferocity.
He jerked his head to lean off the bed, a movement that aggravated the wound on his back, sending a sharp, tearing pain through him. Almost simultaneously, a mouthful of blood gushed from his mouth and splattered on the floor.
Aunt Wu happened to come in from outside and was immediately struck by this horrifying scene.
She was both surprised and anxious, her steps quickening considerably, and she exclaimed in astonishment, "Zijing!"
*
Upon arriving at the gate of Jiheng Mansion, Yu Nie saw a troop of light cavalry already waiting at the entrance.
Xie Cheng was extremely efficient and didn't procrastinate at all. In just a short while, a team of about twenty elite cavalrymen had been assembled.
When Xie Cheng saw them come out, he immediately spurred his horse to meet them.
As he approached Yu Nie, he dismounted and bowed, saying, "Your Highness Princess Shunhe, the troops are ready, and we are ready to depart at any time."
She glanced at the fully equipped and ready-to-go team, then turned her gaze to Xiao Chengyan.
"I don't know how long this search will take. Cousin, why don't you not come with me? I'm worried that when we reach the palace gates, you won't be able to get in."
From the moment she stepped out of the room, Xiao Chengyan, who had been silently following behind her, replied in a steady voice with an undeniable force: "Since we're looking for someone, one more person means one more source of strength. Besides, Qiqi, you may not know this, but the Siyi Residence has been repaired, so I don't need to go back to the palace like before."
He originally wanted to stay by the Empress Dowager's side and serve her well.
However, Xiao Daozun has been contacting him frequently lately, and there are always times when it's inconvenient to stay in the palace. Moving out to live here makes it difficult for people to find out.
He said, "Keep me here, at least I can be your helper. Don't send me away."
She was in a state of utter confusion, her only thought being to find Langxi as soon as possible and stop her from doing anything dangerous.
Hearing that he insisted on going, she had no time to waste and only glanced at him quickly.
His gaze held concern, yet also concealed worry, fearing she wouldn't let him follow.
"In that case, I'll trouble you, cousin."
After she finished speaking, the two of them walked down the steps, preparing to mount their horses.
Unaware that Xiao Chengyan was also going, Xie Cheng had not prepared any extra horses.
Fortunately, Song Ai was quick-witted and gave her horse to Xiao Chengyan, saying that she would go back to the courtyard first to check in case Lang Xi suddenly returned and they didn't know.
She made sense. Yu Nie nodded and followed Xiao Chengyan onto the horse.
They split into three groups, with Xie Cheng and Xiao Chengyan each leading five members of the Xuan Ce Army to search in the southeast.
Yu Nie and Han Jie each led five people to search in the north and west.
All four of them had met Langxi and knew what she looked like, and could describe her to their subordinates.
The good thing is that there are very few Taoist priests in the capital, and even fewer who are young and female.
These two factors alone can filter out a lot of people.
Moreover, Langxi is exceptionally handsome, making him even easier to recognize.
After dividing them into their respective areas, Yu Nie led his people directly north.
The people are very distinctive, but Jian'an City is not an ordinary city, and it will take some effort to find them carefully.
As the sun moved, two hours had passed.
Just as she was about to finish searching the area she was responsible for, Langxi was still nowhere to be found.
So much had happened during this time that she was filled with remorse.
She began to wonder... if she shouldn't have taken the shortcut to get to the Longdao Road sooner.
If she hadn't taken the shortcut, she wouldn't have encountered Hua Yan and Nie Lanting, and she wouldn't have caused the series of events that followed by her trying to help them.
Ah Hui and Lang Xi wouldn't have traveled all the way to Jian'an just to find her...
Her junior brother won't die...
Her senior sister wouldn't have to accept two such cruel things all at once...
However, the occurrence of an event is due to multiple factors and cannot be simply attributed to a single factor.
If she could remain a detached bystander, she could simply stand by and watch Zhao Huayan and the others being hunted down without doing anything.
Or perhaps she hadn't underestimated the Imperial Stables, nor been overly confident that her plan to escape would succeed. Had she been more cautious, she might have been able to escape with the other two.
But there are no "what ifs" in this world, and once a move is made, there's no going back. Even looking back now, given how urgent the situation was, what other way could the three of them have to achieve the best of both worlds?
The only way to break this deadlock is perhaps to not take the shortcut in the first place in order to save time.
But no matter how Cui Miaochang taught her, or whether her grandmother in her previous life taught her to be kind, she simply couldn't stand idly by and do nothing about the safety of others.
She would definitely step in to help Zhao Huayan whenever he was in danger.
She realized that she had oversimplified and oversimplified everything, and had rashly intervened in the cause and effect of others, which had led to the current situation.
It's all her fault...
Now, even if I recall it a thousand times, it's useless.
At this moment, the only thing she could do was to find Langxi first.
Although the situation was urgent, she managed to stay calm and didn't frantically search like a headless fly.
She first rushed to the gates of the aristocratic families in her assigned area. At that moment, her greatest fear was that Langxi had already sought revenge on these people.
