How many letters had Yikong written? And why had he gathered so many Taoist priests, monks, and celestial masters? Was this some evil scheme, some attempt to wipe out all these prestigious and upright sects?
He suddenly became a little hesitant and kept looking in the direction of the hall.
Not far away, under a solitary lamp, stood a blue-robed guard wearing a long sword at the back door of the hall with his arms folded. He looked over when he heard the sound.
Fu Qiu was trying to climb the stairs when he was stopped by the other party.
"Please wait here, Master."
He also wanted to wait patiently, but he was really uncomfortable.
Fu Qiu choked for a moment and spoke in a low voice.
"May I ask, brave man, what are you going to do tonight?"
The "strong man" glanced at him and politely pointed behind him.
"All the Heavenly Master has to do is wait there."
Fuqiu was skeptical.
"That's it? That's all?"
"If there's nothing unusual, that's all."
Strange? What could be different?
Fuqiu shook his head and had to go back to the yard.
He looked up at the sky, and saw stars scattered like sesame seeds. He really couldn't figure out what was going on, so he simply joined his colleagues and started chatting. After all, it was better than waiting.
In the dim hall, the sound of the piano continued.
The song was almost over, with only one last set of Sanskrit sounds missing, but the player could no longer hold on and a mouthful of blood spurted onto the strings.
"His Majesty!"
The shadow that had been standing at the door finally couldn't stay any longer and rushed forward quickly, his usually gentle face full of sorrow.
"Your Majesty, please stop playing. I can't bear it!"
The flickering light of a thousand oil lamps, cast through the prayer flags, illuminated the depths of the temple gate, faintly revealing the blood-red hue of the young emperor's robes. The vibrant crimson, like a flower in early summer bloom, blossomed enchantingly, tormenting the flesh and blood within which it had taken root with pain.
But the man seemed to have lost his sense of pain. He just raised his hand to wipe the corner of his mouth, then raised his hand to wipe the blood off the strings, and started to play again.
Shan Jiangfei leaned over the piano table, his voice mournful.
"Your Majesty injured his heart meridian and just came back from the brink of death three days ago. How can you treat yourself like this now?"
There was no anger on the man's pale face, only endless desolation. His eyes, which used to be as calm as an ancient well, were now like an abyss, and just one glance at them could make people breathless.
"The Pu'an Mantra has a profound meaning and is most effective in clearing the mind and calming the spirit. If I stop, I'm afraid it will be difficult to turn back."
The eunuch's voice was choked with sobs, and he seemed to be recalling something. It took him a long time before he spoke slowly.
"Your Majesty has endured this way for the past twenty years. This time, Your Majesty will definitely be able to do it. Lieutenant Ding and his men are waiting outside the palace. Your Majesty, please wait a little longer, just a little longer..."
Wait? He had been waiting in this hell for too long.
He didn't know that time was such a torturous thing.
He had never felt the torment of the dripping water from the clepsydra, much less the preciousness of time. His greatest strength during those years in the tower was fighting against the endless emptiness of time.
But now, watching the blood beads rolling slowly on the string, it was as if his heart was being cut by a knife.
"Is there any progress on Qu Mo's side?"
"We've already refined the third furnace today. The abbot of Songling Mountain couldn't hold on any longer, and now he's the only one left. If Your Majesty wants to know the details, I'll send someone to ask."
"No need." The man refused almost instantly. If he didn't ask, he wouldn't hear the terrible consequences. "Get out."
Shan Jiangfei removed the bowl of medicine, which had already gone completely cold, and replaced it with fresh, hot medicine. He hesitated several times to speak, but in the end, he said nothing. Before leaving, he put the clean outer garment he had prepared earlier on on the man.
"The clothes your majesty wanted, I sent someone to find them."
The moon-white fabric was light and soft, no longer suitable for the current season. But now, even if it was just a thin shirt to cover the glaring bloodstains on his chest, it would be helpful.
Shan Jiangfei didn't dare to stay any longer and retreated with his head down.
The piano sounded again.
Only this time the tune was changed.
The person playing the zither didn't know why, but his fingertips fell and the music he played was a piece he had never played before. It wasn't even a piece of music with a name.
The tune was very familiar, and seemed to be a folk tune, but it was missing a few lines and only repeated the previous few melody lines.
His hand paused as he finally remembered why the tune only had a few lines, because he didn't know what the whole tune was. On that quiet night in the swamp, with only fireflies for company, the tune she had hummed before him consisted of only those few lines.
He smiled, but the smile froze there, ultimately transforming into an unconcealable sadness.
He repeated the melody over and over again. The fatigue and numbness from not sleeping for three days alternately eroded his will. In a trance, he was lying beside the piano, feeling drowsy and unable to tell the difference between day and night.
After an unknown amount of time, a faint sound of footsteps was heard outside the hall.
The sound was sometimes loud, sometimes soft, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and finally stopped not far in front of him.
The fingers on the strings moved, a note rang out, and the man opened his eyes, propped himself up and looked forward.
A pair of bare feet appeared under the swaying banners. They wandered and hesitated, and finally came closer.
The next moment, the ancient silk banner opened slightly, and she poked her head in unexpectedly.
Her eyes still had that familiar look, and they almost lit up the moment she saw him.
"I heard someone playing the piano, and the tune sounded familiar, so I walked over in the dark to see what was going on. I didn't expect it was really you."
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