Fortunately, Langxi was not seen outside those grand mansions.
Just as she was carefully searching for Langxi's whereabouts along the street, she unexpectedly bumped into Xu Cai.
On Song Ai's way to report to her, Xu Cai had already led the Wuwei Camp men to search for Lang Xi's whereabouts.
The two looked at each other, and without needing to ask any questions, they both knew each other's purpose.
Xu Cai frowned deeply: "Where exactly is A-Xi going?"
Yu Nie had never seen Xu Cai so anxious before, and advised him, "Brother Wenji, don't be anxious. Besides me, Guard Xie and His Highness Prince Xiao are also looking for Senior Sister."
As she spoke, she looked around at the bustling streets and continued, "I've already searched this area thoroughly. Now we can only look to Guard Xie and his men."
Xu Cai replied with a grave expression, "I just came all the way from the West Gate, and I'm afraid the situation there is not good either."
A silence fell between the two of them.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached from afar, shattering the silence.
Han Jie rode up on horseback, shouting, "Your Highness, the person has been found! His Highness Prince Guangning requests your immediate presence!"
Upon hearing that the person had been found, she was overjoyed and, without asking any further questions, immediately turned to Xu Cai: "Junior Sister has been found, Brother Wenji, let's go over there quickly."
Xu Cai nodded vigorously without stopping.
After speaking for a moment, the two turned their horses around and followed Han Jie, galloping towards the imperial city.
After passing through several streets and alleys, the group finally stopped in front of a tavern not far from the imperial city.
The three of them quickly dismounted.
Han Jie gestured: "Your Highness, it's inside."
Yu Nie couldn't wait and quickly stepped into the tavern, his eyes eagerly scanning the bustling hall.
In the corner, Langxi sat alone at a square table, a pot of wine beside him. He did not drink it, but stared blankly out the window at the majestic and imposing imperial palace.
Xiao Chengyan stood quietly not far away, watching Langxi's movements.
He saw her come in out of the corner of his eye and stepped forward to greet her.
He stopped in front of her and whispered, "When Xuan Ce's army found Master Shen, she was already sitting here. It seems she has been sitting here for a long time."
When it was confirmed that it was Langxi, Yu Nie's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
She nodded, thanked him, then turned and quietly sent someone to tell Xie Cheng that Langxi had been found.
After she finished explaining, she slowly stepped forward, sat down beside her, and softly called out, "Little Master..."
Xu Cai followed her and sat down.
Upon hearing the sound, Langxi slowly turned his head, looking at the two of them with an almost desolate calm.
After a moment, she said softly, "I'm sorry to have worried you. I just wanted to come here and take a look."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to the outline of the palace, her eyes seemingly veiled by a thin mist.
After a long pause, she finally spoke:
"I originally thought that this palace would be different, but now that I have seen it with my own eyes, I feel that it is nothing but gold and jade on the outside, and the more I look at it, the colder it becomes to the bone. It is this kind of cage that swallowed the lives of Ahui and Jingyang."
There was no one else sitting around them. Lang Xi spoke so softly, like a gentle breeze, that people a little further away couldn't hear her at all.
"Junior Sister..." Seeing her like this, Yu Nie felt a pang of sorrow in her heart and reached out to cover the back of her hand: "If you feel sad, you might as well cry it out. That way, you'll feel better."
Xu Cai's hand, which was resting on her leg, twitched, but she ultimately held back: "Yes, Axi...you ran out like this, is there something else on your mind?"
Langxi lowered her eyelashes and gently shook her head, as if nothing had happened.
Her lips moved slightly: "I'm fine, I just stayed in the courtyard for too long... I felt restless and wanted to... wanted to go for a walk..."
She forced a smile and looked up at them: "I'm sorry to have worried you today. You've been looking for me for so long."
Before the two of them could say anything more, she picked up the sword on the table, seemingly not wanting to say much, and said, "Let's go, I want to go back."
Before Yu Nie could finish speaking, Lang Xi, without waiting for their reaction, had already walked away alone.
Their movements were so swift and efficient that they left people speechless.
Xu Cai and Yu Nie exchanged a glance, both seeing the deep worry in each other's eyes. They could only suppress their words and quickly catch up with Lang Xi.
The group returned to the courtyard in silence.
Before Yu Nie and Xu Cai could ask about other matters in detail, Lang Xi, feigning exhaustion, lay down fully clothed and facing inward, and remained motionless.
Yu Nie stood guard by the bed for a long time, until the person on the bed began to breathe slowly and steadily, before quietly retreating to the door and gently closing it.
Outside the door, Xu Cai paced anxiously back and forth, and immediately went to greet her when she came out.
"A-Xi...is she asleep?"
Yu Nie frowned and hummed softly, "Junior Sister would never just want to take a look at the palace."
She expressed her concerns: "I'm afraid... I'm afraid she has other dangerous intentions..."
Xu Cai's face tightened as she listened to her, clearly agreeing with her guess.
The fact that Langxi went to the vicinity of the palace alone today is the best proof of this.
Xiao Chengyan approached from the side, his expression solemn, as if he had something to say.
He filled in the gaps in what he hadn't told Yu Nie at the inn, saying, "When Xuan Ce Jun and I found Master Shen, she asked me if... the palace was about to hold a selection of candidates?"
Since Zhao Yunfu ascended the throne, his harem has been empty and his offspring few.
The Empress Dowager had already issued an edict to recommend women of both virtue and beauty from various regions to fill the imperial harem. This was no secret.
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie and Xu Cai immediately tensed up.
Langxi's unspoken intentions were now clearly revealed, laid bare before the three of them.
Xu Cai clenched his fists suddenly, his face turning ashen: "Absolutely not! I absolutely cannot let her do such a foolish thing as a moth drawn to a flame." He said excitedly, "From today onwards, I will guard this courtyard day and night, and I will also bring in men from the Martial Guard Battalion to guard it. I cannot let her have any thoughts she shouldn't have."
"That won't work."
Yu Nie disagreed with his approach:
“You hold an official position; how can you truly stay by her side every moment? If her mind is made up, how can you keep an eye on her at all times? Why not… why not let my junior sister stay with me? I can keep a closer eye on her then…”
“But if…” Xu Cai still wanted Lang Xi to stay by his side.
As they talked, Xiao Chengyan listened silently, seemingly having come up with an excellent solution.
Suddenly, he reminded her, "Qiqi, right now...aren't you in need of a witness from Dingzhou?"
Yu Nie looked at him, her eyes filled with confusion, unable to connect the two things for a moment.
Xiao Chengyan's gaze shifted slightly, landing on Xu Cai, and he hesitated a little before speaking.
Seeing this, Yu Nie realized that he might have something important to say, and said, "Cousin, please speak freely. Brother Wenji is one of us, and I can trust him."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chengyan finally revealed his thoughts:
“Li Xing is concealing the true extent of the disaster. You desperately need a witness from Dingzhou to expose this. Master Shen is now in despair. If we could give her a chance to live, a chance to both save the people and personally avenge Master Ahui.”
He added, "Taoism teaches that the world should be benevolent. Think about it, she certainly won't act rashly again and risk her life."
"No!" As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Nie strongly objected: "This is too dangerous. I can't involve Junior Sister in this."
Upon hearing this, she was stunned, but who could do such a thing without risking danger?
Overthrowing oppression inevitably involves bloodshed.
To see the sun after the clouds have parted, someone has to traverse a path strewn with thorns and a sea of corpses.
Even in her time, the rise of a new star came at the cost of tens of millions of lives.
She understood this principle, of course, but to involve Langxi in this...
Xu Cai flatly rejected Xiao Chengyan's suggestion.
Just as they were unable to make a decision.
The door behind them, which should have been closed, was pulled open.
Langxi, who should have been fast asleep, stood quietly by the door, his eyes clear and calm.
She had clearly been listening for quite some time.
Her gaze slowly swept over the three people outside the door, each with a different expression, and finally, she uttered two words clearly: "I'll go."
Yu Nie stepped forward and advised, "Junior Sister, do you know what this means? I can't let you take this risk."
Xu Cai immediately stepped forward, her voice firm as iron: "Axi, don't be impulsive. Listen to me, I can't let you take this risk. There must be another way."
Langxi's gaze lingered on their anxious faces for a moment before finally settling on Yu Nie's face, which was filled with worry.
She reached out and stroked Yu Nie's cheek, saying gently, "Ke Qiqi... in this world, someone always has to step forward first, doesn't he?"
As she spoke, she stepped out of the threshold, stood in the courtyard, and then said:
"On my way to Jian'an, I have seen too many displaced people and corpses of the starving. If I can do something for those who suffer from disasters, for ordinary people like me, for those who are trampled on like ants... it would be my good fortune."
“Those powerful and wealthy people who drink blood and eat flesh should have paid the price for the evil they have committed long ago.”
As she spoke, she slowly turned her head, her clear eyes seeming to hold a silent, dark flame burning within, carrying an unwavering resolve:
"Consider it... fulfilling my wish. To do my part for Ah Hui, for Jing Yang, and for all those who died silently and unjustly."
She said, "Qiqi, the collection of essays... let me go."
Seeing her pleading like this, Yu Nie struggled internally for a long time, clenched his hands tightly, and finally agreed to her request.
Xu Cai didn't say a word; he just looked at her quietly, with heartache.
Just as Yu Nie was about to say something, Lu Jinshi hurried in, led in by Xu Cai's men.
Before anyone could ask, Attendant Lu bowed to Yu Nie and said, "Your Highness, my master suddenly vomited blood after you left. I hope you will go and see him."
Yu Nie's eyes widened in surprise: "What?!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: I've been experiencing writer's block with the last few chapters; nothing I wrote felt quite right. This chapter also took a long time to polish, and it's been quite a while since today's chapter was written. Sorry everyone! [Milk Tea]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
